Vintage Repurposed -- The Mighty Mason Jar!

I love mason jars. I know I'm not alone, here. I don't personally have the time or the kitchen space to actually use mason jars to can preserves, so I don't buy them at antique stores/thrift shops...but I always eye 'em! I especially like the type with the slight blue tint to the glass.

Well, now, thanks to ModCloth's ModLife blog (and Martha Stewart for the original idea and photography) I now have a valid reason to actually purchase some vintage mason jars! I love this DIY idea for making snow globes out of mason jars and vintage Christmas/holiday themed knick-knacks!

(Image Source: www.marthastewart.com)

And, like the best DIY projects, it's simple, too! Basically, you just rough up the inside of the lid a bit and then use epoxy to attach your holiday figurine. Fill the jar with water, sparkly glitter, and a dash of glycerin to thicken it all up. Once the epoxy has dried, screw the lid back on and flip it over! Done! Homemade cheer! How fun!! Now all I need to do is run to the antique store for some old, mismatched holiday figurines and other knickknacks...and the jars, of course!

Vintage Repurposed...Why I Love "Real Simple"

I just finished reading the current issue of Real Simple magazine, and, as usual, I have multiple dog-eared pages. Recipes I want to go back to, useful looking websites, helpful tips...all of these are the norm. But this month's issue also contains holiday recipes that look divine, a holiday gift guide (which I love in any magazine, but especially Real Simple!) and ideas for homemade gifts...DIY presents! What fun! Some of the DIY ideas were easier than others, but the one that really caught my attention was the Sugar-Bowl Candles project.

Image from Real Simple November 2009

It's simple enough. Just find some thrift-shop sugar bowls, buy soy candle wax, and follow the directions for making candles. And this simple project repurposes something lovely and makes it into a real one-of-a-kind gift. Orphaned sugar bowls are unlikely to be of much use to most people...unless you happen to find the one that matches and/or completes your vintage tea set. Not likely!

Keep in mind, too, that this is a versatile project. They show it with sugar bowls as an example...but you could just as easily apply it to orphaned creamers, or tea cups, or even tea pots! I frequently see lovely tea cups in thrift stores and antique shops and wish that there were at least 2 in the same pattern available so I could justify buying them. But now, here's a great use for all those times when you find just one!

Vintage Repurposed

While there's nothing like the thrill of finding a lovely vintage piece in perfect or nigh-perfect condition, there's also a lot of fun to be had in repurposing or otherwise reworking a piece that has promise. I love seeing someone post a photo of a beat-up old piece of furniture that is chipped, maybe discolored, but still has beautiful lines, then post a photo of the same piece of furniture transformed into something amazing with just a little elbow grease, a few coats of paint, and maybe some fabric.

I collect those types of DIY projects whenever I see them posted. Maybe eventually I'll even have time to do something with one of them!

Here's a fun one I just found! All you need is an old jewelry box with drawers, an old book or three, and you can go from this:



...to this!!