Inexpensive Wreaths - Rusty Pulley - Junk Inspired

Welcome to my home. I've included a few junk inspired wreaths I made for this holiday season.
If the shoe fits...then you will no longer need your vintage metal shoe stretchers. Convert them into your next wreath hanger. By gluing vintage buttons to the end piece of the stretcher, you provide just the right amount of pretty.


If you don't have access to free tree greenery, check your local nurseries to see if they have "boughs for a buck". What these places do is sell the trimmed pieces from the trees they have for sale for only a buck a pop. Great idea for those of us that don't have it available in our yards. Great variety too!


Remember this pulley from a previous post of mine? Well I wanted to show you what I came up with. Given to me by a barn sale employee during their sale, this wreath as a whole cost less than $2 since the wreath form was only 49-cents and I took advantage of that "boughs for a buck" deal. Can't beat that! I absolutely love the look of it.




It greets our guests at the driveway. Add some snow on top of the soggy, decomposing leaf-filled ground and the scenery will be gorgeous!

Anyone can find old wire wreath frames at a thrift store for very cheap. Why I like them is their green paint is usually a bit worn and chipped, and most likely bits of rust have made their appearance. (You know me and rust.) This wreath cost only $1.50 to assemble. This style wreath causes little obstruction of the view through the kitchen window. On those cold, wintery snow-filled days, we just love that.

I would love to hear about your wreath ideas...junk inspired is a plus but not a requirement! Happy junking to all!

Inexpensive Junk Tree and Decor Ideas

We all know what is going on with our economy so I thought I'd share a few inexpensive and simple ideas to enhance your holiday decor this season using my fascination with junk.

To begin, cigar boxes have wonderful design and color. Add a ribbon and you have yourself a sweet little package!




Use old folding carpenter rulers as garland. I found these two at a flea market for $1 each and love the way they actually resemble a star shape when circling the tree. I added vintage silvery Christmas balls that were 4 cents each, tied with leftover ribbon from previous projects.

Remember my previous post regarding free vintage books from the library? Use pages from old non-collectible books to roll up and tie off with ribbon.

Old commercial cheese grater parts were purchased for $5 for the lot at a thrift store. Insert a light in the bottom and your grater will be illuminated perfectly!



Punched out old vintage Bingo cards make easy-peasy ornaments. You can see a peek of my feathery tree topper in this photo as well.




And this is my tree topper! I used a $1.00 vintage feather duster as a nest to house my 10 cent little birdie. Isn't it tweet?



Another library book freebie. This time I didn't want to damage the book so I made a little flower-type look by rolling the pages inward. When the holiday season is over I can just unfurl the pages.

Below is a candle that was embellished with a page out of the library book. Tied off with jute and a bit of moss was placed in it.





To cover an ugly tree stand, use an old wire lamp shade frame with a remnant from a canvas drop cloth.



To wrap my gifts I was able to get an enormous roll of butcher paper for free from a company that does not use the ends of their rolls. It slows down their production time. Woohoo for me! I tied my packages off with pretty ribbon provided me by my mom that got it free herself. Can't beat that! Ask around. Don't let friends and family throw things out that can be used by someone else.




Vintage sleds are easy to find at places other than antique shops that may cost a fortune. I found this one for $4.99 at a thrift store and my other two which are much larger were free on the curb. It's so sad people actually throw these away. Vintage wood skis may be a little harder to find but I did manage to find this pair at a thrift store.

And if you're going faux tree...don't forget to buy it on clearance at the end of the season or purchase one from a garage sale or thrift store. Lots of savings there!



So there you have it! My own little rustic-elegant holiday decor that can be accomplished for a fraction of the cost of what all new holiday decor would. I hope I've provided a few ideas you can use on what you can do in your own home.

Thank you all and keep on junking!

A Collectible Christmas

For me, it's easier to decorate one little area of my home at one time for the holidays, and then move on to the next...time permitting of course. I discovered this after having children. If I attempt to tackle an entire room it just doesn't work.

Ending up with rooms only half completed and incorporating the green and red storage tubs as part of my holiday decor, is just not the look I go for.

So what I will do with my blog is record my completed holiday decor...as it occurs. It may take me until 3 days before Christmas to finish everything, but you'll see it all.







I like to wait a few more weeks before I snag some greenery from the outdoors and purchase my berries. Those two things always make this collection look so pretty! So stay tuned.










About my collections/stuff:
The shelving unit was retrieved from the trash of a former neighbor of mine. Free.
Each of the white pottery pieces cost between $.50 to $3 each.
The crystalized branches were given to me by my mother. She received them (and more) from a family friend that works in a gorgeous landscaping nursery. Free.
Vintage silver balls - Purchased 3 large boxes at a thrift store. $1/ box.
Linen wrapped box - The box was used to hold seashells I purchased at a barn sale. Free
Vintage disc dangelies cut from old Bingo cards given by my mother. Free

Come back for more of my holiday decor. I think this will keep me on track too so please leave your comments! I love them so!!

Keep on junking!