Goodwill Shopper Flips Ugly Candle Sconce Into a Museum-Worthy Decor Piece

One of the most overused phrases about recycling or buying things secondhand is "One man's trash is another man's treasure." The quote remains immortal because it's proven to be far more than an uncredited opinion. It's truly a fact. Thrift stores are where we go to throw things away in hopes that they'll have a better outcome than they would in a landfill. It's also where we go to pick up someone else's trash and give it a second lease on life as our treasure — often with some cleaning and tweaking to make it our own.

TikToker and artist Heather Freitas made sustainable shopping a significant part of her art development process. She treats the Goodwills near her like arts and crafts stores, hunting down things with greater creative potential. Her latest piece? A vintage porcelain candle holder that she gave an unusually beautiful transformation.

Related: 19 $10 and Under H&M Home Finds That Are Actually Super Elegant

The only thing cooler than this Goodwill candle holder upcycle is Heather's intriguing process to execute it.

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" Art never goes out of style," she wrote. "This is what design and decor trends get you. Pieces that quickly become outdated and discarded. They end up at thrift stores or even worse in the landfill. If they don’t sell at a thrift store they still end up in the landfill."

As one commenter noted, this was a very trust-the-process kind of DIY project . The initial paint layers looked slightly concerning.

However, Heather is an experienced artist with a vision and abundant creativity. Have another look-see at how she completed the candle holder.

"This was a trust the process moment 😂," a fan shared. "BUT IT TURNED OUT GORGEOUS."

"🤣🤣🤣 10,000%! I feel that so much," Heather replied. "That’s like the start of any painting . Kinda like when you clean and it’s a disaster before it’s all put together 🫠😂💕."

"It’s so fun to take an outdated piece and make it timeless 🥰," Heather told another enamored follower.

This colorful updated candle holder is one part of a much larger art collection created exclusively with upcycled Goodwill finds.

"So I had this idea," she shared with her followers. "Why not save pieces from the landfill by not only restoring them (if needed) but by [also] turning them into timeless pieces that will never go out of style? Into functional fine art pieces 🥰.?"

"My primary focus for this collection is going to be planters & vases, candle holders, lamps , and art/prints," she explained. "The title of it being Rags To Riches."

The "Rags to Riches" collection is sure to be more marvelous pieces we won't believe used to be throwaways. Way to show just how beautiful sustainable practices truly are since they support our environment and treat us to gorgeous decor in the process. Wanna keep up with Heather's stunning art pieces and discover other Goodwill finds with her? Be sure to follow the artist on TikTok !

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