Junk to Jewel Transformation

So I don't readily admit this but I have a small "dump" on my property. Yes, the previous owners from 10 years ago left me my own little junkyard. I didn't even realize it was there until about 2 years ago as the woods and brush had kept it concealed so well. I've been slowly cleaning it out, recycling metals and disposing of other items in a safe manner. Despite the pains of clean-up, I am a bit thankful to have such interesting raw materials to utilize for many of my creations. It's funny that I often pull elements from nature, right outside my door to use in decor and I can still say to a degree that I'm pulling materials from nature, outside my door (digging things up out of the earth!)

Enter the wire mattress spring. I love rusty things as many of you are now aware. Finding an old metal object always sparks ideas on how to repurpose it. It took awhile but I came up with something awesome.

My spring tea-light candle holder!

It took awhile to find a "vessel" in which to place the candle.  Nothing seemed to work quite right and the ability to shape the spring is somewhat limiting.  Despite its rusted patina, it's very rigid and durable and didn't want to budge much to my manipulations.  I found an old jar I had been saving and it cradled perfectly within the spring.  I cut another spring in half and wrapped a portion of it around the glass jar to provide a more decorative element and to tie everything together.  Since the jar has a somewhat curve in its inner base, the tea-light wanted to slide off to the sides.  To remedy this, I placed decorative stones around the jar's circumference to keep the tea-light centered within.  I feel more of these ideas will be "springing up" shortly!

Sharing this at:
The Thrifty Home - Penny Pinching Party
Restore Interiors - Restored It Wednesday
Very Merry Vintage Style - Share the Love #45
Coastal Charm - Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Someday Crafts - Whatever Goes Wednesday
The Shabby Creek Cottage
No Minimalist Here
The Brambleberry Cottage - Time Travel Thursday
Happy Hour Projects - Freestyle Friday
A Little Knick Knack
The Crafty Nest - Do Something Crafty Friday

Level-Headed

I try to be levelheaded all of the time but sometimes things in life just seem "crooked". So, in the interest of all things "level" I decided to share my latest level-headed idea.

I'm sure your table-scapes morph often and mine seem to be changing frequently as of late. October through January produce plenty of opportunity to experiment for the seasons and holidays. However, things are getting somewhat back to normal and my kitchen table has again found a new look.

A Repurposed Level

I love old, rusty things. Farm implements, vintage hardware, tools, etc. They have authentic character that can not be reproduced or replicated by way of new decor. Due to this fact, I enjoy infusing them whenever possible. I saved two, old levels from my father's estate. One I have been using for about 6 months and it has moved a few times but has most recently claimed a spot beneath a coffee-table.

Cool, old level as a decorative element

It was the older of the two and had a bit more unique detailing. The second one has been in storage in the upper level of my garage. Every time I'm up there fetching something or placing something away, I walk past it. In doing so, I always stop for a moment, look at it and try to figure out where it can be placed or used. I finally decided to pick it up and bring it into the house. Perhaps seeing it in a new location will spark some ideas. Well, it didn't take me long to come up with the minimal, table, tea-light holder idea. I had recently removed the holiday stuff and felt like placing something there other than the old, wooden bowl filled with pods that I default to when nothing else comes to mind.

I stole three, glass, tea-light / votive holders from another arrangement stored away and the bases fit perfectly into the level's "bubble" viewers (hmmm, probably not the technical term). I may keep an eye out for three other glass votive holders that are a bit taller yet fit within the level as the current ones do.

I must say, I'm a bit in love with the simple, no-frills, streamline look 

this old tool offers in its repurposed state!

Sharing this at:

The Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped Up
Debbiedoos - Newbie Party
DIY Home Sweet Home - More The Merrier Monday
Sugar and Spice - Drab To Fab Party
Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Nite Special

De-Decorating Doldrums

Yesterday was an oddly warm day here in southeastern Pennsylvania. Prime opportunity to get the outdoor holiday decor taken down. While up on a ladder taking lighting off my grapevine topiary, I couldn't help but think at how much time went into making everything look so perfect and how quickly we can "undo all that was done". So many hours of work to get prepared for the holidays; undone and "wrapped up" in haste. Strands of lights placed so carefully, unwound and removed in a few minutes. Bows placed, tightened and straightened just so . . . quickly un-plucked and placed in a box. It was a somewhat bitter-sweet affair. One I'm sure many can relate to. Soon, only fallen pine needles displayed evidence of what once was.

Inside the home was a similar story. Disarray (to an extent) and bags and boxes lay littered around, awaiting their contents once again to be stored away for a year. The grapevine tree of which I was so proud, became dry and droopy. The piece I thought would be an accent in the corner year-round was decidedly moved outdoors. Things got packed away. Once vibrant greenery of Pine and Juniper now lay wilted, frail and faded. A large plastic tub began to fill with their remains, to be sadly discarded in the woods (yet I'm thankful for the beauty they offered, like a gift, during their prime ).

The interior has retreated back to its normal state for the most part. The crystal pieces ended up staying out and were moved around a bit; displayed now sans greenery while offering a Wintry look appropriate for January.

So, have you found it bitter-sweet to undo all of your holiday doings? I'm glad to get things somewhat back to normal but can't help feeling a bit sad to see it gone.

The crystal remains.  The bowl of bells seem fitting yet with their snowflake design.

Bye, bye greenery.   Note my two recent additions.  A large pedestal vase (center)
and the small footed-bowl with lid at right.  My $5.00 total finds! 

Somewhat back to normal.  No grapevine tree in the left corner.  :-(

Frugal finds continue displaying well during the season.

Breaking Bottles

OH WHAT FUN! Who doesn't enjoy breaking things? WICKEDLY DELIGHTFUL, RIGHT? Actually, no I'm not much of a breaker of things and frankly, broken glass frightens me. Still, ever since I saw a vid on you-tube for cutting bottles I've been wanting to try it. Oddly enough, the idea is a hot one (ha, no pun intended . . . guess that is only funny to me at this point in the post, read on . . . ) I've been seeing crop up in home decor items.

Of course, the following process could get interesting if you do not already have empty wine bottles, so drink up and then play with your bottles the next morning! SAFETY FIRST!

Seeing as I always save empty bottles and cans for ideas, I had plenty on hand for this quick project.

You will need the following:

- A bottle (I used a large wine bottle at room temperature)
- Yarn (Cotton String)
- Acetone (fingernail polish remover)
- A candle lighter
- Gloves (if you dislike the smell of Acetone which I do)
- Safety glasses (just in case)
- A sink filled with cold water


1) Wrap yarn around the end of your bottle a good 6 or 7 times, tie it, cut of the excess yarn at the knot and slide it off the bottle.

Yarn wrapped around bottle.  Aluminum foil will catch any dripping acetone.

2) Use the inverted cap of the acetone as a small dish.  Push your yarn into the cap and pour a bit of acetone into the cap making sure you push the yarn down into it so it's fully saturated.

Yarn pressed into cap and soaked with acetone.

3) Slide the yard back into position on the bottle near the location you want it to separate.

4) Wipe any excess, dripping acetone off of the bottle with a paper towel, hold it over the sink by the neck and light the yarn with a long stem type candle lighter.

5) Slowly wind (rotate) the bottle so the fire burns evenly around the yarn and keep the bottle end slightly angled so the hot air remains trapped within the bottle.

6) After the fire extinguishes itself which took less than a minute, plunge the bottle into the cold water.  The cracking will scare ya a bit but the lower portion with the trapped air will break free from the upper portion of the bottle.

Bolla bottle broke nicely, the Woodbridge bottle has a visible crack (my first attempt).

7) Use caution to remove the bottom portion of the bottle from the sink and also use caution around the end of the bottle you are salvaging.  You may elect to use some fine grit sand paper to carefully buff the edges of the bottle at the break point.

8) Also use extreme caution if you decide to wash the interior of the bottle, again due to the bottom edge.  I recommend using a handled sponge to clean the interior and then rinsing in hot water and allowing the inside of the bottle to air dry.

9) Place the bottle over a lit tea light and enjoy your cool creation.

A large empty tuna can makes a great inverted base for this large size bottle.

Or use a flat rock such as slate for a more organic base.

If you watch the video, you will see that she used a smaller bottle which probably also had a thinner glass. Due to this, her bottles broke right on the string whereas mine seemed to break below the yarn line in both attempts. The first attempt broke a tad crooked and also created a few cracks around the bottom where I didn't want ANY cracks. The second attempt broke clean and produced no cracks on the bottle.

Use extreme caution.  I don't know how safe or unsafe this process really is. I tried it, I lived to tell about it, I didn't have any issues. Just use common sense and good judgement if you attempt it.

FYI: Flatter bottom bottles work best, those with concave bottoms are difficult to break.

I tried this bottle twice and it wouldn't break!

A 3" diameter candle pillar fits nicely within.
It is on a shallow candle holder with a rim on which the bottle sits.

Note: If you use your bottle over a candle, the top of the bottle will get rather hot. When you go to extinguish the candle, lift the bottle from its base, not the top.

Addendum: After a bit more research on this, I found another video that suggests the use of an actual bottle cutter for cleaner results. I found this Generation Green (g2) Bottle Cutter at Amazon which I'm going to purchase and experiment with. Apparently, one simple score of the glass, combined with pouring hot water onto the score (teapot hot), followed by cold water and then hot again (continually alternating as long as necessary), will eventually cause the scored part to simply separate in a much safer fashion than the "burning bottle" approach. Seeing as I want super clean breaks and smooth edges, this is probably the better approach. I'll post more info once I get my bottle cutter to let you know how well it works.



Sharing this at:
The Crafty Nest - Do Something Crafty Friday
Happy Hour Projects - Freestyle Friday
The Shabby Nest - Frugal Friday
Laurie Anna's Vintage Home - Farmhouse Friday
Nifty Thrifty Things - Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Lamb Around's Blog Hop

New Year = "New" Finds

Out with the old, in with the new.  I guess it's that time of year.  Time for change.  For most, that adage pertains to habits, typically bad ones, that need to change.  In another respect it pertains to home items.  Out with the old, in with the new.  

If the holidays delievered good fortune, than many folks are making room for new items in their homes which means the old stuff hits the curb or better yet Good Will and other thrift stores. 

I happened to stop at our local mission yesterday located conveniently across the street from the post office where I was dropping off a few packages.  Hmmm, I guess it doesn't hurt to peek in and see if any new goodies have arrived.  I didn't stick around too long, but long enough to score a rather good find.



A great Ikea find, leaning so appropriately against my Ikea chair.

 A large 23" x 23" art piece from IKEA with a heavy, real wood frame and mat.  I couldn't pass it up.  The frame has a bit of scuffing along one edge but it will be a great little project.  I'm planning on sanding the wood and staining it with black wood stain and popping in one of own black and white pen and ink drawings. 



The "boogered up" spots that will need a little attention.



See how these little trips to the thrift stores become addictive?  You just never know what you are going to find.  This particular mission store has a barrel lid steamer trunk that I've been keeping my eye on too.   Do I have room for it?  "Ummm, No."  But it's so cool.

Anyway, be on the lookout for discards because you just may discover the "gem" of the day.  I guess that's a bit lofty for an IKEA picture frame.  We''ll say a GREAT BARGAIN FIND!  There, that's better.

Here's to "Happy Finding!"

Winter Squash?

No, your eyes are not deceiving you.  I took these pictures on January 3, 2012.  I keep seeing posts about people wondering how to decorate for Winter once they take down their holiday decor.  I say "decorate with pumpkins and gourds!"  Well, not really.  Why can't I part with these little guys?  They have been sitting quietly in their bowl in a somewhat hidden kitchen counter-top location, minding their business as the hub-bub of the holidays have come and gone.  Possibly feeling a little heartache and resentment toward the evergreen cuttings that have taken residence in their place for the past month.

So, a little experiment . . .

Well, it's a nice contrast but something just doesn't look right.  I guess our minds tell us that pumpkins and evergreen don't mix.  (I feel like I'm giving a public service announcement).  

So, what should I do with these buggers?  I can't throw them out just yet.  One gourd did dry out on its own which makes me want to dry the other ones out by some means.  I'll have to look into this.

In the meantime, a question.  When do you de-decorate for the holidays?  When do you undo all you did for Christmas?  My grandmother used to say that the tree and decorations stay up till the "Wise men reach Bethlehem".  I can't remember if that's a Tuesday or a Thursday. ;-)  (kidding)

As of now, everything is still up indoors and out and as you can see, even Autumn items are lingering.  What is socially responsible?  Perhaps I'll at least unplug the timer for the topiary lights outdoors.  "SIGH"  

GO GREEN in 2012

Do you resolve to go green in 2012? Make your home a green home. Learn to conserve energy and use less water. Recycle products and repurpose old items as decorative solutions around your home. And of course introduce some GREEN into your color scheme this year through the use of wall paint or accents.  It's a soothing color that I can't live without.

Please visit the Frugal Interior Design Website to browse some of the featured "Green" topics

. . . and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to you!