A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020

                                    A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2020

Well 2020 sure wasn’t what any of us expected. It’s been an interesting, strange, challenging, reflective and creative year for me.

During my reflective period I was thinking about what I wanted to do for my 12 Days of Christmas  2020 from A WandafulThing. I decided to go back to the roots of why I started this blog to begin with, to share my love of making, baking, creating and decorating. Over the next four weeks I will share some simple, easy and budget friendly ideas just in time for the holidays.

Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss a single day or idea.  Day One is scheduled for Monday, November 09, 2020.

Here is a recap with links to all the WandafulThings that were ‘Pinterest’ inspired I created last year (2019).

2019 recap – 12 Days of Christmas Pinterest Inspired

Day 1 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 2 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 3 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 4 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 5 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 6 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 7 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 8 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 9  – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 10 – 12 Day of Christmas 2019

Day 11 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Day 12 – 12 Days of Christmas 2019

You can  follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing,  https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

 https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

10 Things to Always Buy at the Thrift Store

You are probably thinking, does she know something I don’t know? (That is if you live in Canada). Alas, no, the thrift stores have not reopened yet (thanks COVID-19) but when they do and they will…you will probably be so excited like me that you will go nuts and just buy things for the sake of buying things because you miss it so much.

DON’T do it, instead, look for these 10 things that you should ALWAYS buy at the thrift store.

Frames.  Almost all of the frames in my house come from thrift stores, unless they were gifted to me. Some are used as intended. You can use them for other purposes, like displaying jewelry, paint them and use as chalkboards, magnet boards or bulletin boards. Here is a lovely example from liagriffith

DIY Antiqued Frame Jewelry Display

Books.  I buy books to read, books to decorate with, and even books that are falling apart.  The pages and spines can be used for other projects such as these bookmarks from the spines of thrift store books by craftsalamode

10 lovely things to do with old vintage books: unique DIY ideas

Furniture. I cannot resist old dressers that are solid wood, especially when they are $15.00 or less, and you shouldn’t either. They just don’t make solid wood, dovetailed furniture like they use to. I’m also a sucker for kids furniture like this adorable child’s table. Showing the before and after. It dates back to the 1960’s and I brought it right into the 2000’s with a little elbow grease (ok sanding, painting and staining)

IMG_3764IMG_3796Baskets.  They are abundant in thrift stores. I look for old picnic baskets. They are easy to paint and distress and have many uses besides going on a picnic. I use one of my many (yes many) to hold blankets and throws. Here is a link to a post on how to paint a picnic basket, just in case you come across one. She is one of my favorite diy bloggers. Confessionsofaserialdiyer

Picnic basket updated with paint and a transfer

Wood Trays.  These are usually pretty inexpensive (under $5.00) and can make quite an impact to your decor. Use them in your kitchen, living room, bathroom (for makeup or towels) use one to serve cold drinks on a hot day. The last one I found, I painted it navy blue and used one of my chalk couture stencils (link to my designer site if you are interested in finding out more or purchasing products) to make it country farmhouse chic. fullsizeoutput_1015

Tool Caddy. I don’t think I’ve ever passed up a little wood or metal tool caddy. I usually paint them and either put a vinyl stencil or use a chalk couture transfer. They are also quite versatile in what you can use them for. I have one holding coffee pods, another holding CD’s and another sitting waiting for a makeover.  The one below I gave as a gift to a friend. You can check that post out here.

IMG_3664

Quilts: I prefer to find older vintage quilts and it doesn’t really matter what condition they are in.  If they are not usable to display at the end of the bed, they can be turned into other types of home decor, like pillows, pot holders, christmas stockings or framed in an old vintage window. I love this one by sadieseasongoods.

repurposing a tattered vintage quilt for my spring mantel, crafts, fireplaces mantels, mantels, repurposing upcycling, seasonal holiday decor

Cast Iron.  It is not always easy to come by and there are some things you should watch out for, like where it is made. If it says made in USA buy it!! The top vintage cast iron skillet makers to watch for are Griswold, Wagner and Lodge. Most people don’t like to use cast iron as they say the food sticks. It’s all in the way you season it. Check out an article on that here.  Aren’t these interesting?2017-05-15 11.29.15Art & knick knacks: You know what they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. The same can be said for art and I don’t just mean paintings. You can find some really interesting, unique, quirky or one of a kind things at thrift stores. Don’t overlook the art and nick nack sections, your next piece of home decor could be waiting for you. Even if the piece isn’t exactly to your liking, just remember it can always be diy’d. Check this out, love it or hate it, it’s an example of what you can do.

 

My $2 Thrift Store Repaint

Find some decorative pieces and put them under glass, instant glam and looks high end. That what the interiorfrugalista did and they look fantastic.

DIY Cloche Glass Dome

Salt and Pepper Shakers. Yes you read that right. Salt and pepper shakers are cheap – usually under $1.00. They can be turned into ornaments, necklaces, place card holders and more.  Here is a makeover by Ducttapeanddenim that I particularly love. It even shows a video tutorial on how to make one.

Salt-shaker-necklace-and-statement-necklace-with-chambray-shirt-DuctTapeAndDenim.com_-600x1000

Thrift store finds are A Wandaful Thing!

You can  follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing,  https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

 https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

https://www.chalkcouture.com/awandafulthing

https://www.facebook.com/groups/It’s A Wandaful Thing Chalk Couture Independent Designer

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.

A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2019 -Pinterest Inspired

                                    A WandafulThing 12 Days of Christmas 2019

Wow, I cannot believe this will be my 6th year in a row bringing you 12 Days of Christmas from A WandafulThing. This year I am going to be making 12 crafts that are Pinterest Inspired – meaning, I’m going to search Pinterest and pick 12 items to make. I will link the inspiration post to my post and you can judge whether it was a pass or a fail.

Stay tuned, I cannot wait to show you all the fabulous things I’ll be making this year.

Here is a recap with links to all the Wandaful Things I created last year (2018). If you didn’t get a chance to see what I did last year it was all about crafts that could be made in 30 minutes or under.

Here is a recap of the 12 Days of Christmas 2018 :

Day 1 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 2 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 3 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 4 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 5 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 6 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 7 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 8 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 9  – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 10 – 12  Days of Christmas 2018

Day 11 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

Day 12 – 12 Days of Christmas 2018

I hope you stop by again soon to check out all the Pinterest Inspired Crafts for 2019.

You can  follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing,  https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

 https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

Thanks for stopping by….until next time.

 

Bless You Jars

I’ve seen Bless You Jars at craft shows and on Pinterest and I’ve had them on my to do list for awhile. I finally got around to attempting to make them and they turned out great – so great I gave most of them away.

To make a Bless You jar – you will need a one quart mason jar the ring but not the lid, a small piece of felt, some vinyl letters, chalk paint, spray paint or any acrylic paint that will adhere to glass and metal, mod podge and some twine or raffia, if you decide to add a little embellishment.  I used my Cricut die cutting machine and designed the “Bless You” and scroll using images from my Cricut Design Space program.

For a few of the jars I painted them using chalk paint in various colors, and although not shown in the picture above I did paint the rings black. I would have preferred to spray paint them as it would have been quicker but the evening I decided to start the jars the weather wasn’t cooperating to allow me to spray paint them outside and of course I wanted to do them right away and not wait…lol apparently I have no patience. The black one pictured at the beginning I did spray paint  (in half the time it took me to hand paint the others ~sigh).

Each jar required three coats of paint and one coat of mod podge before adhering the vinyl letters.

I cut rounds of felt and cut an X in each piece in the middle before gluing to the inside of the metal ring. This enables the tissue to pull through one piece at a time. I was a little confused at first on how to fold the tissue to make it come out the top of the jar but after I did it once it clicked and was pretty easy to do for the rest of the jars. Here is a quick tutorial https://youtu.be/ZHgs0phpdqk On how to fold the tissue to fit in the jar, if you don’t figure it out on your own.

I kept the white one for myself and it just so happens it was my favorite one…lol

Which one is your favorite? What other colors do you think would make a wandaful bless you jar?

Bless you jars are A Wandaful Thing.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you back here soon.

I’d love it if you would follow me at all these lovely places:

Twitter @awandafulthing

https://www.facebook.com/awandafulthing

https://www.pinterest.com/awandafulthing/

 https://www.instagram.com/awandafulthing/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WTtrinketsandtreasures/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunshine Blogger Award

The Sunshine Blogger Award is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers to award our peers. Each blogger nominated for the award is asked to nominate 10 other bloggers that they admire or are inspired by. It’s an honor to be recognized, and a wonderful opportunity to encourage others to keep doing what they love.

I was nominated by Amelia from https://youcanalwaysstartnow.wordpress.com,  Who is not only a friend but a fellow blogger. Thank you Amelia for nominating me.

RULES FOR THE SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and then provide a link back to their blog.
  2. List the Sunshine Blogger Award Rules and display the logo on your site.
  3. Answer the Sunshine Blogger Award questions given by the person who nominated you.
  4. Nominate 10 other bloggers and ask them 10 new questions.
  5. Notify the nominees of their nomination.

Questions Amelia posed to me.

  1. Favorite comfort food. Apple pie(homemade of course)
  2. Favorite place you have visited. I think Stone Henge.
  3. What TV show you are currently binging on – or maybe you don’t watch TV. Hand of God on Prime
  4. Favorite book and why? The Secret Garden  as it contains powerful truths just beneath the surface. There is always a level at which the story is telling children about more than just events; it is telling them about the nature of life. That is what Roger Ebert said about the movie but it is true for the book as well.
  5. What is the meaning behind your blog name? I was trying to find something catchy that was personal :0)
  6. If you had a superpower what would it be? Flying
  7. How do you go about getting blog post ideas? As I am a vintage buyer and seller and I am a Chalk Couture Designer, a lot of my post ideas come from repurposing or revamping some of those items.
  8. If you wrote a non-fiction book what would the title be? Henry’s Haven (my deceased dad and my favorite place where we use to hunt for sea glass together).
  9. Do you have a goal you want to accomplish before the end of the year? Host two Chalk Couture workshops.
  10. What is on your playlist? Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit because I have tickets to see them in September.

My nominees are…….

https://www.bestofthislife.com/

https://justinecelina.com/

https://www.awalkandalark.com

https://fancypaperblog.com/

https://taunieverett.com

https://mountainmodernlife.com/

http://love2upcycle.blogspot.com/

https://recycledcrafts.craftgossip.com/

http://upcycledstuff.blogspot.com/

https://petticoatjunktion.com/

Questions for my nominees.

  1. Do you ever shop at thrift stores?
  2. What is your best childhood memory?
  3. If you had a chance for a “do-over” in life, what would you do differently?
  4. If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be?
  5. How do you spend your free time?
  6. Why did you start blogging?
  7. Are you a coffee or tea lover (or both)?
  8. Could you live without the internet?
  9. Do you have a goal you want to accomplish before the end of the year?
  10. What is your favorite time of year and why?