Organized Clutter

I purchased two wooden advertising yardsticks from a local consignment shop to make a Valentine's Day project.  I paid $5 for both of them.   After seeing my yardstick project below, please continue scrolling on down for this month's installment of the Thrift Store Decor Team's February party. You will not be disappointed!

  Boy, this old cream suitcase takes me back! Back to the beginnings of Organized Clutter, the blog. I painted an old suitcase inside and out with  Rustoleum Heirloom White Paint ,  Heirloom White used to be my "go to" paint in the beginning, and this suitcase was the first container vignette on my blog. The photo above is a Victorian Valentine's Day suitcase vignette with the famous Cupid Awake & Cupid Asleep Prints in oval frames, buttons, threads, pearls, gloves, a bust, and Valentine's Day pillow.

Back in 2015, I assembled a grater photo holder, with a DIY easel back, with these parts! The project was very popular for years on Pinterest! Today, I gave the grater photo holder and a Dollar Tree find a facelift for Valentine's Day. 

  The new spring issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine is now on newsstands, and I am pleased to announce that it contains one of my thrift shop makeovers! As always , the magazine features a lot of inspiration and projects from other blogger too.

  This project started out with this reddish colored barn wood framed primitive country sign. I purchased it thrifting for $3.  The sign part is painted on a thin piece of board.

My daughters picked up some thrift shop items for me after Christmas at a Goodwill in the Twin Cities, including this wooden box with heart cutout handles. Normally I'm not excited about heart cutout pieces but around Valentine's Day, I usually pick up a few.

I found this little  Galvanized Metal Wall Organizer   at a Hobby Lobby store in Bemidji, Minnesota.  It was on sale $3.49.  Perfect price for a DIY project.

This tray was part of my  November Junk Finds post. I purchased it on Black Friday at a Twin Cities Goodwill.

 My aunt gave me several bags full of small wood parts, like these little hearts. I brushed a couple of coats of Dixie Belle Chalk Finish Paint in Drop Cloth  onto the little hearts.  Also in the photo above, I painted the lid and ring from a canning jar with Fusion Mineral Paint in Fort York Red.  

 I picked up this "brand new" pastry cloth and rolling pin cover at the thrift shop a few days ago. I had an idea to turn this purchase into Valentine's Day decor.

 I picked up this frame at my local thrift shop today for $2. It had never been used but had some scratches in the finish.  It originally sold for $9.99. I was in Bemidji on Monday, and stopped at Hobby Lobby. Valentine's Day crafts were 40% off.  I purchased these faux Scrabble Tiles at 40% off of $2.99. I actually have Scrabble tiles from games too but I always run out of some of the letters, and the price was right!

I have accumulated quite of few of the Folkart, inexpensive, 12" x 12" paper stencil packs. I decided to try and make a collage rather than individual 12" x 12" Valentine's Day signs.   I found this Mastercraft Edge Glued Pine Board, 1" x 12" x 4' at my local Menards. It was $7.99, and needed no sawing and no sanding!  Sometimes worth a little extra.

 Dated wooden pieces with heart cut-outs are always easy to find at my local thrift shops. They are PERFECT for up-cycled Valentine's Day home decor.   I had a lot of these pieces myself 20+ years ago.  I never thought I would be re-buying them again!

In September, I upcycled this round oak table with paint and a buffalo check stencil for my daughter's townhouse. It was an extra table from my mom's move into her assisted living apartment. My daughter loved the upcycle. At first, my daughter used this white coffee table from her old apartment. But after everything was moved in, it proved to be "just too big" for the space. I had my mom's small oval coffee table on hand. My mom now uses a walker, and the coffee table didn't work in her new apartment.

My latest project begins with two unlikely thrifted items, a cutting board and a coaster container .  (No coasters included). I am not 100% positive that the item on the right is a cutting board.  I have run across these before.  They appear to be cutting boards but it seems like they have been poly-ed or varnished and have a shine. The wooden coaster container with the ceramic duck on top was 25 cents.  Both items were under $1. I chose to remove the duck, so I placed a hot blow dryer on the duck until the glue loosened up enough to pry it off.

Today I have an easy Valentine's Day project that started out with these two square thrift shop frames that I purchased locally. I like project frames that aren't photo frame sized. (Photo framed sizes are like 8 x 10, 5 x 7, or 4 x 6) I always check the frames mitered corners to see that they are tight before purchasing. I think I paid $1 for the two of these.

I bet you all remember the era of country wooden heart decor ?  I sure do!  I had a lot of it myself.  Nowadays wooden heart decor is readily available at thrift shops.  I don't pick it up much, unless I think I can disguise or cover up the hearts, or it's for a Valentine's Day project, then it's perfect. I purchased this heart piece at a Goodwill in Bemidji, Minnesota, last weekend.  It actually has a date carved into the back.  1988.  That sounds about right!

I have never met a cutting board/breadboard that I didn't like... Unless of course it was TOO expensive. Here is a round up of my cutting board projects to date from Rummage Sale/Thrift Shop Finds: Breadboard/Cutting Board Clipboard

My Valentine's Day project started out with the purchase of this little wooden box with heart cutout and a cutting board.  The box has a rusty metal insert behind the heart cutout. I removed the handle on the box and taped around the edges of the heart prior to painting.  I painted both pieces with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.  I distressed both pieces with 100 grit sandpaper and then screwed the box to the cutting board.  I also stenciled the word love above the handle cutout with the Inspiration Stencil from  Home Depot.  I usually don't care for heart cutouts much but for a Valentine's Day Project I made an exception.  I sealed the pieces with Varathane Water Based Matte Poly.   The little display box works well for red faux tulips or maybe even filled with heart shaped red lollipops on the counter. I never pass up a cheap cutting board!  So many possibilities...

My  Junkin' Friend Jodi  gave me this for free.  I think it's a combination magazine rack and extra toilet paper holder for the bathroom.