Easy DIY Coastal Decor: Attractive Coral Pedestal For Less

May 25, 2017


With summer being literally right around the corner, I've been thinking a lot about coastal decor and how to incorporate it into my home. You can certainly purchase it, if you're willing to spend the big bucks. Me, I'd rather DIY it!


One trend in particular that I'm enamored with is the coral decor trend. It's not really new, though. I remember seeing it "done" by Pottery Barn a few years ago. But suffice it to say that their price was out of my league. Back then I came up with my own end-run solution around their prohibitive cost. You can see what trick I used in my DIY Pottery Barn Faux Coral tutorial.


That's why I was so thrilled to find this natural coral piece at my Salvation Army for just a few dollars. I've been holding onto it for a while waiting for the right project. Today I'm going to share how I did it, along with some other projects from my awesome blogger friends as part of our monthly Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge.

Thrift Store Decor Upcycle 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 Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles    Pili | Sweet Things Debra | Shoppe No. 5    Marie | DIY Adulation    Sue | A Purdy Little House Chelsea | Making Manzanita    Ann | Duct Tape and Denim    Karen | Dragonfly and Lily Pads Kimm | Reinvented    Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home   Megan | C'mon Get Crafty Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled    Shirley | Intelligent Domestications    Angela | Simply Beautiful by Angela 
 Michelle | Our Crafty Mom    Jeannee | Shepherds and Chardonnay
Jennifer and Vicki | 2 Bees in a Pod    Ali | Home Crafts By Ali    Denise | My Thrifty House 

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


Okay, so here's what I had in mind. I knew as soon as I saw it at Michael's that I could make it myself. I really loved the look of the bright white coral against the gold. Only problem was, my coral was more beige than white, and I did not have a gold pedestal to set it on.
  

So the search began for a gold pedestal and I came across this thing at Goodwill. I wasn't sure if it would work, but I thought for $1.97 it was worth a try. I have NO idea what it might have been in its previous life, but I love its vintage vibe. 


My only concern was that my natural coral's color was a bit on the grungy side. Nowhere near as white as the coastal decor coral you see in magazines. The fix? Why, one can of white spray paint, of course!


Well, what do you think? I was pleased with the new look!


And here she is, post-painting, sitting pretty on her golden pedestal. I'm not sure which way, exactly, is "up" but I chose to place the cup upside down for stability. I also chose not to glue it in permanently so that I could use the coral again in the future. Instead, I secured it with candle wax adhesive which works great for times like these when you need a temporary, invisible fixative. If you're not familiar with it, just google "candle wax adhesive" and you'll find a number of different types you can use for all kinds of projects. 


Here's another close-up of the pedestal. Isn't it gorgeous? Just the right amount of patina.



I had fun styling it along with some of my other coastal decor elements. All my pretty starfish, sand dollars and balls made of shells were purchased while on vacation at the New Jersey shore. 







All in all I must say that I considered this a DIY success. And the fact that both elements of the project were from a thrift store for less than $5.00 (including paint) was the icing on the cake! The coral pedestals I saw in the store were nice, but I think my original creation has somewhat of a shabbby chic, je ne sais quoi about it, don't you think?

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I really hope you enjoyed reading about my Easy DIY Coastal Decor: Attractive Coral Pedestal For Less! Be sure to stay in touch:
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Check out what my fellow upcyclers have shared below!

Leave a Comment!

https://www.vintagesouthernpicks.com said...

So pretty! Love the look! Love the gold thing! Wonder if that was a lamp part? The coral looks great in it!

Amanda | Domestically Creative said...

Very pretty! I love that little pedestal, whatever it is was in its previous life. The two together look great!

Angela at Simply Beautiful By Angela said...

How stunning! You're right there's something about that white and gold combo that is just so eye catching. You did a great job :)

Debra said...

The gold goblet really enhances the coral. It looks great. I agree shells do say summer.

The Polka Dot Closet said...

Wow, I love it, it would go with all decor!

Carol

Ali said...

I really like the look of the vintage gold and the crisp white together!

Kelly said...

I'm all about DIY too if you can. You did a great job! I love coral and adding it to the gold pedestal really gave it more pizazz.

Jeannee said...

I think you absolutely achieved "the look" ! very nice!
Jeannee

Shirley said...

Yours looks much better than the ones you saw at Michaels. I like the width of your pedestal stand across the top where the coral sits. A coat of paint works wonders, doesn't it!

Michelle James said...

You definitely achieved the look! I love coastal decor & you scored on both pieces! Beautiful 😀

Erlene said...

What a great find. I love the coastal/beachy look and this is a beautiful way to display the coral.

Unknown said...

I love this piece, so pretty and much better than any Micheals or Pottery Barn version. That gold thing made it just gorgeous.
Kim

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