Vintage Finds

Welcome to the HumbleHammock! To begin, this blog will be categorized as: craft focused and home-project directed with a family and inspirational influence. In an effort to challenge myself I've opted to expose some of my crafty talents and grow in the process. With that, let's get started!

'Thrifting' recently picked up some steam in 2013 with the hit by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop. But for those who grew up in a home with a single parent or who understood the idea of stretching a dollar, thrifting is a way of life. I began scouring the local goodwill for name brand items that would help me blend in with my so called 'friends' in middle school. I quickly learned that it was easier to find one-of-a-kind items there instead and repurposed my efforts to finding those by high school. By college I frequented antique stores and began making my apartment and wardrobe something my mother referred to as 'early attic.'

Ingredient tins from Village Market in French Lick, IN. I paid $20 for this mixed set.

Above is one of my favorite finds. After I bought these these ingredient tins they had to be cleaned. Aluminum circa 1950 looks nothing short of grungy but it wasn't anything Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser couldn't handle. Beyond that, they're durable. So much of what you buy today looks like it was made in Jakk's Creepy Crawler Oven and breaks after a few uses. If this stuff's been around since 1950 I'm putting my money on it.

Birdcage found in a small shop in Peru, IN. Paid $10.

Birdcages got pretty hot a year or two ago. Personally, I'm not into birds, but I was drawn to this cage and knew if I hated it I'd have no trouble flipping it in a garage sale. Keeping it handy to collect cards or decorating for parties didn't sound half bad and it went pretty well with my vintage decor. Similar cages are pricey to come by and they are reproductions [which means they don't have nearly the history]. I liked having to put a little elbow grease into reviving this old piece. Initially I thought I'd repaint it but the imperfections grew on me.

1 of 2 vintage bedside lamps. Paid $15 for the pair . Added new shades and wiring.

One of my first projects before college was rewiring these handsome lamps. I found these while thrifting at a local [now nonexistent] shop near my hometown. The set was pretty filthy, but I pulled out the wiring, submerged them in some Dawn and hot water and started scrubbing. At a flea market in Evansville I picked up these fitting shades [by guessing the size] and paid the vendor $5 each for them. The wiring and shade caps came from a local hardware and the final product came together in about half an hour [wiring wasn't hard, but I was a first-timer]. My step-dad is an electric-guru and shed some knowledge for this one, but here's a tutorial on DIY rewiring. All in all I put close to $30 in the pair, but they look like they were made for my 1940's bedroom suite.

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around. Comment below with any questions on the above projects and do come back!

Cara