Upcycling: What to do with…?

I had the pleasure of being bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding last weekend and after a very lovely day, I was pleased to be given one of the gorgeous table centre pieces, which the bride made herself. The day was lots of fun and the venue was styled beautifully in a colour scheme of cadbury purple and white. 

Now that the Big Day is over, I am the happy owner of one of the bird cages and I need inspiration of what to do with it next (as it is currently housed in my basement). Friends and family have suggested leaving it as it is and putting it in the garden, using it as a hanging basket or placing it in the bathroom as a decorative piece. But what do you think? Shall I leave it as it is or transform it into something even more stylish, while keeping the memories of the wedding alive too?

What shall I do next with this beautiful wedding table centre piece?

The venue was decorated in a purple and white colour scheme

 

The boy did good

Now, you may have realised I like a freebie as much as the next person, so imagine my glee when I arrived home to find the mr had bagged us some kitchen gear during a mass clear out at his office.

We are definitely set for the kitchen now after he brought back a box full of trendy coffee cups and saucers, matching plates and some bowls, along with some decorative orange glassware, which will look lovely in the bedroom.

He also managed to get a glass TV stand home – great for the living room.

I am not sure what to use these glass bowls for yet, but I think they will be nice for my Moroccan-inspired bedroom scheme

A whole box for of coffee cups and saucers…and another full of plates

A free glass TV stand which I am yet to see set up…

So now we have tackled the furniture clearance and managed to build up some house stuff from an office clearance…whatever next?

Project #2: Handmade notice board

I have wanted to try my hand at covering an old cork board to transform it into a stylish piece for the kitchen for a while now, and have finally got around to doing just that. In between meeting press deadlines, planning the house move and organising a trip up north for my friend’s wedding this weekend, I put my crafting skills to the test, and armed with a newly bought staple gun (from Dunelm Mill), I made something that I am really proud of.

Take one old cork notice board – I found mine at a car boot sale for 50p!

Buy a fabric of your choice. I got this cool retro printed one from eBay for around £3 for two fat quarters (FQs)

One roll of ribbon, also from Dunelm Mill. Cost £1.99 for five metres

I paid £10 for this staple gun from Dunelm Mill, which was the most expensive element, but will see me through many craft projects to come

And of course, you need pins to secure the ribbon and to use on the notice board once it is finished. I went for a selection of colours. These were £1 from the car boot sale

Start by cutting the fabric to size leaving around two inches overhang to act like a seam. Staple to material to the board starting from the middle and pulling it tight over the front as you go

When it comes to the corners, fold them over like you are wrapping a present, ensuring that the ends are tucked away neatly

For the front. start by crossing two bits of ribbon and securing in the centre with a pin. Staple the ends to back of the board

Carry on arranging the strands of ribbon to create a lattice effect, keeping them as evenly spaces out as possible

When you have completed the lattice effect, put a pin where each crossover of the ribbon appears. I chose to keep to a red and white colour scheme to match the fabric

Screw in the hanging fixtures to the top of the board, deciding on whether you want it horizontal or vertical.

You’re ready to display! Hang the board up and put your favourite postcards, reminders, recipes and business cards in it for easy reach and great decoration

What do you think of the finished result? This project took me around 45 minutes to complete (and I was taking my time). I can’t wait to hang it in my new kitchen, it will work perfectly with my red appliances.