Goodwill Hunting - The Latina Next Door

January 27, 2021 By Yami 2 Comments

Thrift Store Candleholder Makeover

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Hey there friends and happy Wednesday! I am back and I have an amazing thrift store makeover for you all.

Do you love candleholders as much as I do! If you are here you probably do!

I found these at my local Goodwill and they only cost me 99 cents each! Score!

They had good bones, but I thought we could do even more with them.

First thing I did was clean them with some rubbing alcohol (why are things at thrift stores always sticky?!).

Next, I took some wooden beads from my stash and with the help of some bakers twine, I wrapped them around the top of the candle stick and around the bottom. I secured them with hot glue.

Make sure they are on there well.

RELATED: Spring Spanglish Sign DIY

Afterwards, I took some chalk paint in Sandstorm and painted them (I actually painted only one, but more on that in a bit).

Once the paint was dry I took some spackle from Dollar Tree and applied it all over the nooks and spaces between the beads.

I did that to both the top beads and the bottom beads… are you cringing yet? ?

Trust the process….

You want to let the spackle cure overnight so that you can come back the next day and sand everything down. If you don’t give it enough time, the spackle will crumble and fall off in this next step.

As you can see, I added the spackle to candlestick below without paint. I did this to see if it was better to apply the spackle before painting it with chalk paint. I actually found that the spackle sticks better with one coat of chalk paint already on.

You’re welcome. ?

In this process, you want to remove all of the excess spackle and bring back out the wooden beads. Make sure everything is as smooth as possible. Take your time with this. The more effort the better it will turn out in the end.

After I sanded everything I made sure to clean off the surfaces before applying two coats of chalk paint.

Then I came in with Debi Design Diaries white wax and began applying it all over the candleholder. I wanted to make sure that all the nooks and cracks got some of it.

I even used and artist brush at times and it really helped out.

Finally after that wax dried, I came in with my Folkart home decor clear wax and sealed everything. I removed all of the excess wax and allowed them to cure overnight.

And that was a wrap!

These are PERFECT for spring! And they go so well on my coffee table in my sunroom along with several other thrifted flips… can you spot them?

You know which ones they are if you saw my latest video cause I have 6 more ideas where these came from below!

It’s like they were meant to be this way. I am not gonna lie, these took several days to make, but I had a vision and I wanted to make them work.

And I was so happy I kept at it because I love the end result!

They are the perfect blend of imperfect and elegance.

Let me know what you think below!

As always, don’t forget to share and I will see you in the next one!

Until then… adios!

August 17, 2018 By Yami 1 Comment

Thrift Store Haul #2

Hello sweet friends! It has been a while since you have seen me and I am so sorry about that! The past couple of weeks have been super crazy with the start of school for my kids since they started on the 6th of August. Then we had a water leak in one of our drainage pipes from the upstairs that we had to repair.

Between that and getting rid of furniture to make room for new stuff, it has been complete chaos! I am ready for another vacation…

I put that in there in case my husband happens to read this. 🙂

Anyways, I wanted to share with you my latest thrift store haul since I have been finding some really fun items at my local Goodwill lately. I have been scoring some amazing deals and I wanted to share what I look for when I go there. Stick to the end to see my 3 rules!

Before we start, you always have the option of actually viewing the video where I share them below as well!

My first purchase was this (obnoxiously) red basket. I didn’t care for the color, BUT the reason I bought it was because it was in perfect condition. I loved how it had a little “base” to it at the bottom. And it serves perfectly as a bowl to put decorative spheres in.

It can be used to holiday decor or as a centerpiece as well. Plus all it really needs is a good coat of paint and perhaps some distressing. And at only $2.52, it was totally worth it!

My next piece was this small white milk jug looking thing and this tea light holder.

The milk jug was not that bad, but that’s not really my shade of blue so I will be changing that very soon. The tea light holder was nice in that it had a simple silhouette and could be easily painted to suit my color scheme…. plus, it has enough area to create some sort of detail pattern around it.

They both cost me $1.91 each.

The next items in my haul were these gems!!!!! At $1.91 each I don’t know why anyone would have gotten rid of these, but I swiped these up off the shelf so fast, you would have thought I was Speedy Gonzalez! Ha!

These candlesticks are perfect just as is. I cleaned them and they now sit next to one of my wedding photos (you will see just where soon!).

The next item was this metal dish stand thing-majiger.

I am a total professional here folks!

It was in perfect condition as well. Just needed to be cleaned. I thought this would look perfect on a shelf with perhaps more spheres or to use in the fall (which is almost here) with some pumpkin decor….

The price? $3.93! Love it!

And finally the last thing I bought was this large and not-so-pretty vase. This was actually my most expensive buy… at $4.54 check out this bad boy!

The artwork (on anything) does not scare me and it shouldn’t scare you either when you go to your local Goodwill. I checked it and it had no chips. It was heavy for its size so it was well made and it had a classic silhouette that I could work with.

If you have been following me on my YouTube channel you may have already seen its transformation. If not, no worries! I will be sharing it in the next couple of days here as well. But if you’re inpatient like me just go here. 😉

And that’s pretty much it for this haul! As you can see I didn’t spend that much at all (you’re welcome, hubby!).

So just remember if you are looking for some new items don’t forget to check out those thrift stores near you… and always remember the color you can ALWAYS change so never be taken aback by something that is not “pretty”.

Just make sure it’s:

1) not damaged

2) it has a classic shape that you can work into your current (or future) decor

3) it can be easily painted to match your color scheme.

Those are the 3 main rules I follow when I go to thrift stores.

It may be ugly when I bring it home, but it’s pretty when I display it in my home. Just sayin!

Well, I will be back here soon (promise!) with some great stuff so stay tuned!

June 28, 2018 By Yami 12 Comments

How to Sew a Basket Liner

Happy Thursday dear friends! I am so excited today because I am joining in again on another thrift store upcycle project along with some other talented bloggers. Last month, I shared my farmhouse box makeover and previously I shared my Goodwill lamp makeover, and while I am sharing another coastal farmhouse themed project, this one will not require paint.

One of my earliest sewing projects was my extra long table runner and I just shared some navy and white round chargers that turned amazing (to my surprise) so I am trying to incorporate more sewing tutorials on my blog. However, please note, I am not in any way shape or form a seamstress. I am mediocre at best, but it is something I enjoy and the more I do it the more I like to challenge myself.

You’ve been warned! ?

So if you haven’t seen this monthly thrift store upcycle challenge before here is what it’s all about!

The Rules:

Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
There’s no monthly theme.
There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet this Month’s Hosts

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

This post may contain affiliate links, please see full disclosure here.

My Project: How to Sew a Basket Liner (for my Goodwill Basket)

I recently shared my latest thrift store haul video and in it I scored a square basket at my local Goodwill for under $2.00. Click here to watch the video and see what else I scored.

Since I had a small amount of fabric from my craft room transformation I thought I would use it to create a liner. I was so happy I had just enough for it. Here’s a sneak peak!

I am sure there are better tutorials out there, but mine is a little different because I don’t use a tape measure. NOPE! I just eyeball everything, but it’s simple and it works every time. So here is how I do it.

First…

I take my fabric and cut the fabric for the sides of the basket. I make sure to leave about 1/2 inch allowance on the sides and that it will be tall enough to go over the sides of the basket. There is not exact measurement, just leave enough for however much fabric you want to come down and over the sides.

I cut the 2 longer sides first and then the 2 shorter sides.

Since I barely had any fabric left I had to use some leftover white denim from my last project for the base. I basically set the basket on top of it and cut around it leaving about another 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Then it was time to attach the sides to the base. I attached the shorter sides first. Make sure your fabric is facing in for this.

I sewed them together with my Singer (this is the one I own).

I attached the other short side.

Then it was time for the longer sides. Make sure to sew up until the shorter side seam (shown below). Not past.

You should have something that resembles a cross at this point.

Then it’s time to attach the sides. I do them all at once.

You will see that the bottom seam allowance (below) will be wider than the top. This is GOOD. This is what you want.

Go ahead and sew all 4 sides together. Once done, insert the liner and make sure it lines up nicely and make any adjustments if necessary.

Once I am happy with it, I run my serger on all of the seams, to prevent the fabric from fraying (here is the serger I use).

If you don’t have a serger you can use the zigzag stitch on your machine.

I even serge the boarder that goes over the basket.

Once I do this I decide how low I want my liner to come down on the basket and pin it.

Then I run it one last time through my machine.

And that’s it! Now I have a basket that looks like it came from Pottery Barn! ? And it has that perfect coastal farmhouse style I love so much!

I hope you like this thrift store transformation! The best thing about this, is that I can change the look of the fabric for different seasons and holidays just by changing the liner. I hope to get a lot of use out this little basket.

I will see you soon!

Shop this look!

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

An InLinkz Link-up

June 15, 2018 By Yami 2 Comments

Coastal Farmhouse Thrift Store Haul

Hello friends!

I have been going to the thrift store more often lately to score some decor for my home and I am sharing my latest coastal farmhouse thrift store haul with you!

I love going to the thrift store and finding hidden gems like the trays I updated for my daughter and I, or the chalkboard serving dish I made a few years ago.

So I thought it would be fun to share what I found and talk about what I look for when shopping. Plus, stay tuned to see what I end up doing with them in my home.

I plan on making this a regular series as I go to the thrift store more and more. So if you like thrift hauls, check out my latest video below and let me know what you think about the items I found!

Related:

$5 Goodwill Challenge

Thrift Store Farmhouse Lamp Makeover

May 24, 2018 By Yami 7 Comments

Thrift Store Farmhouse Box

Some of the links below are affiliate links for your convenience. For full disclosure please go here

Hello friends! I am so excited to be joining another thrift store transformation event and I am particularly proud of how my little thrift store farmhouse box turned out. I love finding little treasures at thrift stores and making them into something new and improved. The best thing is that most of what I used to give this box a makeover I already had on hand, and it also goes really well with my thrift store lamp that I remade not too long ago, so it was a win-win!

So next time you need a cute storage box check out your local thrift store and as long as it is made of a good material and is in great shape you can customize it to whatever you like!

And if you are just tuning in, here is a quick overview of this thrift store challenge and what it’s all about.

The Rules:

- Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
- There’s no monthly theme.
- There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

Thrift Store Farmhouse Box

So, for this thrift store challenge I decided to makeover this little box I got from Goodwill for only $1.91.

Here are the supplies I used:

White chalk paint (I used this one)
Home Decor Parisian Grey Chalk Paint
Matt Stewart Tilled Soil Vintage Decor Paint
180 Grit Sandpaper Sheets
White wax (I used this one)
Small inexpensive artist brushes
Wax brush – here is my favorite inexpensive one that I used in this tutorial and on these shelves
Old rag
Painter’s tape
Wood Glue
Mini Adhesive Felt Pads

Yeah, it was pretty sad looking and I wasn’t too fond of the color, but I had a great plan in mind for it.

First, I removed that hideous metal flower.

Next I wiped down the box and began painting it with white chalk paint.

I applied 3 coats total.

Then I sanded it down and distressed the box and lid a little.

After I did that I added painter’s tape and began painting the taped area with the tilled soil chalk paint.

Then on top of that I added the Parisian Grey. I was hoping to give a weathered wood look to the “stripe”. Afterwards, I added white wax.

The white wax added more “streaks” to the paint. I kept my strokes light while painting.

I removed the tape and let it dry.

While I waiting for the paint to dry I took a couple of wood pieces (a circle medallion along with this leftover finial from my DIY Christmas ornaments ) and glued them together with wood glue, placing the finial in the center.

I stained them with Minwax Special Walnut stain.

Then added the same white wax I used on the box to age it as well. I made sure to wipe off the excess that way it wasn’t too white.

Once that dried I used wood glue to adhere it onto the center of the lid.

Then when that dried I added my clear wax all over everything and let it dry overnight to seal the paint.

And I was finally done!

While it might have seen like a ton of work, it actually came together pretty quickly since the paint dried so fast.

I did everything in one afternoon (with the exception of letting it dry overnight) and the only thing that I bought for this makeover was the cute circle medallion which only cost $1.99 (more than the box!!!).

It was totally worth it, because I just love how it turned out! Now I just need to figure out what to put inside of it.

What did you think of my little thrift store farmhouse box transformation? I would love to hear your thoughts below!

And if you liked this, don’t forget to pin it below and keep for future reference!

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

An InLinkz Link-up

March 22, 2018 By Yami 14 Comments

Thrift Store Lamp Transformation

Hello friends! I didn’t realize it had been this long since I wrote a new post. Yikes! Truth be told… many things have been going on in the background and these past few weeks have been a little overwhelming, however, I am glad to say I am back in the game and you will be seeing more of me and my projects. I have several in the works and will be sharing my ideas in the next few days.

I have been thinking about implementing some lifestyle changes recently and one of my newest (and most important) goals this year for me is to spend as little as possible when it comes to my home’s decor.

Our home is large….. 5,200 sq. ft. large and since I stay at home I cannot just go out and get whatever I want especially since I am really trying to implement my new style and make the best with what I have until I can do all the things I want with my home.

However, I still want a stylish home!!! Gah!

And I know, these things take time and I have been focused on the end goal instead of making the best of the journey and allowing it to properly feed my destination.

So…. that being said, it’s back to Goodwill Hunting as I like to call it and since I have completed my craft room I will be putting it to good use as I transform inexpensive finds to fit my needs and my style.

Related: $5 Goodwill Challenge

And what better way to start than with a thrift store challenge!

I joined several other bloggers to get my butt into gear and get me started on this journey. In today’s post I will be showing you what I did in my latest thrift store lamp transformation (that was almost a disaster).

It will be a monthly thing to so the details are below in case you wish to join along.

The Rules:

Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
There’s no monthly theme.
There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Thrift Store Lamp Transformation

So I bought this lamp at my local Goodwill for $3.93. It was still in great working condition and it had a beautiful shape to it.

It was perfect, and I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

My goal was to buy a linen drum shade (or at least one that looked like linen) and paint the base and distress it for that farmhouse look.

Here are the supplies I used:

White chalk paint (I used this one)
180 Grit Sandpaper Sheets
White wax (I used this one)
Wax brush – here is my favorite inexpensive one that I used in this tutorial and on these shelves
Old rag
Small brush
Clear adhesive bumper pads

To watch the tutorial you can click the video below as well…

Let’s get started……

First I cleaned off the lamp with a damp cloth.

Then I applied the white chalk paint.

I’m not gonna lie. It looked a hot mess and I freaked out a bit when I saw the first coat.

But I kept going…

After three coats, the lamp was better coated, but then the paint was so thick in some places it looked terrible.

However, I knew I wanted it to be distressed so I began sanding (and praying) that it would turn out okay. I was concerned about the brush strokes…

You can see them up close below.

What a nightmare…. but I kept going… I was determined to make this right!

And alas, it got better!

The brush strokes finally started fading away… but not without some serious elbow grease.

Then when I could not sand anymore I wiped it all down with a damp cloth and proceeded to apply the white wax. As soon as I was done applying it, I wiped the excess off.

I let the wax cure overnight for 24 hours and then added the shade and placed it on the side table in my keeping room.

It’s not “perfect” by any means, but I am really happy with it. The lamp looks so much better and I love how well the shade complements it. I added little clear adhesive tabs to the bottom so it would not scratch any of my furniture.

It’s got that farmhouse rustic charm but still light and airy for that coastal look I love so much.

Since I had all of the supplies at hand the cost for this project was only $19 since the lamp was $3.93 and the shade was $14.99.

Similar ones online go for waaaaay more… just check out this one below available right now! Yikes!

It’s gorgeous, but I would rather save my money and cherish the one I just transformed…. ?

What did you think? How did you like this thrift store transformation? Would you like to see more projects like this? Leave your comments below and don’t forget to subscribe below as well!

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

An InLinkz Link-up

January 26, 2016 By Yami 3 Comments

Repurpose those unused curtain tie-backs

So, I’m a girl who likes a nice pair of curtains or drapes, however, I NEVER use the tie-backs that usually come with. I mean, who does anymore, right? This then leaves me with pieces of fabric in my fabric junk drawer that just seem to take up space.

Confession. I’m a bit of a hoarder (so my husband says). Well, simply put I just don’t like disposing of things that might one day, maybe, just might, probably never really have a use for. One of the things I’m really trying to do this year is SCALE back. I have already made my first trip to my local Goodwill in order to get rid of some stuff that I really hadn’t used since we, ahem, moved in…. oops! Truthfully, I already feel better

Up next, kids playroom, but that is a post for another day.

Back to this post!

Over the weekend I made this beauty….(drool)…. with, none other than, you guessed it…. tie-back rejects…. So here is how it went down.

March 17, 2015 By Yami Leave a Comment

Art Inspiration from an Unlikely Source

I follow and get inspired by several more experienced bloggers online. One of them is Kris from Driven by Decor. She has really great taste and I just hope one day I get to be as good as her when it comes to putting things together and making them look spectacular. She has been debating for a while now whether or not she will change her fireplace tile and has provided her readers with several options of what has come to mind. One of them being this beauty here from Cement Tile Shop.

How beautiful are these!!!!

I fell in love with them right away, but of course I have no need for them and even if I did, they are kinda pricey, well at least not in this Latina’s budget. [Read more…] about Art Inspiration from an Unlikely Source

February 18, 2015 By Yami 5 Comments

Goodwill Jewelry Box Makeover for Under $6

I was making one of my Goodwill rounds (cause it’s so hard for me to pass by that store and not go inside to see if they have any treasures!) and found this cute jewelry box for $2.92.

It needed a bit of TLC…actually A LOT, cause the inside was a disaster.

See what I mean? [Read more…] about Goodwill Jewelry Box Makeover for Under $6

September 18, 2014 By Yami 10 Comments

DIY Gold Tray

Lately, I have been visiting my local Goodwill WAY TOO MUCH… That being said I have made some seriously awesome scores! You just never know when there will be something that will catch your eye. My local Goodwill puts new items out on a daily basis.

No, I don’t go there that often…. yet.

So now that gold is back in style, I have been wanting a cool gold tray for my bedroom (or just because). And this is what I came up with! It only cost $2.92 at Goodwill. Booyah!

Pretty right????? But wait, you just gotta see the before…..

[Read more…] about DIY Gold Tray

Thrift Store Candleholder Makeover

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

RELATED: Spring Spanglish Sign DIY

The Rules:

Meet this Month’s Hosts

This post may contain affiliate links, please see full disclosure here.

My Project: How to Sew a Basket Liner (for my Goodwill Basket)

And now for more thrifty goodness!

*Some of the links below are affiliate links for your convenience. For full disclosure please go here*

The Rules:

Meet the Hosts

Thrift Store Farmhouse Box

Here are the supplies I used:

And now for more thrifty goodness!

The Rules:

Meet the Hosts

Thrift Store Lamp Transformation

Here are the supplies I used:

To watch the tutorial you can click the video below as well…

Let’s get started……

Instagram

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Some of the links below are affiliate links for your convenience. For full disclosure please go here