A Thrifted/Upcycled Kind of Christmas - (Part 2)

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Thank you all so much for the kind & encouraging comments you left me on my Part 1 post. 

I saw this on Instagram on marcandangels post - very true indeed!

 A couple of months ago, whilst browsing my local St John's Op Shop, I saw this cone below.  This was the same day I purchased the $1.50 wooden angel in my previous post.

The cone was plastic & covered tightly in a thick brocade fabric - it measured 17 inches in height so was quite tall.   It has been $8.90, marked down to $3.90, & when I took it to the counter the lady took another dollar off as the tip was slightly broken.   I knew immediately I wanted to make it into a Yo Yo tree, the same as the one I made 

last year in * this post *

I painted it 2 coats of Linen chalk paint - it adhered really well. I also glued cardboard in the base to give it some stability, although the paint did stabilise it rather well.

Each evening sitting on my couch, I would make fabric yo yo flowers using fabrics in the French General range - it was quite therapeutic & as I made them I tossed them in a small basket by my chair.  I made larger ones (12cm) for the first 2 rows & then decreased in size to a 9 cm circumference.

Finally - just yesterday - I had enough yo yo's to cover my cone.  I used fabric glue to attach them as I could not stitch through the painted surface.  

This silver candle holder has been in my stash for years a very long time & I thought it would make a good stand for my cone tree.  I currently have the tree just sitting atop the candle holder as I am unsure whether or not to paint this & I need your help & opinions please.

Lots & lots of yo yo flowers ...... 62 in total !! 💗

I had thought about painting the base in a dull Christmas red - the same colour I have used * here * on the wooden reindeer.  But I also rather like it left as it is ... sort of a bit vintage looking.  

What would You do dear readers?  Please leave me a comment below & let me know ... paint or leave as is ??

Also the rusty star is just attached with double sided cellotape currently ... paint this ?? or leave as is ??  Your opinions would be very much appreciated.    If you are unable to comment then just email me & I can copy/paste your comment.  Thanking you in anticipation.

(My email address is stitchedbyjulie@hotmail.com)

This pair of wooden chopping boards was $4 in Stratford Hospice shop earlier in the year. I decided to paint the round one at the back ... this turned out to be simply a wood round & Not a chopping board & the paint went on so well ... I am using the Forrest Green that I have become rather addicted to this Christmas.

Two coats later & I applied a wonderful Iron Orchid Designs transfer that I purchased last Christmas.  I had planned to screw an eye hook into it to hang, but I rather like it just tucked into my display as is.

When I bought the red hessian online in Spotlights Black Friday sale (last post) I also bought 2 metres of Minecraft fabric.  I made my Grandsons a pillowcase each using * this * simple tutorial..  As the fabric was extra wide I had enough on the sides to make them each up a drawstring bag as well. 

They are both right into everything Minecraft at present & I am sure they will love these items which I plan to put in their Christmas stockings.

This morning I finished up some wooden tags that I had painted - some I used transfers on & others I mod podged serviettes onto.  These will be tied onto gifts for some special folk.

We had a lovely craft group break-up outing last Monday when we visited Cambridge & went to view the Town Hall  all decorated for Christmas.  We also visited a couple of Op Shops & had a nice cafe lunch. 

Click on the picture to enlarge it should you wish.

  While I was waiting for the ladies to be served in the SPCA Op-shop, I happened to look down on the floor & this picture was leaning against a stand, kind of tucked into the corner.  I could not resist buying it & I absolutely love it!       So dear friends ... look around but also look up  & look down when you are thrifting - you never know what bargains you may miss.  $12.00 an absolute bargain!  💙

Thank you as always dear friends, for your visits here today,

Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

With much love & friendship to you all,

Julie & the furry three x0x0x0x

A Thrifted/Upcycled Kind of Christmas - (Part 1)

Greetings lovely friends & readers

I have lots of Christmas Creations to share with you so I plan to be posting quite often throughout December.

Today I wanted to share some thrifted & upcycled Christmas makes to hopefully inspire you that you don't need to spend alot of money - just a bit of imagination & time.

 Although I have forgotten to take a Before Photo, the wooden Angel above left was picked up in the Stratford Hospice Op-shop for $1.50. She was a pale denim blue in colour. I painted her in 2 coats Antique White chalk paint & then decoupaged a Christmas serviette on to her dress. She makes a sweet display on my table along with a vase of Seafoam roses  💗

Remember back in * this post * when I won the breadboard at a Pink Ribbon Breakfast fundraiser.  It had sat in the back of my craft cupboard so I added a pretty poinsettia transfer & gave it 2 coats spray acrylic varnish so that food can still be placed on it.

The Reindeer above was white - he was on clearance (50 % off) in a local Variety Store last Christmas.  I painted him in red to fit in with where I planned to display him. The cherubs above right were purchased from my local SPCA store in mid winter.  Although they look plaster they are not & were only $4 each. 

The poor Angel above was a sorry sight in my local St Johns Oppy.  She was $1.50 & looked most unloved.  I pulled her to bits by holding my hair dryer over the star & wings to loosen the glue - this did not come away as successfully as I hoped.  But a sand, some chalk paint & decoupaged tissue, new hair,  then wire added to hang her with & some pip berries wound around the wire ... a huge improvement don't you think ??!!  💕

Frequently in thrift stores they have bins of kitchenware for very cheap as they seem to get so much of it donated.  I found the sifter & the vintage grater in Mums Hospice a couple of years ago.  Looking back through my photos I first attempted this in August 2022!!

 

I filled ziplock bags with cheap toilet cleaner purchased from the $2 shop & left each item in it for a couple of days, turning frequently.  I wanted them to rust really well!!  Once they'd reached my desired rusty-ness, I ran cold water over them to stop the process & there they sat, in my cupboard ...... until last week ...... when I dragged out the Sifter.  I'd seen an idea on Pinterest & wanted to try it.

You can see how rusted it got by the photo of the back view.

I filled the inside with some wadding to about 3/4's the way up.  Then I hot glued in a variety of different bits & bobs ... rusty birdhouse, a pinecone, some greenery & pip berries.  I wanted some long cinnamon sticks but had none so I hot glued shorter ones together & then tied them up with torn fabric strips.

I made a small calico gingerbread man as well as some candy canes which I tea dyed & then painted stripes onto. I packed it really tightly & secured everything, as well as poking some dried moss into the gaps.

I also made a tag by tea dying a luggage tag ... I am so thrilled with how this project turned out & look forward to doing something with the grater now. 

The big mess creative space top left, was how my work table looked last week as I had various wooden bits in the process of being painted. 

 I decoupaged tissue onto the oval tags & tied up 6 different soaps in cellophane & ribbon - I plan to gift these to the ladies tomorrow at our Christmas Craft Group break-up.

Yesterday I did a Christmas display on my outdoor deck table.  I'd purchased 2 metres of red hessian in Spotlight's black friday sale & made this into a runner.  I placed my pots of white & red petunias on this but felt it still 

"needed something more"  ............

I had the chalkboard signs in my drawer so I painted them with Forrest Green & then added a transfer & Jute twine to make into a Christmassy sign.

The teapot above left was a thrift store find months ago so I also painted this with the green while I had it out.  Once again, a transfer, some greenery & berries & it just finished off my table setting.

Incidentally this is what you do when your teapot has a wet bottom as well as wet sides & lid ... you have to be a bit ingenious to dry it all at once  😉

The blackboard advent calendars were purchased last year at the same time as the wooden deer (previously mentioned) in a 50% off sale ... I bought 3 so gave one each to my Grandsons.  

I'm really delighted with my Christmas Outdoor table & No dear friends .... as I type this .... there is not a cat on it as yet !!! 😲

My daughter-in-law Sarah makes me a beautiful calendar each year with photos of Alec in it.   I must admit to a bit of a 😥when I turned it over for December ... missing my dear Mum so very much!

Thank you as always dear friends, for your visits here today,

I shall be back soon with Part 2 ... I just have to actually finish the item before I can share it with you.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

With much love & friendship to you all,

Julie & the furry three x0x0x0

" A Jingle In A Pringle " 🌲

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Yesterday I needed to wrap a fragile ornament for posting, so I found a cardboard tray in my recycling bin to cut up & use around the ornament.

I went to find my packaging tape & upon my return, this is what I found 🐱 ... a certain ginger furry friend curled up in the cardboard tray!     This is especially for you Willie as you commented last week "no furry friends??"

 

I might add - she slept for over 2 hours there before I was able to cut up the cardboard box.  You surely cannot tell me that is comfy ??!!

Back in early September when I returned from Mum's funeral & crafting was the very last thing on my mind - my dear friend Claire messaged me to ask if I'd like to do "a christmas challenge"?

                 She'd just had this bright idea for us to do "A Jingle in a Pringle".  What might that be I enquired? 😉                                        You take a Pringles tin & make something christmassy that will fit inside it ! 

Hmmmm .... it certainly got my creative mind whirring ... 

I hadn't bought Pringles in years but Yes the local supermarket still sold them.  I purchased a can & Sid happily munched his way through them for me.  Then I painted my can 2 coats Forrest Green chalk paint.

I had a lovely Christmas transfer that I thought would look just right against the Forrest Green colour ... I also glued some ribbon to the top & lower edges.

Although I went back & forth with a few ideas, I came back to my original thought - making Claire the tiny Country Friends Christmas dolls in Wendy Briggs book.  

Wendy is no longer designing but I have lots of her older patterns & books.  It was tricky sewing & turning those teeny tiny doll legs & then painting the boots black ... its been awhile since I've done anything like this.

The Mr would be in the dining-room working on his laptop in the evenings, & I would be in the Lounge.  He would send me phone photos of Little One who would sneak into my sewing room, take the dolls (or doll body parts) off my desk & then play with them ... this went on for several nights despite how well I hid them  😐

I was absolutely delighted how the dolls turned out.  Their names are Joy & Kris Kringle & I managed to make them entirely from fabrics & trims already in my stash.    

You can see from the photo above that they are only the size of a pencil - just under 6 & 1/2 inches in height ... so rather tiny & fiddly.

A closer view of their handpainted boots & Joy has some stitchery on her skirt.

Once they were finished I was looking at them & wondered if perhaps Claire might like to make them into a swag.  So I made a little stuffed heart from homespun fabric ... I didn't stitch them into a swag as they would not have fitted into the Pringles tin but I wrote Claire a note suggesting this when I sent the package down.

You can see how they might look stitched into a swag.

I also had room (only just!) to add in one of the stockings that I showed in last week's post.  I filled it with some choccies, a candy cane & a small ceramic Christmas tree ornament.

Let me tell you dear friends - it was a tight fit getting all those items in that Pringles tin without squashing them up too much!!

I bought a Christmas box at the Variety Store, packaged it all up in red tissue,  then added one of the wooden tags that I made in *this post* last year.  I also added in some Choccies, some Relax tea & a bag of my homemade Citrus Potpourri.  The package only took 2 days to arrive at Claires & she was so thrilled upon opening it.  

The reason I sent it before December is because Claire is taking part in a Christmas Home Tour this weekend ... opening her home all decorated for Christmas, & I thought she might perhaps like to include the swag in her decorating.

I shall be sure & show you my Jingle in a Pringle from Claire when it arrives.

This morning was a baking morning whereby I made Caramel Anzac Slice for my eldest son,  a Weetbix Slice for The Mr, & another loaf of Banana Bread as I had banana's turning brown. 

Image courtesy of @LadySnowAngel on Pinterest

Tomorrow we wave Goodbye to November & welcome in December & the festive season.  It feels like I blinked & November disappeared by.

Thank you dear friends, as always, for your welcome visits here today,

As we approach a busy time of year, please remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other, 

With much love & friendship to you all,

Julie & the 3 furry ones x0x0x0

All Stocking-ed Out (!!!)

Greetings lovely friends & readers

It has been a stocking-making kind of week (or fortnight) & I am currently all stocking-ed out !

 Our beautiful Cherry Blossom tree (Shimidsu-sakura) in full bloom a couple of weeks ago, before the strong winds came.

At the beginning of October my local Patchwork Store Stitchin-stuff put a notice in their online newsletter requesting small christmas stockings to be made to donate to the local Foodbank. I collected the free pattern & instructions & cut out several from my Christmas fabrics.

  I managed to sew up 10 before Covid struck me & my sewing abilities disappeared out the window 😐 

They are fully lined & padded with wadding, & each one measures just under 8 inches.  This one above was one of my favourites fabrics. 

 The store were hoping to reach a target of 300 stockings & when I dropped mine in they were up to 279.  

(Click on the picture to enlarge & read clearly)

So I was delighted to read in my local newspaper this week that they actually reached 350 in the end.  The store fills them with chocolate treats & they go in the Foodbank boxes for families that have younger children.  Next year I will aim to sew up more as I am sure I have 10 already cut out.

These sweet little stockings above are a free pattern from the Twig and Tale website.

I buy offcuts of linen when I see it in the thrift stores & I hand embroidered these before sewing.  I plan to fill them with some ceramic christmas ornaments for a couple of special people.

Last year, after Christmas, I made myself the swag of primitive stockings above.  My dear friend Sandy had shown me a photo on her phone & I made them from memory ... in the softest green & grey striped linen fabrics above.  

My friend Sandy has moved away down to the South Island & I miss her immensely. I decided to make her a set in reds & taupes as I knew she loved these colours.  I posted them away & Sandy was delighted when they arrived as she had just begun her Christmas decorating.

While hunting for some threads I came across this stitchery that I had stitched last Christmas & never ever made up.  It is a very old design from Mogs Designs whom I am sure no longer designs. It is called "tis' the season stocking"

Although I'd done the stitchery I still needed to tea-dye my calico & then make up the stocking, stuff it & fill the top with berries & greenery as well as make the 3 candy canes. I also sewed 7 rusty bells down the length of the stocking. 

 I used to make lots of these & sell in my Craft Cottage & they were always VeRy popular.   🎄

I love this little area of hand-mades hanging on my wall.  The Calico Reindeer I made in * this post * back in 2020.

And Yes - it was time again to sit & wrap 48 little parcels, & fill my Grandsons advent stockings.  This was a good activity to do while resting from Covid & took me 3 days to complete (!!!) I will be delivering these this coming Thursday. 

Just prior to going on the Cruise I cleaned out our fireplace, scrubbed the brick surround & then bought all my houseplants back from the "hospital corner" down the end of my lounge.  I noticed my ladder fern (2nd from left) had roots coming out the bottom so it needed a re-pot.

I found this pot under my house, bought home from Mum's when I cleared out No 44 way back in February.  I thought it was a good size for the fern but needed a paint.  I painted it in Old Linen, the same colour as the other pots, then gave it 2 coats of spray varnish to protect/seal it.  I found an offcut of transfer that I also applied to it.

I am sure that my ladder fern breathed a sigh of relief when I repotted it & it's looking much healthier already.  And Yes dear readers - you can see definate signs of Christmas decorating going on here at Threadbear HQ.

Thank you - as always dear friends, for your visits here today,

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

With much love & friendship to you all,

Julie & the furry three x0x0x 

( a new Header to take us into the festive season)