15 Upcycled Christmas Decorations For Your Home

Walking through any Antique Mall you'll find a wide array of interesting pieces perfect for upcycling.  Here's a variety of great Christmas Decorating ideas using easily found items.

1.  This adorable Christmas Tree made from old pieces of hardware.  I've seen them also made from rolled papers, buttons, jewelry pieces and the like.  

from petticoatjunktion.com

2.  I love using old books for decorating purposes.  The Reader's Digest Series from the 50's that can be found in quantity and are difficult to even give away are perfect for book projects.

from Cindy@Upcycle Design Lab on Hometalk

3.  Ball jars are also plentiful.  So many ways to decorate them for the Holidays.

From CottonRidgeEmporium on Etsy

4.  These are cute.  Wine bottles could also be decorated up for adorable holiday décor.

from jamscraftcloset.com

5.  One of our dealers had some of these for sale.  Still kicking myself for not grabbing them.  So cute.  A walk around any antique mall will reveal a variety of tart tins as well as such cute doughnut tins.  So many cute projects.... so little time.

from mythriftstoreaddiction.blogspot.com

6.  Do you have a collection of oil cans?  What a cute way to jazz them up for the holidays.

from prodigalpieces.com

7.  We have one of these at the shop.... I might just have to buy it.  These are adorable.  (Couldn't find a link back to give credit.)

8.  I have a dump truck in typical yellow, purchased to use for holiday décor.  Its still sitting in my closet.  What a cute idea.  Follow the link for a great blog full of cute holiday decorating ideas.

from qisforquandie.com

9.  Antique Malls are full of a variety of wood boxes, perfect for decorating.  Check out the olive bucket in the back left corner.  Gorgeous!

You can find Fern Creek Cottage on Facebook

10.  Shutters are a staple at many antique malls.  How cute is that?

Found on Etsy at LogCabinBreadandMore

11.  Don't have a fireplace mantle!  What a great alternative and it can be used in a bathroom or kitchen as a towel rack throughout the year.

from myrepurposedlife.com

12.  I have some old lampshades I've collected over the years for a variety of projects....  This is wonderful.  Follow the link and she's got one all decorated up.  

from pillarboxblue.com

13.  Another great idea for glass jars.  Love the "peep-show" idea.  

from yesterdayontuesday.com

14.  Another great tin idea.  The possibilities are endless.  Couldn't find a link but there is a watermark in the bottom left corner.  (I can't clearly make it out.... can you?)

15.  Adorable.  I have a couple different ways I display Christmas cards, this is perfect for just a few of your favorites.

You can find more ideas for decorating with Kitchenware at BHG.com

For more great ideas for Holiday décor check out our Pinterest Board DIY Christmas Decorations.

Then, come on in and grab some supplies.   From everyone here at thechirpingfrog Merry Christmas!

12 Repurpose Ideas for Common Sewing Items

Go into any antique mall or thrift shop and you're bound to find a variety of sewing notions ready for repurposing.  Here's just a few quick projects to get you inspired and thinking outside the box.  

I don't have the heart to cut an old sewing machine in half but I really love this idea.  So cute!

phantasticphinds

What a great idea.  You'll find jars and jars full of spools here at #TheFrog.

sadieseasongoods.com

Thimbles are one of my favorite finds.  So many jewelry options with them.  

thechirpingfrog

Measuring tapes also have so many applications.  Cute as a bracelet, shorter lengths for charms or pendants.   

From thehappyhomester

Never would of thought to use flower frogs to store scissors.  How cute is that?  

xszemkozt

Sewing baskets always have a variety of bobbins perfect for jewelry making.

earthangelsstudios

I tend to gravitate towards jewelry applications.... obviously.  These are just adorable!

mysalvagedtreasures

Such a cute idea for a teapot... pin cushion in the lid and storage for supplies and notions in the pot.  Love it!

sadieseasongoods

People are so creative.  I never would of thought to use a butter dish for a sewing kit.  How cute is that?  Might have to make me one of these, you know, for all the sewing I do.

todolwen

Another great pin cushion idea using a jar.  What a great idea.

Found on pinterest

Great travel sewing kit from an eyeglass case.  I've got quite a few of these.  Great repurpose idea.

brightside.me/inspiration-tips-and-tricks

One more creative pincushion idea.  So many beautiful teacups that'd make gorgeous pincushions.  Recently found more Pinterest posts using jello molds and the like.  Such cute ideas.

etsy.com

Have you done anything fun with sewing items?  Would love to see your creativity.  Inspire us!

10 Mosaic Projects Using a Variety of Ordinary Everyday Items

I'm a big fan of mosaic tile work and am always on the lookout for furniture pieces that will work for my purposes.  A quick Pinterest search revealed many more applications.  Take a look at ten fabulous projects I found that use a variety of base materials.

1.  Wood furniture pieces are ideal and top my list of things to look for.  You could mosaic the top, drawer fronts or go for the gusto and cover the whole piece.  A great way to update a piece of furniture and give it new life.

countryliving.com

12 Creative Crafts that Take Broken China from Trash to Treasure

2.  I love beautiful metal trays and have bought quite a few over the years but never thought to mosaic them.  What a cute project. 

From Reclaimed Designs on Etsy

3.  Chairs make wonderful mosaic projects.  I've seen them covered in marbles, buttons, paper mosaic and the like.  All are fabulous.  

from mosaicodelsole

  Check out her site, lots of great glass mosaic project ideas.

4.  Wood is a wonderful base.  Look for trays, boxes, lengths of any kind.  Love how they added hooks to these.  

Found on Pinterst

5.  I can't help but love these.  Always plenty of tools lying around, we break a multitude of shovels with all the projects we take on... glue them babies back together and give them a mosaic treatment. 

Don't mind me, I'm just raiding the shed for broken shovels!

from Pinterest

6.  Never would of thought to do this but I love the end result.  Such a cute piece.

Adorable Mosaic Teapot found on  Pinterest

7.  This is fabulous.  Take a wood or metal box, drawer, trough... whatever and give it a mosaic treatment with teacups added for extra storage.  What a cute idea!

 From Pinterest

8.  Doors and windows make great mediums for mosaic.  You can get as creative as you'd like and personalize a piece in a variety of ways.  Just beautiful.

Gorgeous Mosaic Window by LeAnn Christian... on Flickr

9.  I bought a guitar (a couple years ago mind you... it's a sickness) for this purpose and have yet to get started.  It's on my "someday" list.  Right next to about 100 other things that I may or may not get to "someday". 

Isn't that adorable?

From ehow.com with a tutorial

10.  Lots of glass bottles and jars are just waiting to become unique works of art... what are you waiting for? 

 From Inspiration Sandwich

Mosaic is an easy project anyone can do that'll transform simple, everyday items into unique, creative art pieces for your home.  With a quick "how to" search using google or Pinterest you'll find everything you ever wanted to know, and then some, about mosaic work.

 I've got plans for a variety of projects here at the shop.... "someday"!  Here's a peek at a couple of the things I'd like to do here at #TheFrog:

ptlincolnproject

I bought a wicker couch and chair at Goodwill years ago that I would like to turn into concrete sculpture.  Big plans, now I just need the time to work on a new project.

midwestliving.com

I'm hoping to work on the landscaping out front this fall and am planning to add a little personality and funk with the yard art.   

Have you done any mosaic work?  I have dabbled a bit and love it.  Would love to see some of your work, feel free to share.

Pattern Fun

I have done my fair share of sewing but patterns have never been my strong point.  It's like reading a foreign language sometimes.  I'm much better at taking the patterns and using them in different ways.  Here's a look at a few of my favorite repurpose ideas.

DECOUPAGE

I tried decoupage a couple years ago and gotta say, I'm hooked.   Here's just a few great projects using sewing patterns:

This would be adorable in a sewing room.  

cool things to do with sewing patterns

Love the suitcases and the mannequin head.  Adorable!

Decoupaged Suitcases

 

Such a cute idea!

Joyworks Decoupaged Mannequin... isn't she cute!

So many great light fixture applications. 

Found on Instagram

JOURNALS

You know I can't ignore journaling and the many great things you can do with patterns.  Here's just a few of my favorites....

How cute is this idea, add a stronger paper on the back and edge your pages.  So cute.

Altered Book Project by Sandra Pearce

Flower embellishments for a journal page or card.  So many things you could do with these.

Flower Embellishments on Etsy

Here's a you-tube video to help you make your own journal using patterns.  Could be fun.

You-Tube Video with directions.

MAGNETS & BUTTONS

Great little magnets made from patterns.   

Found on Pinterest

Sewing Pattern Magnets on Etsy

ARTWORK

I adore Mixed Media, pattern pieces work great in a lot of different projects.

Pattern Mixed Media Project

This piece is one I completed here at the shop.  The background is book pages but wouldn't pattern pieces look fabulous?

A variety of artwork options.  How simple, a piece of fabric or paper with a cute pattern attached.  Frame it and you've got beautiful artwork, perfect for a sewing room.

sewretrothebook.com

Last but not least....

FLOWERS

from Burlap and Denim

From SadieSeasongoods.com

Have you done anything interesting with patterns?

Would love to see what you've done.