Bright & Cheery Thrift Store Makeover

Who the hell can say “no” to a thrift store find? At a bargain price of $5.00, I was dreaming of DIY plans for a bold thrift store mirror makeover.

I just have this thing with mirrors. Yes, Habitat for Humanity ReStores are a great place to source thrift store home decor. 

PAINT PREP BEFORE THRIFT STORE MIRROR MAKEOVER 

The ideal paint prep would be to remove the frame from the mirror. But… just like a few other mirror makeovers we’ve conquered, this mirror frame was glued to the mirror.

When obstacles present themselves; adapt & overcome.

If you can’t remove the frame, computer paper & painter’s tape works wonders. Shimmy the computer paper between the mirror & the frame & secure the paper from sliding around with tape. 

SUPPLIES USED:

• Wood filler
• Craft foam brushes
• Chalk paint in English Yellow
• Saw horses
• Painter’s tape
• Scraper 
• Wax top coat 

FIX THE IMPERFECTIONS WITH WOOD FILLER

Wood filler is a staple in our DIY stash. You buy it once & you can use it over & over & over again.

The sides of our thrifted mirror had deep gouges & the bottom of the frame looked like a cat used it as a scratching post.

No bueno … but no problem, it’s a quick & easy fix. 

WOOD FILLER TIPS: 

1. Not planning on painting after using wood filler?
   • Match the shade of the wood filler to your project, as closely as possible. 
2. Painting after using wood filler?
   • You don’t have to match the wood filler to your project.
   • We’ve used “non-matching” wood filler with this vintage desk & vintage radio makeover {to name a few} & have never had any problems with the finished product
     • {e.g. – there’s not a visible demarcation where we used “non-matching” wood filler.} 
3. Repurposed stoneware scrapers work very well to help apply wood filler into nooks & crannies. 
4. Apply thin layers until you reach your desired build-up. 
5. Lightly sand each layer once it has dried. 

BOLD CHALK PAINT THRIFT STORE MIRROR MAKEOVER  

What better time to try out a new brand of chalk paint than with a small-scale project? I could have used paint from our DIY stash, but… 

We wanted to go BOLD, BRIGHT & CHEERY for this thrift store mirror makeover. I chose Victorian Vintage brand of chalk paint {from this eBay store} in the color English Yellow.  

MIRROR PAINTING TIPS:

1. Saw horses are a freaking life saver & made painting this thrift store mirror a hell of a lot easier. 
2. Don’t judge the paint by the first coat {or the second coat with chalk paint.} The first coat always look shitty, no matter what. 
3. In-between paint coats, turn the paint up-side down, so you don’t have to waste time re-stirring it. 
4. Store your foam brushes in a sealed snack bag, to prevent them from drying out. 

 

BRIGHT & CHEERY MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO HAS THE BEST THRIFT STORE MIRROR MAKEOVER OF THEM ALL? 

4 coats of English Yellow chalk paint & $12.75 later, I reached my desired aesthetic for my thrift store mirror makeover.

In a perfect world, we would have painted the “underside” of the frame that’s visible in the mirror’s reflection. But… 

Shit doesn’t always shake out the way you planned. No big deal, because from afar, you wouldn’t be any wiser to the imperfection.  

To protect the newly painted thrift store mirror, we applied 2 thin coats of this wax top coat. 

Our eclectic living room is the perfect home for this bright & cheery thrift store mirror makeover. It complements our gorgeous blackout bold blue & white medallion curtains & our Asian-motif mirror… a thrift store makeover from ages ago. 

• Learn more about making complementary colors work for you. 

THRIFT STORE HOME DECOR TIPS:

1. Don’t forget to check out your local Habitat for Humanity ReStores when you’re on the hunt for thrift store home decor. 
2. Challenge yourself to go outside your “decor comfort zone” & go bold with a “small-scale” piece of home decor. 

Until the next thrifty makeover, 

BE BOLD, BRIGHT, CHEERY & THRIFTY!

LOVE, PEACE & HAPPINESS, 

HIPPIE & SPARKY