Water Bottle Turned Halloween Potion Bottle

I've seen so many potion bottles in stores and online,

 I wondered if I could make one of my own.

Turns out I can!

I started with a tall plastic water bottle....

...and ended up with THIS!

This was a fun project and really easy to do. The end product really 

looks like it was complicated, but it is not.

I gave the slick plastic some texture by using white glue to attach pieces of crumpled tissue paper. I kept the wrinkles intact as I glued to make it look like a vintage glass bottle.

Then I painted it in three shades of green craft paint and blended them together randomly.

I crashed my stash for Halloween print napkins and tissues and used white glue to attach them.

Then I added black cut outs in a spooky vintage theme including the raven, owl, climbing roses, curlicues and an old lamp post plus iron fences.

I used the cork stopper from a champagne bottle and added jute twine and torn black chiffon at the neck. Also in my stash I found the random lace trims, beads, charms and a skeleton key, which I painted to look old and vintage.

For a final finishing touch I added bright glitter in black and green in random places and sealed the whole bottle with clear acrylic sealer.

Finally I called it done and took a step back.

Look! You'd never know this started out as a plastic water bottle. This was fun to do and the final result is awesome!

Now I'm looking at all sorts of drink bottles with a new eye...including those cobalt blue beer bottles.

I'll post with new ones as I finish them!

For My Craft Room...Tiny Vintage Ladies Ashtrays

I found these tiny hand ashtrays at the local thrift store. They're a throwback to a smoking culture from decades ago.

Times have certainly changed!

But I couldn't resist the price or their vintage style so I grabbed them up.

Now I use them for holding beads....

...and buttons....

...that I sew to the middle of the fabric rosettes I use

 in so many of my Etsy shop projects.

They make me smile, they were certainly inexpensive enough and they add a certain vintage style to my beading projects.

Not bad for a total expenditure of .50 cents!

Save Beautiful Bottles with Wrapped Twine

I'm a bit of a blue fanatic. Especially cobalt blue (see blog header!)

When we discovered a wine we liked came in these beautiful blue bottles I couldn't bear to let them go.

So started restyling them with twine and burlap for a rustic and colorful look....right up my alley!

So I've put the word out to family and friends to save their blue bottles for me.

With hot glue and jute twine and some burlap scraps, these wine bottles are now upscale decor for my dining table.

I love the contrast of the rough twine and wood with the rich blue.

This table decor almost makes itself!

Add a tray and some greenery from the yard and a mix of unadorned bottles and you have a simple, colorful and beautiful display.

I call this a win win!

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2016/03/pj-320-the-best-salvaged-junk-projects.html

Autumn Garlands on a Brass and Glass Chandelier

The Welding Man loves this chandelier. 

So.

I am nothing if not creative and also flexible in terms of decor. Here's what I did.

I got the original idea from Martha years ago....

and with Dollar Store garlands it's not expensive at all!

Over the years I've accumulated LOADS of Dollar Store and thrift store autumn garlands and pick the best of them for this chandelier upstyle.

Here's an easy shortcut to get this look.

This year instead of winding the garlands around the light, I wrapped a large 20" wide embroidery hoop with four or five garlands, plus flowers and mini pumpkins. Once it was fluffy and full I used florist wire to attach it to the chandelier.

                                

Oooh aaaah! The Welding Man is happy and so am I. Win win!

And because I used the embroidery hoop trick this year, it is super simple to take apart so I can decorate for Christmas.

Like this....

I'll be posting the DIY soon!

DIY A Pretty Map Planter

Sometimes an idea comes from nowhere, sometimes from a photo on Pinterest or even a magazine article. I'm always looking for unique ways to create things I'll actually use.

And sometimes "necessity is the mother of invention." 

In this case I needed a plant pot for a kitchen houseplant and I did not want to go buy something new. So I rummaged in my stash and found.....

exterior formula Mod Podge  and an old National Geographic map. Wheels are turning!

Here's the right size planter I retrieved from my garden shed stash. This has real possibilities! I cleaned it up and sanded it a bit for some "tooth" so the paper would stick.

Ooh aah! I really like how the colors show up! I wonder how the exterior grade Mod Podge will do on a planter even if it is inside?

Well, I'm going to find out, aren't I? This looks so unique and it is perfect for my kitchen window.

I chose to put this view on the front side and made my cuts and corrections on the backside, on the best plains of Russia. I am sure someone can make a political statement out of that action ;o) In this case the backside adjustments worked perfectly!

UPDATE-

This little planter pot has been in the window for several months and the Mod Podge is holding up extremely well, tolerating the moisture and shedding any over watering like it is actually plastic. 

I just love the colorful graphics of the map and I KNOW that no one else has a planter like this. Plus I didn't spend any money. That's a win win in my book!

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/

Faux Antique Book Storage Boxes

I saw a project on Pinterest where a crafter cut apart actual good books so she could glue the spines to a storage box. She chose the books for the look of their spines. To be clear, I've cut up and recycled books when they are so decrepit that they won't hold together for reading but it makes me sad.

BUT, I truly do like the idea of some nice book themed storage, so here's what I came up with. And not one book was destroyed in the creation of this project!

Ooooh aaaaah!

And here's the best part....I didn't need to buy anything to do this project. I already had everything on hand and you probably do, too!

Here's the list of materials you will need-

A good sturdy cardboard box that will fit your shelves.

Inside rolls from gift wrap, paper towels or toilet paper, depending on your box size.

Hot glue

Tissue paper or printed napkins for texture.

Mod Podge.

Craft paint.

Sharpie marker.

Spray sealer.

Cut the cardboard tubes into roughly thirds. Flatten slightly so that they measure about 2" across. These will form your faux book "spines."

Measure the height of your box. In this photo I've covered the box with crumpled tissue and painted it white.

Cut off the flattened tubes to the correct height. At this point start fitting your  spines across the front of your box. Cut some narrower to make the design more interesting or you can keep them all the same size, it is up to you!

Use hot glue to make dimensional stitching and decor across the fake spines. Look at photos of old books for spine ideas.  You can also add other designs with the hot glue, such as  fleur de lis, capital letters or numbers.

Tear the tissue or printed napkins in small pieces and crumple up tightly then smooth out. Spread  Mod Podge on the spines you have made. You can paint the spines or cover them with printed paper as I have done.

Hot glue your finished spines to your chosen box. Remember not to glue them down flat but leave them a bit curved for the realistic book look. Here are two of my book spines glued to the box. As you can see I ended up painting the box black on this side so if it showed between the books it would blend in..

Cover the sides of your faux book storage box with glue and crumpled tissue or printed napkins to match the books on each end. Smooth with a soft brush but not too much, as the crumpled tissue will tear. It will give you a wonderful antique texture so it's worth it. Let dry completely.

I

 Dry brush the edges and spines black contrast color sparingly until you get the look you want. If you get too much on your project just wait for it to dry and do a coat of white over it to tone it down. Remember you are going for an antique look to your fake books!

You can use the Sharpie to add more details if you wish. 

 Ta da! Look, you've made a clever storage box for your shelves that looks like you've collected a set of antique books! You can also choose to make your book box look like a set of matched books. It is entirely up to you.

My faux book box looks great with this shelf of restyled books I've made. Yay for saving old books in new ways and making your own book themed decor!

 I tell you, the possibilities are endless with this project and the best part is, you probably have everything you need to go do this RIGHT NOW. You'll have fun doing it, I know!

Succulent Wall Art

Succulents are everywhere these days. I have loads of them in my garden plus I have a stash of fake succulents in my studio Here's what I made with those faux plants, a wooden frame and a little ingenuity.

 I love how it turned out!

I got the idea from a gift catalog which listed art like this at a hefty price. I was able to make my version much more affordably.

I started out with a wooden frame that had just the one inch depth I needed. I cut the Oregon state shape out of foam board. 

The BEAUTIFUL planks are scrapbook paper! 

How I wish I'd bought alot more of this paper. On the reverse side it has the painted boards you see on the left side of this project.

I covered the foam board with that gorgeous paper then cut out the Oregon state shape.

Using thin cardboard, I hot glued a one inch strip all around the inside of the Oregon shape on the back side of the foam board.

Here's how it looks from the front. Now I have a place to  put my fake succulents!

I cut florist foam from my stash and hot glued it into the space I'd just made.

Then came the fun part!

I selected a nice variety of fake succulents and put them in place. I hot glued them into the florist foam once I liked the placement. The Oregon state shape got harder to recognize when it was done, but as a pretty art piece with beautiful contrasting colors and textures,

 I call this a win win!

This became a Christmas gift for my daughter and her little family to remind them of home. It turned out so sweetly that I'm going to make another one just for myself!

Come join me at these Linky parties.

http://akadesign.ca/weekend-retreat-link-party-116/