Christmas Mantel…for now!

Yesterday I finished up my most recent batch of Christmas signs, and I wondered what to do with them—other than stacking them against the wall!  I’ve been trying to do a little decorating, but my mantel is giving me a little trouble.  It’s my first year having one, and I didn’t seem to have much in my “stash” that felt right for me…and I have no desire to go out and spend a bunch of money on something new right now.

So…I played with the signs!

You know what?  I kind of like it!  A mantel full of good wishes for the season!

What do you think?

 

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Still accepting custom orders until 12/15.  E-mail me at redhenhome@gmail.com.

Checking In / Christmas Signs

I received an e-mail from a sweet blogging friend last week wondering where I was!  I know I have been a little MIA this last week.  I had some self-imposed deadlines on some building projects, and I’ve been spending every minute in my garage!

I thought I’d share a few of the new Christmas Signs I have been working on.  Another symptom of how busy I’ve been is that none of these have been listed in my etsy shop (ugh!)…but then, these are BIG, HEAVY signs, and I worry that no one would want to pay the accompanying shipping charges!  However, if you’re local, all of these signs went either to Ruffles & Rust in Snohomish, or to Seaworthy Home in Pacific Beach, WA.

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is a Pottery Barn knock-off, and it seems to be the favorite with people on my Facebook page!

The big signs are REALLY big—almost 2 feet square.  It was fun to learn a new skill in framing them in.

I made some smaller signs with my scraps….

This “Let it Snow” sign is my favorite of the smaller signs.

You can see the difference in sizes in the “Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas” signs.  The white one was by far the more popular one.

This one was super fun to make…it’s my version of this pinned sign.  Mine’s a little more rustic looking, I think.

I already have a “special order” for one of these signs for my sister, and I’m trying to decide which one I might need for myself!  Which one would you choose?

 

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Linking up here:

The Inspiration Exchange	Elizabeth & Co.
Primitive & Proper	Thrifty Décor Chick
Friday Remodelaholic	The Scoop!
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special	The DIY Show Off Miss Mustard Seed
Beyond the Picket Fence	Coastal Charm
Knick of Time	Domestically Speaking
Perfectly Imperfect	No Minimalist Here
Common Ground	My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours	Mod Vintage Life A Little Knick Knack

First Aid

First Aid.  I feel like I need some!  Seriously.

This last week of show prep for the Ruffles & Rust Vintage Market has almost killed me!  I am soooo tired, but the end is in sight!  Yesterday with the help of a friend I was able to haul about 80% of my stuff to the show location.  This morning a different friend will help me with the last 20%, and then we will arrange, tweak, and price.  Tonight the sale starts! 

But speaking of First Aid…here’s a little project that I finished for the show.  Inspired by Homeroad’s First Aid Foot Locker, I turned a beat-up wooden chest into a First Aid box.

I came across this one at an estate sale.  I *love* old wooden boxes!

This one’s bottom was hanging loose…I know how that feels…

But it was nothing a few nails couldn’t fix!

I painted the box with a few different whites, creams, and grays for a layered look, then I painted the cross and the lettering with a stencil I made with my Silhouette.  The box had had years of oil and grease on it, so it naturally went very “chippy” when I sanded it!

This is actually my second First Aid chest…the first one I made for the Barn Sale in August.  I liked it so much that I put what I thought was a pretty steep price tag on it, because I wasn’t sure I wanted it to sell!  But alas…someone snatched it away almost immediately!

This project has been featured at Knick of Time and Domestically Speaking.

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Linking up here:

The Inspiration Exchange	Elizabeth & Co.
Primitive & Proper	Thrifty Décor Chick
Friday Remodelaholic	The Scoop!
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special	The DIY Show Off Miss Mustard Seed
Beyond the Picket Fence	Coastal Charm
Knick of Time	Domestically Speaking
Perfectly Imperfect	No Minimalist Here
Common Ground	My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours	Mod Vintage Life A Little Knick Knack

Fall Mantel

You’ve probably already noticed…but I rarely show pictures of my own home.  My home doesn’t have the greatest lighting, and I don’t have the greatest camera…so I never feel the pictures turn out quite right!

So here’s a rare opportunity to see a little glimpse of where we live! 

One of the nicest features of our new home is an actual fireplace with a real-live-MANTEL!  It’s just the best thing on a cold gray morning…plus it’s fun to decorate!

My shutters (first seen here) are a pretty constant backdrop.  For this season, I brought out my Felt Leaves Garland. 

The “Fall Fling” sign was hand-painted by me (first seen here)…that may be why the letters are a little crooked, but I don’t care…

This little rocking horse was an antique shop find (he wears a garland for fall).  I had to take him apart and re-glue him.  Although I took him with me to the Barn Market, I put a pretty high price tag on him because I wasn’t sure I wanted to part with him…and obviously, I didn’t 

I bought a HUGE tri-color mum at a grocery store last week, and it sits in a Décor Steals olive bucket.  Here’s hoping I can keep it alive all the way to Thanksgiving!  I don’t have a good track record with plants.

Welcome, Fall!

Fall Porch

I have a confession to make.

Other than setting out a few pumpkins, I have never really decorated my front porch.

That’s a terrible thing for a blogger to say, isn’t it?

Well, that all changed this year (sort of).

A group of ladies came to see my house on a mini-“Parade of Homes” tour this week, and of course that sent me into a decorating tizzy.

Let’s just say I spent way too much money on pumpkins (that wouldn’t have happened if all my pumpkin plants hadn’t up and died on me this year).

The good thing is that my orange front door is right for the season!

I bought some new flowers for the one lonely flower pot.  The ones I bought in the spring were all dead.  I guess that happens when no one remembers to water them… (Yes, that’s a bike helmet in the background.  My apologies.)

I made my own version of this now-famous sign from Ella Claire.  I used different words (dessert, anyone??) and different fonts, but the idea came from her!

I nestled my sign, some grass clippings from my yard (the decorative kind…I really don’t let the lawn get that tall), and some pumpkins and gourds (the butternut squash and the acorn squash DID survive, despite their lack of water) along with some faux leaves in a cool old wooden box that I never know what to do with (usually it sits in a corner of my bedroom).

See what I mean about spending too much money on pumpkins?

Come on over for a visit!  I might even make some donuts!

This project featured at From My Front Porch to Yours 

and the All-Star Block Party.

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Linking up here:

Domestically Speaking	Elizabeth & Co.
	The CSI Project
Friday Remodelaholic	2805
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special	The DIY Show Off Stone Gable
Beyond the Picket Fence	Someday Crafts
Knick of Time Mod Vintage Life	My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Perfectly Imperfect	{Primp}
Common Ground	My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours	All Star Block Party A Little Knick Knack
Cowgirl Up! The Graphics Fairy	{aka} design Coastal Charm

Flea Market Canvas

I have been keeping a secret from you.

In addition to working on my front-room-to-office transformation (you can see the latest installment of that here), I have also been working on a major living room redecorating project!  I never know if I’m “supposed” to show it off in bits and pieces or with a major reveal…so forgive me if I’m not doing it right!

So while it may be a bit backward, I’m going to show off the most recent project for the living room first!

I fell in love with these vintage-y canvases from Mandy Lynne when I saw them at an upscale furniture store.

There are posters available through her Etsy shop for about $65/each (canvases are considerably more expensive), but that was both out of my price range and not the look I was really after.

So I spent a lot of time scheming how to “knock-off” her work.  I created a whole Silhouette design, but the thought of the layers of stenciling I would have to do to recreate the color scheme intimidated me more than a little.

Then I had the great idea of using the overhead projector, like I have on so many coffee tables, but on the night I wanted to do it—I found that I couldn’t get the image to be the right size for the canvas I had prepared.

So…I took a leap and just started sketching.  And to my great great great surprise…it wasn’t all that bad!  My layout differs slightly…it changed as I filled up spaces too quickly 

In fact, it was good enough that I took the next leap…painting!   I was able to choose colors that complemented my home better than the gray of the original.

Here’s how they look side-by-side!

I won’t lie to you…I’m super excited with how this turned out!  It’s my first EVER real painting!  (We’re not counting furniture!) 

I hung it on the living room wall today, and I’m not embarrassed to have it there…I think!

I’m proud at myself for attempting something so new and different.  I have a mother and a sister who are incredible artists, so trying anything remotely like painting or drawing has been very intimidating for me. 

But at least I can say now…I tried!

Updated to add:  Yes, I had to make the Farmers Market Canvas as well!  You can see it here.

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This project has been featured at Elizabeth & Co., DIY Showoff, and Knick of Time Interiors. 

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Linking up here:

Funky Junk’s One Scary Thing Challenge

Domestically Speaking	Elizabeth & Co.
Sisters of the Wild West	No Minimalist Here’s Open House Thursday
Friday Remodelaholic	2805
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday	Miss Mustard Seed’s Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special	The DIY Show Off
Beyond the Picket Fence	Someday Crafts
Daisy Cottage Designs	My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Perfectly Imperfect	{Primp}
Simply Klassic Sundays	My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours	It’s So Very Cheri
Cowgirl Up!	{aka} design

Chippy Enamel Flower Bucket

After making the faux enameled stencils, I wanted to try enamel-i-fying something else, just for fun!

I came across this cute little metal bucket at Target for $2.50, and it had to come home with me.

I primed it, and then painted it with Rustoleum spray paint in gloss white.

It took me the longest time to decide how to embellish my little bucket.  I turned to my French typography inspiration board, and this image from The Graphics Fairy caught my eye:

(click on the image to be taken to the source)

I saved the image to my computer, and then uploaded it into my Silhouette software.  After some manipulations, I was able to cut out the words in vinyl.

I applied the vinyl directly to my bucket…

…and then I used acrylic paint to randomly paint on “chipped” areas on my “enamel” bucket.  I sprayed the whole thing with a protective coat in a glossy finish.

And now I have an old, chipped, enamel flower bucket!

I kept thinking of that old commercial that said something like: 

“Is it real?? Or is it…Clairol?”

What do you think?

Would it fool YOU?

Note:  The “green tree” sign project may be found here.

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Linking up here:

Coastal Charm’s Nifty Thrifty Tuesday	Elizabeth & Co.
Center of Attention Deficit Disorder	The Graphics Fairy
Someday Crafts	No Minimalist Here’s Open House Thursday
Friday Remodelaholic	2805
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday	Mod Vintage Life
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special	Domestically Speaking
Beyond the Picket Fence’s Under $100 Party	My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Perfectly Imperfect	{Primp}
Simply Klassic Sundays	My Repurposed Life
Thrifty Décor Chick	It’s So Very Cheri
Common Ground	{aka} design

Please leave your boots at the door

This is unusual for me.  I am not normally a door-décor person.  I have a wreath for fall and a wreath for Christmas, but I don’t normally have anything up at any other time of the year.

Until now…

Some people put ice skates on their door at Christmas time—so I though, “Why not rain boots for Spring?”

I went on the hunt for some child’s rain boots, and I came up with these at a thrift store:

I liked the $4 price tag, but I didn’t think purple was the look I wanted with my orange front door!  Someone else may be able to pull it off.  Not me!

So I taped off the sole of the boots……

…and sprayed on Rustoleum "Summer Squash.”

Note:  I foolishly did not prime the boots first—and I should have.  The paint dried, but remained VERY sticky.  Like gum-on-your-shoe sticky.  Or jam-on-a-toddler’s-hands sticky.  Ugh.  Thankfully a couple of coats of Rustoleum clear coat (leftover from the faux enameled stencils) greatly reduced the sticky factor.  Now they’re only Post-It Note sticky.  Hopefully not Venus Fly-Trap sticky, since they’re hanging outside!

I spent $15 on some silk flowers at Michael’s, and $1 for a cool paper ribbon at Ben Franklin.

How did I attach the ribbon, you ask?? Staples!

Staples and duct tape.  Where would we be without them??

And that’s my version of a spring “wreath” for about $20.

I think the yellow was a much better choice than the purple, don’t you?

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This project has been featured at From My Front Porch to Yours.

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Linking up here:

Coastal Charm’s Nifty Thrifty Tuesday	Elizabeth & Co.
Domestically Speaking’s Countdown to Spring	Mod Vintage Life
Censational Girl	No Minimalist Here’s Open House Thursday
Friday Remodelaholic	2805
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday	Thrifty Décor Chick
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special	The DIY Show Off
Beyond the Picket Fence’s Under $100 Party	My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Perfectly Imperfect	{Primp}
Simply Klassic Sundays	My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours	It’s So Very Cheri
Common Ground	{aka} design