Hello there, dear friends! Who’s up for a few smalls today?? The smalls are the smaller, more simple things that I makeover for my booth that on their own don’t make for the most exciting blog content, but when grouped together, are a fun bunch!
Here are the items getting their mini makeovers today:
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
Up first is this mirror set I picked up that I forgot to include in my End of Summer Haul:
I picked up the mirror for $4.25 and the set of sconces for $4.25 also, so $8.50 for the set. I don’t usually pick up these molded plastic pieces, but I loved that there was a set and I thought they would be perfect for a simple shabby chic makeover!
They got a coat of Rustoleum spray primer, followed by a coat of Dixie Belle’s Cotton, and then I used my distressing block and Coffee Bean paint to cheat the distressed finish since I didn’t really want the gold shining through:
You can see more about how I cheat this finish HERE. It is so easy to do!
I like my final coat to be chalk paint because I love the texture so much more than spray paint. Spray priming is just an easy way to get a quick first coat on these pieces. It is not necessary.
I did not seal these pieces with anything.
Up next is this not so cute, but nicely detailed frame I picked up for $2.25:
I painted it and cheat-distressed it the very same way as the mirror and sconces:
I kept the stock image that was already in there because I think it made for a cool piece of art:
And here’s how I tag my frames in my booth:
This next piece is a mass-produced piece I picked up for $6.95:
I know this is a look that many love at the moment, but I thought it might be fun to add a punch of color to it! First, I took it apart. (It easily came apart by removing a few screws.)
Then I gave it a coat of this beautiful blue, Dixie Belle’s The Gulf, and then sanded it all over with 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around an old sanding block:
I also gave the chalkboard a fresh coat of Rustoleum Chalkboard spray. I was sure to “season” the newly painted surface by rubbing chalk all over the entire surface and then wiping it off.
Now it has personality!
I just gave the wire basket a light dusting with the paintbrush:
I sealed this one with Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax in clear.
Up next are two more frames in today’s smalls haul:
I paid $6 for both. I liked the wood one because it was nice and chunky.
I decided to give it a washed look…
For this finish, I started with a coat of Driftwood mixed 50/50 with Cotton. Then I sanded all over and followed up with a light dry-brushing of Cotton:
Super simple! I love the weathered, beachy feel of it! I left this unsealed.
The more ornate one got a coat of Vintage Duck Egg Blue:
Painting these details is much easier with a round flat brush. I think I picked this one up at Michaels.
Then I added a coat of Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax in White with another brush. I removed any excess with a soft cloth and voila:
I love how the white wax really highlights all those pretty details!
And to stage these frames for sale, I just photocopied a couple of black and white photos I had of my boys at the beach:
Even if I have an off day thrifting, I can usually find a couple of pretty frames!
My two buffet lamps that I shared a couple of weeks ago HERE sold, so I needed more lamps for my booth.
I grabbed this lamp that I picked up for only $4.25 to give it a quick redo:
I had picked up a pretty taupe colored shade a while back at HomeGoods and it was the perfect size for this lamp.
The only color I could picture it with was white, so this lamp got three coats of Cotton:
Then I sanded to reveal some of the pretty details…
My favorite part is the finial I made, much like the one I made for this standing lamp I shared earlier this month. This lamp was missing its finial, so I grabbed a wooden knob I had in my stash and a sheet of these mini knob transfers:
I painted the knob in Cotton and added the mini transfer to the top:
I had to drill the existing hole just a tad bigger so I could screw it onto the top of the harp, but it worked perfectly!
I left this one unsealed also.
Because I was in need of lamps for my booth, I grabbed this small lamp as well from my storage room and painted it up real quick, but I didn’t get a before picture:
That’s because I hadn’t planned to share it, but when I spotted the perfect shade for it at the thrift store, I just wanted to share it with y’all!
I stopped in at the Goodwill by our house on Saturday and spied this pretty shade for only $2.25:
It was the perfect size for this little lamp!
And finally, I picked up this hanging clock for $9.95:
I thought with a quick coat of paint, it could be cute for my booth. However, when I painted just the outside, I didn’t love it:
So, I ended up having to work a bit, but I was finally able to get the clock part out so I could paint it also. I decided on this beautiful shade of blue made up of 50% Vintage Duck Egg Blue and 50% Cotton:
I love it with the Cotton…so coastal now!
And that is another round of smalls completed! I feel like I packed quite a bit into this one…I hope you enjoyed it!
And that lets me cross several more things off this haul!
If you missed anything so far, you can catch up below:
$60 Thrift Store Dresser with Transfer
$4 Thrift Store Flatware Makeover
Thrifted Buffet Lamps Makeover
Yard Sale Sewing Machine Table Makeover
And if you want to see even more smalls, visit my last edition HERE!
I’ll see y’all back here on Thursday with this Home Interiors shelf:
UPDATE: No need to come back! See how this shelf looks now HERE!
See ya then!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!
Mary Kaiser says
I love all of them! You are amazing! It is so fun to see what you come up with to bring all these pieces back to life and give them just beautiful make overs. I just bet hundreds of people every day walk past all those ugly ducklings in the thrift stores not know how beautiful they can become! You are the QUEEN of makeovers!
Christy says
You are the sweetest, Mary! Thank you so much!! I love when people walk right past those pieces and leave them for me ha ha! XOXO
Clara Gageiro says
I live in Portugal and I really like your work. Grateful for the ideas and recycling!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Clara! XOXO
Maryellen Webber says
Beautiful smalls! The clock looks great with the pop of color on the face! I have the same home interiors shelf, not being used right now. Can’t wait to see what you do with yours!
Christy says
Thank you, Maryellen! I’ll see you Thursday! XOXO
Becky Fischer says
I have fallen in love with all the smalls. I am so amazed at your talent, creativity, skill with knowing which paint colors are to be used, and with your writing. I feel that I am watching you as you changed these smalls into the beauties that they are now. Thank you so much for taking the time to Blog what you do.
Christy says
Aww thank you, Becky! I appreciate that so much! I feel so blessed that I get to do this every day and share it with my blog family! XOXO
Christina says
Christy, what a great group of smalls! So glad to hear the previous lamps sold so quickly. I’m sure these two will as well.
I think my favorite is the clock. It was so dull and now so beachy. 🙂 All are beautifully done.
Create on!
Christy says
Thanks, Christina! Lamps do well, but then my booth is dark and I need to hustle to do more ha ha…a good problem to have! I love the clock too! Have a great day! XOXO
Cheryl Atkinson says
Christy, I always enjoy your smalls makeovers. Love the Gulf colored chalkboard and the frames really look so much better. This was awesome.
Christy says
Thank you, Cheryl! I love the The Gulf…so beachy! XOXO
Cheryl says
Christie I can’t tell you how much I look forward to your before and after projects. You are amazing. No ifs ands or buts about it. And initially I feel completely inadequate and lazy (because I have “meh’s” in my stash that I could “Christie-fy” for my booth), then I feel empowered and motivated and grateful for the nonstop powerhouse that YOU are. So thank you. Simply, heartfelt thank YOU❤️
Christy says
I love this SO much, Cheryl!! Thank you!! I too have many “Mehs” (great way to describe them lol) in my stash that are very unmotivating. A simple coat of paint can work miracles though for sure! Sharing these smalls together to share with all of you is great motivation for me! XOXO
Kathy W F says
These are so cute. I love the clock face. The blue really makes it. In about 2 weeks I’m visiting my friend from the VA mts. and we’re coming to visit your booth. Can’t wait to see it.
Christy says
Thank you, Kathy! Oh how fun!! Have a safe trip! XOXO
Micah says
I love your smalls posts! I think my favorite from this batch is that clock. I love the painted face!
Christy says
Thank you, Micah! The clock seems to be a favorite today! I love how it turned out too! XOXO
Becky says
Your smalls are always so fun! I love the lamps!
Christy says
Thank you, Becky! XOXO
Sue Verbaan says
I love the look you give each piece. You make it look so quick and easy😊.
Sue Verbaan
Christy says
Thanks so much, Sue! XOXO
Rhonda says
I’m always amazed at your transformations! I now need to go thrifting😁 thanks for inspiring and sharing your gift😁
Christy says
Thank you so much, Rhonda! XOXO
Susan Cox says
You have a remarkable “inner eye” for turning ordinary things into beauties. (And, not for nothing, your local thrift stores have wonderful prices!)
Christy says
Thank you, Susan! We are very fortunate with our thrift stores for sure! XOXO
Pat says
Great job! Your makeovers are always so inspiring! How do you write on the chalkboards? Do you use a special pen? It looks so professional, not “chalky” at all!
Christy says
Thank you, Pat! I just used regular old chalk. When I make my own chalkboards, I use hardboard which comes out looking a bit more chalky than this, but here I resprayed the original chalkboard and it came out really nice. XOXO
gwen says
this may not sound like much of a compliment, but your posts are soooooo much better than the morning news!
i can’t even pick a favorite! but i learned about the cheating of distressing on top of a piece and also making my own finial – thanks Christy!
Christy says
Ha ha ha ha! I think we can all agree anything is better than that, but I’ll take it! Thank you, Gwen! I’m so glad you learned something helpful! XOXO
Joy Yost says
My Sister and I look forward to your emails so much! Thank you for all the wonderful inspiration!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Joy! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy what I share! XOXO
Sue Mellette says
I love each one of your “new” smalls. It would be hard for me to choose just one to purchase (if I lived closer)- I would probably buy several!! I love how you styled the two frames of your boys. The clock is most interesting. I really liked the contrast with the blue and white. Love the table lamps. I have several brass ones which I think would look nice painted in cotton and distressed. I am inspired to give it a try! The addition of the finial with the transfer is so pretty. You always find a way to add cute details to your work. To me, that makes such a difference. Thanks for sharing all these smalls!
Christy says
Thank you, Sue! Paint sure can work miracles and I bet your lamps would be gorgeous painted! XOXO
Kimmylouwho says
It is so fun to see how you revive these “smalls”. I wish I could visit your booth as I imagine it is a very popular place! You have a ton of energy to complete all your projects and it seems like you don’t procrastinate like I do! Thanks for showing us all your creativity and you make it seem so easy.
Christy says
Thank you, Kimmylouwho! Having a blog is definitely a huge motivator for me to get things done! XOXO
Addie says
WOW!!!! Each one of these hit it out of the park!!! I love them all.
The gold /plastic mirror and sconces….WOW!!!!!! Beautiful!!! I’ve come across those and that plastic is off-putting…..great save!!!!
This group is really….WOWERS!!!!! LOVE~LOVE~LOVE!!!!
……..(can’t even think of a joke for pile!!!)
Christy says
Ha ha thank you, my friend!! I usually pass on those plastic pieces too, but they look lovely painted! Have a great day! XOXO
Rose says
I really like the blue frame especially but all your projects here are great!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Rose! XOXO
Karen says
Great batch of smalls! I always love your smalls posts! I know you mentioned you don’t like plastic pieces normally, but the ones you shared look like Syroco to me. You can check for the stamp on the back. I grew up in upstate NY so anything vintage from that area always catches my eye. Beautiful vision as always!
Christy says
Thank you, Karen! I’m so glad you enjoy the smalls…they are fun for me too! And I will have a look at the backs of my pieces and see if they have any stamps. I do love the curves on those vintage pieces! XOXO
ColleenB.~Tx. says
All your smalls look Amazing. Mice thing about doing everything in white; they will go with any decor.
Was wondering about your distressing block. Did you use velcro strips to secure your sandpaper on?
Christy says
Aww thank you, Colleen! And yes, white is so versatile! For the distressing block, I don’t use sand paper, rather I apply a bit of dark brown paint to it and hit up the raised areas and edges to simulate the look of being sanded. When I do use sandpaper, I wrap it around and old foam sanding sponge which makes it easier to handle, and it is pretty easy to hold in place as you go without velcro. XOXO
Debbie says
Love everything you do. I found that same ornate frame you did in blue with white wax. I have a daughter that love purple. I may try to do the same but with a soft lavender. I would LOVE if you could give us some tips on how to find the right sized shade to fit a lamp.
Thanks!
Christy says
Thank you, Debbie!! Ooh lavender and white wax would be gorgeous! I may have to give that a go myself. I wish I had some sort of guide for matching lampshades. I do like for the shade to come down enough to cover all the switches, but other than that I really just eyeball it. Here is something I found online from Architectural Digest that may help more: The shade should be twice as wide as the lamp base, and one third of the total height of the lamp. So for a 6-inch lamp base, the shade should be at least 12 inches wide. And if the total height of the lamp (including the bulb and harp) is 24 inches, the shade should be 8 inches tall. Hope this helps! XOXO
Tracey Baxter says
Hi Christy, I love admiring and learning how you create such beautiful things. I have been painting a few smalls, and I have painted them all in black, I read where hemp oil is applied only once for sealing, I know you use the Dixie Belle Best Dang Wax to finish off most things. Which would you recommend?
Kind regards, Tracey, Australia.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Tracey! The Hemp Oil leaves a wonderful finish over the Caviar, but it isn’t super durable. So, it is great for things that won’t be handled a lot like frames, mirrors, candlesticks, or furniture that doesn’t get daily use. I do like the wax, but I mostly use Dixie Belle’s Clear Coat in Satin or if I have a piece that will be really high traffic, Gator Hide. You may have seen this post already, but here I tried someone’s tip of adding a hint of paint to the sealer to create a lovely finish: https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/antique-night-table-makeover/ I hope this helps! XOXO
Kathy Blumenberg says
What can I say that hasn’t been said yet… You are positively awesome.
Christy says
Aw you are sweet, Kathy! Thank you! XOXO
Olga says
I love all of them! Your posts about smalls are my favorites! I always get so inspired- thank you for sharing!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Olga! I enjoy the smalls too…it is always fun to see what can be done with these smaller ho-hum pieces! XOXO
Megan says
I’m new to your blog, but so far the ‘smalls’ posts are my absolute favorite! They’ve inspired me to try out some of my own. I was wondering how you decide whether or not to seal a piece?
Christy says
Hi Megan! I’m so glad you enjoy the smalls! The are fun for me too. I seal just about everything, especially furniture. However, there are some smaller items that I don’t seal, mostly those that won’t get handled much or that have a lot of detail that might make it more challenging to apply a sealer. Hope this helps! XOXO