Updating a Thrift Store Plaque

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This little plaque was sitting on a thrift store shelf with a price tag of $2.  I could see it was solid wood, but that cute little bear was straight out of the 80's.  

It came home with me and sat....

in the closet...

waiting patiently...

for 2 years!  

I came across it again, took it outside and gave it a good coat of Citristrip.  Once it was cleaned off and sanded it went back into the closet....

for another 2 years!  

Go ahead, call me a Procrastinator.  I can take it!  

Welcome to The Sustainable Pinterest  Challenge, a group of bloggers who are challenged to recreate a pin from Pinterest focused on sustainability. Many thanks to Julie from Sum of Their Stories & Gail from Purple Hues and Me for hosting.  

The theme for this month is 'Thrift Store' and I was inspired by this pin because of the shape. I honestly started with a completely different plan for this sign so let's just say this project has been a 'Journey'.


There it was.  Cleaned and ready for a new life.  Since my inspiration was a black and white sign, I painted the center white and the edge black, planning to make a cute sign for the kitchen.  You know, 'Bakery', 'Patisserie', something along those lines.
I even distressed it and when I took a look at it I immediately hated it.  So I walked away.  The next version had a light blue edge (sorry no pics).  I hated that look too!  Nothing was jumping out at me, so I walked away again.

After a few days of thought, I repainted it white.  

The Mod Podge and a paper napkin came out.

The decoupage process began.

Some plastic wrap to smooth the napkin, some sandpaper to trim the edges, and it was starting to appeal to me!  If you would like the details on how I decoupage and a few tips, see my post How to Decoupage Dresser Drawers - With Napkins!

That white edge wasn't working for me, so it had to go.

Much better!

My original thought was to add a word or words to it, but I realized I loved it 'as is'!  
I'm sure you know the story behind the 'best laid plans' and this one certainly fits the bill. As far as I'm concerned, when all was said and done, it came out perfectly. 

So, tell me, are you a procrastinator?  Do you start a project with one thing in mind and end up with a completely different finished project?  Certainly, I can't be the only one.  Can I??

Be sure to stop by to see what my fellow bloggers have created.  It's a blog hop and all of the links are listed below:  Featured at:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Julie | Sum of their Stories
Gail | Purple Hues and Me
Julie | Treasures Made From Yarn
Allyson | Southern Sunflowers
Mel | Decor Craft Design
Niki | Life as a LEO Wife
Ann | The Apple Street Cottage

Featured at:




Comments

  1. Sum of their StoriesJune 7, 2022 at 3:59 AM

    Ha ha, this is SO relatable! 4 years plus to decide what to do with something then several changes of direction mid way through the making - it happens SO often. I'm super impressed that you still have a photo of the original bear plaque! (I'm sure I would have lost any photos in that time)
    I love how you shared your process with us, the mistakes and the changes of mind. Sometimes the creative process is just that, a process. And your plaque turned out beautifully in the end - bonus!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJune 7, 2022 at 4:52 PM

      Thanks, Julie. You are SO right about the creative process and the fact that sometimes it just fights back! Finding both 'before' pictures took some searching, but I was determined to find them. Never a dull moment!

      Delete
  2. Gail @Purple Hues and MeJune 7, 2022 at 12:33 PM

    Love how your decoupage plaque turned out, Ann! It now looks really pretty with the parisienne design napkin!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJune 7, 2022 at 4:53 PM

      Thank you, Gail. It took some 'doing' but it got there!

      Delete
  3. Allyson @ Southern SunflowersJune 7, 2022 at 4:57 PM

    Ann, are you cleaning out a closet? LOL I think you may have me beat on how old my thrift finds are. Your plaque looks spectacular and I love the bold look!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJune 7, 2022 at 7:24 PM

      To be honest, Allyson, living in an apartment prevents me from tackling any big projects. All those little ones that have been sitting around are finally getting some attention! Stay tuned, you never know what I'll dig out next!

      Delete
  4. JulieJune 7, 2022 at 7:14 PM

    I am glad it finally turned out the way you like it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJune 7, 2022 at 7:25 PM

      Thank you, Julie...the struggle was real!

      Delete
  5. Kim June 7, 2022 at 8:16 PM

    That is so pretty, Ann! I adore the colors.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Carol BentonJune 8, 2022 at 9:02 AM

    Your up-cycled plaque looks beautiful! I've done a few projects where I used paper napkins and Mod Podge, and they always turned out well. Your plaque turned out great!
    Thank you for participating in Talent-Sharing Tuesdays 21.
    Carol
    www.scribblingboomer.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJune 8, 2022 at 12:13 PM

      Thank you, Carol. Paper napkins can be a real game-changer. I've used them on furniture will beautiful results.

      Delete
  7. Marie-Interior FrugalistaJune 10, 2022 at 10:09 AM

    I have a plaque just like that waiting in the queue for a transformation. I love the pretty napkin you used to decoupage!

    ReplyDelete
  8. https://decorcraftdesign.wordpress.comJune 12, 2022 at 11:09 AM

    Wow, I think the plaque agrees that it's a worth long wait to get that pretty makeover. Great job, Ann!

    ReplyDelete
  9. EL INVENTARIO DE MJJune 13, 2022 at 2:18 AM

    La base de madera siempre estaba ahí, con su forma ondulada esperando una idea tan fantástica.
    Ahora con una servilleta bonita no necesita nada más.
    BESOS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJune 13, 2022 at 7:44 PM

      Thank you so much. It certainly waited a long time!

      Delete
  10. Allyson @ Southern SunflowersJune 16, 2022 at 6:09 PM

    I'm featuring your plaque at #HomeMattersParty this week. Drop by to see your picture and description. Party starts tonight 9pm through Monday night.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJune 16, 2022 at 7:46 PM

      Thank you so much, Allyson. I'll be sure to stop by!

      Delete
  11. ZendaJune 20, 2022 at 8:29 AM

    This is a great way to repurpose old projects! I never thought about doing this but I'm going to give it a try. I love how your plaque turned out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnJune 21, 2022 at 8:47 AM

      It's an easy way to update something from the 80's. Thanks for stopping by, Zenda!

      Delete
  12. AmaizngJuly 4, 2022 at 11:26 PM

    Wonderful!! I like your idea. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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