green T workshop

Heads Up

Maggie — Thu, 31 May 2012 09:35:29 +0000

I want to share more great ideas of things to make with thrift store clothing. It can be so much easier to refit or reuse clothing, rather than looking for something that fits just right. So I thought we could take a stab at all the t-shirt ideas that are out there. And what would be more simple than a headband. And no sewing necessary.

Check out this headband from Maybe Matilda. The tutorial is super easy to follow. And with summer coming on it’s a great time to pull back your hair.

Holly

Maggie — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:46:31 +0000

Thrift store furniture usually tends to get painted over, sometimes because it needs the cover up, sometimes because we might love the look, and sometimes because we are feeling lazy (this one might just be me).

Stripping, sanding, more sanding, a little more sanding, and staining can be a bit more work, but if your piece is in great shape or the style looks best in a natural wood state, it is definitely worth the extra effort.

Holly represents the beautiful clean lines of mid-century modern furniture. While the refinishing did not change her look much, she is certainly clean and fresh and I changed the knobs out with some red stripes and floral fun.

As Time Goes By

Maggie — Tue, 29 May 2012 09:31:42 +0000

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend. I did…great friends, great food, great fun.

“Time” to move forward again with 101 things to do with books. As I look back on Reading Hour, Book It, and Hang In There I see that I am currently on number 10, so I continue counting down…

10. Turn a book into a clock.

Vintage Book Clock from Parentingclan.com

Dr. Seuss Clock from brandibug.blogspot.com

Brandi has a pretty good tutorial on her book redo. Just click on the link above and check it out. She even came up with a great use for the pages she cut out. I love the thriftiness of using as much of the book as she could.

11. Use pages from a kids book to make baby blocks.

The blocks are colorful and fun…and I love Dr. Seuss. Great job Brandi.

Friday Finds

Maggie — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:10:54 +0000

We all have obsessions…come on, I know you do. I have many, but one of my biggest obsessions is shoes. Sandals, flats, wedges, pumps, flip flops, boots, tennis shoes. I love them all. It is just my budget and closet space that get in the way.

I figure that by now you are expecting to see a great thrift find of a new pair of shoes. Not today…but I did find a plate, with shoes on it! It is great to use as a drop off for jewelry or keys.

And did I mention it has shoes on it.

Happy Weekend!

Double Up

Maggie — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:10:16 +0000

I think one of the greatest things about frames is the wide range of styles they come in. There are ones with straight contemporary lines, traditional frames with floral details, and some that are over the top with curlicues and pizazz. They can be any color, any size, on the wall, or on a desk. Let’s not forget all of the great things you can do with frames. So far we have covered bulletin boards and jewelry holders.

I love this frame I came across at Lovely Little Snippets. Actually this is two frames glued together to get a nice chunky look. The white is a great neutral color, but it could be any color, since you will probably have to paint the two frames to match anyways.

So the next time you are shopping for frames (and thrift has a bunch of them) think about putting some together to get just the look and size you want.

Life’s a Picnic

Maggie — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:48:01 +0000

May is National BBQ Month. It is also National Hamburger Month and National Salad Month. I swear, someone planned that one on purpose. Or it was a competition to be top dog. (Dog…hot dog…hot dog eating competition…I do crack myself up at times).

Yet they all go together so well…so I am declaring Picnic Month.

Arc and picnic baskets also go well together. Grab one up next time you find one, pack it up and go enjoy. While you are at it enjoy one of my favorite fruit salads, courtesy of Cooking Light. It serves 8 so invite a lot of friends to your picnic.

Big Top Watermelon Salad

7 cups seeded cubed watermelon
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbl fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together olive oil and remaining ingredients is a small bowl; pour over salad and toss well to combine.

Bleach it Baby

Maggie — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:30:08 +0000

You all need to check out Cotton and Curls. Creativity and vision…so many great ways to up-cycle thrift store clothes. It doesn’t hurt that she is also so darn cute.

This is one of my favorites. Not only refiguring the shirt, but bleaching it for some gorgeous color.

Read all about it here. And then read all about some of her other projects. She has great tutorials to guide you.

I discovered this blog about 6 months ago, and then spent countless hours reading all of the back posts. Trust me, you will too.

The Why of Fry

Maggie — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:46:38 +0000

If you recognize the title, then you are definitely a Futurama geek. Do you remember the tag line “Dancing space potatoes? You bet!“? Well then, you are a double Futurama geek. If you are not into Futurama, that is okay too. Just follow along.

This is my son’s truck console. It is gunky, I am not sure what is on it. He claims that the cleanest part is where Sprite got spilled on it. All I know is it needs a new cover…and he is definitely a Futurama geek.

More thrifted skirt goodness. A grey wool skirt, felted in my washer. Add in an outline of the Planet Express ship (fresh off an internet search), embroidered in a simple outline stitch. I did have to flip the pattern to place the ship in the correct direction.

Since we were unable to remove the section that needed covering, I had to work with my scissors and hot glue gun in the confines of the truck. Not the most comfortable way to work. But I think it turned out great.

A whole new look. Of course, A loves it, and has requested a few other upgrades.

Friday Finds

Maggie — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:45:31 +0000

At times, art work and thrift stores do not go hand in hand. The art can have a tendency to look dated. Many of us shop the art department to check out the frames. Just remember to keep your eyes open though, because you never know when you will come across a treasure.

This was my treasure. The line work seems fresh, but the picture itself is reminds me of the old braided rag rugs. And the best part…it is an original signed piece. And I love the colors. I did paint the original oak frame a navy blue, but otherwise it is just as I found it, in all of it’s goodness.

Happy Weekend!

School’s Out for Summer

Maggie — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:37:15 +0000

I can never think about the phrase school’s out without hearing Alice Cooper in my head. I am not sure if that dates me just a bit, but that is reality.

Summer break is right around the corner, and so many of you are having the same thought…what am I going to do to keep the kids busy. Well, in-between the park, the pool, and the play dates, it might be time for the summer craft basket. I really love having something for the kids that is just about summer, special items they only get during break.

Everything here (except for the color pencils) was purchased at Arc. And all for only $4. And I am not even done filling it up. I made a challenge for myself that each item had to be no more than $1. By shopping around, especially on a sale day, that is not as hard as you think. And rather fun.

Some other thrift ideas to add in your basket:

books for summer reading
fabric, ribbon, or string
puzzles
items for dress up
wooden objects to paint and decorate
jewelry to take apart and restring into something new
drawing and construction paper
clay pots to paint and glitter

So come on by and start putting together your kid’s summer fun. Because school is out completely. Okay, no more Alice Cooper.