Trending 2014 Decor: Brass

If there is one thing you can be sure to find at your local thrift store, it is brass items. Brass candle sticks, brass plant containers, brass lamps, brass goblets, the list goes on and on. The shiny and bright brass look was very popular in the 1980's. It went well with the revived country manor look and the oh so popular color of hunter green. 

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Brass is predicted to be a trend for 2014, but this time around, the desire is for an antique brass finish. This brass has a darker and richer tone. 

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So go ahead and get your brass out of the basement or attic, hunt for pieces at the thrift store and enjoy brass again. We have linked to some tips for cleaning your brass finds and giving them a 2014 finish.  

How to clean brass:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Polishing-Badly-Tarnished-Brass/

How to antique shiny brass:

http://www.ehow.com/how_6283303_antique-shiny-brass.html

How to paint shiny brass lamps with antique brass paint: 

http://www.ehow.com/how_4815824_paint-brass-lamps.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask

Happy New Year and Happy Treasure Hunting!

Vintage Christmas Prints DIY Ideas

Vintage Christmas prints and pictures connect our present day holiday with the past. Add some charm of Christmas Past with sweet touches throughout your home with these easy print and decorate ideas. 

Picture Frame

This is the simplest idea - Print a picture and fill a frame from a thrift store. Or take a tip from fivehappyjudds.blogspot.com and place Christmas prints in front of your current wall display just for the holidays. 

Decorative Objects

Wouldn't this vintage suitcase make a warm Christmas welcome in your entry way? You could also use a watering can or large tin filled with pine tree branches. 

Visit bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com to follow her diy instructions for this project. 

Gift Tags

Print smaller versions of your favorite image to make gift tags. 

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Follow these links to some of our favorite sources for free printable vintage Christmas images and prints.

thegraphicsfairy.com

www.oneprettything.com (search printables in the archives)

http://vintageprintable.com/wordpress/

Merry Christmas and Happy Treasure Hunting!

Goodwill candelabra transformed again for Christmas

Back in October we found this humble brown candelabra at Goodwill and upcycled it into a festive cupcake holder for Halloween.

Now it has undergone another quick and easy transformation for Christmas.

Leaving the iron sections black, we painted over the black paint on the wood base and candle holders with "True Burgundy" Plaid brand acrylic paint. Painting with a light touch let some of the black paint come through and this added a rustic charm to the piece.

Simply add Christmas candle rings and four medium length red taper candles on the first tier of candle holders. The center candle holder was topped with two candle rings cut open and twisted together with thin wire. This made a larger "nest" to hold our centerpiece. We chose a glittery Christmas bell to sit on top of the candelabra, but it would look pretty with an angel or a glittery star.

It has been fun finding a piece like this candelabra and reusing it for two holidays. Which happy occasion will be next?

Happy Treasure Hunting!

Re-Use Christmas Party Sweaters

That Christmas Sweater was dazzling and jazzy when it made its party debut in 1990, it won a prize 10 years later at an ugly sweater party. Now it is time for it to live another life as a pillow? stocking? mittens?

We have a round up of ideas for re-using your Christmas sweaters!

Pillow

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Christmas Trees

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CHRISTMAS SKIRT

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MITTENS

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WREATH

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Pet Bed

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STOCKINGS

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LEG WARMERS

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Garland

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Need more ideas? 

Visit our Pinterest Page Re-use thrift store sweaters.

Happy Holidays and Happy Treasure Hunting!