Welcome back, dear friends!! It’s Trash-to-Treasure Tuesday and y’all know how much I love turning old forgotten pieces into brand new treasures! Today, I get to do it with a few of my favorite creative friends, so be sure to look for links to their makeovers at the bottom!
Let’s get to it! I shared a peek of this magazine rack on Thursday:
I picked it up at the thrift store for $6.25. That’s a bit more than I would have paid pre-Covid, but things have changed a bit, and I am just rolling with it.
I liked the shape of this sweet magazine rack and the fact that the center handle did not extend all the way to the bottom, so painting the insides wouldn’t be too bad. I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
Prep
To prep this piece, I gave it a good sponge bath with White Lightning (at the same time I was washing down the last two pieces I shared). Then I swapped the water out for clean water and gave it a rinse.
Once it was clean, I gave it one coat of BOSS in white since I was pretty sure those red tannins would bleed through:
I let that dry overnight. Allowing plenty of dry time is absolutely key in the effectiveness of BOSS, especially in colder weather when it can take much longer to dry.
Paint
Then I was ready for paint! I chose one of my old favorites, Cotton:
I ended up giving it two more coats for solid coverage.
Sand
Then I gave everything a good sanding with 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around an old sanding sponge:
Then I decided to add striped detail to the sides. I used a 50/50 mix of Manatee and Cotton to get this perfect gray:
FrogTape is always my favorite for adding stripes. I only gave it one coat and pulled the tape off as soon as I applied it. I gave the sides a light sanding after the paint was dry to smooth everything out.
Seal
I sealed this cute piece with Best Dang Wax in clear so I could test out my new Best Dang Brush:
I shared how well it works to paint a piece with a lot of detail in this silver tray makeover, but its intended purpose is for applying wax, and it worked so quickly and so well for this small piece!
I don’t use wax as much these days to seal furniture because it can be a lot of work. I have switched to Clear Coat or Gator Hide for those pieces, but I don’t mind it on these smaller pieces. Dixie Belle’s wax is water based, so it doesn’t have the harsh smell that you get with some other waxes. I just brushed it on and buffed it off with a clean soft cloth…
The brush cleans easily with warm water. You can add a little mild dish soap if you like also. I will warn you that if you haven’t used a natural bristle brush before, they do stink while they are drying, much like a wet animal, but that is completely normal!
Adding a little more detail
I thought I was done at this point, but I felt like this magazine rack could use a little something more on the front.
I considered a small transfer but decided on a resin piece instead. To make that, I used a Redesign with Prima Decor Mould and Amazing Casting Resin. (One box will do many pieces.) You’ve seen me use these a few times lately.
- I started by getting all my product set up. The resin kit comes with two bottles that you combine equal parts of. I poured those into the cups provided. (Image 1)
- Then I poured them into a 3oz bathroom sized cup and mixed well. (Image 2)
- Immediately after mixing, I gently poured the mixture into my mould, being sure not to overfill. (Image 3) I had a couple of other moulds on hand that I poured the excess mixture into as not to waste it.
- And finally, After waiting about 10 minutes or so, more like 15 in these cold temps, I was able to remove my new embellishment from the flexible mould. (Image 4)
The resin piece will be warm to the touch as soon as it is dry and still a bit flexible, but it will harden quickly. If you want to soften it again to make it more pliable, put it in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
This is such a great way to create all kinds of small decorative pieces! One day I will have to test how many pieces you can get out of one kit, but it is quite a few! I gave it a quick coat of paint before attaching it with E6000 glue.
The After
Here is how this cute magazine rack looks now!
With more and more people moving towards reading on tablets and phones, these poor magazine racks are losing their place in homes across the country, but how cute could they be as a floral centerpiece?
I don’t do so well with arranging flowers. That’s why I love a look that says, I just picked these fresh flowers from my cottage garden and threw them together! Ha ha! Except I no longer have a garden to find fresh flowers, and these are just very good fakes.
I found them at JoAnns early last year, and I believe these are the same ones.
I think they are so pretty, cascading over the sides of this piece with its sweet stripes.
Oh how I love a simple stripe…
And you can see that I used my cheat method for distressing the decorative piece I added to the front:
This would be great on a dining room table, on the floor beside the sofa, or even on a dresser…
Of course, it could still serve as a magazine rack also!
Don’t forget, my friends have makeovers of their own to share with you today as well!
Good-bye to one more project! Only seven pieces left! YAY!!
I need to go shopping!
See any you may have missed at the links below:
How to Paint a Silver Tray
$5 Child’s Coastal Chair Makeover
Painting the Smalls #11
$8 Thrift Store Box Makeover & How to Apply Decoupage Tissue Paper
How to Properly Paint a Mirror
Painted Thrift Store Lamps & How to Cover a Lampshade
Cabinet Doors Repurposed
$3 Trinket Box Makeover
Piano Bench Makeover
$20 Thrift Store Desk Makeover
$5 Thrift Store Chair Makeover & How to Use Silk All-in-One Mineral Paint
Unfinished Wood Cabinet Makeover
Cabinet Door turned Shelf
Painting the Smalls, Holiday Edition (Five of these pieces are in this post!)
Kudzu Painted Side Table
REPURPOSED HEADBOARD AND FOOTBOARD
VINTAGE SECRETARY DESK MAKEOVER
$3 THRIFT STORE HEADBOARD REPURPOSED
WALL CABINET REPURPOSED
WINDSOR ROCKER MAKEOVER
DROP LEAF TABLE AND CHAIRS MAKEOVER
And speaking of magazines, I have something exciting to share on Thursday!!
UPDATE: See my exciting news HERE now!!
See y’all then!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!
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Mary Kaiser says
Oh it is adorable now! I do see a lot of them at the thrift stores, but usually they have a heart cut into them! No thanks on the ones with the heart, but yours is totally beautiful now, and I love the stripes as well. Oh I can’t wait to hear what’s up with a magazine on Thursday. I bet you got into a magazine, probably the whole magazine on your beautiful transformations! That would be the magazine I would buy!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! Yes, those hearts are usually are usually a hard no for me too lol! I definitely didn’t get the whole magazine ha ha, but pretty exciting! See ya Thursday, my friend! XOXO
Mimi says
Have a question: what do you use to hang your plates with? I have many plates – different sizes. Also have large tole-painted trays that I’d like to hang – any ideas of best way? Thanks!
Christy says
Hi Mimi! I took small paper clips and opened them up to make an “S” shape. Then I adhered the bottom portion of the “S” to each plate using E6000 glue, and left the glue to dry for a couple of days. I had these plates hanging on our walls in our bedroom for several years in our old house and they held up fantastically! For larger plates, you could use two paper clips maybe? You might even ben able to find a more legit hanger that you can glue to the back, but this worked great! XOXO
Petra says
Seriously so cute! Lol everything looks better painted white!!
Christy says
Thank you, Petra! Yes I couldn’t agree more! XOXO
Christina says
Christy this is totally adorable! Love the colors, stripes, resin decoration on the front and your faux hydrangeas! Wow, what a feast for the eyes. It would even be a lovely way to keep books someone is reading right at hand. 🙂 So much beauty in such a little piece. 🙂
Be well and have a great week!!
Christy says
Thank you, Christina!! I redid one several years ago that I staged with children’s books…it is definitely great for that also! Enjoy your week too!! XOXO
Janice Holt says
I would have never thought to use a magazine rack for florals. Great idea. It looks like an entirely different piece. Love the stripes and the resin piece. Leave it to you to bring a piece back to life.
Christy says
Thank you so much, my friend! I hadn’t intended to use it for florals until I was getting ready to photograph it…I love how it worked out! Have a great day! XOXO
Kathy says
Hi Christy,
My name is Kathy and I’ve been a thrify store junkie for 20 years or more. Much of my home is decorated with my finds.
I saw your blog a couple weeks ago and fell in love with your craft. I’m obcessed!! I’ve already bought three pieces I want to redesign and all I need to do is start with the supplies. I printed out the Dixie Bell product list but, frankly, feel intimidated where to begin. Could you help me get started with the must haves? I am so excited to start designing!!!
I appreciate your time and talent.
Christy says
Hi Kathy! I’m SO glad you found me!! All you really need to get started is a good cleaner like White Lightning, paint, and a sealer. The Clear Coat in Satin is usually my go to and I apply that with the blue sponge. If you run into issues like bleed-though, you will need BOSS to combat that. If you haven’t seen my chalk painting tutorial post here: https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/how-to-paint-furniture-using-chalk-paint/ you should find that very helpful. I link to all the essentials and I share two videos in that post, one on painting/sanding and one on sealing. I hope this helps! Happy creating! XOXO
Cindy says
I just love your white faux hydrangeas, and have been on the lookout for something similar for a while, with no luck. I picked up some white tulips from Michaels last week to bring a bit of spring into the house, but still hope to find those sweet hydrangeas one day.
I was curious what you’d use this rack for. I thought you might put it on a guest bathroom counter, with a few rolled up towels and bottles of shampoo and body wash. But it’s cute with flowers too!
Christy says
Thank you, Cindy! I linked to the Hydrangeas I have in the post. I found them at JoAnns last year, and I believe these ones HERE are the same on their site this year. They are a bit pricey, but you should be able to find an additional 20% off coupon online. I used 12 stems in today’s post. That is a bit to spend, but they will live forever lol! This would totally be cute with guest towels too!! XOXO
Sharon Godwin says
Hi Christy! This is adorable. I have a magazine rack I’ve not been dealing with because I didn’t know how I would stage it for my booth. If you put this in your booth, how will you stage it? That much greenery or flowers would be expensive.
Christy says
Thank you, Sharon! I would just put it in my booth as is as it is still super cute, but sometimes, I will attach a photo of my staging to the price tag so people can see what can be done with it. XOXO
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
What a lovely refresh. I just love the stripes too! 😍
Christy says
Thank you, Larissa! You know I’m a sucker for stripes! XOXO
Meg Habasevich says
This is so adorable and now I have something else to add to my search list of thrifting!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Meg! XOXO
Phyllis says
I love the idea of using flowers – very inventive. I use my magazine rack (after being inspired by you to paint one) as a cook book holder in my kitchen. As always – lovely!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Phyllis! Using one for cookbooks is a fantastic idea!! XOXO
Cecilia says
Love it as a floral container and the stripes are way cute! I have a rack with dowel sides. It holds my cookie sheets and small cutting boards. A win- win as I don’t have a lot of cabinet space and they are neatly corralled in the bottom part of my coffee station cart. They definitely have life beyond holding magazines!
Christy says
Thank you, Cecilia! I love the idea of using one for that purpose! Such a cute way to corral them! XOXO
Michele M. says
Oh wow – I cannot even believe that is the same piece, Christy! It is so cute!!!!!
I think that resin decorative kit is the coolest thing ever – never heard of such a thing. I seem to always learn so much when I visit your blog!
Christy says
Aww thank you, Michele! I love playing with the resin and it is SO super easy to use! Have a great day! XOXO
Cecilia from Georgia says
This would be perfect in a bathroom with towels or full of bath and beauty products for a guest. I love the stripes, of course! Cute as a button:)
Christy says
Oh yes, for sure! It would be great in a bathroom! Thank you, Cecilia! XOXO
Catherine Cave says
I LOVE what you did with the magazine rack! I would never have thought of turning it into holding flowers! You are full of great ideas! I love everything you do!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Catherine! XOXO
Sharon L Austin says
Now that really turned out cute!! Better than I expected, but I should have known already you’d give it an amazing transformation!
Christy says
Aww thanks, my friend! XOXO
Addie says
You are a makeover machine!!! I have that same magazine stand.
AND it is stuffed full magazines I have never read…but needed!!!!
Christy says
Oh funny!! Read those magazines ha ha!! XOXO
Denise - Salvaged Inspirations says
Amazing what a little paint can do! It doesn’t even look like the same piece. And I love the prima mold and faux hydrangeas! Gorgeous as always my friend! 💙
Christy says
Thank you so much, my dear friend! XOXO
Kathy M says
And to top it off you use it for flowers! I would never think of that! I’m addicted to your transformations.
Christy says
Aww I love that, Kathy ha ha! Thank you!! XOXO
Cheryl Atkinson says
Hi Friend! I love this!! You always take the old and make them pretty and new!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Cheryl!! XOXO
Sue Mellette says
Love this transformation and especially the molding on the front and the strips on the side! I agree, your magazine rack now can be used as an amazing planter or a place to hold remotes that often get lost! Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful week.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Sue! Yes, so many uses for a cute rack like this…remotes…yes!! XOXO
Jackie C says
I would buy this in a heartbeat! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Have you tried using hot glue in the molds?
Christy says
I’m so glad you like it, Jackie! I have not tried hot glue, but I’m not sure it would fill in the mold as quickly and smoothly as the resin. It might be worth a try though! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
So fresh now, Christy, the little applique was the perfect finishing touch. And those really are amazing fake hydrangeas!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Marcie! Yes, these really are great fakes! XOXO
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
It’s so pretty and I love the added flourish!! It really makes it! 🙂 xo
Christy says
Thank you, Nancy! The resin is so easy to use and makes such great detailed pieces! XOXO
Jen @ Girl in the Garage says
This little magazine rack is so pretty now, Christy! Love the little applique you added! xo
Christy says
Thanks so much, Jen!! XOXO
Kathy W F says
I’ve been waiting for this makeover and it was worth the wait. I just knew you would add a little something to it and the resin piece is perfect….and, used as a floral display how pretty. I can’t wait to paint the one I have. Thanks so much for the inspiration. You’ve given me a whole new idea for the magazine racks I already have….I hate to say it but I have 3….I just can’t let go of them. Now I have a new plan for them. Thank you! Have a great week. Our weather here in Jax is beautiful. Hope yours is too.
Christy says
Aww thank you, Kathy! Although many don’t collect magazines as they once did, there are still ways to use them, and I too am always drawn to them when I see them! And, yes we are basking in warm sunshine this week…it has been so nice!! Enjoy it! XOXO
Toby Peplow says
Oh my goodness! SO very impressive!
I was scrolling thru watching what you were doing and then I was like …where did the project go?…And then I slowed down and noticed it was holding the flowers!!! It looked TOTALLY different!!
I never would have though to use the magazine holder for that in a million years…THIS is why I try to never miss your posts Christie!
Great job!
Christy says
Oh that is so funny! Thank you, Toby! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one!! XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
So cute! I love so many of your makeovers!
Christy says
Aww thank you, Rose! XOXO