Showing posts from November, 2013

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.