Ugly Thrift Store Artwork Makeover to a Wall Sign

Ugly Thrift Store Artwork Makeover to a Wall Sign

Have you ever seen artwork at a thrift store and said, “who would buy that, it is the ugliest artwork?” You can find some pretty dated artwork when shopping your local Goodwill. However, you may want to consider buying some ugly artwork after seeing this artwork makeover.

Ugly Flower Still-Life

This lovely piece of dated artwork is not from the thrift store, but you can definitely find similar dated artwork at one. I actually inherited this piece from my wife’s papa when he passed away. I hated it, but took it for the frame. I knew I could do something with the frame.

It’s been in my basement for almost a year. I finally got around to doing something with this ugly artwork before Valentine’s Day. I looked at it and thought I could transform this piece into a wall sign as a Valentine’s Day gift for my wife.

Girls Want Jewelry

Okay, you maybe thinking, Matthew, wives want jewelry from their husbands on Valentine’s Day, not a DIY wall sign. Yes, you maybe right, but I thought it would be a thoughtful gift that would show how much I love her.

By the way, Lynn loved this artwork makeover. Funny thing is I hung it up over our bed while she was sleeping. I wanted to surprise her in the morning. I am glad I didn’t drop it on her!

How to Transform Ugly to Happy

This artwork makeover was so simple. All it took was paint, a printer, and wax paper.

Step 1 – Paint the Frame & Canvas

I used DIY chalk paint I already had from other projects. To cover up the ugly artwork took a few coats, but I was able to cover it to give it a new lease on life.

Step 2 – Decide on What the Wall Sign will Say

Since this was a Valentine’s Day present, I chose a Bible verse about love. These three words are from 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Step 3 – Design the Wall Sign & Print on Wax Paper

To design and layout the words for this artwork makeover, I used one of my favorite tools, Canva. Canva is a website based design program that you can use to create your own graphics for wall signs or printables. It is pretty easy to use and has a lot of customizable pre-designs to choose.

We used the wax paper transfer technique, which you can learn about in my post, How to Use the Wax Paper Transfer Method to make a DIY Wall Sign. It is easy to do and all you need is a wax paper roll and an ink jet printer.

As simple as 3 easy steps you can have yourself an inexpensive new piece of wall decor for your home.