A Sunflower Welcome

Sunflowers are one of the best things about Summer!

And, this porch sign is a perfect way to welcome not only Summer, but also my guests.

To make the sign, I started with a 4' x 1' board that I painted with the color Fluff from the Dixie Belle Paint Company.

I used my Cricut Maker to cut out the word, welcome, using permanent vinyl.

For the sunflowers, I used the Sunflower Fields transfer from Re*design With Prima. The transfer works similar to the vinyl "welcome" in that you peel off the back, place the design, rub over the design to make it adhere, then peel up the top layer. The difference is that the Prima transfer comes with the top layer, & you add transfer tape yourself as the top layer with the Cricut vinyl. The Cricut vinyl can be re-positioned, but the Prima transfer can't. 

I used a paper cutter to get a straight edge on the transfer so it would line up perfectly with the edge of the board.

I placed large groupings of flowers on the top & bottom of the board, then added smaller pieces to middle sections of the board.

And, since the squirrels always dig up & eat my seeds, this is the perfect way for me to enjoy sunflowers.

Linking To:

Ginger Snap Crafts,  Rae Gun Ramblings, Chic On a Shoestring,  Simply Sweet Home, The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors, The Dedicated House,  Sugar Bee Crafts, Flour Me With Love,  Domestically Speaking,  The Answer Is Chocolate, Skip To My Lou, The Thrifty Home, Flutter Buster, The Foley Fam,  Finding Silver Pennies, Our Hopeful Home, My Thrift Store Addiction, The Painted Hinge, Yesterday On Tuesday, Confessions Of A Plate Addict, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Dabbling And Decorating

Fall Solar Lights

From the time I started blogging, one of the easiest projects I have shared has remained one of the most viewed posts. I first published my Upcycled Pickle & Olive Jars back in 2012...

So, when Southern Holiday Life asked me a year ago to contribute a DIY project for their magazine, I decided to incorporate a new version of my popular jars. 
With tomorrow being the first day of Fall, I thought it was the perfect time to share my Fall Solar Lights.

Here's what you'll need:
Clean Jars
ModPodge
Patterned Paper Napkins
Paintbrush
Scissors
E6000 Glue
Jute
Solar Lights
Paint

Cut the napkin to fit around the jar where it will overlap slightly.

Napkins are typically 3 or 4 ply. Separate the layers so that you are left with only the layer with the pattern. If you don't separate the layers, the napkin won't adhere well to the jar.

Add a coat of ModPodge (or other decoupage medium) to the jar. Then add the napkin...

Add another coat of ModPodge over the napkin...

Set aside to dry.

Add E6000 to the rim of the jar and wrap with jute.

You could stop here and use them as they are, or add a candle...

Or you can take it a step further!

Remove the top of an inexpensive solar light...

Paint the light being careful not to cover the solar panel...

You could glue the light onto the jar, but I didn't. I just set it on top. This way I can easily change it. 

My jars have been on my back porch for a year now and are still working!

Linking To:

Coastal Charm,  Someday Crafts, Ginger Snap Crafts,  Creations By Kara,  Rae Gun Ramblings,  Seven Thirty Three,  The Shabby Creek Cottage, Seven Alive, Made In A Day, Chic On a Shoestring,  Simply Sweet Home, The Shabby Nest,  Somewhat Simple,   Live Laugh Rowe, Have A Daily Cup Of Mrs Olson, The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors,  Tatertots & Jello,   Blissful & Domestic, A Vision To Remember  DIY Showoff, Craft-O-Maniac, Keeping It Simple, Homemaker On A Dime, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, The Dedicated House,   Coastal Charm, Reasons To Skip The Housework, Sugar Bee Crafts,  Nifty Thrifty Things, Cherished Bliss, Mad In Crafts, Flour Me With Love, Not Just A Housewife,  Today's Creative Blog, Tip Junkie,  Homework,  I Gotta Create,  Thrifty 101,  Domestically Speaking,  The Answer Is Chocolate, Skip To My Lou, The Thrifty Home,Cedar Hill Ranch, Flutter Buster, Nap Time Creations, Hope In Every Season, The Foley Fam, Our Home Away From Home,  Remodelaholic, Flamingo Toes,  VMG206,  Finding Silver Pennies, A Stroll Thru Life, Bloom Designs,French Country Cottage, The Scoop, Stone Gable, Knick Of Time, Lou Lou Girls, DIY-Crush, Charm Bracelet Diva,

Trunk Makeover

Every month we decorate the porch at Junk Mama's General Store to go along with the season or theme of an event we are hosting.

Junk Mama's is located in a 100 year old house, known as The Perry House, in Fayetteville, GA. It has a beautiful large porch that we really get to have a lot of fun decorating. 

We recently had an event to celebrate the 100 year birthday of the house. The mayor and other people from the city government came out, as well as people who were related to people who had lived in the house. Needless to say, we wanted the porch to be pretty. 

We had everything in place, but still needed a coffee table. Cindy, the owner of Junk Mama's General Store, had an old trunk, or trooper foot locker, that was the perfect size for what we needed. But, it was black...

I asked her if I could paint it, and being game for anything, she said yes. Together we decided that Holy Guacamole from The Dixie Belle Paint Company would be the perfect color.

So, I painted the trunk with the beautiful shade of green, then used Dixie Belle's whitewash glaze and went over it.

I wanted it slightly distressed so I took a little of the paint off the metal.

The painted trunk was just what the porch needed...

If you're ever in downtown Fayetteville, stop by and see us. We'll sit on the porch and visit awhile!

Linking To:

Coastal Charm,  Someday Crafts, Ginger Snap Crafts,  Creations By Kara,  Rae Gun Ramblings,  Seven Thirty Three,  The Shabby Creek Cottage, Seven Alive, Made In A Day, Chic On a Shoestring,  Simply Sweet Home, The Shabby Nest,  Somewhat Simple,   Live Laugh Rowe, Have A Daily Cup Of Mrs Olson, The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors,  Tatertots & Jello,   Blissful & Domestic, A Vision To Remember  DIY Showoff, Craft-O-Maniac, Keeping It Simple, Homemaker On A Dime, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, The Dedicated House,   Coastal Charm, Reasons To Skip The Housework, Sugar Bee Crafts,  Nifty Thrifty Things, Cherished Bliss, Mad In Crafts, Flour Me With Love, Not Just A Housewife,  Today's Creative Blog, Tip Junkie,  Homework,  I Gotta Create,  Thrifty 101,  Domestically Speaking,  The Answer Is Chocolate, Skip To My Lou, The Thrifty Home,Cedar Hill Ranch, Flutter Buster, Nap Time Creations, Hope In Every Season, The Foley Fam, Our Home Away From Home,  Remodelaholic, Flamingo Toes,  VMG206,  Finding Silver Pennies, A Stroll Thru Life, Bloom Designs,French Country Cottage, The Scoop, Stone Gable, Knick Of Time, Lou Lou Girls, DIY-Crush, Charm Bracelet Diva,