Upcycled thrift store find: Kitchen caddy

I have been in LOVE with vintage (Provincial look-alike) random shabby chic items with lots of character. I found this caddy at (yes, you guessed it!) the Lost and Found Market, Melbourne and brought it home. At that point, I did not have any idea about what I wanted to do with it but I was in love with the design. I hated the burgundy color.. so uncool, and so NOT me!

So, I decided to upcycle it. With no clear vision, I started of with the sanding process.

Then, I used some Rust-Oleum spray paint in mint blue that I had bought especially for this project. I just love the fresh color! (Thanks hubs for helping with my crazy projects!)

Looking so much better, and giving me some fun ideas about what I wanted to do with it!

The Graphic's Fairy blog was my first stop, where I found exactly what I needed - a cool vintage-y image for grain. I transferred it to the side of the caddy, and loved it! For that I used wax pastel colors to color the backside of the printed paper, then sketched it out with a pointed tip pen to get a transfer.

I filled in the outline with black acrylic paint very carefully.

  

After that, I carefully distressed it, and finally finished it off with a good wax to seal it up

My caddy looks amazing and I can't wait to use it on my dining table (or kitchen?) with all the things I use everyday. Love it! See the distressed edges?? (LOVE!!!)

If you like the upcycle, then I'd love for you to PIN IT! And, do pick up unique items from your nearby thrift stores!

Love,
Divya