Friday, July 31, 2015

Frugal Friday - Enlarging Small Wall Decor

Happy Frugal Friday, Islanders!


I took that photo during the set-up of a recent chalkboard-themed graduation party.  I  mentioned when I posted party pictures that the venue, my client's home, was beautiful and inspiring.  I loved how she hung those woven pieces (plates? baskets? platters?) on the wall.  I didn't realize it then but as I was working in the seaside guest room recently, I've subconsciously used my client's home as inspiration in my own.

If you follow on Instagram or recall yesterday's Wordless Wednesday post, you recognize this photo:



I love how bright the guest room space is!  You probably recognize the painting in the background from this post.  In that post, I mention how Mom surprised me with the painting and I was shocked to learn it only cost her $9!  When I share the room's finished  design, we'll talk all the details; today, I'm sharing how I created a large focal point in the seaside guest room without breaking the bank.

I was super excited when I saw the tray with the tags still on it at The Village thrift store!  I got it for about $5 (didn't keep the tag) but it was MUCH more than that. Oh!  Here's another crazy thing about the tray.  As I reviewed one of my original guest room posts, I came across a picture I took in Target over a year ago and guess what?


YES!  THAT'S THE TRAY IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER!  I bought the tray several months ago because I loved it but not because I knew where I'd put it.  As a matter of fact, it sat in the seaside guest room closet for months.  I would open the door and still love it but, seriously, where would I ever PUT a tray that size?  Until I was finally ready to spray paint another thrifty find.

I bought a pair of ugly mirrors for $2.90 each.  They were painted an awful hunter green with brown and gold specks.  Ug-lay.


I'm talkin' a-face-only-your-mama-can-love ugly.

For the price, I could paint them another color and salvage their ugliness situation.  So, after a year, I finally painted one of the mirrors bright white with some old spray paint from the stash.  I was very pleased with how it turned out and quickly decided it would hang in the seaside guest room.  I could hardly wait for the paint to dry before I ran upstairs to hang it.  I held it up and there was one major problem.  It was too small and, with the huge painting already hanging on the wall, it looked microscopically small in comparison.  Shoot, I need a larger mirror but don't have the budget to purchase one for the second guest room nobody will ever use.  Instead, I pulled the tray out of the closet and, much like my party client's home, I hung it on the wall.   It's large but lightweight so it only took one nail near the top!

Once the tray was on the wall, I eyeballed where I would hang the mirror and used a longer nail (to account for the thickness of the wicker) and voila!  I had a fabulous and budget-friendly piece of wall decor.


I love it because I can easily lean some starfish on the ledge of the tray for texture.  I may also make a small welcome sign for above or below.  Really, the possibilities are endless for this idea!  How great would it look above an entry table or over a bathroom sink?!


I love the texture, the uniqueness and the PRICE!

Talk about a FRUGAL FRIDAY post for the books :)

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