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- With This Artsy Upcycled DIY, You’ll Make The Most of the Wall Art at Goodwill®
With This Artsy Upcycled DIY, You’ll Make The Most of the Wall Art at Goodwill®
By Felicia Czochanski Bisaro
Although known for its wide-spanning and eclectic collection of clothing and shoes, Goodwill has a lot more to offer than a great wardrobe. From books to toys to home goods, you never know what you might find when walking through the doors, which is part of the fun and serendipity of the secondhand shopping experience. Yet, there’s one section that people often skip, not realizing all of its creative possibilities. With National Upcycling Day on June 24th, it’s the perfect time to realize the potential of the wall art and frame section.
I’m sure I’ve been more drawn to the art section lately because for the last few years because a lot of my focus has been on moving and making my new home feel more like me. Yet, there’s a lot more than art that section has to offer. Whether it’s incredible frames for a fraction of their retail value, often times hundreds of dollars at retail for a large wooden frame. Or purchasing a large frame to repurpose the glass for other projects, given how expensive that material is these days, too. You might also find some art that speaks to you — or a canvas that is simply calling for a DIY makeover.
There was something about this white print canvas that called to me in the store. With the cute, printed rainbows, I’m sure it was once the perfect accent to a child’s bedroom. As we grow up over the years, from childhood into adolescence and adulthood, it’s natural for our style and artistic tastes to change. Looking at the canvas, I saw what it might transform into, and the idea started to form for a DIY project. With this, you might not donate old art prints you’ve grown out of, but instead, turn them into what speaks to you now.
Taking the canvas home, I pulled out a few bottles of paint and paint brushes and got to work. Living near the ocean, the beach is one of my happy places. There’s nothing like floating in the water on a hot sunny day in the summer. With each stroke, I tried to capture this, including the shimmer the water can have when the light hits it just the right way. To personalize it one step further, I added two happy swimmers toward the bottom corner.
This project can earn you a few hours away from screens one afternoon, and if you’re repurposing a printed canvas purchased at Goodwill, you know your purchase is also supporting the local community, too — something you can be reminded of each time you see your masterpiece hanging on the wall! This is something the whole family can take part in. See what Goodwill has by way of different sized canvases. It can be fun to see how each person turns them into something entirely new, just as unique as people themselves.
