Chicken Wire Picture Frames

I recently have fallen in love with the 8th and Railroad Center in downtown Sioux Falls.  It's a quaint "strip mall" that has a boardwalk feeling to it and is full of unique boutiques.  It's also home to "K's", the cutest little resturant, that serves the yummiest lunches and just recently started offering dinner too.  The area is just charming!!!
 
This past Spring, Korissa (one of my college best friends) went out to lunch and window shopping at 8th and Railroad Center.  As we browsed, we were chatting about ways she could decorate her loft area in her home and how she could incorporate pictures of her travels into the decor. 

Korissa and I

At one point, we eyed the cutest little bird cage with pictures clothes-pinned on it and we instantly fell in love with the idea. However, Korissa isn't really into bird cages and that's when I thought of making her chicken wire picture frames :) 

It was such a fun project yet so versatile and inexpensive! I upcycled some "old" picture frames my Dad made me years ago by painting them red, recruited Dad and Tyler's to help staple in the chicken wire, and mod-podged scrapbook paper on clothespins to embellish them a bit. That's it--- it really was that simple!  



Work in Progress

Ta-da!!!

 These would also be a perfect substitute for a bulletin board in which you can easily find field trip permission slips, recipes, game schedules, spelling word lists, etc... :) 

Even though, I fell in love with them and wanted to keep them all to myself...  I wrapped 'em and gave them to Korissa for her birthday gift!  :) 



 

 Happy Birthday Korissa-- I am so blessed by your friendship!   

"Green" Gifting

I LOVE buying and giving gifts.  However, I think I might enjoy wrapping the gifts even more.  There is just something special about giving and receiving a beautiful present! 

I've never really been one of those people that uses gift bags, because I love giving a gift wrapped with beautiful ribbons and paper.  In my humble opinion, Hobby Lobby has some of the most affordable and highest quality gift wrapping paper around (especially at Christmas time).  Or for you local Sioux Falls folks, Zanderbroz Variety located downtown has some really neat wrapping paper too :) 

But, just recently, I've changed up my gift wrapping techiques.  In early April, I was pressed for time to wrap a baby shower gift.  As I headed for the expensive gift bag/wrapping aisle in Toysrus, I passed a display of re-usable shopping bags and thought-- A HA--- I'll wrap the gift in a reusable shopping bag!  It turned out  ADORABLE.  I have been wrapping our gifts this way ever since.  I am finding it more affordable, "green", practical, unique and cute! 

Since graduation and wedding season is upon us, I thought it would be the perfect time to pass along this tip!

Here's a couple of gifts I "wrapped" in resuable bags from TJ Maxx today.