Hang in There

Thanks for coming over today!

All this week, I've been finding inspiration

to turn these forks & spoons:

From blah to TADA!

Here's another one I found on Etsy:

It's the handiwork of JJEvensen,

who turns old spoons/forks into useful

stuff for the home like this coat rack.

I like that each spoon has the name

of a family member stamped on it.

This would fit well in the foyer or

mud room where most of us would

hang our jackets & bags.

This one's made of funky forks.

Indeed, there are many creative things

you can do with old silverware.

Have a superb weekend!

Carved in Silver

Reusing silverware is the name of the game.

And so far, I've found some winners already.

If you have some of these utensils

that have seen better days,

turn them from blah to TADA!

Here's what Jessica at Etsy did to hers:

She flattened the utensils, hand stamped them

with common vegetable names

and TADA!, instant garden markers.

Here's a version with power words.

And one that's wonderful to give

as a wedding present!

SilverWEAR

These are some things I'll always find

at thrift stores or flea markets:

Mismatched silverware.

There have been several occasions

when I rescued them & took them home.

I know I'm not alone in doing this.

I found this shop on Etsy and she creates such

unique pieces of jewelry out of old utensils:

A spoon fashioned into a bangle!

It can be personalized with a monogram.

It can also include a very important date

like a birthday or wedding anniversary.

Spoon heads linked together, each one

with a name & birthday. Perfect for moms,

sisters and best friends.

This one uses spoon ends chosen for the

decorative detail. Also engraved with

names of very special people.

Super cool, right?

Sweet Surprise

One of the things I like to collect are gadgets

for the kitchen. I usually pick up stuff that are

brand new but my drawers never turn away

pre-owned items like vintage utensils.

Take for example these teaspoons.

Same shape, same size, all silver,

except for the ends.

If you belong to the school of matchy-matchy,

you might consider these blah.

But for every blah is a TADA!

These are personalized hot chocolate

silverplate spoons sold by Ticket Kitchen,

a shop in San Francisco specializing

in hot chocolate.

I particularly like the product pictured

above. They dip a spoon into a block

of chocolate. All one needs to do is add

this to a cup of hot milk. The chocolate

will melt and TADA!, you have yourself a

some delicious hot chocolate!

But here's the surprise.

When the chocolate melts, the spoon

will reveal a message, one that's engraved

right onto the spoon! You can even

personalize it -- "Marry Me", "No.1 Dad",

"Best Friend Forever" or whatever you like.

Isn't that TADA!?

Spoons & Forks

How was your weekend everyone?

I hope you had loads of fun!

Blogger had a little hiccup at the end of last week.

Sorry 'bout that. I hope you were able to read my

posts about miniature forests & nature in a jar.

Anyways, in the back of my cupboard is

this jar filled with flea market finds:

Mismatched spoons & forks.

They're glorious for food styling projects,

but I've been thinking of other uses for them.

Here's one idea. It's a light fixture

decorated with spoons & forks!

I saw it in an Italian restaurant

in Hong Kong. Cute eh?

Here's a similar chandelier,

made of vintage egg beaters.

I spotted it at Fishs Eddy

in New York City.

More neat & nifty TADAs tomorrow!

Nature in a Jar

Let's give it up for Friday because it's finally here!

This week I had a ball turning these glass

containers from blah to TADA!

With carefully selected rocks, twigs and plants,

I made some really cool covered terrariums.

I read that these "thrive on neglect". They make use of

whatever moisture is in the jar, allowing the plants to

survive. No constant watering needed. Yahoo!

I got to reuse some blah plastic containers

to collect my materials, too.

And if I may digress, can I show you

some springtime photos; a souvenir

of the day I went hunting & gathering?

You have to love all this spring time bounty!

Wish I could preserve fresh flowers inside a bottle.

Anyway, back to my project:

I used this blah jar.

And turned it into a TADA! terrarium.

I think this will find a good home on a desk

or bookshelf {near a sunny window}.

I just had to take a family portrait

of my handiwork.

Have a sweet weekend ya 'all!

Into the Woods

A big thank you for visiting my blog today!

If you've been tuning in this week,

I've got my nose deep into making terrariums:

Yes, in every possible jar I could find.

And because I found these arched twigs...

Plus these interesting plants in the park nearby...

I could already envision the kind of terrarium this

blah pickle jar would be: a TADA! miniature forest!

I piled on the rocks, then the plants,

and then the twigs.

Check how the terrarium looks on all angles.

Make any adjustments and spray some water.

Add a cover {I used a glass dish meant to hold

a candle; it fit perfectly!}.

TADA! It's my little forest right in my living room.

Glass Refuge

I'm trying my hand at making terrariums and I'm really

enjoying it. It serves so many purposes -- I'm learning

something new, I'm able to recycle jars and I get to

spend time outdoors as I gather stuff to put in my

glass containers. And at the end of the day,

I have a terrarium to dress up my home!

The flat sides of this blah jar makes it perfect

to use as a terrarium.

Add some freebies from nature.

Arrange them artistically.

Then finish off with spritzes of water.

Tiny, neglected toys -- animals, fairies and sure, robots --

can find a new home in the terrarium.

Make sure the terrarium looks pretty on all sides.

For visual interest, I used an upturned glass votive

holder as the dome of my terrarium.

No money was spent or animals hurt

in the making of this TADA! project. :-)

Hunting & Gathering

Hello Lovelies!

I just made my own terrarium and

realized how easy the process was,

so I'm making a few more.

I also liked how I was able to use

a lot of stuff from my recycling bin:

Bottles and jars make splendid vessels.

Paper and plastic containers come

in handy when scavenging for

items to put inside the terrarium.

Plastic utensils for digging up sand, dirt & plants.

Chopsticks to help assemble things inside

the glass containers.

Now that we've got the tools, let's hunt and gather!

It's a good thing sunny skies and warm

temperatures are upon us.

The backyard, neighborhood park and

beach are great places to explore.

Just some of the things I found:

Twigs...

and rocks...

and tiny plants like ferns & moss.

And how about this cute soda bottle, huh?

I cleaned it inside and out & removed the

sticky label.

Fashion a funnel out of paper and slowly

pour in some sand and pebbles.

Add the plant and anchor the roots

in the sand & between the pebbles.

{Chopsticks come in handy for this!}

Add a generous spritz of water

from a spray bottle, allow to sit

overnight and replace the cover.

TADA! A handsome terrarium if I do say so myself!