Repurposed Thrift Store Art To Creative DIY Fall Wall Decor
I have nothing against Marilyn Monroe but I didn’t want a large photo of her on my wall when I purchased it from the thrift store at half price.
Honestly, I just wanted the inexpensive large black picture frame and not the thrift store art that came with it.
But the project I envisioned for new art during our 1970’s vintage black and white bathroom remodel didn’t work out and this unwanted photo was left to collect dust in my craft room.
That is until I randomly purchased a grab bag of Fall decorations and realized that I could combine the unwanted Marilyn photo with these items to create a new DIY Fall wall art for our mantel.
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THIS POST IS PART OF THE ‘DO IT OVER’ DESIGNERS LINK PARTY. A GROUP OF DESIGNERS WHO TAKE SOMETHING OLD AND/OR UNUSED AND ‘DO IT OVER’ INTO SOMETHING NEW. THESE ITEMS CAN BE FOUND IN CLOSETS, BARNS, GARAGES, YARD SALES, THRIFT STORES, YOU NAME IT!
Originally I had planned to use some of the leftover peel-and-stick wallpaper from the bathroom closet to frame as one-of-a-kind art for the bathroom remodel. The framed Marilyn Monroe print was a great size and an even better price at only $8.
Plan A was to cover the back side of the photo with the wallpaper as framed art.
What I didn’t realize until after I got it home was that the print had a “textured” finish over it. I would have to either use the backside of the print or try to remove the photo from the wood backing to have a smooth surface for the wallpaper to stick to.
In my mind, using the back of the photo was an easy solution to my problem.
Once I removed the art from the frame I realized the photo had been glued over the back of a piece of wood beadboard. It’s strange considering the original tags on this piece of art were from T.J. Maxx. So using the back of the wood piece was not an option for wallpaper as I had hoped.
Plan B was to scrap off the textured photo.
When I tried to remove the photo I quickly realized it was not going to come off easily or not at all. This photo and its textured finish was glued down to stay in place forever! Dealing with a looming deadline for the bathroom remodel, I decided my time was better spent purchasing new art and moving on.
So that is how this large piece of beadboard with its iconic photo of Marilyn glued down on the other side came to be in my craft stash.
Don’t things like this always have a random story behind it?
Finding another way to repurpose the thrift store framed art.
What about the grab bag of random Fall decorations you might ask? And what does it have to do with repurposed wall art?
Recently, I was browsing through a thrift store weeks ago and they had large bags filled with random Fall decorations for like $5 or $6 dollars. For this particular purchase, I was only interested in the metal wall pumpkins I spied in the bag and not the scary clown-faced straw Pilgrims or the straw broom with the scarecrow face glued to it.
No thank you. Those will go back in a donation box.
The beadboard and these metal pumpkins will be the perfect backdrop to my Fall mantel this year.
Every Fall season, I like to make something new whether it is a simple Fall craft, a new wreath, or faux pumpkins in a wide variety of Fall colors. It is not only fun to make DIY Fall decorations but DIY Fall decor adds a more personal touch to your home.
To create this unique Fall art, I needed some strong glue, my Cricut machines, colorful vinyl, and faux leaves and florals from my dollar store supplies.
DIY Fall decor created from multiple repurposed items.
The metal pumpkin shapes were attached with Gorilla Super Glue to the beadboard. After that, I add decorations around each one with colorful faux maple leaves and sunflowers using a hot glue gun.
It needed a personal inspirational quote.
Most Fall signs seem to have the very familiar and popular sayings such as “Farm Fresh Pumpkins”, or “Welcome Fall”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but as I mentioned in an earlier shared post, for this DIY Fall decor project, I wanted a more inspirational quote. A Google search helped me find the right Bible verse I wanted to display on the mantel.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
DIY Fall Décor
After attaching the metal pumpkins with super glue and the faux leaves and sunflowers with hot glue, I created the above verse in Cricut Design Space™ and cut it out in black and orange letters.
Popping the newly repurposed Fall art back into the black frame, it now has a temporary home on our large mantel until the end of the Fall season.
And with it done, another DIY project in my craft room has been completed.
Each year I save so many Pinterest pins with Fall decor ideas for inspiration for DIY projects. This year, instead of recreating just one idea, I combined bits and pieces of several DIY ideas to create a beautiful new autumn decor.
Pin For Later
Please visit the following posts for all of the other talented bloggers who are participating in the ‘Do It Over’ challenge this month.
Hugs,
You scored big finding those metal pumpkins at the thrift store. They look great with the floral embellishments! Your fall inspirational decor looks very pretty as your mantel focal point.
Beautiful!!
Great find on the metal Pumpkins, I like how you repurposed the frame and added the quotes. You did a great job creating a unique piece for your home.
This picture and frame has finally fulfilled it’s destiny and looks great on your mantle. Those metal pumpkins look lovely, and perfect with the sunflowers.
I love how you put some random things together to create a piece of custom art. It looks great on the mantle as part of your fall display.
It was like this was meant to be Donna! I love the metal pumpkins, and the bible verse you have added. Isn’t it funny how some of our projects begin and how you end up with the finished project not looking a thing as we imagined? I seem to have that same problem, but in the end, I think those sorts of projects just end up as they were always meant to. Love your fall mantel!
Cute and so much better than Marilyn. I like how you used the beadboard!
Tania
Fabulous makeover! The pumpkins are so cute, especially with the sunflowers – i like how your creative mind works!
Oh my, Donna! You created the perfect wall decor for Fall! It looks gorgeous! I love the biblical quote! You picked the BEST possible wording there is to use! Great job!
I love the story, Donna. Marilyn clearly wanted to stay! I love what you created and it looks beautiful on your mantle.
That’s quite the background story Donna and so surprising that bead board was used as a backing; it looks stunning with your new Fall decor!
Donna, I’m a sucker for a good DIY backstory! I think this board looks perfect with the pumpkins and as seasonal decor. I’m glad you held onto it and waited for the right idea to come along. It looks great!! PS- I’d be sending those clown faced pilgrims back to the donation pile, too… 😉