DIY Wall Shelf from a Vintage Grain Sifter
You know you have a good mom when she goes antique shopping for you, right?! I think so anyway. My mom is always hitting up my favorite antique shops and she’s actually found some really cool things for me. Well a while back she came across a HUGE vintage grain sifter. It was only ten bucks, so she texted me a picture and asked if I wanted it. Of course I said heck yes, even though I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with it. But I knew it had to be super old and I was excited about the idea of figuring out a way to repurpose it. Well she brought it up to me this weekend and I had a chance to work on it a bit. I’m excited to show you guys what I made with it, but before I start let me show you how it looked when I got it:
Kinda a cool piece, right? I did a little research and found several similar grain sifters like this on Ebay and Etsy priced from about $80 all the way up to $150. We definitely got a good deal at ten bucks! Anyway these date back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, which is soooooo cool! I was brainstorming ideas on what to do with it when I remembered a wall shelf I saw on Magnolia’s website a while back. Here’s what I’m talking about:
I LOVE these shelves. And I knew my vintage grain sifter could easily transform into a wall shelf just like that with a little bit of tweaking. I started by cutting a piece of pine to fit inside the sifter.
Thankfully the board fit nice and tight, so I didn’t even need to nail it in place. Then I grabbed some black spray paint for the shelf and wire screen on the back side. That’s it. Easy peasy. Here’s what it looks like now:
There obviously isn’t much space to work with on that little shelf, so I used a few faux plants and my smallest old books to style it. And then I threw in those vintage BINGO cards just for fun.
I always love repurposing vintage finds and this was definitely a fun project. I think this totally looks like the wall shelf from Magnolia, but with a lot more character. And I still can’t believe this wooden sifter dates back to the late 1800’s. Isn’t that crazy?! And even crazier that we got it for ten bucks. Whoot whoot!
Here’s a few more fun DIY projects you might want to check out:
The Comments
Lydia
Wow! This looks great and what a steal, especially comparing to the one on Magnolia! Great job! Now I want to find a grain sifter, haha.
Nikki
I love it!!
Kristen
I love it !!! It looks great !!
Tammy
That is the cutest little sifter/shelf. Love it!
Mary Wilson
I’m fairly new to your site and been loving every minute of it. I’m in love with this. I’ve been looking for some kind of shelving but just did not want a regular shef until I saw this gorgeous piece. Can I borrow your mom so she can find me one lol . Shes a keeper. I love it!! !
Sarah
> Mary WilsonAw thank you Mary!! I really appreciate that. So glad you found me!! š
Maggie
So adorable! You find the best stuff!
Sarah
> Maggiethanks Maggie!!
Dj White
What a cute idea! ā¤ļø It made that corner so cozyš
Sarah
> Dj Whitethanks DJ! I think that was the perfect spot for it.
Donna Malone
Absolutely love, love,love it!
Sarah
> Donna MaloneThanks Donna!
Sandy
You come up with the most creative ideas. This piece is just adorable!!
I look forward to reading your blog every day!! Iāll be on the hunt for sifter!!
Sarah
> SandyThank you so much Sandy, I really appreciate that!!
Abby Brookshire
LOVE IT!!! LOVE IT!!! Great job! I will be looking for one now!
Sarah
> Abby BrookshireThanks Abby! Good luck finding one. Etsy has a few that aren’t too pricey!
Karen
LOVE!
Sarah
> KarenThanks Karen!
Laura Harrie
Very clever idea, looks great in your house!
Sarah
> Laura HarrieThank you Laura!
Dot Gallant
Love it! You amaze me with your ability to repurpose so many old things!! This sifter shelf looks great!
Like many of your fans, I also look forward to your posts on MWF and get excited when you have an extra one!!
Very happy that you have added some black and natural woods to your decor. Makes everything pop!
Dot
Sarah
> Dot GallantThank you so much Dot! I can’t tell you how much that means to me. So grateful to have you here! xo
Helen
Love this Sarah and it looks just perfect there in that space!x
Sarah
> HelenThank you Helen!!
Shay
What a neat idea. It looks great! š
Sarah
> ShayThanks Shay!
Becky
Omh! Love it and the styling. Perfect. Simple but soooo cute! Thanks Sarah, Have a Grace filled day!xoxo
Sarah
> BeckyThanks Becky, I think it turned out pretty cute!!
Kyla
Love it! I saw a picture of a similar shelf made out of a grain sifter and was going to send it to you. I saw you were wondering what to do with it in your stories the other day. But you are on the ball and have already made one! It turned out so cute!
Sarah
> KylaOh so cool!! Great minds think alike š
Crystal
That turned out amazing!!!!! You have given me new ways of looking at everything. What a creative idea!
Sarah
> CrystalOh yay!! So glad to hear that Crystal.
Rose Martinez
I love it! It looks great!!
Sarah
> Rose MartinezThanks Rose!
Brenda Johnston
This looks awesome! Great job!
Sarah
> Brenda JohnstonThanks Brenda!
kimberly
so creative! love it as wall decor.
kim xx
Sarah
> kimberlyThank you Kimberly!
Dianne Gingrich
Love it!
Sarah
> Dianne GingrichThanks Dianne!
Dena
What an awesome find and a steal of a deal! It looks SO GOOD on your wall! I love it (even better than the pricey ones)!
Sarah
> DenaThank you so much Dena!! I love it too.
Chels
This turned out so so good! I love what you did with it!
Tanyac
This is precious, Sarah! You Are so creative.
Now I am going to msteal your mom and go shopping!
Terri
I love your website and drool over every picture. Can you share with me the brand(s) of paint you like best when painting your decorations white?
Sarah
> TerriAh thank you Terri, you are so sweet! My personal fave paint is Rust-Oleum chalk paint. It’s affordable and good quality!
Cesilia
Hello- Iām new š super creative and cute, but Iām curious about the big plant/tree underneath… what type is it? Real? Faux?