Category Archives: Projects

Repurposing Handwriting

05.10.2012
repurpose

I don’t like using this space to talk about my challenges or hardships, buuuuut…  you guys can probably tell by the lack of complete sentences in my recent posts. Golly gee whiz, I just re-read yesterday’s post and was like, “Whaaaa?!” So sorry folks! When I get busy in life or at work, I tend to move too quickly, forget to edit my posts, and in my writing, I jump or even skip whole parts of sentences. I’m committed to getting a handle on this in the future, but in the meantime…

Repurposing Handwriting, anybody?

Applying notes and messages to fabric has definitely been seen before, but now its much much easier. Using Spoonflower, John and Sherry at Young House Love, first created a fabric with their daughter’s name (Clara, handwritten by name) then used their little one’s scribble to imortalize her artwork in a blanket.

Totally into this idea! Though if my recent posts are any indication – I’d need my editor (that’s BC) to do a thorough review before printing!

Images via Jolie Marche, Repurpose My Life, Young House Love

Repurposing Music

04.26.2012
repurpose

My bachelorette weekend has arrived! I leave tonight for New Orleans with a small group of old friends, representing all the best points in my life. It just so happened that the weekend that worked out for the trip is the weekend of Jazzfest, which means we are in for some fun. And you are in for a set of repurposed musical instruments (and music related items.)

 

 

Music Tape Artwork via Apartment Therapy, Record Cover Heardboad via Roxxn, Wine Barrel Drumset via Inhabitat, Record Cakestand via Red Zebra Designs, Record Cover Bunting via Oh Happy Day, Record Pendant via The Light Store, Record Player Clock via Lost at E Minor, Guitar Case Storage via Holy Kaw. 

Repurposing (more) Wine Bottles

04.19.2012
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As mentioned, this weekend is BC’s birthday. I do have one surprise for him on Sunday afternoon, but he begged me to tell him our Sat night plans. Okaaaay, it was more like I caved without any prompting at all.

To demonstrate my ability to keep secrets and not ruin all the fun, I won’t give you any hints at all as to the type of educational class we’ll be taking on Saturday evening…

Past posts on repurposing wine bottles here and here.

Wine bottle chandelier via Chad Gordon, Wine bottle top candle via Couverture and the Gardbstore, Wine bottle candle with wood bottom via Uncommon Goods,  Wine bottle garden light via Apartment Therapy, Table wine bottle candles by Tom Mannion via Elle Decoration, Painted wine bottles via Old World Salvage, Garden wine bottle fence via Renest, Wine bottle pendant via Unknown.

Repurposing Cardboard for Kids

04.05.2012
repurpose

We decided to ask the gaggle of kids who are coming to our wedding to actually be IN the wedding (a la Kate Moss.) And I have to tell you, I get misty eyed every time we ask one of BC’s nieces and nephews or the kids of my cousin or friends to be in the wedding. The kids have been just so excited that I guess it makes me feel like they may realize (more than us adults who’ve been to so many weddings) what an important occasion it really is. We haven’t finished making all our calls yet (2012 has seriously slowed down the wedding planning) but at this point, we have 3 junior bridesmaids, 3 flower girls, 1 ringbearer, and a bunch of little ones under 3 running around.  I can only imagine how much fun I’m going to have on the dance floor with them all!

While we’re on the subject as kids, we all know that the best toy is a cardboard box and a little imagination. The ideas below are only the tip of the iceberg. And the drums and castle are proof that cardboard and imagination can go a long way for adults as well.

Cardboard Airplane via CafeMom, Cardboard Drums via Leslie Janson, Cardboard Castle via Sugar and Fluff, Cardboard Advent Calendar via Poppytalk, Cardboard Ball Run via Renest, Cardboard Boat via Anthropologie Catalog

Gold Bud Vases

03.09.2012
projects

My cousin and maid of honor, the fair Emmy, recently helped me carry out my first big wedding project. I came upon about 25 bud vases at a stoop sale last summer. They were a total of $20 all together (score!) but since my style and our wedding is going to have a more rustic, antique feel, I wanted to age the vases a bit. The original plan was to antique the glass, I found a couple tutorials here and here. But the art store didn’t have the looking glass spray paint that I needed and the vases were really too thin to spray into. So instead we created textured layers over the glass to make the vases look both older and well, gold-er.

Pretty easy, right? Let’s look at the transformation again.

I was a bit skeptical at first, but I really like how they turned out. The layers of black and silver added a lot of depth and the gold has just the right amount of shine. I think it’ll look great on our navy tablecloths with either hydrangeas or red dahlias. Hooray! One wedding project down, many more to go.

I’m heading down to Florida tonight to visit my college roommate/new mother and to meet her little one! So looking forward to it. Have a great weekend!

PS. If you try this project and use the looking glass spray, you must spray on the inside of your piece. See the tutorials mentioned above for guidance. I sprayed on the exterior of my pieces using the silver metallic because the vases were too thin – improvised!

Images via Salvaged Grace