Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Thrifting, Junking, Repurposing, DIY, Crafting, Handmade, Restyle, and vintage collectibles too! What can I say, I love dabbling with a lot of things!
Hello! Hello! Hello! to all visiting. It's been a very long time, and I deeply apologize for that too. The holidays, getting in truck with husband, visiting son on base, bringing his dog home with us for a while...he's like having another child in the home, having an early christmas with our son, and having a late christmas with our daughter. Then, while school was out for the christmas holiday our grand daughter stayed with me for a week. New Years eve was spent with daughter, and her family being here. Also, we had our son on facetime so that he brought in the new year with all of us, and not by himself. Excuses, but they were some precious times that don't want to be missed either.
So, here we are into the new year 2019. Also, the first month of the new year is done as well. Time has gotten by me unfortunately. Things were different this year during holidays because my husband couldn't be home to share it with us. First time in quite a few years we had this happen. So, I did the tree myself, decorations outside and inside myself, gift wrapping, cooking christmas dinner myself, etc etc. Then, of course I had the fun of taking it all down myself too. Really wasn't that bad. Only issue is the new tree we got this year. 7 1/2 foot tall, and I'm about 5'4". So, that was a chore itself. Love the tree, it looked great, but taking it down....I can't find containers big enough to store the tree as it is. I got one more idea to store it, and hopefully I get that done this week. Next time hubby is home he can then put it away for storage till the next time.
I'm not one to really set too many goals for the new year. It's easier for me to work on the smaller things, and add as I go along. My biggest goal is to just work on the house as we are able to, and get it more to a point that it is our home. Baby steps, but it will come along. Just another reason I am anxious for spring because that is when all things will be new, fresh air, windows open, things growing, and so on.
I need to get my craft room into a more organized order for use. That includes going through things that have been stored here, downsize if I need to,etc. I'm anxious for this too. I have been thrifting a little bit here, and there. Getting things in order to start working on. Different glass pieces waiting to be worked with, some need to be washed yet, and then collecting a few extras along the way to use with things I want to make.
I am anxious for this year to truly get back into the groove of making things, and getting back online selling again too. My dearest friend just lives a couple hours from me, and we converse about things we want to do, set some goals, and try to coax each other to help out in the motivation department too. She is in the process of getting her craft room ready, and organized too. Hopefully in the spring we have made some plans to do some thrifting, and junking. Also, to dig into some things for crafty pieces too. She has a few stores she wants to introduce me to, and I am anxious for it too. That is one good thing about this move that we made. I have a few more areas for shopping, and searching for treasures. Also, a new area where I can spend more time with me, and not chasing around for everyone else. More Me time is something we all need.
LOL! Well, now that I have bored y'all with my thoughts, and ideas I shall stop here for now. Hope it didn't scare y'all away, and you come back to visit to keep tabs on things being done. Right now I am thinking, and planning maybe a Christmas in July. I'll keep you updated as things go along for me. Along with that I think I might start working on things for some of the holidays along the year too. I have some ideas, making notes, making lists for supplies needed, watching videos to help me a little bit, and I am truly excited for this! I only hope I can do what I am planning, but have fun with it too.
Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams, and I hope to see y'all again soon! Stop by now, and then to check in on what is happening, chat with me, etc. Enjoy the company as I venture along with things. Take care till the next time everyone!
Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Christmas Homemade DIY Repurposed Candy Holder Dish. If I haven't mentioned it to you before I really enjoy spending time with crafting, homemade, DIY, repurposing, and all of that fun stuff! I like creating projects that I can sell, but right now I have been enjoying making things for the holidays with our home. Along with the fixer upper on our home I am enjoying time with making things for the holidays for Christmas! Come follow along with me while I share what I have done for y'all to view this week.
Again I was at the Dollar Tree store, and I had something in mind I was hoping to put together with a project. I don't have a quick access to craft stores like Hobby Lobby, and Michaels...unless I want to drive for it. So, for some things instead of ordering online, or traveling I have chosen to create them. It has been an issue to find a snowman hat, and the size that I need it for too. I figured it was time to create one myself. I was walking around the store, looking at things, and thinking, thinking a little more, and thinking about the snowman hat again. What could I possibly do to make this item, and to fit the bowl I needed it to be on.
Taking my time, walking around the store, a few things coming to mind that maybe could work, and then there it was! Someone had dismissed a pen/pencil holder by placing it on the shelf where it didn't belong. I seen the holder, and started thinking could I possibly make this work? I grabbed the holder, and went over to their supply section looking for some sort of crafting paper that I could use. There it was a black piece of poster board, and under a dollar too! So with these 2 items, and along with a few other things I needed for other projects I went through check out, and headed home. Once I got home I placed the holder on the bowl I was going to use to make a snowman head. I pictured the black poster board around it, the rim I would make, and etc. Stared at it for a little bit, and it wasn't feeling right. Oh darn! Now what? So, I left it sitting there, and walked away from it for a few days. I would look at it in passing, and was hoping to be inspired with another idea of what to do.
Needless to say it took a little bit, but I did come to an agreement of what to do with the pieces I wanted to make a snowman hat. I did get it all put together making the hat I was wanting. I did it simply, left the top of the hat open, added just a few embellishments on it, and the snowman hat is now a candy cane holder! I'm excited for our grand daughter to come visit, and see this on the table with different candy canes in it. Now she won't have to pull the tree apart getting the canes off of it.
This picture is showing the pen/pencil holder along with the piece of black poster board I had gotten. You should be able to see that I did cut a corner of it to start the process of making this hat I want.
Here you can see that I did get this completed, and have added a box of candy canes...I know I will have to get more for this too. I wrapped around the holder, and I made a big circle to attach to the bottom of this hat. Once all of the board was cut, and glued I added a red ribbon around the bottom hat. I added a plane white ribbon making a bow. I added a couple of red ball berries, and a few florescent white balls on either side of the white bow. I also added just a few white snowflakes along the rim, and the hat.
Another picture pretty much showing some of the same things that I explained above.This was a fun little DIY project with repurposing the holder that I used.
Isn't Christmas crafting fun?! Something that will have a little more of a meaning to it because it was made by me.
Thanks so much for spending time with me at LilacsNDreams! Enjoyed having you. Stop on by anytime, drop me a line, leave a comment, etc. Have a super week everyone! See y'all later.
Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Christmas Holiday Handmade DIY Repurposed Home Decor. Christmas is a fun time with home decor, and all the fun things we can do. You can buy locally, online, or better yet some of your items you can revise to fit with what you want. That is something I enjoy doing too!
Last week I showed you some picture frames I got from the Dollar Tree Store. I took some simple black frames, and removed the backing, and the glass. I then painted the frames white. Nothing fancy with the painting just a simple white. I then added some decoration to each piece. Some ribbon bows, letter snowflake paper clip, and some ornaments. The second frame I did not have completed fully with my last posting. I have completed it, and changed a bit what I was going to use with it.
Below you will see 3 pictures of the arrangement that I made using those frames that I hand crafted with. The window that you see in the middle of the frames was made by someone else who signed it, and had donated this one along with a few others to the thrift store. I picked it up because it was cute, and handmade. Wasn't sure what, and where I was going to put it. Tonight it came together for me as you will see.
This picture shows the arrangement that I had grouped together on one of our walls in the dining room of our home. All 3 pieces have been handmade, or revised to make this arrangement.
One of the picture frames that I had painted white, added a blue ribbon bow made by me along with a couple of tags for ornaments. I also clipped a letter snowflake on the bottom of the bow.
This is the second frame that I completed which was also painted white. I added the red and white ribbon bow I made to the bottom of the frame. I then added some ornaments to this piece too.
I love my vintage collectibles, and I enjoy crafting with different things too. Some things I craft with might be with new pieces, and sometimes they might be with pieces that I have found thrifting or that I have had on hand for a while too. It's a good feeling to complete pieces, and be able to show them in our home. Sometimes pieces will be offered for sale as well too.
I hope you enjoyed your visit, and happy to see you stopping by here. Feel free to contact me, leave a comment, and etc.
Thanks for visiting LilacsNDreams! Have a beautiful week, and see you again soon.
Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Christmas Handmade DIY Repurpose Home Decor. Thanksgiving has passed, and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving too. The belly has been filled, and the anticipation for the next holiday has expanded just a little bit more. I like many others are excited for the Christmas season.
Christmas is my favorite holiday to celebrate, share, and enjoy. It has much meaning for many people. It's a time of year that the weather changes, many festivities are scheduled to celebrate this holiday, and the mood changes a bit for many too.
If I was doing my online sales...like I use to...I would be busy right now with that too. People buying for gift giving, and some are treating themselves to special gifts. Many are filling their homes with decor for the season or just because, and many are also getting things together to craft with as well.
I enjoy my vintage collectibles that I collect, or sometimes will sell too. I also enjoy decorating, and crafting some of the decorations that I find. Last week I showed you a glass vase I had decorated with different things. Since I shared that I have also added some white fairy lights to the arrangement. The soft glow of the light brings out some of the blue, and glitter a bit more too.
This week I am going to share with you my latest project I have been working with. I'm almost done. I have enough to share one completed item, and to share some of the things being used for the second item too. I love the Dollar Tree Store. I can purchase many things there to add in with decorations, and to craft with too. For this project I bought some 8X10 picture frames. I already had the spray paint at home. I had some Christmas ribbon, I purchased some ornaments, and I found some Christmas gift tags from another store to use too. Step in a little closer to have a look at the pictures below showing my progress so far.
I bought 2 of these 8X10 pictures frames that you see.
I removed the plastic wrap, the glass, and the backing. Once that was done I spray painted both sides of this a white color.
In this picture you can see 1 of the picture frames completed. After the paint had dried on the frame. I glued in the corner a blue glitter ribbon bow that I made. I made this one simple, and just added 2 different gift tags, and a snowflake letter clip to the bow.
In this picture I am showing the complete picture frame again along with some extra items at the bottom of the frame. While the other frame is drying fully for me to work with I prepared a red ribbon to put on that one. The second picture frame is white also. Now, after I attach the bow I have some decisions to make about what else to decorate with. The ornament is a green, and silver bulb with a pine cone design on it. Next to that is another older ornament that has mini pine cones, a mini white lace doily behind that, and some red ribbon that has some old gold bells at the bottom of them. I'm also considering using some gift tags again. Not quite sure how it will turn out yet. Don't want to make it too heavy that it won't hang right either.
I enjoy the Christmas season. I so enjoy adding touches to things I already have, or maybe restyling some things I find within the Dollar Tree, and Thrift Stores too. Sometimes it's a gift for someone else, and many times it's for my pleasure too.
Now to see what else I can get into for crafting with this wonderful holiday. I know some people are bahumbug with the season, but sometimes I feel like I come alive with some of my creative juices.
Thanks again for visiting with LilacsNDreams! I enjoy your visits, and look forward to you dropping by again. Take care till the next time everyone.
Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Holidays Christmas Home Decor DIY Restyle. I love Christmas! I'm trying really hard not to bypass Thanksgiving as I too get upset with the way holidays are just being passed along anymore. Holidays are a bit different for us this year with us moving, daughter has her husband's family to also celebrate with, and our son being on base too. Also, with working on the house too. Having time on my hands lately I have been slowly putting Christmas stuff out through the house. On a nice day I will get some outside lights up, but they will not be turned on till after Thanksgiving. We cannot forget that holiday of sharing being thankful for everything.
I have 2 windows I have put things in for show with Christmas. Good old Dollar Tree store is great for some of these things along with a little bit of thrifting too. The other night I worked with a glass vase that a candle could be put in the center. I had put some colored ornaments in it. At the top of it I added some colored foliage to add to the look. I then placed this vase in a weathered looking tray with some rope handles. In the tray around the vase bottom I added a few more colored ornaments, and some pretty silver glittered items for a little character too. After cleaning up my glitter mess I kept looking at the arrangement on the dining room table. It looked good, but felt like it was missing something. Ever get that feeling? Keeps my mind busy when this happens.
I got up the next morning, walked by the table with the vase arrangement I had done the night before. Then, it hit me what I could do! Since a lot of my craft items are still in containers, in the spare room, or in the loft room I figured I might be going to the dollar general store for what I needed. Sad to buy more when I know I have a few bags of different pine cones, but I wanted them like now too. I took a chance, and searched in the garage with no luck. I looked in the spare room, and did find 1 bag that had a few colored pine cones, some big and small cones too.
I finally decided to work with the bag I found of pine cones. I took the vase, and tray and dismantled everything I had done the night before. More glitter being spread around again. I used some of the pine cones in the vase, and in the tray. I used those along with some of the ornaments I had previously used. I added some decorative items to the top of the vase. I feel better about it now, and I did have a compliment from husband's cousin when she seen a picture too. Below I am showing you pictures of how the vase looked by itself, and then the finishing results of it.
Would have looked better if I pictured it on the table. Hope you can get the general idea from the chair I was using during my developing process.
This week is Thanksgiving, and many of you will be traveling, having company, maybe attending an event some where, and so on. Please be safe with your travels everyone! Our plans changed, and we will be home. At least I will. Safe travels, and I hope everyone is able to enjoy the day in some way.
Thanks for visiting with LilacsNDreams! Happy Holidays to all, and see you again soon.
Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Painting of Styrofoam Update. This little post is in reference to a post I did about 2 postings ago about an issue I had, and learned from it too. To the right of here, and 2 pictures below you'll see pictures in reference to what is being shared.
Styrofoam pumpkins that you can get from the Dollar Tree Store. Love getting things from there to craft with! I got all these pumpkins with intentions of painting some of them white. I generally use a spray paint, and have never had an issue like I did with these. As you can see with the 2 pictures below this I was showing an issue I had with spray painting them. I was bothered by it, and decided to google for some answers. Most of the time when you spray paint on styrofoam you are taking a chance of ruining it. The spray paint can make it rough looking due to some of the styrofoam will melt from this painting procedure. It doesn't happen with everyone. I have seen some people who use the
spray painting method, and they get really nice results. It
would be my luck to have an issue, right?
As you can see from the 2 above pictures there are some really rough spots, it kind of melted there, etc. So, I put all the spray paint to the side....there will be other projects to use it with. After getting a few more supplies I then grabbed 2 pumpkins to try painting them again. I first did a clear coat with them. There are different things that can be used for this which is a recommended step to do before painting. I chose to use my mod podge. I used my sponge applicator, and applied the mod podge all over the pumpkins. I nicely let them dry. I then grabbed a brush, and used some white glossy acrylic paint to paint over the mod podge. The pictures below show my process of starting to paint them. I shot photos after I had put a coat on, and was letting them dry. So the paint does not pull away from the object I will let them dry nicely, and then add a second coat.
I am more pleased with how they are looking now. Much smoother, and they look like little white mini pumpkins. I'll probably get them done to use with the intended project they are designated for which will probably only be shown for about a week, and then stored till next year.
I don't know about you, but I am getting anxious for Christmas! I am slowly buying things to hang, things to craft with, etc. I checked the weather for this coming week so I could plan on at least getting some outside lights hung...not turned on yet, but get them hung up at least.
Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams! Great seeing you here, and hope to see you again soon. Remember, you are welcome to leave a comment, and share things about the topic at hand. Till the next time everyone.
Welcome to LilacsNDreams! Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas Holiday Celebrations. Yep! That time of year, it's the season, fastly approaching too. We have completed Halloween, and now move onto Thanksgiving along with Christmas.
I have always enjoyed this time of year, the change of the season! I don't like the cold, but I adapt because of the different holidays that we get to enjoy. All the festivities, decorating, crafting, and etc.
Halloween I always enjoyed with all the decorations outside the homes, how businesses would decorate, costumes for all who participated with different activities, all the gatherings to celebrate, some of the food, and so on. Halloween was always a fun time. Each year things are changing, and of coursing moving along faster. Really kind of hit me this year when Halloween was not here, and I seen in the stores with all the christmas trees being up, lights on them, christmas ornaments being hung, and Halloween was just there. Just another time. Hardly any home decorated outside like they use to. It's always questionable each year which night will they be trick-or-treating in town.
Halloween is now over, and we should look forward to Thanksgiving now. Everyone gets some time off from school, work, government, military, etc for this holiday. Time to celebrate, and be thankful for sooo many things. Yet, this is one holiday that does not really seem to exist anymore. There is very few things that are done for Thanksgiving. Your decor can show colors for fall, maybe some pumpkins, few turkeys, and etc. Yet, there really isn't much anyone shares for this time. Again, this is sad. It's just another holiday.
The biggest one is Christmas! Yes, I love Christmas time with all the music, the carolling, home decor, decorations outside the home, crafting decorations and purchasing decorations, services and programs at church, the hunt for gifts for different people, and it's a fun and special time of the year. I'm thinking of Thanksgiving, but I am also preparing for Christmas decorating, and what is needed for that.
Tradition for me growing up was always family being together for Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If you knew of someone who had no where to go they were too invited. Our doors were always open for people during these holiday celebrations. Big meals were planned, and made. Sometimes we would distribute food to others since we always had so much, or we would buy it for them too. Wrapping of gifts, hiding gifts till Christmas Eve and morning. Always being creative each year with hiding gifts...not that the kids or any adults would look for them, right? LOL! These were great times to celebrate, and to be together sharing the festivities with others too. These holidays were special, and always looked forward to them each year. Yes, things would get busy, money being spent, trying to budget during these times, but it was always fun and so much worth it too.
Sadly, things change, and what use to be so special and enjoyable is taking a different effect over time. Don't take me wrong, we still try to do what we were taught and learned growing up to celebrate. Trying to teach it to our kids, and grandkids. Yet, it seems like the spirit of things is not fully what it use to be. It isn't just me, our family, but it is all around us. Society, TV, schools, businesses, people, who got what, about receiving gifts, and not to much about giving. That special feeling, that special touch just does not seem to be there.
So sorry to carry on about this issue with our holidays everyone, and I hope I have not offended anyone in anyway. One of those times where I wanted to share some thoughts I was having over the weekend.
I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! For some of us it has cooled off a bit..urgh! So, winter is working it's way in for some. I appreciate you stopping by, and hope to have you visit again! Remember you are always welcome to leave a comment, and share something if you wish to.
Thanks for visiting with LilacsNDreams! Take care!
