SUMMER: thrifted game as tiki wall art

Summer is finally here, and it's time to get into an island groove!
But Deb, you don't LIVE on an island!, you might say. True.
But we LIVE like we do!

Back in 2020, our home decor theme shifted. Massively. 
We had created a sort of farmhouse/wine country hybrid with small seasonal accents, made by me. But when the Pandemic lockdown was put into place and we had to cancel our summer trip to Hawaii, we pivoted. "If we can't go to Hawaii, let's bring Hawaii to us!" was our mantra... and the shift to tropical decor with a tiki subtheme hasn't stopped! We enjoy it 365 days a year. (Yes, I still add in a few seasonal items - but now, they're ALL tropical!)

Thing is, I know this kind of themed home decor doesn't appeal to the majority of people. It is a bit like living in a Disneyland attraction (that's by design - my grandfather helped build Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room!) and that's not for everyone, so I chose to continue creating & sharing 'regular' seasonal decor projects that would appeal to most of my blog readers.

But life is crazy right now in these United States, and I need FUN! I need HAPPY!
I thought that perhaps you, dear readers, might need more of that as well.

So this summer, I'm sharing a slew of tropical / tiki / Hawaiian style projects that I've already completed here at home. This is your 'peek behind the curtain'!

...continue reading to see how a thrifted 'cornhole' bean bag game became wall art!

I found something cool at my local American Cancer Society thrift store:

There it was, tucked into the toy section. Brand new, in the box, unused. for THREE DOLLARS! I grabbed that baby so fast my head spun.

When I find something at a thrift store that fits our theme (or will, with a few modifications), I get it. This project is one of those thrifted finds, spiffed up and used in a fresh new way - and there are more like this to come this summer!

When I took it out of the box at home, I knew exactly where it would go.
I used a canvas shoelace to tie it to the slatted wood fence section privacy screen that I had built in our backyard years before: 

That was last summer. I left it there through fall, then removed it.
The artwork on the board is on printed paper - that didn't stand up too well through our triple digit heat and bright sunshine. So this year, he needed some attention.

I pulled out my acrylic paints, sat at the patio table, and gave him a refresh - all in colors that perfectly match our decor: greens, browns, oranges, whites. After the paint dried, I sprayed the surface with two coats of clear lacquer to waterproof him:

(The image on the left above is from an Amazon ad, I just edited in the text)

Then I threaded the canvas shoelace through his eye holes and through the slats on the privacy screen, tied a bow, and hung him right back up where he belongs. (The game board is made out of balsa wood, and is light enough to be hung so simply.)


A solar light aimed right at him brings him to life each night, serenaded by the soothing, exotic sounds of the Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar* soundtrack (it's on YouTube!):


We can see him from indoors, and when we are on the patio 'lanai' or in the yard. And oh, does he make me SMILE  when I remember that he cost just $3 😁 


*Trader Sam's is located above the pool deck at the Disneyland Hotel,
and is one of my favorite places to take people when they visit us.
Even if we don't go into The Park, we have fun at Sam's and browse the stores in the Downtown Disney District, where I created in-store and window displays as a Disneyland Cast Member. [Photo Credit: Disneyland]

Find an American Cancer Society Thrift Store near you - click here

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