Welcome back, lovelies! Today’s makeover involves a coastal shelf makeover with reclaimed wood (aka old fence pickets). It started out simple enough, this mass-produced piece I picked up at the thrift store for $6.99:
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
Let’s get right to it, shall we??
Clean
Like most makeovers, this one started with a good cleaning with my go-to paint prep cleaner, White Lightning, mixing one TBSP into a half gallon of warm water:
I like to use these terrycloth sponges for this job. Be sure to swap your water out for clean water and give your project another wipe down to remove any residue. Gloves are recommended.
Paint
I chose to paint this shelf in this gorgeous, coastal hue consisting of half Vintage Duck Egg Blue and half Cotton by Dixie Belle:
A small brush from this inexpensive set made it easier to reach all those tiny places.
Sand
I only did one coat over the original white so I would see white through when I sanded to smooth, and I did that using 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around an old sanding sponge:
After cleaning the dust away, this is where I was at:
Ho hum but good enough, right? If I didn’t share my projects with the world, and I was just making things to stock my booth, I surely would have considered this done!
However, I aim to please
I like to save these super simple redos for my Painting the Smalls posts, so I wanted to give y’all (and this shelf) more than just a simple paint job!
That’s when I remembered these fence pickets I found on the curb in my sister’s neighborhood as I was heading to her house a few weeks ago:
This may look like junk, but there is so much you can do with these old fence pickets!
I hadn’t come across these smaller ones in ages, so it’s been a while since I’ve used them, but you can visit 10 Thrifty Projects I did with reclaimed wood, aka old fence pickets, many years ago here:
Click that photo or HERE to see them all!
I chose two that would do the job I needed:
How about if I flipped the shelf back and added a new top made of these old fence pickets?
Why not?
I cut them to the length I needed using my miter saw:
Sand
Then, I quickly sanded them to smooth the ends where I had cut and to sand away anything obvious poking out using 220 grit sandpaper:
Whitewashing the Pickets
If you have any doubts at this point, wait until you see how amazing they look whitewashed!
I did that by mixing Cotton 50/50 with water and brushing it on:
Then I knocked over the cup I had mixed my watered-down paint in as I was wiping it back with a clean cloth…
Oh dang! So I didn’t get a photo of wiping the paint right back off since I was too busy catching this image ha ha, but you can see the rag in the upper right corner of that photo.
And it ends up looking like this…
So good, right?
Once they were dry, I attached them to the shelf with wood glue and my Ryobi nail gun:
Now that I had a “backing” to my shelf…aka the original top, I decided to stripe it:
And of course, it got sanded smooth once again:
Then, I pulled out these really cute starfish hangers that I found in a bag with a few other, less desirable hangers either at a yard sale or an estate sale, I believe…
I really just wanted these! They got painted in two coats of Cotton by Dixie Belle and added to the back as well.
Seal
I chose to do a quick seal when I was doing the lamps I shared on Tuesday, using Rustoleum clear satin spray.
Coastal Shelf Makeover with Reclaimed Wood Reveal
I guess I am STILL in summer mode ha ha!
(I do keep this SUMMER sign hanging in our kitchen year round!)
And here’s a peek of the wood top from below…
Had I added that at the back instead, I was fearful that the weathered wood wouldn’t hold the starfish hangers very securely, but it works great as a shelf on top.
I just love the look of it!
And the starfish hangers match the costal feel so well…
They seemed a bit small before I added the stripes, so adding those helped to fill in that space…
It’s not ho hum anymore!
One more done yippee!
See anything you may have missed or revisit favorites below:
$5 Buffet Lamp Set Makeover with Decoupage Paper
Chunky Side Table Makeover
Black and Gold Jewelry Box Makeover
Painted Dresser with a Stained Top Makeover
Lamp Set Makeover
Painting the Smalls #36
Painted Lingerie Chest Makeover
Update an Upholstered Bench
Update a Mirror with Paint and Transfers
Painted Drop Leaf Side Table
Painting the Smalls Yard Sale Edition
Vintage Cane Chair Makeover
Dated Coastal Lamps
Home Interiors Shelf Makeover
How to Change the Bottom of a Dresser
$3 Yard Sale Wall Shelf Makeover
Plant Stand Makeover
Freebie French Chair
Oak Pedestal Table
**Shop News**
A few new things are coming our way soon, a couple of new things are here now, and some items are back in stock!
COMING SOON
- First up, be on the lookout for Redesign’s big holiday mould release coming up on August 14th! There are nine brand new holiday moulds in all! Hopefully, I can show some teasers before the actual release!
- Next up…I am excited to announce the release of SEVEN brand new SILK MINERAL PAINT COLORS coming soon!
No, these are not a bunch of grays, but a lovely collection of Countryside colors! They’re in black and white here but they will be available for all to see and purchase on August 18th! I’ll share teasers as I’m able!
New Items available now
- Dixie Belle has just released a cool new product, a Wood Bleach Kit:
That kit is available in my shop HERE now!
- I have ten brand new EXCLUSIVE decoupage papers available in my shop now. You can click any photo to take you to that paper in my shop below:
Sold Out Items Back in Stock
This gorgeous Timeless Blooms Decoupage Paper is now back in stock:
Get it HERE.
And finally…
- Get what you missed out on from Redesign’s latest release! All sold out transfers and decoupage papers have been restocked!
See everything in that release HERE!
And that’s it for shop news! I ship Priority Mail same or next day and all orders over $50 ship FREE!
Visit my Etsy Shop HERE.
I’d love to know what you thought of today’s coastal shelf makeover!
I’ll be back with this dusty, rusty, and maybe even crusty suitcase for Trashy Treasures Tuesday:
UPDATE: This dusty, crusty piece went from foul to WOW!! You won’t even recognize it now…see it HERE!
Have a wonderful weekend!
XOXO,
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Mary Kaiser says
I Love it, so beautiful! That is so cool that you used reclaimed pickets, and I love the stripes. This will sell fast in your booth!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! I was so excited to happen upon that pile of pickets! Have a great weekend! XOXO
Denise says
So cute! Love it!
Christy says
Thank you, Denise! XOXO
Laura C. Minor* says
My daughter and so min law just purchased, furnished and decorated a new beachhouse in North Ocean City, Maryland so I am loving all things coastal. This makeover is so cute.
Christy says
Oh how fun!! We love Ocean City! Thanks, Laura! XOXO
Cecilia says
Adorable! I love fence pickets to use on projects. Sadly, my stash is depleted and I no longer live in a neighborhood where I can find some. I adore the starfish hooks. Great redo of a somewhat bland little shelf!
And goody! A suitcase makeover! I have three that I need inspiration on!
😊Cecilia
Christy says
Thanks, Cecilia! I used to find them while yard saling, but I don’t yard sale as often as I once did. The hooks were a fun find…you know I was after those starfish! I haven’t started on the suitcase yet, so we’ll see where it goes! XOXO
Sharon Keen says
Super creative! Now I want to go check out my “stash” and see if I have a shelf to make over! 🙂
Christy says
Thank you, Sharon! Hopefully, you have one to play with in your stash! Enjoy! XOXO
Josee says
You have quite an eye!!!!!!!!!!!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Josee!!! XOXO
Cyndi says
I did not expect this! Wow. So cute and so clever, flipping the shelf like that. Weathered wood, stripes, the colors, and those starfish hooks…nothing says “coastal, beachy” like that. Love it!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Cyndi! I’m so glad you like it! Although I was tempted to keep it since it fits right in here, it gave me an idea for a space where something similar (but not as large) would work! XOXO
Nana Diana says
The shelf turned out great. I love the light nautical look. We used to have a home right on Lake Michigan and it was nautical but back when nautical meant red/white/blue and lighthouses. lol. This is much better!
Lots of exciting things going on for you and I love the new decoupage papers! WOW! xo Diana
Christy says
Thank you, Diana! Nautical is awesome too…more northern coastal. I used have our home decorated in red, white, and blue patriotic…now this is definitely better than that ha ha! XOXO
Jackie C says
Your creative mind just continues to amaze me. I’m in love with the white washed wood. This is such a sweet piece!
Christy says
Aww thank you, Jackie! I too love that whitewashed wood…it takes those dirty old pickets to WOW in an instant! XOXO
Victoria Hempe says
You are amazing and this shelf turned out adorable!! I don’t know how you come up with so many wonderful ideas but keep up the the beautiful work that you do.
Christy says
Aww you are sweet, Victoria, thank you so much! As long as y’all keep showing up, I will too ha ha! XOXO
Michele M. says
Oh my word it is AWESOME!!!!! You may need to keep that one for yourself, Christy. It’s amazing. I absolutely love it. You did such a great job on creating this perfect piece!!!
Christy says
Aww thank you, my friend! Trust me, I did walk through every room trying to find a home for it lol. It wasn’t the right size for where I’d like to put a shelf, but it definitely gave me an idea! XOXO
Mary Loveland says
The new shelf is just gorgeous. The stripes are great as are the hooks. Well done! I think those cut-off picket pieces would look good on one of your tote boxes you have made.
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! Ooh I agree! I think I did add one to the side of a tote many many moons ago lol! XOXO
Susan says
I love the coastal shelf! The old posts and starfish hooks are just right! I’ve been using some old cedar fence posts for projects! Finds like that r exciting!
Christy says
Thank you, Susan! Oh I agree! And I love when we can make something from nothing! XOXO
Mariele says
Looks great, but what I really love was how you wrote about spilling the paint, as though it was part of the instructions for whitewashing wood 😂😂😂 I laughed so hard!!! I’ve done it too, cleaning it up sucks!
Christy says
Ha ha ha ha! Yes…next, you want to knock over your paint…what I left out in order to keep it short and sweet is that I spilled it all over my phone! I ran immediately to the bathroom sink just inside the door and rinsed it making sure to keep it upright so the plug area wasn’t exposed, and luckily it rinsed off easily. Whew!! Yeah…by the time I got back to it, it was too hard to get all that splatter up, so it will stay there as a reminder ha ha! XOXO
Lorri Rauscher says
Christy you never do boring…….that wood is gold..so many things you can do with them. This shelf is soo cute…you are so creative. 😍
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Lorri! It is always a fun challenge to take something simple and see what can be done with it. And yes, that wood is gold for sure! XOXO