Thirfting Finds

I absolutely love going to to thrift stores and seeing what I can find!  This lovely gem of a trading post always has entirely too much that I pick up and take home with me.  

I always love picking up interesting picture frames, embroidery hoops, craft supplies or free finds (I never pass up free stuff)!

Click on the pic to see what I made this free thrift store find into!

Most thrift stores have their own little treasures that make them special and I found some quirky pick-me-ups!

I also found these lap table trays that I think I'm going to spruce up a bit as well!  Stay tuned :)  I'll show you what I make with all that I've found!  Hopefully it doesn't just end up in my closet like my hoarder tendencies normally like to do... Eeek!

Click on this picture to see what I did to these lap table trays! 

What do ya'll make with your thrift store finds?

Kitten Toy

So my kitten likes to make things into toys that are not meant to be for his little paws at all.  I decided to put a few of his favorite things together and make it into a toy that he will surely bat underneath the couch before the night is through...

So here are a few things that Gingi loves:

Mmmmmmmm beer :)

Mmmmmmmmm Punkin Ale :)
I love fall season :)

I decided to poke holes in the bottle caps and then use hemp string to tie the bottle caps and buttons together.

TIP: To make a hole in a battle cap you need a hammer and nail:

Gingi loves his new toy :)  However, now it is under the couch...

 

 

Dream Catcher

I think Native American culture is beautiful and ever since I was a little tyke I would sit in the aisles of the library to read about the different tribes, their ceremonies, and would score over the pictures of their body paintings, clothing, jewelry, headdresses, weapons, tools, etc...

I used to have a dream catcher hanging over my bed when I was little and I could close my eyes and watch as the bad dreams/thoughts would get entangled up in the web, protecting me so I could sleep peacefully.  

 I missed that... that visual representation that bad dreams or thoughts don't have to go into my little cerebellum and keep me awake at night. And I got some wonderful inspiration from this beautiful blog!

What do you need?

• Ring-like-structure: I went thrifting the other day and found these 4 golden rings!  Don't know what they were used for before that, but I decided to use one of them to make my dream catcher!  If you don't have a random golden ring around your house you can always use... an embroidery hoop, maybe cut the middle part of a plastic lid out? Be creative :)
  
• Yarn or Twine
  
• Scissors, Glue, Beads, String, Paper Feathers?
  
  
• Doilies: Who doesn't love doilies?  Seriously they're the best :)  Also found easily at thrift stores!
  
  

 

 Directions:
1. Wrap it up!

2. Loop on your Doily

Tip: This makes it easier to stick your wobbly yarn through the holes in the doily

3. Add some Frills: You can use your yarn or I use some thin string to attach some beads and dangly bits to the middle and bottom part of my dream catcher. Kittens love danglies :)

Click on the picture below to learn how to make paper feathers!

I'd love to see your dream catchers :) Sweet dreams meow :)

Paper Feather

Don't know what to do with old calendars?  Or maybe just pretty paper that you haven't done anything with and it's just sitting in your closet or any other place you put stuff to make you not feel like such a hoarder?

How about me make some pretty paper feathers with it?

 So I have a Monet calendar that I've been lugging around with every move from apartment to apartment for the past two years and I'm thinking it's finally time to make something with it!

Love me some Claude Monet. Maybe it's the name, because my fiancee's real name is Claude too :) Got to love interesting, old school names!

Directions:

 1. Draw & Cut: You're going to draw out your feather design and then cut. it. out. (said in Full House fashion)

2. Trace & Cut:  Trace your feather shape and then, well, cut it out :)

3. Glue & Smoosh: Add some glue to your feather shape and then smoosh on the other side!

4. Snip Snip: Let it dry and then snip almost to the middle of the feather on both sides

Tada! You've got yourself a pretty little feather to add to a dream catcher, a mobile, a cat toy, decorate a tree, etc...

I'd love to see what you all end up doing with your paper feathers! :)

Have a good day meow :)