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I have an idea!

I have started to think about Halloween decorations, and I want to share what I do. Just for fun, every year I challenge myself to make over thrift store finds for my decorations for my front entry display. It is fun and cheap, and stretches my creativity. A bonus is that my decorations end up as one of a kind, and they don't look like they came from a trip to the craft store.

Anyone up for the challenge? Want to take a mosey around your local thrift and then show us what you create?

To get us started I'll share a couple pics from past years.

Thrift store finds:

Result: Black spray paint in mat and gloss, combined with two textile pictures that I already had and a little pumpkin from the grocery store. Spent under ten dollars. (The clock was completely plastic except for the glass dome)

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Another year I found a couple of candlesticks and a vintage ceramic owl.

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Result: Black paint, some branches from my yard, candles left over from a daughter's wedding, and some grocery store pumpkins.

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Another shot of that.

Anyone game? Want to come up with something and post it? I'm going to. Maybe we could do a reveal in October, share what we came up with.

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OH how clever and nice those decorations are!
I like each one you did!

I do not have any plans to decorate for Halloween this year.

No way am I joining in that contest....you're way too good Seriously, you have a great eye for seeing what things can be. I love all your makeovers.

I don't decorate for Halloween but hope others will join in. Sounds like a fun game.

I remember your wonderful Halloween vignettes, Cocok, which show a great deal of creativity and a very good ability to re-purpose.

Most of my decorations are from yard sales - does that count? Since I'm downsizing and getting rid of things I don't plan to buy any more but can certainly focus on doing one vignette with only 'pre-owned' items. Besides living here in the back of beyond our 2 small thrift stores are not a good source for anything. When I lived in the city it was very different.

Of course that would work joyluck! We can shop yard sales, or dig through our closets!

The idea is about doing things on the cheap, without resorting to spending a bundle in a decor shop. Use what we have and make the most of inexpensive second hand finds. For those who don't do Halloween, it could also be "Fall" or "Harvest".

If there are enough takers, we could choose a reveal date and all post that day. This could be really fun!

And I wasn't thinking contest....I was thinking more about friendly sharing. I wouldn't want anyone to feel intimidated or judged. This is about having fun and being creative!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cocok,

O.K. Cocok I will start with previous displays and they are all mantel. I was searching for one which I did just for trick or treaters. It was such a hit one neighbor boy went to get his mother so she could see it. Couldn't find that pic

I will do a fresh new one if we have a "reveal"
anyway since I put these all on my desk top will start with these.

Hard to remember but cattails are from nature, one cat is DH sculpture, funny figure from my discount store, finial things ditto

The stone urns were a gift from my nephew and his partner. I always use these. Those were real apples I stuck on stick things, real leaves. The roping is fake pine cones (or whatever they are called) it is on other mantel piece also.

The pictures are not halloween just black & white prints in black frames

Longer view of previous pic. The pumpkin w/figure is from my discount store. The cats "pulling" the pumpkin are DH's sculptures.

This is last years. I put my collection of feathers in the urns (they are still there. . . must change that!)

The pictures are real leaves framed. The end decorations are fake and from my discount store. Oh the two ceramic bird things are from the swap shop. They are in my bathroom now. The feathery things in the center are real but I can't remember where I got them.

I'm not too sure I understand the assignment but I think you want us to make something unique
but does it have to be to deconstruct something (like your clock) and then reassemble in another expression?

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I love your previous projects, especially the first, cocok. I don't do Halloween tho, but will check back from time to time to view the creativity of others. BTW, I am a huge fan of turning thrift finds into treasures especially using paint.

I love your arrangements Lady of shallot.

Yes, what I am meaning is to transform something. Not necessarily deconstruct it, but obtain some sort of transformation.

Froo Froo,you could do something for "Fall" instead. You don't have to of course, but it might be fun to give it a try.

Wonderful transformations and arrangements, Cocok and LadyofShallot.

OK, I'll play.
Bought a twig wreath at the TS, painted it black and added some dried plant materials I gathered by a ditch.
Then a small candy cup from the TS and cut a cardboard circle, covered with yellow felt, and cut a black felt bat. Finally, added some garlic cloves from the grocery store.

Candy

This is my take on a Pott. Brn picture last year.
Bought several frames at the TS and painted them black.
Bought a creepy holographic picture at DT and cut it out from the plastic frame and matted and framed it.
The rest of the pictures are Black/White pictures I found on the internet.
Added a small mirror from the TS, and used a black crow cut out from a package at DT.

Nice picture:

Candy

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Creepy picture:

Candy

Those are both very clever CC. But what is DT and DS?

This vignette is put together from a small shelf I found at a TS, added a small witch figure from a TS, and other pictures from the TS.
The orange and black house picture was a HL clearance for 90c as the frame was missing, so added a TS frame painted black.

Candy

Found the wooden witch hat plaque at a TS. It was missing the IN, so I cut some letters out of foam and used purple glitter to make the IN.
Then I found the purple glitter broom on clearance and wrapped the handle with purple glitter ribbon, made a black and purple bow and added the witch hat sign.

Candy

I use TS plastic pumpkins and cut out the bottoms, split them up the back, place them over my outside carriage lights, add TS witch hats and TS black bows.

They have a lovely orange glow when the lights are on at night.

Candy

The totems on my front porch are made of TS Jack O'Lanterns stacked and placed in the urns that usually hold light up pine trees.

I have found 2 more small TS Jack O'Lanterns this year, so the totems will be 3 Jacks tall instead of just 2.

The wreath is also a TS treasure.
The scarecrow was yrs old and the burlap clothes he wore originally were so faded they had NO color, so I bought him some kids overalls and plaid shirt = whole new scarecrow! LOL

Candy

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I bought the 2 black silhouettes at DT, and an orange plastic tablecloth.
The 2 TS frames were painted black, covered the backing in the frames with a piece of the tablecloth, and then placed the silhouettes on them.

Candy

The previous items are all from 2010 and 2011.

This is what I did so far this year:
Found a ceramic shoe figurine at the TS:

Dug a bunch of florals, ribbons, a left over spindle, and a witch hat from my basement:

(I switched to a different hat, but it was still in the basement and was from a TS)

Then I used some mighty putty to create a new toe for the shoe, did a lot of painting, waved my magic wand and POOF! Now its a Witch Shoe!!

Candy

LOS,
DT = Doll*ar Tree (everything in there is $1)
TS = thrift store
HL = Hobb*y Lobby

Candy

I love the witch's shoe!!

You sure are clever Christmas candy! Very cute decorations for Halloween.

We have some DT's here too, just not that convenient but gotta love the prices!

Some very clever makeovers. Thanks for sharing.


I have been shopping in DT and GD for some Halloween and fall items. Not clever enough to see that something can be other then what it is.

Admire those of you that can change items to something else.

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Very cute, Christmas Candy!

So, for anyone who wants to participate....how about if we post pictures of our "finds" the week of October 15. (the week before the week before Halloween) It doesn't matter where you find your find, closet, basement, thrift shop, garage sale, etc. Just post a picture of what you will use before it is transformed. Don't post the transformation pictures yet. It will be fun to wonder what you will be up to.

Then the next week - the week of October 22, how about if we post pictures of the results of our efforts. That is the week before Halloween.

Remember, this is just a friendly show and tell, not a contest. There will be no judging or winners etc. I thought this might be fun for those who wish to give it a try. The idea is to make over a thrift store find for your Halloween or Fall decorations. (Garage sale find, closet find, basement find, etc. all count as thrifty finds)

Sound fun?

Forgot to say, in the name of being thrifty, I never spend more than ten bucks on my Halloween challenges for myself. Just saying. Not that you have to have the same limit. It adds to the fun for me though.

And also I went to a thrift shop this weekend and struck out, so I have no idea what I am going to do. I'll try another one this coming week with fingers crossed.

Cocok you sure have the gray matter swirling in my brain. Of course some of my ideas can get quite elaborate, like having DH do some sculptured things LOL.

Here is another Halloween pic I found. Bird from a yard sale $4. Figure on far right from the dump, bittersweet from Fort Williams, urns that I use always. Other figure on right from my discount store. Of course none of these are truly re-purposed.

I'm game. I can't get to my fall or halloween things right now as they are buried deep into my craft room amongst a bunch of boxed things. I really miss all of my fall/halloween decor to play with.

Cocok, great displays,
Emily, great looking mantels
Christmas Candy, I love love love your revamped shoe. So cool.

So October 15th is the reveal date?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: victoriangirl,

October 22 is the reveal of the finished project.

October 15 is the reveal of what you are going to make over for your reveal - a kind of a teaser. Basically "I am going to use this and this and this, and I'll show you on Oct. 22 what I did with them".

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Oh, and I am happy you are game victoriangirl! And Yay also to Emily, Christmas Candy, and joyluck! Can't wait to see what you all come up with! I hope others consider it too. It is a great way to give the idea of making something over a try, without the risk that comes with a big project.

I am enjoying this thread very much and appreciate all the pictures posted! You are all so creative; I can't wait to see the teasers and the final reveal! I probably won't participate as I am not crafty that way, but I will be waiting with anticipation for more posts on this. Thanks for starting this Cocok. The "viewing" audience appreciates it! :-)

I wouldn't mind joining in with a fall arrangement. I don't do Halloween but I love fall and fall colors. I've already decorated for fall and I always do thrifty.

Great Lisa Ann! Read the previous posts above for the reveal dates etc. Glad you are joining in!

What fun. I can tell that I will love reading the subsequent threads as much as I've enjoyed seeing the creativity already shown by Cocok, LadyofShallot and ChristmasCandy.

I had an old issue of country living that showed how to use old window sheers to make ghosts that you could hang in doorways or in windows that looked great. The homeowner also used sheers to make cutout masks to hang over family portraits the add to the look and even had small ghosts inside apothacary jars on the mantle. I tried to find photos but had no luck.

I haven't done Halloween yet this year. But last year...I framed this photo I found of all the horror movie's stars. I bought white and black skeletons and put glue and glitter on them. I turned different sized wine glasses upside down and used them as pedestals for the skeletons.

Sorry that photo was HUGE...trying again

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Emily, another nice one

Dacia, great vignette.

Should be fun. I have tons of halloween stuffed packed away. I always wait for after sales and get things really inexpensive. Can't use those this year though as they are packed away.

Should be fun. Keeping it under $10.00 is part of the fun too as well as repurposing items. Looking forward to it.

Bumping this up. I'm having a blast coming up with ideas and doing some crafts this year along with decorating my whole house for fall.

This is a great thread! I am enjoying looking at all of your great finds and ideas. I haven't decorated for Halloween since we moved to this house. We have absolutely no trick or treaters, so I put my energy into decorating for fall. I am taking note of your ideas, because if I am ever bles$Ed with grand babies, I will surely decorate for every holiday and event.