Starlight, Starbright

I have found there ísn't much I enjoy more than scouring a good yard sale. I love the prospect of finding a treasure in a mass of unwanted/discarded items.

Last fall, while pilfering through boxes of such items, I ran across a strand of dirty, cobweb strawn patio lights. The cord, with its exposed wires, looked a little less than sound but that didn't deter me from paying the .25 asking price and bringing them home.



 

 

 

Initially, my plan was to buy a new strand of lights to replace the existing ones and utilize them as they were intended. But first I had to do something about the dull, rusty gold patina the covers had acquired over time.  After removing the covers, and giving them a good scrubbing, I gave them a coat of silver metallic (spray) paint. Instant improvement.

While waiting for the covers to dry, I had the idea to try using the covers over tea light candles. Not only will the covers protect the flame from the wind, but the effect of the star cutouts will add great ambiance to any table/outdoor setting.











Teacup Birdfeeder

I love birds (as evidenced here and here) and enjoy finding unique ways to entice them into our yard; so when I saw the tutorial for the project above, I knew I wanted to make my own version. (That's my version in the photo above.)

Here are a couple more bird-related projects I will definitely be trying soon.

An eclectic take on the teacup birdfeeder.



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Can you believe this is made from a slinky? Easy and practical-my favorite kind of project.



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Do you have any tips/secrets for attracting these feathered creatures to your yard? If so, please share!

Happy Easter

 

It's been too long since I've visited this space, so today I'm making a conscious effort to stop in and share a couple of small Easter projects and to also send some Easter greetings your way.

 

I first saw an egg wreath, similar to the one above, decorating a home near where I work. I immediately knew I had to try my hand at making my own version. (I used this tutorial for hints.) I love how it turned out and how the colors pop against the white siding.

 

  

Isn't this bunny mug cute? I found it at Goodwill (for .29!) while looking for components for an entirely different project. (I'll be back in a day or two to share that project with you.) I added some daffodils from the backyard, and voila! A cute little spring arrangement for my bedside table.

 

Wishing you and yours a Happy Easter filled with egg hunts, and chocolate bunnies.

 

Felted Acorns

 

Last weekend, the weather was ideal and had me hoping that spring was right around the corner. I was reminded today how unpredictable March weather can be in the mountains of Virginia when I woke up to what can only be described as being inside a snow globe. I'm using this snowy weather as the perfect opportunity to post a project I completed earlier in the winter-because regardless if we like it or not, there are a few days of winter left.

I drew my inspiration from these acorn ornaments, and used the felting tutorial found here. The most difficult aspect of this project was finding off-white/cream colored wool. I ended up finding the perfect shade of wool on Ebay.

This project ended up being a lot easier than I anticipated, and I'm sure I'll make more in varying colors in the future.

Gratuitous Fall Post

Before the influx of winter/Christmas posts begin, I thought I'd make an effort to post one last gratuitous fall post.

You may remember this post from back in the summer where I shared how I decorated our storage building. Although I loved the whimsical details, it wasn't an aesthetic that would transition well into the autumn season.

The first change I made was repainting the mirror from it's prior lavender color to a more appropriate pumpkin shade of orange.

Also, to come down were metal butterflies that adored each door. They were replaced with inexpensive grapevine weaths found at a local discount store. I spray painted them black for a bit of a Halloween-y feel, and decided to leave them for the remainder of the season.

The last change was made to the window boxes. The spent impatiens came out, and cool weather loving johnny-jump ups went in.

I'm already looking forward to transitioning it from fall to winter.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Crow Shutter

 

Some of you may remember this post from March where I restyled an old shutter to make a cheerful Easter decoration. I enjoyed the transformation so much that I decided to use the same method to make a Halloween shutter.

I wanted the crow to be the main focal point so the only embellishment is a tiny red bead for the eye. I attached hooks and wire from a picture hanging kit to the back and now this crow is sitting (or standing) menacingly by the front door in anticipation of All Hallows' Eve.

Thanks again to Terri at A Creative Princess for the inspiration.

Making It Spooky

 

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I first saw the tutorial for the above display last year. Unfortunately it was too late in the season to make my own version so I filed it away with the intention of re-creating it this year.

 

Here is my adaptation:

 

 

 

I followed the tutorial almost specifically, except for a couple of minor changes. Instead of using balled up newspapers/leaves to stuff the "head",  I used 8" Polystyrene balls. I found this gave the ghosts heads a more unified shape. Also, instead of using packing tape where instructed, I used clear zip ties. Obviously, these are just the changes I made, and like. All tutorials are open to interpretation.

For the '"fire" we used cut pieces of branches to make a teepee shape, then used two strands of orange lights (found at Target) to wrap the shape.

This was a great afternoon project that I'm sure will go down as one of my favorite DIY projects of all time.