Monday, December 20, 2021

12 Days of Christmas Day 11 Retool a Toolbelt for Christmas

12 Days of Easy Christmas Ideas

If you've been around my blog at all, you know I love old tools so I always check the tool section at my local thrift store. The other day (HALF PRICE DAY, WOOT-WOOT!) I spied this suede and leather tool belt. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, but decided since it was only going to cost me $3, it would come home with me. 

Thrift Store Tool Belt
It didn't take long for me to decide to cut it into 2 pieces so I could use one of the pouches for a wall hanging.
Upcycled Tool Belt Wall Hanging Pouch
I started with a board that was in the PILE that seemed to be about the size I wanted and painted it dark green. It would be cute to stencil snowflakes on the board, but I plan to use this pouch not only for Christmas, but year-round.
Upcycled Thrift Store Toolbelt
I wanted the suede to look a little older and a little more like leather so I used Wise Owl Furniture Salve. It is great on leather and you can get it from my friend Tina HERE.
Protect Leather with Salve
I attached the toolbelt pouch to the wood with screws in the four corners.
Attach a tool belt to a board
I put candy canes in one of the pouches and hung them off of the hammer loop. I added some fresh greenery and pinecones to the largest pouch. I wasn't sure what else to put in the other pouch. I thought Christmas cards, hot cocoa packets, old photos, but decided on a string on jingle bells.
Create a Christmas Wall Hanging with a Thrift Store Toolbelt
To age the craft store bells I dabbed them with Rub-n-Buff, using a soft bristled brush.
Rub N Buff
I them used the same brush to dab a minuscule amount of black paint over the antique gold. (Wear gloves and ignore my fingers!)
How to Age Craft Store Bells
I wired the bells to a piece of jute rope.
Wire Jingle Bells to a Rope
And hung them in the other pouch.
DIY Aged Jingle Bells
I hung this between my great room windows and the French doors leading to my sunroom.
Create a Christmas Wall Hanging with a Thrift Store Toolbelt
I love how the old, worn leather and the candy canes and aged jingle bells make this look like it might have been worn and used by Santa.
Create a Christmas Wall Hanging with a Thrift Store Toolbelt
There are lots of ways to use this post Christmas--flowers, fresh in a jar of water or dried, or in an office for pens, paper, scissors, or on a porch for a place to leave notes, or in the sewing craft room to hold scissors, paintbrushes, etc. It has ample storage space and is a fun way to upcycle someone's cast-off tool belt.

1 comment:

  1. Wow! This is hands down my favorite idea. I love it exactly as you've staged it & love the idea of using it for other things. What an eye opener Becky. You're amazing!

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