Trash Talk Thursday: Papier Mâché Candy Cups

Love the look of vintage Halloween party décor? Here's a cheap & easy way to create your own vintage-inspired papier mâché party accessories, without paying the premium price of vintage...

Purchase some inexpensive plastic party favors ~ I found 8-packs of small jack-o-lantern candy cups @ an after-Halloween clearance last year for .50 cents a package!  
Rip some newspapers into small strips, and mix all purpose glue with water (4 parts glue x 1 part water) in a shallow bowl or pan. Drag the newspaper strips through the glue mixture, then slide between your thumb and index finger to remove the excess. Apply the wet newspaper strips randomly to cover the plastic cups, smoothing the paper down with your fingers as you go. When the cups are completely covered with newspaper strips, hang them to dry a few hours. Then paint with craft paints as desired, to create your own unique vintage-style candy cups! These also make cute window luminaries, just add a battery operated LED tealight candle.  © copyright 2013 redshedvintage.com

 

 

Trash Talk Thursday: Plastic Prims!

Home parties were all the rage in the 1960's - 80’s, and during that time companies such as Home Interiors produced some great plastic wall décor which were reproductions of antique cast iron or wood plaques. Sometimes labled Burwood, Dart or Homco, these lightweight treasures are plentiful at thrift stores and are easy to upcycle with a little paint. This large patriotic Eagle was a recent $2.00 score.

After lightly cleaning with a damp cloth, I sprayed a light coat of flat black spray paint.

It looked good enough to hang with just the black paint, but I decided to add some patriotic colors. Using Folk Art acrylic craft paint, I applied red, white, blue, and gold paint on the dimensional areas, as shown. When it dried completely, I wiped Minwax Stain & Sealer with a cotton rag and waited a few hours before hanging. If you'll be hanging your painted plastic prims outdoors, a coat of clear acrylic spray will help protect it from the elements.
Check it out! This makeover of mine was featured in the Winter 2011 issue of A Primitive Place Magazine, page 107
© copyright 2011 redshedvintage.com 

Here are some other painted plastic projects of mine, recycled using the same painting method: