Charming Halloween Baskets in 4 Easy Steps

Looking for a simple, inexpensive way to add a bit of Halloween charm to your fall decor?

This summer, I bought up a lot of peat pots of various shapes and sizes at an estate sale. I've made simple peat pot baskets before and have enjoyed incorporating them into vignettes. With my latest acquisition of peat pots, I decided to go with a Halloween theme.

As usual, I forgot to photograph the "in progress." But, I can assure you this project can be completed in 4 easy steps.

Choose the images you want to use and print them on card stock, sized to fit your peat pots. I found my images at The Graphics Fairy.

Paint your peat pot the color of your choice. A light coat of paint works best. Don't worry if the original pot surface peeks through. The charming result is a slightly distressed and rustic appearance. Peat pots are absorbent, so a heavy coat of paint can cause the pot to warp when it dries. 

Adhere your  image to the peat pot with craft glue or Mod Podge. Again, the absorbency of the pot comes into play. It will soak up some of the glue, so cover the back of the image completely with a thick coat. Let the application dry completely before beginning the decorating phase.

Now, embellish, embellish, embellish! I used vintage buttons, paper flowers, glitter, twine, paper doilies, rick rack and vintage lace. Some pots are finished off with rustic, wrapped wire handles and vintage lace from a 1940s wedding dress and filled with Spanish moss. Others are topped with glittery tulle inserts I made from extra wide tulle ribbon.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Moonlight and Mason Jars Link Party
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This Treasure Is So Doggone Cute

My fashion philosophy is, if you're not

 covered in dog hair, your life is empty.

--Elayne Boosler

If you're a dog lover, you know firsthand the intensity of the tug a dog can have on the heartstrings. Barney, our exuberant black lab, is confidante and clown, protector and playmate, beggar and best friend.

Dogs are so special to me, I find it difficult to pass up canine kitsch on my treasure hunts. Vintage dog items always make me smile. Admit it, don't these beguiling hand-carved cuties brighten your day?

This wooden piece, a recent estate sale find, was clearly handmade. It's seen better days, but still maintains tremendous charm. I put a deck of--what else--vintage dog playing cards in the box section, which most likely was intended to hold cigarettes. My vintage Scottie candy container makes a good companion to its carved cousins.

The paperback "Dogs" book was a recent flea market score.

The book doesn't have a copyright date, but  it's definitely decades old. It's in very good vintage condition. The contents feature descriptions of many breeds and the pictures are stickers that have been added to the pages. The book is a promotional giveaway for Gro-Pup Dog Food, a Kellogg's brand.

Not a new find, this handsome and stately pointer is a mid-Century console lamp and has graced the top of our piano for several years.

The large chalkware dog belonged to my grandmother. He is accompanied by a couple of friends I found at estate sales.

Dogs are not our whole life,

 but they make our lives whole.

― Roger A. Caras

The antique, iron St. Bernard bank belonged to my husband's grandmother. It still contains many of her old coins.

This darling litho is stained with age and has some significant other "beauty marks," none of which detract from the sweet image. Dogs and babies . . . awwww. Picked this up for a couple of bucks at a local estate sale.

When an eighty-five pound mammal

 licks your tears away, then tries to sit

 on your lap, it's hard to feel sad.

- Kristan Higgins, Catch of the Day

And, here's to the most special dog in our collection--our 93-pound baby. Barney, you're the best.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:
Knick of Time Tuesday
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Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Time Travel Thursday
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Share the Joy
Feathered Nest Friday

Turning Some Tassels

You may have seen them around the estate sale, thrift store, garage sale circuit. The lonely, single vintage salt or pepper shaker. Long ago separated from its partner.

I've collected an eclectic bunch of singles on my treasure hunts and enjoy transforming them into one-of-a-kind decorative tassels. I previously shared my upcycling method with you here. Recently, I got the itch to shake up some new tassel treasures.

Here's some of what I've been up to:

This one's a hoot. He's dedicated to my daughter, who's crazy about owls.

This art deco design is so evocative. Surely this one must have appeared on the dinner party table at one of Jay Gatsby's extravagant summer bashes.

What pretty, dainty feet on this charmer.  They add such a special dimension. The holes in the top of the shaker are decorated with gold stars.

This is my personal favorite. The pretty spring green design looks Irish to me, even though the salt shaker was made in Germany. The embellishment around the base of the shaker is a wonderful scrap of reclaimed metallic trim.

I've been using tassels to jazz up my decor for years. Since I started making my own with upcycled salt and pepper shakers, I've been enjoying this simple decorative element even more.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:
Masterpiece Monday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Knick of Time Tuesday
The Scoop
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Design {It} Friday
Frugal Friday

Wilson--New Look, Natural as Ever

For our household, "wild turkey" references the real thing, not straight Kentucky bourbon whiskey.

On any given day, as few as six wild turkeys, and as many as 23, make our suburban acreage adjacent to a creek their roost, dinner table and playground.

And, where flocks of turkeys shake their tail feathers daily some fallout is inevitable. With all the strutting, courting, primping and scrapping, stray feathers become a common sight in our lawn. I've been collecting them for a couple of years--since the turkeys first showed up.

Turkey feathers are so remarkable. The variation in size, shape, color and texture is amazing. From long, narrow and clearly striped to short, fluffy and irridescent, they offer tremendous versatility for use in home decor.

A couple of years ago, I introduced you to Wilson II, so named because he reminds me of Tom Hank's volleyball-turned-companion in the movie Cast Away. I've been re-creating Wilson II for several years now, using dried elements from my garden--grasses, seed pods, hosta scapes, twigs and anything else that adds interest.

To freshen Wilson's look this year, I pulled out the feather collection and combined a variety of feather sizes, shapes and colors, with plumes of feather reed grass.

A vintage metal flower frog facilitates the basic structure.

Feather reed grass creates the height, the turkey feathers add interest.

Welcome back Wilson II. Love your new "do."

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

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Orphaned Salt Shaker Has New Life as a Tassel

My craft room is overrun with odds and ends that I pick up at estate and garage sales and thrift stores. If I like and odd little something and the price is right, I usually grab it. Even if I don't have any clue what I'm going to do with it.

That was the case when I picked up this orphaned salt shaker. Poor thing. No pepper to keep it company.

It sat on a shelf so long, I don't even recall how long ago I bought it. It still had the 50 cent price tag on it when I recently picked it up to examine it closer. As I looked at the bottom, which was missing the cork stopper, it came to me.

This lovely piece would make a stunning tassel top. I had plenty of other supplies to choose from in my craft room stash to complete a tassel. I pulled out some buttons, beads and ribbon.

After doubling over a very narrow scrap of satin ribbon, I created about a 3-inch loop by tying a knot. Next, I strung the bead and buttons onto the narrow satin ribbon.

The hanging loop was now ready to thread through two holes on the top of the salt shaker.

That was easy. After experimenting with burgundy satin ribbon for the body of the tassel, I decided I didn't like the look. I have a drawer full of miscellaneous yarns that I have collected from estate sales and instead chose a fun and funky specialty yarn in an ivory color.

Making the body of the tassel is simple. But, I forgot to photograph that step. I looped the yarn back and forth in the length I wanted until I had a stack of loops that looked thick enough for the body. I gathered loops in the middle by hand and eyeballed the length. I aimed to make the length (the loops folded in half from the middle) about a third to a half longer than the depth of the porcelain top.

When I was satisfied the length was good, I tied the ribbon hanging down through the porcelain top around the middle of the loops. I fluffed the body up to create fullness. You could leave the loops uncut. For this tassel, I cut them into strands.

Decorative tassels are so versatile. You can use them the traditional way by hanging them from a door or drawer knob or from a sconce or chandelier. Or, pile a few on a cake stand or fill a pretty bowl with them. Dangle one over the edge of a shelf. Or, simply add one or two to an existing vignette for a little added interest.

In my opinion, one can never have too many tassels!

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Inspired Sunday
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