Category: Amy Clark

8 Fun Sweater Craft Ideas from Goodwill

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Although those warmer temperatures seem like they are just around the corner, here in Indiana it is still sweater weather season for awhile. Whether you are looking to switch-up your winter wardrobe staple or looking for an easy craft to beat those last-days-of-cold-weather blues, Goodwill has you covered with these fun sweater crafts you can create for a fun pick-me-up! 
Sweater crafts are the types of crafts that anyone can do and the possibilities are endless. I had the best time demoing some of these fun crafts at the grand opening of our Warsaw location and now I am sharing eight more ideas with you, for fun crafts you can try with items from your own store! 

Make a Cute Cowl

I love to knit up cowls for the cooler months, but I know not everyone loves to knit. That is why I love this cowl made from a sweater that you can create with just some simple stitches on your sewing machine…no knitting required. Check out this fun and easy tutorial from Madigan Made. 
This would also be a fun one to create with light and Spring-y prints and lacier knits to create a beautiful scarf or cowl for Spring!

Make a Sweater Bag

One of my favorite gifts that I ever got was an adorable sweater bag that my best friend found for me at a boutique. You don’t need to pay boutique prices though to create a cute sweater bag. Look for sweater prints in fresh Spring colors and follow this adorable tutorial for by Lana Red Studio to create a cute sweater bag of your own! 

Cozy Up a Pot

Indoor plants and terrariums are a fun trend that I am seeing pop up in all of my favorite catalogs like Pottery Barn & West Elm. Even though I lack a green thumb, I have found myself picking up pretty indoor plants for my home as I await seeing our grass buried under the snow.
Consider visiting Goodwill to find a sweater that matches your home decor to dress up a pot. Not only would this be a cute addition to your own home, but it would also make an adorable housewarming present! Check out A Cultivated Nest for this easy tutorial. 

Make a Sweet Plushy

Does your child have a favorite sweater that the just can’t bear to part with? Consider transforming their most-loved clothing item into a sweet plushy that they can sleep with at night. I love this idea for creating a toy by Leigh Laurel Studios and she even includes a PDF that you can use to create your own toy. 
Consider saving this sweet item for your child’s Easter basket this year! Wouldn’t that be a fun surprise?

Embrace the Fox Trend

Foxes are a fun woodland animal trend that is happening both in clothing and in home decor. Not only do I have an adorable fox locket from one of my sweet blogging friends, but we also found a beautiful fox print for our home. 
Add a nod to this adorable trend by dressing up a Goodwill sweater with fox elbow patches. Check out this fun tutorial from Adventures in Crafting and add a cute fox embellishment to your favorite sweater today!

Make Some Cozy Sweater Boots

It does not matter if it is the dead of winter or the dead of summer, I always have cold feet. That is why I absolutely love this fun tutorial for creating cozy DIY Slipper Boots from a sweater. 
Head to Goodwill and find a sweater that offers lots of warmth, but is not itchy against your skin. Use this sweater as material to create your own slipper boots using this easy tutorial from Drawings Under the Table. 

Add a Feminine Detail to a Spring Sweater

When I was a child, my mom always stressed that things should be just as pretty from the front as from behind on our clothing. You would always find our Easter dresses with an unexpected buttons or a beautiful bow in satin or a contrasting fabric in the back.
As an adult, this philosophy towards clothing still applies and I love beautiful sweaters with feminine backs and details. Look for a lightweight and delicate Spring sweater and add a satin bow detail using this tutorial from love maegan. 

Sew a Sweater Skirt

Last, but not least, consider transforming your sweater into a skirt to dress up your wardrobe as we await the warmer months. Look for a sweater that you love in a great basic color with cabling and use this easy tutorial from My Poppet to transform that sweater into a new skirt for your wardrobe. Pairing these with leggings, a short sleeve basic-t-shirt, and a pair of ballet flats, would be absolutely adorable! 

Get Your Home Organized With Goodwill

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At the beginning of the year, I get the strong urge to donate everything in my house and start fresh. I am also always on the hunt to find new strategies for organization in my home that don’t cost a lot. Thankfully at Goodwill, you can organize your home and declutter it all at one store!

Today I am featuring some great ideas for organization from commonly found items at their store. I am so inspired by these bloggers that I have a trip to Goodwill planned for myself this week to try to snag a few of these items.

Get Your Desk Organized

This last month I spent the month organizing my office and craft space. One thing I really hate is desk clutter and I have been using a thrift store mug to organize all my writing and cutting tools. I love this fresh idea for using a broom head as an office caddy for organizing these item in a fun nod to  industrial-style  and to add a little whimsy to your desk. Grab the inspiration for this project from merry thought.

Get Your Bathroom Organized

One area I always struggle with organization is our bathroom. You can always find an abundance of white dishes at Goodwill though and this painting tutorial from Fruetcake shows how to turn plain white dishes into copper vanity bowls with just a little spray paint. This would be a fantastic way to organize things like bobby pins, cotton balls, or even as a small jewelry holder. 

Organize Your Photos

One thing I have vowed to do this year is to print more photos. Of course the dilemma always is where to hang and display these items. Luckily for me, I found this adorable cabinet door photo display that you can create with just a few items for decorating the top of your dresser. If you are an Instagram-addict like me, this is a must-do project for displaying your favorite pictures. Check out the tutorial to create your photo display on Making Home Base.

Organize Your Jewelry Collection

Vintage plates and china can be adorned or just allowed to show their original vintage beauty in this adorable jewelry display that you could create from plates at Goodwill.  I love that this organizing project not only organizes, but it also doubles as a cute way to decorate a wall or the interior of a walk-in closet.
To round out this display, check Goodwill’s sheets, linens, and kitchen towels for fabric to add to these embroidery hoops. If you are a woman that isn’t as fully accessorized (pity the thought!) you can even add to your jewels with items found in their jewelry department. You can find the tutorial for this vintage plate jewelry display on Craft a Doodle Doo. 

Organize the Bookcase

Bookcases can become untidy quickly especially in my kid’s rooms. Consider whittling down the book collection into a more manageable size and then create these adorable bookends from your child’s old action figures and toys. With a quick mount and a little spray paint, you have a unique bookend that can tidy those stacks. Grab the tutorial for these easy DIY Bookends from Canadian Family today! 

Organize Your Menu Plan

If one of your goals this year is to save money, the one place I always recommend starting is with your grocery shopping and menu planning. I am a visual person, so I love my chalkboard in my kitchen as a reminder of what we have in store for the week and to prompt me to prep and thaw ingredients for the days ahead. 
If you don’t have a chalkboard in your kitchen, making one is very easy thanks to chalkboard paint. Check your Goodwill Store for a frame, canvas, or serving tray that you can use to get your menu plan visual. Grab the tutorial to make your own vintage chalkboard tray on by wilma.

Organize the Paper Clutter

We talk a lot about book page crafts on the Goodwill Tips Blog because this is an item you can always find at your local Goodwill Store. Did you know that you can transform a donated book into an organizer? On the 3 R’s Blog you can find an easy folding technique for creating your own business card organizer. As someone who frequently has a pile of cards and tiny notes to myself, I love this thoughtful storage idea for these items! 

Organize the Toys

After the holidays, the toy clutter always seems to get out of control at our house. Thankfully, you can find lots of jars at your local Goodwill Store that can be transformed into adorable containers to house those smaller toys in. With a little spray paint and a figurine, car or train, you can create an adorable accent to your child’s bookshelves or to tuck away in your toy storage closet. You can get the scoop on making these adorable toy corrals on Simplicity in the South. 

What are your favorite things to use to organize your home from Goodwill? Have you upcycled anything into the perfect storage solution? Feel free to share it here! 

8 Beautifully Frugal Valentine’s Day Projects

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and one of my favorite things to share here on the Goodwill Tips Blog is frugal ways to celebrate the holidays using items from your local Goodwill Store. You may have thought last year’s DIY Valentine’s Day Projects post couldn’t be topped, but I think today’s projects are going to rival all that I shared last year. The best part is that they are both beautiful AND frugal- a total win for my wallet and my home!

Let’s get started with this year’s featured projects!

DIY Valentines Day Bow Tie

I am a total girly-girl so I am absolutely dying over this adorable Valentine’s Day bow tie on Plan B. You only need a few craft supplies and a men’s necktie to create this look. If a pink tie hasn’t been donated to the store, look for a red tie or anything in those festive red & pink colors. Pair this with a lacy blouse and your best boyfriend blazer for a cute night on the town.

If you can’t locate a bow tie, hunt for a red, pink, or white blouse and try my frugal DIY Rosette Necklace for an adorable addition to your favorite jewelry pieces.

DIY Coffee Cup Wrappers

I love a good free printable and am madly in love for these Valentine’s Day cup wrappers. Travel mugs are something that I often see in abundance at our local Goodwill. How sweet would this thrifted gift be with a little lovable printable on the outside and filled with their favorite coffee for someone you love, heading off their morning commute? In my mind, the ultimate sign of love is a cup of coffee, don’t you agree? Grab this free coffee sleeve printable from Eat Drink Chic today!

DIY Sequined Heart Shoe Accents

Last month we talked about how easy it is to make your own sparkled set of shoes from a pair of Goodwill shoes. To take this a step further towards Valentine’s Day festivity, check out this easy sequined heart shoe accent you can make from At The Picket Fence. I know I have one adorable little girl who would absolutely love this heart accent and it would be a fun & inexpensive craft we could do together too!

DIY Coloring Page Valentine’s Day Printables

I am all about free printables for celebrating the holidays and am madly in love with this, “I Love Everything About You,” printable from Tried & True for a couple of different reasons. Besides this printable being free, it is actually a coloring page that you can fill in with your own favorite colors or you can have your kids do for a fun Valentine’s Day activity.

Just pick up a frame or clipboard for displaying these, from your Goodwill store, and you will have something beautiful to decorate a wall, mantle, or nightstand.

DIY LOVE Planter

One donated item that I always can easily find at my Goodwill store is an abundance of white mugs. When I see these, I immediately snap them up because there is so much you can do with these $.25 wonders.

If you are looking for a fun way to add a little festivity to your home, add a LOVE splash by using one of those mugs as an adorable planter for the Valentine’s Day season. Not only is this a cute addition to your home, but would make a fantastic last-minute gift for someone you love! Check out Lacquer & Linen and this easy tutorial for this fun DIY LOVE planter!

DIY Big Bow Pillowcases

Although I don’t sew, I know many of you do, and I truly admire you! For those of our readers that do have the sewing gene (you, lucky people, you!) here is a fun tutorial from raegun ramblings for how to create your very own DIY Big Bow Pillowcases to add a little festivity to your home. 
To create these, visit your local Goodwill Store and purchase linens, sheets,  or the largest shirts you can find in your favorite festive colors. Use this material to create your own pillowcase covers for Valentine’s Day.

DIY Valentine’s Day Centerpiece

If you are looking to add a little festivity to your dinner table or mantle, you will love this easy project created from a little vinyl and any type of glass item/jar that you can find at your local Goodwill store.  
One Artsy Mama offers this free downloadable heart image that you can use to create your own vinyl masterpiece for your table. Fill your jar with festive conversation hearts and you have a fun & frugal centerpiece that you can use every year!

DIY Heart Sleeve Detail

I have been known to wear my heart on my sleeve so this project is perfect for a girl like me! Just visit your local Goodwill for a shirt, cardigan, or sweater you can add your heartfelt detail on  and use these easy directions from hey love designs for creating an easy felt detail to your sweater.

This would be a fun one for a little girl in your life too and takes minimal sewing skills (yay, for those of us that dropped out of sewing school!) to make this sweet little project!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

DIY New Year’s Eve Craft Ideas

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I can’t believe that December is already here and we are dreaming up great New Year’s projects for you! Of course, I am featuring glittered projects and upcycle projects that could be enjoyed any time of the year. The best part is that you can find many of the materials for these projects at your local Goodwill Store for a fraction of the price compared to other retail stores.

Let’s find some thrifty ways to ring in the New Year!

Create Glittered Ballet Flats

If there is one thing I love, it is glitter! I am always looking for festive additions to add to my wardrobe and these glittered flats couldn’t be easier to create and, according to We Are Not Martha, making these is less messy than you think. For this craft, head to Goodwill to pick up a basic flat and then create a glittered layer with a little Modge Podge and glitter. How festive would these be for the holidays? Or your birthday? Or everyday?

Make Confetti Surprise Jars

Sometimes the simplest of things bring us the most joy and this craft from diy studio is a joyful & frugal one. My children would adore these Confetti Surprise Jars for a fun family NYE tradition. Pick up a jar at Goodwill and spray paint the lid a dazzling shade of gold or silver, fill it with confetti, and add  special surprise inside for the recipient. For your surprise choices, check out the jewelry section or locate small toys or game pieces that you can add as their surprise. Don’t be afraid to spray paint those treasures in the same shade of gold or silver for the holiday.

Add A Little Sparkle to Your Wardrobe

If there is one thing that Goodwill has an overabundance of, it is sweaters and cardigans for the Winter season. Don’t worry if you don’t sew (like me!), this is a project that can be done in minutes with just a little fabric glue. Sincerely Kinsey offers this fantastic DIY that will add just a hint of sparkle to your wardrobe with this easy sequin cardigan. 

Add A Little Sparkle To Your Home

There is always an abundance of vases and jars at Goodwill so I love that I can shop their store for this project. These easy glittered vases are pulled together much like the glittered flat that I shared about earlier. You simply need a vase or jar, Mode Podge, glitter, and a sponge brush to create these fun vases. I think these would make the cutest NYE centerpiece or they could be a fun craft to do with your kids for the holiday season. Check out this tutorial from the sweetest occasion.

Add Sparkle to Your Wine Glasses

I am no stranger to adding sparkle to stemware and last year I created these monogrammed wine glasses for my girlfriends. If you are having a small NYE party, consider making these as a fun favor for your guests. If you lack the ambition to monogram them, keep it simple and just add a glittered stem to your glasses.

Give a Cozy Hostess Gift 

As the resident craft expert for the Goodwill Tips blog, I can tell you that sweater crafts are one of our favorite projects to share about on here. Yet again, the ever-versatile-and-available sweater makes its appearance in another craft post. Warm Hot Chocolate shares an easy no-sew tutorial for creating a cozy sweater that can dress up a bottle of wine or champagne. She adds an adorable pom-pom embellishment with a tag to complete this beautiful gift. 

Wishing you the hap-hap-happiest of New Year’s from Goodwill!! May your holiday be beautiful and thrifty this year! 

6 Ways to Decorate Your Home for Fall with Goodwill

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This time of year is among my favorite because I just love decorating for the Fall season and for Thanksgiving with my family. Thankfully, decorating for Fall doesn’t need to be expensive at all especially if you have a Goodwill Store. With a few inexpensive tools and some items from our favorite thrift shop, you will have all you need to start decorating your home for Fall.

Here are six fun ways to decorate your home for Fall using some commonly found items from the Goodwill Store! 

Make a Sweater Vase

Vases are readily available at Goodwill and there happen to be dozens upon dozens of sweaters just waiting to adorn those vases. Select a color scheme that goes along with your home and simply glue the sweater fabric to your inexpensive vase. Fill your vase with bare branches from your yard and you have a beautiful and cozy vase to decorate your mantle!

As someone who lacks the sewing gene, I totally love that this craft is a no-sew project! Check out Made From Pinterest for the scoop on this adorable craft.

Add a Fall Touch To Your Door

Making a wreath can be time-consuming and buying a wreath can be expensive. Why not decorate your door beautifully and simply with the top of a rake. I love this adorable rake adornment for the front door dressed simply with a little sprig of Fall branches that you could pick up from the craft shop. You could even spray paint this to match your front step decor. This would also be such a fun way to decorate a shed door! Visit Eclectically Vintage for some beautifully thrifted inspiration!

Make a Cozy Pumpkin Centerpiece

Sweater crafts are all the rage for Fall and I love the idea of creating a centerpiece of pumpkins that have been covered in cozy sweaters for the Fall season. On the StoneGable blog, you can find some fabulous instructions for creating a few cozy pumpkins of your own. I love that they chose this white color scheme for the pumpkins because these could remain out for Winter decor too! Be sure to look for sweaters with interesting cabling schemes and chose sweaters with different textures to really make your pumpkin centerpiece stand out! 

Give Branches a New Lease On Life

While bare branches can be beautiful, it can be fun to spruce them up and adorn them for the Fall season. Yarn is a commonly donated Goodwill item and this year I made my very own little Knitted Leaf centerpiece out of scrap yarns that I had. Leaves can be made out of just about anything though, consider cutting leaves from sweaters or book pages to create your own unique centerpiece and place them in a pretty vase from Goodwill.

Make a Pumpkin From Book Pages

Are you hosting a Thanksgiving dinner this year? Consider making a unique centerpiece out of a book from Goodwill. These book page pumpkins make a beautiful place setting that could later sit on a side table, ledge, or mantle after your dinner is done. Check out Upcycled Treasures for a great tutorial on how to make these for your own Thanksgiving table. Of course, regular readers know that we are BIG fans of book page crafts over here so be sure to check out our fantastic round-up of things to do with old books!

Take a Stand with Your Decorating

Cake stands are so easy to make with just a candlestick holder and a plate. Spray paint them to create a cohesive collection and place these on your buffet table or mantle. Head to the local farmer’s market or grocer to find interesting pumpkins to adorn the top of these stands. Check out this easy tutorial from Dwellings by Devore to get the scoop on how to make these for your own home!

I am wishing you the happiest of Thanksgivings this year! I hope these ideas will help you with decorating your own home for the holidays!

7 Easy Chalkboard Paint Crafts

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The back-to-school season is in full swing and to honor that oh-so-wonderful time of year, I thought we could talk about fun chalkboard paint crafts today on Goodwill Tips. What could be more fun than chalkboard paint projects and what better time to tackle a project like this then when the kids return to school?

Before I begin, I must disclose that I am absolutely obsessed with chalkboard paint and chalkboard paint projects. Don’t believe me? Check out our outdoor chalkboard door, our chalkboard lunchbox station, our chalkboard pumpkin people,  our chalkboard cookie jars, even our homework stations are adorned with chalkboards. I, basically, have chalkboard paint under my nails almost every day and I have even accidentally spray painted my feet a time or two with chalkboard spray paint. Whoops! It just goes to show that the possibilities are absolutely ENDLESS with chalkboard paint and how much fun these projects are.

Today I wanted to show you all of the fun DIY chalkboard paint projects you could try in your home with items that are commonly found at your local Goodwill store. Just doing this gathering of ideas is quite dangerous for me because I am already planning my next trip out there to do these fun projects! You won’t believe how fun or how easy the projects are that we are featuring today!

Personalize a Mug

Plain white mugs can often be found at Goodwill, but I am particularly in love with this chalkboard paint mug because it can also be a great way to cover up a mug that has a company logo on it. I am madly in love with this adorable mug from Craft-Werk because it can be personalized to its recipient or even personalized just for yourself. Check out the tutorial to find out how to create & cut your silhouette for your very own “moi mug.”  (@ Craft-Werk)

Organize Your Family

‘Tis the season for getting organized so why not do it with a magnetic chalkboard calendar that can be personalized just for your family. To create this craft, head to your Goodwill to find the perfect frame in the size you need for your wall. Spray paint the frame a color to match your home and then, utilizing some cut-to-order sheet metal, create a surface to jot down all of your families activities. Visit PSA Stamp Camp to find the tutorial for this magnetic chalkboard calendar. (@ PSA Stamp Camp)

Organize a Junk Drawer

One trip down the housewares aisle and I am sure you will spot many a jar that could use a good home. Open one drawer in my home and you will quickly see that creating a chalkboard jar organization system would be a lot better than the exploding drawers that are currently residing in my office. I love this fun and easy chalkboard mason jar storage from It All Started With Paint. Have no fear if you only find yourself with jars and no lids. Lids and bands can be purchased separately at just about any superstore that sells canning supplies  (@ It All Started With Paint)

Create a Chalkboard Labeled Cabinet

Goodwill is a wonderful resource for gently-loved furniture and just about any piece could be transformed into useful and organized storage with the addition of a little chalkboard paint. I love the functionality of this beautiful  chalkboard-painted piece featured on homelife for one clear reason…it showcases the beauty of chalkboard paint in other colors. Don’t feel like you have to be limited to just the black chalkboard paint. This piece is not only eye-catching, but it also offers smart functionality for kitchen storage. (@ homelife)

Personalize Your Stemware

Anything to prevent ending up with the wrong glass at parties is a win for me and I have fallen in love with this idea to add a chalkboard stem to a wine glass from Always Order Dessert. If you head to Goodwill you will find a lot of beautiful stemware that just might not match together. Adding a chalkboard stem to each wineglass adds a little cohesiveness to a mismatched set and makes for a fun addition to your entertaining supplies. (@ Always Order Dessert)

Make Dining Fun Again

Do you have a worn table in need of a face-lift? Maybe you have spotted a table at Goodwill that could use a little personal touch to it?  Look no further than this amazing chalkboard table transformation for making dining as a family, fun again. I love the idea of adding this touch to both dining tables or to craft tables. Consider adding a thought-starter question to the table, adding the evening’s menu, or simply labeling the food that is laid out for the meal. Check out this fun table makeover from design sponge for some inspiration for your thrift store purchase (@ design sponge)

Add Food Labels to the Buffet

Is a chalkboard table too big of a commitment? No worries! Consider visiting the housewares section of the store for simple small frames instead and give them a new look with chalkboard paint. Did you know that chalkboard paint can be applied to glass? Using a little chalkboard spray paint, you can transform any frame at Goodwill into a mini chalkboard to add a label to your dishes at holiday or large gathering meals. To make mismatched frames feel part of a set, spray paint them all in one color like this cheery yellow! (@ MomAdvice)

Have you tried any chalkboard paint projects in your home? Share your success stories here! 

Crafting With Vinyl: The Best in Record Crafts

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One collection you may not have spotted at your local Goodwill is the over abundance of amazing vinyl records that they carry at their store. The best part isn’t just how much fun it is to flip through them, but the easy-on-the-wallet price of a mere $.25 per record price tag! Have you caught on to the reemerging vinyl fad yet?

This winter to celebrate my birthday and the launch of my book, my amazing friends all pitched in for a record player and my first stack of vinyl for my birthday. Since then, it has been my little weekly hobby while the kids are in school to head to the stacks of records at my store and spend an hour flipping through records to bring home to listen to over our evening meal. At a mere quarter, it is easy to get a little carried away with my record collecting, but it has proven to be the perfect thrifty hobby for me. There is nothing more fun than settling in with some of my favorite albums from my youth and hearing them on record, just like when I was a kid. 
Records that are scratched can still get a great deal of love in your home and today I wanted to showcase some fun record craft ideas you could create for your home with these budget-friendly wonders! 

Make a Wall Decal

Did you know that you can create, cut, and mold shapes with records to make a wall decal? Me either, but I am so excited to try this amazing idea for decorating a wall as demonstrated in this easy DIY butterfly craft from Threadsence. I am already imagining all the possibilities with this craft and think it would be a fun way to dress up a craft room wall or a fun addition to a teen/tween bedroom. 

Decorate a Corner With Records

Records come in different sizes and I often see the smaller 7″ records available for purchase at our store. Don’t overlook the overabundance of these tiny little powerhouses of music because they make the perfect size for tackling smaller crafts.  These tiny records are the perfect size for creating a cute hanging fixture to decorate a room.  I can picture this as a fun mobile in a trendy nursery or as a fun addition to a family game room. (Source Unknown)

Create a Side Table

If there is one thing I love, it is easy crafts and you can’t get any easier than grabbing your hot glue gun and attaching a record to a plant stand for a side table. This little table would be adorable in any room or the perfect gift for the music lover in your life. Scratched records make the perfect little resting place for your morning coffee and breathe new life into a tired piece of vinyl. Check out The Flourishing Abode to create your own record side table. 

Craft a Cake Stand

I am all about turning anything that I can find from Goodwill into a cake stand. Remember these adorable board game cake stands I created for a party? You can attach an inverted candlestick holder or martini glass for an easy stand for these. These would be adorable at themed parties you are hosting or just a fun way to serve up retro food for an evening with friends. Check out cake for the full scoop on this fun addition to a party. 

Make a Clock

Wall clocks can be expensive, but a necessary addition to many rooms in your home. That is why I love this easy DIY Vinyl Record Clock idea featured on Apartment Therapy. Simply choose a record with a label that compliments the color of the room and use a few clock hardware pieces to create your own version for your wall. Can’t you picture one of these adorable clocks in a dorm or teen/tween bedroom too? I love it!  

Make a Record Bowl

Looking to add a fun fluted bowl to your party table? Just as was showcased in the wall decal craft that I talked about here, you can also shape and mold records into bowls to adorn your tables at parties. This easy DIY requires no cutting of records, but simply a heating and shaping of them to create these adorable bowls. I can picture popcorn, candy, or nuts as fun appetizers for a party. Check out Prudent Baby for this easy record bowl tutorial. 
Don’t forget that you will need a spot to store your new-to-you record collection! I have fallen in love with this DIY Industrial Storage Cabinet on A Beautiful Mess for an adorable stand and place to display your favorite records. It looks like the cabinets I have been eyeing online, but is made at a fraction of the price. 
Of course, if you are heading to Goodwill every week like me, you might need storage that offers a little more room. I found this storage ottoman at our local Target for $80 and it created the perfect little spot for our collection. All of the records are flipped on the edges so we can see the titles and grab what we need easily. It also is a fun way to reveal your collection to your friends and enjoy an evening together around the ol’ record player! 

Happy record crafting & hunting, friends! 

Easy Tips for Making Over Patio Furniture

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The season for outdoor entertaining and eating is upon us and if you are looking to upgrade your patio set, you just might want to check your local Goodwill store. Today I wanted to share with you easy ways to update, refinish, and refresh an outdoor patio set into a set that is uniquely you with a few easy tools and strategies to help get you started. 
I, in fact, recently refinished my old set (pictured above) and have fallen back in love with it again, thanks to an easy afternoon of spray painting. 

Here are a few strategies for making over a set you might spot at your local Goodwill store.
 

Refinishing Metal Furniture 

Rusting on metal furniture happens and if you spot a set that looks a little worn in spots, a makeover transformation is easy to do and requires only an old cloth to wipe down the furniture, sandpaper, and spray paint (in any color you desire). 
Give your furniture a good wipe down to remove any dirt or debris that may be lingering from summers past. Use a medium-grit sandpaper to rub down any rust spots or imperfections on the furniture until they are level and no longer flaking off on the piece. Once the all of the areas have been sanded, spray paint the furniture and allow it to dry fully. I recently discovered a spray paint nozzle for recovering my furniture pieces and it really helps to coat the furniture evenly. If you plan to do a lot of spray painting to refinish your pieces, I highly recommend the small $5 investment to get a more even finish on your pieces. 

image source: The Homemade Diva

Refinish Plastic Furniture

Plastic furniture is one of the easiest types of furniture to update. There is no need to rough up the plastic with sanding, in fact, all you need to do is purchase spray paint that is made specifically for plastic (I recommend Krylon Fusion for Plastic) because it specifically bonds to plastic and requires no priming or sanding. 
I’m dying to score a few gently used Goodwill chairs to makeover for our back patio. You see, even plastic furniture can look trendy with the right colors and painting techniques. Stay up-to-date on fun trends, like paint-dipped furniture as pictured above from The Homemade Diva, for a fun splash of color on your patio. 

image source: Being Brook

Refinish Wicker Furniture

Perhaps one of the most intimidating types of furniture to many DIY’ers is wicker furniture. There is no need to be intimidated though because it is easy to spruce up and to even make minor repairs to. Look for a waterproof glue to fix any minor repairs and make sure that the glue has plenty of time to set (read the back of the glue bottle for specific times) before beginning your painting. 
After thoroughly giving the wicker a good scrubbing and air drying, spray paint your piece in several sessions of very thin coats of spray paint in your desired color. Try these spray painting wicker furniture tips from Rust-Oleum for refinishing your wicker pieces using their Rust-Oleum Universal spray paint line, that allows you to skip the step of priming. 

image source: 33 Shades

Recover Old Patio Cushions

Old patio cushions can get a new lease on life with fresh fabrics. If you have ever priced out new cushions at stores, you quickly realize that it would cost hundreds of dollars to get new cushions for all of your outdoor furniture. 
Did you know that you can actually buy weatherproof outdoor fabric at the fabric store? It’s a handy tip to have in your DIY arsenal for a couple of different reasons.  I actually used this material on my dining chair indoors to help with easy clean-up from spills and stains with two small kids. This same material can be used to freshen up your old patio cushions.
Although I am no seamstress, this tutorial from 33 Shades looks like a great one for how to recover old patio cushions. Next time you see these at your local Goodwill, consider trying this DIY to get new cushions at a fraction of the retail price. 

Have you ever made over patio furniture? What are your tips and techniques for this DIY project?

9 Ways to Spice Up a Goodwill Lamp

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One walk through the aisles of Goodwill and I guarantee you will find a handful of great lamp choices just begging for a fun makeover that can dress up a corner in your home. To inspire you, I have gathered nine of my favorite ways to spice up a Goodwill lamp. These ideas are so inspiring, in fact, that I can’t wait to run over to my Goodwill store to snag a lamp for myself.

Be Bold With Paint

There is no need to go overboard if you lack the craft skills to tackle a more complex craft project and one way that you can easily spice up an old lamp is just to add a bright pop of color to it with spray paint. With all of the fun colors in the spray paint aisles, the only hard part will be choosing your favorite color. Be sure to browse around the Housewares section for other fun additions you can add to a table in your home and can spray paint in the same hue. One bottle of spray paint will go far with a fun project like this. (Source: Mr. Kate)

 Make It Into a Bird Bath (Say What?)

Sometimes one has to rethink the original purpose of a thrift store item, that is why I am IN LOVE with this idea to turn a lamp into a birdbath for the backyard. With this DIY, you simply spray paint your base in a fun color to  match the colors in your patio set, and then add a bowl on top to create the perfect little birdbath for the backyard. Why spend a fortune at the garden center, when a birdbath can be made for a fraction of the price? (Source: Thrifty Rebel)

 Add A Whimsical Accent to Your Game Room

Do you remember all of the fun I had with board games over the Fall? If you remember how much fun I had with that, I am sure you will understand my enthusiasm for this adorable lamp for a family’s game room. The best part about this one is that not only can you pick up the lamp from Goodwill, but you can even pick up the board games there too. This is a lamp that you could definitely make together as a family and would be absolutely adorable in your game room, family room, or kids playroom. (Source: Apartment Therapy)



Make it Sentimental 

Map crafts are just as popular as the book crafts we highlighted last month and I absolutely love this DIY lampshade makeover made from a map. Select a map from a location that is special to you, perhaps where you honeymooned, where you grew up, your favorite family vacation, or where you live right now, and make an homage to that location with this sweet lamp. Finish it with a grosgrain ribbon or an embellished edge ribbon trim from the craft store. (Source: Silver Boxes)



Rethink Your Fixture

Who says you need a lampshade to even create a light. Have you ever thought of using a cake or jelly mold for a fun industrial fixture. It is rare that I stop in Goodwill and don’t spy a cake mold with pretty fluted edges and they are often priced at a dollar or less. Add a spray paint that adds a hammered metal appearance to them or go vintage with a pretty aqua blue. These light fixtures are not only unique, but they utilized an item that is frequently donated to the store. (Source: Poppytalk)


Add a Stenciled Accent 

Stencils are all the rage in home decor whether it is a stenciled accent to a wall, to stenciled window treatments, to stenciled accessories in your room. You can find beautiful stencils to choose from at your local hardware store in the paint aisle or you can create your own if you have a craft cutter, like a Cricut or Silhouette. This stencil adds texture to the fabric, thanks to the Tulip Soft Fabric paint. I love the fun bow and cute additions made to this lamp from a scrap of burlap and fabric. I am sure you will love this one too! (@ Tatertots & Jello)

Add a Ruffle

Don’t sew? No problem! There are so many fun ways to add fabric to a tired lampshade that you might just be overwhelmed with the choices and few of them involve more than fabric and a glue gun. This lamp that I created replicated a lamp spotted in Anthropologie, but was made at a fraction of the price with a little burlap and a hot glue gun. This lamp redo is a great one to add to a craft room or to a little girl’s room for a feminine touch. Spray paint the base any color to match the room and add a burlap ruffle in whatever shade you can find on sale at your craft store. (@ MomAdvice)


Add Some Script

I love when bloggers are inspired by expensive lamps they see in store catalogs and find  a way to replicate that beauty in their homes. A $159 lamp might not be in your budget, but one created for less than $10 just might be.  Who wouldn’t love a love letter written right on a lampshade? I am all about sentimental decor in my home and I have a feeling that this lamp makeover is as sweet as it gets (@ The Shabby Creek)

Rethink Your Shade

Industrial lighting is very in right now and one way that you can incorporate that industrial feel to your lighting is by simply creating a different lampshade from other items you might find lurking at your Goodwill store. A metal basket is the perfect way to add that industrial touch to a lamp and when they are both spray painted in the same shade, it is a match made in heaven. (@ DIY Wilma)

Have you ever spiced up a Goodwill lamp? Let us know in the comments what you have done with this frequently donated item! 

Fun Book Page Crafts

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One thing you will find a lot of at Goodwill are books of all shapes and sizes. I consider Goodwill my bargain resource (at a mere $.50- 2.00) for finding great reads as well as my number one resource for book page crafts.

You may not have looked at the books section as craft materials before, but book page crafts are a hot trend in magazines that you probably browse through when doing your ” window shopping,” like Anthropologie, West Elm, & Pottery Barn… just to name a few.

Today I wanted to showcase some fun crafts you could try with books found at your local Goodwill store. I have a feeling that once you see these ideas, you will run right out to find the perfect book to get started!

Adorn a Letter (Or Four!) 

Letters are always a fun trend to try in your home whether it is your family name, your child’s name, or a fun word like, “EAT,” in the kitchen. I love this idea for rolling book pages to create a letter or word that is special to you. Little Things Brings Smiles offers a great tutorial on how you can make these with just a few items from the craft store! (@ Little Things Brings Smiles)

Make a Unique Table Runner

As a bookworm, this table runner makes me swoon! This table runner would be perfect for an evening with your book club or as a creative party display. The best part about this is that it is just created from  book pages and a little craft glue. (@ Elizabeth Anne Designs)

Make a Gallery Wall Of Your Child’s Favorite Books

Making a gallery wall of photos can be an expensive project, but a gallery of book pages is a fun spin on the gallery wall that could be easily switched out and an inexpensive way to decorate a wall. This fun display was created from a Shel Silverstein book, a book that just happened to be one of my favorites when I was a kid. Use Washi tape to hang the book pages so you can add another fun color to your display and easily move or remove the pages when done.

If you want to try this on a smaller scale, consider framing the book cover jackets of your child’s favorite books or select a series of pages that can be hung gallery-style on a wall. To pull it all together, look for frames at Goodwill that can be spray painted in matching colors. (@ Rice Design)

Make a Fun Photo Backdrop

I do a lot photography with my job and buying photo backdrops are often out of my limited budget. I am so inspired though by the idea to create a book page photo backdrop, both for its inexpensiveness as well as for its beauty, that I can’t wait to create one of these of my own. This would be a fun backdrop behind your kids on their first day of school or for a fun backdrop to creatively display wares you might be selling on eBay or Etsy. (@ The Blue Eyed Owl)

Create an Eclectic Art Display

Kids shouldn’t have all the fun with book pages and this art display is easy to achieve by simply printing over your book pages with a creative image. For this craft, look for old encyclopedias or a similarly sized book that can can truly fill out your frame. I am so excited to see this fun tutorial from Crafted Niche for how to create a display like this of my own (@ Crafted Niche, image from Ruffles & Stuff)

Adorn a Door

One search on Google will yield a plethora of creative book page wreaths that can be made, but this wreath made from book pages rolled into little rosettes gets my win for both beauty and creativity. The best part is that this one could be personalized with other layers for the seasons. A felt flower in a fun pop of color or a different color of ribbon to hang it can change the look of the wreath for the changing seasons. I can’t wait to make one of these myself (@ Under the Table And Dreaming)

Add Book Page Fun to a Mantle

Decorating a mantle can be expensive and require switching with the changing seasons. I love decor that is timeless and can be enjoyed all year long. This beautiful book page flower would look beautiful propped up on a mantle and is made from just a few inexpensive items from the craft store. While you are at the store picking up your books, be sure to take a peek at all of the other lovely housewares you can find at Goodwill!  (@ Whimsical Perspective)

Have you tried any crafts with book pages before? I would love to hear what you have done with old books in your home!