Spring Umbrella

I'm a copy cat.

This spring umbrella is an idea
from Midwest Living (April 2010) magazine.
I keep good magazines FOREVER!

 

It just so happens that I had a vintage child's umbrella.

All I did was put a handful of pillow stuffing

way down inside to make the umbrella

 appear "full" of flowers.

Then I stuck a few various flowers

 from Michaels in the umbrella "pockets".

I tied a ribbon around the middle.

 

 

 

Even though it's a red umbrella,

it worked for spring  by adding the yellow.

 

Here are a few other spring umbrellas:

 

Addicted To Decorating

Pinterest 1

Pinterest 2

Pinterest 3

Pinterest 4

Prior Lives

 

 

 

Hopefully you're getting spring fever.

I know I am!

I start my greenhouse job next week,

which is always a bittersweet event.

 

Linkin up to:

Brambleberry Cottage

&

Ivy & Elephants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Heart Side Table

I've learned some valuable advice from

Secondhand Treasures.

It was a magazine with tips from American Pickers.

 

*Never throw out a price, always allow the seller to start

the price range.

 

It's so true!

I was shopping at a thrift store. 

I knew this seller was flexible.

When I spotted this side table,

I wanted to offer $10.

Instead, I asked "what do you want for this?"

He, like always, points out the obvious qualities.

$8

I didn't even argue!

Very rarely do you find a piece:

1. perfectly solid

2. smooth,

paint ready wood

(no sanding/stripping)

3. cute as can be!

 

BEFORE:

 

STEP ONE:

paint one thin, shabby coat of paint

See how it's streaky?  I like that!

Next: to cover that stain on the top level.

See the giant ring?

 

STEP TWO:

adhesive vinyl stencil

(layer one)

blue tape edges

 

(Should have centered it, oops.  Oh well)

 

painted white

let dry

covered white painted diamonds with more vinyl

 

STEP THREE:

paint black

peel off diamond vinyl covering white

 

STEP FOUR:

add Tim Hotlz brand number plaque

add long black vinyl strip on front by legs

notice the lovely streaking here on lower level?

 

 

AFTER:

 

Pretty sassy, right?

 

 

Linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed

 

 

 

 



Old Toaster

I was feeling disappointed in my judgement.

Purchasing this $3 toaster was not my smartest move.

Then the idea hit me.

 

It's shaped like a birdhouse!

 

So I drilled pulled the toaster "guts" out with a pliers.
That left the inside open for a nesting area.
 

Then I drilled a hole in one side,

which was a bit challenging.

 

 

Then I found a decorative ring in my jewelry making supplies.

I wanted the opening to be safe the birds,

since my drilled hole was pretty sharp.

 

 

I was sure to drill the hole on the side with the cord plug in prongs.

They'll make a perfect little landing perch.

 

 

I wired the ring in, which then required the side doors

notched out so they closed tightly where the wire is.

 

I wired the back shut.

You can still use pliers to unhook it & clean out old nests.

 

 

 

 

Linking up to:

Ivy & Elephants

&

The Thrifty Groove

 

 

 

 

 



Forgotten Secret

It took me a while to find a suitable dresser for my first big "redo".

 

 

$20, no fancy spindles

 

just a basic, operational old dresser

 

it came with the rusty casters and one glass knob inside

 

and a remnant of it's past life on the front

 

 

also inside..

 

a wallpaper tag

 

 "LOCAL" tag

 

and wedged in the very back was a cool bottle opener

 

 

Next we have my amateur refinishing process...

 

 

 

Instead of playing it safe with a neutral, I chose MEGA color.

 

It's called Forgotten Secret.

 

Drab to Fab, right?

 

I spent some time sifting through Pintrest paint designs.

The drawers were done using a adhesive vinyl stencil from my Cricut.

I spray painted the white for a perfect even coat.

Blue tape made a perfect with for keeping my design square & spaced right on all the drawers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought some new hardware for it.

Some required large washers to keep the screws from pulling through the wood.

 

I completed this project last summer,

as you can tell from the photographs.

Thanks for looking.

~Jane

 

 

Linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed

 

 

 

 

 



Empty Frames

I've been on a chicken wire clipboard kick.

So a recent visit to the second hand store got me 3 frames.

  I'll share them with you and you'll see the transformations!

 

Before:

$2.50 large, $1.50 small

 

After:

this is the large one

 

this is the small one

 

Here is another one, and I almost didn't get it because it's plastic!

I talked the seller down to $3, he was asking $5.

 

Before:

 

After:

 

Isn't it fancy?

The best part is that it's super lightweight!

 

 Linking up to:

My Romantic Home

&

The Shabby Nest

 

Chair Back

Who buys REALLY old wabblie chairs for $3???

 

I guess that would be me!

 

When I finally came to terms with the fact that
 it was NOT suitable for sitting on, it came apart.

I dismantled it carefully,
 hoping someday an crafty idea would strike me.

 

This long boring winter forced me to tackle the "chair back" project.

 

 

The chair was missing it's decorative corner knobs.

I added some rustic glass ones.

 

 

The Tim Holtz brand scrapbooking word band seemed to be THEE perfect phrase!

I filled the words in with white acrylic paint, so it would be easier to read.

Vintage thumb tacks hold it on.

 

 

 

 

The wings are also Tim Holtz embellishments.

The "Z" sewing table key is an authentic old piece.

The gems are from Maya Road.

A little sparkle was needed on the chair,

since it's all pretty rustic otherwise.

I bent wire to hang each one & screwed in eye hooks.

 

 

The shelf can hold a few smaller items.

 

 

A photograph can be clipped on the spindle for a personalized display.

 

I'm really excited to see if this creation sells in my craft booth

at the coffee shop.  Whoever buys it gets a true "one of a kind" shelf!

 

Linking up to:

Knick Of Time

 

 

 

 

 

 



Painted Caddy

I bought a dark brown handled caddy from the thrift store

for $3.75, but forgot to take a "before" photo.

It was UGLY with hand painted flowers on the side,

but had potential to be super cute.

 

 

I love this turquoise color called "Forgotten Secret".

 

 

It's holding my "colorful cones" that were shown in a previous post.

 

 Linking up to:

Finding Fabulous

&

My Romantic Home