Let's talk JUNKIN'

Hello everybody! Today I have a very important topic to discuss and I think it's an important one with everything that is going on in the world today with the Coronavirus. Let's stop being so wasteful! There might really come a day when we need the things we already have. Now that doesn't mean I don't want everyone participating in the spring cleaning that should be starting around the country. I think now is the perfect time for you to decide what you want to leave me out on your curbs this year! Just kidding! No seriously, I need some new projects!

If you're not familiar with junkin' or feel like you're too good to pick up something off the curb, maybe you need to take a look at some of my refinished furniture on my FB page Crafty Junker . Every piece of furniture was taken off the curb (except for the desk my Gram gave me) and this is just a small sample of the work I've done. If you add up how much money I spent creating every piece of furniture I've made over the last 5 years, it adds up to about 12 bottles of Unicorn Spit and sandpaper. True story.

I'm a former homeschool teacher and we barely survived on one income most of the time. I had to get creative to keep myself and my kids busy throughout each school year. I didn't have money to go buy supplies for the crafts that I wanted to do, so every spring I started asking everybody in my family to clean out their junk drawers. We were given everything from paper to paint and glitter. That's how my collection started...or my 'craft supply hoarding problem' as my husband refers to it. I also started paying attention to all the little things my grandmother's would save and starting saving everything from old jeans to cottage cheese containers. All these years later and I have a fully stocked craft room. It still amazes me how I'm able to use materials that I saved 25 years ago in my projects today.

Then I discovered JUNKIN'! At first I was embarrassed to go out and literally pick up someone else's trash. But, after the first hour, I was hooked. It took me a while before I would go out in the light of day, but I got over it. Everything I was finding was way too good not to keep doing this! I exercise all year long just so I am in good enough shape to jump in and out of my truck!

Here is a sample of some of my best finds:

antique sewing machines (picked up at least 10)
antique radios
tv consoles
entertainment centers
wicker furniture
antique metal chairs
liquor carts (picked up 2 so far)
kids toys galore!
bookshelves
antique desk
antique rocking chairs (picked up 4 so far)
wood and pallets (I never buy wood for my signs)
drawer pulls and knobs
fabric & craft supplies
holiday decor
metal wagons (picked up 2 so far) & tractors (also 2)
windows (too many to count)
headboards and full bed sets (too many to count)

Another way to save money on your projects is to go to your local hazardous waste facility for paint and stain. It's free and you can take all you want. If you're really lucky you'll find spray paint, but don't count on it.

Then there is the Dollar Tree. Always hit this place before Walmart because you never know what you'll find to use in a craft and it will always be cheaper. Just know that I shop them all in my local area and I'm always going to get there before you because I don't want to miss out on anything good! Speaking of which, sometimes you can even find t-shirts there for a buck...which works out great when you've already bought every color of vinyl you need to decorate them with!

If you haven't noticed, I'm a cheapskate. But why spend money on all of these things when you're going to need it for Unicorn Spit, sandpaper, spray paint, vinyl and fabric?!

Crafting is a great stress reliever for me and I love being able to express myself through my art. I've always loved redecorating my house, but it definitely gets expensive. I first started out going to garage sales and buying small pieces, maybe a shelf I could refinish or a mirror I could make into a chalkboard. Then I started wondering why I was spending money on these things when I could get them for free off the curb? You will be so surprised to see what things people will throw out.

Go through your Pinterest and see what kinds of items you need for some of the crafts you've wanted to make. Take your list out junkin' with you. Remember that spot in the bathroom where you need a shelf? Bet you'll find it. Or that fairy garden you wanted to make from a large clay pot? You'll see them in all sizes. Want a few wreaths to use for Easter and Halloween? They'll be out there. Need some new toys for the grand kids? Oh, you'll find them!

Now that I've got you excited about going junkin' this year, I must tell you the down side. First, you can definitely expect your spouse to hate your new hobby...especially if it takes up any garage space! So definitely keep your eyes open for stuff your special person will love. You'll still hear complaints but once they get to see what's in it for them, it does help. Secondly, you either better have lots of space to put your new finds or you better get really creative reorganizing stuff. I've found that if you organize enough, they start to lose track of what you're bringing in, so keep that in mind.

I hope I've given you some things to think about and that you'll consider going out on the hunt with me this year. Have fun!

Wooden Bunnies

I have really enjoyed making these adorable wooden bunnies this week and I hope you will too. I'm sure there are many mom's out there looking for a project to do with the kids while we're all on lock down due to COVID-19. As you can imagine, you can get very creative with these. 

I made this one with my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter and he turned out great. I did have to do some prep-work beforehand but you can decide what aspect of this project you want to involve your child in. 

These guys start out as a block of wood. I find 2 x 4's and 4 x 4's every year when I'm out junkin' so I always get what I can. I've used these to make snowmen, Frankenstein's, ghosts, dogs, cats and pumpkins over the years. You can cut your wood as long or as short as you want. Don't worry about nails (unless they're protruding of course, then remove) or imperfections in the wood. You'll want to do a light sanding. Depending on the child, it's never too early in my opinion, to put a sander in one's hand! 

The next thing I did was paint two coats of white paint that was mixed with a good pour of glaze to thin it down. I didn't want the paint to be thick because I planned on covering these with stickers and a layer of spray paint. If it's too thick the stickers can peel up the paint when you remove them.

Next I cut out some designs on my silhouette. This step is optional. I made various shaped eggs, bunnies facing both left and right, carrots, chicks and flowers. For projects like these, I truly don't like to waste my vinyl. I keep a nice stock of contact paper that I get from the Dollar Tree to use for my sticker designs. It works great!

Spray paint any color. If you do use contact paper for your stickers, and they pop up, just stick them back down. Once you get your second coat of paint on, they will start peeling up, but at this point it's o.k. It makes it easier to remove them once the paint is dry.

There are many ways that you can make these, so if you don't have a silhouette or cricut machine, you can always use regular stickers or skip this step and just paint them a solid color. I am always looking for an excuse to use my silhouette!

To make a bunny tail, I used the bottom of a bucket that I got at the Dollar Tree as my circle template, but use whatever you can find. The size worked great for both the 2 x 4 and 4 x 4 bunnies. I happened to have a small piece of faux white fur that I used as a tail, but a pom pom or even felt would work too. Remember, when cutting out faux fur, you only want to snip through the backside of the fabric- not through the fur itself. Hot glue it onto the back.

Using a piece of white felt, doubled over, I simply drew the shape of an ear and cut them out. Make a smaller one in pink for the inside of the rabbit's ear. 

Hot glue both pieces together and then glue them to the back of the rabbit's head.

Now you can get creative and give your bunny a face. You can use googly eyes and pom poms like I did or use whatever you can find in your craft room. Have fun with this! 

Carrots for the Easter Bunny Project

I don't know why but I just had to make some large carrots today LOL! I think this #coronapocalypse is getting to me. This is another project that would be great to do with the kids while we're all shut in at home. It's very inexpensive and easy to do.

 You'll need:

• 2 to 3 one inch strips of orange cotton 45" fabric
• 3 one inch strips of green cotton 45" fabric (I used three different fabrics)
• small styrofoam cone (Dollar Tree!)
• bottle of fabric stiffener

I made three of these carrots so I had an opportunity to see what product worked the best when it came to covering these cones with orange fabric. I decided the fabric stiffener worked just as well as glue and it was faster so I went that route.

Sample color

Make a slit through the selvage edge of your ORANGE fabric and tear strips of fabric about 1" in width. Remove any stray threads and lay wrong side up. This gets messy so cover your table top before getting out the fabric stiffener! Drizzle the fabric stiffener down each strip liberally. Use your fingers to coat each strip evenly.

It is very important to cover the top and bottom of the styrofoam first. Use a pair of old scissors and cut your strips as you go. It helps to add a thin layer of the fabric stiffener to each end before you lay down your strips. Let dry before covering the length of the carrot.

Start at the top and slowly work your strips around until you reach the bottom. You may need a pin to hold the end of each strip until they dry. If you work it right each new rotation will cover the bottom of the one before it. Let dry while you continue on with the green top.

Once again you're going to tear one inch strips of the green fabric. Lay each strip wrong side up, adding a liberal amount of fabric stiffener. Use your fingers to coat the entire strip well.

Now fold each strip in half lengthwise so that you can see the right side of the fabric. Take a pencil and begin wrapping your strip from the top to bottom so that it's winding around it. Clip at the bottom and repeat with another pencil and remainder of the green strip(s).

It takes a while for these to dry so if you want to speed up the process try using a heat gun or a blow dryer. To remove these from the pencil, peel gently at both the top and bottom of each strip. If it's dry enough, sometimes you can twist it free from the pencil by rotating it in your fist and sliding it off. Take your time here!

Once everything has dried completely, you can either use a pin and stick it down through all the layers of the stems or you can hot glue it. Be careful if you do use a pin. These strips are hard to pierce! Definitely do this yourself if you have young children!

Bunnies, Bunnies, Bunnies!

Hello everybody! With all the craziness happening in the world with the #coronavirus, I decided to immerse myself in another Easter Project. Today I will be showing you how to make adorable little bunnies with wash cloths.

This is one of my favorite products ever- Unicorn Spit! I used this colorful stain to dye my wash cloths. This is not a step that has to be done, but it gave my bunnies a unique twist.

 

Now, I'm a cheapskate so I got my 18 white wash cloths at Walmart for $3.47. I did invest in a dozen spray bottles which I got at the Dollar Tree and used to mix up individual colors of Unicorn Spit.

I also picked up these doilies and table runner at the Dollar Tree and they made the best stencils for this project. Once you rinse them you can use them over and over. I dug through my craft room and found shells and keys that I also used. Daubers work great for polka dots!

Before you dye your wash cloths, don't forget to wash them with a little bit of detergent - no fabric softener! Once they are dry you are ready to begin!

All you need to do is lay your objects or whatever you decide to use as a stencil on top of your wash cloth. You may want to use a temporary adhesive for something as thick as a felt table runner. Make sure that you've cut off the tag and that it is right side up. Fill each spray bottle with water and then add a good squeeze of the unicorn spit. One color per bottle. Shake well and then spray onto a paper towel to gauge the color shade and to ensure that your spray bottle is working properly. If you want a color to be darker, add more stain- but be aware that using too much Unicorn Spit can clog the tube inside your bottle and then it won't spray. Spray your wash cloths over wax or freezer paper and either let them air dry or speed up the process by using a heat gun or blow dryer.

It is important to note that you want as much heat as you can get on these in order to set the dye color. It may have been overkill, but I used my blow dryer, then ironed them really well. You can also throw them in the dryer on high heat for an hour- but don't do this until they are dry or you'll color the inside of your dryer!

At this point you're going to need a bucket. Fill with 1 gallon of water and 1 gallon of white vinegar. Place each wash cloth inside the bucket and make sure they are completely covered in liquid. Let sit for 24 hours.

When your wash cloths have been in the vinegar/water mixture for 24 hours, pull each of them out and squeeze the excess liquid into the bucket. Toss wet cloths into the washing machine with a little bit of detergent- no fabric softener! Wash on cold. Dry as usual.

Now it's time to put together the bunnies! Lay wash cloth wrong side up and begin rolling diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner.

Fold roll equally in half.

Fold roll equally in half again and hold it together. Take a rubber band and wrap it around the center of the folded roll.

Now lift up the bunny's ears.

This is where you can get creative! Add ribbons tied in bows to cover the rubberband. Hot glue the eyes, noses, mustaches and flowers or whatever else you can come up with to make each of your bunnies different from one another. Don't forget a pom pom for their tails!

Easter Wreath

Using Pine cones and washcloths!

This project was extremely simple, however it was very time consuming. I started it last fall when I could finally get my hands on some pine cones. I took a pair of wire cutters and cut each pine cone into three sections, gently working my way into the center of each cone and snipping carefully. As they are cut apart, you will see that each section now looks like a flower. If you turn the bottom part upside down, it looks like a succulent.

Next, I spray painted them. Some of them I even sprayed with two colors. I did this to the bottom of a couple to add in some succulent looking plants.

Now, I am an admitted "junker" so I was able to use an old Christmas wreath that someone had thrown away. All I did was fluff it a bit. Once my pine cone flowers were good and dry, I simply hot glued them onto the wreath.

I went above and beyond for my wash cloth bunnies, but I wanted to see how well Unicorn Spit would stain fabric. So I spent $3.47 at Walmart on a package of 18 white wash cloths. They were washed with a little bit of detergent but I didn't use fabric softener because I wasn't sure how that would affect the dyeing process.

Then I got out my Unicorn Spit stain. I made a spray bottle of water for every color of spit I had and then squirted some in. Use less spit if you want your colors lighter; more if you want them darker. Practice spraying the water/spit bottle onto a paper towel to make sure it sprays evenly BEFORE you spray your fabric. I've used misting bottles too, but they tend to clog up if you add too much spit into the water. Though they work well, my finger got really tired of spraying!

These may look more complicated than they are, but the designs on these were made using daubers for polka dots, keys, doilies and a felt table runner from the Dollar Tree. All I did was prepare my unicorn spit/water mixture in separate spray bottles, lay the runner and doily over the wash cloth and sprayed using a variety of colors. I did use a temporary adhesive to the back of the table runner so that it would stick better as I sprayed the unicorn spit. The great thing about the table runner and doilies- they can be rinsed and reused over and over!

Now, I used a hair dryer to help these dry because it helps set the color and I didn't want the inside of my dryer multicolored, and then I ironed them really good! You can even throw them in the dryer (after they're dry of course!) for an hour to make sure they get good and hot. Let them sit for 24 hours and then put them in a bucket with 1 gallon of water and 1 gallon of white vinegar. They must stay in this mixture for 24 hours. Then I just squeezed out the excess liquid and threw them in the washing machine with just a little bit of detergent and washed on cold. Dry as normal and wallah!

Finally, I rolled up my bunnies, hot glued eyes, mustaches, flowers and pom poms for bunny tails and then tied a ribbon around each neck. You can see the directions here: https://www.smartschoolhouse.com/diy-crafts/wash-cloth-bunny

Lastly, I strung a thin wire through the inside of the bunnies and attached each one to the wreath. On this project, I did hot glue all of my flowers on my wreath, but if you only want to utilize one wreath throughout the year, just attach everything with wire. I only wired the bunnies on so that I can remove them after Easter has passed and still have a spring/summer time wreath. I did the same with the bow. I'll switch it out for a summery color ribbon in a few weeks.