IMG_5773 I went to a flea market this weekend and picked up a few items for $1 that I thought would be nice in my home if I added a little effort and creativity. The plus-side of only spending a buck is that if the project doesn’t turn out too well, no big loss. Believe me, I have created some pretty ugly projects that ended up in the scrap pile, but fortunately, this was not one of them.

The item I purchased was originally brown and meant to hang on the wall to hold letters, keys etc. I painted it a solid color and then used the paint left over from my hallway walls so it would blend in nicely in its new location.

Then I used a sponge dipped in white paint to add a bit of texture. It gives it a less polished look and more of a “shabby chic” look. There is a house and garden etched into the wood that is now more visible because the white paint settled into the etching. I had some flower stencils left over from another project, so I took out those and added the flowers and a few white scrapbook embellishments. This is now hanging in my back-of-the-house hallway and I will keep outgoing mail there, coupons etc. so I can grab them on my way out the door.IMG_5776