I put together a super easy and elegant arrangment the other day with three very simple components. I’ve sourced them for you here, all from Amazon, and all very convincing “faux” materials, as you can see. I love how this is warming up my mantel, right now. The cool thing is, eucalyptus works for every season, and the simple addition of a bouquet of flowers will take my mantel right into the spring season with very little effort.
Mastering The Scene: An Elegant Faux Eucalyptus and Moss Balls Arrangement
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
Here is this beauty, with Amazon links below:
Mastering The Scene: An Elegant Faux Eucalyptus and Moss Balls Arrangement
These are the eucalyptus sprays I use:
These are the moss balls I used (they carry a smaller size also that I use to fill in):
Amazon no longer carries my Hurricane Lantern, but this one is very similar and cheaper:
Glad you came to hang out with us today! For more inspiration and DIY check out our blog. And, of course, if you see other items in my home you’d like sources for, leave a comment and I will get back to you!
Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.
I used to do new gift wrap every year with different ribbons- but since we usually travel for Christmas all of my packages and pretty bows were smushed and the paper was torn by the time we arrived at our destination. So, I had an idea for something MUCH more forgiving and SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper. I’ve used this same set for several years now and I LOVE the effect. It’s simple, classic, and reminds me of years gone by! The great thing is, it is VERY inexpensive for those of us on a budget and comes in a large roll so you can use it for a long time! I’m including Amazon links so you can find everything quickly and easily!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
The cool thing is, with just a few accessories this gift wrap set is classic and also somehow very NOW (for all of you farmhouse fanatics!). And guess what, you can wrap a medium package for $1.10 each (as shown in the photo)! Even very large packages wrap for only pennies more. I purchased the paper and twine two years ago and still have plenty for this Christmas and have only had to repurchase the decorations.
How To Do Classic Christmas Gift Wrap For $1 Per Package
Artificial Pine Needles (30) – $.50 each (This is the most expensive piece, so if you have these in your yard, I’d use those- we just don’t have them where I live and these are VERY convincing)
As I write this, the entire kit costs about $50 to wrap ALL of your gifts. I can’t wait to see all of your beautiful presents!
How To Do Classic Christmas Gift Wrap For $1 Per Package
If you’re looking for a beginner calligraphy pen set to do that cool lettering, I found this one easy to use and inexpensive. This is literally (and obviously) my first attempt at calligraphy lettering and it’s cute even when it’s not great, so give it a shot!
For more great Christmas decor and DIY ideas check out our blog!
Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.
I know you’ve been stalking those beautiful Charcuterie Boards on Pinterest and Instagram, don’t lie. I too am LOVING the whole concept, and we recently hosted a Black Friday Party and just SLAYED the appetizers, presentation and all. I’m going to show you what we did, where we got our supplies and show you how they all came out- you can totally do this!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
So, one of the things I was wondering when I gathered all of the goodies to make the boards (which we MOSTLY did with platters, but it’s the same concept) is if they would actually get eaten. To my surprise, people REALLY did dig in and eat just about everything but the garnish!
And, you know what’s so COOL? I got almost everything for the boards from Costco (and since Sams carries many of the same things, I’m betting you could shop this same list there).
The other coolest thing: I gave her all of the stuff and my daughter made all of the boards so I could finish cleaning and setting up the rest of the party. It’s so awesome having artistic kids!
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
Step One: You don’t actually need those $200 boards. Use different cutting boards and platters you already have. Have some antique silver or pewter platters? Those work, too! I have a ton of little ramekins that I use for sauces etc every day and these work PERFECTLY in this instance to hold sauces or juicy things that you don’t want soaking the surrounding foods (nobody likes soggy crackers).
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
Step Two: Shop your list!
Get something to put all those dips and goodies on: We shopped Costco for crackers (we like Carr’s Water Table Crackers), Hawaiian Rolls, Artisan Breads, mini Naan bread, Stacy’s Pita Chips etc. These are to make little sandwiches and sample sauces, cheeses, and meats.
Salty foods: Black, green, and kalamata olives. Cocktail dill pickles, marinated artichoke hearts, stuffed tomatoes/peppers (Costco has a Charcuterie platter with these already made!), marinated mushrooms, and heart of palm.
Fresh, colorful foods: Cherry or grape tomatoes, cranberries, grapes, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries and pomegranates. Try to find good ones that are in season!
Cheeses: Costco has an artisan cheese section by the wine. Get an assortment of stinky cheeses, soft cheeses, marinated mozzarella balls, etc. Try some new ones!
Meats: In the same section as the cheese there are artisan and fancy meats: pepperoni, prosciutto, and smoked salmon. I went WAY overboard on meat. Keep in mind how big your platters are!
Garnish: Herbs are great for garnish to add a little green in places that need it.
Sauces and Dips: We used tzatziki, hummus, spinach dip (Knorr vegetable dip with fresh chopped spinach instead of cooked), cream cheese and red chili pepper spread (for the salmon).
Crunchy foods: We used pine nuts, but you can do little bowls of walnuts, pistachios, etc, also.
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
Preparing: It’s really tough to time this right, but with a little common sense, you can get these out just as your guests are arriving.
Tip: Not feeling creative? Use a picture from Pinterest and copy the board (the greatest form of flattery!).
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
Start with your crackers and room temperature items (black olives, nuts, etc). Then move to cutting the cheeses and meats (when you’re done, stick them back in the fridge to keep them cool until you’re ready to add them to the platters). Next add the cold fruits, the cheeses and meats, and finally the cold sauces and dips in ramekins.
The last thing you should be doing is toasting your bread just before the guests arrive!
Tip: Use clean, white flour sack towels to wrap over your warm rolls to keep them warm and moist until people start digging in!
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
Arranging: The idea is to keep sets of complementary foods next to each other. On the smoked salmon platter we had the chili jelly and cream cheese and water crackers nearby to build a little sandwich on.
If you have something especially unusual or you just like labelling things, you can make little Alice in Wonderland signs “Try me on a cracker with red jelly and cream cheese!” These cardholders on Amazon are super cute and reusable!
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
Displaying: I like using all of my serveware! If you have cake stands, etc, get those out and put your desserts on them. It gives the table different heights and depths.
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
For fun centerpieces (that don’t take up a ton of room) check out these wine bottle cork fairy lights to put in your saved wine bottles- at about fifty cents apiece you really can’t go wrong! It gives the table some additional interest, height, and color!
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
These little porcelain ramekins are awesome and we use them for individual dipping sauces all the time. They have been super hardy and durable!
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
As you can see, I use the platters as a centerpiece and layer around them. We almost always have deviled eggs (because they’re MY favorite) and adding pies makes for a fun evening paired with your favorite wines and spirits. That beautiful wooden cake stand comes with a pretty glass dome and I use it all the time! The egg plate and four bowl server are both from Pottery Barn, but unfortunately I don’t think they’re available anymore.
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
For more ways to use your saved wine bottles, we have a Great Wine Bottle Post on upcycling! And those low white porcelain serving bowls with the bread and crackers are one of my new favorite brands: Dowan on Amazon, their stuff is sturdy, well made, sourced responsibly, and sturdy!
Charcuterie Boards: Easy Appetizers For Holiday Entertaining To Wow Your Guests
Do you have favorite goodies that you serve around the holidays? If you have combos you love on charcuterie boards, I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below!
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I collect things with some vague notion of re-purposing them in the future. Well, I’ll have to admit, I may have let the wine bottle collection get a little out of hand. So, I came up with a few ways to use them and even smuggle some of them out of the house, legitimately.Check out this inspiration and maybe you too can get your collection under control.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
The first step was gathering all of my collected bottles in one place and doing a mini-inventory. With the few ideas I had, I needed to sort them by shape, size, and color… and of course figure out what I was gifting and what I was keeping for me.
How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved
Having a usable workspace in the guest bedroom gave me a little time to be in work on this and not have to put everything away again.
How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved
1: Holiday Decorating
The first thing I did was weed out the bottles that I want to keep. I like interesting shapes and, of course, different heights, etc. I like a varied collection that adds interest in the display. I did a test order of some SUPER inexpensive fairy lights and used a few of the bottles in my fall decor.
Saved Wine Bottles: How To Use Them This Holiday Season: As you can see by our cork collection, we’re committed to the process
They are really pretty! But, the real thing I’m looking forward to is seeing them in the Christmas decor. I think these will look spectacular on the stairs, especially once I get all of the greenery up! I used to sometimes think big foyers were a waste of space, but the look during the holidays makes it all worth it!
How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved
Now, we’ll see if the cats leave them alone. My guess is I’ll have some smashed glass to contend with, but we’ll see.
How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved
Here they are with some eucalyptus/fir garland! What do you think?
2: Holiday gifting
I’m always in search of Christmas gift basket ideas throughout the year, and I found a brilliant way to make my problem someone else’s. For my “extras”, *cough *cough, I’m going to do gift sets with tabletop wine bottle lanterns. There are very reasonable wick kits on Amazon to make these, and with bottles of lantern fluid, and a cute wrap job, what’s not to like? If you want to go SUPER thrifty, skip the lantern fluid and basket… a bottle with wick kit, a pretty ribbon, and a handwritten note works just as well!
How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved, Homemade Wine Bottle Lanterns in a Simple Gift Bag
How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved, Classic Gift Wrap in a Canvas Bag
3: Backyard lanterns
I’ve seen these lanterns mounted with brackets on backyard fences and I dig that too (especially with our evening mosquito problem)! I found some brackets that I am going to try with the smaller bottles around the interior of the pool enclosure and see how it looks, and more importantly, if it works. Of course, you can bring your bottle down to the hardware store and just fit the pieces together there. I had to laugh, finding these for sale without bottles was challenging. Me: Um, we’re good on bottles.
They also work brilliantly as tabletop outdoor lanterns.
How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved
4) Watering your plants!
With a wine bottle, and a terracotta watering spike, you can forget about your plants for weeks and they’ll still be going strong! These are essential for people like me, who have trouble not killing plants inside.
I know if I don’t get this wine bottle habit under control I will never hear the end of it. So, here goes!
Do you have any great uses for wine bottles? Please share in the comments below! And, of course, check out more great content on our blog!
Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.
I’ve been sneaking Christmas decor out of the closet, but I guess I’m not super stealthy. The thing is, I don’t have a lot a lot of energy, and I really have to pace myself. So, if everything but the tree is up before Thanksgiving, so be it. This is my favorite time of the year, and the little white twinkling lights just give me the Christmas feels! So, here is what I have done so far:
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
The exterior: If it was up to me, we’d be done. I have wreaths with red ribbons and window candles with automatic light sensors and flickering flames (for about $5 each, I thought these were a steal). Okay, maybe some lighted garland around the porch would be cool, but, we’ll see. Clark Griswold is already harassing me about adding more lights, but I’m standing my ground.
Classic Christmas Decor: Wreaths with red ribbons in the windows and window candles
This is a great example of the unpredictable weather in Coastal NC: My roses are still blooming, my hydrangea leaves haven’t wilted yet, my Christmas stuff is out, and there are still tons of leaves falling.
Classic Christmas Decor: Individual window wreaths with red velvet ribbon, pink roses, and a stacked stone garden.
This is a close up of the basic wreaths: Very basic but should hold up well outdoors, and they were cheap enough that it won’t break my heart if they’re ruined. They’re perfectly matched with the window candles!
Classic Christmas Decor: Window Wreaths and Flickering Window Candles
This is a great example of “be where you are.” I am not in love with my fireplace set up currently, but it’s where we are, so I just decorated the crap out of it. I am REALLY proud of my garland I put together, with a willow/eucalyptus garland combined with a basic fir garland (if you don’t have any of these, go to Michael’s after Christmas when they’re pretty much giving them away. They’re on racks on the wall and I got the basic lighted garlands for about $5 each. The faux silver dollar eucalyptus and preserved roses arrangement I added as an afterthought and I love the combo. (Check out our great post on how to preserve roses!)
Classic Christmas Decor: Eucalyptus/Willow Lighted Garland, Christmas Eucalyptus and Preserved Roses Arrangement, Classic Candlesticks and Candlebra, and Classic Oversized Ethan Allen Vase with Faux Cranberries
This awesome Ethan Allen Vase I use for every season with different stems because I ADORE it! The faux cranberries make a gorgeous, simple seasonal arrangement (tip: open them outside and let them air out a little… they have a heavy chemical scent but are beautiful once they’ve breathed a little they’re great!).
For the story of why our turtle inspires us, check out the story on Our Instagram!
Classic Christmas Decor: Our Ethan Allen Vase with a faux cranberry arrangement and our trusty Mr. Turtle the tortoise feeling festive!
And finally, I’m still in work on these faux eucalyptus mixed garlands, and there is a great garland tutorial on our blog so you can make your own much more cheaply than buying them! And I’m just loving the cool led cork-bottle fairy lights, if you’re looking for what to do with all those bottles you saved.
How To Make Your Own Eucalyptus-Fir Mixed Christmas Garland For A Fraction Of The Price
I would love to hear what you think about our Christmas style in the comments below! Do you have any Christmas decor traditions at your house?
Check out more of our decor and project inspiration over on our blog. Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.
One of the things I get the most compliments on at our house is my giant, black and white canvas gallery wall. It is always a work in progress (sort of like arranging built ins) because I add to it on a regular basis. In fact, this wall has been in work for upwards of eight years!
We have five kids, and three of them are now grown: in college or graduated from college and newly in the work force. That definitely makes me feel old sometimes, but it helps me tremendously to have photos of the people that I love (AND MISS) in a place where I get to look at them on my way up and down the stairs, every day!
The problem with canvasses, obviously, is the cost. Regularly priced large, custom canvasses easily run into the hundreds of dollars. I can’t afford that, but I LOVE the look.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
I can tell you that I’ve paid about $20 for each of my canvas prints and check out the awesome results:
Giant Family Canvas Gallery Wall On A Budget
Giant Family Canvas Gallery Wall On A Budget
Giant Family Canvas Gallery Wall On A Budget
Giant Family Canvas Gallery Wall On A Budget
Giant Family Canvas Gallery Wall On A Budget
Giant Family Canvas Gallery Wall On A Budget
The trick is PATIENCE (and having downright adorable children): getting on the email list and waiting for sales. Easy Canvas Prints is awesome because it seems like they are “having huge sales” all the time. I’m not sure why it’s not just the price, but whatever. They also generally have free shipping if you purchase a few so I’ve done them in sets.
The other thing is… Once I had a huge order (a Christmas order for grandparents and parents) and one of the canvasses was damaged and one of the others looked as though it was smeared. I emailed them and they reprinted the ENTIRE ORDER free and set it right back out the next day. Their customer service is top notch and I’m always surprised how quickly they print and ship. I am a very happy and loyal customer!
I’ve also had quite a few color prints done and the detail and colors are spectacular.
Giant Family Canvas Gallery Wall On A Budget
I have various color prints all over the house, too, but I’ll admit, the black and white wall is my favorite.
Tip: If you have them where you REALLY want them, use 3M double sided mounting tape on each corner so they won’t wiggle around when people walk by. But, that stuff stays, so make sure it’s really where you want them before you commit!
I use Easy Canvas Prints to print canvasses for grandparents and parents, because there’s nothing they’d rather receive then great photos of the people they love!
Do you like color or black and white canvasses better? Let me know in the comments below! Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
This site also contains affiliate links through //Commerce/Sovrn. //Commerce or our Publishers may be compensated when you click through links on our site.
Here’s my secret: I don’t spend money on any of my home decor anymore. I use my Amazon points to decorate and I was dying to get this Ethan Allen vase. The “small” size that I got is 14″ dia x 18″ high, and is handmade in ceramic and ivory glazed in Italy. I just LOVE it. It replaced the antique bowl and pitcher in the entryway and is a MUCH better scale. I rehomed the others in the guest room and they’re just perfect in their new spot. My understanding is Ethan Allen sells directly on Amazon and from it’s own site, so I chose the free shipping on Amazon.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
Treasure Hunt Tuesday: Ethan Allen Ringed Ivory Vase With Green and White Hydrangea
Treasure Hunt Tuesday: Ethan Allen Ringed Ivory Vase With Green and White Hydrangea, White Candlesticks, and Assorted Chopping Blocks on Antique Dresser
Treasure Hunt Tuesday: Ethan Allen Ringed Ivory Vase
Treasure Hunt Tuesday: Ethan Allen Ringed Ivory Vase
Treasure Hunt Tuesday: Ethan Allen Ringed Ivory Vase
Treasure Hunt Tuesday: Ethan Allen Ringed Ivory Vase
Isn’t it just the BEST? I’m trying to decide what to find for a fall arrangement, although I’m not willing to admit summer is coming to a close.
What do you buy with your Amazon points? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks for stopping by and check out more of our great home decor and DIY inspiration on our blog. Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.
Chances are you don’t have your Dream Pantry set up yet, and neither do I. But, it’s absolutely the RIGHT time to start planning and collecting the types of containers to use. Then you can design your pantry around the functionality you want to have! There are two basic types of jars I have, upcycled and purchased. I will show you where I find the best of both worlds.
And, yeah, I have a jar for that.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
Most of the jars that I am using currently live on top of our sideboard. The big jars inside the sideboard (which will eventually become a baking station) will remain accessible for cooking when the sideboard becomes the base for the island/breakfast table nook. But, the rest of the jars will live in the pantry or in the glass and metal cabinets (that are not yet actually hung on the wall). By the way, I am loving the sideboard, and it is going to work fantastic for what I want.
The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry: Shown Inside Restoration Hardware’s 20th C. English Brass Bar Pull Glass 4-Door Sideboard in Waxed Black
As you can see, my kitchen renovation is started-ish, but I’m betting it will be years before we put in the time and effort to get it finished. In the meantime, we’re collecting pieces for the kitchen, and the metal cabinets I found are a house for my found and upcycled jars. Freebies are my favorite. So, where do I get all these free jars? They’re from things we bought and used, and now I can reuse them for all kinds of stuff.
The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry: Upcycled Jars Shown in Aurelle Home Gunmetal Iron Tall Cabinet
Classico Pasta Sauce is our favorite, and it comes in an intentionally reusable mason jar. We use our sauce, soak jars overnight, pull the label off, and then run them through the dishwasher. We use them for all kinds of stuff, nuts, etc. And honestly, I find having them out and visible makes for healthier snack choices for kids AND adults.
The other jars are from salsas, mushrooms, olives etc, and I LOVE the assorted sizes.
If you’re impatient to start your jar collection, you can get reasonable Mason Jar Sets on Amazon but, I recommend waiting and getting the free ones as you use food jars!
The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry, Upcycled Classico Jars As Nut Storage
But, what about those GIANT jars, you ask? They’re my FAVORITE, which is why I have so many. What you can’t see is that they have a rubber seal on the lid that keeps them air tight and perfect for all your dried items in the pantry (dried beans, assorted noodles, quinoa, flour, dog biscuits, etc).
These are Anchor Hocking jars: the smaller one is the 1.5 Gallon Anchor Hocking Montana Jar and the larger ones are 2.5 Gallon Anchor Hocking Montana Glass Jar. I love these, hence the collection. I found them quite a bit cheaper on Amazon than any other sites which is awesome because the jar websites usually charge for shipping (which I don’t like doing because I’m spoiled by my Amazon Prime).
And, guess what, I’ve gotten almost all of them FREE because I use my Amazon card points!
The Best Upcycled and New Jars For Your Farmhouse Pantry, Upcycled Classico and Salsa Jars and Anchor Hocking Montana Jars
Do you have any favorite jars for upcycling?
Thanks for hanging out and check out other DIY and project ideas on our blog. Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
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I am super excited to be sharing our completed living room with you!!! It’s hard to believe that it’s come this far from where we started, but one of the reasons we bought this place was its overall improvability. I like everything customized MY way, and it’s nice not have to make any structural changes to achieve results, or to pay a higher price for a home that’s finished, but not necessarily what you would have chosen. So, now we have EXACTLY what I wanted and it turned out even better than I dreamed. See the complete source list below each photo!
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So, here’s a flashback to what this place looked like before we moved in (eeeeek!). But, with the high ceilings and great windows, it was ripe for an elegant update. The house was super clean and ready for a facelift.
It is difficult to believe that this is the same room, but I am completely in love. Check out the incredible results:
Classic living room with Pottery Barn Chesterfield sofa, RH 19th Century Rococo Iron & Crystal Round Chandelier, and RH knock off (DIY) velvet curtains
The fantastic light fixture from RH is the crown jewel of the space and really takes it to another level. It is the 19th Century Rococo Iron & Crystal Round Chandelier in Matte Natural Iron/Smoke Crystal and it is breathtaking.
I started out with a great foundation piece from Pottery Barn, this Grand Chesterfield Sofa in Vintage Cocoa Leather that has held up great to kids, two cats, and a dog that occasional jumps up when we’re not looking.
The side tables are from wally-world and are decent (they’re not show-stoppers because they are playing a support role here).
The customized Bourbon Barrel top is from Etsy and the shop name is KYBourbonBarrel. This was a gift for my husband for Christmas and we just love it.
The velvet curtains were sewn by my mother and you can find the source links and project tutorial here.
The rug is from Home Depot and it’s one of my favorite finds. It doesn’t feel cheapy and it wasn’t a small fortune like similar ones I like from Pottery Barn. I wish I had a sourced a few others from there that I got online and didn’t totally love.
The beautiful, solid (and did I mention heavy) dough bowl is from Pottery Barn, although I’m not totally sure they have this dark wood one anymore. In it are found driftwood, a starfish, and Japanese Fishing Floats.
The room was designed around the curved television so that it can be viewed well from almost any angle. Rainman researched and decided on the LG 4H in a curved model. It’s pretty awesome.
Classic Living Room with black builtins, leather chesterfield sofa from Pottery Barn, and Chandelier from Restoration Hardware
Most of the items in the builtins are things that I’ve collected over the years but there are a few that I’ve purchased recently to fill in just a few areas. I believe in builtins because you need them, not to arbitrarily spend money for storage and display space that you don’t need.
IKEA black builtins, brick veneer, custom wood shelves flanking the builtins, RH Chandelier
The little punches of green are super important on the builtins and I love getting REAL preserved boxwood. My artisan of choice is on Amazon and Etsy, Door and Decor. The wreath below is from her, also, and her work is stunning. The prices are slightly less than West Elm or other online vendors and her creations are far superior.
Rainman’s chair, with Kim Taylor Reece photography in Koa wood frames, Preserved Boxwood Wreath from DoorandDecor (Etsy)
To match the chesterfield sofa, we purchased the Lansing Leather Recliner in Vintage Cocoa from Pottery Barn.
The tutorial for the dried rose arrangement is here and the table is an antique hand me down from my mom.
The Octopus Pillow Cover and Compass Rose Pillow cover are both from Amazon. The lantern looks very nice but I wasn’t super excited about the construction, so I won’t recommend it.
So glad you came to check out our finished adult living room! Thanks for stopping by and check out our other updates, projects, and design inspiration on our Blog. Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
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Every month I get a delivery from Amazon of stuff I need to reorder. Every month. One month it occurred to me: Do I really need all this disposable stuff? The answer is easy. No. So I found easy, eco friendly substitutions for almost all of the items, and started saving upwards of $100 a month.
Every little step we take trying to be more frugal, and to throw fewer things away, ultimately saves us money and helps the environment just a little bit. It’s a matter of changing our minds, our habits, and teaching our children to do the same.
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Here are the items I dropped from my monthly purchase list and what I replaced them with (most replacements are a one time purchase):
1) Dryer Sheets- $5.98 a month
Replace with wool dryer balls and essential oils. That’s a one time purchase of like eight bucks for the dryer balls, and you can stop buying boxes of dryer sheets. Less packaging waste, cardboard, money saved! Plus I get to use all those essential oils I bought and haven’t used, so now I’m in there mixing scents like a boss. Boom.
Wool dryer balls and essential oils replace disposable dryer sheets like a dream
Speaking of essential oils, we also stopped buying plug-in scents, because we already have the essential oils and diffusers. Free up your outlets and get a healthier option with WAY less waste and cost by using an essential oils diffuser/humidifier.
Lighted diffuser/humidifier replaces disposable plug in scents
2) Paper towels (or drastically reduce their use)- $38.84 a month (big families use a lot of these!!!)
At the dining table: Replace with cloth napkins. Dude, you’re doing laundry, anyway. My laundry is always moving, so throwing these in with an existing load costs you nothing (plus, my kids think we’re all fancy now eating with cloth napkins at dinner). They’re inexpensive and hold up well to frequent washing. I went with black for everyday use to best hide stains.
For kitchen clean-up: Replace with bar towels. I get that there are some things you don’t want to put into your washing machine. I’m not cleaning up dog mess or cat vomit with these, but I figured out that most messes I was using paper towels to clean up, I could totally use bar towels (and they can be washed quickly with existing loads just like the cloth napkins). These are rough, inexpensive flour sack towels and I love them.
White flour sack towels for kitchen clean up
3) Ziploc bags $9.48 a month, gallon size $19.20 a month
Left-overs and refridgerator items: Replace with Glass Pyrex Containers. I have two sets of these and they are one of my favorite things in the kitchen. YOU DON’T NEED THOSE BAGGIES! (I cringe thinking of how many baggies I’ve used over the years that should’ve gone into a covered glass container). I love that all my little leftovers are super easy to see and they stack nicely in the fridge. I also send them to work with Rainman and the containers don’t get ruined by spaghetti sauce because they’re glass.
For pantry storage (dried goods) I use salvaged (re-used) jars.
My temporary pantry with Anchor Hocking Jars for large storage and upcycled jars for dried goods
For freezer bags: Replace with reusable silicone bags or other containers. It doesn’t take any more effort to use these for pre-prepped freezer meals, and it’s so worth it. And I don’t have to buy the disposable bags anymore. This was one of the things I worried about MOST with transitioning away from baggies: RE-storing my meat, premade meals, soups, etc in the freezer, but they work GREAT, and seal well also. The baggy below is the medium sized silicone bag with frozen tomoto soup stored in it. I have never had a leak and they are top rack dishwasher safe.
Re-usable silicone bags for freezer and fridge storage
Below is a collection of my jars ready to hold odds and ends that would normally go in plastic baggies. We use them for everything from chocolate chips, to nuts, to leftover sauces.
Up-cycled jars for pantry dried goods
4) Plastic bags for your produce at the grocery store and grocery shopping bags
These are the WORST! They can’t be recycled! Replace with green produce bags, you can bring them to the store with you to get your produce: win, win. They really, for real make your produce last longer. That saves you even more money. And you don’t have to throw those non-recyclable produce bags in the trash.
Disposable bags are easily replaced with buying Reusable Grocery Bags one time (many areas are banning single use plastic bags altogether). These are inexpensive, washable, and foldable so they store nicely.
Replace with Classico Sauces… But, dude. Did you know that Classico Sauces are intentionally made in reusable containers? It is actually our favorite sauce anyway, but I keep all of the containers and use them for storing nuts, etc. Why buy containers when these are basically free? After we use them, I soak the label off, run them through the dishwasher, and voila, free storage container. By the way, this is one of the items that I buy in Prime Pantry that is quite a bit cheaper than my local grocery store.
Re-usable Classico Jars
In other news, my son just got home from school and busted me taking pictures of spaghetti sauce.
By the way, I definitely think that re-claimed glass jars make for Pinterest-worthy pantries and they’re FREE.
One of the most important parts of the DIY process for us is trying to find ways to reuse items and make our home as self-sustaining as possible. It’s a long journey but I’m happy to share so we can work toward helping our wallets and our planet!
As a bonus to helping out your wallet, one of the most important steps in reducing your household waste (less carbon going to the landfill), is composting. My compost container sits right in front of my chopping board, and it gets emptied into it’s bigger partner that lives outside when it’s full. And what do I get? Free fertilizer! This one is super cool because it has charcoal filters that prevent the smell from escaping, which is fairly important.
6 Household Items You Can Stop Spending Money On Right Now
I have two of these, different brands, but I’m pretty sure they’re all the same manufacturer:
And the big compost bin for outside (I like mine enclosed so it doesn’t stink up the backyard but a bin that you stir occasionally works just as well):
Cheers to taking steps toward saving money and creating a sustainable household! Check out more of our DIY, project, and inspiration posts over on our blog. Cheers!
*Legal stuff:
I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.
Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.
If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.
Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.
