Thrifty Thursday

April 11, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday} Dollar Store Royal-Tee T-Shirt Stamp

Hi friends! It’s Thrifty Thursday and today we’re talking about a quick and easy “Royal-Tee” T-Shirt Stamp you can make from Dollar Store supplies! I love the “royal” theme in clothing, decor – really anything. So when I saw these crown foam shapes at the Dollar Store I knew that I had to come up with something fun to do with them. So I made little “Royal-Tees” for my little guys. I originally shared this craft over at Lil Luna, but thought you might enjoy it here as well!

What you’ll need:

Plain white tee
Crown foam shapes
Tacky glue
Fabric paint
Box or some type of base for stamp

And the steps:

You’ll want to start out by gluing several of the foam shapes together with glue until you have the decent thickness for the stamp (I glued four of the crowns together).
Once dry, glue the foam shapes onto a box or base for your stamp.
Once that’s dry, simply dip the stamp into fabric paint and place where you want onto the t-shirt.

Let the shirt dry – and voila! Your very own “Royal Tee!” Now these little shirts are perfect for the princes in my life – but I know my Dollar Store had little tiara shapes as well. And those would make some cute princess tees, don’t you think?

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls

Posted by Kimberly · 7 Comments

Filed Under: Kids, Thrifty Thursday ·

March 28, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday} DIY Mercury Glass Succulent Planters

Hi friends! It’s Thrifty Thursday and I have a fun and easy project for you today – DIY Mercury Glass Succulent Planters made from Dollar Store glassware! A few months ago I picked up this gorgeous little ridged goblet from the Dollar Store for another project. It didn’t up making the cut, so it’s been sitting in our cupboards somewhat unused for a while. While I just loved the look of it, you could certainly tell that it wasn’t high quality. Something pretty to look at but maybe not use for those fancy dinner parties. So I knew I wanted to find a better use for it. Then one day I saw some fake succulent picks at Hobby Lobby and I thought – hey wouldn’t that look pretty in the goblet? So I bought it and headed home.

Now one of my favorite upcycles to glassware, as you may know, is spraying it with Krylon Looking Glass Spray to give it a Mercury Glass effect. You can check out all of our Mercury Glass Projects here! I typically spray inside of the glass but I’ve seen so many tutorials where you can simply spray the outside, spray on a light misting of white vinegar and rub to give an antiqued mercury glass look. And that’s what I did here:

Next to hold the succulent pick in place, I cut down a styrofoam cone (also from the dollar store) and made a hole in the middle with scissors to stick the pick in. And here’s how it turned out:

So pretty, right? I think it was the perfect use of the goblet, and I love it even more! You can also do this with glassware you have lying around the house AND real succulents! A few weeks back I shared our BHG Room Refresh Challenge where we made over an area of our back yard. I purchased succulents and I had a little guy that I wanted to put in a cute shiny planter. So I found a glass in our cupboard that fit it perfectly and applied the same mercury glass effect:

I also love how this one turned out! So whether you’re looking for real or “faux” succulent planters, either are easy to put together and the end effect is just so pretty!

What do you think? I just love how they turned out! They sit on our little side table we put together for the BHG Room Refresh Challenge and I smile each time I see them! So that’s my upcycle for this week – DIY Mercury Glass Succulent Planters! What have you upcycled lately?

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style, fox hollow cottage

Posted by Kimberly · 11 Comments

Filed Under: Featured Posts, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Mercury Glass

March 7, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday} 10 Thrifty Chalkboard Paint Projects

Hi friends! It’s Thrifty Thursday and today I’ve rounded up some fun and thrifty Chalkboard Paint Projects you’re sure to love! I love a good chalkboard paint project – especially when they’re from Goodwill, thrift stores or hand-me-downs! Now all of these fabulous projects have that in common, so make sure to click over to check out each one!

Chalkboard Mason Jars by Liz Marie Blog

Chalkboard Serving Tray by A Night Owl

Chalkboard Lego Play Table by I Heart Organizing

Chalkboard Etch-A-Sketch by A Night Owl

Chalkboard Art Easel by The House on Harrison

Chalkboard Desk by Monkey See, Monkey Do!

Turn a placemat into a chalkboard with DecoArt Clear Chalkboard Coating { anightowlblog.com } #valentines #chalkboard Chalkboard Placemat by A Night Owl

Chalkboard Clipboard by Northwest Lovelies

Chalkboard Message Station by Always Something

Chalkboard Book Covers by Charm Bracelet Diva

Now do you have the chalkboard paint itch? I know I do! In fact I’m currently mid-way through a chalkboard project. Hopefully one of these days I’ll share it with you (I always seem to be mid-project). Haha! What fabulous thrifty projects have you been up to lately?

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style, fox hollow cottage

Posted by Kimberly · 20 Comments

Filed Under: Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Chalkboard

February 21, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday} 10 Spring & Easter Goodwill Projects

Hi friends! It’s Thrifty Thursday, and today we’re sharing some bright and cheery Goodwill projects to get you in the mood for Spring and ready for Easter! Perhaps you need to sneak a little St. Patrick’s Day in there first, before you get to Spring? No worries, we’ve got you covered there with our 100 St. Patrick’s Day Ideas post! But if you’re heading straight into Easter eggs and bunnies, here are a few fabulous projects that are easy on the wallet and can help brighten up your home!

Tiered Easter Stand by The Goodwill Gal

Lamp Makeover at A Night Owl

Upcycled Pedestal Bowl by The Speckled Dog

Lampshade Lanterns at Ana Rosa

Tiered Fruit Stand at A Night Owl

Recycled Sweater Pillows at PinCookie

Serving Tower by Adorkable Annie

Easter Tiered Stand by The Goodwill Gal

Frame and Flower Display at Ruffled Blog

Chair Makeover by Design, Dining & Diapers

So what do you think? I’m definitely ready to lighten the mood and welcome some bright colors into our decor! How do you decorate your home for Easter and Spring? Have any fun projects to share?

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style, fox hollow cottage

Posted by Kimberly · 19 Comments

Filed Under: Easter, Spring, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Goodwill

February 14, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday} True Love Tree Carving

Happy Valentine’s Day -AND- Thrifty Thursday friends! I’m wrapping up our endless love-themed posts today with a cute project little love project that can last all year long – this True Love “Tree” Carving! Now you know how carving initials into a tree used to be the big thing? Now you can bring that nostalgia, innocence and true love into your home for just dollars!

I picked up this lovely piece of wood at my local Goodwill for just $1.99! Now it had a saying plastered to the top along with some glaze, but I took care of that! Then I purchased a wood burning kit (how FUN is that?) from Hobby Lobby with their 40% off coupon, so that it was just a few dollars! I’m already trying to think of more projects to use the burner on, because it was just so much fun and brought back childhood memories!

What you’ll need:

Wooden plaque
Wood burning kit

And the steps:

Now since my wooden plaque was from Goodwill and had stuff plastered to the top, I soaked it upside down in water overnight and peeled the top layer of junk off.
Once that was dry, I sanded the top until I had a clear, smooth finish.
I then plugged in my wood burner to let it heat up.
I lightly traced the letters and a heart onto the wood as guidelines.
Then I ran the wood burner over the lines until I was happy with the result!

And here’s how it turned out…

For now I have moved it to our Valentines Mantel…

But I know that it will be out on display year round because I just love it! So I hope that you all have a great Valentines Day and that you can spend the day with the ones you love!

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 24 Comments

Filed Under: Featured Posts, Thrifty Thursday, Valentines ·

February 7, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday} A Goodwill Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Upcycle

Hi friends! I have a FUN project to share with you today, on Thrifty Thursday – a raggedy Goowill side table updated with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! Now this project has been done for a while, I don’t know why it took me so long to share it with you! But now as a functional piece in our home, I just adore it. I’m so glad I didn’t pass it by…

Would you have? I don’t remember the exact price, but I think it was around $7. And I was looking for a small entryway table for my handbag and such and this seemed like the perfect fit.

So I took it home and added two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Emperor’s Silk to the table. There were also some pegs missing, but I found easy replacements at Hobby Lobby that fit right in. A coat of paint on those and you couldn’t tell the difference.

I’m really in love with this color.

Now once dry, I started to work on the table with the Annie Sloan Dark Wax. We have quite a few burgundy accent pieces in our home, and when picking out the paint color I noted that the Emperor’s Silk with the Dark Wax took on more of a burnt red hue that I thought would be perfect for our home.

And here’s how the little guy turned out. What do you think?

I also added a fun wire basket to the center so I can store things there as well.

And now you can see where my handbag lives! I’m so happy I have a place to put it, and we have a key holder to match that sits right above. Now this is right next to our garage door so when I’m ready, I can grab my things and go!

Convenient, and I think pretty! What do you think? What kind of thrifty treasures have you found lately? Any good upcycles? Be sure to share them with us in the comments below!

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 34 Comments

Filed Under: Featured Posts, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Goodwill

January 31, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday} Tips to Save this Superbowl Sunday

Hi friends! We’re running Thrifty Thursday a little differently today. Yes, Goodwill is still involved in a FUN way! But today we’re focusing primarily on how to save money when planning the BIG PARTY on Sunday – yes, the Superbowl! Now football is HUGE in my household and especially because my husband’s favorite team is in the running this year (go Niners!), I’m getting things ready! But I sure like to do things in the most cost-effective way, so here are a few party-planning, thrifty tips!

Tip #1 – Shop the Dollar Store! I don’t know about your local Dollar Store – but my Dollar Tree every year around this time has FUN football party items! Plates, cups, napkins…even fun goodies for the kids! You can even think outside of the box – right now there are a ton of St. Patrick’s Day items too, which are the perfect shade of football field green (like the scarf in my picture)!

Tip #2 – Shop Clearance! If you’re like me, you KNOW you’re going to have a Superbowl party every year. So a few months ago when I was at everyone’s favorite store – TARGET – I found a TON of awesome football party supplies: streamers, picks, straws and straws – all for pocket change! So of course I snagged them up and stored them for a couple of months and just broke them out this week. So fun and I know I got a screamin’ deal.

Tip #3 – DIY Some Super Decor! Earlier this week I shared with you my Easy Football Field Party Table that I made with $4 worth of felt, some white masking tape and some numbers. And it was a hit! Add in some homemade football bunting and you’re ready to go. All for a few bucks.

Tip #4 – Use Free Printables! There area TON of them out there, from wrappers to boxes to toppers! Shop around on Pinterest and you’re sure to find just what you need. I’ve pinned a few of my FAVORITE printables on our Football Pinterest Board!

Tip #5 – Shop Your Home! Lucky for me I have a huge sports fanatic in the home, so finding footballs and jerseys and 49ers memorabilia is so very easy. So if you’re in the same boat, walk around your house and pick up football or sports related items to complement your party’s decor! It really adds a fun and personal touch. That’s exactly what Lisa from The Goodwill Gal and Popcorn Served Daily did to update her Goodwill hutch for the big day. And remember I told you I had something FUN to share? Well Lisa shared this fabulous video with me earlier this week – Superbowl Decorating Ideas! And today she’s allowing me to share it with all of you! Take a quick peak and if you like what you see, be sure to subscribe to her channel. She’s a wealth of thrifty, but fabulous, decor and party ideas!

Well I hope you enjoyed the tips! I’m getting things ready for the big day and will have some fun things to share with you on Monday, the day after, so be sure to check back!

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 17 Comments

Filed Under: Football, Party, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Goodwill, Superbowl

January 24, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday) 10 Goodwill Valentines Projects

Hi friends! It’s Thrifty Thursday again, and since we’re in Valentines mode (have you been following along with the fabulous 14 Days of Valentines series?), I thought I would round up some fabulous projects that were done with items from Goodwill – or that could be from Goodwill! Let’s save those bucks this holiday season, but still decorate and celebrate in style!

:: diy cupcake stand by the lettered cottage ::

:: valentine’s mailboxes by the anderson crew ::

:: valentines mantel by red barn candle company ::

:: valentine’s day teacups by pep n’ paperflowers ::

:: button heart art by fern creek cottage ::

:: valentines hutch by the goodwill gal ::

:: pretty in pink chandy by the goodwill gal ::

:: valentines framed art by just pleased as punch ::

now you know you always see mason jars at goodwill…

:: valentine mason jar craft by uncommon designs ::

:: valentines mason jars by crescendoh ::

I also found this cute Valentine by Goodwill of Omaha, isn’t it fun?

Well I hope you’re feeling inspired to head to your local Goodwill and update your decor for Valentines! I know I am! Happy thrifting!

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 27 Comments

Filed Under: Thrifty Thursday, Valentines · Tagged With: Goodwill

January 10, 2013

{Thrifty Thursday} 10 Terrific Goodwill Upcycles

Hi friends! Welcome to Thrifty Thursday! Today I’m sharing with you some amazing Goodwill Upcycle projects that I have found that I knew you would love just as much as I d0! I’m trying to get my thrifty mojo back and find some upcycle inspiration for the new year. And what better way then to check out some other amazing projects? Let’s take a look!

Sweater Bag from goodwill sweater to messenger bag by craft nectar

Clock from Frames double framed clock by the hand me down house

goodwill mirror to chalkboard by fancy frugal life

hutch makeover by the goodwill gal
and ps – the goodwill gal makes over this hutch each season with items from Goodwill! you can check them out here!

lamp makeover by delighting in today

coffee cart makeover by a lotta junk in my trunk

cd rack to dollhouse by the daily b

owl upcycle by balancing home

upcycled chandy by the tall chick

desk makover at wow! goodwill

Aren’t they fabulous? Do you feel the need to hit up your local Goodwill now? I know I do! Do you have any fun upcycle projects that you have done or are planning! Share it with us in the comments – I’d love to hear what you’re up to!

Posted by Kimberly · 16 Comments

Filed Under: Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Goodwill

December 27, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} A New Years Eve Mantel

Hi friends! Are you like me and have all your Christmas put up and am breaking out your New Years decor? JUST kidding! I’m no where close to that, Christmas may be up for weeks at this point, but since I did do a New Years Mantel last year and didn’t share it with you here at A Night Owl, I thought I would this year! And this mantel is thrifty, let me tell you…with just a few dollars and some re-purposing, here’s what I came up with!

The New Years Subway art I downloaded for free from amazing gals over at eighteen25. The sparkly wreath I made from a dollar store wooden reed wreath, $3 worth of sparkly silver chenille stems, and three different sizes of Christmas bulbs.

The champagne glasses we owned, which I simply filled with silver Christmas bulbs. I took a mini-bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider (have you seen those in the stores? they are SUPER cute) and covered the label with something a little more personalized. I’ve also seen the “Time to Drink Champagne and Dance on the Table” printables out there and ended up mocking up my own to print in a dollar store 5×7 frame. Lastly, the mirror ball ornaments I found at Michael’s in their after-Christmas clearance.

The chalkboard countdown to 2012 I made from a dollar store 11×14 frame in basically the same manner as the Etch-a-Sketch post/tutorial and the clock, which I received from a friend as a gift years ago, is from IKEA.

So that’s it! What do you think? I think it’s not too shabby for those few days that we can do a countdown in between Christmas and New Years, hehe! Now let’s just see if I’m up to the challenge this year…

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 13 Comments

Filed Under: Mantel, New Years, Thrifty Thursday ·

December 20, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} No-Sew Thrifted Tablecloth Tree Skirt

Hi friends! This just may be my last Christmas project to share with you – our Thrifted Tablecloth Tree Skirt! For our tree skirt this year, I didn’t want to spend a lot of time or money, and since we’re sticking with neutrals for our Christmas color theme, I wanted the tree skirt to coordinate. I got the idea when trying to come up with a way to find material that I didn’t have to transform into a circle. Naturally, a round tablecloth came to mind! I did shop my favorite stores for some inexpensive round tablecloths with fun patterns (oh there are so many fun options), when I realized I wanted something much simpler, and something I could find much more inexpensively at my local Goodwill.

So I headed to Goodwill on the search for a simple, neutral, round tablecloth. And I found one – for just $2.99! What a deal. I took it home, gave it a wash, then went to work.

What you’ll need:

Round tablecloth
Scissors
Fabric pen
Fabric tape

And the steps:

I folded the tablecloth into fourths to find the center point and market it with a fabric pen.
I then traced a circle around the center point and a line from the center point to the end of the tablecloth.
I then cut along the line all the way to the end of the center circle.
I used fabric tape to seal the seam on both sides of the cut.
I then cut the center circle into eighths (like a pie) and used triangle cut pieces of fabric tape to tack in the inside.
Then I wrapped the tree skirt around the base of the tree – and voila! Cheap and easy!

And here’s how it turned out…

Super simple, but honestly just what I was looking for. I love the simple ruffle on the outside, and the fact that I didn’t have to do anything to get it there! Now just to wrap some presents to put under that tree…are you all finished up for the holidays? I know I have more shopping to do! Wish me luck!

linked up here, create & inspire, lil’ luna, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 4 Comments

Filed Under: Christmas, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Goodwill

November 29, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} Baker’s Delight Gift Basket

Hi friends! We’re doing something a little different this week with Thrifty Thursday. It’s just about gift-giving season, so today I’m sharing with you a quick and inexpensive way to put together an adorable gift basket for those bakers in your life! I started with a couple of fabulous cookbooks from Courtney Dial Whitmore: Push-Up Pops and Candy Making for Kids! Then I updated a few inexpensive items to make it a complete package…

What you’ll need:

DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic paint – 3 ombre colors
Basket

And the steps:

I simply painted the rim and handle of this basket to give it a little pop!

What you’ll need:

DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic paint – 3 ombre colors
Dollar Store wooden frame
Scotch Blue painter’s tape
8×10 paper
Pencil
Clip
E6000 or glass glue

And the steps:

I taped off the frame to make three different sections to paint the frame in each color
On the 8×10 sheet of paper, I simply dipped the eraser of a pencil in each color to make a polka dot background
I then used E6000 to glue a clip onto the front of the frame to hold recipes

What you’ll need:

DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic paint – 3 ombre colors
Dollar Store baking utensils
Scotch Blue painter’s tape

And the steps:

I simply taped off three different sections of the end of each utensil to paint in the three different colors I had

What you’ll need:

DecoArt Crafter’s Acrylic paint – 2 ombre colors
Mason jar and lid
M&M’s

And the steps:

I painted the lid and the ring two different colors
Now since the lid is metal, I ended up doing 3 light coats of the paint to achieve the coverage I was going for
Then I filled it with M&M’s – yum!

And with all of the pieces put together, adding in some red paper filler, a TomKat Studio gumball tube, and tying it all up with some baker’s twine, here’s the finished product!

And a special thanks to the great folks over at DecoArt for providing the paint for this project! It’s a great product to work with!

So what do you think? I know it was a long post – I hope you stayed with me until the end here! And I hope it helped to give you some fun and easy ideas of ways you can spruce up your gift baskets this holiday season with just a few dollars and a lot of fun!

linked up here, create & inspire, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 21 Comments

Filed Under: Gifts, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Candy Making for Kids, Push-Up Pops

November 22, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} DIY Mercury Glass Trees

Hi friends! Today I’m sharing with you how to make your very own DIY Mercury Glass Trees – great for this year’s holiday decor! Can you believe that Christmas time is upon us? It’s time to deck those halls! And this season I’m still in love with all of the mercury glass I’m seeing in designer stores. But in order to save a few bucks, you know I like to DIY!

When I shared my DIY Mercury Glass Pumpkin project for the Fall, one of my Instagram buddies suggested I use the same effect on glass Christmas trees! So you know that I’ve been scouting my local AZ Goodwill stores since that time! And now that it’s that time of year – I found them! I found two hollow glass trees that were just perfect for this project. And with each only costing $1.99, this project is a steal! And this time I added in a little DecoArt Americana Zinc paint to the process to try to give that imperfect look of real mercury glass. I kind of love how it turned out! So here’s how you can make your very own…

What you’ll need:

Glass Tree
Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint
DecoArt Americana Zinc Acrylic Paint
Small Spray Bottle
Water

And the steps:

Mix 1 part water and 1 part zinc paint in a small spray bottle
Spray blotches of paint into the glass and let it dry a bit
Once somewhat dry, spray numerous light coats of the Looking Glass spray paint into the tree until well covered
And you’re done!

And here’s how they turned out…

So fun, right? I’m loving these in my house right now. I can’t wait to get all of my set up done and figure out the most perfect place to feature them! So what about you? Are you crafting your holiday decor or buying this year…or a little of both?

linked up here, create & inspire, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 13 Comments

Filed Under: Christmas, DIY, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Goodwill, Mercury Glass

November 15, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} A Beautiful Acorn Upcycle

Hi friends! Today we’re sharing with you an easy, yet elegant, Thrifted Acorn Upcycle that is perfect for your Fall or Thanksgiving decor! This thrifted find was purchased way back in July. I knew exactly what I was going to do with it for this holiday season.

With simply adding some ivory spray paint to this acorn I have a whole new look. I opted for a light spray coat on the lid so that the brown wood tones could still show through. I decided for a nice, thick coverage on the bottom for some variation. This was applied in several layers with drying time in between. Not a difficult project and an amazing acorn result.

It’s always fun to see what just a little paint can do! What holiday DIY is your favorite this year?

Rachel of Just Us Three Designs and Harding Family Happenings is a contributor for A Night Owl.

linked up here, create & inspire, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 1 Comment

Filed Under: Fall, Thanksgiving, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Acorn

October 25, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} A Twilight Inspired Halloween Display

Hi friends! Today I’m sharing with you our Twilight-inspired Halloween Display. Are you a fan of Twilight? I have to admit that I just love the books! So I thought it would be fun to mix in a little vampire-fun into our dining room for Halloween. Now why on Thrifty Thursday? Well as most of our Thrifty Thursday posts go, many of these pieces either come from our local AZ Goodwill, the dollar store or were repurposed. Here’s the breakdown…

1) This DIY Cloche was made from a $3 cheese dome from Goodwill, a repurposed plate and a dollar store candle stick. And the garlic to keep those vampires away were cut off a string of fake garlic also found at Goodwill for just $1.

2) The spider candlestick is from Hobby Lobby, at 40% off seasonal items this candle was just $1! And the candlestick I picked up for just $2 at Goodwill.

3) Our very own Knock-Off Pottery Barn Mercury Pumpkin that we shared with you last week. Project cost, around $8!

4) Perfectly spooky black bird from the dollar store.

5) Twilight books: you got it, repurposed from my personal library!

6) Little skull I picked up at Ross for just $3 for 2, sprayed with a little Krylon Looking Glass spray paint as well for that mercury effect.

7) And lastly our trusty large tray was just $3 from Goodwill.

And here’s how it turned out…

What do you think? My husband even complimented the display, now THAT is something!

linked up here, create & inspire, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 17 Comments

Filed Under: Halloween, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Goodwill, Twilight

October 18, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} Knock-Off Pottery Barn Mercury Pumpkin

Hi friends! Today I’m sharing with you a quick and easy tutorial to make your very own Knock-Off Pottery Barn Mercury Pumpkin! Now I’m in love with all the mercury glass I’ve been seeing lately, but it can get pretty pricey. See this gorgeous vignette by Pottery Barn below? I want all of it, but just the small beautiful mercury pumpkin is $25. I knew there had to be a way to come up with something similar for much less.

via

And the answer is Krylon Looking Glass paint. It will turn any clear glass into a mirrored finish on one side. When you spray the paint on it dries matte and the opposite side is mirrored. So the trick is to find an item that you can paint from the inside. Then I found this cute little glass pumpkin at Target for just $6! I was sold! Just 5 light layers of spray later and I had my very own faux mercury glass pumpkin!

It’s the perfect compliment to my Halloween and Fall decor, don’t you think?

linked up here, create & inspire, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z, savvy southern style

Posted by Kimberly · 36 Comments

Filed Under: Fall, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Mercury Glass, Pottery Barn, Pumpkin

October 11, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} Halloween Tulle Spider Wreath

Hi friends! Another installment of Thrifty Thursday here, and today it’s Halloween-themed! It’s slowly but surely starting to look like Halloween in the Sneed household. I feel so behind! I shared by DIY Halloween Chalkboard Signs with you last week that are sitting on part of my mantel, and I should be finishing up my other mantel project soon to share with you the whole kit-and-kaboodle!

Now you know I love to make fun, festive wreaths out of tulle. And Halloween is no exception! This Thrifty Thursday I was lucky enough to pick up a wreath form from my local Arizona Goodwill for just $.69! Add in some black tulle from Hobby Lobby (at 50% off) and a dollar store web with spiders and you have yourself one spooooooky spider wreath!

To make the wreath I simply cut strips of tulle at about 12 inches in length and tied them around the form until the entire form was covered. I then stretched the spider webbing over the back of the wreath. Now you could secure the web with hot glue; however I found that it stayed put just as is. I stuck a spider in the center and tied some extra web at the top to hang it by! Thrifty, quick and easy! My favorite kind of project. If you’d like a picture tutorial, be sure to check out my first tulle wreath post!

Perfectly spooky, right?

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Posted by Kimberly · 13 Comments

Filed Under: Halloween, Thrifty Thursday, Tulle, Wreath · Tagged With: Goodwill, Spider

September 27, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} An IKEA Desk Makeover

I purchased an IKEA desk sometime ago and had visions of what I wanted it to look like dancing in my head. I decided on diagonal lines and wanted a pop of color.

So on the black brown surface I thought that yellow would look good…it ended up looking like a construction traffic sign. Oops! Lesson learned.

So I stripped the whole table down and was loving the earthy look of the particle board…which I’m sure might be a first of all time. LOL! I decided to go with a very simple, classic look and used mint colored spray paint I already had to create a desk blotter look. I created a rectangle center with paint tape and used cans of soup on the corners to create inverted circles. For a finishing touch I added the Fair Isle Dots Stencil by Martha Stewart with a mint multi purpose paint also from the Martha Stewart line.

The end result is a desk + space that inspires me to create + design + and dream up new projects. Do you have a DIY project that inspires you?

Rachel of Just Us Three Design and Harding Family Happenings is a contributor for A Night Owl.

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Posted by Rachel H · 71 Comments

Filed Under: Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Desk, IKEA, Makeover

September 20, 2012

{Thifty Thursday} A Fall Frame

A few months ago I posted about some of my weekly local Arizona Goodwill thrift findings. Among that group of items was a gold wooden frame I picked up for just $2.99! Back then I had thoughts of painting the frame and making it into a wreath; however, I’ve since had a change of heart. I actually really love the aged golden color of the frame. And instead of a wreath, I’ve made the frame into an interchangeable frame for my Instagram photos!

Now you’ve seen the frame before from my Instagram Mantel, but I thought I’d put together a quick post on how I hung the photos and updated the frame for Fall! To set up the frame for photos I simply removed the pane of glass (it didn’t come with any back boards) and bent down the prongs holding the glass in. I then tied the ends of two lengths of twine and secured them to the back of the frame (which is wood) with push pins. And just like that, if you grab a few small clothespins, your frame is ready for your pictures! I wanted these pictures to be “Fall-themed” so I downloaded some pictures we took of the family at the pumpkin patch last year! Such fun memories and I think it’s so cute to showcase those pictures right now. Lastly, I added a few small leaves with clothespins to add to the Fall feeling.

It’s now ready for my Fall Mantel! I’ll be posting that soon, so stay tuned!

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Posted by Kimberly · 27 Comments

Filed Under: Fall, Thrifty Thursday · Tagged With: Goodwill

September 13, 2012

{Thrifty Thursday} A Fall Centerpiece

It’s that time of year again! Well, at least for most of the country. Here in Arizona it’s still warm and Summer-y but I’m trying to get into the Fall “mood” by drinking my favorite Pumpkin Spice Lattes and breaking out the pumpkin decor! For this Thrifty Thursday I thought I’d update my newly decked out Santa Fe Tablescape by just changing out the centerpiece with some thrifted Fall decor.

I found this awesome large pumpkin cookie jar at my local Arizona Goodwill for just $3.99! I was so excited, it’s such a great piece! So I layered a table runner and a piece of burlap that we already had and placed the pumpkin jar on top of a small tray I also found at Goodwill for just $2.99! I wanted the pumpkin to have a little height to it so that I could wrap the base with some fall leaves that you can find (and should be on sale right now) at your local Hobby Lobby or Michaels. And this is how it turned out! I love the warm colors and how it’s now got me in the mood to add a few more pumpkins to the house. Up next? The mantel! So stay tuned!