It's not often you come across these so I was thrilled when Mr. Frugalista came home with one that he found on local a buy and sell site. It was listed by a junk dealer who was cleaning out a very old garage. The price was right if you dared to dig through piles of filthy junk on a soggy mud floor.

It was in surprisingly good condition, considering, and the solid light oak wood held up well. With just one coat of paint and decoupage barn wood paper, it was refreshed with a farmhouse-style makeover. Then the upcycled vintage cubby was decorated with budget-friendly dollar store Valentine's decor.

Vintage Wall Mount Cubby Makeover For Valentine's Day

These old wooden wall cubbies are great for display cherished collections, decorated for the seasons, craft room storage, or hanging above coffee stations. The possibilities are endless.

I know I took a photo of the vintage cubby before the makeover but for the life of me, I can't find it on my camera or computer files. Pictured below is after just one coat of white paint and decoupage faux barn wood on the back and I'll show you how easy it was.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to give the wooden caddy a farmhouse makeover, almost all of the DIY projects shared here at Interior Frugalista have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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Refreshed With Paint

After giving the cubby a good clean with vinegar and water, all I did to refresh the light wood was give it one light coat of antique white chalk-style paint. Once dry I distressed along the edges of the cabinet with 220-grit sandpaper. You can see the original light wood color peeking through the paint.

Faux Barn Wood Decoupage Back

Before painting the wood cubby I removed the thin plywood back. Rather than painting it white, I decided to make it look like weathered barn wood with scrapbook paper.

Pro-Tip

Instead of decoupaging the scrapbook paper onto the back with Mod Podge, my preference is using wallpaper paste. Why? Because you get few air bubbles and wrinkles.

I brushed the wallpaper paste onto the back of to sheets of weathered barn wood scrapbook paper and with a brayer, rolls out the air bubbles. Once it was dry, I protected the paper backing with two coats of matte Mod Podge.

Labeling The Cubbies

While the decoupage back was drying it was time to label the cubby slots. Unfortunately, I couldn't find metal labels narrow enough so I improvised. I used a small template from a geometry set that I had on hand as a stencil (pictured below).

I stenciled the faux metal plates with black paint and then outlined them with a silver paint pen. Perhaps I should have used a stencil or small number stickers for adding the numbers but I freehanded them instead with the same paint pen.

Once the stenciled number plates were dry I nailed the faux barn wood back onto the cubby and gathered my Valentine's day decor to start decorating.

Let's take a closer look at the distressed paint finish and faux metal number plates. This is the top half of the painted vintage cubby.

And here's a close up of the bottom half of the painted wooden cubby.

Upcycled Farmhouse Cubby Valentine Decor

Now that the vintage cubby has been refreshed, it was time to have some fun decorating it with inexpensive Valentine's Day dollar store decor. Starting with a fabric heart banner.

I found a 4-pack of mini mason jars with the gingham ribbon and filled them with assorted heart candies. The Valentine cookie cutters were perfect to put on display.

I found the shot glass in my china cabinet and set a faux rosebud inside. I couldn't resist the fun heart-shaped sunglasses.

I couldn't resist this adorable little bear holding a heart.

Or the Valentine heart votive candle.

And of course, Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without a BIG Kiss.

You can find our vintage cubby makeover featured at Huffington Post. For more Farmhouse ideas visit our Farmhouse Decor Upcycles or our Farmhouse Furniture Upcycles page.

For more Valentine's day inspiration visit our DIY Valentine Ideas.

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this vintage cubby makeover. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

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