Making New Things Old

So, if you are reading my blog then you probably love that primitive look just like me. I love it when someone can take something brand new and make it look old, distressed and rustic. I am always telling my husband that I would love to have a bigger home just so I can decorate more and more. The good thing about him is that he nods his head and smiles and says "Hopefully someday soon honey." Anyway, I was on a couple websites tonight just looking around and I must say that I love these sites that I found. If you haven't checked out The American Heritage Shop then you should definitely head on over there and take a look at their furniture. Oh, I love their furniture!! Ok, ok, I could probably have one of each (lol). I love the Weatherly Cupboard, The Early Coat Rack, and I am totally in love with the Primitive Candle Cupboard. Below is a picture of the Primitive Candle Cupboard (mustard over black). Isn't it gorgeous!?! Hopefully someday soon I will have one just like it. At least I have a picture and I can slobber over it for awhile (lol). My father in-law is super handy and I know that he could make something very similar, but he isn't real familiar with how to paint it and give it that old primitive look so that is where we run into the issues. Do you know how to give it that look or do you know where I could go to find out how to make it look that way?

Another great site that I have been looking at alot lately is Littlehouse Mercantile. This site is basically dedicated to all these other websites that have folks that decorate with primitives. You gotta check out All Weathered Homes and Home on the Hill to just name a few. Those are some great sites and these homes are just beautiful and very primitive. On the All Weathered Homes website it talks about drying taters or making a tater garland. As you might have seen.... I made a garland with dried green beans also known as leather britches, but I also love the look of the tater garland so I might have to try my hand at that too. I love doing crafty things. So, are there any crafty things that you have done that you would like to share? I would love to hear about them and possibly even try them. So, go ahead and leave me a comment about your crafty primitive ideas. Thanks in advance for sharing & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A Closer Look at Year Round Decorations

Things are slowly getting back to normal here. I have all my Christmas decorations put away for another year. All of my year round decorations are back out and dusted off. If you saw my previous post then you probably know that I am going to try my hand at making one of the mason jar safes. I have a mason jar and now I am just trying to figure out what to fill it with. I have thought about coffee beans, but since I am not a coffee drinker, I thought that would be kinda odd. I was also thinking about beans, pasta or even oatmeal so I will keep thinking and post pictures when it is completed. Thanks to Linda @ Behind My Red Door for the great idea!!

Mason Jar Safe - A Great Idea

I saw this GREAT idea on a fellow bloggers site. Linda from Behind My Red Door saw this on another gal's site and decided to try her hand at it. She calls her crafty project Budget Rice Mix and indeed it is crafty and something I am gonna have to try. Check out Linda's site for her take on the project and her pictures and if you want a step by step tutorial then check out Char and her blog at The Pickled Pepper Patch. Both of these crafty and creative gals made their very own version of the Mason Jar Safe. Linda picked rice for her filler and Char picked rosehips and beans, but if you think about it... you could really pick whatever you want for a filler. I thought coffee beans would make a nice filler as well. So, go ahead and try your hand at it after you check out those links and be sure to leave me a comment after you have made your very own creation. Hmmm, now I need to find me some old mason jars and get busy. Thanks Ladies for the GREAT idea!!

My New Santa

I fell in love with this Santa when I first saw him on Cinnamon Creek Cabins. DruAnn McCarty spends alot of time making these handmade Santa's and if you haven't checked out her picture trail albums then you better head there right now..... of course after you are finished with my website. DruAnn's shop is located in Kentucky and she has been making Santa's since she was 20 years old. Her website takes you on a tour of her shop, her home during Christmas time and during the rest of the year and it also has links to other items that she has made and sold and it will also lead you to many other great sites as well under her Kindred Friends section. Isn't my Santa beautiful? My Mom was kind enough to buy him for me, but I won the bid on him... well, I put my request in for him before anyone else. Check out her site, how to bid, items sold and take a tour of her home. Oh, you will love it and it gives you GREAT ideas too!! ENJOY. Hope you liked my Santa and his Sheep. I would love to have the Santa with the Reindeer next (too cute). Merry Christmas to All.

Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus

This is the Reason for the Season!!

Merry Christmas

Here is the finished product. I don't know about you, but I love everything about Christmas!!

A Country Christmas

Here are some Christmas decorations that I put on my tree this year.

I love these snowmen heads. The corn cob nose sticks straight out. They are so cute!!

Here is my Charlie Brown Tree. I decorated it will some rice size lights, cinnamon sticks and some oranges that I bought at my favorite store in Amish Country - Country Gatherings.

Antique Rose Back Chairs

These antique rose back chairs came from my husband and his family. I am not sure about you, but I love them! I have 2 of them and I love the cloth seats and the wood work that is shown in these chairs. You can tell that they are so old and they hold so much character.

I Love This Stand

I have this stand currently in the front door entry way, but I normally have it in the family room between 2 chairs. This stand was made by the same Amish folks that made my black cupboard. They normally make is in a red (which is shown), a black, and a mustard..... they might even make it in an off white or a cream. I am not sure you can see the detail in my pictures, but they normally layer colors..... for example - the red is over top of a black and then it is sanded off to give it that primitive country look and that then allows the different colors to come through.

Wall Shelves Around the House

I don't know about you, but I love shelves and I love them even more if they are primitive looking. I love that worn out, brushed off, beat up, crackle paint look. Here are a few pictures of some of my shelves that are throughout my home.

A Country Bathroom

This is my half bath which I painted and then added the border to. I just love this bathroom. It is so neatly decorated, but quite simple.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look at some of my "favorite things" that are displayed on my cupboard. I have already put out my Christmas decorations so you will see some of those displayed here as well as upcoming posts. Here is an old Christmas stocking that I bought at a primitive shop in Amish Country.

Here is a Momma and baby giraffe that a friend of my Mom's made for me. I love the picture that is in the background. If you can't read it.... it says "The Cross Made The Difference For Me"

Here is a primitive sheep that a friend of my Mom's made for me. I love how she made the sheep look dirty by spraying the wool with tea or coffee. The legs are simple twigs from a tree.This has to be a favorite of my sons, but then again he loves elephants. Once again she made it look old and primitive by simply spraying it with tea or coffee. I love that old dirty look.

Here is another picture of my cupboard. As you can see alot of the items that I just mentioned are neatly placed in their particular spots and it gives it such a country feel. I left one of the cupboard doors open to give it a different look, but you can just as easily shut that door to have it take on a whole different look if you would like. Doesn't hurt to switch things around every now and again - right?

An Old Antique Ladder

An old antique ladder makes for a great conversation piece and a wonderful decoration. I found this old ladder at one of the antique shops in Berlin, Ohio. It was only $8.00 and I thought it would be so cute hanging from my ceiling in the kitchen. I wrapped some red berries around the ladder and decorated it with some old antique kitchen utensils. I also added a few rusty stars, a couple Longaberger baskets and put a black crow on one end and another small string of my leather britches aka dried green beans on the other end. Isn't a great idea? Another thing you could do is to wrap some white Christmas lights around it, but I thought it looked cute just the way it is.

Scatter Kindness with Green Beans

Can you tell what those are hanging next to my towel? They are called leather britches, but they are actually green beans that I strung up on a sturdy piece of string. I let them dry out for many weeks and then hung them on an "S hook" which I then placed on my cupboard door. My Mom found the idea in one of her primitive decorating books. Aren't they neat?

A Frosty Friend

Here is a Christmas decoration that I bought a couple years ago. I actually use it in another way other then on my tree. I thought it looked cute with some berries and greenery and put into a little box and then placed the box on top of my countertop in my kitchen.

A Candle Dryer

I purchased this at Sara's Herbs and Everlasting which is located in New Philadelphia, Ohio.

My Amish Made Cupboard

This cupboard was purchased at Country Gatherings. It shows up perfectly on my red wall in my kitchen. I just love the detail in this cupboard.

Welcome To My Blog

Welcome to my new blog. I have created this blog with the idea of posting pictures of all of my favorite primitives that are displayed in my cozy little home. I hope you enjoy visiting and I hope that some of these pictures peak your interest in my decorations. I am not sure about you, but I love all of these handmade cuties. I go to Amish Country quite frequently with my Mom and we visit all sorts of shops. We spend alot of time going through the shops and looking at all of the primitive decorations. Amish Country is indeed a primitive lovers paradise. Enjoy and stay as long as you would like!! Here are a few pictures to start you out.