Showing posts from 2013

An "Industrial" Look In the Kitchen With Aluminum and Tin

December 30, 2013
I have a pretty extensive collection of vintage aluminum and tin kitchen items, including funnels, sifters, cookie cutters, biscuit cutters, Jello molds, etc.   I think that aluminum and tin kitchen utensils have an industrial feel, especially with a little aged wood and burlap. For example, here is a small wood crate with a couple of old sifters and some stacked funnels.


Holiday Decorating 2013 Recap Part 1: Valentine's Day - 4th of July

December 29, 2013
I think I hit most of the holidays with either decorating or crafting or both!   Here is a quick recap of the first half of 2013: Valentine's Day A Valentine's Day Mantel


A Book of Facts About the WAC (Women's Army Corps Booklet 1944)

December 29, 2013
While my blog is usually about crafts, decorating, junking, re-purposing and flower gardening, I do post about of nostalgia too.  After all I am a baby boomer and vintage collector too. I recently came across this little Women's Army Corps Booklet from 1944.  It is in excellent condition.  I enjoyed paging through it, and I thought maybe you would too.  


My Top Five Vintage Finds of 2013

December 27, 2013
Without a doubt my top four finds from 2013 were items I found for my junk gardens!   1.   What Have I Bought Lately?  (posted June 3, 2013) I bought this awesome barn door from a local antique/consignment shop owner for $30.  Worth every penny and more.


My Top 5 Junk Garden Posts of 2013

December 26, 2013
We had a great Christmas here!  One of the best ones ever!  I hope you all did too. Time to start reflecting on some of my top posts for 2013 at  Organized Clutter. All five of these top junk garden posts are not only in my top ten list of popular posts for 2013 but my top ten posts ever ! 1.   My Garden Junk Clipboard Has Grown (posted April 7, 2013)   Back in November 2012, my Hometalk Garden Junk clipboard had only 81 followers and 211 likes.  


Vintage Christmas House Tour 2013

December 22, 2013
Keeping it a little real on this Christmas tour, you will see my home as seen by my Christmas guests.  The dogs' blanket on the chair, and our televisions and television remotes, and a bit of every day life will be visible. This is my junky, rustic front door vignette.


More Christmas Vignettes 2013

December 20, 2013
I am hoping to get my Christmas tour 2013 posted Sunday or Monday.  Yes, I am running behind schedule!   Besides being a vintage lover and a junker, I'm a little bit country.  Here are some of my country Christmas vignettes. These vignettes are all in my family room/den: Jars of buttons, vintage Christmas ornaments, candy, and marbles, and a vintage look Santa in an old crate.


My Re-Purposed Ornaments & The Tale Of A Christmas Tree in a Crock

December 15, 2013
On November 3, 2013,  I made and posted my first re-purposed Christmas tree ornaments. The ornaments were met with a good response on Pinterest and on my blog, so I decided then to continue to find cheap items to re-purpose  at the thrift shops, and start a blog series.  I also challenged myself to decorate an entire Christmas tree with re-purposed ornaments.


Rustic Christmas Vignettes in the Den

December 13, 2013
In October, I posted a new junk gallery wall in my den, above my sofa. If you want to see the closeups and the entire wall, click  here.


The Nativity & A Stacked Bible Christmas Tree

December 13, 2013
I have a Home Interiors' Nativity set from the early 1980's.  I love the white bisque figurines against the rustic stable that I have had about that long too. I almost always display my small Bible collection in a "Stack" on top of my china cabinet.  Today, I stacked the Bibles in the shape of a Christmas tree.


My Vintage Toys On the Christmas Mantel 2013

December 08, 2013
I actually started this mantel several weeks ago but never finished it until today. The theme for this year is vintage toys, mostly from the 1960's.  Let's take a closer look.


Creating a Vintage Style Christmas and a Linky Party!

December 07, 2013
Welcome to Creating Christmas !   I am starting the party off today with my collection of vintage Christmas figurines!   This grouping is situated on top of my vintage washstand along with an old vanity mirror, a vintage Christmas tea towel, a mismatched snow village, and a  couple of ceramic trees, one with a tea light at the rear.


Rustic Funnel Christmas Trees

December 04, 2013
I have been picking up funnels since last Christmas!  I love them in the garden!  I love them in vignettes! I just LOVE THEM! And I especially love them as Christmas trees! This one from last Christmas was made with a wooden candlestick and four funnels.  A glittered star is poked in the hole on top.  The bottom funnel is actually a canning jar funnel.  Just stack them up.  Sometimes I have to bend them just a bit to make the trees more stable.  I used two of the white candlesticks and these candlesticks that I purchased for a dollar a piece at the thrift shop.


A Junky, Rustic Christmas/Winter Covered Patio

December 02, 2013
Today I am participating in a huge Christmas junkfest with 14 bloggers from Junkers United and the Twelve Days of Christmas Party.  The project I have chosen to include in the party is my covered patio vignettes, between my front door and the attached garage. After you have viewed my post, please continue down to the links to other party participants and the linky party!  Happy Junking!


Hose Nozzle and Other Alternative Christmas Trees

December 01, 2013
I recently found 3 older brass hose nozzles.  All three at once.  An instant collection. They are not exactly shaped like a Christmas tree but I think you get the idea.  I stained a small square of wood and pounded in three large nails.  The hose nozzles balance on the nails.  You could stick a little piece of fun tack or double sided tape to make them more stable if they are wiggly.  Then I wrapped one nozzle with jute and another with wire and bells.  All three have flat metal stars stuck into the nozzle tip hole.


Black Friday Shopping 1964

November 28, 2013
I looked on the internet to see when the term "Black Friday" originated, it has some history dating back to 1869, but was really not coined until the 1960's for the day after Thanksgiving shopping.   I have a "Picture Magazine" insert to the Minneapolis Tribune from November 22, 1964, and I thought it would be fun to look at the advertising.   Christmas Decor from Dayton's to "Set Christmas Aglow".


Grubby Button Christmas Tree

November 27, 2013
Do you know what grubby buttons are? These are what I call grubby buttons.  Usually metal, some are wood but a lot of the paint is worn off.  I used to make primitive snowmen with these grubby buttons.


Clipboard Crazy Christmas

November 27, 2013
I have to admit, I have a thing for clipboards recently!   First there were my  framed photo clipboards.


A Rustic Christmas Shadow Box

November 26, 2013
Last year I had just found four Santa mugs at the consignment shop, so I worked them into my shadow box display  here. A little bit kitchy and vintage!


Shabby Angel From Re-purposed Towel Stand

November 22, 2013
What was at the thrift shops yesterday for me to repurpose into Christmas ornaments? Just a countertop hand towel stand, made of wood with a metal bar.  Pretty boring...


Thrift Shop Wooden Letters and Junk Wood Become a Christmas Sign

November 21, 2013
I love to try new ideas that I see on Pinterest and on blogs.  When I saw Becky's rusty ornaments from the  Beyond the Picket Fence blog , I knew I had to try her faux rust technique. These rusty, white metal-looking ornaments actually started out as felt ornaments.  Click on the link or photo above to see Becky's felt ornament transformation.  The papier mache deer also got her rust treatment. My sign project begins with these wooden letters purchased at the thrift shop for $1 each.


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Frames and Buttons

November 20, 2013
Today I have three more re-purposed tree ornaments made from picture frames that I already had stored in a drawer. This framed is from the Dollar Tree.  I painted it white a few months ago for a project that I never completed.  A fail!  I tried a rusty metal textured paint technique on this frame.  (I will give you the details on this technique in my next blog post, but for now I will tell you it's Becky's technique from Beyond the Picket Fence. )  


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Clipboards & Bulldog Clips

November 17, 2013
The idea for a re-purposed clipboard Christmas tree ornament came from Funky Junk Donna. Yes, I was inspired by Donna's clipboard on her  White Christmas Tree of Gratitude.   Donna used a full size vintage clipboard and displayed a black and white Christmas photo of her parents. I wanted to use a smaller version of this idea so I purchased a cheap clipboard from Kmart for $1.69.   The new clipboards are much more flimsy, lighter in color, and have a different type of clip than the older ones. As you can see, the clip has been cut off and the board cut into fourths.


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Vintage Ekco Flipper Lifter Spatula

November 14, 2013
I still haven't run out of re-purposed Christmas tree ornament ideas.  I just can't run out yet, or I won't be able to do a whole tree! This is a vintage Ekco Flipper-Lifter spatula, or pancake turner.  When I saw it at the thrift shop, I thought snow shovel .


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Biscuit Cutters

November 13, 2013
If you are a regular reader of "Organized Clutter" I bet you can guess where this easy biscuit cutter Christmas ornament re-purpose is going!


Vintage Christmas Finds & a Christmas Party Announcement

November 13, 2013
Do you collect vintage Christmas decorations?  I used to collect just little angel figurines from Napco or Lefton that I remembered from my childhood, but now I pick up other vintage decorations as well.   Today I'm sharing some of my recent vintage Christmas finds.  These items have never been in any of my previous Christmas posts.   Even if you don't collect vintage Christmas, I think you will remember some of these old Christmas collectibles, or some like them. A vintage cloth and plastic Santa from the 1960's.  8 1/2" tall.  Maker unknown.


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Miniature Listerine Bottle

November 12, 2013
I hope you like my re-purposed ornament series.  Today I re-purposed a miniature Listerine bottle.


From Framed Lobelia to Framed Christmas Greenery

November 10, 2013
I love it when some of my decorating props can be used for different seasons! Yes, I'm talking about my most viewed garden post of 2013.   The barnwood framed lobelia bucket. Temperatures here in northern Minnesota are dropping, and we have a little of the white stuff on the ground.


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - More Salt Shakers

November 09, 2013
One of my very favorite Christmas re-purposes from last year was the Anthropologie tree in a salt shaker with faux snow. There were many Anthropologie "inspired" pins on blogs and on Pinterest  last Christmas.  Isn't this fun?


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Vintage Jello Molds

November 09, 2013
Continuing my series on "re-purposed" Christmas tree ornaments, today I remade Jello molds. First an individual star Jello mold, (used in my Kitchen Fairy Garden   last summer)


A Junker's Re-Purposed Yardstick Advent Calendar

November 09, 2013
Hoping to think of a great project to make with yardsticks, I bought three last month at an antique shop.  They were $3 each. Last year I made this  Christmas tree out of a yardstick, jute and a metal snowflake. The first step in my new project was to cut the yardstick off at 25 1/2".


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Crystal Salt & Pepper Shakers

November 05, 2013
In case you haven't been following along here, I have challenged myself to decorate my Christmas tree with all r e-purposed items this year. To bring you up to speed, you have missed... Re-purposed Christmas Ornaments: 1.   Zinc Jar Lids 2.   Teaspoons 3.    Ice Cream Scoop Today, Christmas tree ornament number four in my challenge is a re-purposed set of crystal salt and pepper shakers with silver plate covers and tray.  I have had this little set for sale in a consignment shop for over a year.  No takers.


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Ice Cream Scoop

November 04, 2013
A vintage ice cream scoop picked up at a thrift shop for $1 is the next item to be re-purposed as a Christmas tree ornament. This is the scoop.  I forgot to take a "before" photo.  As you can see I already have a strip of sheet music Mod "Podged" onto the handle.


A "Re-Purposed" Christmas Tree - Teaspoons

November 03, 2013
This year I am going to challenge myself to decorate my Christmas tree with second hand items I find thrifting.  Since I find a LOT of kitchen utensils and kitchenware, it's likely a lot of my repurposed ornaments will be made from utensils. I have already posted the zinc jar lids  here.   They will be the first repurposed tree decorations. Repurposed Christmas Tree Ornaments #1 - Zinc Jar Lids


A Framing Project with Vintage Lartz Photo Mounting Corners

November 02, 2013
Today I am using another of the photo gallery quality frames that I purchased at a consignment shop,  here.   This one was $4.


A Shopping Trip to "No Place Like Home Again"!

November 01, 2013
My favorite antique shop just moved to a new, larger location.   No Place Like Home Again now occupies an old renovated church building.  The girls did an awesome job getting the new location ready to open today, November 1. Here is what I bought: First this old jar of bone buttons.  I love using jars or bowls of buttons in my vignettes.  


FALL JUNKERS UNITE WITH A KID'S JUNK PUMPKIN PROJECT, a pinboard and a link up!

October 29, 2013
Here at Organized Clutter, I am constantly looking for ways to decorate and repurpose with vintage finds in my home and flower gardens.   My project today is for junior junkers.  Everything is magnetic so the Jack o'Lantern's face can be changed over and over with other junk drawer items.  Obviously not for children under three, but older children may like creating new pumpkin faces and expressions with magnetic junk. With kitchen ware and utensils in steady and ready supply inexpensively at the local thrift shops, I was able to re-purpose an assortment of junk pumpkins this fall.


1972 Partridge Family Comic Books

October 27, 2013
Are you a baby boomer?  If you are, chances are you remember the Partridge Family and David Cassidy. My Aunt bought some old comics at a rummage sale recently, and three of them were Partridge Family.  This issue from Charlton Comics is dated January 1972, and the price was 20 cents.  (I was in tenth grade in 1972.)  I know I watched the show faithfully but I don't think I had any Partridge Family comics.


A Re-Purposed Breadboard Clipboard

October 27, 2013
Last April I found an old breadboard for $2 at a thrift shop  here.   I still remember the clerk saying to me at the cash register, "I wouldn't cut bread on it".  I didn't intend to cut bread on it either.  But I loved the breadboard's primitive shape and warm worn patina. At the very same thrift shop just last week, I found a baggie of old Bulldog clips for $1.  This one had a nice aged patina too.