blank frames

I love old vintage frames with nothing in them. I took a bunch and painted them white and ivory and hung in no particular order on a long wall, even overlapping some. It filled in a big space without being too "loud".

Shutter Side Table

Who doesn't love old shutters. I have some weird obsession with them! I got a whole pile of them at an auction and when remodeling my bathroom, decided I needed a small side table. This is two sets joined together by a couple of shelves inside. I had a piece of tongue and groove flooring I used for the top. The shutters were white, so I lightly sanded them and scruffed some brown craft paint here and there, and then rubbed some stain over the whole thing.

Cream Can Lamp

This project took a little time, and I had to enlist my husband's help.  I bought an antique cream can at an auction for $10.  I already had an out-of-date brass floor lamp.  So, I disassembled the lamp and only kept and used the top half.  We drilled holes in the top and bottom of the cream can to run the light cord through.  I painted both the can and top portion of the floor lamp with hammered copper Rustoleum paint.  Then I took the existing lamp shade, and scruffed paint here and there in tans and browns and a little gold.  I added some beads to earring posts I had in my craft box and poked through the bottom edge.  I then glued a strand of gold ribbon to the bottom and top of the shade.  I took some burlap and muslin and rolled a few rosettes and hot-glued to the shade on both sides to balance the weight.  I love the idea of mixing old with new and the hammered copper paint gives it a nice vintage color!

Family Photo Display

This is probably my favorite thing in my house - yet so simple!  I found an old paned window at a yardsale for $5, and found the pair of shutters for $4.  I separated the shutters and painted them, shabbily (is that a word?), and scruffed a little gold paint on top.  I attached a piece of wood to the bottom for a small shelf, and secured with a couple strips of burlap.  I glued some vintage lace to the top of the window.  Then I took six of my favorite photos and placed them on scrapbook paper, and used some stickers and embellishments to dress them up. Punched holes and strung jute rope through them and attached to the back of the window.  I also made a small shelf to go beneath the window - just cut a piece of scrap wood and used a jigsaw to make some "corbels" for the bottom supports.

Garden Decor

Here is a picture of a couple of different projects.  I love the teacup bird feeder.  This was super-easy.  I had a teacup and saucer that was in the bottom of a box of junk from an auction.  I took some sand paper and roughed up the bottom edge of the cup and the middle of the saucer. Then applied some E6000 adhesive and glued together.  Probably let this set for 24 hrs.  Then, I took 2 sections of metal conduit, one about 3" long, and 3/4" diameter, the other about 3'long, and 1/2" diameter.  Sanded both and painted with rustoleum hammered copper paint.  I glued the short one to the bottom of the saucer with my E6000 and let dry for 24 hrs.  Hammered the long one into the ground, then simply sat the cup, saucer and short piece on top of the long one.  That way I can remove the cup and saucer in the winter to prevent breakage.
Behind and to the right, I took a new galvanized watering can, and had my husband weld a piece of rebar to the bottom and at an angle, and drilled a hole in the bottom, but towards the top the size of my water pump tubing.  I then took my water pump that I already had and ran the clear pump tube through the bottom of the watering can, forcing the water to flow out the spout and into a small pond below.

Vintage lunch pail flower arrangement

This took a little time, but turned out better than I expected.  I bought some vintage lunch pails at an auction, and decided to dress this one up a little.  I decoupaged vintage sheet music on the outside. Then I found some left over flowers in my craft box and added some burlap and pearl strands for a quaint little arrangement.  I could see this in a parlor of a historic home.

This one is currently for sale - $20 plus shipping

Well bucket planter

This is for all the "shabby" gardeners out there!  I bought an old well bucket at an auction, stood it in the corner for a couple of weeks trying to decide what to do with it.  Finally cut a section out of the top, drilled a few drainage holes in the bottom, and then cut a couple of landscape timber blocks and rounded out a section in the middle.  Instant planter for those succulents that don't need much dirt!