Fleamarket ideas for outdoors

The sun is shining… the weather is warmer… and i am feeling myself drawn to the yard. It needs a lot of cleanup, but it also could use a few special touches.

Light Fixture Vase :: diyideas.com

Old Heating Vent Rack :: diyideas.com

Tin Can Lanterns :: diyideas.com

i know i have posted about lanterns like this before, but these ones with colour strike my fancy this year. ooh if only more cans were painted this way still.

Fencing turned into a Trellis :: diyideas.com

Outdoor Chandellier :: diyideas.com

Flagman Table :: Instructables

Pizza Sauce Planters :: Happy Sleepy

This creative gardener even offers instructions on how to create your own wall garden. I’m on a personal mission to collect large cans, although i think mine will be the jumbo coffee cans, and i am going to leave them in their original colours. I like to mix it up

Refrigerator Storage :: RococoPop

i love this simple idea too. and take my word for it.. if the fridge still has a seal on it, things inside will stay relatively cool. Boy do i miss by old old fridge.

Custom Tea Set Anyone??

Paint Your Own Tea Cup ::Apartment Therapy Re-Nest

Among many diy recycled crafts i fell in love with this one. first her illustrations are stunning. and fun. who whould have thought octopi would look so awesome on a tea set? and second i really didnt realize it was this simple.

tools: pebeo porcelain pen + paints

how: paint your designs. dry for 24 hours. then bake in oven at 300F

(more detailed instructions at Re-Nest from Apartment Therapy)

anyone know if glass reacts the same as porcelain? think i can paint on glass jars like this???

love, found… valentines gifts

photo credit Paula Hible for BHG.com

this heart trivet from better homes + gardens is a cinch to assemble. Twist three lengths of red jersey into one long braid, shape into a heart, then sew through the underside with a needle and thread. Braid enough white jersey to create a layer of white, and sew again. Create another red braid; continue wrapping it around the heart shape until the trivet has reached the desired size, then sew again.

to keep this along the recycled theme… use old tshirts or sheets… okay pillowcases (smaller) to craft this project

and pre-made printable stickers…

Printable stickers :: BHG.com

Print these on a full-sheet sticker page (dollarama) and then cut out to decorate cards, candy, and presents. Download the stickers here

Holy Smokes… someone recycled cigarette butts

i say its ingenious. incredible. amazing … but how.

the creator, Chilean designer Alexandra Guerrero, did a lot of research including how to clean the butts, and how pure the product would be in the end [95% pure after a solvent cleaning process]

after she cleaned the filters they were shredded to create yarn (shown above)

read more [via treehugger.com]

or watch news reel

Alexandra’s Mantis project is proof that a little idea can make a huge difference. She may have only created a few items from her yarn, but when the day comes that her yarn is sold to the public wouldnt you rather use it? and at the time of the article on treehugger she had salvaged 5000 butts from the streets of Santiago de Chile, reducing landfil waste and street trash.

Poncho :: Mantis Project, Alexandra Guerrero

A while back i decided to seperate my garbage as much as i could, to find what is being tossed in excessive amounts. first i discovered waterbottles filled the entire recycling bin. we axed that real fast, and if my husband must have bottled water he must now purchase the giant 4 litre bottles. we are saving up for a tap purifier. Next was paper. offices toss standard paper in the recycling, why cant homeowners. good. we were on a roll.

we hit a dead end when i noticed how many tim hortons coffee cups we had. i attempted to reuse them for plants, but found the plastic layer on the inside of the cup does not dissolve, even after 6 months burried in the garden. (yes it was gross pulling the full plastic sleeve from the compost soil)

so my quest continues to find uses for the coffee cup.

what is your most collected item?

custom wallpaper in your shop

Bruce Wilson Canada :: for Blubird Store

Everyday imadeit dreams of opening a shop again. somewhere. somehow. i get giddy just thinking of new ways to make the shop a hundred times more exciting than the last time.

things like … a fully writable wall either with markers on vinyl, or a chalkboard … customized artists spaces allowing them to create a mini shop (like a craft show) … idea space with a new creativity building project each day — free and quick to try…

but on the other hand i want a continuous colour flow and simplicity through the space. see…. such icky decisions.

then i found this… Rollout Custom Wallpaper. You send them the graphic — they print it. and of COURSE they are from Vancouver… where all the coolest art action happens. their motto “You dream it. We make it.” (i love that!!)

plus they have put many efforts forth to become an eco-friendly option, using the widest format possible for rolls creating little paper waste and water based inks…

which are a safer, non-toxic and a more ‘eco’ choice in inks. Our inks have been rigorously tested on our papers to ensure print longevity, with no noticeable degradation to the image quality. A clear coat can be applied to increase washability and durability.

who doesnt love washable wallpapered walls??!

I assume you have to be rolling in the cash, considering the prices are not listed AND the client list is big name shops. But someday that will be me…

in the meantime, some of my favorites:

Forest Wallpaper :: Rollout

Adopt-a-Monster Wallpaper :: Rollout

Sticks inside the house

Woodland Snowflake Tutorial :: Pretty-Ditty

You can use these snowflakes to decorate the wall by hanging them on pins, toss them on a tabletop or bookshelf or hang individually from nylon thread to create a snowy sky around a ceiling lamp or over the bed. The tutorial suggests gluing the bits together, but i have to be different so i think i might wrap this silver thread around all the joints. I have had it for years… probably saving it for this very project

Gift Decoration :: Amana Productions Inc./Getty Images

Mom and i used to sit at the kitchen table for days, creating ‘nature bundles’ packed with sprigs of evergreen, colored berries and little plastic floral accessories like wrapped presents or characters… gluing them all together, then gluing them to every present. maybe because of all that time spent, or maybe because i need my projects to be done in 5 min… i like the minimalist approach. one sprig in one single sting.

another easy (kinda) stick craft is the ever popular grapevine wreath.

The Standard Grapevine Wreath :: 2greenthumbs.com

At least it used to be popular to make them yourself. I searched for hours for a tutorial and only found ONE…  on ehow.  I remember freezing my hands off as my mom, aunt and i sat around the patio table one december (a rare december before the snow had come) making wreaths from the vines around her yard.

You should be able to still find a few, and wont feel so guilty because by this point their growth cycle is over. Soak them in water to make the vines more flexible. the longer the better… and inside the house would be wise. Not like us. Not like the ladies who thought it was nostalgic to sit outside in the brisk winter air making traditional decorations like the settlers did.

Pretty things dangle from a willow branch :: ayos about anthology decor

While this one is actually a display rack from a store, wouldn’t it look sweet with say glittering paper stars or tiny christmas decorations. Perfect if you dont have room for a full sized tree, and an alternative to the sticks in a vase… although i really love that look too.

Centerpiece :: Perfect Bound

i wonder … if you omitted the water, and found a container that you can drill a hole into the back… wonder how stunning this would be covered in the tiny fairy lights?

If your yard is like mine (or perhaps a neighbour’s) and the giant branches just toss themselves into the air, landing in a massive pile on the lawn… then you have the perfect materials for these next two projects. a coat rack or a curtain rod from a stong branch.

Coat rack from a branch :: Apartment Therapy

Tree Branch Curtain Rod :: DIY ideas

I have no where to put something like this.. but wow this tree branch chandelier is fabulous

Tree Branch Chandelier Tutorial :: Apartment Therapy found via Craft:Magazine

Upcycling a bucket to a charging station

Such a wonderful idea… just the thing i have been searching for.

Visit Paint It Bright for full tutorial on creating your own charging center.