DIY AND CRAFTS Archives - Keeping With The Times

Bath Salts DIY and a Free Download

September 27, 2017 by Barb 20 Comments

Here’s a little bath salts DIY for you! I know, I know, there are tons of ideas for bath salts on Pinterest and yes, I even went there myself ;) but every recipe is a little different and I thought I’d add mine to the mix because I actually use and love it (plus I have a label download for you.)

It all started the other day when I was browsing my favourite book store (a bookstore that shall go unnamed) and I came across a display of spa products. They were absolutely delightful and I spent several minutes sniffing my way around the bath bombs and various soaps.

And although I enjoy smelling the smells, I don’t really love using scents myself (strong ones anyway.) So when I spied the bath salts I started to get a bit more interested. The packaging alone was enough to draw me in. But then I saw the price and (gasp) over $20.00 for a little test-tube size bottle (I kid you not!) of what really amounted to Himalayan Pink Salt.

I’ve never used plain old salt for bathing, but I always use Epsom Salt:

Epsom salt, named for a bitter saline spring at Epsom in Surrey, England, is not actually salt but a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate (Saltworks) (this site has a ton of interesting information about bath salts.)

There are many claims made of Epsom Salt and it’s health benefits and I cannot agree nor dispute any of them. I just know that when I use a cupful of these salts in my bath it makes the water feel softer and I’m not squeaking around in the tub ;) so it’s more relaxing. I also throw in a squirt of unscented body wash.

So I’m thinking … I already have Epsom Salt and I also have a bag of Himalayan Pink Salt which I picked up at a discount store, and that I use in cooking, and I also have some fresh Rosemary still growing in the garden. Time to get my DIY on!!

DIY Bath Salts, Fresh Rosemary, Barb Brookbank, Free Download

DIY Bath Salts with Rosemary

1 cup Epsom Salt
1/4 cup Himalayan Pink Salt
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped finely (if you don’t have fresh rosemary, just leave it out)
Combine and throw into your bath as the water is running. Add a squirt of your favourite body wash, ease into the bathtub, and enjoy!

This would make an awesome hostess gift or dare I say (Christmas) gift! Just don’t put any fresh herbs in the bottle if the salts are not going to be used right away.

You could include a small potted rosemary plant with the jar of the salts and when packed in a pretty jar with a hand printed tag like mine * your recipient will love it (you:)

Include directions on how to use them together.

*Please feel free to download the tag (for personal use only please :)

There are two versions: one with rosemary, one without.

Label #1

Label #2

Pin for later ;)

Pretty Easy DIY Herb Pot

May 14, 2017 by Barb 4 Comments

Hello … I’m just popping in with a little Happy Mother’s Day wish, and an easy DIY herb pot using Mod Podge and wrapping paper.

mothers are like buttons
they hold everything together (perhaps like Mod Podge too ;)

This little pot of Lemon Thyme smells divine … I wish you could smell how truly lemony it is …
And how cute is that terra cotta pot?

After I opened a gift from my oldest daughter, I couldn’t stop admiring the soft tissue-like paper that it had been wrapped in. Rather than sending the pretty paper to the recycle bin, I used Mod Podge to adhere it to the pot. As you can see, I didn’t worry about wrinkles (wish I could say that about myself ;)

Pretty Easy DIY Herb Pot

Tear a piece of pretty wrapping paper or tissue paper the size of your chosen pot
Using a brush or sponge, apply Mod Podge to the entire outside surface of the pot
Place paper over the pot, gently smoothing into place, folding the edges underneath about 1/4 inch
Let dry completely
Using sandpaper, sand the top edge of the pot for a rustic finish
Plant herbs in a plastic container that fits inside the pot and place inside

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy these:

: 31 Creative Ideas

: 30 Ideas to Make June Magical

: A Different Kind of Power

DIY Plant Markers for Herb Pots

April 12, 2017 by Barb 15 Comments

Today I have the easiest DIY plant markers you are ever going to attempt to make! Placed in pots of herbs, they make fantastic little gifts for Easter, Mothers’ Day, or simply as a hostess gift.

You can purchase tiny pots of herbs and either put them in special clay pots such as I did here, or wrap the original pot in a bit of newspaper tied with a piece of string (it all depends on how much you want to spend.)It’s the addition of the handmade plant markers that really makes this gift special. These are so inexpensive they’re practically disposable!

DIY Plant Markers for Herb Pots

What you need:

clothespins
paper
glue
sandpaper
stamps, ink

How to:

Cut strips of paper approximately the same size as the clothespin. You can use scrapbook paper, newsprint, or vintage book pages. I used some old music sheets I found at a garage sale. The strips do not have to be cut perfectly; we’ll take care of the edges later.
Using white glue, glue a strip to each side of the clothespin making sure to get right to the edges. Let dry completely.
Using sandpaper, sand away the edges for a distressed but clean edge.

Use alphabet stamps and scrapbooking ink to add the names of the herbs to little brown paper flags, clip them to the clothespins, and voila!

Thanks for being here!

If you liked this post, you might like these! Please have a peek ↓↓↓↓↓

: Top 5 Perennials for Shade

: Anemone Bulbs

: Overwintering Succulents

: Garden Cleanup

: Preserving Peonies

Willow Wreath DIY (Mini Me Style)

April 1, 2017 by Barb 10 Comments

Today I have a long and complicated willow wreath DIY for you!

Purchase a tiny willow wreath at your favourite craft store.
Pick a few pussywillows.
Insert into tiny wreath.

;)

Then I got to thinking, what could I do with these tiny mini-me wreaths?

Hmmmm, how about an Easter centrepiece (topiary-style) …

Or simply placed on a side table …
Doesn’t everyone leave side table drawers open? with linen serviettes hanging out of them :)

If you make one of these, leave a comment. I’d love to see your creations!

PIN IT

You may also like my post Home Decor Styling Tips

5 Great Ideas for Succulent Containers

February 19, 2017 by Barb 21 Comments

Today I have 5 great ideas for succulent containers.

Seriously, I’m addicted to succulents (in case you hadn’t noticed!) and when I was in Arizona I purchased a few tiny specimens to play with. I’d rather have succulents than roses (although I did have roses too ;)

I love the textures, the shapes, the colours, and the fact that they look beautiful in pots ranging from concrete, to clay, to glass … happy little sigh.

I found several of these containers at garage sales. Note the tiny little G. Wolff & Co pot. It’s such a treasure, and was a steal at .25 cents! I’ve since done a little research on that pot and found the maker. You can check him out here. Unfortunately this little gem may end up costing me, because I won’t be able to hold back if I ever run across any more (I think I’m in love ;)As I mentioned, succulents look good in just about any pot and I especially love them in glass containers filled with rocks or pebbles.

I simply placed a few rocks and a little soil in the bottom of the glass container, set the tiny succulent in and filled the sides with pebbles. It will need repotting sooner rather than later, but it works for quite a while. Just be sure to not over water it because there is no drainage. Drainage is key people! (See my link at the bottom of this post.)

For the larger concrete pots, I like to put the succulents in a plastic liner first.

Here I recycled a food container. I punched holes in the bottom with scissors, placed rocks on the bottom, added a bit of soil, inserted the succulents and filled the sides with soil.

After a good watering and draining, I put it in the pot.

5 Great Ideas for Succulent Containers

Concrete pots. I used a liner, but if the concrete has holes for drainage, you don’t need to.
Rock-filled glass containers. You can find tons of glass containers at garages sales and thrift stores.
An old toolbox
Cake pans, muffin tins
A ladle … basically any kind of junk!

For even more container ideas, and if you’d like more information on caring for succulents and to find out my “dirty” little secret, check my post Tips for Overwintering Succulents Indoors

Paper Flowers DIY

March 8, 2016 by Barb 11 Comments

Inspiration to create my own vintage book paper flowers came after visiting a beautiful (but expensive) little shop in my hometown.

As I was browsing their display of silk flowers and branches, I spied a paper bunch for only $20.00 … eek! and there were exactly 4 per bunch! Needless to say, it took me a nano second to figure out how I could make my own version for $0.00.

PLUS … would you believe it … just that very morning I had salvaged about 5 old Reader’s Digests from our local “take it or leave it” which is to say “take it or leave it and it goes into the dump.” Hmmm, yes … my name is Barb and I’m a dumpster diver … and that is another story … oh hey, maybe you’d like to read about my Rustic Photography Background which also came from said dump.

Anyway, I couldn’t wait to get home and start creating.

Sometimes it pains me to rip up a book, sometimes it doesn’t …It’s funny how things go … I needed a craft idea, not for any other reason than I was missing working with my hands, and voila, it appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. And did you know that March is National Craft Month? how cool … and serendipitous …I thought they’d make lovely toppers for presents …I purchased a tiny cardboard box from Michaels, tied twine around it, and topped it with a flower …I love how they look in vintage glass jars. For this flower, I didn’t crumple the petals:

Here’s a quick little tutorial for you!

Vintage Book Paper Flowers

Use a punch, or simply cut 5 circles of varying sizes for each layer.

Here I used three different sized punches … I have a thing for punches and believe wholeheartedly that a person cannot have too many punches :)Gently crumple each circle, but be careful because the paper is fragile. Also, you can try making some without crumpling the paper—they’re pretty too.Gently uncrumple:Fold in half, pinching only the bottom of each circle:Using white glue, fold and pinch to glue the bottom of each circle together:Glue the petals of each layer together. White glue works better than a glue gun since it allows for readjusting the petals:
Glue together, off-setting each layer:Poke a hole through the middle using a strong toothpick or a skewer. I switched to a wooden skewer which was a lot stronger. Insert a piece of heavy florist wire, and bend the end over to keep it in place. Later, when you add a button with the glue gun, it will secure the wire:Wrap the stems with florists tape:Glue a vintage button onto the paper flowers for the perfect centre:PIN IT:

Cardboard Snowflakes and Paper Garland

December 15, 2015 by Barb 5 Comments

Cardboard snowflakes and paper garland … a look back …

Today for Part II of my favourite Christmas decorations series, I present my cardboard snowflakes which have been gracing our tree since 2011 … I had a huge stack of hard cardboard that came packaged with photos from Costco (to prevent bending.) One morning I gathered it all up and headed to a local scrapbooking store where I used the die-cut machine to cut them out. As I had a membership there, the extra cost to me was $0.00. Gotta love that.

Then there’s my paper garland made from an old dictionary … I truly have a soft spot for this garland. It’s delicate, yet surprisingly resilient. I store it carefully in a large garbage bag at the top of my storage room, again since 2011! On Instagram when I posted the following image of the nuts (with the cardboard snowflakes in the background) I was amazed at how it touched people! The conversation around unshelled nuts was wonderful and so much fun … micro blogging to be sure!

Nuts and “bowls” growing up, my Mom always had unshelled nuts at Christmas … now I do the same and although no one eats them I love having them around. Celebrating memories… remember to tag your images to #sunday_sundries @keepingwiththetimes to share your celebratory moments! I’ll feature 4 tomorrow…

A photo posted by Barb Brookbank (@keepingwiththetimes) on Dec 12, 2015 at 2:48pm PST

See Dictionary Paper Trees for Part I of this series.

And don’t forget to enter the draw for the copy of the beautiful Bella Grace magazine! Draw to be made tomorrow!

Dictionary Paper Trees

December 13, 2015 by Barb 7 Comments

Dictionary paper trees were quite the rage a few years ago, but you don’t see them much any more.

I first saw some frilly little trees from hgtv (Pinterest) and knew I had to make one (or three). They are super simple to make and have such a delicate presence. This December, I’ve been looking back and celebrating some of my favourite Christmas ornaments:

After I made these trees (in 2011), I was astounded to see the word “kindle” in one of the frills … completely not planned … just one of those things that make you go “hmmmm” … .
Today I’m including the mini tutorial I wrote, but if you’d like, you can check out the original post here.

Dictionary Paper Trees Mini Tutorial:

Take pages from dictionary, cut into lengths that are 1 1/2 inches wide.
You can leave the length the same as the original paper, but I found the smaller (about 4″ pieces) easier to curl.
Cut lots of little frills into them, careful not to go straight to the edge.

Use a thick skewer to curl the papers.

Purchase styrofoam cones from any craft store.
Starting at the bottom of the cone, and using white glue, attach the curled pieces around it until you get to the top. I put the glue on the styrofoam base first and stuck the paper to it – it just seemed easier to handle.

This year I added the tiny stars to the tops of the trees using hot glue.

These little gems are light as a feather and so, so delicate. Find a special spot for them, sit back, and enjoy! Happy decorating!

I’ll be tagging this to #sunday_sundries on Instagram, because sentimental ornaments are surely something to celebrate. I hope you’ll join the tag! I’ll be back later with my four features.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wood Photography Background

November 19, 2015 by Barb 6 Comments

I’m always on the lookout for new wood photography background ideas. I dare say a person cannot have too many choices … one day you may feel like using barn wood, the next day you may feel like using an old rusty old drawer … and the next … well, nothing seems right.

And what if you aren’t home and don’t have access to your “stuff”? We travel between two places and of course it’s not possible for me to throw my chippy potting bench into the trunk along with my suitcase … hmmmm, or is it? … nah. not.

Anyway, as I’ve been staying in my “city home” the last few days, I needed something small and easy to carry, so I made a quick trip to Michaels where I found a 28″ x 11″ piece of wood (and it’s light as a feather – bonus).

I have no idea what it’s really for … a sign perhaps? I quickly scooped up 2 pieces and a small container of Martha Stewart’s Vintage Decor Paint with a matte chalk finish.

Here’s the before:
… and here’s the after …
Since I was going for a rough finish, it took me about 15 minutes to paint both boards. Initially I was going to give them 2 coats but decided it wasn’t necessary (I must say Martha’s paints are very thick and easy to apply).

There was also a lot of paint left over, so I’ve been painting up a storm … more backgrounds to come … .

Day 19 #nablopomo

Upcycled Toolbox Planter

June 11, 2015 by Barb 12 Comments

About two years ago I purchased a rusty old toolbox for $5.00 at a garage sale, thinking I would use it as an upcycled toolbox planter. I felt a little sheepish when I got home (especially when the hubs told me he thought it should have been free … haha … I thought so too.) But at the time I had a plan … a plan that did not materialize for two years … in fact, this spring the toolbox almost went to the dump because I couldn’t figure out how to fit any plants into the shallow trays.

But, miracle of miracles, something happened to stop me in my tracks!

I was at the garden centre at Home Depot when I spied a sedum mat … I’d never seen such a thing and was quite intrigued … it hit me right away how perfect it would be for the old toolbox …

I basically cut off chunks and stuffed them into the partitions … and quite unceremoniously too …

So my junky toolbox …

was saved from the dump!

… at least for another year.

An Upcyled Link Party at Funky Junk Interiors

Featured at Rodale’s Organic Life

Pretty funky …

Hapa Zome Book Mark for Mom

May 7, 2015 by Barb 17 Comments

The technique of “Hapa Zome” just blew me away when I first discovered it on the Terrain blog.

Oh my gosh! the possibilities!!

Make one for your mom, a friend, yourself … it’s so easy, make one for a stranger!

I didn’t follow the directions exactly, but what I did worked beautifully:

Set a flower face down on a piece of watercolour paper.
Cover with some parchment paper.
Pound with a mallet.
Peel away paper.
Peel away smashed flower … that’s it.

PIN IT

Pumpkin Plant Pot Display

October 3, 2014 by Barb 17 Comments

I’m so thrilled with my little pumpkin plant pot display! This week I found some cute little ceramic pumpkins at Home Sense and I thought they would make great plant pots for this time of year. They look great in a simple display, but also fit nicely with a Thanksgiving tablescape I’m working on.

Pumpkin Plant Pot Succulent in Pumpkin Pot_3 Succulent in Pumpkin Pot_2 So what else did I find this week? I found that sometimes I feel like I’m on fire, and other times I feel like I have a wet blanket draped over me. This past week was the wet blanket week. I have a project hanging over me and I’m dragging my feet, and consequently I don’t even feel like working on the fun things. When I read Kims post this morning … well, oh man … how does she manage to hit the nail on the head every time?! I really needed to hear her gentle encouragement today … I’m going launch Microsoft Word right now, and start writing.

Using Coconut Oil as a Moisturizer

December 29, 2013 by Barb 13 Comments

It’s winter in my part of the world, which means central heating… which means dry, dry, dry… super dry…

Yes, we do have a humidifier and it does help (a lot) but I need to moisturize daily and for that I use Aveeno products. However, I’ve found that two moisturizers are better than one – especially when that moisturizer is coconut oil. It goes on a bit oily at first, but after a few minutes the oiliness vanishes and it leaves my arms and legs feeling silky soft. Believe it or not, I even put a bit of it in my hair.

I have a gigantic jar of it (from Costco) and every day I was going to the pantry, scooping out a little bit with a spoon and heading back to the bathroom. I finally got the bright idea to put a little bit in a container to keep handy by the bathtub (duh).

coconut oil moisturizer

I found a tin that used to hold some scrapbooking supplies, peeled off the top sticker, gave the tin a good washing with soap and water, then glued a piece of new, pretty paper to the lid.

coconut oil moisturizer

Because the oil is in a semi-hardened state, I gently heated some and then poured it into the tin and let it re-set (I like things to look pretty).

coconut oil moisturizer

Pretty, simple, and effective. It may even make a nice little gift!

coconut_0014-copy

What To Do With a 10 Pound Wheel Hub?

December 10, 2013 by Barb 26 Comments

Why yes, yes I did haul home a 10 pound rusty wagon wheel hub…

who could resist such a thing?

… so, what to do with it?

well… you turn it into a vase…

Isn’t it amazing how objects can be made to look so old and rusty? The hub is authentic, the star… not so much…

I thought it looked pretty with my vintage baking powder tin (this is about as close I have gotten to baking anything this season)…

I found this cute little light spray at one of our little shops in town. Boy they can sure get you when you walk into a store and see all the pretty, sparkly displays…

… pretty… I actually have this little arrangement set up on a side table in the dining room/living room and it looks warm, so warm… but because there’s a mirror behind it, it’s impossible to photograph. I haven’t figured out how to do that yet without getting myself and and all the other reflections in the picture as well.

But, there you have it…

… that’s what you do with a 10 pound wagon wheel hub!

Update: In response to TexWisGirl who suggested I could use it as a weapon:

Yes…
It was Miss Barbara…
In the Dining Room…
With the Wheel Hub…

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Star Wreath

December 4, 2013 by Barb 28 Comments

Here’s the scoop on how I created this vintage tin jelly mold wreath!

Once again as I was browsing my favourite junque store, I came across a treasure! Sitting in a cupboard (I think it was hiding) sat this wonderful old tin jelly/cake mold and it was shaped like a star… a star, people! And what time of year is it?? and what could I possibly do with a star?? perhaps put it on a wreath?

vintage tin jelly mold wreath

After I got it home, it sat on the counter for a week as I pondered how I was going to make this thing work.

I thought about making a twiggy wreath, but it’s so darn cold here I couldn’t bear the thought of going out into the bush to gather branches, so I bought a fresh pine wreath instead.

To attach the star (mold), I made the quick executive decision to not bother even trying to hide the (kite) string that I used. It somehow seemed to fit.

Thinking hard about what would go with a kitcheny (kitschy) theme, I suddenly thought of all the vintage spoons I’d collected… I giggled the whole time while I was arranging them.

You see, a long time ago, I took a course in floral arrangement and I reminisced about all the effort our instructor had put into teaching us how to create pretty sprays. I wonder what she would think of this? I don’t think she had spoons in mind…

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Wreath

I gave some poppy seed heads a very light spray of silver paint, and simply stuck them into the greenery.

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Wreath

It now has a place of honour on our front door.

Vintage Jelly Tin Mold Wreath

Ummm, yes, on this particular day we were under a “winter storm warning”, a “heavy snowfall warning”, and a “blizzard warning”. Our forecasters covered all the bases.

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Wreath

Isn’t she lovely?

Vintage Tin Jelly Mold Wreath

I hope you are having a wonderful season, and are having as much fun as I am!

Thank you for stopping by!

Turn an Antique Grater into a Flower Vase

November 14, 2013 by Barb 37 Comments

When I saw a rusty old grater at my favourite junque store, it didn’t take me but two seconds to scoop it up and tuck it under my arm. If anyone else was looking at it, they were going to have to fight me for it…

The tag suggested that it could be used as a candle holder, and yes, that would work, but I had other plans. The globe thistles (echinops) that I had harvested from my garden and were drying in our basement were crying out for a home.
antique, flower vase, echinops, barb brookbank, keeping with the times

I knew instinctively that the rustic style and greyish tones would be the perfect complement to these quirky, spiky flowers.

Antique-Grater

I was quite surprised at the top of it. What would this grid have been used for?

antique grater, flower vase, barb brookbank, keeping with the times

Well, no matter. I saw the perfect flower frog! What a treasure!!

I donned my (thickest) garden gloves, stripped away most of the very prickly leaves, trimmed the stems, and stuck them into the grid. I put the tallest stems in the middle, and the shorter ones at the edges. Piece of cake.

I love it when a project comes together so easily. I couldn’t wait to post until Friday so here it is today…

Have a wonderful Thursday! and see you tomorrow!

Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors

Beautiful Autumn Tansy Wreath

September 19, 2013 by Barb 16 Comments

Tansy Wreath

I’m always scouring ditches for treasures (flowers, moss, wood, you name it), and one of my favourite flowers is the wild Tansy. It’s abundant, beautiful, free, and it makes for a lovely wreath, or bouquet.

I know that in some parts, it’s considered invasive…

Early Autumn Wreath

but I say, invade… (perhaps farmers do not)…

Tansy Wreath

To make the wreath, I simply clipped off the flower heads and pushed the stems into a willow wreath that I purchased at Michaels.

Start at the bottom and push the flower heads up the left side of the base, then up the right side of the base until they meet at the top.

At the bottom, I created a little spray by pushing the flowers in from the left, and in from the right, and then secured them with some twine. Easy Peasy!

keeping with the times

Definitely a country bouquet.

Tansy Wreath

One Thing Leads to Another

July 12, 2013 by Barb 12 Comments

My Friday Find for this week is a roll of rustic cotton “ribbon”.

I was browsing around my favourite country store (shouldn’t have been there…) and spied it almost right away. It stirred something in me. Visions of days gone by flooded my mind. The crafty urge that lurks just below the surface of my being became overwhelming and I convinced myself that I would definitely be able to use it on something, someday. Isn’t it beautiful? Dreamy.

The first thing I did when I got home was rummage around in my (mountains) of scrapbooking supplies that are taking up way too much space in my basement. I looked for papers with similar colours and for some reason, envelopes and tags came to mind. I think because they are easy to make, and at least it would get me going.

friday finds kim klassen

This then led me to my next project… a flower press. I used to have one, but alas, it made it’s way to Goodwill during one of my purging episodes. (More on that next week).

So what about the ribbon? Have I used it? Most definitely.

Friday Finds at Kim Klassen dot Com

LR Preset kk_lettherebelight

Top 12 of 2012

December 30, 2012 by Barb 20 Comments

Once again as the year ends I’ve compiled a collection of my most viewed posts. This year my Vintage Paper Trees overtook what used to be the biggest hitter – my Rustic Country Whole Grain Wreath.

Vintage Paper Trees	Dictionary Page Wreath	Recycled Paper Twiggy Tags	Handmade Christmas Globe Ornaments	Baked Caramel Popcorn
Nuts and Bolts	Flourless Chocolate Snow Mountains	Spring Mantle	Handmade Christmas Decorations	Old Dictionary Leaf Wreath
Pussy Willow Wreath – Tutorial	Christmas Table Decor

InLinkz.com

Recycled Paper Twiggy Tags

December 6, 2012 by Barb 42 Comments

Use old paper, dried twigs, and a bit of ink, to create these cute recycled paper twiggy tags! Great for hanging on the Christmas tree or using for tags. I wanted to complement my Dictionary Page Garland, and cardboard snowflakes; re-used, re-cycled, and cheap!

I took some cardboard tags and covered both sides with paper from an old dictionary (what else), then I sanded the edges and “inked” them with a brown scrapbook ink pad to add a bit of antiquing.

I made a twiggy little tree from some dry old willow branches and cut out a small brown star for the top.

Recycled Paper Twiggy Tags

Easy as one, two, three!

Recycled Paper Twiggy Tags

The old Hoosier cabinet keeps everything in order…

_DSC6060-copy

Simple, rustic, recycled…

_DSC6048-copy

Great for gift tags…

_DSC6086-copy

Add a sprig of green, and your all set!

_DSC6084-2-copy

I used a glue stick to glue the paper to the cardboard and white glue to glue the twigs on. White glue takes a bit longer to dry than a glue gun but it just seemed to work better for me.

Such a quick and easy decoration! and I’m all for quick and easy and cheap and re-cycled.

Have a wonder filled day!

A White Christmas Mantel

December 3, 2012 by Barb 17 Comments

I wanted to design a different type of wreath this year and when I came across a square wreath on Pinterest I knew I wanted one!

Willow for the frame was an obvious choice for me – I have a mega abundance of it growing in my back yard and I really love working with it. In the past I’ve made baskets, planters, and even a bench using willow. I love the way the branches seem to roll into place and fit together snugly – no matter how crooked they are.

To make the frame I cut four pieces of willow into 20″ pieces, put two on top of the other two (top and bottom) and secured them together with nails. Then I added two small pieces to create the panes. As I mentioned, willow falls together seamlessly and it’s rustic so perfectionism is not allowed here.

Square-Birch-Wreath-Christmas-Mantel-copy

I also absolutely love the wild look of birch branches so out I went again to gather some up. I feel very fortunate that I live in the country and have all this natural material around me.

I simply wove the birch around the frame and the panes. No glue, nails, string or wires were used. As I added branches they all kind of held each other together – it’s really quite sturdy.

Then I added a few birch branches along the mantel and put a couple of strings of teeny tiny white lights throughout. I already had the big wooden frame, the bird picture, the tall white wooden bird and the “Let It Snow” sign.

Square-Birch-Wreath-Christmas-Mantel-1-copy

The only thing I spent money on was the paint for the wooden frame. I wanted my wreath to contrast with the frame and the grey was just not cutting it.

Square-Birch-Wreath-Christmas-Mantel-3-copy

So I covered it using this paint I found in my favourite antique/collectible/junk store (One Man’s Treasure).

First time I’ve come across chalk paint. I was inspired to say the least. It took no time at all to get it done – it dries extremely fast so 2 coats took about 1 hour – perfect for someone as impatient as me. I decided not to use the antiquing wax since I wanted an overall white and dreamy effect on my mantel

Square-Birch-Wreath-Christmas-Mantel-2-copy

I love being outdoors and gathering natural material.

Square-Birch-Wreath-Christmas-Mantel-4-copy

Christmas_Mantel-5888-copy-2

Have a wonderful Christmas!

DIY old dictionary page, maple leaf wreath–for early autumn

September 5, 2012 by Barb 34 Comments

I’m loving my diy, old dictionary page wreath, and it’s maple leaves this time . . .

Maple Leaf Dictionary Page Wreath

I used the same dictionary that I used for my Christmas wreath–so no more old books were hurt in the making of this project . . .

Maple Leaf Dictionary Page Wreath

It feels like a breath of fresh air . . . and is light as a feather . . .

Maple Leaf Wreath

I wrapped a wire frame with burlap . . .

Maple-Leaf-Wreath

. . . and it even looked pretty before I was finished . . .

Maple Leaf Wreath

. . . love it!

Maple Leaf Dictionary Page Wreath

To make the leaves I downloaded a maple leaf shape and cut them all by hand. I know, it sounds like a lot! But because the pages were so thin I was able to cut up to 12 leaves at once.

After I had them all hot glued onto the frame, I spritzed the wreath with a bit of tea and ran my hand gently against the direction of the leaves. I then set it out in the sun for about an hour to dry. It ruffled and curled them up just enough to give it some texture.

It’s quite a bit different from what I usually put up for autumn.

Where’s the colour??!! Not to worry. I have colour on my mantel. My very unusual and unique looking mantel. It’s a new style for me. Can’t wait to show you that!

Spring Willow Wreath

March 26, 2012 by Barb 23 Comments

Pussy Willow Wreath

It seems all over blogland people are decorating their doors for spring. Well, it is spring in Alberta too but, hmmmm, I don’t see any tulips peeking through the ground (could be because I can’t see the ground) and there certainly are no pansies sitting prettily on my step.

But the Pussy Willows are out in full force and I ventured out on Sunday to gather the usual armloads to create my new wreath.

Pussy Willow Wreath

I love gathering these branches. It was quite a nice day and it always feels so good to be outside. I could hear geese honking, ravens croaking, and water running. I could also smell wood smoke in the air – so sweet. Someone must have been cleaning up their yard already.

My wreath looks so at home on my new green door (painted last autumn). It’s a very authentic representation of what our world looks like right now. Twiggy and branchy with a promise of spring.

Pussy Willow Wreath

This year I added a little birdhouse and bird to create a little interest and make it different from other years.

Pussy Willow Wreath

Check out my How to Make a Pussy Willow Wreath tutorial. It’s really very easy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Valentine hearts topiary

February 1, 2012 by Barb 30 Comments

my lovely Valentine topiary

brightening up a corner in my dining room

gracing my nesting tables

love . . .

love . . . love . . .

I wanted to make something for Valentine’s Day but just didn’t want it to be a lot of work or cost too much. Coming up with the idea is what took the most time since I was feeling less than inspired. Luckily, I had to run into town to get some batteries (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it . . .) and as I was browsing around, I saw some packages of these creamy paper-looking flowers. They were with all the pot-pourri items and were very inexpensive. I scooped up a couple of boxes and sped home, ideas forming as I drove.

It was time to re-purpose my Victorian Inspired Topiary that I had made about 15 years ago! Oh the dust that flew as I tore it apart! What satisfaction! I saved the pot, the stem, and the styrofoam all in one piece and simply hot-glued the white flowers onto the styrofoam until it was completely covered. However, when I was finished I wasn’t completely blown away (to say the least).

It needed something ‘Valentine-y’.

Hearts. Little tiny punched paper hearts strung on a piece of thin twine and wrapped around and around. OK, now I’m getting somewhere! For the finishing touch I put some pot-pourri inside the pot. Looks pretty and smells pretty too!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Handmade Christmas globe ornaments

December 10, 2011 by Barb 54 Comments

Once again this year I made a few more paper globe ornaments. I have this thing for paper . . . and instead of scrapbook paper I’m using Christmas cards from Christmas’s past.

What a great way to put these treasures to use and to honour the people who have taken the time to send cards to me over the years. These are just so simple to make (see tutorial at end of post) and they give me so much pleasure. I’m hoping they become cherished heirlooms someday.

You can add sparkle to the edges, a tassel, just anything you can think of. Here I’ve added little red and gold gems just to give it a bit of bling.

Old Christmas-Card-Globe-Ornament

Use a punch to cut 20 – 2 inch circles.

Make an equilateral triangle out of brown cardstock that is 1 3/4 inches on all sides. The angles of an equilateral triangle are 60 degrees.

Use it to make three marks on your circle to use as a guide for folding.

Score, and then fold up the three sides of your circle. You can use a bone folder and a ruler to score, but I use my small paper cutter with the blunt folding blade – but use it ever so lightly or you will cut through the paper.

Christmas-Card-Globe-Ornament1

Christmas-Card-Globe-Ornament, diy

Christmas-Card-Globe-Ornament4

Christmas-Card-Globe-Ornament3

Have fun!

Oh! Christmas tree!

December 8, 2011 by Barb 44 Comments

Well, I finally have the tree decorated and *whew* we’ve never had such a tall tree in all our 37 years of marriage! I had to use a step ladder to get to the top and I may or may not have stood on the TV cabinet to reach the star . . . hmmm, after I put the star up I could see that it was being dwarfed – so what to do? I went out into the yard and snipped off a few birch branches to create a little burst at the top and add some weight. I really kind of like it.

Thrifty Christmas Decorations
I’m loooving my tree this year! To start with we haven’t had a real tree for quite a while and I completely changed all the ornaments. Don’t be shocked – I know ornaments are extremely expensive which is why I made my own garland.

Thrifty Christmas Decorations

Then the other day I was rummaging around in my crafty stuff trying to think what else I could use when I came across a stack of light cardboard that I had saved (being the hoarder that I am) and thought, I am going run down to my scrapbooking store and see what die-cuts they have. This lovely snowflake was sitting there calling to me and I spent the better half of the morning churning out about a hundred of them. Cost? $0.00 – I have a membership at the store and use of the die cut machine is free for members. Oh man, I couldn’t have been happier.

Thrifty Christmas Decorations

The rest of the ornaments – the birds, the felt skates, felt reindeer, and felt mittens I had bought at Superstore at the beginning of the season. Take my word for it, they were very affordable.

Tree4-copy

Thrifty Christmas Decorations

And last but not least I have my Paper Ball Ornaments made from Christmas cards past. Go here for the tutorial on how to make them.

Thrifty Christmas Decorations

Birch branches…

Tree6-copy

My birch branch burst… try saying that three times over! Thrifty Christmas Decorations

I am officially exhausted. I’m on my own tonight so I may just pour myself a bowl of Nuts and Bolts and sit back and admire my creation. And since I worked so hard I may just have Baked Caramel Popcorn for dessert.

Happy Decorating Everyone!

Vintage paper trees

November 30, 2011 by Barb 76 Comments

I first saw these frilly little trees from hgtv (Pinterest) and knew I had to have one (or three). They are super simple to make and have such a delicate presence sitting there on my little china cabinet.

Speaking of my china cabinet – I gave the top a new look this year. It started when I saw this old window frame with the mirrors in the panes. I was casually shopping around at The Country Pumpkin for little ornaments when I turned around and saw it. I was smitten . . . I felt dizzy . . . I needed air . . . When I came around I made the decision to leave the store for an hour or so to think about it – how responsible is that! Anyway, you can see here that the rest is history. It’s home with me where it belongs, sigh . . .

Dictionary Paper Trees, vintage, christmas