March 28, 2012

Favorite Find - Yellow Lantern/Vase


Love this.

It is currently sitting on my kitchen table, and holds a candle or could even be a vase!
The glass part comes out very easy, which is also a great plus in terms of cleaning it.

                                       
Hobby Lobby in the Spring section, $7-$10 depending on coupon or sale that is going on!

I use it for a simple centerpiece, but will probably be bringing it outside also! 
Hanging from a tree would be a possibility too.



March 27, 2012

Looking ahead to Garage Sale Season - Look for Retro!

Garage sale season is almost here!

I wanted to post about looking for retro furniture items to re-sell.


This particular set of chairs my mom actually found at a Goodwill for a steal and resold them on Craigslist, making a profit!
We were both amazed at the response, and felt she could have made even more of a profit off of them.


Look out for items that are in great shape that you could either re-do or that are sale ready (even better).
Craigslist is a great option to sell furniture on. I also believe that your profit is bigger if you put the item on Craigslist, rather than a garage sale.

When I am making a Craigslist deal, I almost always set up a public location to meet and never give out my cell phone for safety reasons. Be extra careful and beware of spammers.


Here is a another dresser that she had purchased, with intentions of re-furbishing it, but ended up not having room for it in their new house.

She is currently selling it on Craigslist here:

I can see a lot of options with this one!

Keep your eye out for furniture that can be painted easily when you are going to your next sale, it might just pay for itself, and more!

Checklist while looking at furniture:

1-Is it one-of-a-kind? Odds are, just like the chairs above, if you find an item that is something out of the ordinary, it will sell itself easily. Look past those dime-a-dozen items.

2-If it has a function (such as a lamp), does it work like it should?

3-What kind of damage does it have? 

4-Can the damaged surfaces be sanded or re-done?

5-Look through every part of the furniture, legs, drawers, and even underneath it before you buy.

6-Make them a deal! If it is at a garage sale, the owner probably wants it gone that day! I've gotten a lot of things for free by going at the end of the sale.

7-If you are going to re-sell the item, will you end up making a profit after you have re-furbished it after the price of the item and the price of the materials you will use? Make sure it is going to be worth it.

March 15, 2012

New Labels!


My new labels that should be coming in the mail, today!
Excited to see them and attach them to the order for Ed & Eva's.

DIY Rope Basket

Found this awesome DIY Rope Basket! 
I haven't tried my hand at it yet, but I am going to put it on my list 
of 'to-do's'...that is if there are any spots left...



The DIY post is featured on Design Sponge, one of the blogs I follow.
Hop on over and check it out!

Design Sponge featured another blog in this post and she has her own etsy shop also:


Here are my favorite's from her store:

Scarf/Necklace Brown Shimmer - $40

Fabric Card - $5

Definitely adding her to my favorite etsy stores! 


March 9, 2012

Kleenex Box Matching Game - Making the Best out of a Cold

I don't know about you, but I try to keep my toddler busy as much as possible. So whenever I find a cheap idea for a busy bag or rainy day activity, I don't waste much time.

Colds are no fun, but they almost always result in some empty kleenex boxes. I always enjoy the different patterns that I see and get excited to put them into the bathroom (excited? I know nerdy).

Anyway - here is what you need:

Kleenex Box Matching Game


-Empty Kleenex Boxes (as many as you feel the need)
-Pencil
-Something to make a pattern out of (stick with simple shapes)
-Scissors


Cut out the sides without the seams:


It works well because they look all the same on the other side:


Choose an object to trace around for uniformity:
Stick to simple shapes unless you are an overachiever, then try a star or something amazing


If they have a pattern, and you are a perfectionist, line them up and make sure you are cutting part of the design that both of the pieces have.


Again, choose a part that they both have:


Here you can see where I traced the block (my 'pattern') with a pencil. 
What is nice, is that it makes a nice indent to cut along:


I lined up the design here and just traced around the first one that I cut:


Both of the different designs cut and ready to go:


Then, you are ready!


You can keep adding to your collection. And if your child is old enough, they can even help you!

Throw it into a pencil case and keep it somewhere you can grab it and go.
Whether it be to out to eat or to the doctor's office or for that moment when they are driving you crazy because you haven't left the house in 5 days.

Enjoy!

March 6, 2012

An Announcement!

Polka Dot Pocket has been accepted into a new store in Greenfield, IA called "Ed and Eva's". The shop will feature artwork from local artist's and will open in Mid-April.

It is a wonderful opportunity and I am really excited about it! The store will feature both hats and headbands from my collection.

I hope to start putting up some new designs in the shop also. If you have anything that you want to see in there, or saw a great idea for a hat, just let me know! Always looking for new things to do!

March 1, 2012

Looking ahead to Garage Sale Season - Crib Bumpers

Looking ahead to garage sale season, we are sure to find: crib bumpers. I can almost promise that if you are a garage saler, you will find at least one of these this upcoming season! I have 2 in my house as I type this right now! Are they being used? No. 

Apartment Therapy, one of my favorite blogs to follow, did a great job with showing different ways of re-purposing the bumpers. Here are just a few, shown below.

Chair Cushions


Valance



Baby proof your fireplace



Decorating element to the bottom of a crib


What about you? Have a bumper that is deep in a closet somewhere, or in your own garage sale pile? I'm not the only one with a garage sale pile, right?