Remember the galvanized hanging bucket thingies (I don’t really know what to call them) that I found while thrifting a week or so ago?
They have a black rolled rim and handle, so I thought that if I painted the galvanized part white they would look just like vintage enamelware.
One of my readers suggested I leave them as is and just add a transfer to the front, and I did consider it. After all, I do like the look of galvanized stuff. But these had that blotchy look that feels a little faux to me. In addition, my ‘before’ photo doesn’t really show how dark they were. I knew I wanted to dress them up with some transfers, and the black wording of most transfers doesn’t show up very well on the darker galvanized stuff. Here’s an example of that.
It can create kind of a cool aged look, but I wanted to go for that enamelware look with these.
So I washed them first, and then painted them in Dixie Belle Silk paint in Endless Shore.
They really do look like classic enamelware now, don’t they? Although not quite as shiny.
Next I started thinking about which transfer I wanted to use on them. I considered going with more color and adding some I.O.D. florals, but then I decided to stick with the black and white theme.
You might be surprised to learn that I used transfers from two different companies on these.
The one on the right has a portion of the I.O.D. Astoria transfer on it, with some wording from the re.design with prima Paris Letter added above it. The one on the left has a portion of the Lovely Ledger transfer from re.design with prima on it. All three of these transfers combine beautifully.
My next challenge was to try and think of things to put in them. Of course, you could always go with the classic florals.
This silk lavender stems came from Hobby Lobby a few years back.
Since the bucket itself is rather neutral in color and style, you could change them up seasonally and it would still work.
When you see evergreens like these, do you think they are strictly for Christmas, or would you leave them out until Spring?
I’d love to get some feedback from you guys on that. Are you sick of evergreens and ready to see them go by the end of December, or do you leave them out until the end of February? Leave a comment and let me know.
You could also put a small glass vase inside for the water, and fill these with real flowers.
But I wanted to try and think outside the box a bit. How about filling them with old altered paint brushes?
Definitely unexpected.
You could also fill one with your non-collection of whisk brooms.
Or am I the only one with things like whisk brooms and gunky old paint brushes lying around?
How about you, what would you put in one of these buckets? Leave a comment and let me know.
Meanwhile, I’ll be taking these into the shop later this week so if any of you locals are interested, you’ll have to head to Stillwater later this week and do a little shopping.
q is for quandie 
My evergreens are left out until my “spring things” go out. I like the feel of winter inside our home! Also, I have a collection of whisk brooms! Love how people look at me when I buy an old one at an estate sale!
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Well, it feels like winter inside my home all the time, but I think that’s due to our drafty 1904 windows 😉 Estate sales are perfect for finding old whisk brooms, right? Everybody had a whisk broom in their garage back in the day.
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I leave out a few evergreens too. I mix in a few sticks and ferns or eucalyptus to add winter interest. I collect those old folding ruler/ yardstick things and they would look great in there as well as old yardsticks. Love the brooms. These bins look great. The white was the perfect touch and they look like enamelware for sure!
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I love the idea of yardsticks. I’d have to accumulate a few more, although I do try to pick them up whenever I see them at sales (much like whisk brooms, they are common at estate sales).
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I love the black & white transfers on the buckets ♡ I am ready for Spring & Summer so love the lavender ♡♡♡
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The faux stems are on sale at Hobby Lobby this week, so I may look for something spring-like to include with these buckets when I bring them to the shop because I think many people will agree with you.
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I definitely keep “greenery” around for winter decor until I switch over to spring. Take anything out that looks holiday (sparkle, ribbons, red) and I think it makes a good transition from Christmas until Spring (March 1st for me😊).
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Great tips Jill 🙂
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They turned out amazing! I always love your choices of paint color and transfers 😉 I think I would put long seasonal florals in them, 🌿
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Thanks Julie!
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Love containers redone. I never tire of greenery and when it gets tired I do a walkabout the property and find some new stuff often adding interesting twigs etc.
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I love that idea Laura!
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You did a wonderful transformation! It amazes me with your vision. I just need to gut up and try to channel you! 😉. Thanks for your inspiring ways!
Smiles, alice
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Just dive in Alice!
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Well, for me evergreens are ever green which can be paired with something seasonal, but in the fall I would go for something with color, just for a break and in preparation for the winter season. I like the whisk brooms, and I think dried grasses would be pretty, along with something spikey.
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Great ideas!
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Those turned out GREAT, Linda! I love wall pockets and I see what you mean about the metal being too dark for the transfers as they were. Wonderful transformation!
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Thanks Patty, I’m glad you like how they turned out with paint 🙂
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I love the way turned out Linda! I took collect old paintbrushes, yardsticks and the brooms. I only have one broom so far. You are not the only crazy one.🙃. Evergreen Is so pretty but I think I would take the pinecone out. The lavender always looks good with enamelware.
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Thanks Cheryl!
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I keep the evergreens, pine cones, and red berries until I’m ready to put out spring things. Love how you upgraded the hanging buckets. The white paint and the black/white transfers are perfect and are neutral enough to work with so many options of fillers. Great for displaying collections, seasonal branches/florals, or just about anything!
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I like the neutrality of the black and white too, so many options!
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I am wondering if they would be big enough to use as a little waste paper basket in my powder room…for used q-tips and cotton balls??? Or few a few rolls of spare toilet paper??? I LOVE what you did with them!
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You might get away using it for q-tips and cotton balls, but they definitely aren’t big enough to hold the TP.
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To answer your question about evergreens after Christmas-this is the first year I have tried keeping some on my table trying to go for a ‘winter’ look. The entire setting is different but I still feel like the evergreen portion belongs to Christmas. Don’t know why. I’m not convinced I’ll go for a ‘winter’ look next year. It seems like more trouble than it’s worth with our winter being so short here in Texas.
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Ah, if only I had that problem, a winter that was too short! LOL, we deal with the opposite situation here in MN. A winter that is far too long. With all the snow we’ve gotten this year, I wonder if it will even melt by April 🙂
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Well I just love these Miss Quandie! You knocked them out of the park! The first thing I noticed was how SMOOTH the paint looked…….not one brush mark, at least that I could see! I would have loved them just as much without the transfers, though I do like them all decked out, too. Loved the one with the lavender stems but I think that styling it with the lavender book it what makes it………always prop that book next to it! 👍 About the Christmas greenery: I feel like it looks kind of sad and depressing if you leave Christmas up much past New Years…….I always WISH that it was still Christmas but, since it’s not, it just looks sad. BUT, this year I still haven’t let go of my small (three foot), pretty Balsam Hill faux tree on my fireplace in the family room!……….it’s like a sweet angelic presence that I’m just not ready to let go of!
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Well, there are some brush strokes up close and personal. However, the Silk paint (which is an acrylic paint rather than a chalk style paint) is self leveling to some degree. That’s why I chose it to try and achieve that look of enamelware. As for the greenery, I think I’m with you on that. It does look a bit sad after New Year’s. The Christmas décor I can’t let go of are the white lights out in the garden. I tend to leave those on until the snow melts … or it starts getting lighter out in the evening. Whichever comes first 😉
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Very artistic!
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