Crafts, Decorating, and Flea Market Finds
We love primitive style so we couldn’t wait to make our own prim Vintage Yardstick Christmas Tree from old rulers and yardsticks. We simply cut the rulers and yardsticks with a handsaw to make the tree, painted the rulers with chalky colors, then “decorated” the tree with brooches and buttons. Here’s how we did it!Read More
We love making teacup gardens, so with Christmas coming, we decided to make a Teacup Christmas Scene! We found a cute little deer and the perfect sized bottlebrush tree. Then we looked for a teacup that would be just right. Here’s how we put it all together. How To Make A Teacup Christmas Scene MaterialsRead More
Looking for a terrific handmade gift for Christmas? Try Peppermint Soy Candles! We love making candles with soy wax. The soy wax melts in the microwave, so this craft is fast! And making the candle in a tin makes it a perfect Christmas gift or stocking stuffer! When we make candle tins, we always printRead More
We love making wreaths, especially for Christmas. It’s the perfect time for a big, glittered showstopper wreath! Because we make so many wreaths, we’ve learned a thing a two. So we’ve got some great tips to share. One of our favorite tips for a big fancy wreath is choose three different sized decorations: something beautifulRead More
Make a Christmas teacup topiary with shiny ball ornaments! We love vintage Shiny Brite ornaments! We collect them at the flea market and find the at thrift stores too. You can never have too many, we think! If you don’t have real vintage ornaments, you can still make this vintage style teacup topiary with anyRead More
In our house growing up, the holidays were all about baking. We’d bake pumpkin pies, make peppermint bark, and decorate gingerbread men. We loved using Grandma’s cookie press, Mom’s cookie cutters, and the ancient sifter with the wooden handle. So with Christmas around the corner, we decided to hit the flea market and add toRead More
We love decorating for Christmas, especially when the decorations are made by hand. Whether they’re crafts we’ve made over the years, family heirlooms, or vintage finds from the flea market, our favorites are always homemade! So we put on our matching pea coats and set out to deck our halls with Christmas crafts from theRead More
Every Christmas season, we deck our halls with vintage decorations for our annual holiday party. This year, we decided to create a Christmas village as the centerpiece of our table. So we bundled up and headed to the flea market to shop for our miniature yuletide town. Entering the gates to the flea market wasRead More
This flamboyantly wrapped gift will stand out under the Christmas tree. Start by wrapping the gift with embossed florist foil in vibrant turquoise. Then create the embellishment by folding a large gold doily in half, wrapping it around the side of the package, and gluing in place with dabs of hot glue. Fan out fiveRead More
Even grown-up kids want toys for Christmas! Christmas is a great time to shop at the flea market, especially if your wish list includes vintage toys. So when our brother and sister-in-law came to visit for the holidays, we couldn’t wait to take them to our local antique fair. On the way in, we chattedRead More
Have yourself a merry little Christmas with vintage Santa collectibles. When Christmas comes we like to pick a theme for our décor, and this year we both decided to do Santas to the max. We wanted Saint Nick in all shapes and sizes in every room of the house. So, where did we go toRead More
This holiday season open the door to delightful vintage reindeer. It’s our favorite time of year for flea market shopping. Vendors dig out all the Christmas goodies they’ve gathered throughout the year and create elaborate displays that are so inspiring! Just browsing the stalls reminds us of Christmases past and gets us excited about ChristmasesRead More
What’s more fun than an antique store? An antique mall! With so many shops-within-a-shop, antique malls are terrific treasure hunting spots. The variety of vendors means there’s a variety of merchandise. We’re lucky to have two of the largest antique malls on the Peninsula in one spot. The Antique Trove and Antiques Then & Now,Read More
We found a cure for holiday shopping stress…we skipped the mall and headed to our Christmas street fair! The roads along the square downtown are blocked off and the regular flea market is turned into a winter wonderland with booths showcasing everything from Christmas collectibles to handmade decorations and tasty homemade treats. Snow much fun!Read More
We saw big paper flowers like this one on a fancy Christmas tree in San Francisco and couldn’t wait to come home and make our own! Materials & Embellishments 1 sheet printed red scrapbook paper red, 12” x 12” 1 sheet printed ecru scrapbook paper, 12” x 12” 8 gold pearls, 8mm Krylon Glitter BlastRead More
You can always spot a gift from Jennifer under the tree by her big beautiful bows! Learn to tie a big bow and make all your presents look like they were wrapped by the pros! Here’s a video to show how we do it! Steps 1. Start by using real fabric ribbon. It barely costsRead More
Guarantee a white Christmas with wintry flea market finds. It’s snowing at the flea market! Vendors change their wares with the season, and now is a great time for wintry wonders. A pair of ice skates hung over the back of a chair feels like a white Christmas, even if you live in the SunshineRead More
Celebrate Christmases past with vintage ornaments from the flea market. Holiday shopping is a joy at the flea market. Throughout the year we hem and haw over what to buy and how much to spend, but when it’s Christmas—it’s Christmas! And you can never have too many ornaments. Kitty had clip-on birds on her wishRead More
It doesn’t snow where we live, but we love the idea of a white Christmas — so we made it snow in a little holiday shadowbox! Create a vintage Christmas scene with an old-fashioned Santa amid drifts of faux snow. Materials & Embellishments Unfinished wood shadowbox, 5”x5” Artistic Appliqués small floral wood appliqué, 5½”x1” Full-ColorRead More
This Christmas bird apron is so simple it doesn’t even need a pattern. And that birdy pocket turned out so cute! Cook up a birdy little apron chock full of holiday cheer! Materials & Embellishments White cotton fabric, 1 yard Christmas print cotton fabric, 1 yard Red cotton broadcloth, 2/3 yard Red thread Green threadRead More
We love old Victorian clip art and when it’s Santas and Christmas trees, even better! Create an old-fashioned holiday centerpiece featuring images from Christmases past. Materials 1-quart metal pail 35 photocopied images from Dover’s “Full-Color Holiday Vignettes” clip art (photocopied on Laser printer, not ink jet) Scissors Mod Podge decoupage medium, matte finish 1-inch flatRead More
December is all about holiday crafting, so let’s keep this craft party going with a pretty Christmas wreath! Let a Victorian postcard inspire a holiday wreath with an air of mystery and a touch of romance. From the Flea Market 1 Vintage Victorian Christmas postcard 1 Furniture key, 2½” 2 Ladies’ watch faces 2 ClockRead More
Sweeten up your holiday décor with a gingerbread birdhouse dotted with gumdrops, lollipops, and candy canes galore! YOU’LL NEED Materials Wooden birdhouse, 9” tall. Studio By Sculpey Oven-bake Clay: Poppy #6210, Whipped Cream #6101, Clover #6461, Denim #6576, Iris #6328, Lemon Drop #6431, Clementine #6440, Raspberry Smoothie #6319. Plaid FolkArt Artists’ Pigment Acrylic Paint, RawRead More
We’re rounding out our Week of Gift Crafts with a simple sachet that’s a real show-stopper! We love sachets because they’re easy to craft and make lovely little presents. We think this cinnamon and clove sachet would make a great holiday hostess gift! YOU’LL NEED Scented Herbs & Essences Dried cloves, 3/4 cup Flaxseed, 3/4Read More
