Easy DIY Christmas Decor from Thrift Shop Items

July 22, 2018

This wooden Minnesota plaque was a recent thrift shop find.

Do you pick up things like this at garage sales or thrift shops?

It's marked Distinguished Trophy Co., Gilbert, Minnesota on the back.

After cleaning the plaque with soap and water, I brushed on two coats of Dutch Boy Chalky Finish Paint in True Black .

I like this color but I have moved on from Dutch Boy's Chalky Paint in favor of other choices on the market. Just using it up on a small project.

Since Minnesota is such an Up North/Great Outdoors state, I pulled out my buffalo check stencil from *Old Sign Stencils.

I laid the buffalo check stencil on the Minnesota plaque, on the diagonal, taped it on with blue painter's tape, and stenciled the red checks with Deco Art Americana Chalky Finish Paint in Rouge.

I love this red for Christmas items.

Next I distressed the edges of the plaque with 100 grit sandpaper and used 220 lightly on the center areas.

I then used Ceramcoat in Light Ivory to stencil on a deer stencil from Just a Trace. I purchased the stencil at a local craft shop.

I sealed the chalk paints with Varathane Crystal Clear Water-Based Poly in Satin Finish, and added a cheap white iron hook to the bottom of the plaque from Hobby Lobby. (Hobby Lobby's hooks are 50% quite often)