We’re back with tales from our Cincinnati trip (we laughed, I cried, and we even had something confiscated at the airport) and a sneak peek at our Pinterest challenge project. Plus, there’s a before-and-after that’s nearly finished—just waiting for photos and the full write-up—so our house is buzzing with projects, both duck-related and otherwise. I call it “duck-related” because I rescued this quirky wooden duck at a thrift store in Richmond (Diversity Thrift) about a year ago for just $4. I finally moved it out of the “thinking about it” stage and into the “actually doing it” stage—one of my self-imposed “Dude, Get On That Already” challenges. So consider this a fast, inexpensive DIY makeover since I used only materials we already had on hand.
It’s hard to judge scale from the photo, but the wooden duck is about 8″ long. I gathered a bunch of craft paints left over from earlier projects and decided to give her a bold, striped makeover. I used masking tape to create clean stripes along the body—Mallory is what I named her (I’m pretty sure she’s a mallard, which is why I picked that name). The stripes felt playful and a little Jonathan Adler-inspired to me, perfect for adding a cheerful pop of color to any room.
The striped look was inspired by a few things I’d seen—a colorful dachshund pillow that made me laugh and a post featuring painted ducks that pushed me straight into the “paint it now” mindset. I admit I hit a rough patch about ten minutes in when the first coat looked messy and thin. I should’ve spray-primed the duck before taping off the stripes; instead, I applied several coats of craft paint to build up the coverage. Hindsight noted, but the extra coats got me to a smooth, even finish.
Once I peeled away the tape, I freehanded a few additional stripes and touched up any tiny flaws. The result is a dapper little duck that’s surprisingly versatile. Although she’s an adorable fit for a nursery, playroom, or child’s shelf, I staged her in the kitchen to show how a bright, whimsical piece can work in grown-up spaces too. A multicolor accent like this can complement a colorful pillow or artwork and liven up a neutral room—though you can always spray-paint a wooden duck one solid color (glossy white, lime, or navy are all fresh options) if a rainbow isn’t your style.
I like the way Mallory’s stripes echo the other colorful elements on the top shelf—the spiky yellow vase and the bright artwork make a cheerful trio. Little decorative items like this tend to travel around our house, so she might start on the kitchen counter, move to a mantel, and eventually settle on a console table. That wandering is part of the charm; small accents keep a space feeling fresh when they move from room to room.
Goose, there it is—yes, I know that’s a stretch since she’s clearly a duck, but I couldn’t resist the joke. Have you tackled any small thrift-store makeovers lately? They’re a great way to add personality and color without spending much. And a friendly reminder: I don’t actually recommend trying to ride a real duck. My mom once had a childhood run-in where a duck bit her hand, so they don’t seem to enjoy being mounted—no riding attempts were involved in that incident, just a warning from history.