This will be one New Year’s resolution that will be easy for you to keep: do more DIY in 2024! Start by giving an old door a new chapter and making it a hall/entryway welcome station.
Rather than discarding it, decorate it and accessorize it with Goodwill finds like a groovy mirror, wooden storage bins, and useful hooks. This will become a welcome addition to your front door/foyer space as a place to hang keys, hold mail, and hang an umbrella or two.
Items Needed:
1. Wooden door
2. Hooks, wooden wall storage items
3. Mirror
4. Paint
5. Chalk & a gold paint pen
6. Satin or semi-gloss latex paint
7. Brushes
8. Drill
1. It’s always a new day full of possibilities when you shop at Goodwill
Did you make a list of resolutions for 2024? Many of us do and, quite often, on that list are saving money, spending more time with loved ones, doing more of what we enjoy, and giving to others. Well, this project will allow you to check all those off your list and more! It’s true!
To turn an old door into a functional piece, hit Goodwill to hunt for items to add to it, such as small wooden crates/containers/bins, hooks and hangers, and a fun mirror. Goodwill items always change, unlike those big box retail stores, so it truly is a new place each time you stop in.
For this project, I picked up a wooden door at Community Forklift that was slim, sleek, and solid. At Goodwill, I found a collection of items that would add needed functionality to the door.
If you follow just this first step, then you have already achieved some of your resolutions!
1. You saved money by shopping and finding your goods at Goodwill (check it off the list!).
2. If you take a friend or family member with you, then you have spent more time with a loved one (another check!).
3. Who doesn’t love shopping at Goodwill? This addresses the resolution of doing more of what you enjoy (check again!).
And 4. If you “round up” your final tally at Goodwill, the additional funds, as well as your overall purchases, go to support Goodwill’s mission of transforming lives and communities (check, check, check, and check!).
2. Stroke on some style
After you dust off and wipe down your door, freshen it up with a coat or two of paint. Painting is easy, gives an immediate update, and shows your style with a brush stroke or two.
Always be mindful of saving money (yes, that resolution again!), and look for what paint you already have on hand to use for this project. Given the warm brown and gold tones of the wooden bins and flower-shaped mirror frame, a pale yellow hue was used to brighten up the doors softly.
What colors do you have in your place with which you could match—or contrast—with your door’s paint?
If you have white trim, consider a crisp white so it looks like it was part of your place from the start.
Or go dramatic by playing up a tone found in a piece of art or in a colorful rug you already have (or that you pick up at Goodwill).
This front door entry/foyer station would look so handsome in a glossy black or striking in a vibrant red, blue, or green. You could also give it some whimsy with a happy shade of pink, purple, or yellow if placed in your kid’s room.
3. Unleash your inner artiste
After your base paint coats have dried completely, consider using a paint pen to add some visual interest to the door so it truly becomes a one-of-a-kind piece and connects to your place and your vibe.
Inspired by the flowery look and groovy feel of the mirror, some funky flowers were sketched on the door using chalk for easy removable/erasing. With a paint pen, go over your lines a couple of times to ensure a sharp and solid look.
For this project, a gold paint pen was used for its warmth and shimmery finish. The goal was to compliment the mirror and overall look, not compete with it.
If you select a round mirror, consider adding more circles on your door or curvy lines to play up its shape. Using a square mirror? Add squares/straight lines to your door to mimic that feel.
You could also think outside the box and add words or phrases like, “Hello,” “Give Hugs,” or “Enjoy Your Day” so you and your loved ones will see them and feel welcomed when you come home or affirmed when you head out.
4. Add on your accessories
Based on the wooden bins/crates/containers you find, you might want to give them a transformation, too, with some spray paint so they match and look like a set. Thankfully, the wooden one selected for this door project was lovely, just as it was, and had hangers and hooks on it already. Another score!
Before the transformation started, the door was laid down, and the items were placed on top and then moved around until the design was one that resonated with me.
A drill was used to add holes, a screwdriver secured screws, and the mirror and wooden bin were added—yes, that easily!
5. Position & appreciate
Place your old door and now new welcome station by your front door.
Position a small bench nearby so you may easily put on or take off your shoes and boots.
Add a small container to hold loose change and other random items. In one section, add letters and other mail to be sent or sorted. Hang keys and add an umbrella.
Now take a moment to check your pearly whites in the mirror—something tells me it will be easy to do since you will be smiling with the results of your DIY talents and door transformation!
Add your positive energy to the event so this becomes an annual tradition at the start of each new year! We know you will find your good there, too!
Similar Reads:
- A Sweet Holiday DIY Project: Transform Cookie Cutters Into Unique Ornaments
- How to DRESS Up Your Front Door with Thrifted Fabric
Tim Kime
Artist, Motivational Speaker, Life Coach
