Dumpster Diving?

Dumpster diving not quite, but saving a rusty crusty object from the dump on garbage day is what I did one day last summer. It was a great day for a drive to check out rummage sales and it was garbage day. As we were driving down a street, I spied this rusty ash tray sitting out with the boxes and bags. Surely I could repurpose it.

We loaded it in the van, complete with pine needles and old cigarette butts. I cleaned out the debris and it sat in the garage over winter. This summer I scrubbed her with an SOS pad and a vinegar solution to loosen and remove some of the rust. Once she was clean, I taped off the "marble-like glass section and the brass sections and coated her with a coat of Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze.





Magically, a rusty piece of junk became a great plant stand for the patio!

For the Budding Home Decor Gal!

I purchased an adorable antique child's cupboard when my daughter was four years old. She is nineteen now. How quickly time passes. This was one of those UFO's, (unfinished objects) that had been stored in the basement for 15 years. It was completely painted in a creamy yellowed and checked white paint. ASCP (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) to the rescue! I thought it could be painted over if I thoroughly sanded the piece, but the old paint just gummed the sand paper. The entire piece needed to be stripped using that yucky chemical furniture stripper. I have stripped painted pieces in the past but I have never a piece like this. The paint dissolved into a liquid cream that needed to be scooped up not scrapped. My mom spent many hours stripping and getting the awful sticky mess out of the corners. After a gentle sanding and a thorough washing it was time for ASCP.



The majority of the cupboard was painted with Old White and the inside of the cupboard was painted with Louis Blue.



The drawer pulls were carved wood but I sprayed them with oil rubbed bronze by Krylon to give it that look so popular in repurposed home decor today.



I think about the joy a little girl had long ago when she received this cupboard lovingly made by a father or grandfather. The construction and attention to detail shows that a skilled craftsman wanted his little girl to have one just like her mother's cupboard. Look at the adorable pull out cutting board.



I haven't found exactly the right thing to style it with but it is now restored to its original glory and will hopefully be cherished again by another little girl.



Do you remember playing pretend when you were a child? I used my mom's doll cupboard with decals on when I was little.

I have been working on a vanity for my daughter's bedroom this week. The wax is drying and it will need buffing. It will be ready for the photo session soon.

Another $5.00 Find & A Bridal Shower Decoration

Summer is the best time for estate sales. On a rainy day several weeks ago, my mom and I went to an estate sale and grabbed this little table for $5.00.



It was dark walnut with lots of scratches and dings just waiting for a brand new look.



We selected Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Louis Blue and Old White. The legs have beautiful spindles and the little circle appliques on the sides add an extra special touch.



Last summer we went to an estate sale of a former teacher. There was an entire bed covered with new vintage hankies. Hankies must have been the Christmas gift for teachers in the 1950's and 1960's. The designs were so beautiful so we snatched up a huge lot of hankies. We are doing Viva's Vintage Market this Saturday in Sister Bay, Wisconsin and I needed a way to display some of the hankies. I used my daughter's iron dressmaker form jewelry hanger as a starting point. The white metal form was purchased at Hobby Lobby. I selected all of the white hankies with pastel tatting or crocheting and pined about thirty of them around the base of the dressmaker form.

Next, I selected the colorful floral hankies and pinned about the same number around the waist of the form. To accent the waist, I folded a pink hankie with tatting as an apron.



The sleeves are made from three hankies pinned to the shoulders. To finish off the look, I added an antique collar.



Besides being a great display, I thought this idea could be used for a bridal shower and each of the guests could select a hankie to take home. Other party decorations could include, buntings made from other vintage hankies hanging from the trees and I have even used hankies as napkins. Recently I saw a picture of a bride who tied her bouquets with vintage floral hankies. How would you decorate with vintage hankies?