Category Archives: trash to treasure
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…CRAFTING!
It snowed the other morning.
For me that means it’s Christmas time.
So even though it only snowed for 3 minutes and it was mixed with rain and none of it stuck to the ground…it still snowed. And now it’s Christmas time!!!
More specifically, it’s Christmas CRAFTING time!! Here are some of my favorite Christmas crafts from years past to keep you busy while I stretch out my glitter coating, wreath making, snowflake cutting muscles. It’s important to ease into these things lest you pull something and have to sit out the rest of the season.
I’d love to see any projects you make following my tutorials or any projects you’ve made on your own!
Geometrical Block Printed Planter Makeover
- I took an old banged up pot that wasn’t being used and gave it a good scrubbin’.
- Then I sprayed the inside of the pot red with some paint I had on-hand; spray the inside first because there may be some over-spray
- Then I primed the outside of the pot white and covered the over-spray
- After that I gave the whole thing a coat of Cream colored paint and let it dry.
- To make the stamp you’ll need an old sponge, scissors, a Sharpie & a ruler
- I used the ruler to measure out a 2″ x 2″ x 2″ triangle
- and drew it on the sponge with my marker
- Then I cut along the lines and now I have my stamp…and it’s still FREEEEE!
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HwRQ6UrFdZ4/UhSyJmgHZ6I/AAAAAAAAFco/R0ozNcx4t08/s640/blogger-image--674990059.jpg)
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gb0AqkT_ZFg/UhSyM7x5dSI/AAAAAAAAFdA/Mzgy8-Yso34/s640/blogger-image-1298527692.jpg)
Dresser Makeover: Recreating a $799 dresser for $42
Recently I was approached to recreate a beautiful dresser with a staggering price tag. The Collage Dresser retails for $799 and I’m sure it’s well worth it- the dresser is lovely- but “in this economy” (aka the catch phrase of the 21st century) who can really afford it? The recipient also wanted a decidedly less “shabby chic” version of the dresser with no distressing or faux wear on the paper.
Then I spent $10 on some basic black knobs from the Target General Super Store and my dresser was complete. Bringing my grand total to $42 and some change. Not bad considering this project was done as a trade- I got to spend a week at my client’s house on Cape Cod in exchange for creating this dresser for her. I think I got the better end of this bargain.
Thanks for coming by! I hope you liked my project. If you did, let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to go “like” me on Facebook. (I told my Mom I was popular…I don’t want to disappoint her.)
OMG! OMG! OMG!I’m Featured on Ecka & Pecka!! (no big deal)
Hey dudes. I got the best email this morning from a sweet little thing named Meream over and Ecka & Pecka telling me they featured one of my projects on their adorable blog! Huzzah!
And this little boost could not have come at a better time as I am exactly 6 weeks into my maternity leave today and have been wondering how in the world I’m going to fit painting back into my new life of bottle washing and diaper-figuring-outer-ing.
It’s amazing how such a little thing can help make a girl feel re-energized and ready to paint! Thank you Meream- you dream boat!
Kids Crafts: My Pet Rock
- some rocks
- spray primer (optional)
- acrylic paint
- googley eyes (never optional)
- a couple of kid-friendly paintbrushes
- tacky glue
- some chil’ren
![](https://mandeemade.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/b9b1c-rocks5.jpg?w=320&h=232)
![](https://mandeemade.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/409bc-rocks6.jpg?w=320&h=232)
If there are globs of paint on a rock, the googley eyes may be able to stick right to it. If not just glue ’em on.
And now, if your little people really love you, they might just give you one of the rocks they just painted. I was lucky enough to have this rock gifted to me. “She’s a girl on this side and a boy on the other”….obviously.
trash to treasure: twine-wrapped planter
I accidentally broke my favorite purple pot (aka my only purple pot) and just couldn’t bear to throw it out. I considered gluing it back together but some of the pieces shattered so there would be holes all over it and the dirt would fall out. Then I considered smashing it into little pieces and making some sort of mosaic out of it but then I remembered that I don’t like mosaics. (No offense if that’s your thing, it’s just not for me.) I also thought about taking a bite out of it like the girls on that TV show but my heart’s just not in it.
The only thing left was to fix it and figure out a way to cover the crack and make it super adorable- and I did just that.
Here’s how:
For this project you will need the following items:
- a broken pot (or lamp or decorative vase or a little trash can, etc)
- twine
- glue gun/glue sticks
- epoxy
Start off by washing your broken pot in hot soapy water. **Careful to not burn and/or cut yourself!!** This will remove any oils or dirt from the pot and make the epoxy hold better.
Next, mix your epoxy and add a generous amount to the break in your pot. You should wear gloves during this and work in a well ventilated area, this stuff is smelly. Put your pieces back together.
**You can put globs of the epoxy on since the seam doesn’t need to be beautiful because we’ll be covering the whole thing with twine. Smear the extra epoxy around with a toothpick after putting the pieces back together to make a water-tight seal.
Now you’re ready to start wrapping your newly fixed pot in twine. I turned my pot over and started from the bottom.
Begin by gluing the end of the twine to your pot and start wrapping, gluing the twine to the pot as you go.
I put a dot of hot glue about every 3-5″ on the entire pot. This string’s not going anywhere!!
Giving in to Trends: Ombre Paint Chip Art
Next, find a small circular object to outline onto the paint chips to utilize as much of the colored area as possible- I used a small roll of tape- and cut out your circles.
Experiment with the layout of your circles until you have ’em just how you want ’em.
Prepare your frame– I got this white matted frame for $5.99 at the Christmas Tree Shop by my house- the frame has some dings in it but I’m writing them off as “shabby chic.”
Remove the mat and backing from the frame and outline the opening of the mat directly onto the cardboard backing.
Now, starting and the bottom and beginning with the lightest layer, glue the circles to the cardboard using a glue stick. The second layer should overlap the first slightly and the circles should become progressively darker towards the top of the cardboard.
Cut out the letter, glue it into place wherever your little heart desires and presto- you’re an artist.
Commuter Crafts: 30-minute Wrapped Earrings
I have almost all of my best ideas while r-u-n-n-i-n-g out of the door to catch the bus to get to work. (Usually at the exact moment I run out of time to actually do anything about it.)
Last week as I was throwing things in my bag in an effort to leave only 4 minutes after I was supposed to- it hit me, “I should make some custom earrings to wear with this outfit.”
Of course! I’m 4 minutes late leaving to catch the bus that only comes once an hour, I ran out of time to make my lunch and already nixed that, my hair is a mess and I don’t think I brushed my teeth but of course- of course there’s time for custom earrings. Why wouldn’t there be?
I grabbed some cheap silver hoops from my collection and embroidery floss from a friendship bracelet I was making for a friend and ran out the door to chase after my bus.
![](https://mandeemade.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/b0047-earring3.jpg?w=320&h=180)
Switch colors and wrap with each color to create your design.
At the end, quadruple knot the floss, cut as close as possible and you’re done!
Why don’t you make me?: Three-Tiered Terra Cotta Planter
With limited space in my small city yard every inch counts so each Spring I am faced with a decision: do I want pretty flowers or a functioning vegetable garden? I envision myself having friends over for dinner and quickly running outside with my schears to an adorable, and lovingly attended to, little vegetable garden- I’d grab fresh herbs for the potatoes, pluck some peppers and lettuce for the salad and maybe bring in some grape tomatoes for my friends to snack on before dinner. They just love that. Then, after dinner we’d all get in my spaceship and go visit Unitron, the home of the last living unicorn. In other words, it’s not going to happen.
What did happen however is this- a triple-decker half veggie/half flower tower of compromise. I’m taking baby steps to becoming the world’s best hostess by growing only the greens to my future salads and I still have room for flowers!
Here’s how I did it:
First, I invited Liz over who did everything. (This was an important step because Liz is wicked good at this stuff and because I have a cast on my right arm up to my elbow right now.)
Next, we took pots from the pot graveyard on the side of my house and selected 3 in decending sizes. (These don’t have to match perfectly, as you can see.)
Pick a sunny spot in your garden to place the biggest pot- we nestled ours right into this Vinca Minor- and fill with soil until just below the top.
Add a small dowel or bamboo rod into the largest pot and thread themiddle pot onto it burying the pot about an inch into the soil of the largest pot.
Then trim the dowel until about 3-4″ is showing to be inserted into the smallest pot.
And finally, you are ready to plant your Garden of Compromise. Liz and I decided on some green lettuce, purple lettuce, white & purple flowers, 2 small cascading plants and topped the whole thing off with a ponytail fern.
Thanks Liz!! ❤ ❤ ❤