wooden crates

I really like the the texture of an old wooden crate. Rough, humble, nostalgic. I found two crates at an antique mall in hogansville a few months ago. They are full of history and purpose. They performed some useful task for many years - containing and transporting vegetables, fabric, tools, machine parts -  and now they have retired in my living room as sofa end tables. 

I also discovered FREE used food crates at our local farmer's market. They put them out front each morning, free for the taking.  It's really hard for me to resist anything labeled free. It always creates a problem that i love to solve: how can i make this free/discarded thing purposeful and beautiful? They aren't sturdy enough to function as a table, stool, or trusty carrying container so i spent some time finding a use for my thrifty find. 

The two best ideas so far:

-plant stands for my small herb garden on the patio.

-"sentimental paper clutter" boards

We all have special notes from friends, holiday cards, kid's artwork, and other sentimental paper clutter we don't want to throw out. However, this kind of stuff can often float from counter to draw without a designated area. This wooden crate board is a nice solution. I simply used binder clips to attach my special papers.

I untwisted the wire holding the crate together and unfolded the crate so it was a long flat piece, removing the side pieces. Super quick and easy. Then i just added a coat of paint. I have one in my living room and one over the guest bed.

Go pick up some of these free crates and see what ideas you can come up with - enjoy!

Glass Bottle Bird Feeders

Right now we have four baby birds nesting in the purple petunias on the front porch. I hung the coconut baskets and within two days I had a bird building a nest. We kept an eye on the eggs for days and they finally hatched a few weeks ago.  Pretty neat. The kids thought it was amazing. I think the birds are teenagers in bird years now, so they should leave the nest soon.

I think the mama bird was eager to build a nest in the petunias because of the super awesome bird feeder hanging nearby on the front porch. I’m sure of it….a little bird told me…

There is something so peaceful about watching birds up close. We’ve seen cardinals, wrens, sparrows, and other varieties I can’t identify eat from the feeder daily. Better than t.v.

Our family has enjoyed the feeder so much, that I decided to make one for my mom-in-law for mother’s day. She’s a gardening enthusiast and enjoys spending time in nature, so I thought it a great gift. I wrote a bit of scripture on hers that she can reflect on while watching the birds.

This thing is so easy to make. You’ll need:

-a couple of glass bottles

- nails and hammer

-2 metal lids…I used mason jar lids b/c I like the look

- rebar wire

- ¼” drill bit to bore holes for the wire

- pliers to shape the rebar wire

- scrap wood (2x4 or 1x4 – if not pressure treated, you’ll need to paint it with outdoor paint)

Take the wood and nail together a “T” shape. Then, nail lids to the piece of wood that sits parallel to the ground. Drill two holes near the top of the vertical piece. Run the rebar through the holes and make a harness to hold the bottles in place. Twist the wire around itself using pliers. This will hold it in place. You want the harness tight enough to keep the bottle in place, but it will need to be loose enough to remove the bottle for refilling.  Drill a hole at the top center and run a string or more wire through to hang your feeder.  Decorate with paint, scripture, handprints, shells, anything.  Fill the bottles with seeds and place them in the wire harness. Keep your fingers over the opening while getting them in place so the seed doesn't spill. Enjoy! 

Tree of Life

It occurred to me several months ago that the spaces i use the most should be the most beautiful. the laundry room, the basement, the kitchen sink, etc. I mean, if i'm going to pass by the same wall fourteen times a day, or walk up and down the same 16 steps shouldn't they be wonderful and inspiring? So, i've recently added some beauty to the basement entry by painting a whimsical tree that branches out onto two walls at the bottom of the steps. This is our main entry from the garage so i see this wall a million times a day. I mod podged a bunch of  scripture leaves that i cut from some pocket devotionals. The paper and text in the booklets was pretty, but they were just sitting on the book shelf. It was a great way to get daily use from these old devotionals. Plus, i didn't have to design or print anything out. Check it out:

I love this tree. It restores my soul every time i walk through this area. I can pause for 2-3 seconds and read from one of the leaves and feel refreshed in spirit. It's aesthetically pleasing as well and it fills what would otherwise be dead space. 

I've seen tree decals available on line and in buy everything you need and want stores. So if you don't want to paint one freehand, you could apply the decal and just add your own scripture leaves. You could also hire me to come over and paint it for you:) The leaves could also be made from any kind of brochure, greeting card, or magazine that has scripture used in it. Just cut it out in a leaf shape that suits your fancy and glue/seal it to the wall using the mod podge. Happy wall tree making!