Upcycle Vase with Clay Roses

It's that time again for The Thrift Store Upcycle Challenge on the fourth   Thursday of each month! Here, a group of creative bloggers come together to   share their lovely transformations of a thrift store item. Who doesn't love thrift   store upcycle projects - whether it's actually creating one or admiring how an   item from a thrift store was transformed!     

When I spotted this cement vase for a bargain price of $1 at the Goodwill, I knew I wanted to dress it up with handmade clay flowers - they're super easy to make and no tools required!

I decided to keep the vase/planter - there's a hole in the bottom, as is!  Don't you just love this rustic, natural look! So the only other things you'll need:

• Sculpey oven-bake clay
• Knife
• Baking pan
• RapidFuse all purpose adhesive

Start with a small piece of clay and knead until soft - rolling it into a ball.

Next, flatten ball with fingers into a round oval shaped petal. Then make several more petals for a rose!

For the center of the flower, take one petal and begin rolling to curl the clay for a bud-like shape.

Then, take another petal and press it around the center bud petal,  

curving the edges slightly out.

Continue adding petals, staggering around the previous ones and flaring the edges out.

How pretty do these petals look together!

Squeeze the base of the petals to make sure all of them are secure together.

And then use a knife to cut off the excess clay .  .  .

to get a flat base for gluing.

Next, place flowers on a baking tray and bake in a 275 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, following package directions. Remove from oven and let cool. 

Glue cooled flowers onto vase using RapidFuse all purpose adhesive. Hold in place for 30-60 seconds or more until set. I love that the clay color blends in with the vase for a natural rustic look!

And finally, arrange roses on vase for a decorative look!

What an easy way to beautify and upcycle a plain thrift store item!

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This post also contains affiliate links.  I may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra.  The affiliate money I earn per month helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

And now for more thrifty goodness!

The Rules:

• Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
• There's no monthly theme.
• There's no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts:

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela - Meredith | Southbound Blog

Angie | Grandma Creates - Denise | My Thrifty House  

Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts - Molly | Just a Little Creativity 

 Gail | Purple Hues and Me - Carmen | Living Letter Home 
Michelle | Michelle James Designs - Ann | Duct Tape and Denim

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Chunky Yarn Wall Hanging

Welcome to the May Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop hosted by Erlene @ My Pinterventures.  If you aren't familiar with the Pinterest Challenge, it's a monthly event that challenges us to not just be pin hoarders, but to make it happen!

Wall hangings are very popular in home decor these days - especially the handcrafted ones like macrame! And you can find lots of designs and patterns on Pinterest to choose from. Plus, wall hangings are an easy way to fill up that bare spot or empty wall space! But some of us are a bit intimidated by all those macrame knots! So here's a fun and incredibly simple way to achieve a fabulous, similiar look using chunky yarn and decorative trim of wrapped wire tubes. 

Materials needed:

Chunky yarn - 32 yard bundle

Tree stick

Jute twine

Scissors/wire cutters

Floral wire (5pkgs - Dollar Tree) 

Hairpin (make a narrow "u" shape out of floral wire)

I found a stick from our backyard tree trimming and tied jute twine on each end for hanging.

Next, measure the length desired - for me it was 30 inches and double that measurement to 60 inches.  Then cut the yarn into thirteen strips. Next, take each yarn piece and fold in half forming a loop on one end.

Make a lark's head knot (macrame) by placing the loop over the stick.

With the loop hanging down over the stick, pull the two yarn strands through the loop around the stick.

Pull and tighten the knot. 

Then tie 12 more lark's head knots with the yarn strips on the stick. This is the only macrame knot used in this wall hanging!

Next, for a decorative look, make wire tubes to add to the yarn strips!  And you won't believe how easy they are to make.  Just by wrapping floral wire around a small dowel rod .  .  .

to form a long spiral tube.

And then cutting off the tubes every tenth spiral using wire cutters.

The tubes are about 1 inches high and 5 packs from the Dollar Tree makes about 34 tubes.

Use a make-shift hairpin of floral wire to thread the yarn through the wire tubes, skipping the first yarn strip and connecting the next two, etc.

Push the wire tube up the yarn strip to just 4 inches below the stick.  Then I changed my design and decided to place the tubes in a chevron pattern .  .  .

adjusting the tubes slightly below each one and adding them to the single yarn strips, too.

Once that row was completed, the second row of tubes was placed about 7 inches below the first following the chevron design.

And finally, trimmed the yarn ends in a chevron pattern, too!

 I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This post also contains affiliate links.  I may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra.  The affiliate money I earn per month helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

To join next month's #pinterestchallenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ June Pinterest Challenge

Let's meet this month's Pinterest Challenge hosts!

My Pinterventures •  Cookies Coffee and Crafts

Sew Crafty Crochet •  Sum of their Stories  

  Eye Love Knots  •  This Autoimmune Life  

  Love My Little Cottage •  Across the Boulevard  

 Suzerspace  •  Simple Nature Decor    

Purple Hues and Me  • Decorate and More with Tip 

Mom Home Guide •  Our Unschooling Journey 

Intelligent Domestications •  Alayna's Creations 

Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen •  K's Olympic Nest 

Our Crafty Mom  •  Hello Central Avenue    

Making Manzanita 

Now, let's see what the other hosts have created ⇓⇓

An InLinkz Link-up

Copper Foil Taped Glass

Imagine my surprise to see copper foil tape crafts in the latest June edition of Martha Stewart LIVING magazine! Wow!

I knew hubby had some copper foil tape in his workshop so I stole, I mean, borrowed some (what's his, is mine, lol!) for a quick De-stash Challenge DIY!

This fun technique is such an easy way to enhance the look and give plain glass vases or containers a pretty makeover using copper foil tape. And the best part, you just need various widths of copper foil adhesive tape and scissors to create one of a kind designs on glass!

To begin, decide the type of decorative pattern you want to do and measure the length of each tape where you want to put it on the glass and cut.   

For this glass container, I measured around the bottom of the glass and then cut that piece out. Next, I separated the copper foil from the backing just a little bit and pressed the end down on where I wanted to start and began wrapping the foil around while removing the backing, until reaching the beginning tape end. Smooth out the tape using the tip of your fingers. The adhesive tape is  fragile and will wrinkle and tear if you keep lifting it up to straighten or stretching it too much. If that happens, just remove and start over with a new strip.

 Continue adding various widths of copper foil to create a chic looking design!

Unfortunately, you can't avoid getting some wrinkles in the tape, but using a bone folder really helps to smooth them out! 

Have fun making different foil tape designs and patterns. I used a floral craft punch to make these adorable copper flowers!

It's amazing what can be created from ones' stash!

 I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This post also contains affiliate links.  I may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra.  The affiliate money I earn per month helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!


 I've joined a group of bloggers who are challenged each month by Megan @C'mon Get Crafty to create a new craft or project from their own stash of goodies! Everyone is allowed a $10 allowance for necessities to complete their project (i.e. paint brushes, glue, etc), but the bulk of it must be created from their own stash of goodies.

Let's meet this month's bloggers!!

C'mon Get Crafty | Purple Hues and Me 

Love My Little Cottage | Eye Love Knots 

Craftify My Love | Across the Blvd    

This Autoimmune Life |Modern on Monticello  

Salvage Sister and Mister | Sew Crafty Crochet

 What crafty creations could you make today from YOUR stash? Check out these awesome creations you might be able to make from your own stash! 

If you'd like to join in the Craft Room De-Stash Challenge, you can request to join our Facebook group here!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Decoupage Wood Block for Dad

I call this project  a "chip off the old (wood) block!" Lol! It's a great way to tell your Dad how much "alike" the two of you are for Father's Day!! 

I found an unfinished wood block at a craft store, but this is the perfect project for those of you who have pieces from woodworking projects you want to use up or upcycle! 

You don't need lots of materials to make this, either: a wood block, stain, cardstock, water, mod podge, and your imagination!

Let's start off staining the sides and  .  .  . 

 back of the wood block!

Next, get creative in getting the message out! I found a background to use online and then I added these wonderful traits of a Dad using this site. But you can also use Word or any method that's easy for you.

Then, print out the design using a laser printer, cut it out and soak in water for a few minutes. This lets the paper become pliable without using a whole lot of decoupage.

Next, lay the wet design on a few sheets of paper towels and .  .  .

some on top, to remove the excess water. Gently pat the water out.

Next, add a layer of Mod Podge to the unfinished front of the wood block and smooth out. I like to use a plastic baggy for smoothing out the wrinkles.

I didn't quite like the clean finished look of the design, so first, I wet the edge area and applied a little bit of stain - still didn't like that look - so I removed the edges of the paper with my fingernail. Much better!

Once the paper is dry, sand down the rough edges and then add another layer of mod podge to seal.

*In hindsight, I should have torn the edges of the paper first to achieve this look. 

What a wonderful, inexpensive and sentimental project for Father's Day!

The perfect keepsake!

I'm sharing this as part of the May craft challenge with the ladies from Creative Crafter's Group. Take a moment to check out their craft tutorial posts and after the 15th share your own Father's Day and Outdoor tutorial posts with the link up. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter