Vintage Feeder Upcycled

We had a break in the rain Saturday, so we ventured out.  Went out to breakfast and then headed off to old town Roseville.
Beautiful fluffy white clouds were scurrying across the sky.  The sun felt so warm and so good.  The ground is still very wet with puddles and mud everywhere.

When we got home I caught a glimpse of my camellia bush.  It is in full bloom, Spring can't be far off.  I cut a few blooms from the bush and popped them into a vase.

I found this little rusty vintage feeder a a cute  antique store, Tumbleweed and Company, in old town Roseville.

I immediately thought it would make a darling Spring display.

 

I dusted it off and gave it a covering of white chalk paint.  I used a dry brush technique, leaving some of the galvanized metal still visible, but covering most of the rusty areas.

When the paint was dry I used Mod Podge on the outside panels and cut pieces from vintage sheet  music to fit the sides.

Next using the 2 holes in each end I added a large jump ring and a 2 foot length of chain to hang up my finishes feeder.

I had a couple of strips of salvage I tore off of muslin yardage leftover from another project.  I threaded these through the outside of the jump rings and tied them into bows at each end.

I tried out a couple of different types of bottles, a set of 3 and a set of 2.  I decided I liked the set of 2 the best.  I used Mod Podge to glue on vintage styled labels and filled each bottle with a daffodil and some greenery.

I used Tacky Wax, a type of museum wax, to make sure the little bottles won't fall or get knocked out.

I hung my finished display on my glass door of my china cabinet in our front hall.  Now we have a little touch of Spring to welcome our guests.

Happy Crafting!

Aligator Clip Banner Chain

Throughout the year I enjoy hanging different seasonal banners or garlands in my front window.  However, it is always such a pain to climb the ladder to put them up and take down not to mention not the safest thing to be climbing ladders.

Well, awhile back I saw an idea on one of those sites where they offer one home decor item each day at a reduced price.  That is were I got the idea to make a banner holder with clips on a metal chain.  The sites I checked out charge anywhere from $13.00 to $18.00 for this type of chain and clips. 

I ordered 30 clips online for $5.00 and used a piece of chain from my jewelry supply stash.  Ended up only use 10 clips for this project and an 8 foot piece of chain to perfectly fit my window.  You could make yours any length just by adding more or less chain and clips.

 You just un-clip the pendants and change them out without taking the whole piece down.

I found a few examples on Pinterest.  As you can see this can be used for manny different seasons.

I began by measuring out the the chain and marking equal distances along the chain to add the clips.

To attach the clips I slipped them through the links of the chain and used a pair of pliers to close the loop at the top of the clip permanently attaching them to the chain.

I clipped my pendants in place just to see how it would look.  Think I will take them down and add a few pieces of ephemera to these.

I also think I will make another chain and clip for my mantle, too.

Happy Crafting!