I am convinced that you can make a LAMP out of absolutely anything.  It’s amazing to start exploring the options ~ the THINGS that people have used to make a lamp ~ absolutely unlimited.  Whatever you love, don’t want to throw out, or want to keep forever ~ make a lamp out of it.  Going to the FLEA MARKET??  Whatever you find that strikes your fancy, but you don’t know how to include it in your home decor ~ maybe you can attach a cord & halogen & voila ~ you have a light bulb moment.

Here are some ideas to get your imagination rolling before you hit the Flea Markets, Garage Sales, Auctions & Antique Stores this weekend…

NOTE: there are lots of DIY instructions on the internet for “how to make a lamp”.  As for me and my time ~ it’s a project better left to the experts.  Sooo… if you see something you love hit the ‘BUY NOW’ button, or contact someone who knows what they’re doing to turn your shiny object into a lighted object.

 
I love the art work from Junk Shui ~ be sure to check out all of his work ~ be inspired, buy much!!
{via Junk Shui}

{via Inhabitat}

what to do, what to do…. so many little toys lying around & not a clue as to what to do with them???  Glue them all together, spray paint & make a lamp. Brilliant!! 

 
A chandelier made from plastic ice cream spoons.
{via GreenProphet.com}

Clothespin Lamp
{via Inhabitat}

Industrial Bottle-Capper Lamp
{via Leaning Cedars Vintage on ETSY}

Recycled Cointreau Hanging Pendant Light
{via Bottle Hood on ETSY}

** Click HERE for our ENTIRE **
Flea Market Shopping List!!

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More after the BREAK >>>>>>>>> 

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I always see old Door Knobs at flea markets and in antique stores, sometimes even at a sale, but I’ve never bought any.  Just never had the right inspiration I guess, but here you go… all kinds of ideas for how to Re-LOVE your door knobs!!

Door Knob Bouquet from 100 Layer Cake {includes instructions}
Oh my gosh, I LOVE this idea!!!

Door Knob Hiker from LumberJocks

Door Knob Bird House from Reclaimed Trends on ETSY

Door Knob Wine Stopper from Intoxicated Zodiac

Door Knob Shelf from Ready Made

Re-Cycle * Re-LOVE™ * Re-Deem * Re-Spend

** Click HERE for our ENTIRE **
Flea Market Shopping List!!

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Do you have an old sweater that it’s time to let go??  Maybe hungry moths got the best of your closet??  Or the new guy/gal in your life thinks you need a wardrobe change… OR you stumbled across a sweater with pefect colors and a quirky good pattern, but there’s no way to
make it fit onto your new holiday figure??

No worries… there are a bazillion things you can do with those old sweaters…

Sweater Lamp Shade from Country Living

Upcycled Sweater Wreath from Looploft on Papersnitch

Argyle Pig from Martha Stewart

Sweater Bag from ReIncarKnits

 
Scrappy Sweater Skirt from SnugglePants on ETSY

MORE after the BREAK >>>>>>>>>>
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Another item for the Flea Market Shopping List… DOORS are something that you should always grab whenever you stumble on them at barn sales, flea markets & antique shows.  Old doors are like a blank canvas ~ the options are limitless, the only boundary is your creativity.

Hanging Door Table from Salvaged Upcycled Recycled Doors via Pinterest

Door Arbor from Confessions of a Curbshopaholic
Doors Re-LOVED & made into an arbor for a sweet garden.

Potting Bench from an Old Door from
Tami4gsd on Junk Market Style
There are tons of these online…Potting benches made from BIG doors, SMALL doors, screen doors & more.

Bench made from an OLD DOOR from Twig Decor
How perfect is this for the entry hall??  Store shoes in the bins below…
I can picture it now.

Old Doors made into a Headboard & Footboard
on Extreme Home Makeover
The doors {of course} had significant emotional signifigance.
More good ideas from Extreme Home Makeover HERE.

SCREEN DOOR at Farmstead… such a great idea!!

Door Coffee Table from Joys of Home

Door as a tile in the Ceiling from Country Living Magazine
Has to be the winner for most creative!!!

Re-Cycle * Re-LOVE™ * Re-Deem * Re-Spend

** Click HERE for our ENTIRE **
Flea Market Shopping List!!

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Another item to add to our Flea Market Shopping List… PICTURE FRAMES.  These are another item that you should always grab at flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales because the number of ways to Re-LOVE™ them are endless!!

Picture Frame as a TRAY from Real Simple

 
Picture Frame ~add wires ~ for an Earring Organizer from Real Simple
{simple instructions included}

 
Picture Frame Shadow Box from My Repurposed Life
{simple instructions included}

Picture Frame as a Centerpiece from Ready Made

Bulletin Board in Distressed Frame

Frame within a Frame from Natural Home

This is a great way to accent an existing piece of art.  Adding a FRAME is also a good way to add size, depth and texture to your walls ~ especially important if you have a large wall and/or a small piece of art.

Re-Cycle * Re-LOVE™ * Re-Deem * Re-Spend

** Click HERE for our ENTIRE **
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I cannot remember to take my recycle shopping bags into the grocery store.  Can. not. remember.  With that confession I will tell you that there DOZENS of plastic grocery bags in a drawer in our kitchen.  I use them for various little jobs around the house, occasionally for lunch bags when a boy forgets his lunch box, or laid under painting projects {especially handy for cleaning up after finger painting!!}, but now I learn that there is a way to make these plastic bags into fabric??  Yarn actually, which is where the name comes from, Plastic Grocery Bag + Yarn = PLARN. 

Apparently making PLARN is easy… a tutorial is included in the link ABOVE.  The instructions include the words “finesse” and “crochet hook”, both of which take me out of this DIY project ~ but you should try it and tell us how it works for you.  There are lots & lots of things you can make with the PLARN once you’ve made the yarn/plarn material.

Plarn Rug from Screaming Chee Toes on ETSY

Plarn Bag from MyRecycledBags.com

White Plarn Pillow

Plarn Amigurumi Buddies from PlasticBagCrafts.com

Plarn Checkerboard Rug from Talking Crochet

and the pièce de résistance…
Plastic Grocery Bags into Knit 1950′s Outift.
WOW.  Image via Blogher via Craft via Cathy Kasdan

 This will be the folk art of the new millennium… our grandchildren will have no concept of plastic shopping bags, but these crafts will live on once we’re gone. Forever.  Better that they live on in as kitschy tote bag or stuffed animal than in the landfills!! 

Re-Cycle * Re-LOVE™ * Re-Deem * Re-Spend

For years people have been using burlap as the material of choice when they are needing something sturdy, inexpensive, and water resistant.  Made from JUTE, burlap is used to prevent erosion on hills, for bagging feed and coffee, as well as being an important part of furniture making, giving support to the inner portions of chairs and couches.  BURLAP bags & scraps are definitely something that yous should grab up at flea markets & antique shops ~ its use as a tough fabric is endless!!

 In the design industry burlap has a significant place as people see it as a rustic material that…

• wears well
• is crazy cheap {less than $3/yard}
• comes in tons of colors {like natural, terra cotta, avocado… see ABOVE}
• has vintage charm
• can add a twist to just about style of decor.

Here in the Cactus Creek Store we have burlap curtains & tablecloths in our office area ~ they keep the heat from pouring into the big windows by my desk and keeps my plastic table that serves as a desk looking a little prettier than most.  Other ways to use BURLAP??  The list goes on and on…

 
Burlap Tote {made from a recycled burlap coffee bag} from Jalmodovar on ETSY

 
Burlap Curtains {with instructions!!} from Life to the T

Burlap clothes from Gretchen Elsner
{for those of you who can make a bag look good}

Re-Cycle * Re-LOVE™ * Re-Deem * Re-Spend

This idea will be featured this morning on the Junk in my Trunk Radio Show {JIMT} which airs every Monday, Thursday & Saturday from 10am till 11am on Kansas City’s 1140am KCXL & 1160am KCTO. You can also LISTEN LIVE on the Internet… visit JunkMafia.com and click on the Little Red Radio at the bottom of the page.

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Barn Sales, Farm Auctions, Middle-o-nowhere Estate Sales… for me these are the best places to find grungy old garage & gardening elements.  Still, the perfect wooden ladder for re-purposing is becoming more and more difficult to find.  But oh the beauty of a good ol’ ladder… and all the things you can do with one!! 

Ladder Pot Rack ~ you could even hang a chandelier from the LADDER for a fun & funky lighting fixture!!  Image via WomansDay.com

In our Flea Market Shopping List we have a long list of objects you should never pass up, after finding all of these fantastic ideas wooden ladders are on the top of my list!!  Makes me want to run away to a million little towns this weekend and track down the perfect ladder specimen…

LOVE this Ladder Shoe Rack Idea from Country Living, Sept 2009

Sideways Ladder Shelf ~ Image via Ette Studios

Image via Country Living, June 2010

DIY Ladder Shelf… great idea via Poetic Home via Maya*Made

 
Ladder as ART ~ image via houzz

Another LADDER Shelf ~ with DIY directions!! Via Mother Earth News

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Earlier this week I was having a conversation with the boys from Junk in my Trunk Radio Show and we got to talking about JARS.  We talked about how our grandparents used to save and wash their jars to re-use for dinner scraps, about how our parents used the same jars in their garages to store nails and screws.  We talked about how, as young adults, we became horribly nonchalant and just threw jars away without re~cycling or re~using them {shameful, shameful behavior} ~ but finally we have embraced the concept of Re~LOVING and we now recycle our glass jars, or, better yet, re-use them like this…

Lanterns made with re-used wire hangers from
The Home in Paradise

Baby Food Jar Chandelier from Ulula

Jar Night Light from Tree Hugger

Cupcake in a Jar from Renegade Cupcake
You can also bake cakes and pies in jars which make fantastic gifts and yummmy desserts… check out these Cakes in a Jar.

Recycled Jars for storing bulk foods, oatmeal, tea… plus 9 more ideas from Re-Nest.

DIY Mason Jar Soap Dispenser from Heather Bullard

Garden Lanterns from Gardner’s World

Finger Cymbals for kiddos from MakingFriends.com
This is one of my favorites!!

Vintage Clear Canning Jar Chandelier from Etsy

Organizing nails & screws with recycled peanut butter jars from Chez Larsson.  Just like Grandpa used to have…

Re-Cycle * Re-Purpose * Re-LOVE

This idea will be featured this morning on the Junk in my Trunk Radio Show {JIMT} which airs every Monday, Thursday & Saturday from 10am till 11am on Kansas City’s 1140am KCXL & 1160am KCTO. You can also LISTEN LIVE on the Internet… visit JunkMafia.com and click on the Little Red Radio at the bottom of the page.

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Cactus Creek’s Flea Market Shopping List features a list of items that you should NEVER pass up when shopping in a flea market, antique mall, yard sale or dumpster dive…

Today’s Flea Market List idea is GLOBES… collect em’, paint ‘em, cut ‘em up ~ here are a few ideas from the best of the best on the www.

Button-covered GLOBE via Pinterest

Globe Snowman via Pinterest

 
Globe Clock from T.O.M.T.

Chalkboard Globe from Flickr

Globe Bowl from Matangi on ETSY

Globe Pendant Light from Project Create-a-Home

{look at the size of that cat ~ Oh my!!!}

Any other big ideas for GLOBES???

Re-Cycle * Re-LOVE™ * Re-Deem * Re-Spend

** Click HERE for our ENTIRE **
Flea Market Shopping List!!