Vintage Stair Spindle Projects Part Deux: Jewelry Trees

Remember these? ... Well, to recap, I chose four with the longest square tops for a little table.  Refer to my last post for instructions.

I had a few more spindles and decided to make one of my top-sellers...jewelry trees.

I went on Etsy and didn't see any jewelry trees like this so I'm thinking they will  be one of my first items to list for sale....I also did not see any jewelry like mine; which is good because that is also something I was hoping would be perfect for my shop.  I'm working on my new Etsy store, AJunkersJournal.  You can find me at www.etsy.com/people/sherrispear for a teaser.   I hope to be open soon.


Back to the project at hand:

1.  Cut the spindle to length leaving a square end if you can because it provides a sturdier base.

2.  I loved the original paint on the spindle so I finished it by lightly sanding and adding a coat of Fiddes Supreme Wax.

3.  For the base, I used a recycled piece of marble that already had a recessed hole in the center.  Sometimes you can find these from an old lamp or trophy.  You can also use something round.  I collect lamps just to deconstruct for projects like this.  I simply pre-drilled a small hole in the bottom of the spindle and used a large screw and washer to attach it to the base from underneath.

4.  The large ring on top is from a deconstructed lamp shade.  I don't like my metal parts to look new so I use rust patina from Modern Masters.   I always seal them with a coat of polyurethane to prevent further deterioration.

5.  In this case, I attached the lamp ring to the spindle using a vintage white porcelain knob that already had a hole in it.  The screw that comes with the knob may or may not be the right length.  This is where the scavenging begins...or continues as the case may be.  Hunting through my shop is half the fun...one of the biggest rewards from this challenge is being able to find everything I need without a trip to the hardware store...but, I like any excuse to run to Habitat For Humanity; you never know what you might find there.

6.  If you've been following me at all you'll have figured out by now that I'm a detail-oriented person.  I don't want to see the cut end of my spindle or be able to really tell that the metal ring is from a lamp.  Also, I like things that spin (or roll, which explains my affinity for casters).  This means I need a transition piece.  Again, I keep a good stock of lamp parts which work well for this type of project.  However, in this case,  I'm using another well-stocked item from my shop...doorknob parts.  This door escutcheon is the perfect compliment to the porcelain knob.

Note:  Not everything looks good with everything...but it's sure to look good with something.  It's really a "try this" and "try that" until it pleases "your" eye.  Always remember...beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  When it's right you'll know it.  Sometimes I'll get halfway through a project and then it sits around until the right part comes into my life...which it always eventually does...(like my husband).  I had to put that in there because until just a few minutes ago he'd never actually read my blog.  As he was reading my profile, at every phrase he would add "like my husband".  It gave us the giggles but I think now it really fit.  :)  And yes, he approved this paragraph and said now he's famous.

7.  Okay, my final note just to help you understand the level of my madness...or as I like to put it..."nothing" wasted.  The "S" hooks and double hooks to the left were actually made from staples I removed while deconstructing an old picket fence.  After a good cleaning and coat of sealer for obvious safety reasons, I bent them into "S" hooks for the jewelry trees; perfect for necklaces.  The double hooks keep a necklace and earring set together.

Once I ran out of staples, I had to come up with another idea for hooks for my trees....but I'll save that for another post...until then, happy hunting.

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Reclaimed Materials Feeder for a Flock Party

Sometimes inspiration for a project can begin in an unexpected place.  The genesis of this bird feeder came from a vintage birdhouse I purchased from my friend Jane at 1 of A Kind.  

I was really drawn to the detail of the "bird cottage" and loved the old paint job.  It's more of a home for spiders since it sits in my workshop in my craft paint corner for the sole purpose of inspiration.

I had purchased about a half dozen unpainted balsa wood bird houses from an estate sale awhile back and they had also been sitting in my workshop collecting dust until I came upon the bird cottage and finally had the inspiration I needed to get out the craft paint.


I wanted my new house to have the same old worn look as the cottage so after a coat of primer,  I mixed up some craft paint to a salmon-pink for the main body.   I painted the railing white to represent a cottage's picket fence and the base green to represent grass.  I love the look of aged copper so to give my roof a mossy aged feel I mixed a little metallic copper paint with some water and a little terra cotta paint.  While the paint was still wet I added a little green where natural aging might occur.  After it was dry I sanded the whole gazebo and gave it a coat of Fiddes Supreme Wax in Rugger Brown to for an antiqued look.

I happen to have a rusted cast iron bird finial that fit inside the gazebo so had to find a way to use it.

I found an old blue painted turned post that was a good scale to the gazebo.  I liked the color as it was so I just did a bit sanding and gave the post a coat of Fiddes Supreme Wax in Light just to give it a finished look.  Then, drilling a hole in the bottom of the gazebo, I simply attached it to the post using the finial and a dowel screw.

The square top section of the post was a perfect place to add arms so I took four arms from a vintage chandelier that I had aged with a rust patina solution giving them a beautiful verdigris finish followed by a coat of spray sealer.  I then attached rust cast iron bobeches where the light fixture would have been mounted on the chandelier using brass caps that I also aged and sealed.

The base was a large wood base from a floor lamp.  I wanted to repeat the rusted look at the bottom for balance so I used iron oxide paint and rust patina solution for the top of the base.

I decided to paint the bottom portion of the base black to pull to whole thing together.

Tip:  This is a old decorating tip but I believe it works for project design as well.  It is said that every room needs a little black because it helps ground the color scheme.  In my experience, this is a true statement.  When a project just doesn't look quite right, try adding a little black.

Add a little bird seed to the dishes and you have a party feeder for the birds.  It reminds me of the Summer Concert Series on Friday Nights here in Paso Robles.  The band sets up in the gazebo and the town gathers around with their picnics....makes you just want get up and dance!