DIY Thrift Store Home Decor Makeover Projects

These amazing thrift store makeovers turned some old candlesticks and a ceramic planter into beautiful new pieces for my home with nothing more than paint and a little bit of creativity.

I love hunting around in my local thrift shops for unique pieces and thrifty finds that can be given new life with a little imagination and a little paint. 

These ceramic candle sticks and this clay planter are two of my recent thrift store finds.

Of course, I’m always on the lookout for furniture pieces because you all know how much I love furniture makeovers, but small items like these make great finds for repurposed thrift store makeovers, too.

They can be a fun project that only requires a few easy steps and a little creativity to transform them into beautiful new pieces that suit your taste and home decor style. These pieces are fine the way they are, but I was on a mission to create something that would work with the Blue Heron decoupage canvas art that I created for my 3-season porch decor.

–>Tip: The next time you’re at your local thrift store, keep your eyes open for unique items that can be updated.  Look past their color or style.  A great piece can be completely changed if you just keep an open mind.

Thrift store items that make beautiful DIY projects:

• Vintage suitcases can be turned into storage boxes or stacked to make end tables.
• A coffee table can be given a fresh coat of paint and used in your living room, or turned into something completely new like this DIY Kid’s table.
• A dining table can be given a whole new look for much less money than buying a new one, and will probably be better quality too!  Old stuff is usually just made better.
• An old window can be used in lots of ways– as a greeting card display for the holidays, a note organizer in your office or kitchen, or even a place to dry herbs!
• This old dresser is the perfect example of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.  I got it for free last year, in good condition. With a little white paint, it has an entirely repurposed life!
• Old books can be used in so many different ways.
• A wicker basket can be completely updated with nothing but a little spray paint.
• Picture frames can be purchased for not much money at second-hand stores and yard sales.  They make an easy project to update with paint and craft supplies.
• You can update thrifted lamps with some chalk paint and a new shade.
• Old dishes make great thrift store upcycles.  Use them for planters, make yard or cemetery ornaments, bird feeders, make mosaic art with broken china pieces…
• Flatware boxes make great thrift store DIY projects.  They are the perfect solution for a decorative element that also functions as some extra storage space.

I am partnering with Dixie Belle Paint Company for this post. Paint and stain were generously provided to me by Dixie Belle, but all ideas and creations are my own. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

My Amazing Thrift Store Makeovers

Surface Prep

After giving my thrifted finds a good cleaning, the next thing I did was give them a coat of Dixie Belle’s Slick Stick.

This product is designed to help paint adhere to slick surfaces, and as you can see, the ceramic on the planter and candlesticks is very shiny with a smooth surface.

Terra Clay Paint

I chose three pretty blue shades from Dixie Belle’s Terra Clay Paint line for my candlestick upcycle: Galaxy, Blue Agave, and Cerulean Blue.

Using one of Dixie Belle’s Artist brushes, I painted the bottom part of each candlestick with the darkest of the blue shades, Galaxy.

Next, I painted the middle part of the candlestick with Blue Agave, gently blending it into the Galaxy. Then, I took the lightest of the colors, Cerulean Blue, and dry brushed it on in various places with a small brush.

Then, using a larger chip brush, I stippled more Galaxy here and there.

There is really no method to doing this. It truly is an artistic process, where you just play with the paint until you achieve the look you want. It’s so much fun!

Finally, on the top globe of the candlestick, I used a small Artist’s brush and painted on Copper Gilding Wax, fading it into the dark top part of the candle, which I left as it was.

I ended up with sort of an Ombre effect, which I was super happy with!

Once I had my candlesticks exactly the way I wanted them, I gave them a light coat of Terra Seal to lock it in.

Patina Paint & Spray

For my upcycled planter, I used a different technique.

On top of the dry Slick Stick, I painted two coats of Dixie Belle’s Patina Paint in Copper.

When that was dry, I experimented with Patina Spray in both blue and green to create an oxidized appearance on my flower pot.

Look how pretty it turned out! Like real copper that’s aged and weathered!

Of course, I also needed a tray to set this heavy pot on my glass coffee table, so I quickly add a layer of Copper Gilding Wax to the bottom of this thrifted black tray.

Now it coordinates nicely with the copper in the planter and the copper accents on the candlesticks!

Don’t you love how they all coordinate with the blues in my Blue Heron DIY Canvas Art? I added these Outdoor Flickering Flameless Candles from Amazon and they work perfectly! They operate on a remote or a timer, so at night we have the prettiest ambient lighting.

I can’t wait to show you the finished porch as part of the Summer Home Tour with more than two dozen other home decor bloggers.

I hope you’ll come back next week to see it.

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

• Pristine Clean or Terra Clean
• Slick Stick
• Terra Clay Paint in Galaxy, Blue Agave, Cerulean Blue
• Terra Seal
• Artist Brushes
• Gilding Wax in Copper
• Patina Paint in Copper
• Patina Spray in Blue & Green

More Dixie Belle Projects:

• Pink Bookcase Makeover
• Odds & Ends with Dixie Belle Paint

• College Team Side Table
• Vintage Buffet Makeover