modern thrifter
I love beautiful things and thoughtful design. I also live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, and our family lives off a single income so that I can be at home with our kids. Patience and persistence have been the key to finding stylish things on a tight budget.
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34 posts tagged children
![[ VALENTINES ]
The kids and I have been making handmade valentines for classmates for several years now, and we always have a great time getting crafty together. This year I came up with the idea to make little spinner cards. If you never made something like this, the concept is separate images glued on each side of a stick. When the stick spins, the images combine like a very simple animation.
We decided to draw a heart on one side, and the arrow on the other, then glue them to sucker sticks that I purchased at Michael’s. When spun, the arrow appears to be going through the heart.
To make these a little cuter, I typeset the words with a rubber stamp printing kit that I found last year at the thrift store. This tool has been really handy, though changing out the letters can be somewhat frustrating. The kids each stamped their names on all of the cards, and then I made the mistake of letting them play with the stamper for a while. This is what the case of letters looks like now:
I had hoped that the kids would be able to do several of the steps involved in making these cards. But honestly, they turned out to be just a little too much for them to tackle. Instead, I’ve spent the last two days assembling fifty of them for their classmates. Not to worry though, I get plenty of enjoyment out of making things like these.
Happy Valentine’s day everyone!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzed9e3e1D1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ VALENTINES ]
The kids and I have been making handmade valentines for classmates for several years now, and we always have a great time getting crafty together. This year I came up with the idea to make little spinner cards. If you never made something like this, the concept is separate images glued on each side of a stick. When the stick spins, the images combine like a very simple animation.
We decided to draw a heart on one side, and the arrow on the other, then glue them to sucker sticks that I purchased at Michael’s. When spun, the arrow appears to be going through the heart.
To make these a little cuter, I typeset the words with a rubber stamp printing kit that I found last year at the thrift store. This tool has been really handy, though changing out the letters can be somewhat frustrating. The kids each stamped their names on all of the cards, and then I made the mistake of letting them play with the stamper for a while. This is what the case of letters looks like now:
I had hoped that the kids would be able to do several of the steps involved in making these cards. But honestly, they turned out to be just a little too much for them to tackle. Instead, I’ve spent the last two days assembling fifty of them for their classmates. Not to worry though, I get plenty of enjoyment out of making things like these.
Happy Valentine’s day everyone!
![[ DOMINOS ]
October was a blur for our family. We spent much of the month fighting off illness and the rest of the month trying to catch up on everything that missed while we were sick. I still managed to get costumes finished for the kids, and of course, hit the thrift store a few times here and there.
Last week I brought home these large wooden dominos. I had no idea what they were when I picked them up and put them into my shopping cart. Eventually, I realized that the letters on the sides could be arranged to spell “dominos,” though, actually figuring out how the right order for the pieces was trickier than I expected. Each domino is about four inches tall and they are all held together on a long bolt with wing nuts on each end.
I love having things set around the living room that the kids can play with that aren’t traditional toys, so these are a great addition. The kids have been busy building towers and bridges, and setting them up in rows to knock over. In addition to the dominos, we have an old rotary phone, a vintage Royal typewriter, and these Plinc blocks from House Industries that are all set out for kid play.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lu1lgiW6bi1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ DOMINOS ]
October was a blur for our family. We spent much of the month fighting off illness and the rest of the month trying to catch up on everything that missed while we were sick. I still managed to get costumes finished for the kids, and of course, hit the thrift store a few times here and there.
Last week I brought home these large wooden dominos. I had no idea what they were when I picked them up and put them into my shopping cart. Eventually, I realized that the letters on the sides could be arranged to spell “dominos,” though, actually figuring out how the right order for the pieces was trickier than I expected. Each domino is about four inches tall and they are all held together on a long bolt with wing nuts on each end.
I love having things set around the living room that the kids can play with that aren’t traditional toys, so these are a great addition. The kids have been busy building towers and bridges, and setting them up in rows to knock over. In addition to the dominos, we have an old rotary phone, a vintage Royal typewriter, and these Plinc blocks from House Industries that are all set out for kid play.
![[ BACK-TO-SCHOOL ]
The lackadaisical summer days have been replaced with the regimens of school, and though most schools across America have been in session for over a month, we have just wrapped up our second week. I was grateful to have a few extra weeks of summer, because September turned out to be the warmest month of the year. The downside to starting so late was that by the time we received the school supply list, the back-to-school aisle at Target was completely wiped out.
Not to worry, though. With the exception of a few odds and ends, like markers and copy paper and a few clothing items like jeans and underwear, we are reusing nearly everything from years past. I have resisted the back-to-school hype that my children need brand-new everything each autumn. Alden’s Four Peas motorcycle backpack is going on its third year and it still has tons of life left in it. His Speed Racer lunchbox—purchased at Goodwill—is on its second year. Binders and folders are still in good shape from last year. I was even able to pick up a Rubbermaid reusable juice box at the thrift store that was brand new and still had the packaging. Hoping to avoid buying individually packaged milk and juice, I was really pleased with that find. Also, pouring juice from the larger jug allows me to water it down a little to cut the sugar content—yes, I’m that mom.
If you have school-aged kids, how do you handle back-to-school? Are there things that you’ve found need to be replaced every year? What things are you reusing?](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls2by5lM2t1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ BACK-TO-SCHOOL ]
The lackadaisical summer days have been replaced with the regimens of school, and though most schools across America have been in session for over a month, we have just wrapped up our second week. I was grateful to have a few extra weeks of summer, because September turned out to be the warmest month of the year. The downside to starting so late was that by the time we received the school supply list, the back-to-school aisle at Target was completely wiped out.
Not to worry, though. With the exception of a few odds and ends, like markers and copy paper and a few clothing items like jeans and underwear, we are reusing nearly everything from years past. I have resisted the back-to-school hype that my children need brand-new everything each autumn. Alden’s Four Peas motorcycle backpack is going on its third year and it still has tons of life left in it. His Speed Racer lunchbox—purchased at Goodwill—is on its second year. Binders and folders are still in good shape from last year. I was even able to pick up a Rubbermaid reusable juice box at the thrift store that was brand new and still had the packaging. Hoping to avoid buying individually packaged milk and juice, I was really pleased with that find. Also, pouring juice from the larger jug allows me to water it down a little to cut the sugar content—yes, I’m that mom.
If you have school-aged kids, how do you handle back-to-school? Are there things that you’ve found need to be replaced every year? What things are you reusing?
![[ FOUR SWEET YEARS ]
Tula turned four while we were on vacation in Montana. It actually worked out perfectly to have her birthday party at my sister’s house because Tula’s cousin, Eila, is her best friend. Tula has been talking about having a Candyland birthday party for several months, but since we were traveling, I kept the party pretty simple.
We made giant lollypops out of paper plates and then colored the swirls with markers. The peppermint sticks were made from rolled up butcher paper and red masking tape. I decided to put the favors out in mason jars and have the kids fill their own bags like they were at a real candy store.
Of course I had to make paper bunting. It’s just so easy and inexpensive it’s become my go-to party decoration. As for the cake, well, that was nearly a flop. It came out much too moist and when I inverted the pan, it sort of just dropped out in chunks. I was about to tearfully start over, but my sweet, optimistic sister convinced me to scoop the pieces together into something vaguely resembling a rectangle and pop it in the freezer. With a lot of buttercream and some candy-striped ribbon, we were able to create a pretty cute cake. I think the look on Tula’s face is proof enough.
I should also note that Tula’s cute party dress came from Goodwill. I picked it up last month for $4, looking brand new. I noticed that one of the snaps in the back wasn’t attached very well, but I figured I could replace it with a button. When I showed it Patrick, he grabbed his tool box and managed to squeeze the metal pieces back together like new. One week later I went into Target and saw a rack of the same dresses priced at $14.
Eila’s adorable “bubble gum” dress was handmade by one of my sister’s friends. It kind of makes me want to be four again.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lq9fpdTmjd1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ FOUR SWEET YEARS ]
Tula turned four while we were on vacation in Montana. It actually worked out perfectly to have her birthday party at my sister’s house because Tula’s cousin, Eila, is her best friend. Tula has been talking about having a Candyland birthday party for several months, but since we were traveling, I kept the party pretty simple.
We made giant lollypops out of paper plates and then colored the swirls with markers. The peppermint sticks were made from rolled up butcher paper and red masking tape. I decided to put the favors out in mason jars and have the kids fill their own bags like they were at a real candy store.
Of course I had to make paper bunting. It’s just so easy and inexpensive it’s become my go-to party decoration. As for the cake, well, that was nearly a flop. It came out much too moist and when I inverted the pan, it sort of just dropped out in chunks. I was about to tearfully start over, but my sweet, optimistic sister convinced me to scoop the pieces together into something vaguely resembling a rectangle and pop it in the freezer. With a lot of buttercream and some candy-striped ribbon, we were able to create a pretty cute cake. I think the look on Tula’s face is proof enough.
I should also note that Tula’s cute party dress came from Goodwill. I picked it up last month for $4, looking brand new. I noticed that one of the snaps in the back wasn’t attached very well, but I figured I could replace it with a button. When I showed it Patrick, he grabbed his tool box and managed to squeeze the metal pieces back together like new. One week later I went into Target and saw a rack of the same dresses priced at $14.
Eila’s adorable “bubble gum” dress was handmade by one of my sister’s friends. It kind of makes me want to be four again.
![[ LITTLE ENTREPRENEURS ]
We’re pretty good around here about donating toys that no longer get played with. I keep a basket in the hall closet where I deposit toys and household items that are on their way out of the house. When the basket is full, I take it with me to Goodwill on one of my frequent thrifting outings, and drive through the donation center.
Recently, Alden went through all of his toys and did a massive purge. Instead of donating, or having a garage sale, I suggested he set up a little store in the house and invite some of the families that we know with younger boys to come and shop. We priced all of the items for less than a dollar, with most being 5¢–25¢ so that the kids could easily afford them with money from their piggy banks.
Tula is not quite so willing to part with any of her toys (I was able to talk her into selling a few of the lingering baby toys), so I suggested that she set up a cafe and sell strawberry shortcake, coffee, and lemonade. Again, we priced the treats really low. After all, these are friends of ours, who we would normally host for coffee and playdates for free.
I can’t believe how enthralled my kids were with the whole process. It kept them busy for two solid days (they barely sat down long enough to eat their meals). They cleaned, sorted, and priced the toys. We spent an afternoon outside painting signs and coloring paper bags, several hours setting up shelves and displays, and Tula got to work in the kitchen baking cakes (with a little help, of course).
Treasure Box Toys and Tula’s Treats Cafe—named by the kids—opened for business for three hours yesterday morning, and all of their hard work paid off. Little boys were scooping up cars and trucks by the armload. Friends with new babies gave homes to some of our favorite baby toys. Moms drank coffee, and we all devoured the tasty strawberry shortcakes.
In the end both kids made about $10, which in their eyes is a huge success. This whole process was never about them raking in boatloads of cash. It was a chance for them to take ownership of an idea, execute it in their own ways, and have a bunch of fun. My hope was that the entire event would be a hands-on learning experience, not only for my kids, but for the other kids who got to come and shop with their own money.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lo1m33y8C71qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ LITTLE ENTREPRENEURS ]
We’re pretty good around here about donating toys that no longer get played with. I keep a basket in the hall closet where I deposit toys and household items that are on their way out of the house. When the basket is full, I take it with me to Goodwill on one of my frequent thrifting outings, and drive through the donation center.
Recently, Alden went through all of his toys and did a massive purge. Instead of donating, or having a garage sale, I suggested he set up a little store in the house and invite some of the families that we know with younger boys to come and shop. We priced all of the items for less than a dollar, with most being 5¢–25¢ so that the kids could easily afford them with money from their piggy banks.
Tula is not quite so willing to part with any of her toys (I was able to talk her into selling a few of the lingering baby toys), so I suggested that she set up a cafe and sell strawberry shortcake, coffee, and lemonade. Again, we priced the treats really low. After all, these are friends of ours, who we would normally host for coffee and playdates for free.
I can’t believe how enthralled my kids were with the whole process. It kept them busy for two solid days (they barely sat down long enough to eat their meals). They cleaned, sorted, and priced the toys. We spent an afternoon outside painting signs and coloring paper bags, several hours setting up shelves and displays, and Tula got to work in the kitchen baking cakes (with a little help, of course).
Treasure Box Toys and Tula’s Treats Cafe—named by the kids—opened for business for three hours yesterday morning, and all of their hard work paid off. Little boys were scooping up cars and trucks by the armload. Friends with new babies gave homes to some of our favorite baby toys. Moms drank coffee, and we all devoured the tasty strawberry shortcakes.
In the end both kids made about $10, which in their eyes is a huge success. This whole process was never about them raking in boatloads of cash. It was a chance for them to take ownership of an idea, execute it in their own ways, and have a bunch of fun. My hope was that the entire event would be a hands-on learning experience, not only for my kids, but for the other kids who got to come and shop with their own money.
![[ WEEKEND REARRANGE: KIDS’ ROOMS ]
It wasn’t just the living room that got a little shuffled over the weekend. We decided to tackle a few things in both of the kids’ rooms, too. Their beds are actually stackable bunk beds, and we’ve been wanting to use them in Alden’s room as a loft bed, to make a little extra floor space. In order to do that, we’ve been searching for a new bed for Tula. The perfect one popped up on Craigslist so we seized the opportunity.
Tula now has the nicest bed in the family—a dark gray metal canopy bed from West Elm. I’m planning to make some sheer white curtains for the sides, and she’s really excited about the idea. With the tall canopy, we needed to move the bed away from the window, which seems much safer anyway.
Alden’s room isn’t really anything fancy. Mostly it’s his little domain where he stores [hoards] his buckets of cars, piles of drawings, and collections of plastic bugs. He’s always starting new “collections” and it’s really all I can do to keep it sort of organized in bins. His idea of decorating is lining up all of his Lego creations along his dresser right in front of the collage made from sticks and leaves, and I’m [mostly] fine with that. Since we created a little extra floor space for him, we were able to fit a small setup of Patrick’s old drums in the corner.
The rules? Drumming between breakfast and dinner only. I hope the neighbors don’t mind.
You can find more pictures of Tula’s Room (before the new bed) here, and a few of Alden’s room here.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmuezajwYQ1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ WEEKEND REARRANGE: KIDS’ ROOMS ]
It wasn’t just the living room that got a little shuffled over the weekend. We decided to tackle a few things in both of the kids’ rooms, too. Their beds are actually stackable bunk beds, and we’ve been wanting to use them in Alden’s room as a loft bed, to make a little extra floor space. In order to do that, we’ve been searching for a new bed for Tula. The perfect one popped up on Craigslist so we seized the opportunity.
Tula now has the nicest bed in the family—a dark gray metal canopy bed from West Elm. I’m planning to make some sheer white curtains for the sides, and she’s really excited about the idea. With the tall canopy, we needed to move the bed away from the window, which seems much safer anyway.
Alden’s room isn’t really anything fancy. Mostly it’s his little domain where he stores [hoards] his buckets of cars, piles of drawings, and collections of plastic bugs. He’s always starting new “collections” and it’s really all I can do to keep it sort of organized in bins. His idea of decorating is lining up all of his Lego creations along his dresser right in front of the collage made from sticks and leaves, and I’m [mostly] fine with that. Since we created a little extra floor space for him, we were able to fit a small setup of Patrick’s old drums in the corner.
The rules? Drumming between breakfast and dinner only. I hope the neighbors don’t mind.
You can find more pictures of Tula’s Room (before the new bed) here, and a few of Alden’s room here.
![[ FRUGAL BABY SHOWER ]
I love to celebrate, and last night I hosted a baby shower for a good friend. We’ve been out of town for nearly two weeks, and I hadn’t done any planning prior to our return last Saturday night. That meant that I needed to put the whole thing together in a mere two days. Oh, I also had a budget of about $10.
Crazy, right? I managed to fit the food into my regular weekly grocery budget, so there were no added expenses there. Also, another friend made the pretty cake and brought some lemonade, which was a huge help, since I really didn’t have time to bake. As for the decorations, well, that’s where a little creativity can really make up for a lack of cash.
Picking a theme based on the items I already had on hand made decorating much cheaper and easier. I decided to go with a little woodland theme, knowing that I had a plethora of cute things around the house that I could use. Here’s what I made from my existing supplies:
Terrariums - made from mason jars, moss that I collected from a nearby park, and little plastic animals from Tula’s Playmobil Advent calendar (which was a hand-me-down from an old neighbor).
Mushrooms - made from a paper towel tube and leftover felt from my modern christmas stocking project
Flower arrangements - I pulled a few flowers from my Mother’s Day bouquet that still had a little life in them, and added some branches from a tree in our yard.
Wood branch blocks - I borrowed these from Patrick’s work, where they were used in a photo shoot.
I also used my garage sale deer and thrifted owl, and sketched out a little picture on our chalkboard wall.
Now, here’s what I purchased with my $10:
one yard of clearance fabric at JoAnn Fabrics: $3
yarn & paper for the pennant bunting: $7
Everything came together really well, and we had a lovely time. Now it’s time to clean up, and per the kids’ request, move the pennant bunting into the playroom.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llrwesa4VY1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ FRUGAL BABY SHOWER ]
I love to celebrate, and last night I hosted a baby shower for a good friend. We’ve been out of town for nearly two weeks, and I hadn’t done any planning prior to our return last Saturday night. That meant that I needed to put the whole thing together in a mere two days. Oh, I also had a budget of about $10.
Crazy, right? I managed to fit the food into my regular weekly grocery budget, so there were no added expenses there. Also, another friend made the pretty cake and brought some lemonade, which was a huge help, since I really didn’t have time to bake. As for the decorations, well, that’s where a little creativity can really make up for a lack of cash.
Picking a theme based on the items I already had on hand made decorating much cheaper and easier. I decided to go with a little woodland theme, knowing that I had a plethora of cute things around the house that I could use. Here’s what I made from my existing supplies:
- Terrariums - made from mason jars, moss that I collected from a nearby park, and little plastic animals from Tula’s Playmobil Advent calendar (which was a hand-me-down from an old neighbor).
- Mushrooms - made from a paper towel tube and leftover felt from my modern christmas stocking project
- Flower arrangements - I pulled a few flowers from my Mother’s Day bouquet that still had a little life in them, and added some branches from a tree in our yard.
- Wood branch blocks - I borrowed these from Patrick’s work, where they were used in a photo shoot.
- I also used my garage sale deer and thrifted owl, and sketched out a little picture on our chalkboard wall.
Now, here’s what I purchased with my $10:
- one yard of clearance fabric at JoAnn Fabrics: $3
- yarn & paper for the pennant bunting: $7
Everything came together really well, and we had a lovely time. Now it’s time to clean up, and per the kids’ request, move the pennant bunting into the playroom.
![[ LATE NIGHT THRIFT RUN ]
On Wednesday night, I received a call from a friend who was at Goodwill and had spotted a knock-off Eames lounge chair (Plycraft) for $40. We don’t really need another lounge chair, but I thought I would go take a look in case it was worth picking up for anyone else we know. I was a little embarrassed by how quickly I was able to throw my shoes on and get to the store—my friend was still at the register making her purchases. I stood in front of the chair and debated buying it for a few minutes, but there were several condition problems and in the end, I passed.
It wasn’t a wasted trip though, because tucked behind the chair was this little yellow stool, priced at $3.99. I had to bring it home. I’ve been trying to talk Patrick in to putting something in the entry way where people can set their bag or sit to tie their shoes. Remember the shelf that sat in limbo in the entry? Yeah, we sold that a few months ago, and I didn’t really think I would find anything that Patrick would ever like in that spot. I didn’t even have to try to convince him, he liked it immediately. Note the $5 converse and the $5 scarf from Boden (with the tag still attached) that I picked up on a previous thrift hunt.
An unexpected bonus to the stool… It’s the perfect size and location for time-outs—not that we ever have to do those [smirk].
The late night trip yielded even more than the stool. Up on a shelf, I found this vintage doll highchair:
(Sorry for the dark photo. I had to take a quick picture before hiding it back in the closet)
I’m saving it for Tula’s birthday, and I’ll probably paint over the illustration on the back to make it solid white. I can’t get over the color on the legs—it’s so pretty. Overall the highchair is in great condition. I just hope that I can keep my kids from sitting in it.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lial8beWQU1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ LATE NIGHT THRIFT RUN ]
On Wednesday night, I received a call from a friend who was at Goodwill and had spotted a knock-off Eames lounge chair (Plycraft) for $40. We don’t really need another lounge chair, but I thought I would go take a look in case it was worth picking up for anyone else we know. I was a little embarrassed by how quickly I was able to throw my shoes on and get to the store—my friend was still at the register making her purchases. I stood in front of the chair and debated buying it for a few minutes, but there were several condition problems and in the end, I passed.
It wasn’t a wasted trip though, because tucked behind the chair was this little yellow stool, priced at $3.99. I had to bring it home. I’ve been trying to talk Patrick in to putting something in the entry way where people can set their bag or sit to tie their shoes. Remember the shelf that sat in limbo in the entry? Yeah, we sold that a few months ago, and I didn’t really think I would find anything that Patrick would ever like in that spot. I didn’t even have to try to convince him, he liked it immediately. Note the $5 converse and the $5 scarf from Boden (with the tag still attached) that I picked up on a previous thrift hunt.
An unexpected bonus to the stool… It’s the perfect size and location for time-outs—not that we ever have to do those [smirk].
The late night trip yielded even more than the stool. Up on a shelf, I found this vintage doll highchair:
(Sorry for the dark photo. I had to take a quick picture before hiding it back in the closet)
I’m saving it for Tula’s birthday, and I’ll probably paint over the illustration on the back to make it solid white. I can’t get over the color on the legs—it’s so pretty. Overall the highchair is in great condition. I just hope that I can keep my kids from sitting in it.
![[ TULA’S ROOM ]
I didn’t set out this weekend to do any projects in Tula’s room. Actually, I had hoped to reupholster a barstool, but coming out of two different fabric stores empty-handed, I switched gears. I popped into the Ballard Goodwill and found this great little pendant lamp shade. It was missing the fixture portion, but I had an old plug-in ikea one that I’d been saving in a drawer. The style of the shade is identical to the Le Klint Pendant 172 that retails for about $400, but mine is about 10” in diameter, and all of the ones I’ve seen online are 13” so I don’t know if this is a knock-off or not. It doesn’t really matter, it was $2 and I think it’s beautiful.
After Goodwill, I drove by an estate sale that had a line out the door. I figured it must be something special, so I found my place at the back of the line, waiting nearly an hour to get in. There really weren’t that many people there; it was just a very small house that belonged to an antique dealer. Most of the items inside were a little fancy for my taste—a lot of crystal and china—but I did find a couple of nice things. One of which was this framed floral embroidery. I knew instantly that it would match Tula’s curtains and bedskirt, plus I figured the frame and glass were easily worth the $9 that I paid.
Those two little items snowballed into a several-hour cleaning, organizing, rearranging session in Tula’s room. I know I’ve shared a few pictures before, but I thought this would be a great chance to show the rest of her room. I know it’s not as fancy as a lot of the other kids’ room tours out there on home blogs, but I think it’s pretty cute for spending hardly any money.
Free dresser, thrifted ceramic giraffes, thrifted books
Thrifted rocking chair and doll on left, the quilt was a gift, and the other doll is mine from childhood. Free bookshelf, bed frame was given to us by friends, garage sale fabric, Ikea sheets and comforter, estate sale art.
Cabinet was a gift purchased from an antique store (it’s awaiting a paint job), free and thrifted canisters, owl postcard from Birch Paperie.
Tula can usually be found happily in her room, wearing both a dress and a tutu, dancing or playing happily in a corner. I’m glad to have made her a special place without going broke.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhmmoqNHso1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ TULA’S ROOM ]
I didn’t set out this weekend to do any projects in Tula’s room. Actually, I had hoped to reupholster a barstool, but coming out of two different fabric stores empty-handed, I switched gears. I popped into the Ballard Goodwill and found this great little pendant lamp shade. It was missing the fixture portion, but I had an old plug-in ikea one that I’d been saving in a drawer. The style of the shade is identical to the Le Klint Pendant 172 that retails for about $400, but mine is about 10” in diameter, and all of the ones I’ve seen online are 13” so I don’t know if this is a knock-off or not. It doesn’t really matter, it was $2 and I think it’s beautiful.
After Goodwill, I drove by an estate sale that had a line out the door. I figured it must be something special, so I found my place at the back of the line, waiting nearly an hour to get in. There really weren’t that many people there; it was just a very small house that belonged to an antique dealer. Most of the items inside were a little fancy for my taste—a lot of crystal and china—but I did find a couple of nice things. One of which was this framed floral embroidery. I knew instantly that it would match Tula’s curtains and bedskirt, plus I figured the frame and glass were easily worth the $9 that I paid.
Those two little items snowballed into a several-hour cleaning, organizing, rearranging session in Tula’s room. I know I’ve shared a few pictures before, but I thought this would be a great chance to show the rest of her room. I know it’s not as fancy as a lot of the other kids’ room tours out there on home blogs, but I think it’s pretty cute for spending hardly any money.
Free dresser, thrifted ceramic giraffes, thrifted books
Thrifted rocking chair and doll on left, the quilt was a gift, and the other doll is mine from childhood. Free bookshelf, bed frame was given to us by friends, garage sale fabric, Ikea sheets and comforter, estate sale art.
Cabinet was a gift purchased from an antique store (it’s awaiting a paint job), free and thrifted canisters, owl postcard from Birch Paperie.
Tula can usually be found happily in her room, wearing both a dress and a tutu, dancing or playing happily in a corner. I’m glad to have made her a special place without going broke.
![[ CANISTER MAKEOVER ]
The last time we were up visiting family, my mother-in-law gave me an old set of small tin canisters that she had never used. They weren’t really my style (they looked something like this) but I can always use sturdy storage containers for the kids’ toys, so I brought them home with me. I was too impatient to turn these into a sanding/painting project. I didn’t even really want to have to wait for Modge Podge to dry (wow, that sounds lazy, huh?).
I had a bit of Snow & Graham paper left from my sewing cabinet project, and after measuring, it turned out to be just enough to cover all of the canisters. I used a heavy-duty double-sided tape, and had these things transformed in about ten minutes.
The size of these containers are just right for keeping some of our littlest toys organized. It also makes it easy to put them up out of reach when littler guests come to play. The smallest one holds Tula’s Calico Critter accessories, which are insanely minuscule:
Would you believe we haven’t lost any of the pieces to this set yet?](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg2bbiUNdt1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ CANISTER MAKEOVER ]
The last time we were up visiting family, my mother-in-law gave me an old set of small tin canisters that she had never used. They weren’t really my style (they looked something like this) but I can always use sturdy storage containers for the kids’ toys, so I brought them home with me. I was too impatient to turn these into a sanding/painting project. I didn’t even really want to have to wait for Modge Podge to dry (wow, that sounds lazy, huh?).
I had a bit of Snow & Graham paper left from my sewing cabinet project, and after measuring, it turned out to be just enough to cover all of the canisters. I used a heavy-duty double-sided tape, and had these things transformed in about ten minutes.
The size of these containers are just right for keeping some of our littlest toys organized. It also makes it easy to put them up out of reach when littler guests come to play. The smallest one holds Tula’s Calico Critter accessories, which are insanely minuscule:
Would you believe we haven’t lost any of the pieces to this set yet?
