Showing posts from 2015

Organized Clutter 2015: A Year In Review

December 29, 2015
 2015 started off with an easy and inexpensive plant stand made from a thrift shop banana stand .


A Couple of Easy Homemade Gifts

December 19, 2015
My oldest daughter likes a fun shop in Forest Lake, Minesota, called the  Vintage Junky.   She liked these addition signs but without the frames.  


More Projects with Old Sign Stencils from Funky Junk Interiors

December 17, 2015
Today I'm sharing more projects created with Funky Junk Interior's Old Sign Stencils.  The  Hot Cocoa  stencil is available here for purchase. Homestead Blend Coffee  is also available for sale.


Thrift Shop Makeovers Make Great Christmas Gifts

December 13, 2015
I always pick up old cutting boards at thrift shops and garage sales.  I like to display them as is as well as up-cycle and re-purpose them.  This cutting board or breadboard (I grew up calling them breadboards) and a smaller one are about to be transformed.


Thrift Shop & Garage Sale Up-cycles with Old Sign Stencils

December 12, 2015
This wooden lazy Susan was at the thrift shop this week.  The tag was still on the bottom, and it was from Target.  I thought the lazy Susan might be a good piece to try a new stencil I received compliments of Funky Junk Donna.


Alternative Christmas Trees 2015

December 08, 2015
Every year I try and come up with ideas for alternative Christmas trees.  Alternative trees have become quite popular in recent years.   This berry sieve tree is one of my favorites.  See more alternative trees including a funnel tree  HERE.


Thrift Shop Christmas Makeover: Framed Stenciled Snowflakes

December 06, 2015
I purchased these 3 square frames from the thrift shop yesterday for $1.50.  I cut off the white ribbon and painted the frames with Decoart Chalky Finish Paint in Lace.


Projects I Brought to my Shop Recently

December 03, 2015
 When I found an old wooden tennis racket press at the thrift shop, I added a piece of chalkboard purchased at Menards.  It is made by Georgia Pacific and sold in 2' x 4' sheets.  The hardest part of this project was cutting the fairy thick screws shorter to hold the blackboard tight.  I added a sawtooth hanger to the back.


Winter Wonderland: Christmas Mantel 2015

November 30, 2015
When I decorate a holiday mantel, I love to find one larger anchor piece to build my mantel vignette around.  This year it was this old weathered window frame with attached sill. I plunked it right smack dab in the center of the mantel.  I purchased the "Winter Wonderland" sign a couple weeks ago from my Junkin' Friend Jodi. I proceeded to transform my white mantel into a rustic winter wonderland with an old rusty lantern, miniature galvanized pails with flameless candles, country Santa, winter tree and greenery, antique children's skis, and old thermoses. I added a larger candle ring as a wreath on my "window" with a snippet of buffalo checked ribbon tied on.  I use flameless candles on my mantel with timers.  Safer and no hassle. More greenery, an old scale, cutting board, plaid lunch box, and an enamelware pot with another candle sit on the right side of the window. This is my great grandfather, Thron.  A Norwegian


Decorating The Outdoors For Christmas with Junk

November 22, 2015
One of the items I purchased with my birthday money last summer was  this screen door.   I had it propped up against the house last summer in a shady spot in my garden.   Since the door was green, I got the inspiration to work it into my front door/covered patio Christmas display this year.


A Framed Scabble Tile Christmas Tree

November 21, 2015
One item that is seldom in short supply at the thrift shops in my town are frames, so it's no wonder that I use frames in my projects very frequently.  Here I purchased a $2 frame and painted the frame with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen.  Then I painted the stiff cardboard back with Ash from Fushion Mineral Paint.  I then glued my Scrabble tiles on in a Christmas tree shape with ProBond glue.  The glue dries clear but does shine a bit so I touched up with a small paint brush and more Ash paint where glue had oozed out from under the tiles. The star is a wood applique from Hobby Lobby.


Cute Little French Stools: Thrift Shop Makover

November 08, 2015
I found these cute little stools at the thrift shop last week.  They were unfinished wood.  First I gave them a coat of dark walnut wood stain.


Up-cycled Thrift Shop Reindeer

November 07, 2015
 I picked up these three wooden reindeer at the thrift shop this week.  Would you have given them a second look at $3? I painted the thee deer with two coats of DecoArt Americana Chalky Paint in Lace.  Then I sanded them a bit to distress the paint.   I cut up a rustic bell garland from Kruenpepper Gifts and tied the strips of jute and bells around the deer's necks. I love them in white! That's a grubby prim snowball perched in the large reindeer's antlers.  Be on the lookout for wooden thrift shop deer!


The Marriage of a Shutter and a Shelf

October 31, 2015
I was lucky enough to find two wooden shutters that had never ever been painted or stained but were a bit weathered.  I paid $11 for the pair.  Here is one of the shutters that I deepened the gray weathered look with some vinegar steel wool stain that I found the recipe for on the internet. The other shutter was cut in half and painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Cream.  It displays vintage black and white photos in my laundry room. When I found this wooden shelf at a garage sale for $1 that had neither been stained or painted, I gave it a weathered gray look as well.  It was attached to the front of my shutter with screws.  Sawtooth hangers were added to the back.  I also added a Tim Holtz enamel tag number "57".  I love these little tags.  You can get them at a craft shop or at Amazon. It's funny how some things were just meant to be together!


Vintage Rummage Sale Finds

October 28, 2015
When I first started purchasing vintage items about 20+ years ago, I always purchased vintage items that still looked pretty new.  I was really wrapped up in the item's resale value, and Kovels and other antique price guides were always based on condition.   Now I am not as concerned about the resale value as much as the charm that a well used item possesses.  Like this little tea kettle with it's dings and chippy black handle. This little rummage sale tea kettle will work perfectly in my less than perfect farmhouse kitchen. $2.  I also purchased this Lane (cedar chest company) trinket box. These boxes were still made until very recently, but most likely not in the USA.  This box has the Lane Altavista, Virginia imprint. $2. Then there was a clear baggie with three items for $4.  This solid brass burgundy velvet lined trinket box was one of the items. This is the engraved top. The bottom is signed by the artist Lowell Sigmund.  I found othe