thrifted :: spool display :: before & after

hold on to your seat! i'm about to reveal my all time favorite thrifty finds before & after project! i'm hoping you're as thrilled about it as i am. this project has been in my head for the last year or so and i'm so excited that it's finally complete!

a little back-story. i started collecting spools about 8 years ago or so. i loved them for their vintage qualities as well as their vibrant colors. my collection has grown quite a bit over the years and the large apothecary type jars i was displaying them in were overflowing. i needed a new way to display them that would also allow for more growth. (because, well, you never know when you'll find another great spool!) the following idea was born....



i spent my summer thrifting wooden boxes and/or display pieces. all different shapes and sizes. i then took them all and coated them in nice bright white to match the trim in our house. this process took me more hours that i can count. all the little nooks and crannies in those boxes was enough to drive me mad! but, i did it. i laid them out on the floor to determine the layout for the wall.



after lots of measuring and leveling, this is what i had. (there is a shelf missing in the lower left corner that was still drying when i took this photo).



then came the fun part! laying out all my spools and arranging them by color.



these are just some of my spools. i still have more, but only used my most favorite in this project. i knew i wanted to arrange the spools by color but didn't want it to look too much like a rainbow so i started out with blue and worked from there.



after 8 years of collecting spools and a summer of collecting the right display pieces, here is the final result. it is so exciting to see my idea a reality. what's even better is that it looks like i envisioned it. sometimes i get ideas in my head but then when i finish it, it's nothing like i thought it would be. i think this might be even better than i imagined!



a close-up of the lower left shelf.



the bench in this photo is another thrifty find from this summer. i love how it's so old and obviously vintage, but has such clean and modern lines. the epitome of my style. modern vintage. the suitcase underneath is also a thrifty find. one of my favorite finds at only $2!



this project is in our front entry hall. it's the first thing people see when they come in the front door, and the first thing i see when i come down the stairs in the morning. i don't think i can look at it without smiling. those bright and cheery colors just put an instant perma-grin on my face.

i hope you enjoy my thrifty hallway!