Organized Clutter

My mom and both of my grandmas were button collectors. Besides inheriting some of their buttons, I have purchased my own cards and jars of buttons. Over the last 10+ years, I have used buttons for both decorating and crafting.  Take a look.

I am delighted to share with you two projects that I had had featured in the July 2023 issue of Country Sampler Magazine.   Besides sharing primitive country homes like it always has, the magazine now includes upcycling and repurposing ideas and farmhouse decor too.  Pick up this issue! It features projects by my blogging friends Sadie Seasongoods and House of Hawthornes.

I found this  Graphics Fairy honey bee  vintage graphic and printed it in the center of an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet on paper on my inkjet printer.  (I had to play with my printer's settings for size and centering). I used this bee and a songbook page in my latest project!

One of my favorite older projects started out with a vintage wooden clothes hanger and an 8" x 10" picture frame.  I still like the project, but I decided to give it a small facelift.

I found an empty barn wood frame at our local thrift shop.  I paid $5. I had a few sheets of chalkboard purchased at Home Depot on hand, and a piece was cut to fit the frame.  I don't think Home Depot sells larger sheets of chalkboard any longer, but a thin board could have been painted with chalkboard paint and added to the frame as well. Now to make it into a great project for my  summer covered patio!

  I found this tag shaped photo collage frame at Dollar General .  It was priced at $5.  It's actually a nice frame.   When I upcycle some dollar store items, I do it because I want the item to be MY style or meet MY needs.  In this case I wanted to use the collage frame for flower garden photos and not family photos.

 I got this old round frame from my mom.  It's a vintage frame with fine nails holding in the glass. Does the horseback rider look familiar?  It's me.

 Thrift shops are full of old frames with faded art inside them. I removed the faded print from the frame.  (You can see around the edges the print's original coloring.)

 I shared two of these  floating  picture frame finds in a recent garage sale finds post  HERE. I like this type of frame as they work well for stenciling on glass, similar to an old window.

 I shared two of these floating picture frame finds in a recent garage sale finds post  HERE.  This is the back of one of my 25 cent frames.  The frame consists of two wood frames, one to hold the two panes of glass inside the other outer frame. I like to pick up this type of frame up thrifting.  It's sort of like using a window frame for a project rather than a standard frame.

I found this framed Bible verse at the thrift shop. I took the frame, glass and cardboard art apart.

 I just finished tracing these little trees onto the paper side of HeatnBond Lite Iron-On Adhesive . My project today will be a combination  of fabric and painted stencils.  I hope you will read on.

Last week I purchased a yard of green and black buffalo check flannel at our local craft store.  I actually wanted red and black checks, but they said it was back ordered, and hard to get.  (I think buffalo checks are popular again this Christmas). I found Ragon House wired red and black flannel ribbon at a local drug store. I am going to do some crafting with this buffalo checked flannel and a couple of 4" x 6" rustic black picture frames.

 This vintage oval frame, that had been painted black, was being thrown away at the thrift shop.  My mom rescued it and gave it to me a long time ago. I love old oval ornate frames.  Empty, or with mirrors or photos.  This frame has raised plaster flowers, and other great detail as well.

Over the last several months I upcycled and/or repurposed the above thrifted items. I had a plan.  These items were going to be new desk decor. I wanted to lighten up the desk without painting the WHOLE desk and hutch too.  See how I used these pieces on my desk.

Picture frames, framed mirrors and old framed cardboard style oil paintings are always available at thrift shops and garage sales.  I look for unusual sizes and shapes, (not just 5x7 or 8x10 photo frames) also frames with raised detail, and rustic reclaimed wood frames.  I always check the mitered corners to make sure they are nice and tight and not coming apart.   Links are provided under the photos to blog post tutorials.   This is an example of a great rustic frame of mine.  It's square rather than rectangular, and the wood shows it's age!   It was perfect for an outdoor bucket of greenery .

In 2016, I became an AVID stenciler!  I stenciled signs like this "coffee sign" above three re-purposed coffeepot planters.  See the details  HERE.

My Christmas project today starts with this pile of thrift shop frames.  The sizes are, measured from outside edges, 12" x 10", 14" x 17", 17" x 24", and 5 3/4" x 7".

I am so happy to be have two of my blog photos featured in the 2016 issue of Country Sampler's Christmas Decorating Magazine.

I am still working on the makeover of my den/guest room/craft room.  The wall behind the sofa has a new wall display arranged from 3 frames, a wooden letter "C" from a Hobby Lobby clearance sale, and two wooden basketball shapes from our local craft shop.