Welcome to another series of the Thrift Store Challenge! You know, it’s a challenge we make each month where a group of bloggers turns thrift store, flea market or second-hand finds into home decor pieces. Maybe you remember our last challenge, I showed you how to make stylish bookends on a budget. Today I am going to show you how to turn an old and plain Ikea shelf into a farmhouse style one.
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
Amanda | Domestically Creative – Pili | My Sweet Things
Angela | Simply Beautiful by Angela – Jeanie | Create and Babble
Molly | Just a Little Creativity – Yamilette | The Latina Next Door
Marie and Pam | The Inspiration Vault – Michelle | Michelle James Designs
Shirley | Intelligent Domestications – Dru | Polka Dot Poplars
Pam | P.S. I Love You Crafts – Gail | Purple Hues and Me
Jennifer | Cookies Coffee and Crafts – Toni | Small Home Soul
Sue | A Purdy Little House – Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled – Marie | DIY Adulation
Michelle | Our Crafty Mom – Debra | Shoppe No. 5
Chelc | Inside the Fox Den – Denise | My Thrifty House
Florence | Vintage Southern Picks – Ann | Duct Tape and Denim
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
I have the best husband in the world, really. Not only he bears my junking addiction but I think somehow I brainwashed him (not on purpose, I promise!) and he brings me stuff as well. Most of the time when he’s walking the dog. Maybe I need to thank the dog too… Thanks to him we did this Minion planter, this Beach sign, this Christmas decor...
Anyway, some months ago he went to walk the dog and came home with what had been an Ikea shelf.
It had seen better times, the right side was full of mold and the wood was quite damaged.
I had plans for it, so I asked him to do the hard work for me, took it apart and sand the whole thing.
Didn’t I tell you I have the best husband?
Once it was done I just came to do the fun part, paint it! You will find some affiliate links for your convenience, and you can read the disclosure here.
I used my favorite paint for wood, and decided a whitewash of Snow White Old Fashioned Milk Paint would work great here. If you have never used milk paint, it is a dust paint which you have to mix with water. Instead of mixing 1:1 ratio (that would be the formula to prepare regular paint), I used more water than powder to get that whitewash look.
I wanted to add some hooks to the shelf, so I cut a piece of scrap wood I had, sanded and made two pocket holes with my beloved Kreg Jig. It makes any woodworking project easy as a pie.
The wood is slightly different in color but after the whitewash you can hardly appreciate it.
I added some little hooks and it was done!
Here it is in its new home and I love how it looks. Hubby hung it too 😉
The picture doesn’t do any justice… it is a tiny entryway with no natural light, but it looks so pretty there. I hope to show you the whole apartment makeover soon, as well as the plans for building the little bench.
I am sure you will all agree I have the best husband, right?
What about you, do you or your partner dumpster dive too?
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hugs,
Pili
And now for more thrifty goodness!
Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!
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The dumpster diving part made me laugh, I bring home stuff from the side of the road and my husband always says “why”. lol! But he helps me fix it up and does the hard work to. I’ve never used milk paint and the finish looks great.
I guess our husbands gave up lol. Milk paint is great and not sure if all but the one I use is VOC free, so I love using it
Well done to you and your wonderful hubby! Thankfully my husband is all-in when it comes to my project ideas, no matter how far-out they might seem at the time!
I never would have guessed that was picked up at a curb! It looks perfect above your pretty bench. Looking forward to seeing those plans!
Thanks so much Maureen! We have sweet hubbies, right? I hope to be able to share plans soon!
I love that you whitewashed it and added the board with hooks (i love my kreg jig too),now it’s multi-purpose and more useful. Such an improvement over how you found it, and it’s great when our hubby’s help us 🙂
I do love my Kreg Jig, and my hubby was amazed the first time he saw me using it and its possibilities lol. One man’s trash is another’s treasure, you know. Thanks for visiting and for your sweet comment Toni
Fabulous find, fabulous job.
Thank you Ivory
Pili, sounds like you have a very sweet husband. You and I are blessed b/c I have one too. Your shelf looks great now.. Don’t you sorta wish the people who threw it away can see it now? Well, maybe not…they might want it back!
Isn’t that nice, Florence? I could’t do as much as I do if I didn’t have his support.
I sometimes wonder what the previous owners would think if they saw the things after…
What an incredible find! You really upgraded it though. I’d never have thought that was a roadside find lol. Love the results!
Thank you so much, Marie. Roadside finds and me go together lol.
What a great hack! I have a similar piece here which I think I’ll use this tutorial on. Thanks!
Thanks Diego! I’d love to see it if you finally do it.
A great job Pili. The paint really ties all the different pieces of wood together.
Thank you Mari. True, paint makes the differences hardly to see if you don’t know there are two types of wood.
This is so pretty, and I love all the extra storage. You really did manage to bring this piece back to life. Well done.
You are so right, you have a wonderful hubby. The transformation on the shelf is terrific. You have a great eye..
I love how the shelf turned out! And the addition of the hooks made it even better. I’m sure you will get much use out of it!
That’s a serious great makeover! What an improvement, ya’ll did a good job. Nice of hubby to find it for you 🙂 I love this, pinning my Farmhouse board now!
This is an awesome makeover and I love the white wash effect!
Pili, your husband is so sweet to bring you things that he knows you will do something amazing with. The shelf looks great in entryway. I love that finish!
That is adorable! I have never been to Ikea but I keep seeing so many cute projects made with their products. I think I may have to take a day trip to one with my boys when they are all feeling better again.
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