Danni's Twisted Pumpkin and Wine Mulls

Danni here from Silo Hill Farm blog.  Remember me from yesterday?  I know, I know....another ugly pumpkin makeover, but since I love pumpkins, I can't resist rescuing them after the Halloween season. 

This one happened to be an ugly Styrofoam pumpkin from the dollar store.  Even worse...it had the ugliest stem in the world.  A nubby little thing really.  I had seen so many of those cute twisty, curly stems on Pinterest so I decided to give this pumpkin one.
Wanna make one for yourself?   Here's what you'll need.

 This project is a lot quicker and easier than you'd think.  Not including dry time, I was done in about an hour and a half.
Take that ugly pumpkin and remove the stem.  In this case, I just had to pull really hard on it.  You might have to cut yours off depending how it's attached.  Save that stem, you're going to need it.

Set the pumpkin and stem aside and start cutting out your fabric strips.  I cut mine a little longer than the pumpkin was from top to bottom and made them about an inch wide.  I used my rotary cutter. (I cut a huge slice into my finger.  Swears were said.  Be careful, those suckers are sharp....or just use scissors.)  Next, I cut the ends to points using scissors because now I was afraid of my rotary cutter.  Cutting the ends to points makes them lay nicely and not get all bunched up at the top.

Then, take your sponge brush and working in sections, brush the Modge Podge over the pumpkin.  Lay a strip on and brush over the top with more Modge Podge.  Repeat all the way around the pumpkin.

I cannot lie....you will have very sticky fingers when you are done.
Now set this aside and let it dry.  I just set mine right on top of that little plastic cup that was holding the Modge Podge.

Now this is the fun part...let's make that cute curly stem!
Cut a piece of wire the length you would like your stem to be.  Curl the end with some pliers and wrap it up in as many layers of foil as you'd like.  I triple folded my piece of foil to begin with and then just rolled the wire up in it leaving a little bit of the other end of the wire sticking out to attach my stem.  Then....twist the whole thing to whatever whimsical shape your heart desires.

You need to reattach the original stem to the entire piece you just made.  I poked my wire through the top of the old one and used some masking tape to secure it.

Now you are going to want to hide all of that foil and masking tape. I used a little fabric-safe glue and started at the stem end and wrapped ribbon all the way up it dabbing a little glue every now and then to make sure it stayed.

Then I just shoved the stem back into the pumpkin, glued a little bow on it and let it all continue to dry. 

At the last minute, I decided to add a little button...because I have a million of them!  Once it's all dry and not the least bit sticky, it's ready to make it's debut in your Thanksgiving decor.  

Much better than it was ever going to look as a Halloween pumpkin, don't you think?  And don't you love that crazy stem with all of it's twisty, whimsical loveliness?
Now, can I tell you about one of my favorite Thanksgiving projects?  After all of the cooking, eating and cleaning are over with, I make wine mulls! They are the perfect Christmas gift and the longer they sit the more intense the spice flavors become.  Not to mention, they are so stinkin cute...

Wine Mulls

Because they are packed into orange halves, they look like cute little ornaments and they smell amazing!  Because the orange halves are dried out in your oven, they don't need refrigeration.  I make a dozen of them at a time and put them in a basket by the door for guests to take home.  

Wine Mulls

They also make the perfect hostess gift along with a bottle of wine.  If you haven't tried warm mulled wine, you're missing a wonderful holiday treat!  Don't drink wine?  They are also wonderful  dropped into some warm apple cider.  Want to know how to make these cute little wine mulls?  Just click HERE.
Thank you again Donna for letting me guest post not once, but twice in a row!  You know I'm your number one fan! LOL!!! 

You are the Mother Of All Crafts - Queen of the Repurposed Craft!

You really do not know how helpful you have been.

A hug and a huge THANK YOU!

And yes, I got the number one fan joke.  Chucks is not dead -YET!

See y'all!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA14

SHOP HERE! 

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Dr. Danni And Paint Therapy For A Pumpkin

Happy Thanksgiving Season!  I'm Danni from Silo Hill Farm blog and although I've been on a looooooong break, I'm happy to be here at Donna's blog sharing a little Thanksgiving project.  Since you probably already have enough to do this Thanksgiving, I'm keeping this one elegant and simple.  (Or is it quick and dirty?)

So I had found a sad and lonely pumpkin at the Dollar Store a few years ago for almost nothing.  Really, it was like 35 cents because it was after Thanksgiving and it had an ugly chip in it, and it had some seriously ugly metalness going on.  I forgot to take a picture before surgery, but here is a post-surgery shot.

Yes, it was just a bit much with all it's shine and funky green metal.  It was begging for a surgical date with my wire cutters, STAT!
Then it had a date with Dr. Valspar, our leading plastic surgeon, who taped off it's stem and gave it a big shot of less shiny color.

Better no?

But apparently, it's so hard to stop once you go down that plastic surgery road.  So back into the operating theater it went.  This time with Dr. Krylon, who specializes in metallic alterations.  Again with the painters tape.

Now here's a little pre-surgical advise.  You want to make sure that your paint has cured before you go taping it up for another round under the gun, hitting that stem up with some silver prettiness.

I was pretty sure it was, but still, some paint came off of the pumpkin, which made it just distressed enough to make an appearance here on Donna's blog.
Remove all of the bandages and.......

Really, this was such an easy project, so keep an eye out for a sad and willing surgical victim after the holidays...or perhaps you already have one waiting in a box of decor somewhere.
A couple of years ago, I made this lovely project for less than $2 and posted it on my blog.....

Thanksgiving Inspired Picture

 Donna, who knows I tend to tear apart my projects and repurpose them for something else, emailed me and asked me to please NOT do that with this project.   Because I love her and because she said please AND to avoid the urge to dismantle, I packed it up in a box and sent it to her.  I hope it's safe now!  LOL!
Stay tuned tomorrow and I'll be back with one more last minute Thanksgiving project that does not involve the spray paint doctors, but does involve some  more elegance.
Thank you Donna for letting me get my blogginess on again and do a guest post for you here!


Oh, thank you, Danni, for stepping in to do a Thanksgiving post while I am busy moving my booths.  The little Thanksgiving girl lives on in my house in a place of honor!

See y'all tomorrow when Danni returns!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA14

SHOP HERE! 

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I Am Thinking Pink At Tuula's

Miss Peepers and I are off visiting at The Thrifty Rebel for Think Pink Monday.  

I promised Tuula a guest post and did I ever send her one!

There is something blue.

There is something pink, of course.

There is a cat!

See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA14

SHOP HERE! 

Saturday Spotlight - Telling Secrets

I am in two very different places this Saturday morning. 

First, I was so excited when Susan (Must Love Junk) and Kris (Junk Chic Cottage) invited me to take part in their series Saturday Spotlight.  So I am over at  Life Behind The Blogger  telling some secrets you may not know about me.  


Go on over - there may be a quiz later!


I know you will want to read the series each week.  I have met many interesting bloggers.  



Second, at this very moment Chucks and I are flying down SC Highway 23 for the Peach Tree Yard Sale event - 44 miles of sales.  This year I have a short list so I will only fill one truck.  I'll take plenty of photos.

See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA14

SHOP HERE! 

Visiting at Shop Talk Today

I am visiting at Coastal Charm today.  Linda invited me to drag my two booths over for Shop Talk.  I was delighted!  I love her idea of featuring shop spaces.  The posts have inspired me so much with creative solutions for merchandising.




I have The Green Door (Booth B-6) and Plus Encore (even more) (Booth B-5) at Riverfront Antique Mall in North Augusta, South Carolina.

Go over and visit.


Thanks so much for inviting me, Linda!

Wishing all of you a glorious Good Friday!



See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA14

SHOP HERE! 

The Junk Stash Stars

This post on my Junk Stash Stars was first posted on Inspiration Cafe (here) on September 10.  It was the first of a monthly series on bloggers who transform junk.  Next week on October 8, Revi from Revisionary Life  will be showing off her creations.  Put it on your calendars!



 When Danni Baird of Silo Hill Farm sends out a call for all junkers to sort through their stashes and create something, you say, "Yes, Craft Mistress!" and go to work.

Well, that being said, I am an overachiever so not only did I have to create ONE item, I had to create SIX items!

All supplies came from Horror Monster, my beloved craft stash.  Nothing was purchased.

I started with this bundle of lathing and mismatched molding which has been hanging out in the breakfast room for awhile.  My husband Chucks volunteered to cut the pieces if I had a project or he was throwing it out.

What!?! Throwing it out!?!

I know - we will make stars.  Not our usual small stars, but three-foot tall stars!

WARNING:  Major photo overload coming at you!

Chucks cut two pieces of lathing 36", two pieces of lathing 30", and one piece of molding 19".  He wants you to know he did this six times. 

I used E6000 to glue the joints and rubber banded each joint until it dried.

For six stars.

Which will be approximately three feet tall!

 Since the molding cross piece would be carrying some weight, I screwed it to the two long braces.

For six stars.

I am thinking at this point Danni is going to kill me!

But I still am going to make six stars!

Six completed stars in the only clean spot in the living room.  

They make a cute fireplace screen.

Notice some pieces had been previously painted and used.

 Next I collected small bottles of craft paint with dibs and dabs left in them and went to work painting the six stars.

Then I promptly took them outside with my handy sander and distressed them.

All six stars.

Got to have them looking worn!

 I burrowed deep into Horror Monster and came up with old bottles, bed springs, tattered tags, rusty wire, twine, and rusty star garland bought at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago.

I had a hard time finding that garland until I realized it was neatly placed in a box labeled "rusty star garland"!

Well, I never!

The Six Junk Stash Stars

 I will not bore you absolutely to death with a long story about each star.  Just a brief note.

About each one.

Brown umber paint glaze.

All six stars were given two coats of a satin craft varnish.

Bed spring threaded through a tiny eye hook with a scrap paper cone and turquoise tissue paper.

Torn cotton ribbon tassel.

Tattered tag with a rusty star.

A close up of the embellishment.

Yes, I am going to show you all six stars!

Keep your seat.

I do want to add right here I had to go deep into the hedge in the side yard to take photos because the one afternoon when I had to take pictures, it was sunny!

The swarms of mosquitoes ate me alive!

Therefore, I am going to show you all six stars!

 I was really creative on two stars and painted them with different colors.

Rusty star garland.

Green Rolling Rock  bottle.

Tattered tag.

By the way, the left over rusty star garland is back in its box marked "rusty star garland".

Maybe next time I will remember that.

It ain't easy being organized.

Bet you thought I was going to say "green"!








I think I am in love with this one and may just keep it.

I wished I had put some flowers in the bottles!

I never think about styling my projects until I am already writing the post.












The black star distressed nicely with the old white paint peeking through.

Small old bottle.

Pink roses braided into a garland.

Pink tattered tag.

 A bright blue bead.

Everything wrapped with the rusty craft wire.

 Pink!  

Poodle Skirt Pink to be exact.  

Small glass bottle.

Roses braided into a garland.

Tattered tag.

Yada, yada.












 

When I wrapped the wire around, I added some funky beaded beads in pinks and greens.

Also there is a butterfly.

No mosquitoes though.

I do wish there was some way to use mosquitoes in craft projects.

I have several million of them.

Another colorful star with a bed spring paper cone adorning it.

Have you ever seen such a collection of odds and ends of just plain junk?

Don't lie, folks.  Most of you have it hidden away in a cabinet somewhere.

I own up to my mess and proudly display it.

I just don't open the front door!

The paper cone was fake ledger paper.

I would never use my genuinely old ledger paper.

I scan it and then print it out.

Or buy it at Hobby Lobby!

OOPS!  No, I did not go to Hobby Lobby, Danni.  Everything came from the stash!

I promise!

 This may be my favorite instead of the multi-colored one.

You know how I love turquoise.

The bed spring holds a paper cone with bright pink tissue.

How bright and cheerful

To think all this stuff was just stuck into nooks and crannies around the house.

Sakes alive!  I will have to clean more often if there is this much treasure!

How pretty!

Yes, I am congratulating myself.

If you have made it all the way to this point in this post, you should congratulate yourself.

Maybe you should go directly to your craft stash and see what creative project you can assemble from what is lurking about.

The all-star junk stash stars gather around the boxwood to show off.

I think I deserve not five stars, but SIX stars for my junk creation.

While they were kicking up their heels, my neighbor came over to ask if I would make her one in red.

Hey, Chucks!  Time to cut some more wood!

Naw, let's go junkin'!

See y'all!

TRANSFORMATION THURSDAY!  
Jennifer Rizzo's Fabulously Creative Friday Link Party  

The Cottage Market - Junkin' Joe Friday Linky Party 

PARTY JUNK #207 AT FUNKY JUNK! 

 Twigg Studios sunday show off linky party!

JUNKERS UNITE! BRING YOUR JUNK HERE!

Party Junk #218 Salvaged Junk Stars at Funky Junk Interiors