Flea Market Finds and Inspiration Required

This week I've been admiring a lot of bloggers' use of thrifty finds for new or unexpected purposes and thought I'd have a look around the house and see if there was anything I could share. Unfortunately, I discovered that  I'm not one of these innovative crafty people who can make a chandelier out of nothing but a pile of wire hangers and some vintage earrings. My babies never slept in a vintage steamer trunk, and my garden doesn't have a single gazebo made from heirloom patchwork and an arts and crafts curtain pole. Bah. 

So, instead, here are one or two pictures of things I've found recently, plus a couple of things I've had for years, holding things they weren't originally intended to. I will try harder, and if I ever make that bird house out of a Queen Anne teaset, you'll be the first to know.

Vintage EPNS toast rack from Brighton flea market - holding books

[Glass candlestick (part of pair) also from flea market]

 

Bit tarnished, but pretty.

Chinese teacups from charity shop

Coffee pot I found last week now living on cooker hood as a vase

Washing up liquid in olive oil bottle

Sponge in Stilton pot

Result: own goal as house guests never wash up due to lack of obvious equipment

Egg candles from Country Living Fair - love these

Jug and eggcups via charity shop

Pair of company stamps for embossing paperwork

Now bookends

These look as if they should belong on a barge, rather than a desk

Cedar wood cigar box from market in Cuba, storing earrings

George VI coronation mug (car boot sale), regally holding toothbrushes

[If you've read 'Kirstie's Homemade Home' you'll know that she (Kirstie Allsopp) also likes to keep her toothbrushes in a coronation mug. Difference is that she is probably distantly related and likes to look at her ancestors whilst performing her ablutions]

I'm off across the Severn Bridge tomorrow (home to Wales for a week) so am hopeful of some cheaper treasure hunting than usual. Will report back as to whether the Swansea valleys offer an untapped goldmine or more over-priced Primark tat. 

Lakota x

http://www.homemakeronadime.com/

Pop over to Sophie's for more beautiful Flea Market Finds

Also linking to Magpie Monday and Thrift Share Monday

and

Thrifty Thursdays

Thrifty Things Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Teacup candles the EASY way!

So, I know this goes against some unwritten law of blogging (like saying the Cath Kidston shop makes my eyeballs bleed) but honestly, I think tea is Satan's own wee. Really people, it's grim. This is a shame, as I can totally appreciate the appeal of a cute teapot or a chintzy teacup, and I'd really like to have a proper excuse to fill the house with art deco teasets. Teacup candles to the rescue! It gives me a reason to buy pretty china, and they make great girly presents as well. I was always a bit put off by talk of double boilers, wick pins and crimping tools, but yay - none of these are necessary.

Also, if you make one and aren't happy with it, you can just chop up the wax and use it again, even if you've already started burning it. Here is one I hacked up again after practising in a cup that was missing its saucer.  

They don't need a saucer, but it will protect your surfaces and gives somewhere handy to put matches.

To be completely thrifty you can even melt down old candle stubs, but do try and remove any blackened bits of sooty wick, or the finished result isn't going to be that pretty. You can get starter kits on eBay which include wax, retainers, a length of wick, and a wick pin. The one I bought came with dye as well, but I prefer natural coloured wax.

You will need

• Wax - I used soya wax as it is eco friendly and burns cleanly. It also washes easily out of the teacup when you've finished burning it.
• Wick sustainer (the little metal thingy that supports the wick)
• Cotton wick
• Skewers or pencils
• Pliers. Fine nosed craft ones are probably best, but I just raided the toolbox.
• Candle fragrance or essential oil (optional)
• Saucepan
• Pyrex jug
• Glue - hot glue gun if you've got one/can be bothered, but I've used glue dots before now. Actually, I've also used blue-tac but I am supremely fond of the easy option. There are probably dire warnings somewhere regarding blue-tac and naked flames.
• Pretty teacup
  
  

What to do

First weigh your empty teacup. Then fill it with water and weigh it again. The difference is approximately the weight of wax that you'll need. Put the wax into the jug, and the jug into a few inches of  just boiled water in a pan over a low heat on the stove. Keep an eye on it, as obviously wax is flammable. Stir around with a wooden spoon as it begins to melt.

                   

Meanwhile, get a length of wick and poke one end through the hole in the sustainer. Some instructions will tell you to 'prime' the wick first by dipping the length into the melted wax. It doesn't appear to be vital, but you can if you like. Use pliers to squish it together and hold the wick in place. Use glue to attach sustainer to centre of teacup, and then skewers or similar to hold wick straight. You could tie the wick around the skewer to keep it upright, but you do waste more that way. It should look something like this:



Once the wax is molten add any fragrance as per the instructions on the bottle. I was a bit gung-ho with mine and just sloshed it in until it smelled nice, but this is probably not advice to follow. Then carefully pour into the cup - making sure the wick remains central - and leave to set overnight.



                                   

The two above are going to be presents, so in true Blue Peter style - here's one I made earlier.

The cup above cost £1.00 from Oxfam, and the total cost of the wax including postage was £9.25. However, this made 6 candles in total. Alternatively, you could go to Liberty and pay £36.00!

This project also forms part of my submission to The Felt Fairy's Monthly Make challenge for February.

Sod's law?

Why is it that you can have had something on your internal 'wish list' for ages, and never see it, and then once you've bought said item....well, obviously it immediately appears elsewhere? I've had a vague hankering for an enamel candlestick for ages - the 'wee willie winkie' kind - and having won a white and navy one on ebay for about a fiver including postage, I then find something similar in my favourite local charity shop for £1.50! This one is powder blue, and equally appealing, if not more so.

In addition to the blue candle holder, I also got a very pretty bone china teacup and saucer (destined to be a poured wax teacup candle - I made loads of these at Christmas), and a couple of hardback cookery books. I got Jamie at Home for £1.99, and Delia Smith's How to Cook for £1.00. I like to think that I'm not completely clueless in that regard, but there are some basics which still elude me - omelettes and meringues being cases in point, so hopefully it will prove to be money well spent. All in all it was a successful visit, and I can probably sell the ebay candlestick on again at some point, but I am now wondering if if I'm too impatient, and should just wait and see what turns up...

For example, also on the lust list is one of those old wooden sewing boxes; the cantilevered type that open right out. Now the thought is there, I want one right now. Of course, sod's law will dictate that if I pay £30 on ebay, I will see suddenly stumble across one that I could just carry home for half the price. Then again, if I don't bid - I could be waiting years. What would you do?

Edit: This post is shared via the wonderful Apron Thrift Girl and her regular Thrift Share Monday post and also at Her Library Adventures - Flea Market Finds