If you have old afghans that are no longer being used, don’t throw them away! Instead, consider repurposing them into new and useful items. Afghans can be a great source of fabric for a variety of projects, from creating pillow covers to making tote bags.
Lately I’ve been a bit obsessed with all things vintage. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed me sharing lots of my favorite finds. My love of vintage bed sheets may or may not have become intervention-worthy, but I can’t wait to share these 15 genius ideas for repurposing vintage sheets!
My mother is a quilter and because of that, I’ve developed an appreciation for vintage quilts, afghans, fabrics and linens.
The deliciously soft texture of the worn fabric, the delightful colors and patterns just make me smile.
Since I’ve become somewhat of a minor hoarder, I’ve been doing a lot of research on how to upcycle these lovely finds.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing simple ideas for upcycling items that have a lot of life left in them with you here. You’re not going to want to miss a single thing, I promise!
When I was in college I used to go to this coffee shop that served a chocolate covered cherry mocha that I loved deeply. That was, ahem, a few years ago, and many miles away, and I’ve never found another coffee shop that can duplicate this dreamy drink. Inspired by the brew I once loved and lost, I created my new favorite hot chocolate: Chocolate Covered Cherry Hot Cocoa.
No, my recipe isn’t for coffee, but dare I say it’s even better?
I bet you’ll never guess the secret ingredient.
This week I was out thrifting at the local resale shop and stumbled on this antique toolbox. I had a Fixer Upper vision for making this an antique tool box turned craft station for the kids – all Joanna Gaines style.
It looked pretty rough, so I texted this haphazardly-taken photo to my husband, asking him if I was crazy for wanting to pick it up.
I’m so excited to share the final reveal in my vintage dollhouse series today.This has been such a fun project, but I’m so ready to turn it over to my girls who have been impatiently waiting for me to complete it.
The last room in this project is the dollhouse play room. I left this room for last because it was the most awkward space – narrow with no windows. And since I knew I would finish it last, I knew there was a chance I’d run low on budget. I designated it the play room because I felt it was the least important room, and I wouldn’t need to make many purchases.
As it turned out, I was out of budget, so my original ideas for this room fell by the wayside as I found ways to make it work.
My daughter sacrificed her Shopkins ice cream truck sign to make an art easel, and of course you can tell I used Scrabble tiles to decorate the wall.
Today I’m sharing the vintage dollhouse kitchen remodel for my vintage dollhouse makeover project.
This week we’re moving the vintage dollhouse remodel to the main floor living room.
See the Complete Vintage Dollhouse Makeover Series: Part I Vintage Dollhouse, Part II Exterior, Part III Boy’s Room, Part IV Girl’s Room, Part V Laundry / Bathroom, Part VI Living Room, Part VII Kitchen, Part VIII Play Room + Final Reveal
This week in my vintage dollhouse makeover series I bring you the remodeled bath and laundry room: two rooms that normally don’t get a lot of love in a dollhouse! I was determined to take on the challenge though – my girls’ dolls use this room quite a bit…
This summer I picked up this vintage doll house from the thrift store for a few dollars. I can’t explain why I picked it up, but I was thrilled with the find. So, what to do with a 1940’s era doll house in disrepair? I originally had delusions of restoring it, because it certainly had charm. However, once I started trying to do some touch ups I was faced with the reality that this baby needed a complete overhaul.
Here’s how it looked when I brought it home.
I’ve been working on Dub’s bathroom from some time now. My vision keeps changing as I find little treasures here and there, and it’s becoming kind of an eclectic hodgepodge instead of a well thought-out theme. I guess that’s about perfect for a boy’s space, right?
I’d started out planning to use this artwork I designed (check out the free printables), but then remembered the vintage Star Wars metal art I’d picked up at Hobby Lobby awhile ago and thought it would be fun to frame it for this space. I bought custom mats and framed them with Ikea Ribba frames.
I wasn’t sure what to put above the towel rack, but when I was out thrifting and found this Wax & Polish sign, I just had to have it!
I love the crisp clean lines of the gray walls and white frames against the rustic barn wood vinyl floors and vintage finds.
Now I’m on the hunt for cabinet hardware. I’d really had my heart set on using these utility pulls from the hardware store. I just love this look. Unfortunately, they are just a little wide for the cabinet trim so I need to find a new option.
Which pulls do you think would be the right option for this space?
2. Or these more modern and streamlined pulls?
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Source list:
In addition to the fabulous blogs listed on the sidebar, this post was linked up at Remodelaholic.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please review my full affiliate disclaimer in the sidebar.
This week we finally finished my vision for lights and feature art above Dub’s bed.
Ever since I’d planned my first born daughter’s nursery 7 years ago, I had a vision for adding vintage Barbie prints to the room that they could grow with.
My inspiration came from places like Posh Tots, Rosenberry Rooms, and other upscale design stores who were selling the framed prints for upwards of $135 each.
Source www.rosenberryrooms.com
Fast-forward to this year. In the process of moving I realized we had four matted square frames that we’d never used! I think it was one of those things that I thought my husband had returned, and he thought I’d returned. Regardless, it was a sweet score that inspired me to revive this decor idea as we began decorating the kids’ new rooms. This time, I found a way to create this art on the cheap. I scoured Amazon for used vintage print Barbie calendars, and found that there are usually at least two 12×12 calendars available for a reasonable price. I believe I bought mine for around $10.
I spray painted my black frames with Rust-Oleum Metallic spray paint I had on hand (love this stuff), inserted my favorite prints, and voila! Vintage Barbie art for less than $15.
I love the look of three frames above the crib, but I’m debating adding the fourth and making it a square formation when Belle moves to a big girl bed. What do you think?
As for the rest of the room…
It’s needs some love. I have big plans, but I’m taking my time.
Details:
There’s just something about Candy Buttons. These nostalgic candies are surprisingly easy to make, and are perfect for birthdays, party favors, or just a fun sweet treat.
To make Candy Buttons, all you need to do is prepare a simple royal icing recipe. You can use the recipe listed on the can of Meringue Powder, but I used the following recipe, inspired by Sweet Sugarbelle:
What you’ll need:
To prepare:
Next, tear off a sheet of freezer paper – large enough that you can fit a large batch of buttons on (you won’t cut the paper until these are dry).
Fill your pastry bag (I used my Pampered Chef Decorator Bottle Set*) with frosting and twist the top, removing excess air. Now, simply pipe evenly sized dots across the paper. If possible, print a template in advance and place it below the freezer paper. Be sure that the design will fit into your final packaging. If you’re using pretzel bags for your packaging, your design will need to be approximately 2.15 x 5″ to fit the pretzel bags I would be placing them in.
Let the Buttons sit overnight to dry. Any excess frosting will keep in a resealable bag refrigerated for two weeks.
Now for the fun! Once the Buttons have set up overnight, you can begin cutting the freezer paper to your desired shapes.
Package your Candy Buttons for the occasion. I placed them in Wilton pretzel bags that I got at JoAnn’s for $1.37 using my 40% off coupon. Think of the possibilities! Birthday party favors, Valentines, and more!
In addition to being featured on the fab blogs listed on the right of this blog, this post was also featured on Huckleberry Love.
I was so excited for Eve’s first birthday and I knew exactly what the theme would be – Pink Lemonade, for my sweet and sour little girl 🙂
Well, then there was an out of state family wedding the weekend of her birthday which meant significantly toning down the birthday plans. Which was hard for me, because I just love a good themed party. Side note: do you know what else is hard? Accidentally deleting all the photos in my camera from said party, and then racing to take just a couple to prove my baby had a party. Ugh!
So to plan the un-party, I started with the basics. One of the things I’ve done for all of my kids is purchase just a few birthday items that we bring out every year, including a pendant banner, centerpieces with photos of them over the years, and a “My special day” seat cover.
We also use this seat cover for all special occasions, from birthdays to the first day of school and other milestones. It’s a tradition that has become very meaningful to us – when the kids come downstairs in the morning and see their seat cover, they know we’re celebrating them that day.
Next, I added some cute polka-dot napkins, cups and cute paper straws from Target. I served a basic lemonade some frozen strawberries. Yum!
I made these adorable cupcakes. I’d scoured the interwebs for the best pink lemonade recipe and landed on this one. Unfortunately, they were just a bit too tart for us! No problemo – that just left more room for the homemade ice cream we made (and Mmmm does our family love homemade ice cream!).
So there you have it – a very simple, sweet Pink Lemonade birthday. Check out my Pink Lemonade Pinterest board for more ideas for our next Pink Lemonade birthday. Enjoy!
