holiday DIY decoration projects

Here's a few of the DIY projects I've done recently and just haven't had the time to upload the photos til now. (See, blah, rainy days are good for something...catching up on stuff inside!!)

Here's the TV armoir that we had gotten free and I redid to go with the 'shabby chic' feel I'm going for in the living room of late. It started out black, but I forgot to take a 'before' pic right away, so there is some primer on it in this shot. (I did love it black too, but unfortunately, black just doesn't go with the furniture I already have...)


The painting process was a bit more of an ordeal than my previous furniture projects, but, in the end, I'm quite happy with it!

Then there's my new candle holder that I am just loving. I saw this idea on another blog, then Bets beat me to making some great ones that she used on her Thanksgiving table. But they are easy as pie to make, (well easier, actually, for those of you non-pie makers!), they are super cheap, and you can change them many times for different uses! I started out with a few items from the dollar store and thrift store (that also cost$1) and some E6000 glue:
I put some of this great, clear drying glue around the edge of the candle base (which I believe was the bottom of an old Partylite hurricane lamp) set the tall vase on top and let it dry in a safe place (finding that place in my house was a job in itself!). After it was all dry I placed the tall candle in the center and played with different filler for around the inside. First I did some greens and berries:
Wasn't quite happy with that, so I played around with some different things, and in the end cranberries won out, and this is what it currently looks like sitting atop the TV cabinet.
Remember those red plates that I found cheap at the thrift store and used to make my countdown plate? I went back and got a few more, and found this plate holder at the thrift shop as well. It was originally white. A little spray paint (of course!) and it was black wrought iron looking, like the other decor items in my kitchen/dining room. A little free-hand painting and a bow on top (I know, the letters are a little lopsided and uneven...I'm going with telling myself that it's 'whimsical looking') and now I have another new Christmas decoration to add to my collection!
And how about this easy-peasy one? I think these are the perfect 'homey' decoration for my kitchen window sill. It's just Ball canning jars filled with epsom salts that look all snowy and sparkly with some candles bopped in! I've also read this are perfect for putting a tea light in and placing on walkways or porches outside because it's a safe way to burn a candle unattended. (Another craft note - I haven't tried it yet, but I've seen people coating plain old pillar candles with some clear-drying glue, like Mod Podge and rolling it in epsom salts for a sparkly coated candle.) I like sparkly...can you tell?
And remember that hideous blue plastic tray I painted a few months back? Well, it's now holding some dried cranberries, pine cones, etc. and a candle on my dining room table. Just tied a few scraps of material on the handles to make it coordinate with my table cloth. (And yes, I actually dried the cranberries myself.)
I think that's most of it for now. I've been having fun...can you tell? In the process, I think I may have developed a serious addiction to thrift stores....but that's a whole different post!