My husband and I worked on a lot more refinishing/building projects than junk art in July (you can see the old cabinet we refinished and gate we made by clicking the link—plus, we’re currently working on a dining room table), but we did finish one junk art project that I’m incredibly proud of—it’s definitely my favorite yet—so I wanted to share it with you.
And then I thought I’d also share the gift that my daughter Danielle and I made for my husband for his upcoming birthday as well. (Once it was made, we couldn’t wait to give it to him, so he’s already seen it. 🙂 )
Without further ado, meet the newest pup in our household…
I’m really proud of this guy because he came purely from my imagination. His muzzle was a candleholder that I bought years ago (and never really loved). When I turned it upside down, I immediately saw that the heart formed a perfect dog muzzle, and the spot for a candle looked like a nose. I debated cutting off the heart handle, but decided it made the tongue more whimsical.
His ears are hinges, and his head is … actually, I’m not sure. A bulb planting thingy? Not sure. He’s got nuts for eyes, obviously. Then his body was an air pump canister. His legs were from big standing candle holders, and his tail was a decorative finial from a curtain rod.
This guy was so fun to design! He now guards our garden from his rock. 🙂
I’ve been working hard lately to get closed-door storage space for the junk that tends to pile up around the house. It seems if there’s a flat surface somewhere it will just end up covered. This is one of the main reasons I wanted the oak cabinet in the kitchen (though it was also so I could bring some of the kitchen stuff we used to store in the basement up.)
But one of my husband’s pet peeves about this was the fact that we no longer had a bowl conveniently located right next to the door for keys. I decided to get him a keyhook organizer for his birthday and found a really cute one on Etsy—but then I thought, Wait, I could make that. And thus a project was born.
My daughter and I took the basic idea from Etsy and made it our own. First of all, we used a gorgeous multi-colored piece of poplar. We bought poplar for our Mission-style doors and trim project, and some of it had this really pretty coloring. But by the time we stained the wood our trim color, you really couldn’t see that variation anymore. We always said it was a shame—this was a perfect way to actually feature the natural grain of that wood!
We stained the top part of the houses and added bark as doors and to the roofs (they just cut down a ton of trees in the preserve behind our house, so there was plenty of bark right in our backyard). My daughter painted the houses and added little windows, and we used moss to create the bush and the tree. Finally, we added a little fence with nails and wire. (We were going to use nails for chimneys too, like the person on Etsy did but decided that our bark roofs looked decorative enough without them.)
And then we added the key hooks, and that was it!! We were so excited about how well it turned out that we just decided to give it to him right away. We’re thinking of making something similar to hold masks next.
That was our July projects!
Have you been doing anything creative lately? I want to know!
Oh my god, your gift for your husband is gorgeous! I love that you made it with your daughter and that you all just you know, MADE IT YOURSELF. Definitely more awesome than buying! lol And the junk art dog is adorable. You’re so creative – and clever. I love it!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
Yeah, he definitely appreciated a handmade gift more than he would have a purchased one.
I love them both! I haven’t been doing anything creative lately, unless you count the blog and making Pinterest pins.
I think those count as creative things!!
That key holder is stunning! I love it. My parents have been using their key holder for masks, and it does seem like a good way to keep things organized and available. And I love your junk art pup! I love that the inspiration for him came from the objects themselves.
We now made a mask holder to go with the key holder too—who knew we’d need such a thing?
i LOVE the dog. i envy you your creativity, but you have definitely given me something to think about
I’ve always loved junk art, so I figured why not?
You are getting so creative over there. That key holder is too cute! And I admire the vision you had for all your loose parts with the dog. Stupendous!
We have been accomplishing a lot over here—it’s just my blogging and reading that’s been suffering!
Love it! You are so creative! I just wish I had the time or patience. My mom was starting to teach me to sew before all the pandemic stuff, but it had been a few months since I’d done anything. I might start going over and sewing again. Hopefully I can bring the sewing machine she bought me home some time in the future and then sew at home too.
If you start sewing again, I’d love to see your creations!
NICOLE these are amazing!! You seriously need to open a shop or something, I would 100% buy your stuff! Also you make a good point about a mask holder- I have NO idea where to keep them all! I mean, the front seat of my car doesn’t seem ideal? ?
Considering it’s all we can do to keep up with projects around the house, I don’t think we’ll be opening an Etsy store anytime soon, though it does sound fun! 🙂
Haha! Your projects are so creative and funny! I admire anyone who knows how to make things with their hands (which I do NOT).
I would never have claimed to be great at making things with my hands, but I’ve been happy with our creations that we made over the summer!
Wow, I love both of these! So creative!
This makes me wish I was good at making things!
I wouldn’t have said that I was artistic (or handy) at all, but this has been a fun way to stretch those muscles. 🙂
Love the pup,so creative!!
Thank you! He’s been my favorite creation so far.
The little pup is SO cute! and I love the key holder too! You guys are so creative!
I’m always so impressed with your junk art and this post is no different! That dog is absolutely ADORABLE! You used so many pieces so creatively! And I love the key rack you made! We have a store bought one hanging, but it doesn’t have any character at all, even though it gets the job done!
I’ve always loved watching people made artwork on various platforms, but never thought I could be as cool as all those people. But seeing these posts every month is reminding me that the main goal with these projects is to have fun and use your imagination, so I may just attempt to do something more creative and crafty next month, thanks to your Junk Art posts!
Wow – you are getting really great at this. Like…you could sell it good.
My life is settling out now and some vintage/thrift shops around here are opening back up with outdoor sales so I’m going to get started making yard art. I had to leave so much of it behind when I moved.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
Oh my god I love these so, so much! You are so creative, I wish I had the imagination and patience to create things like that. I adore that little pup!!