The Farm Chicks

Flower Purse

I've been taking a walk down memory lane while going through some old files of Farm Chicks projects for something I'm working on, and thought it'd be fun to share some with you for the next while.

Here's one of my favorites: an idea composed for creative floral displays and gifts, for Country Living Magazine a few years back.

To create, place an old bread pan (you can find really inexpensive ones at thrift shops) filled with water-soaked floral foam into the base of the purse. Poke in flowers until the display is full. For gift giving, tie on a thoughtful tag.

A White Christmas

Another way to make a beautiful holiday display is to group all of one color together. I happen to love white.

It's surprising how these items, none having anything to do with the other, can look so pretty together. Look around your house and see what you have in like colors, and then pull it together for a display.

It will be beautiful!

Image by John Granen

Taking a Drive

When I was a girl, one of my parent's favorite things to do was to take a drive. We'd all pile into the Crummy and set out on an adventure. Inevitably, we'd end up on the steep and twisty roads of the Salmon River, where my mom would hunt for river rocks to bring home. Once the Crummy was full of rocks, we'd stop at the little country store for an It's It (a chocolate chip cookie ice-cream sandwich).

The ice-cream was a really big deal for us, as our mom wasn't big into sugary treats, so we'd make them last for as much of the ride home as we could.

Now that I'm a mom, I love family drives too. And I especially enjoy packing treats for us to enjoy.

Packing is half the fun because you can make it all pretty - which makes everything taste even better.

Tips:

Vessels like old enamelware (as seen below), wooden pop crates, and wire baskets work really well for holding the goodies.

Vintage thermoses are perfect for keeping cocoa hot.

Mugs can be stacked with little cloth cocktail napkins in between each one, which not only provide cushioning for the glasses, but also can be passed out to your family members once you pour the cocoa.

Caramel corn, nuts, or trail mix packaged in handy little paper bags are a simple, tasty, toteable treat.

P.S. Did you know that "Crummy" was the name of the vehicle that would haul the logging crews around on the job? My dad was a logger and during fire season, my mom would oftentimes become the driver for the fire crews. And since we were a family big on nick-names, our family car was always called the Crummy.

Image by John Granen.

Making Something Out of Nothing

Growing up with very little was a blessing because I was able to see the beauty in the everyday objects that are often overlooked. That's what you do when you don't have much.

When you take the time to look around at what you have, you can make anything special. Take this collection of syrup dispensers for example:

It's really simple:

1.) Gather together clear, like objects that can be used as vessels.

2.) Fill with Christmasey items such as little trees, ornaments, and fake snow or objects in a color to fit your Christmas theme such as old game pieces and glitter. (This can be done with anything you love, any time of the year!)

3.) Display as a grouping.

You can find this Christmas inspiration, as well as decorating ideas, recipes, and Christmas cheer in my book, The Farm Chicks Christmas.

Special thanks to my friend, Nancy, for letting us into her home to play and display with her collections. You can find more wonderful objects such as these at Nancy (and friends) shop, Forget-Me-Not, in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.

Image by John Granen.

The Perfect Little Bench

I always find it interesting to watch the trends that come and go in the world of antiques. I remember when trunks were popular. Now they're not. But these old pieces shouldn't be overlooked. In fact, they are so useful for turning into entryway or mudroom benches. (And they have storage space!)

I bought this old trunk/box from my friend, Hollie, at her antiques show.

I simply topped it with a standard pillow covered in my favorite vintage Christmas pillowcase and it was instantly transformed into a little bench.

I can easily change the pillowcase to fit the season.

Have a large trunk? Use two pillows or several toss pillows. It's as easy as that!

I found the trunk here.

My floor tile is from Daltile.

My beadboard wall tile, tile base trim, and tile cap is all from Dirk Elliot Tile.

I purchased my wallpaper from Wallflowers in Spokane. I'm sorry, I can't remember the brand.

Christmas Around The House

We've been decorating for Christmas and I love it when I add some cheer and the boys notice it first thing when they come home from school.

Today I decorated the bookcase in the kitchen. I organized the cookbooks by color and then just added in happy little bits I have on hand. I love that about the holidays. Just making things special with what you have.

As you know, I love displaying sprinkles, and Christmas is no exception. Little old milk bottles are the perfect receptacles. Since they have no lids, I simply capped them with cute mini cupcake wrappers.

Little vintage ornament boxes fit right in.

A vintagey looking Christmas tree cake topper adds the perfect touch to the old toy sedan.

Who says treats can't make you happy?

Cupcake wrappers and cake topper from Bake it Pretty.

Mother's brand Christmas animal crackers are from Fred Meyer.

Cheer Up canister from Fishs Eddy.

My Christmas Book can be found here.

My Old Crafts Space

At one point in our last home, I got tired of not having a crafts space and got a crazy idea to incorporate it into my tiny office (World Headquarters) nook. Jenny Doh featured it in her wonderful book, Signature Styles. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of my favorite ways to re-purpose kitchen, household, and often overlooked objects for use, as I shared in Jenny's book.

Sprinkles in a jar are perfect for holding pens:

Pages from a vintage textile and ribbon sample book become artwork for the wall:

Pretty fabric should be displayed for added happiness. Twine is easily accessible in a clear jar. Cakestands are great for housing an array of supplies. A vintage baking dish holds rick-rack. A disposable plastic Christmas tablecloth is better utilized as a shelf liner:

A colorful old flour sifter is the perfect size for holding a big cone of baker's twine. Sturdy cupcake liners work as vessels for small objects such as twist-ties.

The entire feature, as well as My apron pattern and instructions are available in the book.

Special thanks to Jenny for creating such a beautiful book and featuring so many creative women, and to Christina G., who photographed this story. All images seen here are by Christina G.

The sprinkles, cupcake liners, and twist-ties are from Bake it Pretty.

The cakestands are from Martha Stewart for Macy's.

The disposable plastic Christmas tablecloth is from Martha Stewart Crafts.

My desk is from Pottery Barn.

The oilcloth covering on my desk is from Cath Kidston.

P.S. Don't forget to enter for your chance to win EARLY ADMISSION tickets to The Farm Chicks Show! Click here to learn more!

Camp Tray

Re-purposing old objects into darling little trays is fun! My friend, Teri, and I found these old trail markers one summer and knew they'd be perfect for just that.

To make your own, search for any thick old wooden signs or boards that fit your style. Then choose sturdy handles - new or old, either will do - and screws for affixing them to your wooden sign/board.

Here's what to do:

1. Thoroughly clean the sign with a scrub brush and warm sudsy water.

2. Let dry. Sand any rough spots if necessary.

3. Place the handles on the sign, marking the holes for the screws with a pencil. Remove the handles and drill-start the holes for the screws.

4. Reposition the handles and screw them on.

Images: John Granen, from my book: The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. To purchase, click here.

P.S. If you already have a copy of the book, I'd love it if you could provide a review here.

 

Pantry Jar Labels

Crafting material scraps such as wallpaper and fabric and be put to good use, while creating something useful for your home.

Labels! (This project is from my first book, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen).

These labels are perfect for use around the home as they are wipeable, which makes them easy to clean. (Kitchens can be a messy place!)

1. Cut wallpaper or fabric into label shapes; I used rectangular on my jars shown here. To add a little charm, cut with pinking shears.

2. Cut two pieces of clear Con-Tact paper for each label, making them 1 inch larger in each direction. Sandwich each fabric/wallpaper label between the Con-Tact paper cut-outs; press together to seal. Trim the Con-Tact paper so that it makes a 1/4-inch border all around the fabric/wallpaper.

3. Use a Sharpie pen to write the name of whatever you are storing on each label. Affix the labels to jars or other storage containers with double-stick tape.

Sources:

Jars: Martha Stewart for Macy's.

Image: John Granen, from my book: The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. To purchase, click here.

P.S. If you already have a copy of the book, I'd love it if you could provide a review here.

 

An Ordinary Can

You've got lots of cans passing through your house everyday, right? Did you know you can re-purpose them into many different nifty things? Here's one very simple idea.

Start with a can.

Spray it with an adhesive spray and cover with the fabric of your choice. Wrap the rim with seam binding and hot glue into place.

Fill it with supplies like fabrics...

...or pens

or buttons, stamps, patches, ribbons, whatever you'd like.

Or make a bunch and fill them all.

Notes: The vintage can shown here was shown only for an example, as this project was done a few years ago and I didn't have a before shot. :) I prefer to use new cans that I'd be recycling anyway. (Old cans are so pretty!)

This can was spray painted so the bottom teeny tiny rim didn't distract from the project, however, it's completely unnecessary.

 

It Takes a Vision

I know you'll understand me here.  Sometimes, it takes a vision to see the possibilities in junky things. And when I told Colin that I wanted to find a beautiful old farm sink for our new house, I know he must have gulped and sighed on the inside before giving me his smile of approval.  The smile that says, "I think you're crazy, but as long as you're happy, I'm happy".

And so, I set out on my search.  And phew!  It was a lot more difficult than I imagined.  Salvage yards, tips from friends, a trip to Floyd and Margaret's, and emails from you.  And I have to admit, I started out really picky.  I wanted a perfect sink. No damage.  And that, I learned, was just too much to ask for because a sink that's been around since the 1930's isn't going to be perfect.  Not. Ever.

And when I was about to throw in my towel, a friend called to tell me she found me a sink and that she had already purchased it off of Craigslist.  Turns out, in Spokane, 122 other people (for reals!) wanted my sink too and she had to act fast.

The cost of my sink was $200 and it will cost an additional $250 to have it re-enameled.  It's about 4 feet long and includes a nice high back, one basin, and drainboard.  And I love it.

And the best part?  Colin loves it too.  Thank goodness.  I guess he has the vision too!

The next time you see our sink, it will be pretty as a picture and holding court as the centerpiece in our farmhouse kitchen.

Sink Considerations:

It was really important for me to find this sink before my kitchen plan was finalized.  Since it's such a unique size and includes the high back, it can't just be added into the plan easily.  It would definitely need to be designed around.

I knew that even if I found a sink with no blemishes, it would probably have dull spots, which I wouldn't like.  Because I knew that re-enameling would be almost certain, I made sure to find an expert in our area who could do the project for me before I considered anything that was blemished.  (I'll be working with Mr. Tub in Spokane).

I spoke with the expert (Mr. Tub) and found out a ballpark cost for the work and I budgeted for that. A big consideration for me is that beautiful sinks like this are extremely hard to find and reproductions can run anywhere from $2000-$4000.  So for me, the total cost of $450 was well worth it.

I love single basin sinks.  I chose a single basin for our current home as well and it works really great for handwashing large items.

And the Search Goes On

Sharing Her Secrets

  

A while back, I shared the story of my Aunt Sari's garden shed.  The blog posting caught the eye of a reporter in Sari's state of Oregon and they did a great article on Sari and the shed.  The article, when printed, featured some really great pictures, two of which they've given me permission to post here.

Article written by Nicole DeCosta, interior photos (shown below) by Vern Uyetake From the Lake Oswego Review.

“Painting, gardening and grandchildren are priceless,” Sarah McDonald said.  And she spends a lot of time with all three.  For the former art teacher, McDonald’s yard in the Lake Grove area of Lake Oswego started out as a blank canvas but is now alive with color, wildlife and wonderment.  And although an area of the yard is called the “Secret Garden,” the space is no mystery to neighbors, who have watched the once barren landscape transform into a lush retreat through the decades.

Picture-perfect potting shed

Beneath a thick canopy of trees, McDonald’s garden is divided into three distinct areas – a potting shed, the Secret Garden and charming garden art sprinkled around the exterior of the house. McDonald’s garden proves that with a little imagination, recycled materials and appreciation for all things whimsical, any yard can come to life.  “I come out here and walk through the door and just feel happy. It’s just a joy to come out here,” McDonald said of her 10 foot by 12 foot potting shed, a focal point of the front yard.  With a red front door and shingled sides, and surrounded by green foliage and pockets of color, the small building is “such a joy to me,” McDonald said.

The structure – constructed by “the best husband in the world,” McDonald said – is perfect for craft projects and provides a space for her grandchildren to play. And there are surprises around every corner.  Mimicking the “Wizard of Oz,” tiny children’s shoes poke out from the base of the shed and are used for potted flowers. Inside the shed, the floor is painted to look like a rug. And most materials to construct it are recycled items.  Gardening tools adhered to cabinet doors serve as handles. The doors themselves are refurbished folding closet doors. The countertop came from a school that was demolished. The sink and windows were restored. An antique cabinet came from a West Linn art show.

“At night I can come out here and work,” McDonald said, thanks to a space heater, running water and electricity illuminating several light fixtures including her Mello Jell-O chandelier.  “It’s old fashioned Jell-O molds and salt and pepper shakers,” she said. “It’s a fun conversation piece.”

The secret to how the potting shed always stays looking so cheerful and clean? McDonald works with potted flowers outside at a table on the side of the shed.  “Shhh, no one knows that,” she said. “The mess is here and no one has to see it.”

McDonald said the shed “started problems in the neighborhood because all the other wives wanted one, too.”

“I like the shed,” said McDonald’s granddaughter Ellie, 6, “and the Secret Garden.”

Dying for attention

In the center of the fenced, shady Secret Garden – complete with a large koi pond and bench – sits a tombstone reading “Sarah A. McDonald.”

Decades ago McDonald’s friend called and asked her what her middle initial was –an A.  “He started laughing and he said he had the perfect gift for me,” McDonald said.  Her friend had purchased a headstone of someone with the same name as her, but born a century earlier.  “It was a real person; it’s my name spelled the exact same way,” McDonald said, “but I was born in 1946 and this (Sarah) was born in 1845.”

The gift, displayed proudly in her front yard, drew attention from neighbors and curious passersby when one day a Clackamas County Sheriff visited her and said, “‘Ma’am, we’ve had a report that you have a body buried in your yard.’ And I said, ‘What? No. No,” McDonald said, explaining the yard décor. “Where are people’s senses of humor? Who would bury someone in their yard?”

Projects and pets on the property are always exciting. Two ponds feature many koi fish that “know their names.” And squirrels can often be found high up in the trees “throwing pinecones at my car like torpedoes.”  Hummingbirds are attracted to feeders near backyard seating areas and McDonald said she’s had visitors sit back there for hours “waiting to see one fly by.”

Front and back bedposts straddle flowers in a shady spot in the backyard.  “I call it my ‘flower bed,’” McDonald said.  Decorative watering cans line garden beds and dozens of wind chimes provide peaceful ambiance on breezy days.  “I wanted it to be a natural, park-like atmosphere,” McDonald said. “I don’t care for yards that are perfectly groomed. … We don’t travel a lot. We vacation in our yard.” 

Sari's Shed

My Aunt Sari is incredibly creative and full of energy.  It seems like she is always working on a new project around her wonderland of a home in beautiful Lake Oswego.  When Colin and I were married, she did all of the decorating and flowers, which has created a very special connection with her for me.  I've fallen in love with her potting shed, that she and Uncle Gary built from almost all recycled materials.

Two large side windows were salvaged from a family member's home when new windows were installed there, two small windows and front door came from the recycle center, stainless steel counters were rescued from a demolition job, an antique sink was purchased from a favorite antiques shop, Faucets and two skylights were given to her by a homeowner who couldn't use them because they didn't match.  Gary made the cabinet doors from old bi-fold doors found at a recycling store in Portland.  The cedar roofing and siding were seconds that couldn't be sold due to the irregular widths.  A chandelier made of old kitchen utensils, such as jell-o molds, hangs above the sink.

And her yard feels a lot like a little secret garden to me:

Movie Munchies

In the summer, we love watching movies on our back deck, projected up onto the outside wall.  It's sort of like the drive-in, just more comfy.  And we love lots of munchies.

This old drawer works as the perfect carry-all for all our movie munching needs.

Curtain Crush

I love simple curtains and I have to admit, even after all these years, I still have a crush on them.  And here's the good part:  I made them out of vintage sheets.  It's true.

I LOVE good cotton sheets (vintage) that have that sturdy, yet soft feel.  And whenever I find them at estate sales, I buy them because they're good for so many projects.  For my home and style, the twin sized sheets are the perfect length for my windows.  And exactly right for my sliding glass doors too.  I use them in my kitchen, living room, and master bedroom.

To make, I just sew ribbon tabs to the top of the sheets, and hang.  Whenever they need to be cleaned, I can just throw them in the washer, and they're as good as new.  And since they're white, the best way to perk them up if they're a bit yellow-ish when I purchase them, is to give them a quick soak in Rit Color Remover.  It turns them perfectly crispy white.

And honestly, it doesn't have to be limited to sheets.  I've found darling blankets that I've turned into curtains for the boys rooms too.  And colorful, patterned sheets are great as well.  But best of all, they're so easy and inexpensive too.

Drink-o-Rama!

I love collecting great old pop bottles to fill with special drinks for guests.  Like these I filled with vanilla chai tea I'd brewed the day before.  Delicious juices work really well too!  To seal, I use new corks that we purchase from home improvement stores like Lowes.  And I always make sure to sterilize the bottles before use.

For this Prairie Party, we placed the bottled ice-teas in a huge old yellowware bowl and filled with ice.

Summer Refreshment

Summer parties call for refreshing icy beverages.  To make them even more delicious, I like to have an assortment of fruits and garnishes on hand for guests to easily stir in, such as little dishes of smashed fruits like blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and sprigs of mint.  Simple garnish skewers can be made with lemon wedges and berries.

For the Country Party, great old metal Igloo drink dispensers were used to dispense the drinks.  To label the drinks in the Igloos, we used old 4-H ribbons we found at an estate sale and added a handmade paper medallion to the top of the ribbons.  We stamped the names of the drinks on each medallion and affixed the blue ribbon "labels" to each container.

 

At the same party, we filled a vintage kitchen cart with canning jar "glasses" and placed it next to the lemonade table.

Country Party

Whether you're planning a summer party with friends or a casual country wedding, it's the extra little details that can make all the difference.  Don't hesitate to pull out your favorite furniture pieces to use as clean-up stations, and to use fine linen napkins for your meal.  Mix casual and elegant, junky and fancy - but most of all, just have fun!

Sweetpeas in a canning jar are placed inside a darling little shopping bag:

Wild rosehips fill a vintage dairy cooler atop atop an old dough table.  A funky enamelware tub will hold used silverware, the wired wheeled market basket a gathering spot for used linen napkins, and a chippity old wood box serves as a recycling receptacle:

Vintage cardboard anagram letters make perfect little labels for the silverware clean-up tub, used linen basket and compost bucket:

An old washer is used as the gathering place for plates on one side and canning jar "glasses" on the other:

Chicken feeders make perfect vases:

Vintage silverware is placed atop linen napkins and tied off with strips of cheery calico:

Collecting Cans

Whenever I see cute old cans for sale, I make sure to pick them up.  There are so many uses for them around the house, including use as a utensil holder.

Embellished Tank

I buy a lot of vintage linens and really love retro prints.  I love the big flowery prints because they're perfect for making plain tank tops look cute.

 

Start with a plain tank top, fusible iron-on web, and your choice of fabric for embellishing.

Directions:

1.)  Cut out fabric and fusible web for embellishing.

2.)  Fuse onto tank following instructions provided with the fusible web.

You're done!

Quilted Babydoll Smock

Recently, I was inspired by a $900 Tsumori Chisato dress, and figured I could create my own version for much less.

A recent find of a huge bag of antique quilt and floursack squares at one of my favorite thrift shops worked perfectly for this project.

Supplies:

• Target Cotton Tank Top - $6
• Men's XL or XXL Fruit-of-the-Loom Cotton T-Shirt - $5
• Thrift Store Quilt Squares, Floursack - $1

Directions:

1. Pre-wash and dry tank and t-shirt
2. Cut tank top straight across just under chest.
3. Cut t-shirt straight across just under arms.
4. Gather t-shirt on raw edge to fit tank top.
5. Pin tank top and gathered t-shirt, right sides together and stitch.
6. Affix quilt squares and floursack materials using a decorative top stitch or hand-embroidery stitch.

Total Cost: $12

Style Tip:  This smock can be worn alone as a cute little summer dress or over your favorite pair of slim-fit jeans or leggings.

Mary, Mary, How Do Your Flowers Show?

I'm dreaming of oodles of flowers.  Spring. Summer.  Every type of flower.  And I love that there are no rules when displaying them.  Any vessel you love will do.

My Place, Your Place, Little Toy Chair Place

Place markers can be such a cute way to liven up the table. I love using tiny vintage toy chairs as holders for everyone's names.  Names can be hand-printed onto paper, folded into a little tent, and set on each chair.

Happy Little Spice Drawer

I talked about my spice drawer not long ago, and how much I love putting all my pantry and baking supplies in pretty containers.  Of course, I also want the containers to be practical.

I love the little baking powder containers, as they have great lids and a metal lip inside for scraping off each teaspoonful.  So, each time I buy one at the store, I save it for my spices that get a lot of use, like baking soda and salt.

To make them cute, I just cover them with my favorite polka dot wrapping paper and clear Con-Tact paper.  Simply measure out the wrapping paper to cover the canister and cut out.  Do the same with the Con-Tact paper, cutting it just a little bit wider to overlap the paper and hold it in place.

When baking, if the canister gets messy, you can simply wipe it off with a warm soapy cloth and it looks like new again.

I also add a colorful label to the top, cut to fit just inside the recessed circle, and attach with double-stick tape.

Make Do

We've been working on some new projects for Country Living.  A new section they're doing each month is Make Dos.  Lots of little recycling, earth-friendly projects.  Our first project is in the December issue:

Pretty Little Magnets

A while back, Betz White pondered what to do with all of the caps she'd been collecting when she recycled her plastic.  It got me to wondering about it too.  Since the caps can't be recycled (at least where we live), I knew there had to be something I could do with them.  When working on a recent recycling project for Country Living, it occurred to me.  Why not make pretty little magnets?  They are incredibly simple to make and really useful.  Here are the easy steps:

Select your fabric and caps that you'll be using


Draw a circle around cap (allowing enough fabric to cover up and over sides of the cap).  Cut out circle.


Apply hot glue to the top of the cap, all around


Flip cap over and press onto wrong side of fabric circle


Cut lines in the fabric to the cap edge, all around

Apply hot glue to the tips of each little fabric section.  Pull each section tightly up and over the side of the cap, and press into place.

Continue gluing each fabric section into place, until every piece is set and cap is completely covered.  Glue magnet onto the bottom of the cap, and you're done!

Update:  If the magnets you use are thin and get swallowed up by the cap, simply glue a smaller cap, turned right-side-up to the interior of the cap.  (See below).  Then glue magnet on top of the smaller cap.

Sources:

The darling green dotty fabric is from Sandi Henderson for Michael Miller Fabrics
The red daisy fabric is from JoAnn Fabrics
The tiny red/white flowery fabric is from Hancock Fabrics
The pink notepad paper is from McMaster & Storm
The shopping paper is from our website