Sew~So To Star~Spangled Apothecary

After several years of painting/distressing/antiquing vintage finds for others, it's nice to have some time to recycle some junque finds for myself lately! This week I scored this cute little sewing notions apothecary at a local thrift shop.

After removing the notions & motifs adorning the drawers with fine grit sandpaper, I applied a thin even basecoat of Vintage color Americana Décor Chalky Finish paint (available at Home Depot and Michael's).

Then I mixed equal parts Cobalt & Admiral Blue acrylic craft paint (.50 cents per bottle, Walmart) for a second coat, followed by a final dry-brush coat of Admiral to darken the color up a bit.

The next day, I used fine grit sandpaper to distress & age just around the edges, followed by wiping a light even coat of oil-based wood stain (Walnut) over the painted surface with a dry cotton rag, allowing a couple of days drying time.

I'm going to use the updated little cabinet to stash the patriotic & military odds & ends I've picked up through the years. 
Have a great week!
~Donna at Red Shed Vintage 

redshedvintage.com© copyright 2014 

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:

 

 

 

Pour A Tall Cup Of Flags

Keeping it simple, here's a quick & easy tutorial for adding some faux age to your patriotic fabric flags...

 

I found my made in USA flags at Target, each package contained 3 flags for $1.00 ~ I really appreciate the fact that they weren't made in China.

Using the cooled morning leftovers, I poured brewed coffee into a tall drink glass & added the flags to soak for about an hour (adjust soaking time, more or less according to your preference) and turned the flags over to age the flagpole sticks as well.  

To dry, I simply put some sand in a bucket outdoors & propped the flags up in the sand to dry in the sun.

 

 

 

Trash Talk Thursday: Not So Fruity Peg Rack

Watermelons and shaker pegs were both popular decorating motifs in the 1980’s, with this $1.00 thrift store score featuring plenty of both.

After sanding the painted melons with medium grit sandpaper, I covered the shelf with 2 coats of flat Federal Blue wall paint. When dry, I lightly sanded around the edges, then brushed off the paint dust. Noticing the carved half circles resembled bunting flags, I decided to cut & glue some paper flags from an old catalog.

Once the wood glue was completely dry, I gently wiped water-based wood stain over the entire surface with a cotton rag, for a time-worn (not so fruity)patriotic look.

Happy Summer!
copyright 2013 www.redshedvintage.com

 

 

 

Patriotic Colors

Here are some vintage items I painted in patriotic colors and sold in the past!

copyright 2013 www.redshedvintage.com 

 

Red paint is my favorite!

 

Before ~ plain 1960's spice cupboard

 

Before ~ Styrofoam/plastic mirror

After ~ painted red, white, blue, and gold