{scissor variations}

vintage spools + ribbon remnants

 

I love these old vintage textile spools. The patina. The history they hold.

 

 

If you like having useful and beautiful things in your craft space or office and you have some substantial lengths of ribbons that need a keeping place …start winding away.

 

 

Now I am not suggesting you transfer a 100 yard role of ribbon onto another spool.

I do have a practical side.

Spool fool or not.

 

 

 

 

 

Thread a wire (old faithful 19 gauge for me) through the spool ends for hanging

-leave enough length so that your spool “turns” easily.

 

 

{mundane beauty}

pretty recycling

 

 

 

 

We’ve all seen this project before,

but today I was reminded of it once again as I was sorting the recycling.

 

 

 

Gather together

metal food cans ~ empty + washed

decorative paper (wall paper, graph paper, pages from a favorite magazine, old food labels a color copy of a child’s drawing)

 

glue stick

scissors

 

 

Cut labels or other paper to the same height as your can.

If the label does not go all the way around, no worries, cut another piece of coordinating paper to fill in the space ( my labels did not go all the way around so I cut a piece of vintage paper to fit the gap)

Glue your label to the can.

 

 

Your project is finished.

 

Unless…. you want to punch some holes in either side and add some handles for hanging.

I used a crop-o-dile. A dremel drill or nail and a hammer would work as well---let’s make this easy (although I will admit the crop-o-dile cuts through cans like butter).

 

 

I used vintage chain, a section of an old tape measure + a length of number ribbon.

These would be pretty hanging on a door knob--or filled with fresh flowers and left on a neighbor's door knob...maybe when the weather is a bit warmer (in these parts anyway).

 

More can love:

• If you have the opportunity to purchase canned food products from an Italian grocer save those wonderful cans for desk storage. I am especially fond of the tomato cans
• Use the cans as they are, with the labels they came with. Elevate that bean can to a place of stature on your desk top- filled with pens + pencils
• Some cans do not have paper labels but have the logo directly printed on the metal-great for small flower bouquets, especially several of them grouped together
• the prettiest of pew markers--cover with decorative paper to suit your wedding colors or theme, fancy the exteriors wth bits + bobs, a monogram perhaps

a simple idea = craft room happiness

 

pursuing baskets

i think i finally found the perfect basket for my organizing needs

 

or maybe i found the perfect basket for my vintage number collection...

 

+ only $5.99 each at my local grocery store of all places

{i think an office make over is in the works}

Grubby Container Love

I have a fondness for "the container"--something meant to hold something.

Or something meant to hold certain things.

Or something that was meant to hold certain things at a certain time, but now holds other certain things.

I found this rusty old metal parts drawer unit in an antique mall.

I loved the fonts on the drawer

...i loved the color not-so-much.

but, i did indeed love the price--$6.00

 

....you guessed it, i'm still organizing

Twirling Rubber

Something I like to do is to have custom rubber stamps made with wooden handles for labeling items in my office as well as for personalizing gifts.

I think it is a really personal gift to have younger children print their names and have the stamp shop make it into a stamp for them. 

This year for birthdays we are giving book plates, canvas book totes, signature rubber stamps and of course, books.

Organized Twirling

{the organizing continues}