Dollar Store Decorating--Thrifty Summertime Flip-Flop Wreath

• Who can find a virtuous woman? her price is far above rubies
• She worketh willingly with her hands
• She maketh herself (and her home) coverings of tapestry...

Summertime Flip-Flop Wreath

For the last couple of weeks, I've been a woman on a mission.  Several years ago, I made myself a cute spring/summer wreath using a re-purposed grapevine wreath, and some craft ribbon and frou-frou I picked up from Dollar Tree.

Not bad for $3.00 out-of-pocket, huh?

You can see the step-by-step for this one here, if you'd like to click through. I don't know what it was about this wreath, but I just loved it--the colors, the dragon-fly, and the thriftiness of if all combined to suit my fancy, and I hung it out usually from the first sign of anything resembling spring until the leaves were falling off the trees in the fall.





Unfortunately, three years of wear-and-tear, and it being left out in the sun on top of the birdbath (don't ask!) made it just a faded shadow of it's former self. 


I was determined to re-do it with something similar, and went confidently off to the Dollar Tree in search of inspiration.  Unfortunately, apparently craft ribbon like I used here is not the "in" thing anymore--everything seems to be going to the big puffy deco mesh stuff, and while I think some things made with deco mesh look pretty, it just wasn't what I was looking for. 


I even went to the big Dollar Tree when I went to the city for a meeting a couple of weeks ago. 


Disappointment, again.  No craft ribbon, no cute wind chimes, nothing. 


Think outside the box, I told myself.  Too late in the year for spring colors, anyway, what is bright and pretty and summery and cheap and can be hot glued to a wreath?  A hot pink flowered beach bag first caught my attention, but standing in the middle of the store I couldn't figure out what to do with it--and then I spotted the flip-flops hanging right beside the beach bags. 


I'm not much of a flip-flop person, myself, the only time I wear them is to get a pedicure, and those occasions are very few and far between these days.  But they were bright, they were pretty, they were summery, and best of all--cheap!  Oh, and hot-glueable!  So I grabbed a pair in each color.  (I figured if I didn't use them all, I could always throw them in my give-away/donate box for the clutter-busting challenge!)





Step 1--remove the old ribbon stuff. 






Step 2--remove the tags and hanging thingies from the flip-flops







Step 3--try some arrangements.  In pairs...







...or separate?





Step 4--Hot glue to the wreath and to each other. 


Note: The bad thing about hot glue is that it's called "hot" for a reason. 
The good thing about hot glue is, it dries clear, and if you need to move things, once it cools, you can usually just pop things off and peel the hot glue remnants right off.

And here is the finished product on display.  My out of pocket--$5.00 for the flip-flops

I think this would be easier with a styrofoam or straw wreath form--the hot glue did drip through the wreath a little onto my kitchen table--luckily, as I mentioned above, it peeled right off once it cooled.  You might want to do this on newspapers or something if you have a nice table that might be ruined by hot glue dripping on it. 

What thrifty pretty have you bought or made for your house lately?

Until next time...

This post is linked to:
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home
Pity Party at Thirty Handmade Days
Happy Hour Friday at Happy Hour Projects
Anything Blue Friday at The Dedicated House
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Sunday Scoop at I Heart Naptime
Sew Darn Crafty at Sew Many Ways
Penny Pinching Party at The Thrifty Home
Homemaking Party at Hope in Every Season
Wow Us Wednesday at Family Home and Life
A Round Tuit at Creating My Way to Success

Dollar Store Decorating--Thrifty Spring Wreath

• Who can find a virtuous woman? her price is far above rubies
• She worketh willingly with her hands
• She maketh herself (and her home) coverings of tapestry

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Spring. Here in the Gulf South, we're starting to see wild violets and flowering fruit trees; greening grass with thick clumps of new clover; and birds that are beginning their spring migration back toward the north.

Wanting to "dress up" my front door in some spring finery, but on a dollar store budget, as always, I looked to see what I might already have that I could work with.

I didn't want to tear apart my thrifty fall wreath unless I had to, so I scrounged around in my spare room/junk room closet and found this once treasured wreath--circa 1988 or thereabouts, when everything in my house (and everyone elses too!) was country blue and dusty rose. As you can see, I leaned more toward the blue family, myself. Now dusty and past it's prime, I decided it was fair game for a make-over.

The next stop was Dollar Tree, where I was found inspiration in this dragonfly windchime, then added a stem of goldenrod (the only one like it I could find, or I would have gotten a couple of these) and a roll of ribbon in a bright blue and green retro-70's floral.

Total out-of-pocket cost: $3.00.

The first step was to denude the wreath--an easy task, since most of previous decorations were attached with hot-glue, they popped right off. One or two snips of the wire holding on the bow, and I had a perfect blank canvas to work with.

Step two was to snip apart the stem of golden rod and start playing...

...till I came up with a grouping I liked. I started off making a bow with the ribbon --a fun attempt, since I haven't made a bow in years--sorry, no picture of that (it's like riding a bicycle, it all comes back to you when you start twisting and fluffing!) I decided it didn't look right with the other things, so I straightened it out and wrapped it instead, then wired on the dragon fly with some twist-tie plastic wrapped wire pieces.

And Voila'!

"Tapestry" for my door!

It even chimes just a little when you swing open the door. I find myself smiling when I catch a glimpse of it, even from inside.

This post is linked to:

Make Your Home Sing at Mom's the Word

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Just Something I Whipped Up at the Girl Creative

Making the World Cuter Monday

Made By You Mondays at Skip to My Lou

Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented

DIY Day at a Soft Place to Land

Until next time...

Thrifty Wintertime Wreath

• Who can find a virtuous woman? her price is far above rubies
• She worketh willingly with her hands

Every since I reluctantly packed away my Christmas wreath, I've wanted something new to hang on the front door of our apartment. I've been seeing some cute winter decorations on some of the blogs I follow, but most of them have snow or a snowman theme--and winter time in the south is just not snowy--not in my neck of the woods, anyway, unless it's a freak thing that comes along once in a blue moon.

So I wanted something that looked a little bare--for winter in the south--but not barren, if you know what I mean. And of course it had to be something pretty thrifty, as well.

I found this grapevine wreath at JoAnn's for $3.99, along with three little berry sprays for $1.39 each. I had originally planned to take the sprays apart and work each little stem into the wreath separately.

Just for kicks before I started taking the sprays apart, I "fluffed" them a little and worked them into the wreath along one side. I really liked the look of this, but wanted just a touch more.



I remembered the larger berry sprays I had left from Christmas, and decided to add them, as well.


It's not quite as asymmetrical as I meant for it to be, but I can tweak that. It's definitely the "natural" look I was going for, but it still needs a little something. What do you think? A trip back to JoAnn's for more berries?

I'll let you know if I decided to add to this--it may turn into the incredible changing wreath!

This week I'm linking to a new-for-me meme called "Making Your Home Sing" Monday. Doesn't that help lift all those little tasks we do to make our homes clean, cozy, and attractive to a whole different plane?

This post is also linked to:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Make Your Monday at Twice Remembered
Making the World Cuter
Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative


Until next time...

Doors of Welcome--December Installment

It's time for the December edition of Doors of Welcome, sponsored by Karen at Some Days are Diamonds.

For myself, I'm going home in three more days and I can hardly wait! I'll only have a week to settle in and get ready for the holiday, but it will be great to be back home among my own things and decorations, if only for a short time!

Meanwhile, I set myself a challenge to see what I could do to add a little Christmas cheer for the tidy sum of $20. So come on in and see what I found!



Because my door here is dark green to start with, I had hoped to find a thrifty wreath in either snowy white or berry red, but alas, it wasn't to be. It may not be a stand out against the dark door, but I was happy with the way everything turned out.

The wreath came from Dollar General for $3.50, and the bells, bird, and berries all came from Dollar Tree, Total cost, $8.50

This is the top of the armoire that holds the television--the little suitcase thingie is part of the regular apartment decorations and is the same one I used as part of my fall decorating.

These little houses are actually cardboard boxes, $1 each from Dollar Tree. The "roof" lifts off, and I plan to use these later as gift boxes for small items or "goodies" from the kitchen.

The "presents" are empty boxes, wrapped in newspaper, and inexpensive ribbon. The "greenery" on one gift was originally attached to one of the bells I used on the wreath.

I know a lot of people decry the use of gift bags, but I think that as long as you pick pretty ones they can add a spot of color to an empty corner and be useful at the same time. $1 from Dollar Tree.

I already blogged about the different versions of this centerpiece. This version was $2 for the charger, $1 for the berries, and maybe $.50 for the candy, on sale at CVS.

And last but not least--a couple of dollars worth of candy canes in a canister, and this cute little mini-lunchbox I got at Dollar Tree for $1--this is another piece that will probably end up doing double duty as a gift box for "goodies".

It's not a lot, but I smile every time I see each and every little touch of holiday cheer.

Be sure to visit Some Days are Diamonds--Karen is showcasing her beautiful home and lovely Christmas decorations, indoors and out. Then on the left hand sidebar of her blog is a list of all the other participants of Doors of Welcome. The are well worth visiting to see a variety of decorations, from simple to extravagant.

Thanks for visiting!

This post is also linked to:

Thrifty Thursday to Tales from Bloggeritaville

Penny Pinching Party at the Thrifty Home

Holiday Linky Friday at the Inspired Room

Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

Until next time...

Two Thrifty Fall Wreaths

• She worketh willingly with her hands...

I was so pleased at the way my thrifty wreath (click for step-by-step directions) came out...

...I hounded my mother into letting me help her make one for her door, too.
We bought the ribbon, garland, and leaves at Dollar Tree for $1 each.
The hardest thing was finding a wreath--since Walmart quit carrying fabric and notions and has such a small crafts department now, small town shoppers don't have many options. We ended up going to Nicholls Department Store in Leesville--I love that store--they have everything from hunting supplies to kitchen gadgets, and has some of the most beautiful home decor "doings and makings". We chose a slightly larger one since her door is larger and much farther back from the road than mine, it was $6.XX (I can't remember the cents).
Even paying "retail" for the wreath, we came out at less than $10! She wrapped the ribbon first, then we wired the garland to the front with little twist tie thingies. The leaves are the ones with wire stems, just like I used, so those we were able to just push into the wreath and bend the stems around a bit to hold them.
And we finished just in time, too, since the lows got all the way down into the 60's last night! It was at least 10 o'clock this morning before my air conditioner clicked on, and the high today is only in the 80's.. Perfect Southern fall weather!
What fall craftiness have you been up to so far? For more links and ideas, click over to It's Fall, Ya'll! hosted by Rhoda at Southern Hospitality, the Monthly Craft Challenge at Blue Eyed Blessings, and the Fall Virtual Tour of Homes at the Tip Junkie.
Until next time...

Three or More--Projects in Three Weeks

• She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands...
• She reaches forth her hand to the needy...
• She maketh fine linen (and other things)...

I'm so excited about today's post I can hardly stand it! Today at The Gypsy's Corner's "Three or More Tuesday" , is the big reveal for the "Three Projects in Three Weeks" Challenge, sponsored by Barbara Jean from Treasures from the Heart. These are all do-it-yourself projects of one sort or another, this is also linked to DIY Day at a Soft Place to Land. And because they are all "thrifty" projects, I'm also participating in Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville!
Once you finish here, be sure to click over and see the other 3-in-3 and DIY projects and thrifty finds and offer a little comment love!

Project 1

The first project on my list was to do something about this blank wall in my "dining room"...

...which is actually just one end of my eat-in kitchen, and is a strictly informal space. Luckily I had these...

...three wooden shelves I bought months ago at Harvest Thrift in Opelika, Alabama, for $4.50 for the three of them ("bric-a-brac" was half off that day--the large one was $2, the medium $1.50, and the small one $1. Whoo hoo!)


My biggest expense was spray paint. I started off with one super cheap can to use in lieu of primer, and one better brand. Big mistake--the cheap brand spit and sputtered and leaked and made a tremendous mess--plus it had poor coverage. I also underestimated the "suckage factor" of the semi-raw wood. A quick trip to the store for more paint between coats did the trick--next time I will stick with a name brand or at least a store brand...no more "Drylon" knock-off for me. Eventually, after about three coats plus some touch ups on the cut areas, I ended up with this...



One of the shelves was missing a hanger thingie on the back, which I found a spare of in my junk hardware drawer, so they quickly became...

Shelf #1

Shelf #2

Shelf #3


All three

Everything on them was "shopped" from my house, and has already been changed two or three times. I think that's part of charm--I can change things around seasonally, or "just because" without much effort. I may even cover the heart shaped holes with wooden medallions or cut-outs of some kind and repaint them (again), but for now, I'm happy with the results!

Project 2

This was actually the first project that I tackled--I have a fall wreath that I like, but I took it with me to Georgia last year, and it's hanging on the door of our apartment there. I wanted something for our front door here at home, so I decided to see what I could do, again on a budget.

I found a grapevine wreath in the back of my junk room/spare room/everything room closet, which I bought at least 6 or 7 years ago at a Garden Ridge Pottery, the price tag showed $2.38. I bought garland, ribbon, and some leaves at Dollar Tree for $1 each, and came up with this...

I wove a garland into the top side of the wreath, tucking in the ends.

After I got the garland on, I realized that I probably should have put on the ribbon first. I started fiddling with the ribbon to do a bow or something, but decided I wanted something a little more rustic and natural looking, so I turned to the package of leaves I'd bought.

When I pulled them out of the packaging, I realized that they had wire stems, and could be molded and ruffled to look a little more realistic...

...kind of like this

So I started "ruffling" and stuffing and sticking, and ended up with a bundled bunch that I thought had a sort of "nature's bow" effect. And since I'm a sort of "less is more" gal when it comes to most of my decorating, I left it alone, and the here are the results...

Ta-da!

I ended up using one garland and the package of leaves, and never even touched my hot glue gun that I thought I'd need--present cost, $2.00, total cost, $4.38, counting the wreath.

Project 3

And now my last project--when Barbara Jean first threw out the 3-in-3 challenge, she said it could be anything that we're into--whether it's arts and crafts, thrifting, or whatever. One of my favorite "hobbies", if you can call it that, is couponing and "deal" shopping, so I have quite a little stock-pile of toiletries, some of which I got for free or almost free. I can't resist a bargain if it's something useful and I can get it for nothing--and while I often say "I can always donate it", I seldom get around to actually doing it.

And so my last project was to turn "I'm gonna give.." to "I have given..."

After a quick phone call to be sure what was accepted, I culled these new toiletry items from my stash in a matter of minutes, then bagged it up and took it straight the local women's shelter. I would estimate the value of the these items to be about $60-$70 if I paid full retail for them, which I never do, but the actual cost to me for this was nothing but my time.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of my 3-in-3 projects, I can't wait to see what everyone else has done. Be sure to visit the links at the top of my post, and thanks once again to Tam and Barbara Jean for hosting!

Until next time...