Sunday, March 21, 2010

Ammunition Boxes Revevaled

Ready to see what I did with these?
(Ammunition boxes from Goodwill for $2.95 each)

Well, after lots of thought, and after reading through all of your suggestions (which I greatly appreciate) I decided to do this:

As I so often do, I got my inspiration from Pottery Barn. I remembered their bankers boxes as I was starting at my ammunition boxes trying to figure out what to do with them to make them decorative while also making them functional.

Each of the boxes got 2 coats of chalkboard spraypaint. The one on the left shows the box after being treated with chalk, the one on the right before.

I added old mason jars in the top box, also found at Goodwill. One is now a pen holder and the other a vase (although it could easily hold paperclips, rubberbands, etc in the future). I also added blank index cards so that they are conveniently next to the pens for quick to-do and grocery lists. (I love using index cards for lists as they are easy to stick in my pocket, handbag, etc.) The bottom box will hold important mail, paperwork, etc. that needs to be accessible but hidden. And since I used chalkboard paint, I could change the writing to "In" and "Out" or anything else!

And the addition of these boxes to our desk led to a full on reorganization!
While we have had good intentions for our desk, it's never really panned out. For some reason our bill organizer has always been in the kitchen taking up prime space on our counter tops. Moving it to the desk only made perfect sense. Luckily it's black, so it goes well with the my version of the bankers boxes. I added a burlap runner that I made out of my burlap stash. I hemmed the edges this time using heat-n-bond. My little bird cage stayed. The lamp is the same but the lampshade got replaced by something less formal.And all the drawers in the desk were purged and reorganized. So happy to have been prompted to do that!

A basket in the floor next to the desk helps to act as a catch all for junk mail, items, keys, etc.


This is now one of my favorite and more functional areas of our home. Funny how the addition of small items can lead to a whole makeover!

These ammunition boxes were my first great find at Goodwill at only my 2nd visit. I plan to make pitstops there all the time now in the hopes of finding more gems! What was your first and/or favorite find at a thrift store?

I'm linking up to "Today's Thrifty Treasures" at Southern Hospitality, "Metamorphosis Monday" at Between Naps on the Porch, "Make Your Monday" at Cottage Instincts, "Get Your Craft On" at Today's Creative Blog, and "Best DIY Projects of March" at Beneath My  Heart.


31 comments:

Wendy said...

You did find a gem! I love what you did with them! I like them better then pottery barns!
You go girl :)
Wendy

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Wonderful find! :) My husband would have taken them from me and actually used them for ammo, though. I love the way you have everything arranged! I wouldn't mind paying bills there. ;) I'm visiting from Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures party. I hope you'll stop by my blog. :)

K@The Thrifty Teacher said...

I like the idea of a basket on the floor for stuff like that... on my to-do list in the future :)

Katie Olthoff said...

Those turned out so cute! Dh has one of those bill organizers that he refuses to part with, but his is blond wood and I hate it! Yours is so much prettier!

Linda@Coastal Charm said...

Luv what you did with them...great makeover! Hope you have a FUN week:)

Blessings,
Linda

Martha said...

How clever! What a great idea and what a savings over the PB ones!

Michelle @ Sweet Something Design said...

Hi Jessi, thanks for stopping by! I love what you did with the ammo boxes! My dad was an MP, so ammo boxes were always around....great use for them!
Michelle

Kammy said...

Very nice, I love PB and you did a great job !
Kammy

Beeutiful by Design said...

These look great - they should hire you over at Pottery Barn! Jennifer

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Jessi, those turned out great. I knew you would think of something. Of course you got an idea from Pottery Barn. Good job.

Julie said...

Those are adorable! & I love the moss wreath.

Lynda @ SportsMadGirl said...

What a fabulous everyday use for an unconventional item. I love the transformation!!

Thanks for stopping by and Welcome!! You too now have a new follower.

Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on Top said...

Oh these are cool! I checked out some of your other projects too. You have some great things going on! Thanks for commenting on my blog!

Melanie said...

These are fabulous! Great idea and they turned out great. I know that you are glad that you bought them!

Linda (Nina's Nest) said...

Great makeover....those are so sylish looking now. Linda

Meg said...

What a clever idea! You did a fabulous job! You have had some really cute projects on deck lately.

Susan said...

It amazes me how bloggers can take junk and make it to something wonderful!! Great job!! I hope I didn't insult by calling it junk.........

The Single Nester said...

These look great! I love your display!

Shelby Stidham said...

Wow, quite clever! What made you change from the little "o" to the big one? I like it because it's not quite identical to the PB ones.

Nice!

Wendy said...

Jesse, Today I was looking at Napa Style and saw your exact boxes! For $39.00 each! You can also see them at napasyle.com! Couldn't wait to tell you :)
Wendy

janae cairns said...

ooooh, LOVE the ammo boxes! FAB makeover!

Beth@The Stories of A to Z said...

Love them. The look great (and so does your moss wreath over the mirror)!

Molly said...

I do love the ammunition boxes, but as I was cyberstalking, I noticed the bird wire cloche thingy on your table. I have that exact same one! So cute, I love the nest you have in yours!

Ashley said...

I love how they turned out...don't you just heart goodwill..anytime I need a pick me up for cheap, I head there...that's what blogging can do to a girl! Thank you for sharing :)

Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures said...

Really cute. My father in law has tons of those. I might have to "borrow" some.

jerriann said...

This is so cute, I must try something with chalkboard paint. Thanks for the inspiration. There are several things in your photo that look great to me. Love that desk, it looks like a re-do.

Beautiful finish work.

Jennifer {Studio JRU} said...

That is such a creative use for ammo boxes! they look great! I love the touch of green with the plant inside.
~Jennifer

Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage said...

I like your boxes much better than Pottery Barns! They look really great!!

Amber said...

Those are so cool! Even as ammunition boxes they were unique!

Traci@ Beneath My Heart said...

Cute! Cute! Cute! Thank you for linking up to my party! I love the way they turned out. Perfect!
BTW, I love that desk. I need it for my master bedroom makeover! :)
Blessings,
Traci

sharry said...

Such a interesting idea. So cool. I love those boxes with no. That is good for collection.