Repurposed Thrift Store Box Makeover

Have you ever come across one of those weird box-looking things at the thrift store? You know, the one you look at and go “what the heck is this” and just keep walking. I almost passed up this plain-looking white box. Something told me to at least pick it up and take a closer look, so I did just that. So, at only $2.99, I figured I had nothing to lose. Now, on to how my thrift store box makeover went from an old box to a farmhouse spice organizer.

After I got it home, it sat in my stash for quite some time. Until one day I decided my spice bin needed cleaning out. I don’t know about you, but my spices are above my stove. In those two small cabinets, that short people like me can’t reach! And, the Hubs being at over 6 feet tall, everything gets pushed to the back, because of course, he can reach them!

What To Do With The Thrift Store Box

I started to ponder on how to get the spices that we use regularly down and at hands-reach. Then I had a light bulb moment! I rushed into my shop and grabbed the ugly box I found at the thrift store. I sat 1-2 of the spice containers in the box, and to my surprise, they fit perfectly!

My kitchen has a farmhouse vibe (like everything else in my home). So, I wanted my new spice rack to have the same farmhouse vibe. I decided to paint it black but I wanted a worn, used look. My kitchen appliances are black and stainless steel, so I knew the black color would coordinate perfectly.

First things first it needed a good cleaning. I gave it a good wipe-down with a Lysol wipe.

Painting The Thrift Store Box

For this thrift store project, I used the paint I had on hand which happened to be a small bottle of FolkArt craft paint. Since I was going for the worn look, the white that the box had been painted would work perfectly underneath the black.

Tip: Save your fast food cups or Chinese containers to use for paint! Recycle 🙂

I applied one coat of black craft paint. After completely dry, apply a second coat.

Distressing The Thrift Store Box

After allowing it to dry for about an hour, I then took my 220 grit piece of sandpaper and started distressing the entire thrift store box. The white base worked perfectly for the look I was going for.

I also distressed the drawer and around the edges.

Sealing The Paint

I then wiped it down with Minwax Wax to seal the paint and protect the finish. The wax made the black look darker than it actually was, which worked out great!

Adding Fabric To Drawer

The last thing I did was add a piece of black and white checked fabric to the inside of the box. I had this piece left over from another project. I simply laid the fabric inside the drawer, smoothed out the wrinkles, and marked where I needed to cut. I then hot-glued my fabric into the drawer using my Surebonder glue gun.

Preparing Thrift Store Jars

I had found these clear spice jars at the thrift store a while back. The chalkboard labels are from Amazon for around 7.00. This set came with preprinted labels but also gave you blank labels for you to write your own spice name. They would be perfect for my thrift store spice jars. I used my dishwasher to wash my spice jars from the thrift store. I ran it on high and added just a very small amount of bleach to sanitize them.

Always think outside of the box. Thrift store items can be repurposed into items that you can use and save you tons of money! Even if you see an item at the thrift store and can’t think of what you would do with it immediately, add it to your stash. Inspiration will hit when you least expect it! Just like my thrift store box to farmhouse spice organizer, thrift makeovers can be super easy and save you a ton of money!

Check out my Repurposed Lingerie Chest if you love repurposed projects!