DIY Boot Tray Guide

I recently featured my entryway makeover and was flattered to get a lot of compliments and excitement about my DIY boot tray.  So for all of you who asked for it, here are the full details on how I made this boot tray!

I initially decided to get a boot tray so I would have some place to put my shoes when I walked in the door and was too lazy to put them away (this happens 90% of the time).  I also wanted a boot tray to gently hint and encourage guests to take off their shoes before tracking dirt onto my carpets.  I found this very cute boot tray from Ballard Design, but was not willing to accept their $49 price tag.

So I decided to do a little diy magic on a much cheaper store bought boot tray to make it look just as cute.  I found the boot tray in the rug aisle of Walmart next to the outdoor doormats.  (Yes, I actually went back to Walmart to take photos of this!)

The boot tray is a great deal for just $5.24.
Walmart had two different varieties, a curvy plain boot tray and one with scalloped edges.  I chose the the scalloped edge boot tray since I think it is prettier and has more detail.  The scalloped boot tray is by Mainstays and is called the Majestic boot tray.  I think the design of this boot tray mimics the fluer de lis pattern of the Ballard boot tray.

When I went back to Walmart for these photos they only had black boot trays available, but when I purchased the boot tray originally it was available in tan.  I bought the tan because I figured it would be easier to spray paint than the black tray.

I painted the boot tray using Rust-olem American Accents Stone finish spray paint in mineral brown which gives the boot tray a warm color and a nice texture.  A couple of coats later, I waited for the paint to dry and voila, your own boot tray!

I'm sharing this project on DIY Day, Transformation Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, and DIY Home Accents. Check out the other great projects featured. 

Welcome Friends!

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Welcome and thanks for stopping by!

Garage Sale Finds: Bike, Wood Table

All last week, I was excited to go to a huge indoor yard sale my town was hosting.  I was imagining all the great stuff I'd find from 90 vendors in one place.  When I got there on Saturday morning, things looked promising:

Boy, was I disappointed when I didn't find a single thing to buy there!  But I learned a good garage sale lesson, when sellers are charged $10 to set up a table, they tend to overprice their stuff!  I won't be going to that sale again, lots of stuff but nothing to buy.

However, I did hit the jackpot going to individual sales from around the neighborhood.  I got the best buys I've found all season and it definitely made up for the disappointing indoor sale.

First, I bought this mountain bike from a neighbor for just $10.  It has some scrapes here and there, but  since I know that I'll realistically only ride it a few times a year, it's perfect for $10.

At the next garage sale I found this cute chef basket for 50 cents.  I think it can be used as a little bread basket, but instead I plan to use it as a place to drop my phone, sunglasses, and other miscellenouse things in the kitchen rather than messing up the kitchen counter.

 

At the same garage sale, I found a 8x10 version of a photo frame I already have.  For 50 cents it was a great deal!  She also had a box of free stuff where I picked up a pair of binoculars and a frisbee.  All this stuff for just $1!

I also picked up 2 books at other garage sales, but my biggest find was at the last yard sale we went to.  For just $4 I picked up this solid wood table.  Yes, this very ugly old table.  Why am I excited about it?  Because it's just the size I need and I already have a plan in the works to transform this outdated table into something fresh and new.  Stay tuned!

I'm sharing this post on Thrifty Treasures.