The Apple Street Cottage

This project got it's start last Spring at an Estate Sale.  No one knew what they were, but I knew I could do something with them, especially that one that one with the arrow pointing to it. To me, it said, 'Christmas Tree' and that's what it became.    W elcome back to the 'Do It Over' Designers blog hop.  We are a group of bloggers who love to recycle/upcycle/DIY.  I'm happy to host this hop and I 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. After some research, we came to the conclusion that I had purchased some wooden bobbins from an old textile mill.  You can guess the purpose of the giant staple (that was not coming out - no way, no how!) Since I have quite a collection of vintage costume jewelry, I decided to go with a 'glam-look' for this makeover.  The first step was to give it a coat of silver spray paint.  I also included a few pieces of jewelry I was think...

  That's right, my friends they are Loop Trees and there isn't a bit of yarn in them! I'm back with another crafty project that is made with a mop from the dollar store.  If you missed the last two projects, be sure to check out the Five Little Ghosties and The 'Sweater-Look' Pumpkin .  You'll also see the mop I used. Let's move on to the trees and how they were made beginning with the loop tree on the right. You will need a mop and a styrofoam cone.  After removing the mop strands, begin cutting them in 3-inch lengths. I honestly can't tell you how many you'll need since it depends on your cone.  Just cut a bunch and go from there. I began attaching the loops on the cone with a little overhang on the bottom. In the interest of full disclosure, I started putting the hot glue on the cone and discovered it melted the styrofoam.  Of course it did - Silly me!  Then I put the glue on the ends of the loops first, pressed them on the cone, and had much mor...

It's November and the holiday crafting is in full swing!  Today I have an easy, inexpensive ornament for you to make.  It can be a little messy, but, trust me, it's easy! Welcome back to Ten on the 10th - a group of bloggers sharing ideas and inspiration for under $10.  This is a Blog Hop so everyone participating will be listed at the end of this post.  The theme for this month is 'Ornaments' so  let's get started! Here are the basics for this project: White glue (that dries clear), jute twine, and some balloons. Before we go on, let me say I tried to find water balloons since they are round and small.  In the fall, they were nowhere to be found, so I went with a bag of 15 12" balloons from the dollar store. ********** Blow up your balloon to the size you want, tie it off, and add a small string for hanging.  Your ornament will need to hang during the drying process. After adding the glue to a container, I mixed it with water - 2 parts glue to 1 part ...

  It's definitely time for another This & That update.  Since the last one, a few things have happened.  Toward the end of September we closed on the house.  I will miss decorating these stairs at Christmas. We are no longer homeowners and have settled into our apartment.  The plan is to take the year to see what we want to do next....continue renting?  Buy another house here?  Move to a new area/state?  Who knows at this point, but we're open to any suggestions! In the meantime, the mums that have been planted around our apartment complex are gorgeous! We attended the Balloon Festival and even though it was 'scaled back' this year, it was still amazing! Love the tuxedo! That's a dragon behind the panda.  Here's a better look: I also managed to visit a few yard sales.  The first one had some jewelry that was perfect for crafting.  Take a look: A lovely 'paste' necklace - at least that's what we've always called them. A pin to ma...