Thrifty to Nifty Decor

Thursday, March 23, 2017




Thrifty to Nifty Decor

 Is a challenge we face everyday as we decorate our homes on a budget. This group of talented bloggers take thrifting to a new level. Dragonfly & Lily Pads has decided to join them to bring you a wealth of information to use in your home. Today I am sharing a wreath that I bought a few months back for Fifty cents. Learn how to make yours below along with Twenty Nine more thrifty decor items.

Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge



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

Amanda | The Kolb Corner    Erlene | My Pinterventures    Kim | Made in a Day Dru | Polka Dot Poplars    Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles    Pili | Sweet Things Shirley | Intelligent Domestications    Debra | Shoppe No. 5    Marie | DIY Adulation Chelsea | The Johnsons Plus Dog    Jes | My DIY Envy    Ann | Duct Tape and Denim Molly | Just a Little Creativity    Ashley | 3 Little Greenwoods    Kimm | Reinvented Kim | Farmhouse Made    Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled    Sara | Twelve on Main Chelc | Inside the Fox Den    Sue | A Purdy Little House    Michelle | Our Crafty Mom Sherry | Savvy Apron    Jennifer and Vicki | 2 Bees in a Pod    Lora | Craftivity Designs Ali | Home Crafts By Ali    Denise | My Thrifty House    Colleen | Life on Kaydeross Creek Toni | Small Home Soul    Jeanie | Create & Babble    Jeannee | Shepherds and Chardonnay Michelle | Michelle James Designs    Medina | Grillo Designs    Karen | Dragonfly & Lily Pads

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

Thrifty Pillow In Minutes

Monday, February 22, 2016

     Good Morning Darlings! Today let's learn how to make a thrifty pillow in minutes. While in Michigan working on the Water and Energy Room Refresh click link here to see the magic that happened. She saw a Goodwill on the way to the store. Did you know it is programmed in the GPS! Goodwill is in there!
 Prince Charming was patience stopping at yet another place she thought she would find a finishing touch for the project.(not yet started) He checked out sporting equipment catching up to her. When he arrived she asked him to reach up to that top shelf. It was worth the extra stop. A brand new neck roll pillow for one dollar.
Back to the pillow. The items you will need are in the picture below.
Green Scarf made into Pillow with rubber bands and ties.
  A neck roll pillow form, scarf, 2 rubber bands, rope, ribbon, or something to tie, and scissors.
Roll Neck Pillow with Green Fringe Scarf to make Thrift Store Pillow
This scarf was screaming fringe. Since it was long enough it was folded just half off center to let the fringe be the star show.
On a Roll, Wrapped scarf around a neck roll pillow as a pillow cover.
Keeping the pillow form as centered as possible will help with your next step. Gather the fabric tightly then wrap the rubber band around it to hold it tight. 
Close up of Rubber band holding Green Scarf wrapped around neck roll pillow
The rubber band will need to be wrapped around each end. It did take a little bit of fidgeting to get the each of the scarf ends even.
Rope knot holds Nautical pillow cover closed for simple minutes to make pillow
When the rope is cut it is best to use a piece of tape to keep it from fraying. The best way to make sure you have the right length of rope to tie off the ends. Is to do a test cut and tie because the amount will change with the type of fabric you choose for your pillow. Then take the first one you are happy with and cut a duplicate using the first one as a measurement. 
Minutes to make this Thrift store Pillow with a scarf and pillow form
Finishing the project in the most glamorous of places. The floor of course. How many of you work on the same surface with your projects? 
Tie your rope in this case on the back side of your pillow into a knot pulling the rope tight. Then do the same thing to the other end carefully making sure you keep the scarf even on both ends. Tie the knot in the front completing the pillow. 
Crisp Blue and White Striped Sheets with a splash of color Pillow made in minutes.
The scarf was found at a Goodwill in Illinois on half price day. Another great find bringing this pillow to a total of two dollars which is certainly thrifty. 
Antique boat inspires nautical room refresh. Pillow made in minutes with thrift store finds.
This pillow can change with the seasons, or be washed quickly. I would recommend taking it apart to launder since it is not permanently affixed.
It took approximately ten minutes with fussing to add a splash of color to the full-size bed in the boys room.


~ Let Your Creative Spirit Dance  ~

Until Next Time Happy Creating,   

      
                                                     Karen Marie

More Posts to Enjoy:

Please click on the title below to see the post.

Swap It "Light" Its Hot

Friday, October 9, 2015

Hello, Darlins'! 
 Miss Charlotte author of Ciburbanity asked me if I was interested in participating in the Swap It Like Its Hot group of bloggers she gathered. I was ready and willing with a quick yes. This is a fun game of chance and thinking outside of the box (Literally) with a group of creative bloggers. I sent a box of treasures purchased from a local thrift store to my dear friend Michelle Beaton author of Weekend Crafts. If this worked perfectly you have already been to visit Weekend Craft  to visit Michelle. If you missed the post click on the name of her blog above 
I received a package from another good friend Evey. She sent me what is pictured below. Evey is a busy lady, but you can always find her at Evey's Creations. I think she is going to be surprised how outside the box thinking, a few stash supplies and $2.24 dollars created this group of decor items. Please click on Evey's blog name in this paragraph or at the bottom of this post to follow along the "Swap It Like Its Hot," trail of packages.
The pile of goodies includes a nineteen cent circle of wood I forgot to mention earlier. Did you see the smoke rising from my town? There was a lot of thinking going on to get to this point. The picture below gives you the start of a plan for the tile plaques. I only broke one of the tiles taking them out of the frame. The other two are safely in my stash for future projects.

Shedding Some Light On The Craft Room

Monday, April 20, 2015

 This lamp from Good Will is the perfect height I wanted for my desk in the craft room. Here she is with her blue shade, rocking those dangling beads in an awkward original state.
Now watch how she transforms into a beautiful addition to my craft room.
Before, Lamp,Good Will, Blue Shade, Gold, Black, Tall, Thrift, Beads
Yep! craft room mess and this is progress. You can see the floor.
I purchased a lamp from a wonderful designer friend of mine for my craft space at the lake house. Click here The Tour Through Blogland is Live with Three New Bloggers! to see my inspiration, learn a little about me and a few friends.  I used it as inspiration to put my personal touch on the lamp for the craft room in Illinois.
                    After, Lamp, Chalk paint, White, Green Stripes, Dragonfly,Blue Fringe, Flowers,
 The design of the lamp went through a metamorphosis of sorts starting with the planning process to purchasing and then even completion. The supply list changed several times as I tweaked, painted, glued and pinned different pieces to her. She even ended up with part of a napkin ring on here which changed part of her color scheme and materials. When you look at the pictures you will see crystal I never used and beads from necklaces. The fringe was on clearance I bought for a pillow. I think the pillow leftovers look great on my lamp the crystals would have been all wrong. 
Lamp Base, After, White, Black Silver Sharpie Metallic Marker, Print Flower
White chalk paint left over from a project gave the lamp and shade a clean crisp look. 
I kept the black and added highlights to the details on the lamp base with a Silver Metallic Sharpie Marker. 
After, White, Lamp shade, Dragonfly Napkin Ring made into Shade embellishment 
The dragonfly was a napkin ring I cut of the ring with wire snips and hot glued the dragonfly to cover where the fringe meets, When you look closely I also painted the finial white and silver. The thin green lines on the shade are two shades of Sharpie Markers tying in the green of the dragonfly.
Flowers, Inside Lamp Decor, Silver, Grey, Gray, Print White
 My friend has some sweet tricks up her sleeve and this is one of my favorites. If your sitting down your probably going to see the inside of the shade. I love that ideas to make all angles pretty. So I added a few paper flowers and a felt rose pin from another thrift store. The center of the back flower was gold. Silver marker made it into a match and of course I had to add a little sparkle.
After, Good Will, Lamp, up-cycle, Fringe Dragonfly, Paint, Marker, Flowers, Napkin ring, Dragonfly
 It is all in the details.
 I love the new addition to my craft room.  This s my grandmother's sewing machine in my living room the light in the basement is "terrible".  Another treasure from my grandmother is her antique books. They are a series on how to learn to be a good home maker. I really should read them some day. I have read snippets of some. They are very funny compared to our world today. LOL
 I am extremely grateful to all of you have been checking to see what is new while I have been busy. I have been working on projects, the back end of the blog and preparing for my first blogging conference called Snap. Working on projects you can see what I have been doing. To non-bloggers the back end of a blog means computer work that sends all this magic I create to you. 
 The Snap Conference I will be writing about when I return home. It is for bloggers to learn more exciting possibilities to bring to you on this very site. Follow my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to see some of the action during the conference. I be sharing the fun, work, and education I have obtained to keep improving my skill set to bring you current information useful in your home.
 Who is going to give lamp a re-vamp for a room in your house? 
I would love to see the pictures of what you create for your home. Link below and share what you have been inspired to create. As always you know I love your comments so don't forget to write!

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 ~ Let Your Creative Spirit Dance  ~

Until Next Time Happy Creating, 
         Karen Marie

Summer Patio Deal

Thursday, July 24, 2014

    Whether it is in Michigan or Illinois, you bet I will be out looking for Summer patio deals. After all for us this is furniture that is only getting used part of the year. Now having two homes there are plenty of opportunities to add a bit of seating, tables for beverages, and cushions with pretty fabric too.
   Today, I definitely added to the patio pizazz, with a stop at +Pier 1 Imports, while my Prince Charming stopped at +Lowe's Home Improvement. He is doing a cool storage project in the garage. I  will write about his dazzling project when he completes it. I will also have an upcoming post on my +Pier 1 Imports shopping trip soon.
   Today I want to share a quick project with you that required no tools, is a great budget saver, and looks like an expensive piece of furniture.
   I was shopping at +Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores in Countryside, IL. Before the 4th of July during their Summer Clearance. Yes of course a 20% of all my purchase coupon was at the ready in my cellphone. I came across a plastic wicker planter for $19.99 reduce from $69.99. I was fast at grabbing that black brown weave, because a simple idea was brewing. As I walked up and down the aisles, trying to remember my list of "needed" items, I came to a tin serving tray with rope handles for $9.99. The plan was hatched, that tin tray practically leapt into my cart. All it needed was a ride to the lake for completion.  
  When you read my read my post "Favorite" Silhouette Challenge, you already saw the table. If you missed it click on the title to read about the topiary project I made.
   This is what the basket looked like when, 
I bought my steal of a deal
 Pier 1 Imports Wicker Swivel Chair, Wicker Planter from JoAnns, Patio

50 % to 80% Off now that is a DEAL!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

     Holidays Sales may be winding down but this sale rocked the scales with some huge savings. I am currently creating my First Creative Space!!!!! Can you tell I am excited? I bought a rug about 2 years ago on sale, to start the space, but some little bumps in the road, and challenges changed my path. Well I am back on track, saving,creating and filled with the joy of anticipation, to see how I develop My Space. Luckily since I broke my Elbow, my trusty Prince Charming is helping me assemble, lift, arrange my space too. All the while he is looking more handsome than ever, holding down the fort, and helping take care of me. He is truly the one who can bring home the bacon, and fry it up in a pan, never letting me me forget he is my Man. Tee-Hee. OH Lord I am dating myself!
   On a -13 degree day my son needed to go back to College. The short version of this story is on the way home he insisted he wanted to get +WeatherTech liners for my new car. I thought we should go home but, went along because he was right. Yes Ladies I said he was right! This post is turning out to make him look AWESOME! His timing could not have been better, we were already near the Outlet, and it happened to be two miles from the school we dropped our son off at to work, and ride home with the Basketball Teams of his College. We walked in and were the only costumers in the store. That took about twenty minutes for us to decide how the product they have would work best for us, he want outside to put them in the car. I was not going out in that frigid weather, nor did I want to hurt my elbow. We waited a few minutes for Prince Charming to warm up at the complimentary food and beverage counter. Yummy!
   Now we are on the road again, and as we are driving, I am in awe of the beauty of the snow painting each limb, snapping pictures with my cellphone. Why did I not bring my good camera? Well to be honest I forgot but, the extreme cold would not be good for it anyway. My cellphone fits in my pocket and was warm.

 Next Stop home one
 would think, but wait +Michaels Crafts is already right next us us on the corner, and they are having a Huge Sale. Well my Prince, said let's go and I have to admit I hesitated. Yes I have my head held down in Craft Shame.
  About an hour later after filling two carts I am in Craft Heaven.
1/2 price frames + an extra 15% off .........Check
1/2 Storage from +Recollections...............Check
80% off Christmas.................Singing Fa La La  Stock up for next year.................Check
1/2 Bulk Paper......Score for the Auction I am running in a couple weeks................Check

   Alright I know you want to see what I bought but one more thing happened.Our son working at another store calls my husband. My car won't start I need a jump. So when we arrived home he picked up the jumper cables. Left my car loaded and went to store to help our son. Our son arrived home safely my husband went to a wake picked up dinner and then unloaded the car. I think I am going to nominate him for Sainthood. I have to go take pictures now.
So here are the pictures of my Sale Loot!!!!!

Here is a little Sneak Peek!  You did not think I would show you it ALL?


 Yes he even already put them all together for me. Pinch me I am feeling Tingles.


    

I have so much to share with you in the coming weeks. I have been working on some new projects,  while stretching my blogging wings toward some new adventures.              
                Until Next time Stay warm and share your Creativity!