20 Flea Market Makeovers

Turn doilies into pretty artwork. Sandwich various doilies in an organic pattern between two sheets of plexiglass, allowing the wall color to show through. Surround the plexiglass with an ornate vintage frame to complete the look.

Go to the next slide to see how to make the seat cushion on the chair next to the dresser.

Use a retro dish towel to cover a dining room chair seat cushion. Unscrew the seat from the chair base, cover the cushion with the towel, and staple the towel on the underside of the seat to secure. Then reinstall the cushion.

Round up a few plates and a few goblets, and you have the makings for a tiered serving tray. Use glass adhesive to secure the bottom of a goblet to the underside of a dish and repeat with a second dish and goblet. When dry, stack the pieces on a third plate.

Note: You can prime, paint, and seal the plates with polyurethane if desired, like we did here, but because the paint is not food-safe, use paper between food and dish surfaces.

You'll find plenty of old yardsticks at flea markets, thrift stores, and antique stores. Scoop up a handful and make a creative coatrack and shelf. To make this one, we cut a piece of plywood the length of the shelf and about 10 inches wide, then cut and attached yardstick pieces to it using wood glue, staggering the bottom edges. After clamping and letting dry, we secured coat hooks to the board and screwed the shelf on top of the board. We were able to use the shelf hardware to hang, but you could attach new hangers to the back of the board if needed.

Turn discarded crates into a full-fledged nightstand. Cut a piece of MDF to the desired size (it should be a little wider than the width of the two crates) and mount a set of casters to the bottom. Nail two crates into the top of the MDF. Place two more crates on top of the first pair and secure together with nails. Top the crates with another piece of MDF cut to size and secure it in place with nails.

Personalize a frame with letterpress blocks. Spell out a name or a favorite saying and glue the letters directly to the frame. Use a glue that's designed to adhere to both wood and glass.

Scope out old dresser drawers to repurpose as another kind of bedroom storage. By attaching casters to the bottoms of the drawers, you'll have a set of underbed storage units, making the space beneath the bed good for more than just dust bunnies.

Colorful and thoroughly vintage, old tins are perfect for storing craft supplies and more in style. And this tiered storage unit maximizes space by taking storage vertical.

Reimagine textiles as wall art by placing scarves inside picture frames. Display coordinating patterns together for an entire gallery of artistic neckware.

An old chicken coop, four casters, and a sheet of glass come together as a fun coffee table for any living room with a flea market vibe. Screw the casters to the bottom and crown the cart with the glass top. Use the inside of the cage to display collectibles such as pottery, fabric, or old books.

Hand-stitch vintage cotton doilies together to create a free-form table runner. For extra personalization, first dye the doilies. (We used three shades of blue to dye these.) By using different shades, the runner gets an ombre-style makeover.

Take those old photos out of storage and create a meaningful piece of art you can proudly display. Cut and secure adhesive magnetic strips to the back of each photo, then arrange the images in a graphic shape, such as a heart, on a galvanized metal canvas. Slip the metal into an ornate vintage frame for a romantic finish.

Place a glass top on a vintage plant stand for a brand-new accent table. Secure the glass to the stand using glass adhesive, and use the basket of the planter to display moss orbs or other natural finds.

Give an old bookcase or china hutch a new purpose as an entryway organizer. We gave the piece a fresh paint job, added wallpaper along the back, installed hooks, and added a shelf for extra storage.

An old mantel proves to be just the thing for a statement-making headboard. Fill the firebox opening with an upholstered cushion for extra comfort, and use the top of the surround for displaying favorite finds. Be sure to use the appropriate hardware for securing the heavy mantel to the wall.

Recall the days when animal feed and other dry goods came in colorful sacks by using the remnants as pillowcases. Cut sections of old feedsacks to fit a pillow form. Sew the front and back pieces together, stuff in the form, and stitch the opening closed.