Refurbished Sconces

I purchased these sconces back in February at a goodwill for $1.49 each – that’s a grand total of $2.98! I thought this would be a great demonstration of how to take a cheap thrift store item and upgrade it. Refurbished scones are seriously easy and a great way to dip your toes in the thrift store realm because there are always sconces. Don’t ask me why, just go look. You’ll see.

So before my husband got a hold of the sconces, they both had mirrors in them. Then he broke a mirror and that’s what you see below. I decided I wasn’t a fan of the mirrors anyways so – good riddens.

They had this shiny finish on them and since I hadn’t made up my mind on what paint I’d be using I started sanding right away. Sure wish I had made my mind up before, because there are curves and small edges that I worked extra hard on for no reason. I ended up using chalk paint, and most chalk painted doesn’t require your piece to be sanded. Oh well, just practicing my sanding I guess!

So after much back and forth on paint color, I decided a darker color would help these guys look more expensive. Something about the matte spoke to me. Nothing fancy needs to be done here. Just slap the paint on, two coats, and you’re done.

The biggest decision once they were painted was ,what the heck was I going to put inside? Do I leave it hollow or put a fun print instead!? Oh the choices! Then it occurred to me to create both options and then I’ll have the flexibility to style them in whatever room I choose. The backs just pop on and off – so why not?

The thrifted sconces came with the cardboard in the opening already, so I decided to use what I have. I took my favorite gold paint that I always have on hand, Ralph Lauren Metallic gold finish, slapped two coats on the cardboard and voila!

So if you stick with what you purchased, the sconces with the cardboard inside – you’re done and with very little out-of-pocket expense. For me it was only the cost of the sconces, $2.98, because I already had the paint! But, as you know, I didn’t do that. Really it was my husband that suggested to find a pattern for the inside. So I did.

I ended up heading over to Joanne’s to pick a fabric, and found a cute little multi-colored pattern. But life got in the way and I was slow in finishing the project. So by the time I was ready to finish, I was visiting my parents and my Mom suggested I take a look at her scrapes of fabric. Her bucket full of fabrics. Which by the way, are also scraps from my grandma’s collection! I suck at decision making with patterns and here I go sifting through a vat of patterns. So I did what anyone would do. Narrowed it down to a million different options. Here were some of the the contenders.

After all that sifting, I decide to stick with my original fabric. I know, I know. Whatever. Time to finish the second set of inserts.

I purchased the tri-fold display board, s small science fair board, for under $2, to use as the insert. Since I already had the cardboard insert I traced around that onto the cardboard display board, then used an x-acto knife to cut out the new insert.

Now I need to figure out what part of the pattern and in what direction, I wanted it to be placed in the sconce. Now as you can predict, figuring out what part of the pattern I wanted to use was driving me nuts. Then my mom walks over and rotates the pattern 45 degrees. I had not even thought of doing that! It seems so obvious to rotate the pattern around, testing different sides, but I am a pattern idiot. Learn from my mistakes guys.

Trace a line onto the fabric about three-quarters of an inch to one inch out from the cardboard. You’ll need to fold the fabric over the cardboard later. Once you’re done, cut out the fabric. No need to be super straight, remember it will be folded over onto the back and out-of-sight.

Now that you have your cardboard backing and fabric – it’s adhesive time. You’ll spray the back of the fabric and the cardboard. Per the spray adhesive once you spray them, wait one minute, then adhere them together. When placing the fabric on the cardboard start in the middle and slowly spread it up, then down, making sure it’s smooth. Luckily you can pull the fabric back up to readjust if necessary at the beginning. Don’t do this too much though. It will become really sticky and won’t come back up. Once it’s smooth, fold the fabric onto the back. It doesn’t matter if it looks nice in the back because you won’t see it.

There you have it folks – my thrifted refurbished sconces with two different inserts. Me personally? I like the gold backed sconces more. I am a sucker for gold. My husband’s pick are the patterned sconces. Ya know what’s so cool? I can just pop out the inserts whenever the mood strikes or even do a new one, should I move them around! So let’s tally up the fabric inserts – $2.98 scones, $1.97 cardboard, $3 fabric, $5.47 adhesive spray = $13.42 for new, custom sconces. If I wanted to create a new fabric insert then the cost would only be the fabric! This is my kind of flexible home decor.

REFURBISHED SCONCES

Supplies

• Sconces
• Sand paper (rough) – if not using chalkboard paint
• Paint brush
• Paint (I used chalkboard paint)
• Gold paint
• Tri-fold display board
• Ruler
• X-acto knife
• Fabric
• Spray adhesive

Instructions

1. Sand the sconces. Optional here depending on the kind of paint you use. If you use chalkboard paint you shouldn’t have to sand.
2. Paint the sconces. I did two coats.
3. Insert Option A – paint
   1. Paint the cardboard that came with the scones, I painted it gold – Ralph Lauren Metallic gold finish. Two coats. A roller brush will give your a better finish.
4. Insert Option B – fabric
   1. Create new insert backs by tracing the existing cardboard onto the new cardboard.
   2. Cut the cardboard with an x-acto knife.
   3. Place the cardboard onto the front of the fabric, making sure to capture your pattern correctly under the insert. Measuring about three-quarters of an inch to one inch out from the cardboard, trace a line onto the fabric. The extra fabric will be folded over onto the back of the insert.
   4. Cut the fabric out, no need for it to be super straight, it’s will be folded over onto the back.
   5. Spray adhesive onto the cardboard insert and back of the fabric, wait one minute, adhere together. Make sure you read your adhesive spray can to ensure it’s the same directions. When placing the fabric on the cardboard start in the middle and slowly spread it up, then down, making sure it’s smooth. You can pull the fabric back up to readjust if necessary at the beginning. Fold the extra fabric onto the back.
5. Hang.