Monday, May 21, 2012

Vintage Crate Flower Box

Hi! I hope you are all having a wonderful start to the new week. I kind of fell off the face of the earth for awhile. I came down with the stomach flu and it really knocked me off my feet for a few days. Its something you expect in the winter, but not so much with summer knocking on your door. I am happy to have returned to my normal life...you know, where people get up and accomplish things in the day. It feels good to be alive and well!

I picked up this old wooden crate a few months ago at a Yard Sale. I think I paid $1 for it. I had no idea what I was going to use it for, but it had such lovely weathering to it, I couldn't pass it by. I knew it would be great for something...




After a trip to my small town hardware store...where I must say, I get the GREATEST CUSTOMER SERVICE OF ALL TIME...I saw flowers planted in old vintage crates. CUTE. Not the flowers I would have chosen, but it was cute. Of course, I knew I had a vintage crate at home, so I was in no rush to buy anything.

Saturday, I found myself at Home Depot. It does not have the charm or customer service of my little hardware store, but I will admit I get a much better price on spray paint at Home Depot. And, well, I use a LOT of spray paint around here. Some day I will have my own workshop in my garage with a power sprayer...aaah, I can just imagine it now...but at the moment, cans of spray paint are my "weapon of choice."

At Home Depot I again found myself face to face with vintage crate flower boxes! What? Home Depot? Since when have you become all cute and vintage? I couldn't stand the thought one moment longer. I grabbed a cart and quickly filled it with potting soil, a few potted hydrangeas and practically skipped out of the store. My vintage crate was going to have a purpose!


Don't they look like they belong together??

As much as I adored the look of the vintage crate, I also knew I couldn't leave well enough alone. I don't want a crate that looks like something everyone else has. It was fairly original when I saw it at our local hardware store. But if Home Depot is selling them too...this was no longer even remotely original. That just wouldn't do. I needed to put my own mark on the project. I took out my Cricut machine and made a quick "beach" stencil.


I placed the stencil on my crate and realized I didn't have cream acrylic paint. So...I used my blue painters tape to mask off the exposed crate.


I gave it a very light spray with my RustOleum Heirloom White paint.


Aaah...something a bit more unique.


I love how the "B" still shows...


And since I am fancy I lined the bottom of the crate with tin foil. I know, a plastic tray would have worked much better or a layer of rocks...but I was in a hurry and at the moment tin foil was available and seemed to make sense. A few scoops of potting soil and two hydrangeas later...


It still needed just a touch more. A starfish, some rope and a hot glue gun later...look at her now...


I couldn't be more thrilled with the final product! It makes me smile every time I come home. Isn't that the point of front porch decorations?

Come over and join the party...
HookingupwithHoH

7 comments:

  1. Here from HOH, really cute flower box I love the color of the wood and the "beach" stencil!

    Tanya :)

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  2. Lovely! Your makeover enhanced its vintage charm instead of covering it up. The starfish is the perfect finishing touch!

    Visiting from your TT&J feature! Congrats!

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  3. Claire...thanks for the news!!

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  4. I love it! I'm always looking for beachy things now that I live close to one! Greetings from the Sunday Showcase Party!

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I absolutely love to get comments! Drop me a note and let me hear what you think. Thanks. -Heidi