Got Belts?

Renewed chair seats that were ripped and frayed rush. 

I'm probably going to be known as the crazy belt lady. I love belts. Just the good'uns. 

Never having enough leather belts, I go searching yard sales and thrift shops for them. Occasionally paying full price for the "perfect one" in shops too.  They are for my projects that need trimming up.  Some pieces or styles require the look of leather and that is when I dig into my box of goodies.


This wild habit started with my cowboy boots. I decided to get crafty and dress up the pair of boots using belts and purse trimmings.

Trusty old boots saw better days before scooping up around the horse barns. 

Well, not REALLY dressed up... kind of a worn and distressed up look. After 15 years of wear, it shows, and I'm not ready to toss them. Adding this wood bead and leather belt while rearranging some of the beads certainly added a little character to my old kickers. That became a minor addiction as I added the same theme to all of my leather boots.

These here are REALLY old. I wore holes in the soles... so I didn't wear them on rainy days.  Hubby had them resoled for me to keep my feet dryer.   As long as my feet don't pop out the sides;  they are keepers. 

My whole boot shin-dig put together. I shoulda lined em up from oldest to youngest, like my kids. They are just like my kids; no matter how old they are, I love'm to pieces.  

I ain't ever looked at a belt the same again.  

Except for this one; look at it every day the same way. I love belts and only wear one. It's a men's heavy leather that I'm wearing out (inches at a time) and it'll most likely get used in a project someday. 

Plain Jane belt. Men's. (the only way I'll ever sport a "38 kinda special" on these heavy hips)
I've only gussied it up with various buckles. 

So anyways, I had these sorry butt chairs...

That I did this to:

It was ugly for awhile but it was better on the sorry butts.


The ugly grew old mighty fast. 

That belt idea came into play. Weaving them onto the chairs looked a whole lot better.

Although an easy upcycle, this project went off like a herd of turtles.   It took about 80 belts for the four chairs. That was a lot of thrifting and pickin'.  

But ended up finer than a frog's hair. 

See that?  Belts are handier than a shirt on a pocket ;) 

All fine and dandy, right?  Well I ain't ever looked at projects the same neither.

Not really a footstool person but this cute little bugger was somethin' I took a likin' to.  Wanting to keep the leather look...

I fixed it up all pretty like with belts and paint. 

I

It just seemed like the proper thing to do. 

Keep going? 
Is a five pound robin fat?  I'm gathering a whole passel of ideas. 

Admiring these feisty girl gunslingers, I framed them. Adding the belts almost gives the feeling they were worn by the best shooters. 
Gotta get me a holster for my belt to put my drill gun in. 


The tissue box, an after thought, with a belt wrapped around it makes a cute flower holder. 

Calamity Jane probably had a few awesome belts to sport her tools.  
(I really love the boots in this photo.)

And the latest project really needed that belted up touch...

The worn end of the belt, slipped into the framework of this junkyard step chair is kinda like antique DIY eye candy. 

Another belt attached to the rim of the seat made the entire appearance a bit more finished off. 

Now, I'm not going to go all hog wild and do this to every project. Just the ones that look right for it.

Reckon I'm not done using belts.  I got my eyes on a road rescue chair that is askin' for a whoopin' and it's gonna get the belt! 

After I'm long gone, I just might be remembered as "you know, that crazy one that always put belts on stuff". 

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With Debra, MsMoozy's Open House 

Solar Lighting: Cut the Cord!

There is something about summer nights and outdoor lighting. It is a beautiful marriage that we enjoy during longer outdoor hours.

I love night time accent lighting but it could be costly. Adapting to inexpensive solar lamps is easy but the characteristics of them are just way too common. You see one, you seen 'em all.

After seeing so many repurposed solar chandeliers and trying one of my own, there was a realization... hey, why not modify all kinds of actual lighting fixtures for everywhere? At the garage, the garden shed, and the side tables! Just cut the cord!

I set out on a mission, gathering a few lamp pieces in the garage storage, going to the thrift shop and Walmart and grabbing some tools. HA! This is too easy AND exciting!

Exhibit A: Cute little porcelain lamp. $3.99 @ Thrift Shop  

Exhibit B: Brass candle holder wall sconce.  $.99 @ Thrift Shop 

I like it better upside down for outdoors, but being a solar unit, that is not happening. 

Exhibit C: Ceiling fan light fixture. $2.99 @ Thrift Shop. 

For the porcelain lamp, I took it apart, discarding the electrical parts into my electrical junk box.  

Then painted the porcelain black.

Snagged a solar lamp I had in a deck planter and some waterproof epoxy weld.  Then globbed the stuff around the base of the plastic globe. 

Put the lamp back together after the paint dried and wah-lah. 

At dusk, the side table light was auto on!  

For the candlestick wall sconce, I bought two of the small solar lights. 

Painted the candle holder...

and when the paint dried, globbed on the epoxy and stuck the solar light sticks in the holders. 

Too stinkin' easy! 

Auto on at dusk and... it doesn't look like a basic solar light in the ground. 

For the ceiling fan light fixture turned solar chandelier ... just five solar lights

A ceiling light fixture plate to attach a link chain to hang the fixture from. 

Some paint for the ceiling plate and indoor/outdoor caulk. 

To attach the chain to the fixture, I drilled a hole through the screw rod and linked up the chain.

Then globbed caulk around the base of the plastic globes. 

Placed the globes into the fixture where light bulbs originally went.

(kinda looks like a kaleidoscope there... that's cool)

Then mounted the plate on one of the pergola beams and hung the fixture to dry the caulk thoroughly... 

to replace the solar tops. 

Then enjoyed the lighting over the deck bar. 

I got this wrought iron room divider with 18 candle holders throughout it for a mere $8 at the Thrift Shop. I mounted it on a wall at the deck. Then removed the candles and placed the small solar light tops in each.  As a wall of lights, the deck is brightened up. 

I use solar lights everywhere; hanging and taping them into the trees and landscaping.  

On plant hangers... 

drilled holes into the 4x4 posts for them on the BBQ deck...

and stake them around the pond which makes the frogs happy because...

 it helps them eat dinner.

I have a few more fixtures to add here after I gather some more parts for them. Stay tuned and go ahead and cut some cords!  


Update:  The new post "Cut the Cord" Part 2 is finished!  Posted here----->  

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