The North End Loft

Jun 29, 2012

Friday Finds

I've been having so much fun making things for my garden.

I like junky funky whimsical hippy dippy repurposed garden paraphernalia. I think there's a fine line between not having enough and needing more. LOL! I need more! Collector or hoarder is not a question I care to ask myself, thank you!

So I scouted around blogland today for some fun yard art ideas for my Friday Finds.

Debbie at Dewdrop Gardens recycled this old end table into this spectacular planter. I've pinned a few dresser planters and love them all, but I think this smaller version would fit better into a corner of my tiny urban garden. For a list of this gorgeous plant combination and directions, visit Debbie at Dewdrop Gardens.

I've been bitten by the birdhouse bug and would like to display some on a tall ladder like this. This great idea to achieve height in the garden was posted on the Fine Gardening website as Hardscape in the Garden by member LCC1701H (no name, just a number!) This year my ladder is holding up a tomato and some beans, though. Hmmmm... I guess I'll have to watch yard sales for another old ladder!

I love this little wire house protecting Zuzu's wildflowers from bunnies at A Cottage in the Woods, but you'll have to look closer to see the little silver Fairy Bells I can't wait to make. Zuzu says they make a pretty sound when the breeze comes up, and she tells how to make your own at A Cottage in the Woods.

Linda posted this fun colorful sign on the iVillage GardenWeb. She made it from license plate letters, a piece of an old fence board, and an old pipe.

This rusted to perfection rock-filled yard art was shared by Margo at Robojunker.com. Margo received this birdbath as a special gift from a friend.

Vicki at This Art That Makes Me Happy made some cute whimsical chalk board and flag plant stakes.

Hen & Hammock sells a kit for making this adorable burlap scarecrow.

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors added interest to a barrel planted with flowers using a rusty lantern and license plate.

Barb at Grandma Barb's This and That shared the charming garden that belongs to Jesse. Jesse uses an old can with holes cut in the side for a planter. Wouldn't this make a great strawberry pot, too?

"A whimsical, sweet retreat for some very special little tweet." That's how Liz at The Brambleberry Cottage describes this birdhouse that she and her "Yankee sweetheart" made together from the leftover barn stash. Curious where everything came from? Visit The Brambleberry Cottage to see.

My Friday Finds today have given me a whole new way to look at junk. As I'm searching through thrift stores and yard sales, I'll be thinking of all of these great yard art projects waiting to join my garden.

Thanks for coming today!

I hope you have a

Happy Friday!

If I featured your work today, thank you so much for sharing,

and please feel free to grab my button from the side bar.

The 4th of July is next week!

Jun 27, 2012

From Plain to Patriotic - Quick and Easy Pillows for The 4th of July

I'm decorating my porch and deck for the 4th of July for the first time this year. As much as I'd love to make some beautiful new Independence Day pillows, I'm just running out of time for new fabric-shopping and sewing. Instead, I decided to embellish my current pillows quickly and easily using supplies I already had on-hand.

I traced and cut out some felt stars, attaching just the tips to the pillows with two stitches of thread and my tiniest quilting needle (so the holes won't show when
I remove the stars later.)

Each pillow took less than five minutes.

If I can find some blue felt in time,
I'll add blue stars, too.

I'm so glad you stopped by today.

I hope you'll come again this weekend when

I'll be sharing the rest of my

4th of July Front Porch and Deck.

Have a great day!

Jun 26, 2012

Favorite DIY's for the 4th of July

Independence Day is next week, and it's time for sharing some of my favorite Pinterest 4th of July projects.

Maggie of Little Miss Maggie decorated this cute Liberty Garden Bucket and offers a tutorial and the free artwork for download.

This Firecracker Red, White, and Blue cake is from an easy Betty Crocker cake mix.

Laura painted this Stars and Stripes pillow and shares the how-to at Top This Top That.

For these Tin Can Luminary tutorials, visit Karen at Crafts for all Seasons.

Room to Inspire used red, white, and blue scrapbook paper to bundle Red Vines for all.

Deb at Lake Girl Paints painted these Summer Beach Chair stars.

At Heat Oven to 350 Trisha and Nicole share these Cheesecake Cookies that I think would be a big red, white, and blue hit this 4th of July.

Linda's tutorial for this Patriotic Fabric Bunting is at Craftaholics Anonymous.

I had to search high and low to find the origin of this cute mason jar bouquet. I finally found it at Steadmans' Corner, where it was created by Sandie.

Venessa and Heather share these 4th of July Jello Firecracker Shots in two versions: adults and kids. Find the recipes at At the Picket Fence.

Diane from The Checkered Apple is my favorite 4th of July inspiration and the hostess of The Patriotic Link Party where I'll be linking up my own 4th of July projects later this week. Make sure you don't miss the Patriotic Link Party for tons of inspiration and ideas and to link up your own great projects. Find the tutorial for this cute patriotic pillow cover, just one of many of Diane's own fun Independence Day projects, here at The Checkered Apple.

Country Living has instructions for this DIY red, white, and blue Rosette Banner.

The recipe for these Red, White, and Blue Stuffed Strawberries was posted on Babble by The Naptime Chef.

This word art was created by Jamie of The Crafting Chicks. Visit them for the free printable download.

Sky at Capital B has been pleasantly surprised by all the Pinterest visitors she's had for this beautiful felt 4th of July wreath.

And there you have them, many of my favorites from Pinterest. I hope you've found something to inspire you, too.

Jun 25, 2012

Pedestal Birdhouse Bath

Hi there, and thanks for coming over!

Today I'm sharing my somewhat rambling, roundabout, ~~saga~~ how-to for making my Pedestal Birdhouse Bath.

Back in one of my April Friday Finds I shared this beautiful turquoise birdbath made from a large candlestick and a pot lid by the talented and creative Gail at My Repurposed Life.

My Repurposed Life

I just loved it. Though I didn't have much hope of finding a gigantic candlestick like Gail's, I started keeping my eye out for one at yard sales and thrift stores. One day at a yard sale just around the corner from my house I found what I thought was a large brass candlestick but what turned out to be a hookah pipe. (That's The North End for you!) For those of you who may not have heard of a hookah pipe, it's a tobacco water pipe of Middle Eastern origin like this one.

The Hookah Connoisseur

And it was perfect for my birdbath base! Yay! I decided to try and let my shiny brass hookah pipe weather outside naturally (hopefully to a soft aged green patina) instead of painting it. But in my thrifty searches I couldn't find anything made of brass to match it that was suitable for the top part. I even tried painting a pie plate to look like brass.

But the paint turned white when I filled it with water, and it looked terrible; like a painted pie plate turning white with water in it. So I kept looking at yard sales and thrift stores for some kind of brass tray or lid.

No luck.

Meanwhile, earlier this month I made this little wood pedestal birdhouse for my front porch.

Pedestal Birdhouse

While looking for inspiration on Pinterest for that little birdhouse, I came across this big pedestal birdhouse and, of course, coveted one for myself. (Are you seeing where this is headed, because it took me awhile longer!)

Eddie Rider Designs

One day, as my brass hookah pipe sat outside alone in a corner of the yard waiting for its top, I was out fabric shopping and fell in love with a little rustic birdhouse that was 70% off on-sale.

And finally, my ~~not-too~~ quick and agile brain put two and two together.

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