Mini Broom

A quick post here today.  Sneaking this in before work.

I spent $2.50 on a 23" broom at a thrift store.  This puppy had Halloween potential written all over it.  What do you think?  Would you have bought it?  Maybe after you see my wicked little project, you'll say "YES".

Linking up to Junker Newbie for Would You Buy It Wed.

Broken Beauty

Do you ever feel sorry for broken pieces & commit to giving them a place in the world?  You know, kind of like the toys from the Island of Misfits on Rudolph?

I love morning glories, really really love them. 

 My aunt gave me a repaired delicate old pitcher.  It found a place in my bathroom & makes a perfect holder for a few commonly used items.  I know it doesn't exactly match the color scheme.  I still love it there, it's useful & I get to see those lovely painted blooms every day.

Isn't it gorgeous?  Marie said it was marked $7 at a sale.  She looked at it & the gal just gave it to her because of the cracks.  

Blue Doile

At a garage sale this summer, I acquired some odd little doilies.  It was a sale that sold a brown paper bag full of anything for $5.  What ever you could fit in, was included.   These little blue blended beauties were long and odd.  Could they have been chair arm covers?

For my mom's birthday I wrapped her gift in a brown Kraft paper (sold by the roll at Walmart).  Then, it was rolled in a sweet little old doile.  Some fancy ribbon & raffia finished it off.

Don't forget to get creative when wrapping gifts.  If the colors are hard to work with.....stick with a nice brown background wrapping paper.  

Linked up to Junker Newbie~ Would You Buy It Wed.

Clean Orange & Chippy White

Here is a quick post of a very clever idea.   Mix a crisp, clean, brightly colored dresser....with a chippy white card file.  This photo is from the Mall of America Scrapfest.  Try to image how cute this combo would be in a household setting.

Where can I get one of these files?  It's amazing. 

Are you wondering about the Smash book?

It's kind of a retro style scrapbook.  The video on YOUTUBE explains it very well.  It's a book of random thoughts, clippings & snippets.  This seems to be the book made for Junkers!  Book themes can include recording a pregnancy, garden journal, or just pure randomness.  Here is a blog, dedicated to her Smash project.

Yes, I did buy one.  Maybe I'll post some personal Smash updates. I chose the Eco Style.

If I've tempted you to Smash, here is the website. 

Blue Jar Craft

What happens when you add a blue jar and chicken wire?  Something wonderful, of course.



I had to take it outside for decent photos.



I found this idea back before blogging. The Internet was just becoming a useful inspiration tool for me.  I found this craft & tried it out for myself.  The search for just the right ribbon, berries, leaves and other elements took some planning.  Going to a big craft store with a good selection is not a common event for me.

Wrap your favorite size jar in chicken wire, bringing the bottom to a point.  It's kind of like a cone.  Keep the chicken wire's cut end to the back(behind the jar), folding sharp ends in good so they don't scratch your wall.  The hanging ribbon attaches to the top sides on the chicken wire.  The jar merely sits in the wire.

Some natural elements were added, like pine cones, eucalyptus & even sticks.

I used a cute little bird, adorned with vintage jewelry remnants.  He got tucked in amongst tule, glitter leaves, and berries.

Linking up to:

Coastal Charm

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Burlap Pot Cover

I got a stack of burlap cocoa bags from my employer this spring.  They were stuffed around some products as packing material!  They had all been cut  at an end.  I took about 10, hoping I could find creative uses for them. 

My greenhouse job involves perks, like free plants!  So late this summer I got 4 Red Rooster grasses.  I was thinking ahead to making a fall display.  The pots I had just didn't inspire me.  So I decide to cover a plastic one.  I cut a template out of plastic sheeting & began this quick task.

I sewed the side together on my machine in the house.  Then safety pinned the bottom.

Then, as I planted the grass, I tucked in the top edges and packed dirt around that outside edge.

The Red Rooster is a brown wispy grass, but not a perennial where I live.

Are you ready for the results?  If only our last name was Thompson or something starting with "T".  I might find a Halloween tarantula to pin on the pot, that would probably be cute.

I couldn't resist a funny picture:

I think the late summer heat is getting to me.  No, really.... my hair does look like this some mornings.

Apples=Fall

I love fall & apple pie.  Doesn't everybody?  ....Well, at least the pie part....

Mom's birthday pie, last year.

Some folks cringe here in Minnesota when the weather cools off, because we all know what's coming.  Forty below & lots of snow.  I, however, appreciate every colored leaf, crisp air, pumpkins, apples & scarecrows.

The Sikkink farm had an apple basket for nearly every relative that wanted one.  Mom snagged me a nice chippy red one a few years back.  It is my pride & joy.  How can anyone love an wire basket so much? 

Ben Franklin had fake apples on clearance for .25 each and I bought $8 worth. 

I grow apples.  I have a small orchard, that has produced a fair amount this year.  Yummy!

Here is the *sweet* little craft I came up with:

I stamped the words & image using Close To My Heart products.  I colored the apples in with pencils.  Then, I created a burlap bow.  You'll be seeing more burlap projects in the future!

And how about that chair? ................................

I paid $5 last weekend for it at a flea market style store.  The clincher was when he told me it came out of the Mora High School band room!  I love it when something has "history". This poor chair has the top left corner wired together.  I think it looks so cute, that gives it character!   Would YOU have bought it???

This post is linked up to Junker Newbie's Would You Buy It Wed. 

SPOOKY SPOOLS

I JUST HAD TO HAVE A FEW BAGGIES OF OLD THREAD SPOOLS.  THEN THEY SAT, FOR A YEAR.  I DID PUT THEM IN AN OLD BLUE JAR FOR DISPLAY. 

BUT NOW...I HAVE A GREAT PROJECT FOR THOSE CUTE LITTLE VINTAGE SPOOLS!

*SPOOKY SPOOLS*

...OUT OF THE OCTOBER 2011 SCRAPBOOKS ETC. MAGAZINE.

START BY WINDING EMBROIDERY FLOSS AROUND THE SPOOL.  I DID THIS ON THE MINI SPOOLS. BUT WHEN ADDING FACES, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO WORK ON THE LARGER ONES.

FOR MUMMIES, WITH GOOGLIE EYES, YOU CAN ADD THE EYES BEFORE OR AFTER.  I TRIED BOTH WAY & THEY WERE EQUALLY AS SUCCESSFUL.

I TRIED A MUMMY WITH GAUZE TOO, ADDING THE EYES LAST.  WHICH STYLE DO YOU LIKE BETTER? 

I DID SEVERAL OTHER FIGURINES:



FRANKENSTEIN



JACK-O-LANTERN

SPIDER= MY ORIGINAL CREATION

LINKING UP TO BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH & MOD VINTAGE LIFE.