I wrote this post on Monday over on Lemon Tree Creations, but I thought I would share it here too, since this is what most of my family and friends visit, and they are the ones who accuse me of being overly crafty.
Anyway, ever since I started publicly showcasing some of the things that I make on blogs, I have been hearing the following comment in some form or another, “Well, I would make stuff too, but I’m just not crafty.” I then start into a tirade logical explanation on how, a lot of the things that I make don’t involve an ounce of craftiness or artistic training, but that sometimes it just involves me literally putting a few things together. Whomever has just received my verbal lashing quickly retreats with a “Well, I don’t know…” but it seems that they are secretly thinking that I possess some secret knowledge that they don’t. Therefore, I wanted to share a few of my most recent assembling-of-goods-into-something-pretty as a reminder that sometimes a little luck in the thrift store is more useful than a little talent.
Example #1: Easy
I neglected to get a before picture of this because I wasn’t planning to do a tutorial on it, given that the detailed instructions would be, “Buy these 2 things. Glue them together. The end.” I found the wooden plate and glass cover for $2.50 at Goodwill, headed over to the candlesticks, found one with a similar color of wood for $.69, headed home, added some Gorilla glue to the mix, and was done. The glass was heavier than I had originally thought, and with my toddler currently on a grabbing rampage I wanted it to be a little more stable. So I bought this little round wood piece for $.40 from Jo-Annes, stained it, and then glued it to the bottom of the candlestick.
Tada! This would be the end of the story, but since I can’t leave well enough alone/wanted a little more contrast with the wood in my kitchen, I painted mine a dusty blue from a leftover paint sample.
Total time: Not including shopping, maybe 15 minutes. Craftiness: Not an ounce.
Example #2: Easier
What do you do when you see cute spring plates, but don’t actually need any plates? Buy a dinner and salad plate, add a candlestick, and turn them into a tiered display!
I got these plates at Walmart, and the candle stick at Goodwill. I painted the wood on the candlestick white to go with the plates a bit better, then used my Gorilla glue to glue the big plate to the bottom of the candlestick, and the little plate to the top.
Total time: 8 minutes, only because I was trying to be careful not to get the white paint onto the silver of the candlestick. Craftiness: Nada.
Example #3: Easiest
Go to thrift store on the day that they receive the truck, go straight to the glassware/house wares, buy darling glass containers that were previously unappreciated and vow not to make the same mistake. Bring them home and fill with goodies.
Total time: I don’t know, how quickly do you commit to your decor? I am indecisive and my displays are constantly evolving, but I promised you displays without craftiness not quick decorating! :) Craftiness: None whatsoever.
I hope these little projects have instilled a little bit of DIY confidence into you non-crafters.
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