Chevron Side Table

I'd like to share a furniture transformation.  This spunky colored side table was a great find because it featured a magazine rack down below.

Before: 

This cute little piece had a very heavy coat of glossy black paint.  I spent many hours sanding it down to wood.  I was willing to put some time in, since it only cost me $3.

With it well sanded, I went straight to painting.  Very rarely do I prime my furniture.  Especially since I do sanding after for the distressed look.

After:

It looks plain from the side, but it has a fun little paint job down below.

I used a paper homemade stencil for those chevrons.  They took this little table from drab to fab!

I did a light coat of paint and sanded the edges.  As you can see this old table had some nail holes showing & even a minor crack.  But I managed to sell this little darlin' at an occasional sale for $40.

Linking up to:
Between Naps on the Porch
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/classic-winter-clothing-sale/

Patriotic

It's now the holiday weekend!

My home has a few patriotic

items on display as a reminder of

our great nation.

I encourage my children to read the Declaration

of Independence!  It sits out for all to see.

The little Cracker Jack ships look cute on it.

I found a way to display my vintage

48 star flag!  It looks great by my

dad's military frame.

Stay safe this extra long weekend &

have a great time with friends and family.

Bread Box

I'd like to share with you my most recent

paint project.  This was a major rescue!

We've all seen them, the classic old wood

bread box...

I paid one whole dollar for it.

These small paint projects are my

favorite.  The small items sell better

in my craft booth too.

I painted the box ivory & used my Cricut

die cut machine to make some harlequin

pattern adhesive vinyl stencils.

I never get sick of this pattern, it is sharp & stylish.

My advice to others with this type of project

is to SAND THE WORD down before painting.

If you look very close in real life,

you can see it.  Most people might not notice.

It depends how picky you are!

Now do think someone will really use it

for storing bread???

Linking up to:

French Country Cottage

Pig Barn Windows

My mom delivered a whole stack of weathered

old windows from her pig barn in Iowa.

They had just put new windows in so the

building could be used for storage.

Many of the old ones had no glass or

only half of their original glass.

I decided to put some patriotic fabric

in a few for some festive wall art.

I cut some cardboard for my background.

It's a light weight way to hold the fabric on flat.

Next I had to pick two different fabrics that

looked cute next to each other.

I sewed the two together and hid

the seam under the middle window board.

The printed words & flag lines were hard to

get straight. 

My second window is the best.

The bold color contrast & simple

prints went together just right.

I am excited that summer is here & things are

lush and green.  The holiday will be here before

we know it.  Lets show a little pride for the Fourth.

~Jane

Linking up to:

Funky Junk Interiors

Mirrors

I love old mirrors.

They were so fancy back in the old days.

Often times you'll find them, separated from their

matching dresser or vanity.

Here are a few of my recently
painted old mirrors.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Here is a close up of the
lovely details....

A light sanding on the decoration & edges 

gives it some real vintage pizazz!

The worn mirror glass patina is so dreamy.

I love that aged look, even if it may be seen

as imperfection by some.

The details on the first mirror are more delicate
and the mirror is perfectly clear.

These are both will work great in 

almost any home.  Ivory is the most

versatile and safe (to sell) tone.  But some folks love 

a good POP of a bold color.

BEFORE

AFTER

Hello turquoise!

This one, unlike the wooden mirrors,

is molded plastic.  It still has great details.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Have a great Mother's Day weekend.

Linking up to:

Coastal Charm

Junk Bonanza Fall 2015

Well, the spring Junk Bonanza in Minnesota

is less than a month away.

I plan to attend this year, with some friends.

It got me thinking about my experience

last fall as a vendor!  I'd like to share some

pictures of my items and display.

I sold a mix of greeting cards, created junk & of

course smalls & antiques.

I rented only a table space this round,

since my first time selling with a full

sized booth was so overwhelming!

This AMAZING fan sold.

This goose grate was from an old screen door.

It was a unique item & sold the first day!

The mum bucket & thermos found new homes as well.

The pouring tea pot is still available on my

Etsy shop: MinnesotaJunker

Just in time or "garden season"!

I had one in my garden hanging from

a Shepard's hook over tall phlox 

and it looked amazing.

I changed up my display each day at the show.

Both glass cabinets sold.

I sold the Hopalong Cassidy wallet box (inside the cabinet). 

 The old door knobs went like hot cakes, especially the glass ones.

You can still find some of the large flashcards

and shabby wood pedestals on my Etsy shop too.

Those darling old stroller wheels sold.

That chunky paintbrush is in my Esty shop.

The best part of the whole experience was 

the table next door.  She gave me some good

insight into her marketing.  Call me crazy,

but I even bought a petticoat from her.

She had wonderful scarves, mittens 

and slippers made from old sweaters.

Lystrom Specialties

The second best part of being a vendor

was getting to do a walk through each

morning before the show opened.

Fancy Book

I snatch up old books, even if they're in

a different language.  Why?  Well, I find

some of the fancy page decorations

too beautiful to keep hidden away!

With major conditions issues,

this book was a lost cause.

I didn't have any regret salvaging

out the pages for making cards.

With a little erasing,

 I was able to save part of this page.

This is a collection of the pages

with fancy flourish designs.

Although I can think of many uses,

here is one of the cards I made....

The stamps I used are Unity brand.

There is a strip of Smash brand tape

along the bottom.  Take a closer look

at the sentiment with sparkles...

I use Distress ink around my paper edges to 

try and match the aged paper tones.

I am in the mood for spring,

and my crafts are starting to show it!

Have a great Easter.

Linking up to:

Funky Junk Interiors

Painted Frames

I have been absent from my blog for a while.

The return to my seasonal job has me

trying to find a balance in life.

It's an adjustment every year.

My new favorite project is painting empty frames. 

 I've been purging my stockpile of them 

& giving them each a face lift.

I've painted them all the same 

color ivory & distressed the edges.

You know the look. It's a cute jumbled mess

of frames, usually on a mantle.

I think you could pull this off on top

of any dresser or buffet.

BEFORE:

This kind of project takes up my kitchen table

for a few days!  It drives the family nuts!

But the truth is, they are selling as fast as

I can whip them out!

The very chunky one above was $1.50 at

a thrift store.  I got three like that. 

I plan to stock up at garage sales this summer.

Then you can often get frames for .50 to $1,

and maybe even free!

This pair above was already ivory.

I paid one dollar each. 

They had some chips & a nice crackle.

This large frame was a total rescue.

It had a very bad corner, which I 

had to reconstruct.  The pattern on it was

so pretty, I couldn't just toss this old frame.

It looks crude, but it already sold!

We'll just say THAT frame had character.

I bought two with a curvy edge.

Those little frames were only .10 each!

I hope I've inspired you to get out

that idle can of ivory paint!

Linking up to:

Funky Junk Interiors