The Christmas Mermaid

-
 This little project got it's start almost a year ago.  I was walking through TJMaxx last January, perusing the leftover Christmas merchandise, when I spotted her:  The Christmas Mermaid.  
It just so happens I know someone who loves mermaids, and a Christmas Mermaid?  Bonus points!

Welcome back to the 'Do It Over' Designers blog hop.  We are a group of bloggers who love to recycle/upcycle/DIY.  I'm so happy to host this blog hop and hope you'll visit everyone to see what they have to share with you.  Their links will be listed at the end of this post. 

This mermaid was originally a large gift sack.  
It came with two red rope ties that I pulled out before I took the picture.
I thought it was a shame to use it for gift-wrapping - never to be seen again, and it already had this wonderful channel sewn-in at the top:
So, out came the seam ripper and the side seams were gone in no time at all.  I cut the sack across the bottom and I now had two large pieces.  Here's the other one:
Each piece was approximately 29-30 inches long.
That measurement combined with that channel already sewn at the top meant this mermaid was about to become a banner.  All I had to do was hem the bottom and re-stitch the sides.  No pics, just trust me, I did sew them!
The next step was a getting a dowel and two wooden balls for the ends. 
The dowel needed to be cut down, so I 'eyeballed' the length I wanted and cut it with my trusty hack saw.
Everything was painted with gold craft paint and it was time to put the banner together...dowel through the channel, wooden balls added - use a little glue, tie on the rope, and it was done.
So much better than a large gift sack!
I think she's adorable and she's on her way to my daughter for her Christmas decorating this year.  Yes, she's the mermaid-lover, has been since she was a little girl.  
The moral of this story is make sure you dig through the leftover Christmas merchandise in January.  You never know what you'll find at a bargain price!  

I hope you'll pin, share, comment, and follow.  If you click on those 3 little lines at the top left of the blog (on the Home page), you'll see where to find me...or click on the icon below to share.


Now it's time to visit the rest of the team.  We have ideas, a Baker's Dozen actually, to share with you.  Be sure to stop by each blog for some amazing Upcycling/Recycling/DIY projects.  The links are listed below:













Featured at:










Comments

  1. Patti @ Pandoras BoxNovember 28, 2020 at 8:17 AM

    Cute recycle project! I am sure she will love it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. NaushNovember 28, 2020 at 8:28 AM

    How adorable !

    ReplyDelete
  3. Birdz of a FeatherNovember 28, 2020 at 8:31 AM

    So adorable and a great tip to remember about shopping in Januar!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnNovember 28, 2020 at 12:53 PM

      I've always shopped in January and have found some of the best deals!

      Delete
  4. Tania PelletierNovember 28, 2020 at 9:10 AM

    That's so cute, I love Mermaids and she's adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gail @Purple Hues and MeNovember 28, 2020 at 9:29 AM

    What a fun way to upcycle an after Christmas find! I'm sure your daughter will cherish it for years to come!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Donna @ Modern on MonticelloNovember 28, 2020 at 9:44 AM

    What a great find last year and so adorable. I like that you remade it to something that can be used every year now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnNovember 28, 2020 at 1:00 PM

      It just seemed a shame to just use it as a gift sack. I'm so glad you like it!

      Delete
  7. Chas - Chas’ Crazy CreationsNovember 28, 2020 at 10:02 AM

    Oh my goodness, how cute is that! I know my niece will love seeing this. Wonderful hopping with you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnNovember 28, 2020 at 1:01 PM

      Thanks, Chas. Wonderful hopping with you too!

      Delete
  8. Kim November 28, 2020 at 10:25 AM

    Ann, she is just darling...and I agree, way too sweet to be hiding under the tree. She deserves a spotlight!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnNovember 28, 2020 at 1:03 PM

      I couldn't agree more. This was one of those finds that I knew exactly what I was going to do with it as soon as I saw it!

      Delete
  9. Our Hopeful HomeNovember 28, 2020 at 12:32 PM

    What a great upcycle! Too cute:) I love taking things apart and making them into something else. xo Kathleen

    ReplyDelete
  10. cloches and lavenderNovember 28, 2020 at 4:00 PM

    Ann, this is too adorable! I love it, especially the ear muffs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnNovember 29, 2020 at 9:33 AM

      Yes, aren't they great? You're the first to mention them!

      Delete
  11. Unique creations by AnitaNovember 28, 2020 at 4:37 PM

    Such a better use than just wrapping. Like you say it is such a shame for her to be tucked away never to be seen again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnNovember 29, 2020 at 9:32 AM

      That was my thought as soon as I saw it, Anita. She's just too cute!

      Delete
  12. BethGWilsonDecember 1, 2020 at 12:27 PM

    What a clever idea! I love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnDecember 1, 2020 at 6:33 PM

      Thank you, Beth. I think she's just adorable!

      Delete
  13. MarielleDecember 4, 2020 at 8:00 PM

    I can't say I've ever seen a Christmas mermaid before! :) What a fun find, and I love what you did with it. Have a wonderful weekend Ann!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnDecember 5, 2020 at 8:25 AM

      Thank you, Marielle. She really is adorable and my daughter loves her!

      Delete
  14. Sum of their StoriesDecember 5, 2020 at 4:52 PM

    This is so clever, a great makeover.
    The Christmas mermaid seems very niche! But she's lovely so it just goes to show you can theme anything for Christmas can't you? :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnDecember 6, 2020 at 8:33 AM

      Thank you, Julie, and yes, the Christmas theme can be extended to lots of different things. I was thrilled when I saw this gift sack!

      Delete
  15. Cherelle | The Inspired PrairieDecember 7, 2020 at 3:28 PM

    I like your Christmas mermaid!

    Thanks for linking up and sharing this post with us on our Embracing Home and Family-link up!

    -Cherelle

    ReplyDelete
  16. Create With JoyDecember 10, 2020 at 4:32 PM

    Ann, your Christmas Mermaid project is so adorable - your daughter is going to love it!
    Thanks for sharing at Friendship Friday at Create With Joy.
    I'm happy to include you among our features this week! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnDecember 10, 2020 at 8:00 PM

      Thank you so much - it's so sweet of you to feature her!

      Delete
  17. CatDecember 11, 2020 at 4:56 AM

    How cute. I would never have thought of ever metting a Christmas mermaid :-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnnDecember 11, 2020 at 7:16 PM

      Thank you, Cat. I guess mermaids can pop up anywhere!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Break Out Those Wine Corks!

-
Image
You've been self-isolating, drinking some wine, and saving the corks for a project.  But, before you think I'm accusing you of drinking too much, we both know that every wine-drinker has a stash of corks somewhere in their house.  It's time to dig them out and finally DO something with them.   Welcome back to 10 on the 10th , a group of bloggers sharing ideas and inspiration for less than $10.  This month we're sharing Tips While Social Distancing and we've got some great ideas for you.  Let's get started..... First, find those corks.  They're probably hiding in drawers or a cabinet...maybe in a box or bag.  You can find them. I have faith in you!  My first project is an easy one.  All you need is a hot glue gun, a can, and your corks.  This jade plant has been living in an aluminum can ever since I cut it away from the original plant.  It's doing quite well, but, let's face it, this container is not very pretty. ...
Read more

Wine Cork Wreath

-
Image
Just a note...I promised to share the wreath and picture in a previous post.  Here they are: Now, if you're anything like me, you've been saving wine corks for forever because there is a fabulous project that you will just HAVE to make with them.  The problem is, you haven't found it yet! Have no fear, your project is here! To get started, you will need lots of these: How many, you ask?  I estimate that I used between 200 and 250 corks.  You will also need a straw wreath, like this: Don't forget to remove the plastic! This next step is extremely important! Wrap some wire around the wreath and make a loop for hanging.  There is nothing worse than getting your wreath all done and then say to yourself, "Hmmm, how the heck do I hang this thing!?! Now you're ready to get started.  Be sure to cover your work surface to protect it.  I used a lovely old vinyl tablecloth that I had laying around....
Read more

How To Decoupage Dresser Drawers - With Napkins!

-
Image
Welcome back!  Last week you saw a garage sale dresser transformed with paint and decoupaged napkins.  If you missed it, click here .  Today I have a little tutorial showing how it was done.  Let's get started, shall we? The drawers were sanded down to bare wood and the edges were painted black to match the rest of the dresser.  The napkins were found at the Dollar Store. Notice they are 2-ply napkins?  You only need one, so separate those layers! Iron the one-layer.  It helps when you are ready to lay it down on the wet decoupage medium.   Since the napkins were not wide enough to cover the entire drawer, I was going to have to piece them together.  These napkins also had a very definite pattern that was going to need matching, so it was time for some measuring.  I found the middle of the drawer and matched it to the middle of the napkin.  Then I marked the edges of the napkin on the edge of the drawer with ch...
Read more

No More Polycrylic for My Tables!

-
Image
Behold, my newly refinished table - once again!  Yes, this is the second time this little beauty has been refinished. The table was originally refinished in 2013.  I carefully sanded, stained, and sealed it with polycrylic.  Everyone in blogland was singing the praises of polycrylic, so I thought I'd give it a try.  It went on great, clean-up was easy, and it dried quickly.   Win-Win, right?  WRONG!! After about a year and a half, I started noticing some wear on the edges of the table.  You know, the spot where people rest their arms?  As time went on, these spots actually started to feel a bit sticky and you could see them: It was really difficult to get a picture of them, but, if you look carefully where the arrows are pointing, you'll see dull spots in the finish.  We lived with it for a while, then I told my husband, "As soon as the weather gets nice, this table has a date with my sander!" Time for my full disclosure. ...
Read more