Cutting Down on Stuff — Decorating a Wall
22nd July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 3 Comments
Recently, I decided my living room wall needed a little makeover. After reading Re-Nest and browsing through Etsy, I was inspired to try to cover the wall in items from Goodwill or other vintage/handmade/not new pieces. I liked the idea because the finished product would hopefully be unique and different from all the Urban Outfitters and Ikea wall decorations I tend to buy and also because by buying used items, I’d be cutting down on stuff! Plus, I found it was pretty inexpensive. I will admit that it took a long time and wasn’t all that easy–I had to keep an open mind about what would work, and I made several trips to Goodwill and other stores. Even now, it’s still a work in progress and I’m going to keep an eye out for other pieces to add. I’m sure a designer who does this kind of thing a lot could probably provide a better list of stores with great vintage decorations, but I am not that knowledgeable. So here it is, my amateur “cutting down on stuff” wall art project:
The big photo in the middle (sorry about the flash) is from Goodwill and the tags on the back say it’s from Z Gallerie, a store with cute but expensive decorations. Its original price tag was $85, but Goodwill charged me $35. The mirror on the right is also from Goodwill and cost about $3. The little framed pressed flower was $1. The plate is a vintage plate from Etsy and was about $8 with shipping. I also had to make a trip to Home Depot for a specific wall hanger for plates that size–that was about $2. And finally, the feather. I am most proud of this because I am not at all crafty, but I made it happen! The frame that the feather is in is from another trip to Goodwill. It was originally a frame with a cheesy flower picture in it, but I turned the cardboard around, painted it with some leftover paint I found under my sink, and attached a feather from Hobby Lobby. Total, it was $6. The only new things I bought were the plate hanger and the feather, and I spent a total of $55. Not bad for a total makeover of my wall.
I would love to hear if any of you have some favorite vintage stores where you find items for home decor or otherwise. I am just starting this cutting down on stuff project, and I would love any suggestions!
Posted on: July 22, 2010
Filed under: cutting down on stuff
3 Comments
Carla
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:13 pm
The wall looks great! You did a wonderful job. You can try garage sales…I had a friend who went every Friday and Saturday garage sale-ing and she decorated her whole house that way…it was really cute.
carsi
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Thanks! Garage sales are a great idea–I’ll have to see if I can find something good.
Katherine
July 22nd, 2010 at 5:18 pm
This looks really great! Good job!
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