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!