One of the wonderful things about living in farming country, is finding wonderful relics from old farmhouses. A few months ago, I brought home 3 fabulous salvaged metal pieces. Can any of you recognize what they originally were? If you live in farm country, you probably have seen them attached to a water pump, like this one. These were used to draw water from cisterns or ponds, Our old farmhouse in Missouri had one in the enclosed porch, that had {Read More}
Old Farm Charm – a Farmhouse Industrial Water Pump Salvage Hanging Light
April 7, 2014 by 13 Comments
Salvaged Wood Display Shelf
April 5, 2014 by 19 Comments
Yawn…I must be getting old, because I used to work on projects until the wee hours of the morning, but lately I can barely keep my eyes open until 10. I’m hoping once the daylight starts lasting longer, I’ll have more energy, because I am a night owl by nature, and can’t seem to accomplish much lately. That has absolutely nothing to do with today’s post, it just explains to you why if you notice me posting less frequently, it’s because {Read More}
Book Page Canvas Wall Art
March 21, 2014 by 8 Comments
This week I’ve been focusing on expanding my “line”of book page canvas wall art signs. It’s a stretch to call it a “line”, as I have two styles available right now, but I will be adding more next week, and plan to create additional styles, and may offer some printable versions as well. My newest one is this Amazing Grace canvas sign. I used pages from a very old Bible, which are extremely fragile to work with, but their color {Read More}
DIY Antique Doily Banner
March 16, 2014 by 10 Comments
I got a wonderful package in the mail last week. My mother-in-law called me and said that she found some old doilies at an estate sale, but she wasn’t sure if I would like them or not, because they were a little discolored. She said she washed them well, but the discoloration remained. I exhaled (relieved), laughed, and told her I love discolored old doilies, so I was glad it didn’t wash out. She likes some antiques, but isn’t a {Read More}
Can You Guess The Mystery Parts?
March 10, 2014 by 12 Comments
Before I tell you much about the sign I made over the weekend, I’m wondering how many of you can guess what the parts were originally part of. If I didn’t already know, there’s no way I would have guessed, but I’m curious if any of you can. Here’s what the pieces look like up close. Any guesses? Okay, don’t peek yet, but I’ll give you the answer at the end of the post. Anyway, recently, I bought two old {Read More}
Repurposed Milk Crate Padded Storage Stool
March 7, 2014 by 10 Comments
Repurposed Milk Crate Padded Storage Stool I’ve always loved old metal milk crates, because they make useful storage containers that look great, so I brought another one home a few weeks ago from an auction. This one had been well-used and is super rusty and some of the metal slats on the bottom were broke, so I thought it needed some attention to make it look special again. Of course, the perfect thing to use on it was the Milk {Read More}
Repurposed Antique Sewing Machine Stand Wall Bins
March 6, 2014 by 25 Comments
I resisted the urge to go to the auction last weekend, so I could focus on working with all the stuff I already have. Junk can breed quickly if you aren’t careful, and my stash of junk has been reproducing all over my house. I’ve had a pair of cast iron legs that were removed from an antique sewing machine table for several months. They’ve been leaning against the wall in my entryway, and have fallen over several times, so {Read More}
Antique Silverware and Things to Do with It
March 3, 2014 by 13 Comments
A few weeks ago, I brought home a big box full of antique silverware. If there was a legal limit of how much antique silverware one person can own, I’m pretty sure I’ve reached it, but I can’t resist myself. If the price is right, it’s coming home with me. I love things that were utilitarian, and used daily in homes, and they show the evidence of that use. I sorted through all the pieces in the box, and grouped {Read More}
How to Turn an Antique Piano into an Amazing Desk!
February 27, 2014 by 59 Comments
I know my husband probably wishes he could banish the words, “What do you think about …?” from my vocabulary, and I think his brain automatically translates them into, “She needs my help.” Generally, it’s an accurate translation. You may recall, several years ago, I was bemoaning the fact that everyone seemed to have a beautiful mantel that they were decorating for Christmas, and I didn’t. When I came across an antique piano at a thrift store, and they were {Read More}
Grain Sack Wall Pockets on Barn Wood
February 21, 2014 by 13 Comments
I know that there are tons of fellow grain sack lovers out there, so I hope you won’t groan that I’m sharing another grain sack style project again today. After making a seat cover for an antique chair, I still had lots of fabric left over, and I was itching to come up with more projects to use it on. I whipped up these little pockets, and added the same typography that I used on the chair (printable here). I wasn’t {Read More}
