I love finding little treasures at thrift/second-hand stores! Often times you can find great items that are just perfect for getting crafty with and doing “upcycle” projects. I recently went shopping at our local Savers (after taking a few bags of stuff from the great pre-Christmas toy purge to donate). As part of a partnership with Savers they asked me to get creative with items I found to create some festive holiday décor. So, our table got a new centerpiece just in time for Christmas! 
I love the way it turned out! It’s simple & nice! And it barely cost me over $5!!! Admittedly, I already had a few crafty supplies on hand. But, the items I found at Savers totaled just over $5, which is a steal for making a holiday centerpiece. Here’s what I came home with: 
I wandered the aisles for a bit getting different ideas and then I saw that dusty old wood tray (which was probably designed for candles). It was in the “wood” section at Savers for $2.50! Then, I found those little votive holders in housewares and the little pinecone wreath in holiday décor. I knew I could upcycle those items into a nice Christmas centerpiece. 
I started by cleaning everything off and then spray painting the wood tray gold. While it didn’t hide all the dings, it immediately looked nicer painted with the metallic gold. I also dismantled the little wreath to use the pinecone sprigs for the centerpiece. Once the tray was dry, I poured Epsom salt into the tray and nestled the votive holders in the salt (to look a bit like snow). With the little ones around, I decided to use LED candles (but you certainly could use real votives). Once the candles were in place, then I decorated with the pinecone sprigs and ornaments. The salt helped those stay in place.
And, that’s it! Just a little bit of time and you can upcycle all kinds of things into great décor pieces of the holidays…or everyday! I love inexpensive projects like this! You never know what you’ll find when you’re shopping at thrift stores!
And speaking of thrift stores, now is a GREAT time to donate to them! Not only is it great to clear out some of the “old” to make room for the new items that come in around the holidays, but if you donate items by December 31st you can use the donation for taxes! It’s a win-win! We just did a big toy purge at our house.so be sure to check out tips for that here: Toy Organization and Toy Purge Tips!
What kinds of things do you like to upcycle?
Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Savers. As always, all opinions and experiences are my own. For more information about Savers, be sure to check them out here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
One Response
What a pretty center piece. As I take out the MANY boxes of Christmas I find I am using less each year. Instead of putting it back into storage for another year I have a big box of Christmas items to donate. Some of my favorite clothing items and knick knacks have come form thrift stores. Within a short distance we have 3. Good Will, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and Salvation Army.