Clearanced item Repurposed!

So I found this little doodad at the hardware store on clearance.  I had no idea what it was until my mother-in-law told me (thanks mom)  So it is a support for a curtain rod bracket, keeps things from falling down when you have a long rod or heavy curtains.   But what I saw was a cute little way to hang a razor or other little things in the bathroom.

This is super easy.  First remove this little screw here and throw it away, and make sure when you mount it that you turn it away from sight so you don't have to see it.

Then make sure you mark the screw holes where you are going to put it  and then just bolt it right up to the wall.  This came with molly's so if this is going in a place where there is no stud behind it, you can use them to stabilize it better.

That's it screw it to the wall and drop in your razor or whatever you are going to hang there!   Simple easy stuff, and cheap!

This weeks treasure hunt finds...

 So this week I found a couple of cool items that work perfectly for me.  The first are these floating shelves.  Floating shelves are an amazing idea, but they are expensive.  I love them and have always wanted some... so of course I squealed when I saw them.

They needed a little touch up but otherwise perfect, hardware and all for $5 each, I found them at two different stores.  These shelves will be perfect for me to display my sculptures, which currently sits inside of a china cabinet, and are just way to hidden.

My next find was unexpected and I almost missed it.  You see I love fishing, I have been going since I was a kid, and now as an adult its really relaxing.  So when we moved into the new house, I decided I was going to decorate the dining room in a fishing theme.  This has turned into an ordeal because it's a little difficult to find that stuff.

Oh there is plenty of Coastal fishing stuff or Country themed.  I am neither of those, but when I found this I knew it would be a perfect fit and functional.  I really like the background and the best part is it opens up to a key rack...  So this will fit right in perfectly!

Thanks everyone!  Coming soon... a project from another find from this week!

Simple hamper transformation!

My favorite thrift store finds is the ones that require almost no work.  I found this cute hamper at the thrift store for only $4!  The outside is beautiful, but the inside fabric lining was very dirty and a bit moldy.  It had these cute little patina brass handles.


So I ripped out the fabric, left the handles on and turned it over!   Walla... instant plant stand!  This was so easy, I love it when a plan accidentally falls together.

Candles... Thrift Store style!

I like candles... they are great for ambiance, nice smell, and... well light.   So when I go to the thrift store, I find it odd that they have so many unburned holiday candles there.  But then I realize its a little creepy to watch Santa slowly burn over the holidays and it might freak out the kiddys.  So that is when I realized that there can be a way to reuse these guys.  Now there are many sites on the web that talk about candle safety and such so read up about that, there is no sense in burning yourself un-necessarily.  Also I am not a candle expert, just a experiment-or (an art scientist of sorts).

My supply list is such:
old candle jar
      that has been burned empty, from home
old holiday candles, $.20 each
pan to boil water, from home
newspaper, from home
skewers, from home
New wick a bit longer than your jar, $2
a metal bowl (that you will never use for food),
       thrift store $.50
long (12in) clamps or tweezers, from home

These candles were very cheap now that christmas is over.  I paid less than a quarter each for them!

 

Begin by filling your pot with water, and put it on the stove on high.  immediately put your metal bowl on top and don't touch it ever again (its gets HOT quickly).  Place your candle in and wait patiently while it melts... this could take a while.

Now is a good time to talk safety... there is a good website about candle making safety here.  The most important thing is that this is hot and messy.  Prepare your surface with newspaper, to protect it.  Don't do this when you are in a rush, this is a nice slow project.   Nor is this the time to start a good movie, or get distracted by something else, and forget.  Hot wax is dangerous, and even a fire hazard.





Poor Frosty... looks like winter is  coming to an end sooner than expected.

Now use the tongs to fish out the wick, and lay it on the newspaper.  be careful not to touch the bowl or wax. 

As it melts you will notice that some candles are colored with pigments and others are covered in foil... as in this little guy. So after the wic kis rescued pull out the pieces of foil.  I used 2 candles for this project because I have a large candle glass to fill.


Once the wax is completely melted you have the option of throwing in some crayons to add color if it turns out that the candle underneath is white.  But don't mix to many colors up, it will turn mucky brown color. 
My kiddo chose pale purple crayon.  it was just one crayon that we dropped in.

Now here is where my plan started to get crazy...  In theory it would be best to just get a new wick, and use this wick for a smaller candle project, because ideally you want to wrap wick around the skewer and center it in the candle.  So at this point... use the new wick instead of trying to prop this wick while it drys.


Be careful when you pour the hot wax, use all the protective gear and such, ensure you are well versed in the safety issues here, and again go slowly.   Wax cools and hardens even slower than it melts, so you have time. 

I used my extra long clamps to hold the wick, but wrapping a skewer is just as easy.  Then leave it all night to rest.

Tray Project

Well I found this project at a thrift store, and it is this tray.  Now I am not into the country look, however I did like the idea of a tray.  Recently our tv network started airing the Nate Berkus show, and I really enjoy his show, in fact an upcoming project I am working on is inspired by his show, as well as this one.  He talks about using trays alot, and since I don't have a coffee table but a large foot rest for my couch; I thought this would be perfect to be able to set my coffee on in the mornings instead of adding an entire piece of furniture in my tiny little living room.



Here I had already started spraying it... now I now that someone really spent alot of time and talent painting those flowers, but it just didn't fit for me.  I used some spray paint I already had in the garage which is a flat black paint.  This was an enamel spray paint for something else which is a bit overkill, but I didn't want to go to the store again any flat black paint will do. 

Once it is all sprayed and dried, I began with the distressing it with some sandpaper.  I am not really sure why but this was a total impromptu project, and it felt like the right direction to go in.  This was fairly easy, I didn't use hard pressure when sanding the paint and I used a medium/fine grade.  It was fairly easy to do actually, I did do it on the back porch just in case of powder flying. 

This is after all of the distressing is finished and the paint is completely dry.  I am thinking of adding a swirl to it in the center, but that requires a trip to the store for a thick marker in another color besides black.  The total cost of the project was less than $2.  Now if I had to by the paint, it would be more like $3 total.  Not bad!

Unusual source for new wrapping paper

I popped into the local thrift store to take a peak at their vessels (I am making my first bonsai tree).  So while there I noticed they had a huge christmas section.  So while perusing I saw they had brand new rolls of wrapping paper for a dollar!  When I say new, I mean still in its manufacturer's cellophane wrap and price stickers.  What a shocker, I figured on seeing most of the other christmas deco, but paper!  As it turns out most thrift stores that are non-profit types get donations from department stores, and sells them at thrift store prices.

Now these are pretty darn good, some were small but others were pretty huge like 60 sqft.  most marked 7.99 and up!  They did have some that were also partially used but still not bad if you are looking for a deal.


My store was Rescued Treasures, which has pretty good prices and great looking stuff, perfect for budget-minded, artist looking for sculpture materials, or people who like to wonder treasure hunt.  And they are a store for a cause, The Rescue Mission.

So don't forget to check those unlikely places for wrapping paper!

Homemade Costumes that are super creative

Okay so this is a list of websites that have the cutest ideas for really cool homemade costumes.  I am really into the illusion costumes this year.  There are links all through this post of where I found the costumes, so be sure to check them out.  These costumes are a different take on what I remember as 'homemade costumes' and they are fabulous ideas. When I was little homemade costumes consisted of fake giant boobs made from random material and wildly hairsprayed and glittered hair which I am convinced is responsible for the styles of the 80's...

http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com

Now, this first one is pretty cool it is a stroller costume, of a cabbage patch kid,which pretty much consists of a box painted and some online printed logos modge podged to the box.  It is cheap, cute, fast to make, and fun with no actual costume for the baby to wear and can be found at this link.
This fire truck is also easy and very cute, and looks like it sits just nicely on a stroller.  This is one last stroller costume I found at the same website as the cabbage patch kid (which really deserves some quality time searching through) is R2D2  a little more time consuming to make but very cool follow this link for pictures.

Another favorite category is the illusion costumes.  Some of these are very elaborate but some are not and still very cool.  The first one is one that looks fairly easy to make, and very well might end up being my costume this year, there is a lot at this link.  I am not a fan of the bloody ones, but that's just me.  This next website has a lot of them with instructions but my favorite is near the bottom called 'witch with frog in cauldron'.   Here is another creative one that is extra, super cool; the link for this video also has the instructions and the there another video of the same costume as well that shows more of it here.  These girls made a version that seems to be easier to walk around in, as long as you secure the foot better, this is also a video link.   When searching for illusion costumes I find it best to select the images option and also the video option, to get a better idea of what you are looking at.  

This website has a few great ideas, check out the lego costume at this link.  If you change the red sweat suit to blue you'll have Mike from Monsters Inc at this link.  Familycrafts.about.com has alot of cute ideas including more stuff to do with cardboard boxes.  There is a really cute aquarium at Costume Idea Zone which also has a skill crane costume as well.  Family Fun is pretty great site I like their "last minute costumes" with their clever renditions of a quarter back and smartie pants,  but don't forget to check out all of their categories I especially love their jellyfish costume.

Budget101.com has tons of ideas for costumes, parties, decorations, makeup/special effects and more.  I would plan on spending some time here.  And last but not least, dog costumes; there's no reason why fido can't join the fun.  Check out family.go.com or animal.discovery.com for some cute ideas.

So go out, exercise your creative muscle and make a costume.

You can also comment at: http://thirtyzone.blogspot.com/

Recycling a Diving Board!

So this first project I am sharing is something I did a few months ago but had to share with you on the new blog since it was the inspiration of it!   Though it is not a thrift store find, I do believe it is quite clever... 

The giant asparagus fern I bought at target on clearance for $3... regular price was 29.99.  It was root bound really bad and I needed a giant pot.  And as it turns out, giant pots are expensive.  I started poking around my favorite thrift stores but couldn't find something that was just perfect.  So I started checking the garage and the side yard, and found a perfect solution right here at home.

Last year we took out the diving board because it was cracked and unsafe.  Since we didn't really care about having one or not my husband took it out,  that is where my other free find, my 3 piece bistro set,  is now living.

This is a perfect place for it because it also covers the small bolt holes and prevents the kids from running full circles around the pool.   


We hadn't gotten around to throwing it out yet so when I saw the base sitting there I knew it was the solution I was looking for.  The holes were already in the bottom, so drainage wouldn't be a problem.  


I just filled it with potting soil and inserted plant.  So the total cost is $3 plant, $5 potting soil, and $0 for the planter box!  Much better than a $100 dollar planter.  I will be adding some bulbs in there so I different ones coming up all year long.