Welcome to the first Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge of the year! We took a few months off for the holidays, but now we’re back to share more upcycled thrift ideas! This year we have even more bloggers and TONS of thrifty upcycle ideas to get those wheels spinning. Today I’m sharing a DIY recipe box. You won’t believe the transformation! Here’s what it looked like when I found it at my local thrift store. Can you see the price tag? Only 50 cents!
And the best part was inside. The old recipe dividers were still there. Looks like they were owned by someone who actually did some cooking! Too bad they didn’t leave the recipe cards. I would have loved to have those, too!
We even have a new graphic this year!
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
Amanda | The Kolb Corner Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles Kim | Made in a Day
Dru | Polka Dot Poplars Erlene | My Pinterventures Colleen | Life on Kaydeross Creek Pili | Sweet Things
Shirley | Intelligent Domestications Ann | Duct Tape and Denim Debra | Shoppe No. 5 Marie | DIY Adulation
Chelsea | The Johnsons Plus Dog Jes | My DIY Envy Lindsay | Crazy Organized
Molly | Just a Little Creativity Ashley | 3 Little Greenwoods Kimm | Reinvented Michelle | Our Crafty Mom
Ali | Home Crafts by Ali Sue | A Purdy Little House Sara | Twelve on Main
Claire | Pillar Box Blue Chelc | Inside the Fox Den Kim | Farmhouse Made Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled
Sherry | Savvy Apron Jennifer and Vicki | 2 Bees in a Pod Lora | Craftivity Designs Megan | C’mon Get Crafty
Denise | My Thrifty House Toni | Small Home Soul Deborah | Salvage Sister and Mister
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
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Supplies for DIY Recipe Box Makeover
- vintage metal recipe box
- DecoArt Chalky Finish, Yesteryear
- white paint
- Iron Orchid Designs Vintage Art Decor Mold
- cornstarch
- paper clay
- wood glue
- paint brush
- 7 Gypsies paper, Honeymoon
- DecoArt Decou-Page, Matte
First, make the baroque detail piece by rolling a piece of paper clay in your hands to get it flexible. Brush a little cornstarch onto the mold so the clay won’t stick. Press the clay into the mold. Remove excess. Turn the mold upside down and gently roll the paper clay piece out. It doesn’t need to dry in the mold.
I’m working on a video to show how easy this really is.
Glue onto the front of the recipe box.
Paint the entire box with gray paint. No need to prime if you use a chalk or mineral based paint. Touch up if needed. One coat may do it.
Allow gray paint to dry completely. Dry brush white paint very lightly over the entire box.
Now for the inside, trace around the bottom of the box on the scrapbook paper and cut a little smaller to fit in the top and bottom. Brush on a thin coat of decoupage medium, apply paper, and brush another thin coat on top.
If you liked this DIY recipe box, check out all the other AMAZING upcycled projects!
Thanks for reading about my DIY recipe box! Let me know what you think about the molds. I’m also linking to these parties.
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
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Featured on: Merry Monday #143, Craft Schooling Sunday, Crafty Weekends Party
I didn’t even know you could buy moldings like that, that’s definitely sparked my imagination. Great upcycle.
What a score it would have been to have those original recipe cards! I love the detail you gave the front of it and the gray color is perfect!
I’m still looking for vintage recipe cards!
Oh, it’s just beautiful and the color is amazing.
Thanks!
This is so great! I’ve been dying to try the iron orchid molds!
It looks totally different. Great job!
I love it. And yes it would have been great if the recipes were included. Nevertheless, you did an amazing job making the plain recipe box so pretty. I need to check the molding technique.
Oh wow! I love this cute little recipe box. And that baroque appliqué is perfect.
Love this Ann! I’ll be looking forward to your video on the clay technique! Have a great weekend!
I see these metal boxes all the time at the thrift store and never know what to do with them. Now I know. Love it.
Try it! I’m sure they’ll turn out beautiful.
This looks like it always should of looked this way. Love the blue!
Kim
I love old recipes, and this is a perfect little box for them 🙂
Adding that wooden piece to the front is so smart! Love the painting technique too.
Thanks so much for the DIY inspiration!
{BIG hugs}
~ Ashley
That’s adorable! I love how it turned out. I love the little touch that the white dry brush adds.
Any box looks better with a mold, and yours is perfect! Love the color too
I love that box now but the old way reminded me of my sweet grandmas recipe box. I love the new update, and that mold technique is pretty cool!
Ooooh, I love that molding you added!!! It looks fab!
So clever to add the molding! Nice update!
Gorgeous upcycle! Love the moulding you put on the front of the box!
Thanks, Sam!
Lovely transformation! Love the baroque detail! What a great idea! Well done! Blessings, Janet
I think I even have one of those “dullsville” recipe boxes around here that I figured was hopeless for selling. You have given me new inspiration! Love how yours turned out with the decal!
Thank you so much for linking at #overthemoon! I look forward to seeing what you share every week. Please come back next week and allow us to promote your content!
I never knew you could make embellishments from a mold like that. It really completely changes the look of the box, along with the paint. Really nice transformation.
I would have walked right by that metal recipe box at the thrift store. You have a great imagination for creating such an adorable recycle. Thank you for sharing your upcycle at the Snickerdoodle Create~Bake~Make link party!
Very clever and cute! Thanks for sharing with us at Funtastic Friday! Pinned & sharing
Thanks, Angie!
What a great makeover! I love that the old dividers were still in there. Thanks for linking up with Merry Monday; I’m featuring your project in my round-up for this week’s party, which goes live tonight!
Thanks so much! I just linked back to the party, too!