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I’m so glad to be back and participating in the Thrift Store Challenge. I have missed going thrifting and the thrill of a good deal. My parents bought me this recipe box years ago that matched my old kitchen. Doing a room makeover can be really expensive so I try and keep as much as I can, which is how this recipe box makeover saved me money! All this recipe box needed was a little paint. I could have donated it, but always remember sometimes a color change is all something needs (and a little more).

The Rules:

• Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
• There’s no monthly theme.
• There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela – Gail | Purple Hues and Me –  Emily | Domestic Deadline – Beverly | Across the Blvd – Lynne | My Family Thyme – Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home – Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts – Allyson | Southern Sunflowers – Chas | Chas’ Crazy Creations

Our Thrift Store Upcycle group of bloggers is looking to expand — and we need your help! Why not consider joining in our thrift store upcycle challenge on the last Thursday of each month? Make some friends while having fun and share your love of DIY with the world. It’s a win-win! Sound like something you’d be interested in? Just leave a comment at the end of this post with your contact info and a link to your blog. Someone will get back to you right away. We can’t wait to meet you!

Materials for DIY Box Makeover

Sherwin Williams Dovetail and Snowbound Paint Plaid Nylon Paint Brush Folkart Multi-Surface Black Paint Small Screwdriver Cricut Joy (Buy on Cricut/Buy on Amazon) Smart Vinyl in Black Cricut Joy Transfer Tape Cricut Tools (Buy on Cricut or Buy on Amazon) Satin Mod Podge Mod Podge Brush Set Mod Podge Smoothing Tool

Here is My Story of How This Recipe Box Makeover Saved me Money

When the kitchen renovations started all the extras went in boxes to the basement. I have slowly been bringing stuff back up and emptying the boxes. When I came across the recipe box, I thought that is so cute and didn’t want to get rid of it. I had taken out the recipes and put them in a plastic bag to save space during the kitchen makeover. My top cabinets are Snowbound (White) and my bottom cabinets are Dovetail (grey) and that was perfect for the recipe box. It matches my wood book stack and my farmhouse coffee sign. I gave it a good sanding and took it apart. I started with painting the hinges and screws black since the gold was a no go. The Folkart black paint worked great, after two coats the gold was gone. Whenever I DIY, Folkart Multi-Surface Paint is my go to. Next I started painting the top and the bottom. It took a couple coats, but it covered nicely. I did a light sanding in between coats for a smooth finish. When it was dry and ready, I added the top back on. I was worried the paint would come off the black screws, but it stayed on strong.

Decorating the Box

I added some grey check ribbon around the recipe box with Satin Mod Podge. I applied the Mod Podge to the ribbon using the Mod Podge Brush Set and pressed it firmly in place. The Mod Podge Smoothing Tool came in handy too. I put a coat of mod podge over the ribbon as a finishing coat. Using my Cricut Joy , I cut the word “Recipes” using the Smart Vinyl in Black . It was perfect. It goes with my other Rae Dunn inspired decorations. The Cricut Joy is perfect for these small projects and the Smart Vinyl doesn’t need a mat. Whoever invented this at Cricut is a genius in my book.

DIY Recipe Box Makeover

Now I have a brand new farmhouse Rae Dunn inspired recipe box that matches my kitchen perfectly. This recipe box makeover cost me nothing (yay!) because I had all the supplies and it looks great on the counter. I put it next to the mixer and it’s all set! Are you ready to upcycle a piece of your decor to save money?

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!