Recycled Paper Heart Wreath

I think my family has a cereal addiction. Really if I would let them, there are certain kids around here that would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! This is just a small amount of the cereal boxes that I save for art and craft projects (and I put alot out in the recycling bin to be picked up!)

I wanted to come up with a Valentine project using a recycled cereal box, since we have so darn many of them.

 I tore it open along the seams and cut out a heart shape from one side.

I folded the cardboard in half and cut out a half-heart shape and opened it up. I'm just no good at drawing a heart shape freehand, but you could do this any way you like.

Then I folded the heart in half and cut the center section out of it, leaving the wreath form. (save the solid heart for another project) The edges don't need to be perfect because it's all getting covered up anyway.

I was doing this very quickly on the kitchen counter last night, so my photos aren't the greatest. 

 I punched a hole at the top center of the heart form to put a hanger through.

Now I grabbed a pile of paper packing shreds  (came in a box of coffee someone sent me as a gift!)  and started gluing them to the heart shape. I covered a small section at a time with hot glue and just squashed a handful of paper into the glue.

  
Once it was all covered I checked for thin areas and just glued more bunches of paper in where needed. 

{At this point I decided to double the cardboard heart for extra stability, and reinforced the folded areas by hot gluing another small piece of the box to those spots (punching a hole in the top piece). If you were using a stronger piece of cardboard for the heart shape, I don't think it would be necessary.}

Wide fabric ribbon? Yarn? I decided to use a torn piece of cotton fabric for my hanging loop. 

 I think it turned out kinda cute for an old cereal box and some packing paper!

Now I just need to decide if I want it hung with or without the vintage hanger. What do you think?

I'll show you where I'm using this soon! 

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Whatever is Lovely

In our house, the main living area is a pretty small space consisting of living room, dining area and kitchen. All one room. 

We have a fairly large island with bar stools in the kitchen where we usually eat our meals. The dining table (right next to that island) however, usually ends up being the dumping ground for, well.. everything!

Between my projects and the debris of three kids, it's always such a mess that it really doesn't get used for its intended purpose. It's just a big flat surface to toss things on. 

Today, I'm trying an experiment. What if I filled that table surface with something pretty? What if there was no room for the JUNK?

I decided to try setting a pretty table-and leaving it that way- in hopes that our temptation to let the junk land there will be somewhat curbed. 

 

 

Plotting this experiment to fill a space with lovely to keep out the junk gets me thinking...

Our minds are a lot like this, aren't they? It's so easy to let the not-so-pretty in, and spend lots of time wallowing in it. And I don't think it's enough to just try to avoid letting the bad stuff in.



Every day we see and hear about ugly things. We may even have some very challenging relationships in our personal lives. Without a plan to combat the "mental junk" of our struggles and negative thoughts and emotions, it will inevitably pile up with unhappy results.

In order to effectively deal with the negative junk in our minds, we must make an intentional effort to fill that space with something good and positive. The more we intentionally fill our minds and hearts with life giving, hope filled words, the less space is available for the things that pull us down mentally and emotionally. 

I want you to know that this is something I've wrestled with for years (probably my whole life) and only in the past few have I been able to practice, and see the results of, getting intentional about the good I put into my mind. 

Today I was reminded of this lovely verse from the Bible:

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

Filling a space with good and lovely things to repel the tendency to let the junk pile up has been working in my mental and spiritual life for some time. 
I wonder if it is going to work for my dining room table?? I guess we shall see : )


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Cheap and Easy Lamp Revamp

I have a simple and inexpensive lamp spruce-up today. 

I bought this little metal lamp base a LONG time ago at a thrift store for a dollar. It has worn many shades over the years, but this gold shiny brocade-like one is probably the one most ill suited for it yet! How did it end up on here anyway?!

So when I found this nice quality linen shade at (you guessed it) the thrift store, I couldn't pass it up for .50 cents. I put it on the little black lamp, but it just seemed a little too "boxy" with the curves of the base. 

  
I thought I'd try giving it a softer look by adding some feminine details. I had some of this trim left from my daughter's wedding. 

And some handmade fabric flowers left over from another project. (I'll show you how to make these sometime!)



I attached the trim to the bottom of the shade using the hot glue gun. I started at the back of the shade near the seem in the linen on the corner.
 

Continuing around, and finally tucked the end of the trim under itself for a neat finish. 

Then I simply hot glued the fabric flowers to the front of the shade.

Mini-makeover complete!

50 cents spent and a few minutes to glue. I'm happy : ) 
Sometimes, it's just the little things, ya know? 



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Sunday Skies

I spent the day indoors today, mostly working on some craft and house projects. But early this evening I stepped out onto the deck, and...wow. There are hardly words to tell you how beautiful the sky was. I hope you enjoy these few photos I took.

 The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

 Psalm 19:1

Sunday blessings to you, my friends-

Jeanette  

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson-Share Your Cup Thursday