Union Jack

Here is a peak.  Your looking at a peak of the table covering I made for Decor to Adore's High Tea.  I created a Union Jack table cover from altered materials.

This is the dress I cut the red stripes from.  The thrifted dress on clearance at the end of last winter, cost $1.  

This oxford shirt also thrifted for a $1.  This was the white stripes.  Surprisingly there is a lot of fabric in a man's shirt.

Here Union Jack is getting a fitting.   

Cutting the red plaid on the bias.  No need to match the plaid and keep it as straight cutting it this way.

Pinning the plaid, it is starting to look like the Union Jack.  I got the royal blue fabric at the Salvation Army for 75 cents.  So the total cost was $2.75.    Come back tomorrow for the whole tablescape.  

I will link to: 

Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm
Wow Us Wednesday  at Savvy Southern Style

Go and check out all of the great ideas on these blogs.

Books and Their Covers

Having fun with my vintage book collection.  The hot look for the book is coverless.  I got some old books at the thrift store for 50 cents apiece and ripped their covers off.  Shocking I know, if you haven't been over to Pottery Barn, Ballard Design, or my personal favorite Restoration Hardware you might not have noticed this look.  Think of it as another way to recycle that which may be headed for the dumpster anyway.  That would have been the fate of my books in a few weeks.

But, if you really do have an aversion to tearing up a book I do have an alternative for you. 

See the covers on these books.  I created them to look old out of brown paper sack book covers.  Just like the ones you made in grade school.  See how I did it here.

I updated this little lamp.  You can read about that here.

And what is not to love about an old clock and it's time worn face.  
Loving my whites today over with Kathleen at Faded Charm.
Will also link to:  Go and visit these great blogs.
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday  at Coastal Charm

Junkin Finds at A La Carte

Thrifty Thursday at Tales From Bloggeritaville

Frugalicious Friday  at Finding Fabulous
 Found a new Party over at:
Anything Goes Party at Type A Decorating

Ornaments From Thrift Store Frames

I found these great frames at the thrift store and they had potential.   I had in mind that they would make nice Christmas ornaments with family photos.  I bought them marked down at half the price shown.

They were in need of a good cleaning.

They were very nice but, the finish wouldn't enhance my Christmas tree at all.  I decided to spray paint them gold.

I repainted them and printed up some of my favorite family photos from the computer to put in them.

They really made great ornaments!  They were $1.25 a piece and I was really pleased how they turned out.   
I will join these thrifty ladies, go and visit them.

2nd Time Around  at A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
Twice Owned Tuesday  at House of Grace
Before and After Party at Savvy Southern Style

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday  at Coastal Charm

Junkin Finds at A La Carte

Thrifty Thursday at Tales From Bloggeritaville

Frugalicious Friday  at Finding Fabulous

Wreath Makeover with Frames

I made a Christmas wreath that centered around these two little frames.  I found the frames at the thrift store, they were half price and I thought they would work nicely.  I took the backing off and spray painted them white.

I then highlighted the design on them with Rub'N Buff in Grecian Gold.  This product is made for frames but it works for many craft applications.

I glued them nested together and then hung them from the center of the wreath.   I took the top of the wreath and added two picks and placed a new ribbon over that.  Very simple and inexpensive.

 The wreath I already had.  I bought the frames for 75 cents for both.  I had the Rub 'N Buff and the spray paint from other projects.  I also had the Christmas greenery picks form a previous year.  So, I had 75 cents in this wreath.

I will join these thrifty ladies, go and visit them.

2nd Time Around  at A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
Twice Owned Tuesday  at House of Grace
Before and After Party at Savvy Southern Style
White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Making a Cloche

I see this type of clock in the thrift stores and I had decided I would try my hand at making a cloche out of it.  The dome was glass but the base was plastic.

I took the clock apart and tried to salvage the base, but it just wasn't going to work so I pitched everything but the glass dome.

The dome was a perfect fit to this little French Haviland plate I found at the Salvation Army for 25 cents.  The white tree and the deer were just modern Christmas decorations.  And, I sprinkled a little fake snow on it all.  The clock cost 50 cents at the thrift store on clearance.  So I created this for under $5.

It was my lucky thrifting week because I also found this.  I am sure it is a hurricane shade of some kind but, it also will work for a cloche.  It was also 50 cents.

I placed it on a little Limoges bread and butter plate with a glass ornament and it was a very nice cloche.  You can get any glass ornament to stand upright if you put a little hot glue on the bottom and spread it out as a flat base with a popsicle stick. 

I will link this to these blogs, please go and visit them.
2nd Time Around  at A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
Twice Owned Tuesday  at House of Grace
Before and After Party at Savvy Southern Style

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday  at Coastal Charm

Junkin Finds at A La Carte

Thrifty Thursday at Tales From Bloggeritaville

Frugalicious Friday  at Finding Fabulous

I will join Joni at Red Couch Recipes for the Thanksgiving Challenge.  I will put at the end of every post till Thanksgiving what I am thankful for.  I am thankful for the community leaders that put so much work into helping out the youth in our county.

Tweaking a Tabletop

I have a antique secretary that is a family piece of furniture.  I had a few things displayed on it but it was sorta boring.  So I decided to tweak it with a table top rearrangement.

I used books as a riser and placed the lamp on top.  I also added a small doily with a silver box on top of it.  The layering provides more interest and the books give some height to the lamp.

I also recently scored this great framed cottage art print from a relative who didn't want it.  This sets the cottage mood for the whole room.  It is a large print maybe three feet square and it is a definite focal point.  

I usually don't think of looking for seashells at the thrift store but, I found this bag of large shells at a local thrift store.  They were only $4.  They look really good in my remodeled cutlery tray on the dining room table.  You can see how I took this Pfaltzgraff  tray and remodeled it here.

I will join these link parties:

A Stroll Thru Life's Tabletop Tuesday. 

A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words' 2nd Time Around.

Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays.

House of Grace's Twice Owned Tuesdays.

Reinvented's Trash To Treasure. 

Tales From Bloggeritaville's Thrifty Thursdays.

Please go and visit these blogs and get great ideas for your home.

 

Botanical Print Makeover

 My little boy; who was three at the time, had collected some fall leaves and we pressed them.  I had them in a frame in my living room.  He is really crazy about trees so we have done more than a few projects involving trees.  The teenagers (his brothers) have unintentionally knocked the frame off the wall several times.  So, the frame finally broke.  It can be repaired but,  I decided to try something new on that wall.  I had a plan to again use Vintage Printable and print out some botanical prints for a grouping on my wall.

Taking a tip from Mary Carol Garrity; famous for her store Nell Hills in Atchison, KS, I used pieces of paper taped on the wall to space my pictures out.  

I have always wanted framed botanical prints in a grouping but, I have never found a way to spend money on art.  This was a affordable solution.  I had the frames from a sale at Hobby Lobby, they were 40% off (around $4 each). 

Now if the teenagers will try not to knock them off the wall they should be alright.  I will give the pressed leaves a new home in my littlest one's bedroom.

I am linking this post to:

Metamorphosis Moday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses. 

Three or More Tuesday at The Gypsy's Corner. 

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm. 

 Please visit these ladies and see what other wonderful ideas bloggers are contributing. 

                                                       

Bottles, bottles, everywhere...

 Image Pottery Barn

Everywhere I look I am seeing bottles.  They look coastal.

 

 Image from Pottery Barn

They look romantic glowing with candles.

You get the idea.  They are showing up in decor everywhere.  And, a vintage bottle is always a great find.  So shopping the antique stores recently I came across two.

 

This bottle is similar to PB's in the first picture.  It is encased in wicker, old, and really unique.  I priced the one similar to mine, 16 inches high on PB's website, it was $179.00.  My bottle at local antique store $18. 

 

 I don't have a comparison for this bottle but it has all the great features of a vintage bottle.  The great green color, thick uneven glass with flaws, and bubbles that show it has been hand blown.  This bottle has a round bottom, so it can't even sit upright, that has me really intrigued.  This bottle I got for $5.

If you don't have any luck at an antique store.  I found this really cute bottle at TJMaxx for just $4.99.  It came with this really neat tin seahorse tag.  Love that.  I purchased the corks for the last two bottles at Walmart in the craft department.

 I will be joining these parties:

Three or More Tuesday at The Gypsy's Corner. 

2nd Time Around at A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words.

Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented.

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm.

Toot Your Own Horn Tuesday at Silly Little Sparrow.