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Simple DIY tutorials and thrifty furniture and decor makeovers
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[…] I adore this gorgeous painted make-over on a thrifted Christmas village by Christy at Confessions of a Serial DIY’er […]
Mary Kaiser says
That is so cute, not to mention easy, and who doesn’t Love easy this time of year? I will have to watch my thrift store to find my own mini Christmas village. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! Yes, we love easy! Good luck in your search! XOXO
Petra says
You constantly surprise me with how good you make things look 😮 🙂 I honestly never would’ve thought to paint those things – and I’m known for painting anything!!! Love it.
Christy says
Aww thanks, Petra!! XOXO
Sheila DelCharco says
I had a feeling you were going to paint them but I wasn’t expecting blue! They turned out so cute!
Christy says
Thank you, Sheila! I thought they might be cute in blue, and I’m so glad they worked out! And thanks again for the email about my typo…much appreciated, my friend! XOXO
Janice Holt says
I would have never thought of painting the village houses this beautiful color but love them. Would have loved to have seen pictures of you and your hubby with a tree in a wheelbarrow. Maybe next year.
Christy says
Thank you, Janice! I know we would’ve had a great laugh wheeling that big tree home in the wheelbarrow LOL. Maybe next year! XOXO
Christina in SW FL says
WOW!!!! I did NOT see this coming and I did not think I would like it… I don’t.. I LOVE IT!! Truly beautiful, special and charming! If I had a place to put such a charming display I would do it in a heartbeat. 🙂
Your Christmas tree is stunning.
Enjoy the rest of the week, stay warm and I look forward to the table makeover.
Christy says
I’m so thrilled you love it, Christina! Thank you!! See ya Thursday! XOXO
Denise says
Hi Christy! Absolutely beautiful! Genius idea!! Yes, we are decorating and decorating and I am loving every minute of it. Please let me be one of the first to wish you Merry Christmas!! Denise
Christy says
Thank you so much, Denise! I couldn’t wait to get started decorating on Friday! I’m really enjoying it this year too! Merry Christmas! XOXO
Betty says
Can I just say how I loved how you showed each step and where you purchased your items? Loved the village and what you did. Did you say where you purchased the trees?
Christy says
Thank you, Betty! I’m so glad you enjoyed this makeover. The trees came from Walmart! XOXO
Cecilia says
I really like those houses painted all one color. Yours are cute, coastal style. Funny how the details show up more when all the colors aren’t in the way! Your story of getting the tree in the wheel barrow is hilarious – I don’t know how a tree that size would work. Seriously hope next year you get to it! Lol.
Yep, all decorated and ready to jump into the season. I don’t Black Friday shop, instead I spend the day decorating!
Christy says
Thank you, Cecilia! I agree…I think the details pop so much more now. Isn’t that funny? And as for the wheelbarrow, I know we would’ve had a great laugh doing that, and maybe next year it will happen ha ha! I’ll be sure to share pictures if it does. I did the same thing this year…stayed home and decorated on Black Friday! XOXO
Michelle says
What a great idea, Christy! I spray paint everything but have never painted any Christmas decor. Probably because it’s too cold to paint outside! But now I will look at my Christmas decor in a whole new way. Thx for the inspiration. It looks great! Can’t wait to see what you do with the rest of your beautiful home. Love the wheelbarrow story!
Christy says
Thank you, Michelle! I don’t think I’ve ever spray painted Christmas decor before either LOL. And yes…saved by the cold weather…my hubby was really all about that wheelbarrow ha ha! XOXO
JILL NELSON says
Wonderful transformation! They were awfully bad looking before but I love how they tuned out…thanks for sharing!
Christy says
Thank you, Jill! I’m so glad you like how they turned out! XOXO
Mother Deer says
I love this. So clever!
Christy says
Thank you, Mother Deer! XO
sharon austin says
Aww, that’s so pretty! I did the same thing for a Halloween village, only black of course. I didn’t use a tray, though-that’s a great idea! I’m always wanting to put out my village(s), but it’s so much work; think I’ll try a tray this year! TY!!
Christy says
Thanks, Sharon! I love the idea of painting one black for Halloween! I might steal that from you for next year! XOXO
Karen L Moore says
Very cute! I love the wheelbarrow story. I say go for it next year (weather permitting)!
Christy says
Thanks, Karen! Part of me wished the weather would have cooperated this year, if nothing else, just to see the look on the guy’s face when we pulled our wheelbarrow up LOL! XOXO
Angela Garner says
Very pretty. At first I didn’t think I would like them all painted the same color and no red and green?! However, they look very soft and elegant.
Christy says
Thank you, Angela! I’m so glad you like how they turned out! XOXO
Becky says
That is GORGEOUS!!! I love the blue! And no fair, our stores all seem to want to charge more like $6 A PIECE here. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for the rare deal though, cuz this is beautiful!
Christy says
Thank you, Becky! I’m so glad you love it!! You can always hit up the dollar store… They sell little houses similar every year! Have fun! XOXO
Mary Smart says
Hi Christy! I did just did the same thing! I bought the village at Goodwill and painted it white with glitter. They say great minds think alike!
Christy says
Yes great minds for sure! I bet yours are beautiful! XOXO
Kathy E. says
Absolutely adorable! I see those little houses here and there at second-hand shops, so I know now I need to collect a similarly-sized set. The robin’s egg blue is just perfect! It gives me that warm holiday spirit looking at it.
Christy says
Thank you, Kathy! And good luck in your search for a set of your own! XOXO
Tanya Derrey Bingham says
So pretty!!! I’m doing something similar this year but I can’t decide what color, these are so beautiful!!
Christy says
Thank you, Tanya! I think they would be beautiful in silver or gold as well! Have fun! XOXO
Nancy Robinson says
I absolutely love this redo!!!!!! I have so many churches and stores and people and animals. I will have a whole new village!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Nancy!! Yay…go get to painting!! XOXO
Robyn Wright says
I saw “Christmas Village Makeover” in your email subject line and I said “Heck YES I want to see this!” And of course I was not disappointed! The color is PERFECT for your decor. LOVE IT~
I want to do this with a prim/farmhouse/country/cabin feel. Do you have a color recommendation?
Christy says
Yay I’m so glad you love it, Robyn, thank you! I would have to see your decor to get an idea of a color for sure, but maybe a soft green? White is always a safe bet too. Good luck! XOXO
Kerryanne says
Love them Christy. You have the best DIY ideas!!
I think I’d share your view of hubby’s Christmas tree in the wheelbarrow escapade, but it would have been funny to watch.
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Kerryanne! The wheelbarrow would have been hilarious for sure. There’s always next year lol! XOXO
Pat says
Very cute! Our tree is going up this week!!
Christy says
Thank you, Pat! Oh fun! Have fun decorating! XOXO
Nancy says
I love my Christmas Village. Last year for the first time my 20 year old granddaughter put it together. It was so wonderful to have the extra help and to see how she invisioned it. One day it will all be hers.
Christy says
I bet it was fun to watch her get enjoyment out of it like you have for many years, and what a fun thing to do together! XO
Kathy says
Absolutely Beautiful! I never would of thought of this and now I pulling my out of storage and painted them. Thank you so much for this awesome idea!
Christy says
Thank you, Kathy! Now yours can be brand new all over again! XO
Patricia Wilson says
Oh wow! I love what you did with that village. You are so good at what you do and you seem to have some of the same tastes as me. Isn’t it great when you can see something and know that you make something amazing? Thanks for sharing with us!
Christy says
Thank you, Patricia! Yes…there’s no better feeling than turning something ho-hum into something beautiful again! XOXO
joyce J. says
Wonderful job on that village, it looks amazing.
Christy says
Thank you, Joyce! XO
Addie says
I LOVE these!!!! I never really felt the urge to have a village…tooo busy with all those colors.
Now I am crazy excited to go down to the Goodwill and get some ….they are always there. In fact I passed some up last week…..hope they are still there…and hope nobody reads your blog around here!!!!!!!!!! hehehehe….
Addie XXOO
Christy says
Oh I hope they are still there! It’s funny… I feel like now that they are all one color, you can actually see all the details better! XOXO
gwen says
what a wonderful improvement! I love the color and the glitter! I would never have thought of this (until now)!!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Gwen! XOXO
Tina Matteson says
Ah, you did it again, Christy! Now I have to go to Goodwill for some old Christmas village houses! Ha ha. This turned out beautifully! Great job.
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! Good luck in your search…hopefully it won’t be too hard, and you can always hit up the dollar store if the thrift stores turn up empty! Have fun! XOXO
Susie Patterson says
The blue is a pretty color, but there is no more detail on the buildings. Sorry, but I think I liked it better before.
Christy says
Oh that’s funny…I felt like the details popped more once all the distracting colors were gone ha ha. It’s cute either way. ????
Kat says
So pretty! It’s funny because I was just thiyof giving away our Christmas village houses (they’re the larger size) since our kids are si grown up now… but maybe (??) I should follow your lead and turn them into a more sophisticated decoration! :))
Christy says
Thanks, Kat!! Absolutely! XOXO
Susan Homeroad Stevenson says
Christy that is beautiful and so is your home!!! I love the white and the snow on top is perfect! Happy Holidays!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Susan! Hope you are enjoying the season so far!! XOXO
Alison says
They’re gorgeous and darling the way you did them! The only thing I would have done differently is handpaint the snowy portions on the roofs (pearl white) but I’m a bit of a nut for fine detail lol. Thanks for sharing!
Christy says
Thanks, Alison! Painting the snowy details by hand is a great idea! XO
Sandra says
New ideas are hard to come by….but you just gave me one. Thanks.
Christy says
Oh yay! Thanks, Sandra! XO
Shirley says
OMG I have tons of these little houses that I have been converting for a long time. Mine will be white with the icicle look to the tops. Last fall a lady came to a yard sale I was having and saw a couple of my houses and said I have a huge collection of these and I think they are all outdated now and I don’t know what to do with them. I said come in here…I took her in the garage and showed her that I was doing mine all white and she loved it so much she said she was going right out to get the paint! She told me I saved her a lot of money…lol.
Christy says
That lady was probably so grateful she happened upon your yard sale! Painting them is a great way to fall in love with them all over again! XOXO
Shirley says
She sure seemed a bit baffled at first but when she realized what I was doing she just couldn’t believe it…lol! I really never thought about doing anything but white but I really like the color you picked as well. It’s certainly different!
Christy says
Oh ha ha! I love all things white, but I had fun with the blue here. 🙂
Kate Spackman says
Prodigal Pieces shared your project and linked to your site this afternoon. I was so in love I decided I was going to go store to store until I found some. The local thrift store had ONE for 2.99. I tried Goodwill, Dollar Tree, Tuesday Morning and then …Walmart had some for 1.92 each. Score!! Thank you so much for posting this project and sharing it with us. It is so adorable and I’m hoping my walmart village makeover comes out 1/2 as sweet as yours.
Christy says
Oh yay!!! I love hearing that, Kate! Good to know that Walmart has them. Good luck with yours…I know they will turn out fantastic! XO
Bonnie says
I went to my local Walmart today and the only ones they carry are larger, more expensive houses starting at around $8.00.
Christy says
Oh darn! Maybe the dollar store?
Julie Briones says
So pretty, Christy! I’m going to put this on my list for NEXT year! 😉
Christy says
Thanks, Julie! XOXO
Kerryanne says
Just popping back Christy to say thank you for sharing at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring your sweet little blue village at tonight’s party and pinning too.
Merry Christmas,
Kerryanne
Christy says
Thank you, Kerryanne! You know I appreciate that so much!! XOXO
Nancy says
Hi, Christy….
I just love your little village and after seeing this article the other day, remembered I had seen some village houses like yours at a local curio shop last week. I passed on them but after reading you article, beelined it back to the shop yesterday….score! I got 7 different buildings for $3.00! I love the pale blue color…..do you think pale pink would look good.too? I’m so excited to start my project! Thanks for a wonderful idea!
Merry Christmas!
Christy says
Oh that’s awesome and what a steal!! I think pink would be gorgeous!! Have fun!! XO