7 Easy Holiday Decor Trash to Treasure

DIY Christmas thrift store makeovers

DIY Holiday Upcycles with DIY Paint + IOD (Featuring My Mischievous Elf Helper!)

The holidays are here, and that means it’s time to turn thrifted treasures and dollar-store finds into festive décor! Today, I’m sharing a bunch of fun projects you can make with the DIY Paint Holiday Sampler Kit and Iron Orchid Designs Christmas transfers.

PLUS… I had a very special (and very syrup-obsessed) helper join me at the workshop — straight from Santa’s North Pole crew. 🎄✨

Before we dive in, if you missed the last Holiday Sampler post and video, you can catch up HERE. 

Small Holiday Projects for Big Creative Fun

Lately, I’ve been whipping up SO many little handmade holiday goodies — perfect for gifting or decorating your home. You’ll find items like:

• Upcycled trays

• Dollar-store frames

• Mini wood trees

• Rustic décor boards

All painted and transformed with DIY Paint and IOD Christmas transfers. You can shop them online or locally at Artisan Peacock in Brentwood, CA!

Meet My Holiday Helper: The Elf!

Right at that moment, just when I needed help painting and pulling out the Christmas décor… look who showed up!
A real Elf. From Santa’s workshop. With syrup in his pocket. (Always. Apparently.)

Although he excels at Christmas cheer,… painting techniques are a work in progress. 😂

Fortunately, the Elf learned quickly! DIY Paint is highly pigmented, easy to use, and perfect for beginners of all sizes.

You can see all the holiday makeovers on my latest YouTube video!

Painting Wood Block Trees with the Holiday Sampler Kit

Here’s what we worked on first —

We used:

🎄 Eden
✨ Liquid Gold Patina
(…all included in the sampler kit)

Tips for beginners (even Elves):

• Use a tiny bit of paint — it’s SUPER pigmented

• A little water helps it glide faster

• Here’s why this paint is so magical: There’s NO latex or acrylic — clay is the hardener, so it dries beautifully and can hold 10x more pigment!

Because it wouldn’t be a holiday project without mishaps, the Elf tried to paint his face first (not recommended), but we stayed on track. 🙃Painting Wood Block Trees with the Holiday Sampler Kit

Trying the Velvet-Paint Technique (Our First Time!)We sprinkled SaltWash powder onto the wet paint to create a snowy, raised texture.

1️⃣ Paint a coat of Eden, sprinkle Salt Wash powder over wet paint, allow to dry, and paint a 2nd coat of Eden
2️⃣ Lightly sand
3️⃣ Dry brush Liquid Gold Patina for a shimmer finish ✨

👉 Best of all — they came out SO cute and they already sold out at Artisan Peacock!

Upcycling a Goodwill Tray

Next up: a thrifted metal tray!

-Quick spray-prime to help paint grip
– Painted with Tarnished Pearl, allow to dry, then apply a generous amount of DIY Paint Clear Patina. Carefully place the IOD Inlay into the wet patina, mist with water to activate the inlay. Allow to almost dry, re-mist with water, and pull up the inlay.

✔️ Added gold to the bows by using Liquid Gold Patina

A little bling goes a long way during the holidays!

Pro Tip:
Let your paint dry overnight before adding the inlay when painting a primed metal tray— you’ll get a cleaner result.
Mine turned out a little rustic, but I love that perfectly aged look! 🤍

Dollar-Store Frames Get a Fancy New Life

These simple frames only needed:

• Spray Paint one light coat of primer, then apply a coat of White Swan

• This IOD Transfer, so many uses for small projects!

Rustic Holiday Board Makeover

This old wood board got:

🎨 Carnival Red paint
🎁 This IOD “12 Days of Christmas” transfer

Burnish back and forth with the included stick until the transfer releases.
Seal with clear wax — just a tiny bit gives that buttery, soft finish we all love.

Goodwill Bucket → Holiday Showstopper

Goodwill Find Old Bucket with Lid = the perfect canvas!

Painted with Juniper One-Step paint
＋
The Clementine IOD transfer

Now it looks like a high-end Christmas décor piece — not a thrift-store reject!

Come Back for More Elf Adventures!

I hope you had as much fun as we did turning ordinary items into magical Christmas décor.

✨ Want to see more Elf (and his girlfriend, Jovie)?
✨ Want more DIY Paint + IOD project ideas?

➡️ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: Redoux Interiors
➡️ Shop supplies locally at Artisan Peacock, Brentwood CA
➡️ Shop online — I ship right to your mailbox (just not to the North Pole… yet 😉)

PLUS! Grab your free Getting Started Painting Furniture and Old Decor guide when you sign up for my free newsletter HERE!

Happy Holidays and Happy Creating, go make something FUNONMENAL
— Karen at Redoux Interiors

PS, if you want to see more trash-to-treasure upcycles, check out these posts HERE!