How I Made a Flower Swag for Only Pennies!

Part One

Hey thrifty DIYers!

Recently, I visited my “friendly, neighborhood” Goodwill Outlet, where bargain hunters are offered the leftover dregs from their retail stores. Lol. This is Goodwill’s last-ditch effort to squeeze a few more pennies from all the stuff donated to this charity. 

I’m sure they do a lot of good for people – at least, that’s their claim. Regardless, in my opinion, their retail stores are getting pricey – especially, considering their ENTIRE inventory is GIVEN to them!! But, these days, nearly all “thrift” stores are getting wise to (and greedy about) the bundle they can scrape in reselling second-hand donated items: million$s!

So, when I discovered their Outlet stores, I was enthralled! Lol. 

The per-pound price is now 1.39/lb. This is for the massive inventory of fabric items piled onto many tables, such as, clothing, curtains, tablecloths, bedspreads, etc. They also have tables of “wares,” priced individually for quick disposal.

The spread I have pictured here is my stash of wares that I got for a total of $3! I considered the three lamps to be a dollar apiece, so the glass shade and leafy branches were just a bonus: free!

To those with no imagination, this may look like trash – lol. I’m not above considering someone’s trash, too! As I drive, my eye scans piles of discards. Lol. What I’m talking about actually has a name: It’s called “boulevard shopping!” Hey! Very cool stuff can be scavenged from people’s throw-outs!!!

At the outlet, I got: a wicker lamp with bad wiring and parts with a shade that has no wire on the top – the wicker itself needed a fresh coat of paint; a glass torchiere lamp shade, two “ooogly” (ugly in the extreme!) lamps, and a couple of discarded leaf branches.

But, I see possibilities in all, and was willing to fork out the $3 for some adventure in creativity.

When I found the two branches of leaves and held them up like crossed swords…

At home, I had a sunflower and a dainty white sprig left over from my sunflower hat.

I also remembered someone had given me a box of silk leaves and a few flowers.

I still needed a base…some bulk for my project. 

I have grapevine growing on my fence. I cut a length of it, pulled off the leaves, made a sort of “bow” 

with it, wrapping small branches around in the middle.

I poked the two leaf “swords” in and through the grapevine “bow.” 

I used E6000 glue, which dries clear, to glue my flowers and a few added leaves, poking them into the vine.

I made a small loop of vine for a hanger, and glued and wrapped with brown thread to hold it securely.

Hang on wall!

My flower swag went into my bathroom as part of my bathroom makeover. 🙂

Cost:

• Leafy branches: “free”
• Grapevine: free
• Sunflower and white sprigs: already bought…very little $$
• Additional flowers, leaves: free
• Glue: very little $$
• Nail: already had

Click an Image below.

Read about my personal life by clicking the “Wanna know about me?” image.

This is what I’m working on for my next post. 🙂