How I Created a Shelf for My Essential Oils from a Thrift Find

I’m excited to be sharing another great thrifty and practical makeover for the Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge this month. If you’re into essential oils, this one is for you.

I’ve recently begun to use Young Living Essential Oils, in order to take steps in improving my own health as well as my family’s. I was so tired of taking medicine everyday for headaches and an achy neck and back.

One way I’ve been able to back off of that is by using these essential oils. I know that there are many types on the market, and I did tons of homework before I decided on Young Living. But, that’s for an entirely separate post that I’ll share soon.

As I’ve grown my collection of oils, it became quickly apparent I was going to need a place to store them. I searched Pinterest, Amazon, and Etsy and admittedly found several styles of storage shelves that are really cute. Many had been made of spice racks, which I (of course) had just donated about 4 of them to Goodwill this past Spring. 

I did however, pick up this vintage spoon holder a few weeks ago at our local thrift shop for only $1.99 and just knew I’d be able to paint it and use it in my home.

About the Thrift Store Challenge

The Rules:

Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.

There’s no monthly theme.

There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Amanda | The Kolb Corner    Kim | Made in a Day
Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled    Pili | Sweet Things
Debra | Shoppe No. 5    Jeannee | Shepherds and Chardonnay    Sue | A Purdy Little House
Kimm | Reinvented    Ann | Duct Tape and Denim    Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home 
Dru | Polka Dot Poplars    Toni | Small Home Soul     Angela | Simply Beautiful by Angela
 Michelle | Our Crafty Mom    Marie | DIY Adulation    Chelsea | Making Manzanita
Michelle | Michelle James Designs     Denise | My Thrifty House    Sara | Twelve on Main
Molly | Just a Little Creativity    Chelc | Inside the Fox Den
Colleen | Life on Kaydeross Creek    Florence | Vintage Southern Picks

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

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I remember my grandmother having a vintage spoon holder just like this, with actual spoons hanging on it. I still have several spoons I collected as a child when we would travel to see her, and had all intentions of using this spoon rack for it’s purpose when I purchased it.

When I took a longer look, and realized this would be a great means of meeting my essential oils storage needs, I decided the spoons could wait.

How to Create a Storage Shelf for Essential Oils from a Vintage Spoon Holder

Supplies & Tools:

• Vintage spoon shelf (like these on Etsy)
• Aleene’s Quick-Dry Wood Fusion Glue
• Chalkpaint
• Pretty Contact paper
• Palm Sander
• Paint brush
• Scissors

To begin, I sanded the shelves with a palm sander. Nothing drastic, just enough to roughen them up a little so the glue would stick.

Next, I cut a piece of corner molding into the exact length to sit flush over the shelves.

I chose this product because I wanted the shelves to have a little lip to hold the oils in place.

I found a (new to me) product by Aleene’s called Quick-Dry Wood Fusion. It works like super glue, except it’s specifically for wood.

Just add the glue, and hold it in place for about a minute.

The shelves are stuck fast, and haven’t moved and inch.

Next, I traced the entire outline of the shelf onto some pretty contact paper.

Then, I painted the entire shelf in white.

When it was dry, I cut out the contact paper pattern to size, to fit on the back of the shelf.

In a few of the areas the paper didn’t stick down very well, I used regular Elmer’s glue to hold it in place.

That’s it!

I see spoon shelves like these often at my local thrift shops, but they’re fairly easy to find online on Etsy or Ebay.

And what a fantastic before & after transformation!

You may think that the gaps in the shelf would effect how well the oils stand up, but the bases of the oils are wide enough that mine haven’t tipped over at all.

This shelf is now so decorative and pretty, I hung it above my dresser by my bed.

As my essential oils collection grows, I’ll be on the lookout for more of these shelves to hang in my bathroom as well.

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

If you’re interested in learning more about Young Living Essential Oils, and would like more information about how to begin your own journey towards wellness, send me a quick message, I’d love to chat!