5 Thrifted Jewelry Storage Ideas

This month is all about thrifting! One thing I love to pick up from the thrift store is storage items for small items, like jewelry. I am one of those people who always looses jewelry, usually because I have no designated spot for them. I have been working hard to keep up with my jewelry and found some great options at the thrift store for storage. Check out how I am using my thrifted finds in my home:

1. Search for cute ice cube trays to hold small stud earrings. I added a little jazz by spray painting them!

2. Find trays with compartments to make jewelry organization easy. 

3. Find decorative glass bowls to easily collect and display bracelets

4. Find small ramkens to hold rings and medium sized earrings

5.  Find old wooden bowls to holder bigger items. Add spray paint to give it an updated look!

Next time you are at the thrift store be on the lookout for these items!

Did you like this post, if so consider subscribing to my newsletter! Also, don't forget to pin one of the images above to your Pinterest boards for future use!

4 Ways to Make Home Thrift Finds Chic

So you've stepped out on a limb and browse your local thrift store to see if you can score a find. It's the latest trend now to thrift shop, so you have to join the party and see what the fuss was all about. More than likely you are buying a used item that may need some clean up or just may be in bad condition all together. However, that shouldn't discourage you, I have some easy tips on how to clean up thrifted items to give them a chic look! Check them out below:

1. GO METALLIC

There's something about a metallic finish that gives an item a polished look. It's quite easy to give an item a metallic finish with spray paint. Spray paint has really come a long way and it super easy to use. Even the most beginner DIY'r can managing spray painting.  When browsing, if you see a small item think how refinishing it in a metallic may enhance the beauty. For instance: there pen holders and paper tray. What was originally black is now gold and I love it!

2. GO FOR A TOTAL MAKEOVER

Sometimes a item you find may have a bit of damage, or be a great piece but just not your style color wise. This can be a simple fix depending on how drastic of a change you want. One simple thing I have done is to paint a piece of furniture. With some sanding and paint you can have a piece you truly love. 

3. MIX IT WITH NEW ITEMS

The concept of blending the old with the new can really make the old look new. Let's say you find an old basket that could use some TLC, but you're not in the mood for painting. Place that item next to a new item and it will blend right on it. Here's an example of this: I found this old box at Goodwill and placed it near my new vase.. it just flows so nicely on the shelf!

4.  UPDATE WITH WORD DECALS

As I shared in my post about 6 items I always thrift, there are plenty of white dishes and glasses to be found at the thrift store. You can give them an instant updated and chic look with word decals. You can find word decals at your local craft store and even at some bigger stores such as Target and World Market.

Now tell me, how do you turn your thrifted items into chicness?

Follow along on Instagram: @alayadonetta

6 Items to Thrift Before Buying - For the Home

As a child you wouldn't catch me dead in a thrift store. At that time I pictured thrift stores as being old and dingy with beat up product. Fast forward to now, and you can't keep me out of the thrift store. I believe it's the hunt and the unexpected finds that keeps me going back for more.

The thrift store has become my go-to place for certain things around the house.  Now, there are some things I still won't purchase from a thrift store, but there are 6 things that I always search the thrift store for before I commit to purchasing from a big box retailer. Check them out below:

1. Vases

2. Knick Knacks

3. Coffee Mugs

I found this vase here for $2.00, this small bowl for $.50 and this mug for $.77. I've seen this mug at Target for $5.00 so you can imagine my excitement when I saw it at Goodwill!. The B is perfect because it's the first initial of my mister's name.

4. Baskets

Baskets are overflowing at the thrift store. I found this basket for about $2.00 and now I use it as a planter. I have other baskets from the thrift store around my house that I use for organizing my craft supplies.

5. Books
6. White Dishes

Little white dishes always interest me. They look great for serving and gives a kitchen an instant brightness. I found this jar for about $3.00 that I store my sugar in and updated it with word decals. The white dish was $.99. Books are also a great find at a thrift store for reading, of course, but also for decor. You can look for books to match your color scheme and add them for instant decor. I believe I got those for less than $3.00 together.

Now tell me, what items do you thrift before you buy? And if you need a handy list to remember these items I have a pinnable picture below. Don't forget to pin it to your favorite boards!

****Follow me on Instagram: @alayadonetta****

Coffee Cart Makeover

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MakeItMerrier #CollectiveBias

Hey Friends, believe it or not we have less than 20 days until Christmas! I can't believe how fast the year has flown. Every year I host a Christmas breakfast for my little family and our parents. Our little breakfast started originally out of necessity because the Mr. worked nights so it was a great way for everyone to spend time together before he headed off to work. Also, with my daughter being the only grandchild on both sides, everyone wants to spend time with her. I figured this was the best way to get everyone together. So every year, we all wake up early, open gifts and enjoy a big breakfast together!

I like to make a big breakfast too, I'm talking pancakes, fried potatoes and onions, eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, toast, biscuits, grits and anything else that someone might request. I'm all about making the house comfy and welcoming for everyone so this year I decided to make a tea, coffee, hot chocolate station for my guests. My in-laws are coffee drinkers and me and the Mr. love to have a nice cup too, so I figured it would be a great addition to the breakfast.

About 2 years ago I ran across a bar cart at the thrift store for $20.00. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it, as far as styling and the facelift it needed so it got pushed to the back burner.Thinking about how I wanted to extend more on my family tradition by adding the drink station I thought the bar cart would be perfect!

The cart itself has good structure and bones, however, I was not too thrilled with the color and finish. The plan was to spruce this thing up and then style it to give it a brand new look. The first step was to lightly sand the wood finish.I got a small piece of sand paper and roughed up the wood so that the paint would have something to adhere to. After sanding and cleaning it I taped off all the sections that I did not want painted.

I then began spray painting. I used Rustoleum's Weathered Silver with Hammered Texture. I wanted my cart to have a little texture to it. When spray painting you want to do several thin coats so that you avoid drips. It takes a lot of patience for me because the person I am, I want it to instantly be finished! If you want to learn patience, spray paint a piece of furniture.

You might have some drips from the spray paint. The best way to fix that is to lightly sand where you see the drips and then re-spray that area.

After the many coats dried I added a print to the top shelf. There were some marks on the top that would not come off so I felt the print would be a good distraction from those marks. I wanted the print to be there but not there so I opted to use a white paint and a stencil. 

Once everything dried all that was left to do was to style the cart and add some basic essentials.

I think my new drink station will be a hit at my annual Christmas breakfast! 

For my coffee station I purchase the Starbucks Vanilla Sweetened Iced Coffee, Starbucks Mocha, and Starbucks Vanilla from Kroger. All items were located in the coffee aisle.

Great news for you, you can get a $5 Starbucks Card e-gift when you purchase 3 or more qualifying Starbucks products. Also, you should check out Starbucks holiday offerings and their delicious coffee!

Now tell me, do you love coffee like my family? What holiday tradition do you have? 

Old School Desk Makeover

A couple months ago I did a little room swapping and switch my daughter's room to my office/guest bedroom. She was all excited until she realized she was getting a smaller room! (hehe) Since the space is smaller I've been looking for ways to give her a more purposeful room while still keeping it fun and girly.

While browsing some of my fave thrift stores I ran across a small desk that I thought would fit perfectly in her room. Honestly I wanted it for my own selfish reasons too. This desk was exactly what I remembered from elementary school. You know the desk that has the nook under it that you slide all your books and supplies in. It was a bit of a nostalgic moment for me. (plus it was only $7!) I picked it up and the tried it out in her room and the size was perfect. It just needed a little makeover to be perfect for her room.

Here is what I started with:

There was some damage to the desk such as some nicks in the plastic frame and also a piece of wood missing in the front. Outside of that it was ok. I used a combination of paint and spray paint to make over her desk. I broke the desk up into 3 sections and I used a different color for each section. I used white, pink, and gold. My process was to start at the top and work my way down. I did several light coats until the desk was evenly coated. In between each coat I lightly sanded using a block sander to make the surface more even and smooth. 

After the first section dried I covered it with plastic and began painting the next section. This process worked well because by working my way down I could always paint over the extra drips of color that went into the next section. After the first section dried I went on to the next, again taping over the dried section.

And then I had my completed desk! My daughter loves it!

The desk and the products to make it over cost about $20. It's amazing what a few cans of spray paint can do for some furniture. If you are looking for a quick way to update furniture, I fully suggest you give spray paint a try. If you do, please share you project with me! 

This makeover is apart of the Furniture Refresh Challenge with this month's theme being Inspired By. I was inspired by the ladies of Classy Clutter Blog. Get some inspiration by checking out more Furniture Refresh Challenge furniture makeovers below.

If you loved this project! Take a second and post it to your Pinterest board using this pinnable image below!

An InLinkz Link-up

DIY: $8 Thrifted Piano Bench to Chic End Table

About a two years ago I came across a piano bench for $8 at a thrift store up the street from me. At the time, I figured I'd use it for an entryway bench and it would double as storage since the bench opens. I moved the piano bench from room to room but it never quite fit right until one day I set it as an end table. I was surprised I actually liked it in that spot. Since I liked it I decided to update it to give it a more chic look. I love how it turned out! If you have a similar piece of furniture laying around you can use the same process that I did.

Here's what I started with

What you'll need:

Rustoleum Black Spray Paint
Drop Cloth
Upholstery Nails
Drill
Pencil
Tape Measure

The process was fairly simple. I wanted to it still have a worn/chic (crazy combo I know) look so I didn't sand the table or repair any of the wood damage. I starting by spray painting the table. I did about 3 coats all over, allowing each coat to dry before starting on the next.

After the table was good and dry I used a ruler measuring along the side of the table to determine how far apart I wanted my nailheads. I spaced them about 2cm apart. I made marks every 2cm and then went back with my drill to make the tiny holes. This made it easy to just push the nailheads into the table.

 

From there the table was completed. 

I wish I had more process pictures to share, but I did this during my blogging hiatus and didn't capture the pictures I normally would. However, if you have any questions on how to do this please let me know!