One Man's Trash - Vintage Items Turned Christmas Decorations

Today I'll take you on a tour of some vintage items that didn't start their lives as Christmas decorations, but that's how I've decided to use them. First, we have a few toys that I picked up at a few local shops in July (and you should have seen the look on Ryan Barrett Walkush's face when I brought these "Christmas" decorations home in the middle of Summer!).

This is a 100% genuine Flexible Flyer sled. It has found a home for the holidays next to the buffet in our dining room. You can see from the photo that the main logo is a bit worn and the ropes have been broken and re-tied, but that just shows me that this was a well-loved toy in its day:

On the other side of that same buffet, I've placed my other big Summer find, a 1940's red, wooden Wonder Horse. Just like the sled, he's a little chippy, but he's found a good home. For those of you who might be wondering, I've named him Stevie. :-)

And you might have caught a glimpse of ANOTHER find that I brought home some time in the Fall. It's a Cheerwine soda crate that I've repurposed into a candle holder for the holidays. I simply added some greenery, glittered pine cones, half pint mason jars, and battery-operated tealight candles. Here's a closeup:

And here's the whole vignette:

When we were visiting Roxboro for Thanksgiving, we visited our favorite thrift store there: Eplus Thrift. I purchased some vintage buttons with a craft project in mind. Here are the buttons:

And here they are crocheted into a garland for our dining room Christmas tree:

And I thought I would leave you with one final item that is just a "treasure" that has been repurposed for the time being as Christmas decor. This lava lamp is one of the originals. I know this because it was my great grandmother's (from what I understand, some of her children bought it for her). This year, I acquired these three Christmas trees, and I thought it looked beautiful nestled in with them. The shape of the lava lamp is nearly the same as the trees, and when it lights up, the light reflects off the trees:

So, the next time you're in the market for some unique Christmas decor, look no further than your local antique store or thrift shop. Keep an eye out for items that will work well as Christmas decorations even if they didn't start out that way. And for the best results, make sure you're looking all year round (not just near the holidays).

Linking to My Salvaged Treasures Vintage Link Party

Remember Glamour Shots?

The better question might be- how could we forget?  If you too were a child of the 80's/ early 90's, then you were also likely sucked into the "magic" that was Glamour Shots.  I mean, who *didn't* want to make that unforgettable pilgrimage to the mall to have your hair fluffed to towering heights and makeup spackled onto your face like drywall plaster? Oh, and then there were the over the top outfits they put you in that usually included both a cowboy hat and a feather boa.  I ask you- what's not to love?  

Yes, we Harris Sisters got in on the action back in the day.  Of course we did!  And we even have the embarrassing photos to prove- er, I mean commemorate- it.  See Exhibit A:

I recently ran across one of the funniest articles I have seen in a while, outlining the top 12 ways to achieve your very best "glamour shot".  They are as follows:

1.  Hold onto your collar

2.  Wear silk gloves

3.  Wear a feather boa

4.  Play up your hands

5.  Expose those shoulders

6.  Make sure your hair is awesome

7.  Try combining as many of the above options as possible

8.  Opt for a cool hat

9.  Add studs to your favorite jacket

10. Make use of props and accessories

11. Bring a friend, and finally...

12. Whatever you do, don't become a "Granny Glamour Shot"

Might I add that my sample photo above is guilty of numbers 2, 4, 5, 6, (and thereby 7).  If I still had copies of my other Glamour Shots, trust me, there would be lots more violations as well.  And, if you think this is funny, you must, must, must click on the link above to see other sample photos that are slightly worse (if that's even possible).  Prepare yourself for some serious sensory overload!

Now, I didn't even know Glamour Shots were still around, but apparently they are.  I did check, and sadly, there are none here in Tennessee.  BUT on the upside, there is one in our great home state of good old North Carolina.  I see another Girls' Weekend coming on, Harris Sisters!

Say Merry Christmas with PEZ

You didn't SERIOUSLY think I would let a holiday pass without bringing you a PEZ update, did you? ;-) Today, I bring you this vintage PEZ ad featuring Santa driving his sleigh with a gigantic Santa PEZ filling his bag:

Santa Claus was among one of the first character dispensers PEZ introduced in the 1950's and has remained popular. So popular, in fact, that you might have quite a few extras laying around (I know we do!). If you should find yourself in this predicament, you might want to think about ways to use these holiday dispensers other than their intended use.

For example, if you attach some baker's twine, they make a fine ornament. Here's how. 

First cut a length of baker's twine, fold it in half, open the PEZ dispenser slightly, and push the loop through the back opening:

Flip the PEZ dispenser over and tilt the head back. You will see an opening toward the back where the head is attached to the rest of the dispenser. Thread the ends of the baker's twine through that opening.

It will look like this from the back when you're through:

Then, thread the tails of the baker's twine through the original loop like so:

Making sure the ends of your baker's twine are even, pull tight to secure, and make a knot in the ends to give Santa a sweet rattail. :-)

If your kids are like mine, the instant they see PEZ on sale after Christmas, they want to buy them. So, we often have additional holiday PEZ. And they all make great ornaments:

Now, if you happen to have say 30 or so Santa PEZ laying around and aren't quite sure what to do with them, here's some inspiration for you:

This wreath is made by Etsy seller SuperVixenBadGirl who specializes in upcycled holiday wreaths. However, this one is one of a kind. If this one gets sold, it looks to be an easy enough DIY project if you've got the PEZ, the time, and the hot glue to put it together. If you're interested in tackling a project such as this, check out eBay or Etsy for purchasing PEZ by the lot rather than one at a time.

And finally, I thought I'd bring you news about this year's PEZ holiday themed dispensers.

This year, instead of a new Santa, PEZ is releasing for 2013 a new snowman dispenser and a penguin dispenser:

They are also releasing for a limited time a dispenser specifically for Target that features their mascot, Bullseye:

And if you've been very good all year long, I BET Santa might bring a PEZ or two for your stocking. They seem to show up every year at our house . . . .