Think before you Toss: Upcycled Product Boxes

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I have started to look at things differently.  Most of the change has been born out of necessity. People all over the world have been struggling to make ends meet more than ever before.   We are certainty included in this, and I have made it my mission from both an economical and environmental standpoint to think before I throw something out.  The questions I ask myself are:  Can I re-purpose this item and make it into something beautiful?  Can I use this item to better organize my home? Obviously, not everything can be saved and shouldn’t be.  No one wants to enter “hoarders territory.”  That being said, I have simply modified my way of thinking.  Why go out and spend money on storage items, when plenty of these items can be re-purposed from previously used boxes and storage bags?  That is the question I ask myself.  When I was cleaning out my closet, I came across the box that my tablet PC came in.  It was made from a heavy laminated cardboard, with a magnetic closure. A perfect little box to store items in, all it needed was a bit of decoupage to make it pretty. I had some left over scrap-book paper from Lively Computer Tablet Makeover that was fun and thought it would be great for this. Upcycled Boxes

Materials:

Box

Scrapbook paper

Mod Podge

Scissors

Black felt tip marker

Foam Craft Brush

First, Use a marker to trace all sides of the box on the scrapbook paper. Trace on the blank side.  Then cut them out with scissors.  Apply the Mod Podge to the sides and lid and carefully glue the paper to the box, smoothing out any air bubbles as you go.  Once dry, apply the Mod Podge to seal the outside of the box. Simple, Stylish, Money Saving, and one less piece of garbage in the landfill. A win, win in my book! Upcycled Product Boxes Great for keepsake storage Decoupage Product box

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So Happy Together! 1960’s Mod Style Coffee Table And Mini Toy Box.

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So Happy Together! 1960's Mod Style Coffee Table And Mini Toy Box.

I spent most of the day today getting our daughters playroom together, running errands and trying to sort through a craft room that consists of more junk than crafts. I am hoping one day it will be pretty enough to share with you, but my guess is that is a bit farther into the future. Needless to say, I didn’t have much time to craft today, but I wanted to share this snap shot of my daughter’s playroom coffee table and toy box. I love how the bright fabric brings color and “pop” into our red family room. I have a new appreciation of fabrics and textiles and how much they can bring to a space.  The Coffee table surface is also holding up nicely and I use a baby wipe to clean it and it works great.

 

Repurposed Umbrella Holder Made With Fabric and Mod Podge

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I’ll admit even with all the rain lately, I never seem to have an umbrella handy. It was pouring when I left work earlier this evening and if it weren’t for the generosity of a friend, I would have been completely soaked! So, it would seem silly, that I would buy an umbrella holder.  It was sitting there mixed in with the lamps at a local thrift store.  I was at first, drawn to the shape of the item. Not to mention the price: Only $2.99!

I thought it would make a great toy holder.  Anyone with a little one knows  you can never have too much storage for toys and books. I also jumped at the chance to use the mod fabric I had left over from The 1960’s inspired Coffee Table Makeover , Step Stool Restyle, and Whimsical Garden Pig. When I purchased the fabric at Goodwill, I had no idea these textiles were created by artist and designer Helen Trast.  In 2007 she designed “Fredrika” line for Ikea.  I was originally attracted to the bright colors and retro feel of the fabric.  It would also match the coffee table in our playroom/family room.

First, I turned the piece on its side and traced the sides the fabric with a black marker. I repeated this step for all four sides.

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I cut the material with scissors and set aside.  I planned on painting the inside, so I used a white latex primer to prepare the item for painting.  While that was drying, I applied Mod Podge with a foam brush to each side of the piece applying the fabric panels, and smoothing out any wrinkles with my hands.

Decoupage with Mod Podge

I then painted the inside of the piece with three coats of red acrylic paint.  Once the entire piece was dry, It was time for more  Mod Podge.  Three full coats of it over the inside and outside of the piece.  After it was finished, I used an X-Acto knife to slice off any strings or fabric overlaps on the edges.

I then applied some additional Mod Podge to the areas where I trimmed away the excess fabric.

Repurposed umbrella holder

I may not be able to fill this box with umbrella’s but I have plenty of toddler toys to keep it full!

Toy Holder

Three Photo’s, Nine Lives~ A Thursday Night Feline Pictorial         

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“Meow” means “woof” in cat.”
― George Carlin

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“I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”

Rudyard Kipling, The Cat That Walked by Himself: And Other Stories

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There are no ordinary cats-Colette

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To Upcycle or not to Upcycle. That is the question.

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I’ll admit when I go thrifting I am attracted to certain items, but not for the reasons you may think.  Sure everyone dreams about finding the picture frame with a copy of the original US constitution in it resulting in the big “pay day”, but I am not always in it for what something is worth. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to determining what has the most value. More often than not, my choices are simply based on what I like.  I love anything retro, furniture, and fabric. I love to think outside the box when it comes to how I utilize these materials.

It was on one of many trips to the Goodwill that I came across this kids rocking chair:

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I saw it from a far and I didn’t waste anytime making my way over to it.  In my cart it went without hesitation. I didn’t even check the price at first.  Anytime I see kids furniture, I can restyle I buy it. Looking down at the tag I couldn’t believe my eyes.  I could tell it was a well made chair and it was only $5.99! I flipped the chair over and saw this:

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When I got the chair home, I did a little internet research on it and the company that made the chair. The Dixie Seating Company was founded in 1930’s and are known for making quality chairs and furniture for kids and adults. Most of these chairs are going for $76-$200 per chair online! I paid $5.99.  Except for some minor wear, the chair is in excellent condition.

After taking this all into consideration, I have put away the primer and I am instead taking out the Murphy’s oil soap. I am rethinking the upcycle and my decision is to leave the chair in it’s original state.

What do you think?  Have you ever decided not to upcycle an item because you were concerned  a redesign could effect value?  I would love to hear what others think on this.  Do you all think I made the right decision?

I e-mailed the company to try to gain more info on the chair including when the chair was made. They have not  have responded. The company started in 1934, but has changed owners a few times, and they had no information on this serial #.  They said best guess early 50’s. I believe the chair is at least  30 years old.  If anyone out there can offer any additional info on this chair, I would greatly appreciate and would love to hear from you!

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What is it? The 50 Cent Wooden Mini Pallet Makeover

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Buy now ask questions later! The price was certainly right, only 50 cents, but what was this item and what was it’s original use?  It looked like a miniature pallet, but felt a little like a tray. Whatever it was didn’t really matter. I loved the fact that it was a fresh unstyled piece and I was determined to give it a new look. After searching the Goodwill shelves a bit more and leaving disappointed, I took a trip down the fabric aisle and found a nice old bed skirt with a triangular pattern that would be a perfect restyle fabric.

I gathered the materials I would need. Firstly, I traced the pallet slats onto the fabric with a black sharpie marker. I repeated this a total of 3 times once for each slat.  I then cut the fabric out with scissors.

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I applied the Mod Podge to each slat with a foam brush and glued down the fabric smoothing it out gently with my hand.  I used black acrylic to paint the non decoupaged areas. Once the piece was completely dry, I applied Mod Podge over the entire tray to seal it.  Not bad for 50 cents!

Before/After:

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“Me Want Cookie!!!” Cookie Monster Decoupage Cookie Jar

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Family Proclamation: We really need a cookie jar!  Every time me or my husband open a bag of vanilla wafers for our little one, the bag rips and the box won’t stay closed. The cookies also don’t stay fresh for very long under these conditions.  Often times, I end up cramming all the cookies into one sandwich bag, not very attractive!  So, I just so happened to be in the thrift store last week, when I  came across a large glass jar with a lid for only $1.99!  This I thought to myself, would make a perfect cookie jar so into my cart it went.

As most of my readers already know my daughter is a HUGE Sesame Street fan.  Her favorite doll is her Ernie doll which she carries with her everywhere she goes and takes with her to bed at night. Her other favorites are Elmo and Cookie Monster.  It just seemed like a no brainer that a Cookie Monster/Sesame Street Cookie Jar was in order.  I printed out 5×7 Cookie Monster image from online, and for the sides of the jar I decided to recycle an old Sesame Street Birthday Party Decoration.

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I cut out all of the images I wanted to decoupage to the jar.  The birthday decorations were a bit larger than needed so I carefully trimmed them up so they would fit. The great thing about using the birthday decorations you ask?  They are double-sided and reflected the same image on the inside of the  jar as well as the outside-Awesome.

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Next step was to  apply the Mod Podge with a medium-sized artist’s brush.  I carefully glued the images on the glass.  I did this slowly, smoothing out the paper with my hand as to capture as little air between the paper and the glass as possible. Once dry, I applied two coats of Mod Podge over each image to seal it permanently to the glass.

Now, we have a fun and decorative place to keep our cookies fresh without dealing with those frustrating bags!

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The Secrets Out: John Waterhouse Decoupage Wooden Box Craft

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I was in Michael’s Craft Store picking up some scrapbook paper, when I took a small detour down the wood craft aisle.  They had every shape and sized bird house, jewelry box, and  storage crates just to name a few.  Normally, I would just walk down the aisle and keep going,  but today I was intrigued by the idea of creating a craft from new previously un-used material. Besides, I had already looked through my home, been out thrifting, and  spent work lunches at Goodwill, and was unable to come across a simple wooden box to decoupage.  I thought one of these wooden boxes would be perfect for my friend’s birthday which was still a few month’s out, so I had plenty of time to make it in between making other crafts.

Art Minds Wooden Box

Wooden Box at Michael’s.com

My friend is a fan of the arts and I had been searching for the perfect painting to decoupage for her.  I came across the artwork of John Waterhouse  and saw a print entitled “My Sweet Rose”  It reminded me of my friend instantly when I saw it, and I thought she would love the image. I traced the box lid  on to the print with a pencil, cut it out and placed it to the side.  I used a foam brush to apply the Mod Podge to the box lid.  Once applied I glued the image to the box, carefully smoothing out any air bubbles or wrinkles.  I allowed the piece to dry.  Once dry I applied another coat of Mod Podge to the top of the photo, sealing the photo to the box.

I decided to stain the box instead of painting it.  I used a wood walnut stain, but any wood stain, finish or color would work. It really depends on personal taste.  I didn’t want the box to appear too dark so I only applied two coats total. I allowed the box dry. While drying I measured out the floral wrapping paper I wanted to use to line the inside.  I applied the wrapping paper with Mod Podge. The biggest challenge was keeping the wrapping paper from bubbling up.  I find wrapping paper the few times I have used it, doesn’t work well (Keep in mind it is thinner paper and purchased from the dollar store) The floral print ; However matched perfectly and I decided despite the challenges to use it in this project. Once the entire piece was dry I used another coat of Mod Podge to seal the entire box. I allowed the entire piece to dry under a fan overnight.

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My friend’s birthday was July 4th, and she received the box in the mail and loved it.  John Waterhouse it turns out is one of her favorite artists, and she loved the keepsake quality of the box.

That also means, now that the secrets out I can share this craft with all of my internet friends.  I hope you enjoy!

Materials:

Used or new wooden box

Wood stain color of choice

Image/or images e to decoupage

wrapping paper (inside liner)

Craft foam brush

Scissors

Paint brush to apply stain

A Reflection on the Birth Of A Nation: Getting to Know Our American Ancestors

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When I began my genealogy project back in 2009, I knew my husband and I, who were the main focus of the project were descended mainly through immigrants who came to this great nation in the modern immigration boom era and during the Irish Potato famine. I doubted I would find any daughter’s of the revolution candidates in our family tree, and so far I have been correct.  Most lines I have researched had immigrated no later than about 1800, long after the American Revolution.  However; I was pleasantly surprised to discover after sitting down with my daughter’s great-uncle on her father’s side, the names of my husband’s grandmother’s family and that is when the story became interesting.

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My husband’s Grandparents William and Julia

The focus began with Julia’s Mother (my husband’s great-grandmother) Rebecca (Budd) Kelly.  She was raised in Dauphin County Pennsylvania the daughter of a coal miner and as I discovered later, a Civil War Veteran.  His name was William Budd, even more amazing was his brother Richard Budd.  He was a captain who held his own regimen Company K in the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry.  Of course I didn’t know any of this initially.  Our uncle simply gave us the names with no history behind them. In the end I was glad he didn’t give it away, because for a genealogist like me the initial discovery is the reward for all of the hard work.

It was then through internet research, I discovered the Gratz Civil War Blog With the help of this site simply discovered through googling our ancestor’s names, and  various other census and war records, I was able to discover the stories of my daughter’s 3x’s Great Grandfather and 3x’s great Uncle!  William and his brother Richard came to this country from Ireland after their father died only to lose their mother soon after.  William was a Coal Miner and Richard a Coal Miner and later a Lumber man.  Both men answered the call and enlisted to fight for the Union in the civil war, ending up in the 96th Pennsylvania Regiment, with Richard rising to the ranks of Captain of Company K and gaining much respect in the local community. He fought in many famous battles including Gettysburg  The death of Richard Budd: Gratz Civil War Blog

William Budd his brother and, my families direct ancestor, transferred to U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps on September,1 1863.  He fought in several battles but due to illness was discharged to the Reserves.  More info on William Budd can be found on Death of Widow of William Budd

Our families may not have descended from the Revolution, but certainly have their own uniquely American story. Imagine the stories and surprises you might uncover.

96th Infantry Civil War Flag

Wine Craft Wednesday: Upcycled Wine Bottle Garden Decorations

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There is nothing better than spending an evening decompressing after a long, hard day with a glass of wine.  Of course, even the occasional wine drinker is left to answer the question, “What do I do with all those empty wine bottles?” There are many great ideas out on the world-wide web for upcycling used bottles of all shapes and sizes.  Some of these projects call for “bottle cutting” and from what I have been reading online this is not always for the faint of heart. I wanted to do a wine bottle upcycle project that was simple and didn’t end with a trip to the Emergency Room.  I had decoupaged some bottles in the past, but I thought this time I would try something a little different.  I would attempt to make an outdoor garden marker using Outdoor Mod Podge and recycled gift bags.  First, I filled up a large pot with hot tap water.  I filled the wine bottles with hot water so they would submerse,  and placed them in the pot.  I let them sit for about and hour or until I could easily remove the wine labels.  While they dried I gathered the materials I needed.

Gift Bags

Scissors

Outdoor Mod Podge

Foam brush

I cut out the images I wanted to decoupage.  I turned the bottle upside down bottom of the bottle facing up.  I glued the images to the bottle using the Mod Podge and a foam brush.  I used my hands to smooth out the images and placed the  bottles under a stand up fan to dry.  Once dry, I applied 3 coats of Outdoor Mod Podge over the top of the image to seal. The instructions on the bottle of Outdoor Mod Podge say to let the piece dry indoors for about 72 hours.  An alternative use would be larger garden markers.  You could decoupage an image of a vegetable for example to label plants in the garden. The bottle neck acts as a stake to anchor the bottle into the ground.  Nowyou can kick back in the yard with that glass wine and admire your upcycle!

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Upcycled Wine Bottle Garden Markers