Fall Decor: Thrifting & DIY

It's been a week since our "Jeeps Or Jewelry?"  gender reveal. I still haven't put everything away from the party. The house is kind of a mess. But I decided (naturally) to ignore the mess and get some Fall crafting on while I was in the mood.  I recruited the husband to help me drag out my storage totes of Fall cuteness & decor and got to it before my energy faded.

You remember the nice chalkboard my sister made for the party with the Old Wives Tales? See it here. 

 I grabbed the board, some chalk, a cup of water and sat down to work on my *masterpiece. I was planning on working on the board for a good while, but it turned out to be a fairly easy 10 minute project.  

I hung the chalkboard in the dining room above my antique wash stand that my uncle refinished for me. 

I love to set up a display on the wash stand. It also serves as storage for some of my platters and dishes I use for parties. I scored this double cola crate for $5 at a flea market last year. The faux flower arrangements are from dollar general. I bought them over 5 years ago when I was decorating my little apartment on a budget. Over the years I have spruced them up by adding little flower picks and ribbons from JoAnn's. They've seen better days, but I don't mind. I just give them a fluff and they are good to go. The glass bottles are old pepsi cola bottles that my dad and I dug out of the muddy bottoms at the farm. We found all kinds of vintage bottles.

Here's a picture from that day we went picking at the farm. Don't you think he is a good daddy-wearing the mismatched gloves (so I can use the good pair) and carrying the heavy buckets of moldy, muddy treasures for my latest whim?

I love changing out my decor for the seasons (or more often if the mood strikes). I have learned how to keep it within budget by rotating my favorite flea market finds and stocking up on after season clearance items. Sometimes a little paint or a clean up job is all a piece needs to become revived again. I especially enjoy displaying items with a story or meaning behind it. Like the vintage bottles reminding me of spectacular muddy farm days with my strong, loving dad. What's your favorite way to save when it comes to seasonal decorations? 

*Want to try your own chalkboard masterpiece?

Tips for writing on chalkboard- Keep the chalk wet. It will look like it is barely writing and very light in color. But don't worry, it dries bright white and looks so much smoother than dry writing. Keep a damp soft rag and q-tips handy for mistakes. If you are coloring in a big section for a doodle or large lettering, just wet the board where you are working. Don't worry about it being perfect. You can make faint measuring lines (just erase with a q-tip) and be precise if you would like. I prefer just to eyeball it.  I like my projects to look just a tad bit imperfect and homemade.