Old windows as wall decor

Here are some ideas for ways to put old windows on your walls....

This wall is still a work in progress.....I ordered this vinyl from Jill at Utah Vinyl.  I browsed that "other vinyl" online magazine....not mentioning names but it has U and L in its initials....I got an idea and sent it to Jill and the total cost for this was only $5.00!!  Isn't it so pretty!

My goal is to find scrapbook paper or material to put behind the panes and matte black and white family pictures in them......I have some pictures, but I've been boycotting Joanne fabric...(it's my own personal campaign since I had to stand in line so long the last time I was there!)

And that GORGEOUS painting of the farm was hand-painted by husband!

My husband pulled this frame out of the garbage somewhere...I'm not sure what it even is, but if you look on the left-side, there's a really cool old handle.  I just put an old tin star in the middle of it....

Of all my windows, this is the one of most significance...it's a family "heirloom".....actually I stole it (shhh!) from the barn of my Great Uncle Ted....the only problem is that at the time of its "removal", the house belonged to another owner...not a member of our family!

...Do you like the red paper chain??  My daughter is so ready for Valentine's day!... and I am still loving my Epsom salt jars and my silver stick on my winter mantle!

......a little beady stuff and an old Christmas ornament make this window look great against the red of the wall in my half bathroom....

This window has actually had many different "homes" in my home....at one point it hung horizontally and it had hooks across the bottom.....I loved it as it hung in our entryway and was used as a coat-rack.  My children coat's just grew too large and heavy for the poor thing and I was afraid that it was going to break, so it took another spot in the hallway....

I hope that these ideas have inspired you to try putting windows on your walls!

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Turning windows into chalkboards

As I mentioned before, decorating with old windows is very inexpensive.....most of the time, people are throwing them away as junk.....

I've turned two of my old windows into chalkboards.  I used two different methods for each......but now that I have discovered the wonders of spraypaint, I would do this window that hangs over my son's desk in our homeschool room a little differently...

You can't see because I didn't take an up-close shot, but this window is just marred with brush strokes.  I decided to tape off the edges and brush on black chalkboard paint.....now I broke every painting rule and I didn't prime.  The paint is really starting to peal. 

If I could start over, I would tape off the edges, prime the glass and then use a spray chalkboard paint....both Rustoleum and Krylon make chalkboard spraypaint and they are relatively inexpensive.  

This window hangs in my kitchen and keep track of very important information....like our predictions of when the first snow will be (which I won...exactly!)  and what the largest one-time snowfall event will be.....which so far we've had a grand total of about 1/2 inch.....


I'm not sure what the bottom 2 drawings are....something my husband was explaining at somepoint....


This window had cracked glass panes, so we carefully took them out and replaced them with some pieces of cheap luan lying around our garage....(luan is probably the cheapest, lightest wood out there)..


I then just brushed 2 coats of black chalkboard paint directly on the wood.....truly nothing fancy!


.....two inexpensive, practical ways to use old windows....

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Old windows week....

I love old windows.....I haven't counted, but I definitely have well over 10 in my house!  "Why do I decorate with old windows"......well......because most of they time, they are FREE!!!

 How can I turn away free??  I will probably never get in a car accident for texting while driving, but I may cause an accident because I spotted an old window in the trash and quickly pulled off the road!  My children are highly embarassed by their mother's trash-picking habit!!


Before I share my ideas, I wanted to give you a sneak peek of what Stacie has done over at



She added some chicken wire, scrapbook paper and vinyl letters to make this gorgeous creation!  She even scrapbook-papered some clothespins to match!  So easy!

How about mixing fabric with chicken wire??  The complete tutorial is found HERE.  She also uses mod-podged clothespins for picture hangers!





I want to make this flag for my deck this summer.....

Her complete tutorial can be found HERE.

I've made bookshelves, shadow boxes, bulletin board, pot racks, and chalkboards from mine.....I'll show you this week!

Also...I'm working on a gorgeous wreath for your door for Valentine's day.....total cost should be under $4.00!!!!



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Matha's Homemade Hot Chocolate

My mother-in-law buys the magazine Martha Stewart Living for me....she has for the past 5-10 years....truly, I've lost track counting...but, honestly,  I just don't have time to read magazines.....don't let her know or I'd be in BIG trouble!

This month...for some odd reason....I actually sat down and looked at the magazine and found some really good ideas.....one was for homemade hot chocolate....

I was immediately interested because when my kids play outside in the cold weather, they feel entitled to hot chocolate.....as if it's their reward for enduring the punishment that I inflict upon them for sending them into the great outdoors! 

Because of homeschooling, I spent the whole day with my kids and I am often herding them outside.....hence, I am always running out of hot chocolate....

When I saw an easy recipe for homemade hot chocolate in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living using ingredients that I already had on-hand, I couldn't wait to whip up a batch!  (Because in the long run.....it's insures a few moments of peace and quiet while my kids are out-of-doors!)

Yep...that's all you need!! (or so says Martha!)

2 1/4 cups of powdered sugar.....(and surprise, surprise....I was not exact in my measurements!)



1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons of unsweetened powdered cocoa



1/2 tsp. of salt

Have your wonderful helper mix it up.....

Add 3 Tablespoons to your mug or cup....

Now Martha calls for scalded milk here....I don't know what scalded milk is...I don't know how to scald milk...and quite honestly, if I did know what scalded milk was I would probably still ignore the instructions and add warmed milk or like I did here.....hot water from the tap.....

I submitted it to my test kitchen and it came back with favorable results!



I'm storing mine in a Ziploc bag.....Martha says the"shelf life" is 6 months, but I don't think that mine will last longer than a week before I run out.......

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Glimpse of Valentine's Day....oven decor

I've not been a really big "off-holiday" decorator......I get the big holidays and that's about it, but now that I'm blogging, my husband is looking forward to Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter decorating.....at least that's what he thinks...

I'll probably still skip a few spring holidays, but it might be fun to spruce up my Valentine decor....

I realize that Valentine's Day still seems pretty far away, but if you're like me, you may want to start making crafts for it now so that you are finished in time!

I came across this totally adorable idea for your oven at CraftOManiac!  She has truly been a Valentine's crafting maniac since before Christmas......that's just a little too wild and crazy for me!

Is that not the cutest!  She got the potholders at Target in their $1 section and hung them from ribbons....the heart is a cookie cutter hung from a ribbon!

I saw cute Valentine containers like she has on her stove at The Dollar Tree yesterday for $1.00......

I'm still not ready to haul out the red, but in a few week when I am, I am thinking that my oven is going to look a look like this!  (That is if they're not selling Fourth of July decorations by then!)

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Winter White Wreath

Over Christmas, I had the opportunity to "tour" my friend Jenny's house.....she 

had done some amazing crafts.....her beaded initials are one of the 

amazing projects that I can't wait to do next Christmas.

When I saw this wreath, I couldn't wait to make it for my front door after Christmas.

 

Materials:

wreath form

White yarn

Sprig of something wintery

Scrap of ribbon

hot glue



I wasn't able to find a foam wreath big enough for my front door, so I bought a 

straw wreath....there are some drawbacks to using the straw......it's bumpy! 

I think that my straw wreath was 18 inches and really, it could have been 

bigger....Jenny's was on a mirror so it looks bigger than it really is....



Hot glue your starting piece of yarn and begin wrapping the yarn....and 

wrapping....and wrapping....and wrapping.....



You can see the bumps in this picture.....a foam wreath would look a lot 

smoother.....I also ended up doing 2 layers of the yarn so that it was completely covered....



Hot glue whatever embellishment you like to your wreath......I added a burlap 

and fabric twisted flower like these on my homemade bulletin board.

I love the simple look of it.....now I just need to add a cool burlap 

or ivory ribbon to hang it from....





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Winter Mantle Reveal



I think that my winter mantel is done for now....at least until Valentine's Day!

As I was putting it together I remembered the pile of rocks sitting in my neighbor's driveway.....after a quick call asking permission, I went and grabbed 12 river rocks...

.....and I sprayed them silver and put them in my Williams and Sonoma knockoff vases!  Reuse...reuse...reuse!!

I took a votive candle holder and a tea light and put it in my Epsom Salt 
jars next to my silver stick ....

As I was putting away Christmas decorations, I found a roll of silver ribbon and literally scotch-taped it around tall pillar candles....

I had just enough ribbon leftover to tie a bow around my rock jar!

Okay....here's a confession....you know my big pillar candles wrapped in 

ribbon....they were those Jesus candles you can buy at the grocery store.....I 

just ripped the picture of Jesus off.....I think God forgives me because He 

understands that I am saving money!!

Simple and glittery......exactly what I picture a winter mantle to be......



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Linking Up....

I'm linking up my Children's Art Display  at:


 

I always get such wonderful ideas at her parties!

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Would you please pray....

A few days ago I wrote the post Reminders about a woman in Tennessee who lost her home.....I never thought that a few days later the same situation would happen to friends of ours.....

Last night, a family was only able to escape with their children and puppy.  Their kids didn't even manage to put on shoes and socks.  They had been having problems with their furnace over Christmas.....had it serviced and that night their house burned.....

They've pretty much lost everything......would you please pray with me for them this morning as they process all of this....Jacob (8) and Naomi (5) are special friends of my son Aedan and Kylie.......

As I receive more information on how to help them, I'll be posting their immediate needs......

You can read the news report HERE.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."  Isaiah 43: 1-3

Dear Jesus....please hold them in your arms today as they face they full reality of their loss...be with them in a way that they feel your comfort and your peace......

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The Silver Stick

Once again.....I must confess....the is not my original idea....I saw it HERE at Domestically Speaking's Power of Paint party......(that's where my PB Knock-off Lanterns were featured...)


So go out to your backyard and grab a stick.....I got 2 little ones and tied them together because we have baby trees and the hubby would kill me if I chopped off a real branch.....

Grab a can of silver spraypaint and spray.......It was 50 degrees so I actually sprayed outside... (I know the can says don't spray unless it's like 55 degrees, but it's been 20 degrees....50 feels like 80!)

Grab your Epsom salt and Mod Podge and add a little "snow" to your branches.....

I can pretend we have snow since we've really had nothing but cold weather and tough mud this winter...

Sparkly gorgeous-ness....

Set the stick on your mantle and realize that something is still missing....

But breathe a sigh of relief because it looks so free of any Christmas clutter.....(how does what was beautiful on November 30th become clutter by December 27th???)

It was at this point that I remembered the piece of foam board that I bought to make glitter musical notes for Christmas and never got around to........ask the hubby (who is an amazing artist!) to draw what you are calling a "snowbird".....

Yeah....he cheated and used his iphone for a google photo.....

Trace multiple copies and cut out.......only to realize that cutting foam board with scissors makes for very wrinkly birds.....

Spray with silver spraypaint.....

Roll in Epsom salts.....

Glue to your silver stick........

I'll show you the big reveal tomorrow.....it involves more silver spraypaint and my neighbor's rockpile.....



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Epsom Salt Jars

So these Epsom salt jars are popping up everywhere on decorating blogs.....or I should say they "popped up" everywhere over Christmas....

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Reminders.....

I've been pouting.....and crying......and pouting.......and crying some more....

My computer died yesterday......we're not sure exactly how, but I think that it has something to do with the word "yank" and my daughter....

I know that it was an old computer, but still my heart broke.......my husband assured me that we can recover all of the data on it, but I felt disconnected....lost......

....all of my homeschooling documents, lessons, plans.......are on it....

.....all of my pictures, memories, Bible studies......are on it.....

.....all of my blog pictures, future posts and bookmarks....are on it.....

.....and new computers are expensive.....very expensive.....and I was just trying to get to the end of the month of December somewhat in the black......we had a very expensive ER visit for my daughter mid-way through the month....

We decided to purchase a new computer......we found an amazing deal......I still walked out of the store unsettled.....

As I was beginning to restore what was lost, I was adding The Nester to my favorites and I came across her video tribute to Life in Grace.....

....Edie from Life in Grace and her family lost everything a few days before Christmas.....her children barely making it out of her house before it completely burned to the ground.......

.....and I cried because my computer broke?

How do I get so misguided??  How do I forget what really matters? 

Is it the picture or the smell of my daughter's hair.....the picture or the warm hugs from my sons.....

....the homeschool lesson plans or the shared moments in the schoolroom with 3 vibrant children whom my heart adores.....

....the Bible study outline or the constant  connection with my Heavenly Father....

I was reminded tonight of what matters.....what's really important...

I'm going up to give my children an extra hug and kiss.....

.....and to pray for a family who may have lost their "earthly" treasures, but continue to build their

heavenly treasures.....

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Children's Art Display

I have such crafty friends!!


My friend, Dawn, used to have metal, blue storage crates.....they looked like this:

After she ripped them apart, she grabbed some Krylon Satin Ivory......(quick note: because of the dark color, she did spray prime a couple of coats first!)....



...and she "upcycled" them to this....

Isn't it gorgeous!!! And it was free....except for the cost of the spraypaint!!

Do you remember my fancy tacks??

She glued hers to a magnet that sticks to the metal!!  I love it!!

Thanks, Dawn, for your wall of art!



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