You’re gonna be mad at me when you see how I made these because you don’t have these things in your stash and you pledged to bust your stash in April. I went to the dollar store on March 31st looking for more hooks so I could make more of these, but they were OUT, so I’m mad too!
Let me just start by saying I’m totally jealous of those people who have design sense. I like to make stuff, but rarely does good taste come into it (I KNOW! I’m one of those crafters who give us a bad name). My style is so not shabby chic (as much as I wish it was, because shabby chic techniques work really well for dollar store makeovers!), but this project might just help me learn to incorporate some shabby into my life. This was so fun and simple, and I love how it turned out!
I’ve been on the lookout for hooks. A single hook at the home improvement store is about $3.50. You can get a row of about four hooks at Target for around $12-15. I can’t believe simple coat hooks are that expensive! Then I found these at the dollar store:
Plastic Spongebob hook (hideous!) and a verdigris iron house number. (Note: these are plastic, and won’t hold anything very heavy like the more expensive hooks at the home improvement store will, but they are sturdy enough for light use.) I wanted to put them together to make something whimsical and pretty, like they might sell here, but I didn’t have a clear idea in my head about how to take the hook from Spongebob to fab.
Project Materials:
- Plastic hook, $1
- Acrylic paint, on hand or $.50
- Faux metal embellishment tags, $1
- House number or other embellishment, on hand or $1
Total: $2 and up
To Make:
Step 1: Paint the Spongebob off that hook! I used Antique White craft acrylic paint (this paint has been getting a huge workout at my house lately, and I really like it!). Give it two coats, if necessary.
Step 2: Paint the embossed metal stickers with the same color of paint. When they dry, you can antique them with brown paint or green (to simulate a verdigris effect). To expose some of the metal, gently scrape paint off the sticker with your fingernail.
Step 3. Stick the painted stickers on the fully dry painted hook.
(Optional) Step 4: Glue house number (or other embellishment) to the hook.
p.s. Go link up at the new Wednesday’s Creative Inspiration at Roots And Wings Co.
20 Comments
SweetLilSmoothie
These turned out fantastic! They totally look like something that you’d find at Anthro!
Melissa
Talk about a transformation. Very nice!
Jen
I would have never looked at that Sponge Bob hook and thought of that! You are inspiring me to be more creative when I’m shopping at the Dollar Store!
Creative and Curious Kids!
Holly
LOVE! Very cool.
Rebecca of the R&W Gals
You are truly so awesome! Your blog absolutely rocks! Your projects are brilliant! And even more, you are such a delightful, giving, and warm person! Thank you for linking up to our linky party!
What a fun project! I am ALWAYS in need of more hooks in my house. I have them behind the bedroom door for their sports bags, behind the bathroom door for their towels, in the laundry room for…well, everything, some for backpacks, coats, jewelry, etc! Thanks for a creative project for organizing my life!
Rebecca of the R&W Gals
lisa
I would have RAN away from those spongbob hooks! how smart!! i love this thank you!
Melissa Howard
Those are super cute…for light purpose – I bet they are perfect!!
Kim Smith
Holy Cow!!! Amazing…I also have been on the lookout for hooks which I could afford for a project…I looked everywhere, and they were so pricey…finally, last week, Hobby Lobby had their hooks on sale for half off…so I was really pleased to get 5 at a really reasonable price…but just LOOK what I could have made myself :) Ive seen these hideous hooks at the dollar store…gotta try this project. Thanks!!
Heather
OMG! I just see these SpongeBob hooks at dollar store last week and I thought, I don’t think there’s any way of salvaging those! Way to have a vision!
Heather
Candy
I’m always looking for a craft to do on a small amount of money! I did these and they turned out beautiful! Thanks!
Jessica
Adorable! I love the shabby chic look and no one would ever know you used a Sponge Bob wall hook!! I won’t tell… Good eye!
cindyg
Wow, these are amazing… cannot wait to try this, and I do have shabby chic in some of our rooms. How about reducing this one step, by gluing the stickers on first, THEN priming/painting the whole item? I may try it that way and see how it goes.
debra
great use of something cheap but hideous! i’d like to try something similar. it’s really hard to believe that hook started off the way it did…great job! i like your blog…i caught you on craftgawker, and i’ve fav’d a couple of your ideas. very cool!
cheryl siciliano
I never look at a dollar store item the same. Always thinking outside the box! This is one of those things…wow great!
Mindy
Thanks for sharing your ideas. Your ideas gave ME one.
I am trying to think ahead for my son’s wedding which will likely be in a little over a year, however, he has not yet made it official with a ring. His fiance (who I just love!) will NOT tell me anything about her likes and dislikes, she says, until he pops the question officially. Ugghh, but I understand.
Whatever the case, I am constantly on the prowl for good tutorials to save to my computer so that when the day finally does come, she and I can sit down and look through all of my wonderful tutorials.
That house number inspired me as soon as I saw it to use as table numbers. That is, of course, if Dollar Tree still carries them. How cute would that be??!!
Do you know the approximate size of them?? The only thing I’d need to figure out is how to cover the back of the number(or maybe not?)and how to elevate it.
Yay! Thanks for the idea!!
I have no doubt that you already know this, but my local Dollar Tree store manager just told me today that I can order anything from the Dollar Tree website (which carries much more than the store does) and have it shipped to her store for free. Who doesn’t love free shipping?!
Thanks again!
Mindy
Cynthia Howe
Would look so nice around my stove. I have plain plastic hooks around my air vent to hold my cooking utensils. These would look better. I’ve been using the plastic with metal hooks with the easy pull off adhesive. I might try decorating the plastic part to look nicer.