Thrift Store Treasure

People often look at thrift stores as stores that contain junk or trash. I see shopping at thrift stores as an opportunity to purchase something that may not be in the best condition & turning it into something you would normally find at an expensive, specialty boutique.

Since my husband is in the Navy, I always get excited when I find something that is nautical themed (anchors, ship wheels, etc). My mom actually texted me a picture of this old beat up anchor one afternoon & asked me if I thought I could use it. She said it was a real wooden anchor that was pretty beat up, but the price tag read $8. That's always something to get excited about! If I were to make my own wooden anchor, I would not only have to buy the wood to make it out of, but I would also have to cut the pieces myself. This task would be nearly impossible in our 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment. Thankfully, I didn't have to take on this head ache.

Upon receiving it, I used some old sand paper we had laying around to sand down the previous scuffed paint. Our kitchen & dining room are decorated in red, white,& blue so I decided to incorporate my americana theme into the anchor. I used basic acrylic paint that I purchased from Michaels for about $1 per bottle to paint each section of the anchor. After painting, I wanted to add detail with the words "Anchors Aweigh" that I free handed across each section. I also added a splash of color with a simple piece of ribbon that I had left over from a previous project to create the rope or chain of the anchor. 

What another man thought was trash, I was able to turn into a staple piece of decor in our dining room.