If there's one thing I love, it's turning cheap, old junk into really cool decor. When I saw these dirty, vintage clock doors for $25 on Facebook Marketplace, I knew I had to have them and I knew exactly where I was going to put them!
I actually procrastinated on this little project and have had these doors safely tucked away for a couple months, but when I was invited to participate in a thrift store challenge with a group of other talented, thrifty ladies, I took it as the perfect excuse to pull them out and finally transform them into something new!
Everyone I told about them, my mom, my husband, even their seller, had the same question: "What are you going to do with them?" and I told them all the same thing: "They're going in my bathroom!" I guess I must have said it with enough conviction because no one had any follow up questions or comments. I love creating big, eye-catching, unexpected wall displays and when I saw those doors, something told me that I needed to create a gallery wall with them in my bathroom.
First, they needed a good cleaning. I went through SO many paper towels and Windex scrubbing these babies, but they cleaned up really well! I was hesitant to wash the painted sections because I didn't want to lose any of the awesome designs. Most of them faired pretty well, but I do think I lost some of the blue sky on the Smithsonian Castle one.
Next, I added some wood glue to a few sections that seemed a little unstable. These are some pretty old pieces and I wanted them to be as safe and secure a possible while on display.
Adding sawtooth picture hangers was the only thing left to do, but it was a lot easier said than done! Like I said, these doors are old and extremely fragile so my best bet was to just be super careful and super selective with the nails and screws I used. If you find yourself needing to hammer something similar, it's helpful to keep some kind of firm cushioning like a folded towel underneath to absorb the force of the hit and decrease the likelihood of your glass breaking. Also just go slow with tiny, strategic hammering.
Once I got all my picture hangers attached, I just needed to arrange and hang them up!
You'll have to use your imagination a little for this "reveal" because this room isn't one we've done anything to since moving into this house a few months ago. But now that we have this awesome art display in here, I'm feeling very inspired to make progress in this space! I'm thinking a sage green for the walls and lots of dark, moody, vintage accents.
This project wasn't difficult to put together, it just took some looking past the dirt and seeing things not for what they are, but for what they could be. And never underestimate the power of a good sawtooth or D-ring picture hanger, those things can turn anything into decor!
Here's a look at everyone else's projects from this thrift store challenge! Just click on the pictures to find out more about these amazing DIY projects!
Tara's Holiday Centerpiece:
Terrie's Repurposed Headboard Christmas Sign:
Cindy's DIY Christmas Sign:
Jodi's Nightstand Makeover:
Emily's Perfectly Painted Toolbox:
