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DIY Beach Wall Art from Repurposed Items

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What type of seaside home doesn’t have beach wall art? Well, it was our home until I was able to repurpose found treasures into a lovely coastal-inspired piece worthy of any beachhouse!

DIY Beach Wall Art from Upcycled Items

The other day the hubby made a barrier door for the irrigation at the farm. It basically looks like a giant picture frame.  But, he came home and told me it did not fit properly.  

I was so excited! I’ve been wanting to make some sort of beach wall art for a while and when he told me the bad news (for him) I was ecstatic at the thought of inheriting this big old frame to make my coastal creation. After all what sort of a home is near the beach but has no seaside art?

Well as my luck would have it, he came up with a solution and was able to save his door. Which left me with nothing! No frame, no seaside art from a hidden treasure in the dresser.

​Until I spotted this piece of plywood in a corner.

a piece of plywood, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

Don’t be fooled by the above picture in reality it looked like this. Not exactly the straightest piece of wood. It wasn’t much, but it was something I could work with.

Overhead view, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

I immediately got to work and painted it with a watered down white paint. I was going for that whitewashed beachy feel. You can see the difference between the top and bottom. 

white washing, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

I am in the process of cleaning out a  dresser (that will be redone soon) and while looking in those drawers I found a treasure. What are these?  They are very ineffective door stops… of course they are ineffective, that’s why they were in the drawers. 

two doorstops, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

What else did I find in the dresser drawers?  These are worry beads in the form of a fish.  Why were they in the dresser?  I have no idea, because they’re pretty cool, just not practical for worrying. 

A fish as worrybeads, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

And these knobs.  Well, technically I didn’t find the in the dresser but ON  the dresser.  I could use these, the dresser doesn’t need them.

Knobs from dresser, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

​I then pretty-pleased my daughter to  paint a lighthouse for me with water colors. This is the same one who has done so many other projects with me such as   the black frame and the gift box.

Watercolor lighthouse, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

And this wooden boat which had once been the base for a sail picture frame.  It was broken a bit on the inside and so was not in use at the moment. 

A wooden boat, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

​I gathered some sticks and a piece of white fabric and created a sail for my boat. 

Sails made from fabric and twigs, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

We  opened two holes one on each side of the wood.

holes in plywood, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

​And screwed on the knobs.

Knob in place, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

But then I painted them white to blend in with the whitewashed wood. 

knobs painted white, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

​Lo and behold I have my Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser. 

Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com
inside the boat, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com
The boat, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

Have you figured out what the doorstops are?  I’ve repurposed them as waves.

Fish above the waves, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

I may not have inherited the irrigation door frame  but I did manage to find many odds and ends that added up to something more than their individual parts. 

the lighthouse, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com
The sailboat made from junk in a dresser drawer, Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

Now the hubby has got his irrigation door and I’ve got my beach wall art from hidden treasures in a dresser.

Sometimes you need to lose something in order to find something better.  What do you say, is this art or is it just crap? Do you ever think you are going to get something and then the deal falls through? 

Repurposing junk items into seaside art,The sailboat made from junk in a dresser drawer, #summerart #beachart #repurposing #junkpilereuse #whitewashing #creatingartfromjunk Seaside Art from a hidden treasure in the dresser / www.theboondocksblog.com

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​This blog is for entertainment purposes only; my DIY tutorials are not professional advice. Read my full disclaimer here.

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  1. I love this! You amaze me with your creative mind. I love the lighthouse and the waves are just genius! This reminds me of the pictures that you took of the ocean and the boats, I love it! Found objects at your house have no fear of being tossed in the garbage! Everything has another use, even as art!

    • Mary says:

      Nikki y u should come over and see the piles of stuff I have all over the house waiting to be repurposed. I once saw a post by another blogger showing us what her house really looked like. She photographed one area, and moved all the piles to the other side of the room. When it was time to photograph the other end, she simply moved the piles back… haha, that is how I feel sometimes.

  2. Aren’t you a clever thing Mary. This is absolutely gorgeous. Very artistic and great use of everyday items. Thanks so much for linking up to Thriving on Thursdays. Love seeing you pop in. I’m featuring this one at tomorrow’s party.
    Anne xx

  3. Oh Mary, I missed this one! I love the end result.
    I also have these door stops but they are quite useful for me, ha!ha!
    You are so creative!
    Big hug and sorry for being so inactive lately (I have so much to do…) but I don’t forget you!
    Anne.

    • Mary says:

      Anne, I am so happy to see that you have opened your own workshop. I only wish I could visit and learn from you. I wish you continued success my friend and follow your creativity!

  4. Carol says:

    My gosh, Mary, you are too creative for words! I want that art!

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Carol, now just take a look in your neglected drawer, you never know what you’ll find.

  5. Pat says:

    You are so clever, Mary! This seaside art piece came out beautiful!

  6. Who knew dresser junk could be so cool!! I just love this Mary. What a creative eye you have. Your #trashure rocks!

  7. Hi Mary, seriously. Get that book sorted! Of course it’s art and would look perfect placed not too far from your nautical lantern. I don’t have a lot of deals, but the only deal that ever seems to fall through for me is the one where I thought my not so small children were going to surprise me by doing their chores!
    xx

  8. Emma says:

    This came out awesome! Definitely wall-worthy!

  9. This is fabulous Mary – If I ever come to your house I’m definitely looking in your drawers, they are clearly far more interesting than mine!

  10. Edye says:

    Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
    Blessings,
    Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com

  11. Millie says:

    two words – WOW and LOVE!

  12. Your new seaside art is very cute and unique. I love the waves! I have a roomful of wooden boards to repurpose but no time! I just have to do it like you did and be rewarded with great art!

    • Mary says:

      Ann Marie, yo u have a roomful of wooden boards and you have not used them yet? Send them over to me. I had to beg the hubs for his and he wouldn’t give it to me. That’s why I ended up with the reject. Now off to make some art!

  13. What a wonderful project, Mary! You are so very creative! The finished project is fabulous!

  14. Maya Kuzman says:

    Well, that “junk” turned out to be real treasure, didn’t it! This is such a sweet summery project and you’ve used all those beautiful findings masterfully!

  15. Carol says:

    You are so clever! This is a great piece of rustic art.

  16. Emily says:

    You did a fantastic job! What a creative way to re-use all the items you found! Thank you for sharing at Merry Monday; I’m going to be featuring your seaside art at next week’s party. I hope you can stop by and link up again!

  17. Julie says:

    I love how you made art form practically nothing.
    We have those door stops, they go vertically it in the gap between the door and the frame to jam them open. We use them in our patio doors in the summer to keep them open. They actually work quite well! They do make great giant water drops though.

    • Mary says:

      A ha! So that is how they were meant to be used Julie. All this time I had been sticking them on the floor hoping to get them to grip to the tiles. Oh well, at least I found another use for them. 😉

  18. You are the queen of the hided treasures. Only you my friend can repurpose so many different items and create a piece of art! Bravo!!!

  19. Super cute idea, Mary! Love the coastal vibe, and so creative!

  20. Nikki Gwin says:

    You are the most creative person! Your head must just be swimming with ideas. I love how you put all that together.
    🙂 gwingal

  21. This is so darn cute and so very creative Mary! I love the little boat and trinkets you added to your artwork. Beautifully done!! I pinned it to my coastal crafts board 🙂 for future inspiration!

  22. Kathy A says:

    I think everyone has already said it all! I really enjoyed the creativity of your picture!

  23. Jann Olson says:

    Mary, your seaside art is so fun and creative! I love the use of the doorstops. Your daughter did a great job on the lighthouse too! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

  24. Jenny says:

    Amazing how it all came together. I’ve never seen door stoppers like that, but they are perfect for your seaside art. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday. See you at the party next week!

  25. I love, love, love this! It came out beautiful! I’ve gone ahead and pinned this to the party board on Pinterest so everyone can see this! It’s such a great and original craft!
    Thanks for linking up to the Make Life Pretty Monday link party! Enjoy your week!

  26. Jann Olson says:

    Good morning Mary, just hopping by to let you know that you will be featured at SYC today.
    hugs,
    Jann

  27. Florence says:

    That’s pretty cute Mary! You have a creative eye alright & can come up with something out of nothing. Maybe those doorstops were supposed to go under the door or something, but anyhow, I saw right away they were waves. I would never have thought of how to put all that together. Me I look at something & try, try, try to figure out what to do with it & come up with nothing.
    One day I was behind the vet’s office picking up boxes & saw where they were throwing away last year’s green rabies tags in the shape of bells. So I must have at least 500 green bells. What am I gonna do with them? Haven’t come up with anything yet!

    • Mary says:

      Florence thanks for your sweet comment. You can paint the tags different colors and make a banner or even christmas decorations with them.

  28. Oh Mary, I Love, Love, Love this Seaside Art! What wonderful ‘finds’..!!! In 1971 I visited Athens Greece and fell in love. Unfortunately I have not been able to return but it is on my bucket list. Thank you for sharing and I’m so Happy I discovered your blog!! It warms my heart!!
    Patricia (NC Coast)

    • Mary says:

      Patricia I am so happy to have you here. Greece truly is a wonderful country. If it weren’t for our economic troubles I would call it paradise on earth. I hope you are able to go back one day.

  29. This is so adorable! It seems those “useless” little things were always meant to be together to make this art piece. I could stare at it all day!

    • Mary says:

      Aww thank you Patricia. I’m surprised that it actually came together as well as it did. It’s as if it was meant to be.

  30. Krista says:

    That was a fun adventure as you kept pulling things out of the dresser. I think the door stops look like artsy fish. The art turned out great – especially the sail boat.

    • Mary says:

      That’s what it’s all about Krista. Having fun and going where the adventure takes you. Thanks for your encouraging words.

  31. You and your daughter make a great team, Mary! I love the mix of materials and techniques of your seaside wall art. It turned out beautiful and is fun to look at.

    • Mary says:

      Thanks Julie. I need to get her when she’s in a good mood otherwise I get nothing. This was one of the good times.

  32. Ivory says:

    Personally, I think it’s beautiful, creative, and talent art. I kept wondering what this was going to be, then you reviled genius

  33. Oh I love this! So beachy and so creative! The boat is just perfect. One day I will live by the sea and be able to go mad with the nautical decor – for now I shall just admire yours!

    • Mary says:

      Anna, this would also be perfect for you as well since I always see you taking walks along the beach. You will have so much fun decorating.

  34. Keri says:

    Oh my goodness Mary, this is absolute awesomeness!! How very clever and creative that you pulled all those different pieces together and made such a cool piece of art!!! I love each piece you’ve added, I don’t know which one is my favorite because they’re all so interesting!! I also like how you added the knobs to use as hangers. This is seriously too awesome!! Love it!!

  35. Shanna says:

    Very creative! I would have never thought of making something like that. Its gorgeous! (:

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Shanna. Sometimes it can be fun to think outside of the box, get a little silly and see where it takes you. .

  36. I think it turned out beautiful Mary! You are so creative with your hidden treasures. You did a great job on the sail for the little boat, and your daughter takes after her mom with creative talent. Love it all!

    • Mary says:

      Thank you LInda. It was a fun change from the other things I usually make which are more on the practical side.

  37. Katrin says:

    Mary, what can I say, you’re genius! This looks so beautiful, the whitewash art is lovely and all the little parts add up so nicely, perfectly actually! Kismet! It’s amazing, the perfect nautical summer deco. I really feel like coming over and do something like that with you!

  38. Marie-Anne says:

    How clever of you to have used so many items found in the drawers!! This is really a very ‘beachy’ Seaside Art, dear Mary!!!!! Well done!!!
    This also reminded me that I used to have such a wooden fish as well as two small sailboats!!!! I am off to search the drawers around the house!!! If I am lucky, I might use your idea to create something similar myself!!! I wish you a lovely summer!!!!!

    • Mary says:

      Thank you Marie-Anne. If we just do a little digging in the house we can find lots of things to work our magic with. I can’t wait to see your creation. Have a great summer!

  39. How clever, Mary. Love it.

  40. Lisa says:

    Very nice–love that it’s multi-dimensional.

  41. TwoPlusCute says:

    You are kidding!
    How did you ever come up with a cohesive and pretty beachy art, using all these random “junk” pieces?!
    I am pretty amazed. (And please, give props t your very talented daughter – for her lighthouse!)

    • Mary says:

      Thanks for your sweet comment. It was fun and challenging to come up with this one. I guess we could say it was being at the right place.

  42. Ilka says:

    Mary – this is such a creative idea. I just love the way you make use of almost everything!

  43. Celeste says:

    Ok, this is by far my favorite project yet! This looks amazing! And I just love how you found the pieces for it all over your house, including robbing the dresser of its knobs, haha! There is nothing off limits when it comes to crafting!

  44. You always amaze me with your “repurposAbility”, You see things that no-one else would even imagine and turn it into something so awesome. Love what you did!!

    • Mary says:

      I like that word Michelle. Thank you for coming up with it. This is a recent skill of mine, it comes from spending so much time reading blogs.

  45. jemma says:

    This looks so beautiful, your whitewash art is lovely and all the little additions are perfect. Perfectly nautical and just in time for Summer!
    Thank you for sharing this project with TOHOT!
    Jemma

  46. Kimberley says:

    Hi Mary,
    You are so creative, I love your art! And Seaside – well you know that is right up my alley…or what floats my boat! 😉
    I have one of those same doorstops, and you are right, they do not work very well…but as waves they are perfect!
    I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
    Hugs, Kimberley

    • Mary says:

      The perfect waves can be found in defective doorstops! Who would have thought? Kimberley, Art is what you make of it, am I right?

  47. Did you say junk??! Absolutely not! This is by far one of the most creative things I’ve seen you do, and that’s saying a lot. I love how your mind works Mary! The doorstops? They don’t look like any doorstops I’ve ever seen. They look exactly like waves, and now they’re spending their lives exactly as they should be. 🙂
    xxx

    • Mary says:

      Doreen, you have really touched me with your sweet comment. You know how much I respect you and your kind words mean so much. Thank you my friend.

  48. Martie says:

    Mary, you never cease to amaze me with your creativity. That is just adorable! I love to gather up odd things and make something, too, but you do it so well!

    • Mary says:

      Martie you are also wicked with repurposes, There is no greater pleasure than taking junk and turning it into something useful.

  49. While visiting the Thursday Favorite Things party I spotted this fabulous Seaside Wall Art and thought to myself, I betcha that is Mary’s. I pressed the link and surprise!!! Girl, you have the coolest creative mind. Those doorstops – come on, they were meant to be waves!

    • Mary says:

      Marie, so now you are finding me through the linkies. Haha! I can’t help it I have to empty out my junk drawers. And those doorstops, total duds!!

  50. Susanne says:

    I knew right away that those door stops were waves 🙂 I love your piece of adorable beachy art!!

    • Mary says:

      Thank you so much Susanne. For years they were really bad doorstops and now they finally have an actual purpose instead of not working properly. Thank you for your sweet comment.

  51. I love your artwork. How fortunate you had all the pieces and put them together in such a beautiful creative way. And yes the door stops make the best waves!

    • Mary says:

      I really lu cked out Debra. All those pieces right in that dresser. Fate is on my side. The door stops are certainly better as waves.

  52. Meg says:

    I love this, Mary! So creative! I would have never thought to create a piece of art like this from that board!

    • Mary says:

      Yes that board is one of a kind the way it curves like that. I’m happy that I was able to find a solution.

  53. Amy says:

    wow! How creative are you? Amazing!