Lovely friends, I am so thankful for each and every one of you who visit here each day to see what I am up to! I just wanted to tell you that so thank you!
I’m on the last couple of things left in my yard sale rescue pile, and today I’m giving some love to these bowls:
I picked these up at a yard sale forever ago for a dollar each.
They are vintage (maybe antique) dough bowls and go for $20-$40 dollars on eBay at the moment. However, these are in gross condition as is. I hesitated painting them because they are a hot decor item at the moment. However, in their current state, I’m not so sure about that. I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
First I tried to sand them to get down to the pretty wood. The smaller of the two had stains that went pretty deep, and the larger of the two had gunk in it that just smeared when I tried to sand it, like a waxy substance.
So at that point, I didn’t feel bad at all about painting them!
They are perfect for holding shells!
I love collecting shells at the beach, but I was lucky enough to find this big bag of them at the thrift store for $3.25!
Yes, I will buy your memories and make them my own!
They were mostly clam shells and I added a few of my own to the mix…
I painted this bowl in Dixie Belle’s Driftwood mixed with about 30% Cotton.
I love Driftwood on its own and you can see the undiluted version on this cute box I did a couple of years ago, but I wanted to lighten it up just a little for a more beachy feel.
After really enjoying stenciling this wooden folding chair that I shared on Thursday, I thought I could have the same kind of fun with these bowls. However, stenciling a rounded surface isn’t the easiest task, so I decided to keep these a bit more simple. I started by adding Frogtape all around the top edge to create a striped effect…
I added two coats of Cotton and pulled the tape off immediately after the second coat.
Then I decided to use a round dauber to add the dots around the top of the outside. I spaced them evenly with the stripes I added to the top lip of the bowl.
Then I freehanded the dipped look around the rest of the outside using a brush to apply the paint.
I ended up going back and dry brushing white around the inside of the bowl with a VERY dry brush, just to give it a more weathered, left on the beach feel.
I sanded everything with 220 grit sandpaper and sealed with Dixie Belle’s clear wax.
See how I turned a $10 thrift store coffee table into our current one HERE.
I tried a fun new color for the smaller one!
Pretty, right?
This color definitely says Summer to me! It’s The Gulf by Dixie Belle. After painting the inside in this color, I painted the outside in Cotton. Then just like the first bowl, I used a VERY dry brush with white on it and swirled it around the inside, mostly to camouflage all the gouges that were in the bottom of this one.
Then I went back with a smaller dauber and added detail to the rim of this one as well…
Then to have a little fun with the outside, I used my FrogTape to add a striped effect on this one as well:
It isn’t easy to use tape on a rounded surface but I just kept each piece as straight as possible. I only gave it one coat of The Gulf and pulled the tape off immediately after applying it. I did have to touch up a couple of spots with a small brush.
Then I sanded it all over with 220 grit sandpaper and sealed with Dixie Belle’s clear wax.
See how I whitewashed that sofa table HERE.
So although it may have been possible to get a good penny for the pair before, I love them so much more now!
How about you?
Only one more item left from my yard sale rescue pile!
If you missed any of these makeovers, you can revisit them all here:
I’ll be back on Thursday sharing the final piece: this basket I tried to flog for a dollar at my yard sale:
I guess a dollar was asking too much?
UPDATE: See how this basket got a fresh new look HERE!
Before I go…my friend Jen’s new book, Amazing Furniture Transformations, officially goes on sale today!! If you didn’t get a chance to preorder it yet, you can buy it now HERE! If you love seeing forgotten furniture pieces being brought back to life, you’ll love this book!
And just in case you haven’t heard, I am thrilled to be a new retailer for Dixie Belle products! If you’d like to give them a try or already love them, I hope you’ll consider buying them from me! You can visit my Etsy shop HERE! Thank you so much to those that have already shopped with me! 🙂
See y’all Thursday!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Petra says
Well I think they’re VERY pretty 🙂 Love the colours and I always love shells 😀
Christy says
Thank you, Petra! You are a girl after my own heart as I LOVE shells as well! XOXO
Mary Kaiser says
Those bowls are super cute now, I loved what you did with them. I think I have a wooden bowl in my stash I can pull out to make cute. I am looking forward to seeing what you do with the basket. I would have bought your basket for a $1.00 at your sale, but then I wouldn’t be able to see how cute you’ll make it, you make everything cute!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! These were really fun to work on. If you had shown up at my sale, I’d have given you the basket, but then I wouldn’t have been able to play with it lol. Thank you for your encouragement always! XOXO
Christina in SW FL says
Oh Christy, these bowls look terrific! The issues in the bowls sure made painting a non-issue. What you have done with the bowls makes them sing! Way to go Christy!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Christina! I am so happy with them! XOXO
Cheryl says
Cute, cute, cute !!
Love, love, love !!
Another CJ for the win !
Christy says
Thank you so much, Cheryl!! XOXO
Penny Robinson says
Hi Christy, I was looking at your previous posts of your current and past kitchen makeover, as I am considering painting my laundry room cabinets. I was wondering why you didn’t use your Homeright paint sprayer for the doors? I have one too and thought it might be easier? Just wanted your opinion.
Thanks, Penny
Christy says
Hi Penny! It is extremely windy here at our new house. We are just a couple of miles from the ocean and there is a huge open space behind our house and the winds can really kick up around here. That’s why I don’t often pull my largest spray tent and sprayer out for furniture projects here either. I have no doubt that it would be easier, but I don’t mind the quiet business of painting. Either way will surely create a beautiful result! Good luck!
Wendy says
Hi Christy, Being a woodturner as you know, I would have turned them down to raw wood again revealing the grain and then used some alcohol translucent stains to make the grain pop while giving them a ombre coloring, then sealing them. However, painting them worked for what you were trying to achieve with the shells, and they look great.
Christy says
Aww I know you could have made magic with these, Wendy! Unfortunately, I had already started painting them when you offered to buy them. They do work for what I was going for and paint can always be removed later if someone wants to do that. Thank you! XOXO
Denise says
omg, that’s cute Christy! XO
Christy says
Thank you, Denise!! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
Who knew those old bowls were so desirable? One looks like the salad bowl we had growing up and the other looks like my mother’s chopping bowl (used with a mezzaluna). When they’re used all the time they do tend to get rather grimy and, no, I wouldn’t have picked them up, not even for a dollar each. The shells, however, I definitely would have bought (someone else’s memories -you crack me up). Had I known how great those bowls would look with a coat of paint, I might have thought differently! Always fun to see you work your paint magic, Christy!
Christy says
I know, right? I’ve gotten a little fussing at for painting them, but in their before state they looked tired and sad, and now they make me smile just looking at them! Especially with someone else’s shells in them ha ha! Thank you so much, Marcie!! XOXO
Mikki says
Good Morning, Beautiful Lady! First, I love reading your posts first thing when I get to work. They always start the day out nice. Thank you! Second, I’m sure you’ve explained this in the past, but what is the purpose for the saran on the paint brush? I know you wrap them if you’re going to use them later, but these look like they’re wrapped while in use.
Christy says
Aww thank you SO much, Mikki! I really appreciate that! I only use saran wrap in between painting. I try to wrap them right when I’m finished painting, so I wrapped them quickly before snapping the photos. 🙂 XOXO
Jenna says
Love these!
Christy says
Thank so much, Jenna! XOXO
Jody says
I love the blue and white bowel. The other one is very pretty also but I naturally eye blues first. I have heard of Dixie Belle paints and am interested in them.
Christy says
Thank you, Jody! I love Dixie Belle products…I hope you’ll give them a try! 🙂 XOXO
Angela Garner says
Bowls look amazing! You never cease to come up with great ideas! As always, thank you for taking the time to share your ideas.
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Angela! It’s always a pleasure for me to share! XOXO
Patty says
Christy,
Again I am amazed at your creativity! 🙂 I have a couple of wooden bowls that I am currently not using but hated to part with – never thought of painting them! Yours look so good – I’m going to try my hand at painting them, using yours as a sample!! Thanks for helping me be creative (at least I feel that way when I copy something you’ve created!) XO
Christy says
Thank you, Patty! I hope you do…mine looked tired and sad before, but now they make me smile just looking at them! You ARE creative!! Have fun with yours! XOXO
Addie says
Sorry!!!! but BAD BAD BAD painting those!!!! Being that they were dirty/stained you would never use them for food but they are a part of Americana. Of course, they were yours to do whatever you want with. I would LOVE to find some for $1 each!!! Sorry just being honest….and I think you realized some would not be happy about it.
Hemp oil would of cleaned them up nicely.
Christy says
I get it, Addie, and I knew some would be upset that I painted them. To me, they looked sad and tired before like they had worked hard their whole lives, but now they make me smile just looking and them! They get to be pretty! The paint can always be removed later. Always appreciate your input, my friend! XOXO
Alison H says
Cute cute cute!!! This would be so fun to do to a set of nesting bowls! I’m tempted to hit my Goodwill up today haha. Xoxo
Christy says
Thank you, Alison! Oh yes it sure would! I hope you find a set! XOXO
Mary Zimmerman says
Normally, I love your makeovers. You inspire me to rescue and make furniture beautiful again.
But, it saddens me to see the solid wood bread bowl get painted. It was an example of an item of greater value that was sold way under value. Wooden bread bowls that are well seasoned, as that one was by its looks, are prized by good cooks everywhere.
I sometimes see this happen with vintage quilts. They are used as moving blankets around pieces of furniture when they have historical value. It is a loss. I am sad that the bread bowl was also lost under a decorative coat of paint.
Christy says
I appreciate your feedback, Mary! The smaller one looked “well-seasoned”, but the larger looked disgusting in person. It had a sort of waxy substance on the inside that I tried to sand away, but it only smeared in further. The before state may have brought joy to you, but now they make me smile just looking at them! There’s no need to fear paint as it can always be removed later if someone so desires. That pretty wood is still underneath. 🙂 As for a vintage quilt, NEVER ha ha…I covet quilts! I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts! XOXO
Cate says
Both are very cute! How did you manage to get the two colors on the first bowl at the sides?
Christy says
Thank you, Cate! I used a brush and my steadiest hand to apply the second color on the bottom part of the larger bowl. I did attempt to tape it first, but it wouldn’t stay straight enough on the curved sides. XO
Susan Creswell says
Wowee! So cute. And your staging, as always, is impeccable.
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Susan!! I appreciate that! XOXO
Susan Homeroad Stevenson says
They look awesome Christy! I’ve repurposed a couple of wooden bowls myself and I love the coastal look you gave to these for the summer!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Susan! I bet yours are fantastic! XOXO
Carole says
They are both lovely Christy. I would buy them for sure.
Christy says
Thank you, Carole! Kinda fun for Summer especially! XOXO
Sandi Wagner says
I love the bowls! And I can’t wait to see what you do with the wicker basket!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Sandi! XOXO
Cecilia from Georgia says
Hi Christy, I just returned from the beach and now I’m spending time catching up on my favorite girl’s blogs. I think these are just to darn cute! There is nothing as cute and attractive as your painted pieces in any of the shops I went in. You are just awesome!
Christy says
Hi Cecilia, thank you so much! Enjoy your weekend! XOXO