Fall Decor Upcycled from the Thrift Store

 OOPS, I did it again, I bought a thrift store wreath, deconstructed it, and upcycled it into fresh, fall decor!

I am sharing TWO projects I made for fall with thrift store finds. First off, let me tell you deconstructing these wreaths is messy business. If you can work outside, do. I sat down in the middle of my family room floor and did it. At lest the wood floor was easy to sweep. 

The first project I created was with this hammered copper pot. I think it is a hot cocoa pot missing its lid. But, I love copper for fall ad thought of a few different ways to use it. I decided for now to use it as a container for a fall centerpiece or arrangement.

I used the yellow and faded pink flowers, some sticks, and the straw from the wreath. 

Using both natural and faux elements gives the arrangement a more realistic look. I also used the fuzzy, stringy, vine things and a just a few of the burgundy eucalyptus leaves (I threw most of the eucalyptus leaves away--they were tired and dated). I did put a floral foam block in the copper pot to hold the stems.

A long, velvet ribbon tied to the handle finishes this piece.

This centerpiece is smaller so it looks great on a shelf, entry table, coffee table, or breakfast table.

For the next project, I completely cleaned up the wreath and added thrifted, fall stems.

I also used some of the yellow flowers that were originally on the wreath. TIP: cut apart bouquets to mix up fake flower bundles.

I put stems together , with more on the bottom half, wiring them with floral wire as I went.

I then hot glued some jute or rope around the middle of the bundle to hide the wire. 

I wired the stems onto the wreath and then made a "bow" with strands of velvet ribbon and jute twisted onto the fall florals and wreath with the wire.

The wreath is cleaner, neater, and fresher!

It is perfect for hanging on a door or a porch chair or on a hook in an entryway!

Keep your eyes open at the thrift store for wreaths and other fall foliage that yo can repurpose and upcycle into something new to you!

DIY Witch Broom From a Thrift Store Wreath

Yesterday I shared this thrift store wreath that I deconstructed.

I took it completely apart and made a centerpiece with some of the faux stems.

I was left with a rather wild and unkept wreath.

I cut the wire that was holding the wreath together, grabbed a dead branch from the yard, and made a spooky, wild, witch's broom.

I used the wire that held the brush to the wreath form and securely wrapped it around the branch.

This is such a fun decorative piece for fall. It is fun propped in a corner on a front porch or can hang on a wall or door. The scrappy, dark colored brush is perfect for any witch!

Upcycling a Thrifted Fall Wreath

When I spied this wreath at the thrift store for $3, I knew I could do something with it. 

After taking it apart, I had 16 pumpkins (!), several leaf stems, white berry stems, straw picks, and a great wreath. I ill show you tomorrow what I am doing with the wreath.  I also thrifted a $2 vintage gravy boat with a fall motif.

I combined some of the faux stems and pumpkins with the gravy boat to create a centerpiece perfect for the fall season.

I used a floral foam block to secure the stems. I started with three smaller pumpkins and then added the foliage around those.

The mix of colors and different leaves adds interest and texture to the centerpiece.

This smaller sized centerpiece is perfect for a coffee table, a shelf, or a smaller dining table. 

The centerpiece will work great in the home throughout the entire fall season.

I put the extra pumpkins and leaves from the wreath in a 99 cent thrift store basket for now. They will probably get painted and used for other projects.

I think the white berries will be used for Christmas decor and the straw picks may show up in a scarecrow project.

Remember to see the possibilities when thrifting. The craft supplies that I garnered from a $3 wreath would have cost $30+ brand new. Not only did I save money, but I saved something from the landfill as well. 

Thrift Store Fall Decor

I know, it is still summer, but makers need to bethinking ahead to fall. So with fall in mind I headed out thrifting. I found a few items pictured below.

Now, I am not sure if this ceramic item I found is a vintage ceramic conch shell or cornucopia. I saw it as a cornucopia, so that it how I used. These three items came together beautifully to create a centerpiece for autumn.

I added thrifted, faux florals and dried, foraged weeds to the ceramic cornucopia. 

Don't be afraid to cut and rearrange faux flowers. The feather stems are also from the thrift store.

Make sure centerpieces look good from all sides, especially if you will be leaving it on the table during meals. I set the cornucopia on a stack of three books to give it more height and more of a presence. 

I pulled the fall plant out of the wood vase it was in (this was a Threshold piece from Target, but I thrifted it for $.99) and put it in an antique dish that was my grandma's. 

The black, metal stand got a glow up with antique gold Rub-n-Buff. A thrifted candle sits in it.

While I am savoring summer, I look forward to fall. It is my favorite season and I love decorating for cozy days ahead.