Recycled Old or New Christmas Cards

We send out a family newsletter each Christmas to people who live afar.  For the people who live closer and need a Christmas card....this year I was rifling through the Christmas totes and found unused ugly Christmas cards.  I couldn't let these represent my family.

I cut old book pages a little smaller than the front, glued on with spray adhesive  (do this outside or in the bottom of a lined trash can).  I already had the tree stamp and the embossing powder.  If you have never done the embossing powder then read a tutorial.  I "heat" mine on top of the toaster.  Regular ink stamping would work too.

My cards were unused.  For used cards you could also adhere a piece of blank paper over the name or entire right interior page.  For used cards you also need to worry about finding an envelope the right size.

2013's Framed Jewelry Christmas Trees

This year I made the two 3D jewelry trees -- Figural Fun Tree and Buttons & Pearls Tree .  Previous years I have made framed vintage jewelry trees to sell.  I think that next year I will actually go back to the framed Christmas trees because they seem to have more personality.  Live and learn, it was still fun to make the cone shaped trees this year.

"Hearts Afire" on an antique milk glass "forget-me-not" plate.  It is composed primarily of heart jewelry (at least 12 hearts) and red rhinestone jewelry.  Lots of romantic bling.

"Jewel Yule" Christmas Tree composed primarily of jewel tone rhinestone jewelry.

"Crystal Night" Christmas Tree made from silver and clear rhinestone jewelry pieces on a taffeta background.

The Unexpected Christmas Gift

Since my son and his wife bought their first house last year, we thought it was time to pass down his "memory boxes" to him.  One box was his childhood magic kit, and inside we found pieces of the last quilt my mother worked on (how it landed there we have no idea.) Twenty years after she left us, it was an unexpected gift.  I thank God for revealing it in His perfect timing.

A friend of mine turned the scraps into six beautiful little quilts -- one for each of mom's grandchildren this Christmas.  Red was my mother's favorite color (because she was a Nebraska girl) so it was a perfect companion color for the bright squares she had stitched. 

Table runner - doll quilt - baby blanket, however the grandchildren choose to use it my mother would have been so pleased.  A lovely reminder of a woman who loved her children and grandchildren in such sweet and simple ways. 

So many years later, I still miss her at Christmastime.  Love you Mom.

Junk Drawer Tree from a Christmas Past

I am pretty sure it was late November of 2012.  We went to an auction in Kansas and came back with a HUGE vanfull of stuff.  One of the "extras" I was blessed with was the "junk drawer" box.  You know, almost every family had one.  We actually called ours "the junk drawer". 

When clearing out this gentlemen's estate, the family had dumped the whole drawer in a box.  When I got it home, I took a couple of things out and I dumped the whole box in our yucky outdoor garbage can.  That night I started thinking about the man and his junk drawer...  The next morning I fished every piece I could find out of the garage can (cleaned it) and assembled this:

"Parts Of One Life"

 

I should have kept it, but I didn't.  It still stands as my favorite upcycled art creation.

uGLy Christmas Sweaters For A Cause

I volunteer each week at a place that gives away clothing to those in need.  Last week the lady in charge was lamenting she couldn't get rid of these three ugly Christmas sweaters. 

Are you kidding me?  Let me get my grubby hands on those treasures and I'll make a tidy little bundle to donate back at ya.

Let me just mention at this point that my husband "borrowed" one of the vests before I even had a chance to add adornments to it.  I'm not sure if his students thought he was being serious or not.

So I added a few vintage adornments to two of the sweaters (tiny doile "snowflakes" on this one) before I put $20 price tags on them and threw them in my antique booth.  Not exactly antique, but all proceeds go to a good cause!

Added some vintage felt poinsettias to this one (they were formerly 1970s napkin rings!).  I sold two of the sweaters the first 24 hours I had them at The Rusty Chandelier.

Joy Can Be Spelled B-I-N-G-O

One of the things I bought while junking with a childhood friend in October was a vintage industrial strength Bingo machine.  The electronic / wind powered / ball shooting monstrosity normally seen at senior centers (which is where I picked this one up for $10!)

All 75 balls were intact and it is in great working condition.

It is huge and takes two people to carry it.

 

We are going to eventually sell it.  In the meantime, we've had two great Christmas bingo parties at our house (complete with cheap prizes.)

We are planning another one post-New Years.

 

We've let "Young Life" borrow it.

Our church wants to borrow it for a young adult party.

And my son is dying to take it to Branson and have his group of friends over to play it.

This year fun and joy has definitely been spelled B-I-N-G-O.

Junky Christmas Tree Cutting Board FOR ME

Let's review the box of rusty bits I bought at the November Estate Sale.  I used it for the rusty bits and pieces Christmas tree (sold - loved), it helped flesh out my junk based bottle brush trees this year, I had someone came over and PURCHASE some of the rusty bits, and I still had a few leftover pieces.  Then I unearthed a cutting board I had picked up this summer for 50 cents.  It looked like a canvas to me:

And the pieces of junk looked like a Christmas Tree to me.

That may not be so obvious to everyone else.

 

Still, I am the only one that really needs to enjoy it.  Right?

Repurposed Christmas Scene Clocks

I was looking for white or neutral items to pair with my ivory bottlebrush trees.  Then I found these two clock "bodies" on my back porch.  One I had taken the non-working clock works out of, the large one I actually bought without the clock works.  Then they gathered dust on my back porch for several months, until rediscovered for this project. 

I have a box of little "kitschy" Christmas items, so it was not problem finding something to accompany the little bottlebrush tree inside. 

Old sheet music was glued to the back.

Some mica "snow" to cover up the hotglue on the bottom.

And there they are...

repurposed Christmas scene clocks.

Christmas Suitcases

Here are a couple of projects that went into my antique booth at the RUsty Chandelier:

This suitcase was something my husband had picked up at a garage sale on his way to work.  It was a sad faded blue, so I didn't feel at all bad about slapping a coat of paint on it.  (You have to admire how chalk paint sticks to any surface.)

It also gave me a chance to use a vintage metal

"Happy New Year" stencil I picked up.

 

A "stacked" vintage Christmas tree in my antique booth.

I started the "season" with three metal skate "suitcases",

but by the time I thought to make this "Christmas Tree" I was down to only one.

CUTEST EVER Primitive Bottle Brush Trees

CUTEST EVER PRIMITIVE BOTTLE BRUSH TREE -- I know that is big talk...

 But seriously, I think these are the cutest way to use them that I have ever seen. 

Of course I do like the primitive look, so I may be a bit prejudiced.   

Unfortunately, I have now used all of my punched star light reflectors -- so this is all there is. 

I do have a few more of the wooden wheels (or whatever they are) that I used as the base.

So, do you agree?

Is this not the cutest ever bottle brush tree?

Vintage Santa and Elf Adorned Wreath

I had gotten one of those big ugly fake fir branch wreaths with a bunch of stuff at an auction.  Instead of donating it to Good Will, I thought I would consolidate some of my old santa and elf doodads (mostly mid-century). 

It took quite a few Santas and elves

because it is a good sized wreath.

And then I added some poinsettias for color.  I am selling it at the Rusty Chandelier.

Vintage Ornament Box Upcycled Gift Tags

I saw these somewhere and LOVED the look.   Think of all the old, dilapidated vintage ornament boxes that I just threw away! 

These were all from boxes that I already had. 

I've already used some as price tags.  Too cute.

My True Love Gave To Me: SEVEN OLD WINDOWS

My husband is a great one for roadside rescues.  I think it has something to do with his penny-pinching ways.  A couple weeks ago he managed to get SEVEN of these in his little car.  They were kind of big and plain so I considered pricing them and throwing them in my outside booth "as is".  But they did have great green chippy paint.. I thought about making one into a chalkboard...so you might as well do an assembly line.

They were very dirty and they had to be cleaned inside the house because of the cold weather.   Which means a lot of the dirt ended up on my floor, which I also had to clean. 

Each window received an old metal handle and two other rusty adornments on the top.  I faithfully screwed each little thing on, because I HATE it when glued-on trinkets fall off.

Each window received three coats of chalkboard spraypaint (after I painted the first one with chalkboard paint and I realized it would take forever for 7x3 to dry).  This meant I had to tape them off, which was a pain.  But not as much of a pain as dashing out in 20 degree temps to spraypaint each window three times.

I was determined not to purchase anything for this project, so not all of the hangers match.  So some received chains, some rusty wire. 

Primed all with chalk.  Decided to just create three with chalkboard Christmas artwork.  That way I can wait until after the holidays to sell the others.

Vintage Family Jewels Tree #2 "Buttons & Pearls"

OK, so here is my second vintage costume jewelry Christmas tree:

This one was made from vintage pearl jewelry...

and some mother of pearl buttons.

Same Dollar Tree base as #1.

I experimented with different "bases" and hit on this depression glass custard.

Vintage Family Jewels Tree #1 "Figural Fun"

The past several years I have been assembling framed vintage Christmas trees.  I wanted to do something different this year, try out a 3D costume jewelry tree.

I bought the Styrofoam base at Dollar Tree.  I left the plastic on and spraypainted the whole thing hammered pewter.  I started pinning/gluing the jewelry at the top and worked my way to the bottom.

I used all of my Christmas junk jewelry, all my figural junk jewelry, all the green and red jewelry I had on hand.

It took more jewelry then I expected,

but was worth the sacrifice.

Rusty Bits & Pieces Christmas Tree

I got the huge drawer full of rusty junk (I could not even carry it) at the November Estate Sale. 

 

(This is just a small portion of my original rusty box.)

I used a few bits and pieces on other projects (including the bottle brush trees in my Still More Bottlebrush Trees post) and then decided to go for broke.  I had purchased a Styrofoam Christmas tree to bedazzle with vintage jewelry.  I still am going to do that, but I put it on the back burner for now.

I left the plastic covering on the tree and spraypainted it pewter, then hit areas with black chalkboard spraypaint.  Because of it being Styrofoam, I was able to just press the rusty bits in with nails. (Be warned: it takes a TON of little rusty bits.) The only part I used glue on was the top.  I loved how it turned out.  Selling it at my Rusty Chandelier booth.

Thanksgiving Tree or Natural Christmas Tree?

I saw this poor thing at an estate sale a few months ago.  It was still there on 1/2 price day.

It was the pheasant feathers on top that sold me.

Except they were laying straight down.

When I purchased it, there was a lot of

artificial greenery and artificial fruit and very little else

(except those splendid pheasant feathers).

I threw out all the brightly colored fruit

and the most bedraggled greenery.

I added lots of my own hydrangeas

and my own pinecones and dried boxwood.

And added a real nest.

Plus I sacrificed my entire large feather collection.

It would either be great natural Christmas Decor

or Thanksgiving Tree

or both!