Lighted Autumn Hurricane So Pretty!

                                      I scored this gigantic glass hurricane at a yard sale for $2.
                       It is 20" tall and 8" across at the belly with a wooden base. I love the size
                                          and how I can dress it up all year long. Plus, $2!! 
                                                          
                                                           That still makes me smile.

Last spring I filled it with vine balls, book page decor balls, driftwood, monkey's knots,
pine cones and my favorite green glitter dragonfly. I LOVE how it looked with a
few of my cobalt glass pieces.

                      

So this fall I restyled it for Autumn. Now it is a lighted accent to my
Thanksgiving decorating.

I like it. I like it alot!

         I grabbed a garland and a short string of 50 lights from my stash....both Dollar Store buys
                     from years past. I twined them together and stuffed them into the glass. 
                                             The problem was, they all fell to the bottom and
                                                       left the top of the glass empty.

I took a dowel the same height as the glass and wrapped it in autumn paper to blend in. 

Then I wrapped the garlands and lights together around the dowel using florist tape to secure it in a vertical column. One the dowel is nicely decorated it was easy to place

 the hurricane glass over it and set it in place. 

It worked!!

                

I love how it turned out!

It looks stunning and really lights up any corner I put it.

Me thinks I need to keep an eye out for more huge hurricane glass!

I used the same trick in the tall pasta jar right next to it. 

Easy peasy and didn't cost a dime.

Gotta love that!

Book Page Leaves And Fall Garlands

Loving your fall garlands but ready for a bit of a refresh? Add book page leaves to punch them up with great texture and neutral color. It's easy!

I am always on the lookout for autumn leaf garlands at thrift stores and yard sales. And there is always the Dollar Store! Then I add leaves cut from book pages to give them a little extra decor kick. You probably have everything you need on hand already. 

Here's how to do it...

Make a template from one of the garland leaves. We used cereal box cardboard. Trace the leaves on pages of a book you don't mind using. We used a 25 cent paperback that was ruined by water on one corner.

You can layer the pages and cut up to six pages at a time. Use a smaller pair of scissors, such as manicure scissors, for this task. It makes it easier!

Use a glue stick on one leaf. Add a long 8" stem of florist wire then glue a second leaf on top. Putting glue on the second leaf helps to make a secure bond.

Add your leaves to your garland, twisting the florist wire around and around the existing garland for a good hold. Curve your leaves just a bit. The wire inside them helps hold the curve and makes them look more pleasing then just flat leaf shapes.

See how the book page printing gives interesting texture to the colorful garland? I like this alot!

I love the way the new book leaves punch up this garland.

For beautiful table decor use a garland as a runner and add other book page accents. So pretty!

They look great against my muslin curtains. But then I couldn't leave well enough alone and so I added....

twinkly lights!

Ooh aah.

This is a fun and easy project. Plus, cheap. 

Try it out!

I'll be joining these fun linky parties. Drop on by!

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2015/10/pj-299-an-upcycled-link-party.html

http://www.littlemisscelebration.com/2015/10/02/best-of-the-weekend-6/

Use Your Imagination, Not $$$$ To Decorate for Fall

I am just as dazzled as the next gal by all the beautiful bling and glittery decor in the stores this time of year. I want to buy it all! BUT, reality and our budget intrude and I have to pull back. Way back. What do I do when I want beautiful decor without spending any ducats? I use my imagination and what I have on hand.

I start out with some twiggy branches from our yard. Florist foam anchors them in a painted black planter and then I start adding....stuff.

 Fake leaves and pumpkins from my stash plus different containers and candlesticks got me going. Then I made the pumpkins from fabric scraps, string and stuffing with cinnamon sticks for stems. Easy and FREE.

Here's the same display area fixed up, on the cheap, for Halloween.

I used crepe paper for the fluttery bats and the rosettes on the wreath. The Halloween balls are recycled Christmas balls and mod podged tissue paper. Black spray paint made the plastic ferns appropriately Octoberish. I gathered together some other spooky elements plus my very own silver button blingy decor ball and it all came together nicely for no money.

I hot glued the leaves to the black branches and also used them on a twig wreath that had seen better days. I added some book page leaves for contrast and then painted a banner for the middle of the wreath saying, "Thankful." Painting the muslin with country white paint gave it enough body to curve and hold it's shape when I glued it in place. Simple, easy and again, free! A colorful spray of silk leaves is in the white vase now instead of the black ferns.

I've found that with a good pair of craft scissors you can cut 8 layers of paper at a time, so very quickly you can have LOTS of maple and oak leaves cut from book pages for your autumn decor. They are very versatile, I use them alot every year.

With just a bit of tweaking and more glossy black spray paint, the three candle holders got a face lift. The old candles were up cycled with jute twine, hot glue and little black bows. How beautiful! I love the way this display came together. It was fun to do and didn't cost me anything. I call that a win win!

 I'll be posting to the parties in my sidebar since they are so much fun. Come check them out, the creativity out in blogland is amazing.