How to age glass so it looks old. Vintage bottles transformed by distressing. Step by step tutorial.
Today I am writing from SUNNY and WARM (ish) Iowa! I can’t tell you how excited I am to not have to brace my face for the cold every time I open a door. Today’s post goes along with all things ‘spring cleaning’ which is the theme at my house these days! We have been doing all those yearly tasks,
These are the best cleaning tips you'll find for old glass... Get all the steps on how to clean vintage glass bottles and jars the easy way!
The secret to cleaning narrow neck vintage bottles that may contain dirt, mud or debris and all you need is an inexpensive household item
Purex plastic bottle, 1960; Purex glass bottle, 1954; Clorox bottle, 1954.
Hazel is inspired by vintage apothecary bottles of the early-1900s. With a flowing, curvy opal or clear glass shade and dainty metal accents, this collection is perfectly poised to fi t your home's unique mood.
These are the best cleaning tips you'll find for old glass... Get all the steps on how to clean vintage glass bottles and jars the easy way!
Upcycled vintage glass insulators crafts
Today I want to share with you some of my favorite ideas for creating a whimsical garden. What's a whimsical garden? Well, it's a type of garden that is half art project, and half garden. Whimsical gardens blend found objects with artful garden design to form a sort of organic folk art. Done well, this
How to age glass so it looks old. Vintage bottles transformed by distressing. Step by step tutorial.
You could go to any big-box establishment and buy something to store food and such, but what about something creative that you can make yourself? Here are
Love the look of vintage pottery? Learn TWO different methods to turn an upcycled vase into an aged vase for a cheap, affordable price!
These fizz-tastic finds—from crates to coolers to syrup dispensers—are bubbling over with retro style.
People the world over have been held, spellbound for centuries, by Indigo's potential for magical transformation. My soul is unleashed, when I think of how, the simple green leaves of the garden indigo plant, Indigofera Tinctoria, grown by nature and harvested by man, becomes one of natures colors, through alchemical processes. There are hundreds of varieties of indigo plants, each adapted to its own climate. Indigo dye has the ability, to transform simple organic fibers, into glorious textiles through creative human genius. But how did people know, that concealed with in the fibers of this green plant, contained deep and mysterious blues? The Queen of all dyes holds her mystery's, as the dye stuff itself, is actually invisible. The pigment is extracted by steeping the leaves and stems in a water bath and crushing them with stones. Once the dye is extracted, the fibers have to impregnated with the dye stuff and fixed to the fibers, it is insoluble and is transformed into a soluble substance in the dye bath. The soluble substance is once again colorless and it is the oxygen from the atmosphere, that will give it the final blue color. The whole operation is a chemical process, which entails breaking down the molecules and reconstructing them. It can sometimes, take dipping the textile 20 times, to achieve a desired rich dark indigo color. The story of the indigo plant is centuries old and weaves its way across oceans and global cultures. The indigo plant probably originated in India. Highly prized by European dye houses, whole industries, plantations, colonial merchant ships sprang up around the production and trade of indigo bricks and paste. While it was widely distributed for export, Indigo never was really embraced by the Indian culture. Indigo Blue, called Nila, is considered the color of Lord Krishna. It is also the color of mourning and is used for widow's saris. Because of the demand, Indigo was used to block print and paint cotton fabrics known as Indiennes, destined for interior decoration and dresses of European Nobility. These patterns were very popular in the west from the 18th century onward and reserved for export purposes. The indigo trail runs from east to west, Asia to Africa and follows the trade route taken by caravans transporting the precious pigment from India across the mountains and seas. Egypt, Syria, Persia, China, Vietnam, Mexico, Guatemala, Japan, Mali, Algeria, Libya, Niger, Tunisia and Morocco were among the many cultures with rich textile traditions held under the spell of Indigo. Each culture, impimented a distinct style of transforming textiles, with techniques ranging from batik, block printing, embroidering, weaving and shibori dye techniques. In the 1900's with the invention of synthetic dyes, the market for plant based indigo was dropped almost overnight. However, plant based Indigo traditions are still alive today in many cultures. In Africa, indigo owes it survival to women dyers that keep alive traditional handicrafts, ensuring the distinct African style of indigo textiles will be preserved. In southern Asia, women of the Hmong, are a rare tribe. As they are the last to entirely make their own wardrobe. Growing, harvesting, and weaving hemp. Growing indigo and making a dye bath, to then sewing the cloth into clothing. Indigo imparts and elegance and simplicity to their lives. This spring inspired by a beautiful woven striped Indigo from Mali and the batik indigo from the Hmong tribes of Southern Asia. Our Spring collection of Vintage Indigo pillows can be found in our Soft Landing section, under Vintage Textiles. Available, for a short time, in limited quantities, rare and beautiful vintage textile pillows will bring the soul of indigo to your home and life. Photo Links: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)
How to Decoupage a Glass Bottle shows you an easy and absolutely fabulous way to 'recycle-reduce-reuse' unused glass bottles... and it's a whole lot of fun!
This vintage quilt really needs help! So now that you’ve collected your vintage pieces it’s time to get them clean and ready to use. My advice is to never use a piece in a project that has not been…
I love the look of glass glitter decor, whether it’s Fall decor, Christmas decor, or New Years, the classic and vintage look is so pretty. However, I never can seem to find a color I want, li…
Are you an indigo child? These are the kids who change the course of humanity. They arrive on earth as the ‘Gifted Souls’.
See how we used a simple trick to map out a GIANT frame gallery wall - basically wallpapering our hall with picture frames!
A couple of years ago I grew Japanese indigo in my London garden for the first time, and tried dyeing with fresh leaves as well as making a reduced vat. This year I planted more Japanese indigo …
I don't know if I've told readers this before.(ok maybe almost a hundred times).but I love dividends. In a market such as this, where volatility rules the...
Did you know you can re-purpose empty glass jars? Learn how to tint glass jars permanently and create beautiful jars and vases.
Happy Monday! I’ve got to share with you another little crafty project I did this weekend. I made my own mercury glass candlesticks! Okay, I realize that I am probably like the LAST person to do this but just humor me for a few minutes, um-kay? :) This all started because I’ve been swooning over some great ...
Colored glass jars and vases are always popular, but can be very expensive. Beachy blues and greens are just right for summer and an easy way to bring a li ...
