Double Duty Christmas Decor

 Have you ever had a clear vision for a project & somewhere along the way it turns into something completely different? Well, this is one of those projects... kind of. It can still be used for it's original purpose, but I'm using it in a different way.

When I saw these trees at Hobby Lobby, I thought I could pop them off of their base & use them as part of a pretty wreath.

To start my wreath, I used a flat wreath form & glued 2" half wooden balls to the form.

I left a space to add the trees.

My original thought was that I could take a hammer to the trees & knock them off of the base they were standing on. However, they were inserted into the wood & I didn't want to break them.

So, I decided to leave them attached to the base.

The trees & base were too heavy to glue onto the wreath form, so I screwed the wreath onto the base to attach it.

The trees came with a little greenery in front of them, but I wanted to add more greenery to cover the wood board that created the base for the trees. I took 2 picks of spruce with pinecones that was similar to what was already on the base, twisted their stems together, added glue along the base, & also added a screw through the stems to make sure it was secure.

To hide the board & stems, I covered them with Snow-Tex using a pallet knife.

I used the pallet knife to add a little "snow" to the greenery & the pinecones.

The final product worked fine as a wreath...

But, because I left the base on the trees, it stands up! So I decided to use it on my buffet. Now I get to see it everyday.

And, who knows, maybe next year I'll hang it on my front door!

Linking To:

The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors, The Answer Is Chocolate, Flutter Buster, Our Hopeful Home, My Thrift Store Addiction,  Confessions Of A Plate Addict, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Creatively Beth, County Road 407, Pieced Pastimes, Southern Sunflowers, The House On Silverado

Christmas Wine Bottle Stoppers

 After doing a project last Spring using oyster shells to create art for Easter, I had a lot of shells leftover. You can see that project HERE. I scoured the internet looking for other projects to create with the shells. I found a lot of posts that used oyster shells to make wine bottle stoppers. So, here's my version...

I can't begin to tell you how many projects I've done using napkins to decoupage, so this was right up my alley!

I first paint the inside of the shell with white acrylic paint to cover up the dark spots. If I had skipped this step, the dark areas would show through the napkin.

I left the back of the shell natural.

When using paper napkins to decoupage you need to separate the layers. If you don't, the napkin won't adhere properly. Typically they have 3 layers, but sometimes there are 4.

For my first stopper I used this cute Christmas napkin with pretty little houses. I cut out a section of the napkin with the part of the design I wanted to use. I cut it larger than the shell. You need extra because of the curved nature of the shell.

I added a coat of ModPodge to the inside of the shell, placed the napkin on the shell, then used my finger to gently press the napkin into the shell. The napkin can tear easily when wet from the ModPodge so you need to avoid rubbing back & forth.

Once the napkin was pressed down, I used a soft brush to give the napkin a coat of ModPodge.

I let the ModPodge dry completely, then tore away the excess napkin. It helps to wet your finger with water, rub along the edge, then tear.

Using my finger, I added Gold Gilding Wax to the edge of the shell.

I used hot glue to attach the shell to the stopper.

I knew the hot glue wouldn't be enough to secure the shell long term, so I added a layer of resin, covering the glue & the edge of the shell.

When adding the resin, I did one side at a time to prevent drips, curing each side of resin under the blue light that came with my resin kit.

After curing, when the resin was hard, I used a stiff brush to cover the glue & resin with the gold gilding wax.

I didn't like that the stopper was silver & the accent on the shell was gold. So, I changed the silver to gold with the gilding wax.

When it's time to put Christmas items away, I'll have this one that I made with a napkin that can last throughout the whole winter season.

These stoppers are so fun to make. And, they'll make great gifts!

Linking To:

The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors, The Answer Is Chocolate, Flutter Buster, Our Hopeful Home, My Thrift Store Addiction,  Confessions Of A Plate Addict, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Creatively Beth, County Road 407, Pieced Pastimes, Southern Sunflowers, The House On Silverado

Tree Frog And The Flower Child

 

This is one of those projects that I was so excited about starting that I forgot the "before" picture. But, we've all seen them... traditional little side table, stained, with a faux leather top.

This one was not in the best shape & needed some love. The bottom had a few scratches, but the leather top was in really bad shape.

To bring this little table back to life, I started by painting the wood with the color, Tree Frog, from the Dixie Belle Paint Company. Tree Frog is one of my favorite colors! 

Tree Frog is such a bright, vibrant color, that it's not for everyone. But, when you add a dark wax or glaze over the paint, it tones it down. So, I added Dixie Belle's Best Dang Wax in black.

I used a stiff bristle brush to add the black wax to the grooves & any recessed detail. I put the wax on heavy, then wiped it back with a rag.

I left the wax heavy in the grooves & used the wax left on the rag to add a thin layer of wax over the rest of the table. This not only tones down the green, but also seals the paint.

As I said earlier, the leather top was in bad shape. Even painting it with the color, Caviar,  didn't hide the imperfections. So, I grabbed the Flower Child transfer from Dixie Belle to hide the damage.

With the transfers, you remove the white backing, position the design where you want it, then rub over the design with a burnishing tool that comes with it.

I burnish over the entire design, then start lifting the plastic cover, burnishing towards where I'm lifting as I go. If any of the design comes up with the plastic, I lay it back down & burnish until it adheres.

The sections of the design line up easily.

Some parts of the design I overlapped as I went around the table with the transfer.

I made sure to continue the transfer on the sides of the top of the table.

I know this look isn't for everyone. However, every piece I've painted with Tree Frog has sold quickly. And, this piece was no exception.

I had this table for sale in a local shop. I live in a town with a large film studio & someone from the studio came in looking for whimsical furniture. SOLD!

I have no idea if it was purchased for a movie or tv show. If you happen to spot it, please let me know!!!

Linking To:

The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors, The Answer Is Chocolate, Flutter Buster, Our Hopeful Home, My Thrift Store Addiction,  Confessions Of A Plate Addict, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Creatively Beth, County Road 407, Pieced Pastimes, Southern Sunflowers, The House On Silverado

A Sentimental Sign

 My father was always a hard worker & provided well for his family. When he retired late into his 70's, he didn't know what to do with himself. So, he got a job working in the club house of a golf course. He loved it! It was fun for my children too. He would take them for golf cart rides & let them putt. My daughter took her first steps in that club house. 

I lost my father 20 years ago, & the golf course has since been replaced by a hotel. Only the memories remain. And when a fellow junker posted pictures online of 2 signs he had for sale, my jaw dropped. They were the signs from the golf course where my father worked. I had to have one! So I called my junkin' friend & had him hold one for me & went as quickly as I could to get it.

My husband & I got the sign home, then I put my son to work turning the sentimental sign into a table for our screened porch.

My son, John, is extremely talented! He is an architect by profession. He can build just about anything you want. He also creates fantastic leather items. You can check him out at handcrafted_architect on Instagram & Hand Crafted Architect on Facebook.

John built a frame to hold the sign. It's huge so he put lots of support underneath. He used 4"x4"s for the legs with 2"x4"s for braces. I stained the legs & braces with Voodoo Gel Stain from the Dixie Belle Paint Company in the color Tobacco Road.

I Painted the 2"x4" boards that frame the sign with the chalk mineral paint color, Fluff, from Dixie Belle. The letters on the sign were worn, but I chose to not touch them up, but rather leave them worn. It adds to the character.

John left a lip around the sign to be able to add resin. He used a 2 part resin that you mix together. If you've ever used resin, you know that some of them will yellow over time. I've yet to find one that doesn't. If you know of one, please share it with me!

This project was actually done several years ago (sorry, I'm just now sharing) &, you guessed it, it yellowed. 

But, not to worry, I just painted over the Fluff border with Rebel Yellow. It was a perfect match!

John also built the benches.

We can easily fit 12 people at the table... 14 if we add chairs at the ends.

The sign brings back so many wonderful memories. And, we are creating more memories as we gather around the table.

Linking To:

The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors, The Answer Is Chocolate, Flutter Buster, Our Hopeful Home, My Thrift Store Addiction,  Confessions Of A Plate Addict, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Creatively Beth, County Road 407, Pieced Pastimes, Southern Sunflowers, The House On Silverado