I’m currently loving Half Pint Salvage’s lovely upcycled/recycled creations made from salvaged materials. I simply adore the weathered, yet fresh feel of these pieces. I’m so tempted to order one, but I cannot choose a favorite! Head over to HalfPintSalvage.etsy.com to take  a peak at the shop!

How bizarre are these fantastic creations!? Reclaim2Fame specializes in utilizing at least 80% recycled materials to create these wonderful sculptures. Check this shop out. If nothing else, you will be pleasantly amused by the creativity you’ll see. My favorite is LITTLE ONES 24 – FEED ME. I love it!

Never underestimate your trash and discarded materials, just start playing and piecing… who knows what you can create!

Whenever I see old tires on the freeway or anywhere for that matter, I always have this urge to bring them home and revive them into something new… I haven’t done it yet, but these folks have. How cool are these handmade items? Click on the photo if you want more info. All items can be purchased on Etsy. I particularly like the bike chain bracelet from TheInnerWorks. Very cool.

Yesterday, our local thrift shop had a 50% off sale on EVERYTHING. I snagged this pot for about 80 cents. I have a fondness for these colored pots. Currently, I’m using one as a hanging planter seen here. Typically, you’ll find them in bad condition for cooking, but they make wonderful holders and containers for other things! And, I don’t mind the “worn” look at all. It adds a bit of character.

Here, I’ve taken an item otherwise destined for doom and repurposed it into a lovely fruit bowl for our kitchen. Simply remove the handle, and give it a good scrub in hot soapy water. Rocket science? No. Instant cheer added to kitchen? Yes! Who says you can’t buy anything for a buck these days?

Tune in tomorrow for Where We Live Wednesday!

Welcome to the first of many Make It Mondays! Mondays will showcase items I have made be it crafts, art, home decor items, clothing or even food (if it can’t wait until Friday!) Sometimes, handmade items and ideas from other fabulous makers will be featured. Today, I’m sharing a quick 5 Minute Ring.

Tonight, I wanted something simple. After a hectic day full of work, appointments, MAJOR thrifting and a late dinner, I didn’t want to think too hard. I managed to knock out this spunky little number in about five minutes. It took longer to pull the materials together than to actually make the ring! I have been dying to transform these old clip ons into something more wearable for my tastes.

The Project: 5 Minute Ring

The Materials:

- Any clip on earrings you adore, but don’t want to hang from your lobes
- Button Shank Remover, jewelry making pliers
- 2 headpins

The How-To:

1. Remove the “clip on” portion of the earring. Mine was quite simple. The button shank remover easily cut through three tiny metal tabs which held the “clip on” portion to the beading.
2. Slide one headpin through one hole on the right outer edge. Slide a second headpin directly across from the first on the left outer edge.
3. Now begin to twist the headpins together creating the ring shape, but remember to measure your finger early on so it doesn’t end up too small. Be sure to tuck the ends away from the inside so they don’t scratch or dig.
4. Now you’re done! See how easy that was?

You could certainly use a real ring base. I did not have one on hand, but this was a perfect solution. I can always go back and replace it later if necessary.

The possibilities are endless. Get started!

***Check back tomorrow for Trashy Tuesday!

A while back Dustin bought me this lovely hanging plant. I didn’t realize in the hurry to hang it in it’s new home that there was nothing to catch the water. That is, until I watered it the first time and it came pouring out of the bottom! It was a pretty funny moment, trying desperately to catch all the water with cupped hands.

Since then I’ve wanted to find a cute container so I could hang it up again. I never see anything I like, nor do I want to spend any money! Today, I came across this small vintage pot that I’ve been wanting to convert into a planter anyway. It was a whopping $1.91 at my local thrift shop, and the wooden handle simply unscrews. This little plant fit perfectly in the vintage pot! Next, how do I hang it?

A couple days ago I came across Megan’s new book Generation T: Beyond Fashion, and there was a project like this. I have no idea how it was made according to her idea, but I decided to try something similar! I am really pleased with how it turned out. And, I love the little extra bits hanging around the top, it makes me happy.

Hope you enjoy the photos. I guess I went a little crazy! If you want to see more, click here.

I love this shirt refashion! It’s taken me about a year to photograph this and share it… Slacker. I know. Well, I am sharing now, right?! Right. So, both of these shirts were from The Salvation Army in Honolulu (when we lived there). I loved this red t-shirt simply for the geta sandals (close-up image below) on the front! However, it was a little snug for my taste. I believe I saw this project in one of my t-shirt project books, Tease, I believe it was. Well, it’s simple, obviously. Slice up the middle, add in the buttons and collar from another thrifted shirt and…Voila! New fun super comfy shirt! I especially like the rough, unfinished edges that I left on the white shirt, and the red thread is also pretty fun. I love collared shirts, but this one has the yummy comfiness of a t-shirt! Can it get any better? Oh yeah, and my husband has requested one!! Can’t wait to make his and share that too!

The past couple of weeks my favorite thrift store has been very good to me. Take a look at some of the steals we snagged. Some of these we will be revamping, just not sure how yet. Any ideas? 

Chair on the left is the new addition. Only $7! And surprisingly comfortable!
*side note: Dustin snagged chair on right for $4 back in August. 
Oh, and the ashtray was $6 purchased a few months back.
 

I love this piece. It needs some TLC but I’m loving the look of this old nightstand.
I already replaced the bent up drawer pull with one I had lying around from IKEA.
Not sure if I want to paint it white or maybe try to clean up the existing finish.

Bonsai liked it too!!

We’ve been needing a file cabinet for quite some time.
When we came across this one, we knew it was the one… and for $7.50!
Who could resist?
 

Dustin spotted this piece, and I fell in love with this old kitchen cart
complete with a dish towel bar in the back.
Downside, you can’t tell from the photo,but the DIY spray paint job is horrendous.
Again, do I paint it white, maybe red or even a retro 50’s teal? Thoughts?
This piece we “splurged” on a bit. Can’t recall the exact price, but it was about $20.
 

This lamp I loved when I saw it, with the exception of the gold base
which I may end up doing something about.
Any thoughts? Suggestions on dealing with the gold metal base? 
It also came without a shade… well, we chose to take it without the shade. 
For now, an IKEA shade that I had lying around will suffice. How much? $11. 

What’s on my mind now? How can I get paid to shop at thrift stores for the rest of my life? I just adore it. What’s your view on thrifting? Love it or hate it?
 

As promised, here are a handful of old, thrifted pictures frames to match the “new” mirrors I shared here. I really love how these turned out as well. I wish you could see them in person. You lose a lot of dimension adn detail viewing them via my blog.

*TIP: Picture frames and mats can be so inexpensive. I think it is pretty ridiculous. I always scour thrift stores and flea markets for interesting or basic frames that I can revamp to fit my taste. You would be amazed at how many cheap picture frames are out there just waiting for a facelift… and your photos of course! 

BEFORE: Picked up this large frame at a the Salvation Army in Hawaii before we moved. Replaced the photo, but never got around to painting it. This photo was at the top of Haleakala on Maui. I love this shot, but it was not quite right for the freshly painted frame. I replaced it with the shot below!
 

AFTER: This is our little Jack Russell Bonsai. I took this shot of him after an evening at the park where he decided to roll around in the mud! This is in the bathtub before Dustin gave him a bath. I just can’t resist that little face! I think this REDO turned out quite nice!
 

BEFORE: Two more thrift store finds. The one on the left was only $1!! I could not resist. I love the character of the frame too. I think the one on the right was between $3 to $5. Check out the after. There’s that chair again! Just a little tease. I will share them soon!
 

AFTER: This is not one of our favorite photos together, but one of the only “professional” ones, if you can call it that. All of them we are cropped off in weird places. Ah well. It’s still a memory!

AFTER: This one was a great REDO. Do you remember all the gold, even on the mat? Well, I salvaged the mat too! Just painted it white, and it looks great! This photo Dustin took while at the Honolulu Zoo. That was a fun day. 
 

BEFORE: Gold Frame, $3.25
 

AFTER: Clean ad crisp with my sister’s artwork! 
 

AFTER: Detail shot of the frame. 
 

AFTER: This is a collage I created from moving stickers a while back. Blogged here. This frame came from IKEA, but I didn’t think the natural wood was quite right for this collage. I’m glad I decided to paint it!

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I would love to see your photo frame revamps! It really is super simple. And, don’t be intimidated by larger pieces that have been professionally framed. It only takes a little bit of work to disassemble these. I’ll be sharing a tutorial on just that hopefully tomorrow! I have a great trick for removing the mat from the photo or artwork without damaging the mat. Stay tuned!