Thanksgiving Decorating Ideas

The holidays are here and if your like me, every year I get into the spirit and want to do something different for the holidays. Today I wanted to share with you some holiday decorations that are not just easy to do, but quite the conversation piece as well.

Chrysanthemum Covered Pumpkins 

To Decorate your Home or your Entryway

All that is needed is an awl, make "holes" and fill with mums

Fabric Covered Fruit

With some thrift store fabric and needle and thread you can make this awful fruit basket 

and then hot glue craft leaves to the tops.

Dressed Up Entryway

Nothing says elegance for the fall like beautiful pumpkins and cabbage flowers.

Gourd Wreath

Take a thrift store wreath and upcycle it with your favorite gourds, 

add mossy green and pumpkin-color ribbon to make a beautiful wreath.

Pumpkin Filled Lanterns

Thrift Store Lanterns in any color can be transformed with spray paint,

then add your favorite fall items and dress up any room or front porch.

Snowman Shaped Pumpkins

Be creative and add some flair to pumpkins by sitting them on each other to make a statue.

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Upcycled Birdcage Light- Not Just For The Birds Anymore

One of my favorite finds at the thrift store is birdcages. There are so many different things that you can do with them.  This one initially  had been a wedding envelope holder, but was perfect for what I had planned.

Great Deal at 3.99

Items Needed: 

You will need a light. This one is pieces I had left over from a .99 light I had used the glass pieces from for the Upcycled Silver Plated Spoons Plant Hanger.

A small lamp shade that attaches to your light bulb, as well as any other decor you want to add.

Directions:

1. First dissassemble the light socket if using an old light, unless you are using a store bought candelabra or edison type and unscrew the cord.

On mine I had already cut the cord to reduce the length. 

2. Next feed your cord through your decorative hardware that you may be using if needed, then through the birdcage. You are now ready to reattach your socket.

3. To make sure that my decorative hardware stayed in place, I hot glued it to the top of the birdcage.

4. Then reconnect the top to the bottom of socket. I painted my lamp socket to a hammered brown color also. Make sure that when you reattach your socket to the cord that you put the bottom piece on first before rewiring the socket.

5. Then add your lamp shade. I chose a lampshade that clipped to my light bulb. Although, I think an Edison bulb would look great here.

• Thrift Store Bird Cage                       $3.99
• Thrift Store Light (on hand)               $  .00

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT              $3.99

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Creative Chalkboard For The Holidays

Here is a cute idea for a gift for the person who loves shabby chic, or just likes to stay organized. Instead of buying that expensive chalkboard or the even more, expensive chalkboard that you find at your neighborhood craft store, why not make one? 

I found this cute wood display at the thrift store and loved its "bones", so I decided I would make it into a chalkboard that I have been meaning to make for my kitchen.

What a deal .09!!

Directions

1. I started out by sanding it down first.
2. Then painted it with a black spray paint to give it some aesthetic texture for the final result. 
3. After drying I painted it with a white wash; 2 parts paint with 1 part water.
4. Removed the backboard and painted with chalkboard paint.
5. While chalkboard is drying, I sanded the white frame for a distressed look and then applied liquid black antiquing. (remember a little goes a long way of this stuff.)
6. I then reapplied the chalkboard to the back of the frame.
7. Add any type of hardware, design, or stenciling.
8. Where the gap was, I added a piece of brass that use to be on an old vintage window and cut to fit. Giving it more flair as well as covering the gap.

There you have it!! A Custom Made Chalkboard for a fraction of store prices. Even if you were to give as a gift, no one will ever know that you spent next to nothing. All they will see is all the love that went into a custom gift just for them.

After I made this, the next morning my wonderful guy left me my first note to wake up to. He really is the best!

• Thrift Store Wood Display                       $.09
• Chalkboard and Paint (on hand)               $.00

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT                   $.09

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Salt Dough Ornaments For The Holidays

Spending Quality Time With Family

Whether money is tight during the holidays or you just want a new craft to do with your kids? Salt Dough Ornaments are the best thing to do either. Made from things you already have in your cabinet, you can make special keepsakes with this recipe from Halloween pumpkins, to thanksgiving decorations and even Christmas ornaments.  Nothing is more special than making a homemade memories, spending time with your family and keeping your keepsakes for years to come.

 Directions for Salt Dough Recipe

Ingredients 3/4 Cup of Shortening 3/4 Cup of Sugar 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup of Molasses 3 Cups of Flour 1 TBSP Cinnamon 1/2 TSP Salt 1/2 Cup to 1 Cup of Water (more or less) Directions Cream together the Shortening and the Sugars in a large mixing bowl until mixed well. Stir in the Molasses, again until mixed well. In separate bowl, combine the Flour, Cinnamon, and Salt and stir to combine. Begin to alternately add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Add the flour mixture and 1/4 cup of the water at a time until ingredients are mixed and you have formed a good dough. At some point, it's best to just get your hands in there and start mixing, as it will quickly become a challenge to stir with a spoon! You may need to add a little more water or flour to get your dough to the correct consistency. You want to be able to touch the dough with your finger and have it not stick to it. So when that happens, it's ready. Shape your dough into a large ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. If you plan to be using your dough for cut-out ornies (using cookie cutters, etc), what I like to do is sprinkle my counter with cinnamon. This helps the dough to not stick, but it also adds extra cinnamon to the outer layer of the dough, which I like. But this is totally optional. I also suggest you buy your cinnamon in large bulk containers; it's much cheaper that way...and get the cheapest cinnamon you can find. No sense spending a lot of money on something you aren't going to eat! For cut-outs and small ornies (like the cinnamon bun ornies), bake these at 350° for for 15-20 minutes. It may be more or less, depending on your own oven. They will harden quite a bit while cooling. Just be sure they're cooked through and let them cool completely. For larger items like pantry cakes or very large cinnamon buns (I've done full size ones on occasion), I usually bake them at 325° for 20-30 minutes, again, oven times will vary, and the thickness of your item will be a big factor too. And if you're going to dip your ornies or other baked dough items in wax, just make sure they are cooled completely before doing so.

Related articles

• Braided Apple Sweet Bread with Cider Glaze (therapybread.com)
• Feeling Crafty? Homemade Salt Dough Baby Hand/Foot Print Ornaments! (confessionsofacrockermom.wordpress.com)
• Salt Dough Ornaments (roseg1394.wordpress.com)
• Salt Dough Ornaments (liefdeliebelove.wordpress.com)

Remodeling The Den

Today I started in the Den, It is the darkest room in the house, having one entire end of the room with a built in cabinet. Nothing but paneling in the house. Paneling has to be the biggest mistake of the 1960's. Something that was once popular will, if given enough time, almost always circles back into popularity again. I'm not talking about full length solid wood paneling, that is a different story. But the veneer paneling... that should have stayed gone. Instead it has found its way back to becoming popular. I am going to pass up that train and go with something else.

As you can see my camera can't even take a good picture because of the darkness of the room.

And to make things worse...the same green paint theme continued from the kitchen.

So my first project is to paint the built in. I wanted to start there because even though its causing a lot of darkness, it still is a focal point in the room.

I used the dark paneling in a positive way by painting my new color over it and allowing the dark brown to show through. Taking a dry brush and wiping back off the wet paint to make it look distressed.  

I wanted the built in to look more like a piece of furniture than just a built in. 

You can already see how much it brightened up.

I then changed the hardware to some vintage pieces.

Then painted the remaining walls a light beige to compliment

Added Thrift Store Valance $2.00

And painted the trim white.

• Paint (dent sale)                             $5.00

• Paint for built in  (mismatched)        $5.00

• Thrift Store Valance                       $2.00

• --------------------------------------------

Total Of Today's Project                         $12.00

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Kitchen Remodeling Project Day 2 by Junkin4Humanity

Kitchen Remodeling Project Day 2

Tonight I want to finish up our kitchen project. Yesterday we got the wallpaper hung. Although, I never thought I would ever hang wallpaper again. Today I started painting the walls a lighter color over top of the light green walls. Don't get me wrong, I love the color of green, but this color had to been given to the person who painted this room. No one would have bought this on purpose, mismatched paint or not. I went with a white with beige undertones on the wall and it's amazing how much it brightened the room. 

On the other wall I needed to take care of the 2 holes that were hidden behind a unsightly curtain and paint the wall as well. I opted for a contrasting color above the uppers that complimented the wallpaper.

As far as the holes, I decided to go with a handmade creation. I found 2 mirrors (.99) in my "shed stash" along with some silver forks (bag for $1.00) I had. I flattened the forks out and bent the tines and hot glued them to the glass.

I then took a board that originally came from a dresser drawer bottom (donated). It was an antique newspaper that had been pressed onto the board years ago. I then placed the mirrors on top, measured my wall openings and cut to fit.

The plaques were hung over the holes and I also added chicken wire and a chalkboard sign (leftover from previous projects). I love to be able to change the bible verses their each day. It also helps us to learn them as well.

On this wall I took a old rod iron plate holder ($2.50) and painted it to go with my "metalware" look. I love all the old tins and brasses.

The curtain ($2.00) I searched high and low for at the thrift stores. I needed something with the colors of all the metalware that I had. This was the closest thing I could find but unfortunately was a panel, not a valance. I hate to sew so I took burlap (roll $3.00) and drew them up to make it more aesthetic. Then hot glued old vintage hardware (shed stash)  to the burlap.

Before and After's

.99 cent Thrift Store Canoe Picture

Miscellaneous Metalware (.49-2.00)

Starting on the Den Tomorrow's Blog!

• 2 mirrors                                                         $  .99
• silver forks (bag for $1.00)                           $1.00

• dresser drawer bottom (donated)                $  .00

•  chalkboard sign (leftover from projects)     $  .00

• old rod iron plate holder                                $2.50

• burlap (roll)                                                     $3.00

• Thrift Store Canoe Picture                           $ .99

• Miscellaneous Metalware (.49-2.00)          $6.00

• ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT              $14.48

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