It all started with this Valentine’s Day Mantle Decor!

Today, I am joining some of my blogger friends from The Amazing Creators for a Valentine’s Day Blog Hop offering a variety of Valentine’s Day oriented projects! If you came over from visiting Linda at Bushel and a Pickle, welcome! And a warm special welcome to all of you who are new to us here at Blu. Next on the blog hop is Libby from A Life Unfolding. I hope you have time to visit everyone. This wonderfully creative group shares unique ideas to help make your home fabulous. From endless DIY and home decor tips to food and drink recipes, from product tips and crafting instructions to thrift store makeover…you are sure to find some inspiration here! It seems we are feeling the love and hearts this month. Check out all of the fabulous projects that are linked at the end of this post.

What Inspired the Creation

When the Dollar Store is stocked with new holiday decor, I grab any decorations that range from 8″ to 16″. So when I saw these fabulous hearts for Valentine’s Day at the Dollar Tree, I knew I could use them to add a great burst of love inspired color to my mantle. They are bigger than they appear, at about 14″ X 14″.

But how would I incorporate these hearts???

I didn’t want to glue or tape them to the mantle. If only I had something removeable that I could attach them to, and then attach the removeable whatever to the mantle. Where could I find such a gadget? I was trying to think of a source when I realized that I could build the removeable whatever that I had in mind. You can read all about how I fabricated this incredible hanger by clicking on the heart photo below.

Once I created my hanger, I started using it for just about every holiday,

Valentine Heart Decor Mantle Hanger

Such a simple idea that added such character to my mantle decor!

Here is another photo of that first Valentine’s Day mantle:

Here is a St. Patrick’s Day Mantle using the hanger:

And this is my fall mantle from this past October. I draped my pothos across the hanger.

I’ve used the hanger for winter decor as well.

And after this past fall, I moved the pothos to my kitchen.

Creating a Design

With a glue gun, some Dollar Store holiday decor, and creativity, you too can create a fabulous mantle for any holiday or occasion. Alternate colors and styles, size and textures to really make a statement. For added interest, add some smaller glittered or metallic items. Add some garland for fun. The process is very forgiving. If it doesn’t look right, remove the decor and start again. Very forgiving!

Now, I always grab holiday decorations from the Dollar Store and layer them together to create an expensive looking holiday mantle. You just can’t been the convenience and value of Dollar Store seasonal decor items. With $8 to $10 dollars, you can create expensive and high end looking mantle decor.

Here is a brief video of the process of attaching the Valentine’s Hearts.

This large heart swag is sure to be the focal point of your mantle. And the hanging tool will surely become a favorite for every holiday.

Show me your Valentine’s Mantle! Share with me on Social Media! Tell me what you have created lately!

The Amazing Creators

And here are the projects from my very talented friends in The Amazing Creators!

The post Build a Reusable Tool for your Mantle Decor in Time for Valentine’s Day appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Grab a puzzle from the closet, the thrift store, the dollar store or a yard sale. This is a great way to use those old puzzles that are missing some critical pieces. Repurpose!

Did some one say REPUPOSE??? That’s right! It’s THRIFT STORE DECOR TEAM Wednesday so it’s time for some thrifty repurposing projects! Remember to check all of the team projects at the end of this post.

Here is my inspiration photo from Pinterest:

I needed to make a cardboard heart shaped base on which to glue my puzzle pieces. But I decided to prime the puzzle pieces first so the paint could dry while I was creating my heart base. 

Spray Paint of Choice

I grabbed a variety of spray paint in Valentine’s colors from my garage. I suggest using at least 3 different colors to create depth and interest. I always recommend using colors in shades of 3. That third color really adds dimension to any project. I used pink, red, and white. And while any spray paint will do, I recommend Rustoleum 2X with primer. You will need less coats (most likely just one) as the coverage is phenomenal.

Separate your puzzle pieces into 3 piles. Start with your first pile and spread the pieces flat on a large surface. Remember to protect your surface from overspray. I often use a large piece of cardboard that I keep in the garage for projects just like this. But this time, I used a pizza box, a shoe box and some other cardboard that was in our recycle bin. 

As I said, my spray paint of choice is Rustoleum 2X paint with primer. It is my life’s goal to have a can in every imaginable color. If you don’t use a paint with primer included, you should first hit your pieces with a light coat of primer. This will reduce the number of coats of color required to cover the puzzle pattern. This is especially important if you are using white spray paint to cover a commonly used water or bright colored floral pattern that seem to be the preferred subjects of puzzle creators.

Apply several light coats of spray paint allowing the pieces to thoroughly dry between coats. The force of the spray paint was quite strong to I had to apply the spray paint with short quick spraying motion to prevent the puzzle pieces from being propelled around the room. This short tapping motion was successful and probably prevented me from excessive overspray and puddling of the paint. I was able to cover the original puzzle patterns with two coats of spray paint. Repeat for the remaining groups of puzzle piles. Spray lightly, allow to dry, repeat until you can’t see the pattern beneath the layers of spray paint. 

Create a Heart Base

While the paint was drying, I moved on to create my heart base. I used a piece of cardboard from our recycle bin. Just draw a heart and cut it out. I folded my cardboard in half and just cut out the half heart shape. This ensured my heart was symmetrical. I have never been able to draw a totally symmetrical heart. One side is always fat and one side is always tall. No lop-sided hearts for this project. I followed the outer line of the heart to remove the smaller heart from the center. so I was left with about a 2″ base for my puzzle pieces. If you don’t have cardboard in your recycle bin, you can use cardboard from a cereal box or even an old gift box. And if you are a planner, you can buy always buy a heart form from the dollar store or craft store.

I used the cardboard side without the design as the base for my heart.

Start Layering

Grab the Elmer’s glue and get started randomly gluing your puzzle pieces to the heart. There really is no hard fast rule. Just dab some glue on the back of your puzzle piece and plop it onto the heart. 

Continue all around the heart until you have one solid layer. Then start your second layer on top of the first still alternating colors. Keep adding alternating colored puzzle pieces until you have filled the heart shape. 

I used 3 layers but you can keep going or stop at two. Continue until your heart is sturdy and you are happy with the appearance.

Aren’t the colors magnificent? This would be a fun project for a St. Patrick’s Day shamrock shape too!

TIP: Here is where you can learn from my mistakes. You should spray paint your cardboard heart form with one of your selected spray paint colors. I didn’t and you can see the cardboard base if you look closely at my heart. So remember this step!

You can glue a piece of ribbon to the back of the heart and hang it on an interior door. I suppose you could use it outside but my front door gets direct Alabama sun all day so it would fry and fade. You could coat it with some Polycrylic to protect it from the direct sun but you would also need a stronger glue than Elmer’s. Use an exterior glue or maybe liquid nails. So indoor use is my choice.

She looks fabulous against the white door with or without a ribbon.

And she looks pretty cute just hanging out with this primitive snowman on the mantle.

I’d like to make some smaller versions to use as ornaments on my flocked tree as those colors would be incredible against the flocking. 

This was an easy project and would be fun with kids. Speaking of which, I had a little buddy crafting with me. This was an easy project for my grandson to complete. He made a heart for his sweet mom. I forgot to snap a photo. But we did continue our crafty Saturday morning by making this Valentine’s house from a left over Gingerbread house kit from Christmas.

Do you have a Saturday morning crafting buddy? I highly recommend them. They bring a whole new level of intensity and fun to Saturday morning crafts.

DIY Hobnail Milk Glass Candle

DIY Floral Mosaic Side Table

Winter Scenes in Silver Plate

Metallic Gold And Clear Glass Vases 

Updating a Thrift Store Lamp

Teak Wooden Bowl Makeover

Bar Stools Into Nightstands

Valentines Puzzle Heart Decor

Here is my favorite Valentine’s craft from last year:

The post Valentine Puzzle Heart Decor appeared first on Shop at Blu.

This picture makes the fabric look pretty good. In reality, it was stained and very thin. It had seen better days indeed. So I stripped out the fabric. The hoop had some residual glue along the edges so I used a utility knife to scrape it off.

I’m sharing this project for Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday. That’s right! It’s the second Wednesday of the month and time for our monthly share of thrifty decor projects.

As always, at the end of this post, you will find links to all of the other team projects for this month. I can’t wait to see what skills the team is sharing for their projects.

Now, back to the creation of a thrift or dollar store DIY spring wreath!

Supplies

• Large embroidery hoop or similar shaped wreath base
• silk flowers and greenery
• glue gun, paddle wire or florist tape (either will work)
• ribbon (optional)

I like the natural wood on this hoop so I decided to leave it as in instead of applying paint. You could paint it, wrap it with fab or ribbon, embellish it with jute or other items. I am going with simpler is better for this wreath. So natural finish it is!

I stopped by the Dollar Tree and grabbed some colorful spring floral stems. I couldn’t resist the faux ferns either.

The next step is very, very important. Be sure to have your assistant inspect the flowers and suggest a design. Maybe you are lucky, like me, and your assistant has a good eye for design.

I laid the hoop on a flat surface and simply placed the greens and florals around the hoop until I had a design that I like. You can make the wreath as full or as simple as you like. I was going for a thin wreath with heavy floral design on one side of the wreath.

Start with a base of greens.

Then add your individual stems one by one.

Continue adding more colors and flowers.

Once you are happy with the design, start to secure your florals to the wreath. You can use hot glue, floral tape, or paddle wire.

I am going to use my wreath on my front door which gets full on southern sun ALL DAY LONG. Because of direct exposure to and the high heat of the sunlight. I opted not to use the hot glue.

Wrap the wire around and through the stems to secure them to the hoop. Just keep wrapping the wire over the stems and under the hoop until the flowers are securely fastened to the hoop. You can also wire your florals and greens together into one large unit and then wire the entire floral unit onto the hoop. Both methods work. Just use whatever method you are more comfortable with.

The wire is green so it blends with the greenery.

Most of my flowers are on wire stems. I can bend and shape them in whatever direction I desired. So I didn’t have to be overly careful on how I wrapped the wire around the stems and hoop. If the flower wasn’t in the optimal spot, I twisted the stem to make the flower more or less visible.

Final Step…Or Not

The last step was to add a bow. I decided on a whimsical and arty look. This ribbon is from Old Time Pottery. At $2.99 to $4.99 per roll, it was quite affordable.

There are many ways that you can make a bow. Or you can simply buy one! I made my own bow.

But, it was little too busy for this wreath.

I just couldn’t get the look I was going for. I even tried the bow on the other side of the wreath.

Remember what I said earlier about “simpler is better”? Whew! I had really added too much to this wreath. So I stripped it down.

I put the bow aside and removed the white flowers.

Much better. Don’t be afraid to start over! I can’t tell you how many times I have walked away from a project in order to return with a clearer vision. Take a break. Clear your mind. Or simply take a break.

I’m really happy with these vibrant colors. I still think they would look great with the black and white whimsical ribbon. I’ll have to think on a project to showcase those combinations. Do you like to combine colors that don’t traditionally mesh

And here she is on the front door.

Will you be using bold colors this season?

Thrift Store Decor Team Projects

And here are this month’s Thrift Store Decor Team Projects. Let me know if you try any of these! We love to hear what you are working on!

Domestically Speaking

My Repurposed Life

Petticoat Junktion

Sadie Seasongoods

Organized Clutter

Reinvented Delaware

Shop at Blu (that’s me…you are here)!

The post Thrift or Dollar Store DIY Spring Wreath appeared first on Shop at Blu.

If you are visiting from the Amazing Creators Valentine’s Day Blog Hop, I have a special update for you HERE! But read this post first for the instructions to build the hanger!

I am fortunate to have accumulated some incredible Valentine decor over the years. Having an antique and consignment store for 10 years definitely helped build that supply! But many of those items are vintage or salvaged.

So when I saw these fabulous hearts at the Dollar Tree, I grabbed them to add a great burst of color to my mantle.

They are bigger than they appear, at about 14″ X 14″.

Can you believe it it already the second Wednesday of the second month of this new year? Time for our monthly Thrift Store Decor Team posts. Seems we are feeling the love and hearts this month. Check out all of the fabulous projects that are linked at the end of this post.

My Naked Mantle

Years ago, we installed cup hooks on the underside of our mantle to hold Christmas stockings. It wasn’t long before I realized that if I place my lights and greenery UNDER the mantle, I would have more space on TOP of the mantle to display my vintage decor items.

One holiday led to another and now I use those hooks all of the time.

Valentine Heart Decor Mantle Hanger

But how would I incorporate these hearts???

They are made of felt so they are a bit flimsy. It would be difficult to string them as they would lop and lean backward. And it would be hard to get them to stay straight.

So I decided to make something to attach them to, something that I could just remove! Attach the decor, hang it on the mantle front, and remove it when finished. I had the perfect solution for this job! Quarter round and tea cup hooks!

Quarter round is a thin rounded piece of molding that sets at the bottom of your floor molding and on top of your floor. It is flat on two sides so it fits snugly against both the baseboard and the floor. The third side is rounded for an aesthetic look. It closes the gaps between your molding and the floor essentially hiding unsightly gaps.

It is sold in large strips but you can cut them to size in your local home improvement aisle. They are priced by the foot. I had some left over from our LVP floor installation a last year. So I went to our infinite supply warehouse, also known as the garage, and grabbed a piece.

I held the quarter round under the mantel and marked the length I would need.

Since the quarter round is so thin, I used a utility knife to repeatedly score the cutting point until I had the desired length. You could also use a jig saw. I even scored with the knife and then used wire cutters. There are many ways to trim this thin piece of trim if you don’t have a jig saw or power saw. Then I held it under the mantle and marked the position where I would install each tea cup hook.

Since my hearts are so lightweight, I only installed two tea cup hooks, one at each end. But for heavier greens or decor items you could use as many as you like. Just space them out evenly.

Simply screw the tea cup hooks (or you can use eye hooks) into place.

Install the screw eyes or tea cups hooks at each position. Hang it up and make any adjustments. My one hook was a little off to the right so I just gently bent it to where it would grab the other hook, that’s why its a little bent.. It would be easy enough to move it slightly, but I’m a little lazy.

I did give the entire creation a fresh coat of white paint so that it would not be noticeable below the mantle and behind the hearts.

Creating a Design

The next part is the fun part…creating a design. I laid the hearts on the floor in front of the mantle and moved them around until I liked the position and look of the hearts.

I grabbed my glue gun and glued the hearts to the front in a whimsical manner alternating colors and styles. If you make a mistake, simply peel the heart off of the strip and try again. Very forgiving!

For added interest, I glued some smaller glittered hearts (also from the Dollar Tree) on top of the larger hearts. I also added some metallic garland for fun.

Here is a brief video of the process:

Continue with any other embellishments until you are happy with the look. The fun really is in the details. Go as extravagant or as simple as you like.

This large heart swag is sure to be the focal point of your mantle.

Show me your Valentine’s Mantle! Share with me on Social Media! Tell me what you have created lately!

Thrift Store Decor Team

And here are the projects from the very talented Thrift Store Decor Team!

Upcycled Lamp Parts Candle Holder  Petticoat Junktion

Coastal Rope Lantern Domestically Speaking

Displaying Vintage Valentines With Yardsticks  Organized Clutter

Embellishing a Pair of Valentine Pillows Sadie Seasongoods

Valentine Heart Mantle Decor Shop At Blu

Easy DIY Rustic Light Fixtures Reinvented Deleware

Succulent Wall Planter Using a Picture Frame  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

DIY Painted Suitcase My Repurposed Life

The post Easy Dollar Tree Valentine Heart Mantle Decor appeared first on Shop at Blu.

During the hectic holiday season it is difficult to do it all. Between shopping, hosting, attending celebrations, visiting, working…there is so much to do. Here is a simple craft that can literally be done in about 5 minutes, costs less than $5, and can be multi use as well. The end product faux vintage ceiling tile trees can be used as ornaments, gift tags, or simply embellishments for gifts, cards, and many other purposes. Let’s make some faux ceiling tile tree ornaments.

Find a Good Faux Vintage Ceiling Tile Source

I started this thrifty project like so many others…with a trip to The Dollar Tree. I had seen these peel and stick panels a while back and as luck would have it they still had a supply.

                                                      <                            

At $1.25 per sheet, I can make about 20 trees per sheet!

You can make your trees as large or as small as you like. I decided the 3 inches wide by 4 inches tall would be a great size. So I marked those measurements on my tile sheet.

And then I cut out the simple trees. You can’t get any easier than straight lines.

I also attached and ornament hook to the back of each tree. I just didn’t want to poke holes for hooks. So I used some hot glue. But I caution you to use a tiny tiny dab as the glue is very hot and can melt the plastic of which the tiles are made. So go easy on the hot glue.

There is adhesive on the back of the tiles as they are designed for use as a back splash. So you could simply use that to secure your hook like I did in the photo below.

Either method works.

Should you opt for hot glue and end up using too much causing a melted spot, you could just glue your bow over that spot! How’s that for going with the flow???

The last step is to embellish your trees though they would look nice left as is. To embellish the trees, you could use buttons, glitter, ribbon, or just about any of your favorite supplies.

Here are some suggestions:

• antiquing glaze
• ribbon
• buttons
• glitter
• paint markers
• fake snow
• beads
• twine

I grabbed some Dollar Tree ribbon and made a few small bows.

I alternated gluing them to the top and bottom centers of the trees. The variety of Christmas colors meshed nicely.

My ornaments turned out so cute!

I decided to use some as gift tags.

And some to embellish gifts.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick and thrifty and multi-purpose project!

Below are some other ornament projects from years past. Just click on the photo to see the post.

And, as promised, here are the links to the other ornament projects for the Ornament Exchange Blog Hop. thanks to Juliet from A Loverly Life for coordinating this event. Happy Holidays!

A Loverly Life

Shop At Blu – That’s Me!! You’re here!

An Organized Season

From Farmhouse to Florida

This Dear Casa

The post Faux Vintage Ceiling Tile Christmas Ornaments appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I needed some unique Thanksgiving decor so I decided to use some of my resin supplies to get ready for the holiday. I found this wooden turkey form at the thrift store. I have also seen them for sale at The Dollar Tree. I thought he would make a great door hanger or accent for my mantle decor. I may even use him in a centerpiece but I will finalize that plan after I see how he turns out. Lets get buys with some resin projects!

Let’s dress this guy and have some fun with a couple of fall resin projects.

Today is Thrift Store DecorTeam Wednesday. What a great time to share this turkey upcycle!!! Remember to check out all of the projects from the Thrift Store Decor Team at the end of this post. What skills will you be introduced to this month? Let’s start with resin!

Past Resin Projects

I’ve been tinkering with resin on and off for the last 2 years. Here are a few recent posts:

Since I went into detail in the posts above about the resin process, I won’t repeat that here. I’ll just share the basics and variations pertinent to this project. I’ll share the turkey project first. I used the excess resin from the turkey to make resin leaves to use for a tablescape and to scatter around on my side tables.

Prep Your Turkey

I gave the turkey a base coat of white since I would be starting with a white resin base coat on this guy.

Once dry, I mixed enough resin to cover the turkey and use for additional colors.

First I created the white resin base by adding white pigment dispersion in a large cup. I added resin to 6 small cups to use for my additional colors for the turkey. Pour the resin onto the turkey and use a spreader or stirrer to distribute it across the surface. Total Boat Maker Epoxy is self leveling.

I added the brown first as a base for the turkey’s body. Then I added some color for his feathers. I used copper, gold, red, and a vibrant purple.

After you add your colors, you use a heat gun to move the color around. The heat gun also serves to release any bubbles from the resin that may have developed in the mixing process.

As the heat gun moves the colors around, it also distributes the base coat evenly across the wooden turkey surface. I added more color until I was happy with the result. Remember to set your turkey on something that lifts him off of the surface allowing the excess resin to run of the edges. I did have a part of the turkey that was stuck to the paper on the table. I just used a craft knife to score the edge and get him free.

I poured the resin in the morning and when I checked just before dinner, the turkey was dry. Usually I let the pieces dry overnight. So I guess 10-12 hours is a good dry time. Allow more time for thicker projects.

I am so happy with the muted colors. He is such a cutie!

Bonus Resin Project: Fall Leaves

As promised, I used the excess resin to fill these little molds to make resin leaves for my tablescape. How cute are these?

I found these silicone molds on Amazon. They come in many different sizes. I might need to grab some of the larger molds to make leaf coasters. These were perfect for using the left over resin from the turkey project. I will keep these handy for future projects. I mean, you need leaves in every color, right?

I used a toothpick to make sure the resin got into all of the pointy tips of the mold.

The heat gun will remove all of these bubbles.

After the leaves were dry, they easily pop right out of the mold.

I was amazed at the detail on these little beauties.

I was even able to create a few two toned leaves.

Scatter Your Leaves

THRIFT STORE DECOR TEAM

And here are the other projects from my wonderfully talented Thrift Store Decor Team members. Be sure to visit each friend and leave a comment on what you liked. We always welcome suggestions on what you would love to see next!

1-Personalized Wood Sled My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
2-Vintage Wooden Bowl Christmas Candle Centerpiece House of Hawthornes
3-Updated Key Holder Domestically Speaking
4-Snow Scene Displays In Glass Containers Petticoat Junktion
5-Indian Corn Decorations for Thanksgiving Sadie Seasongoods
6-Frog Tape Wooden Mini Tree Pot Organized Clutter
7-DIY White Christmas Village Our Southern Home
8-Easy Thrift Store Tray Makeover My Repurposed Life
9-Fun Fall Resin Projects Shop at Blu  YOU ARE HERE!

The post Fun Fall Resin Projects appeared first on Shop at Blu.

It’s Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday!

You know what that means! The team has 8 wonderful new upcycled projects for you this month and you can link to them all at the end of this post.

Gather Your Pumpkins

I found some pumpkins in various sizes at the Dollar Tree.

I also had some pumpkins from last year that I added to the collection for this project. Any smooth surfaced pumpkin will work.

Dollar Tree also has some patterned tissue paper. Of course I needed the blue but I grabbed this sweet green set as well. See the polka dots and the stripes? Perfect!

Time to Mod Podge!

Mod Podge, if you aren’t familiar, is a wonderful craft product. It’s a glue, finish, and sealer all in one. It comes in a variety of finishes and can be used on many mediums including paper, wood, and metal. This is definitely one of my favorite crafting supplies.

Here are a few other projects where I used Mod Podge:

Select Your Paper to Customize Your Pumpkins

When using tissue paper, remember that it (especially the cheaper quality dollar store variety) is super thin and will rip and tear very easily. You may want a heavier tissue paper or a thin writing paper or even some gift wrap. Practice first on a rounded surface with your selected paper.

Prep Your Surface

I always start with a fresh coat of white paint on the pumpkins. This provides a light base for the decoupage paper. With a white base, the paper’s true colors will be evident. If you decoupage with thin and light colored tissue paper over the orange color of the pumpkin, there is a good chance that the bold orange will be seen beneath the paper. If you look closely at a few of my white decoupaged pumpkins, you can see some of the orange peeking through the second coat. These could have used an additional base coat.

I brushed on 2 coats of white chalk paint to ensure the orange was adequately covered. Allow the paint to dry completely.

You could also use spray paint on the pumpkins for the white base coat. I did spray paint a few pumpkins using Rustoleum 2X white with primer. These only needed one coat as the 2X has incredible coverage. I allowed these to dry thoroughly as well. These took a little longer to dry than the hand painted pumpkins but since they only needed one coat, the process time was about the same. The spray painted pumpkins are on the right in the above photo.

Since the pumpkins are round, I cut the paper into a rectangular shape with rounded edges. They are really sort of petal shaped. This keeps excess paper from bunching up on the pumpkin. If you have a busy pattern, the bunching is not as noticeable. But for the plaid pattern, I wanted the pattern to be relatively true.

Here is a pumpkin with petal shaped paper.

You really should practice a few times just to see what works for you. The smaller the paper you use to decoupage, the less wrinkles you will see. You can see a few decent wrinkles and buckles in the paper on the larger pumpkins. I used large pieces of tissue paper on these and wrapped them around the pumpkins. Thus, the paper was more difficult to smooth out.

Next time I’d use smaller pieces of paper maybe 2 inches by 2 inches square. Practice makes perfect. But, realistically, no one will notice the imperfections from a distance. I mean, these pumpkins will be sitting on a shelf or table as decor. So they will be enjoyed from afar. Nonetheless, smaller pieces of paper are easier to work with.

I used a variety of paper and colors that were pretty much complimentary. I planned to scatter these pumpkins throughout the house so these colors and patterns all worked for my decor.

Technique

Basically, you paint the Mod Podge onto your pumpkin with a brush. Then lay your paper over the Mod Podge. Load your brush with more Mod Podge and coat the paper. Use the brush, not your fingers, to smooth the paper and remove bumps, air bubbles and wrinkles. Be mindful that thinner paper tears easily, as I stated earlier.

Once you have covered your pumpkin with paper and have the desired effect, set it aside to dry.

Tip: Line your work surface with wax paper or allow your pumpkins to dry on a slick surface. Maybe even spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil. A few of my pumpkins were stuck to the cardboard that I used as my work space to protect my desk. When I pulled them up, some of the paper ripped and I had to touch up these spots. Be smart…don’t put set paper covered pumpkins on cardboard to dry.

And here they are!

I used a matte Mod Podge because that’s what I had on hand. I would suggest using a glossy finish. It will give the finished pumpkins a little more substance.

Where will you scatter your pumpkins?

As promised, here are the projects from my dear friends on the Thrift Store Decor Team! Enjoy!

The post Customize your Pumpkins! appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Once I got the materials together, this shamrock moss wreath project took only about ten minutes.  Total cost was $7.99 using this Dollar Tree wire shamrock wreath base.  If I’d bought the moss at the Dollar Tree the cost would have been $2.50 but I have more plans for this moss.

Supplies for Moss Shamrock Wreath

1. Dollar Tree wire shamrock wreath.
2. One bag of moss.
3. Hot glue gun and 2 Hot glue sticks

I covered my work surface with cardboard.  I also used some silicone finger tip protectors.  These are a MUST now whenever I use my glue gun.

Instructions for Moss Shamrock Wreath

1. Lay the wreath flat on the surface.
2. Select a starting point on your wreath and run a bead of glue along the top of the wires of the wreath working on a 6 inches section at a time.
3. Pull a small section of the moss from the bag and fluff it so it is relatively loose (not clumped) and lay it onto the glue.
4. Press the moss onto the wire wreath so that the moss is secure.
5. Continue to the next 6 inch section and repeat until you have finished the wreath.
6. After completing the entire wreath, go back and fill in any empty spots with more moss.

It really is that simple!

I am an affiliate with Amazon and other companies.  I’ve included some links in case you don’t have a Dollar Tree near you.  From any purchase using my links, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) which helps keep my blog running.  Thanks for your continued support of my small creative business.

Here is a video of the process:

The post How to Make a Shamrock Moss Wreath appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Why is it that I feel compelled to have fresh new door decor for every fall season?  Are you like me?  Is it really a crime to use the same decor for more than one season?  Thank the Good Lord for Dollar Tree and affordable options for new decor.  I spent $3 on this Dollar Tree pumpkin DIY door decor.  It was quick and easy.  And you can switch up the look according to what supplies you already have on hand. I stopped in at the Dollar Tree to grab a gift bag for Tyson’s birthday party.  Tyson is this cutie and he just turned one.

And of course Simba was at the party!

Of course, I found way too many cool items for $1.  This wire pumpkin caught my eye.  For $1, how could I resist?  I grabbed the floral for another dollar. 

Simple Instructions

Fortunately, I do have a rather extensive supply of spray paint.   I had several cans of orange spray paint on hand.  So I selected a few and set up a small spraying station in the driveway.  A used pizza box and the trash can were perfect for this quick project. I like to use 2-3 colors to really give the object some dimension.  Granted, these wires on this pumpkin are quite narrow, multiple colors should still help raise the interest level. I covered the green with the first orange completely and then used the second color  to randomly highlight.  If I need more color, I can simply dab on some craft paint at a later time.

The next step is to attach the florals to the pumpkin.  You can just use the florals but I decided to attach a bow to give the florals something more to cling to and to add some interest.  This ribbon was also $1 at Dollar Tree.  I simply cut strips from the burlap ribbon and tied them onto the thin metal.  The ribbon was quite loose in weave so I quickly switched from tying to simply gluing the ribbon onto the wire pumpkin.  Then I used wire cutters to trim the pick/stem off of the floral items.  The pinecones and cotton glue nicely to the ribbon with the stems cut off.  Next, I tucked the floral pieces into the ribbon.  You can play around with the design and lay everything in place until you are happy.  Then just glue it all into place.  I just kept tucking burlap ribbon into place until it looked full enough.

  There was a good selection at Dollar Tree of fall florals including many colors of sunflowers and leaves. There was also a huge selection of ribbon.  So many possibilities!  And at $1 per floral piece, you could really make a nice full arrangement. Do you like my glue gun finger tip protectors?  They are a must for any glue gun project.  This is the first time in 30 years that I used a hot glue gun and do not have any blisters as a result!  You can find them HERE.      

This is really a basic project.  You can use the same techniques with different shapes and florals to create any kind of decor for any season or holiday!  Easy peasey, right???  $3!!!!  

Another Loverly Bloghop:  Pumkin Patch

I’m sharing this project with Another Loverly Blog Hop:  Pumpkin Patch!  Thanks to Juliet at A Loverly Life for organizing yet another fabuouls hop!  Below are my friends who created a pumpkin themed project for you.  Enjoy!  

Anne at Ikorn Crafts is sharing her DIY for this fun mesh fall wreath.

Carol from Blue Sky at Home is sharing her DIY for this festive pumpkin wreath

Sue from Shop at Blue is sharing a festive Dollar Store Pumpkin Wreath

Nicole from Adorn the Table is sharing her adorable pumpkin place card holders

You’ll never guess how Diane from South House Designs made these metallic pumpkins

Stephanie from Gathered in the Kitchen is sharing the DIY for these adorable farmhouse fabric pumpkins

Kristin from Fifth Sparrow No More created this beautiful fall center piece in a FIRKIN (what’s a FIRKIN?)

Nicolle from Our Tiny Nest shows you how to make these cute pumpkins with a secret tip – click on the photo to find out how easy tip.

Juliet from A Loverly Life is sharing her Moondance inspired Decoupage Pumpkin.

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