Christmas at French Hen Farm: the ultimate craftapalooza!

Our good friends Phil and Lindy Shandle are getting ready for their first-ever French Hen Farm Christmas Barn Sale! I love going to help out the day of the sale and being part of it. It's a huge family affair, so I couldn't be more proud to be named official Floor Director.  Here are some photos of the Fall Barn Sale, to give you a taste of what magic might be awaiting you Saturday, December 4. Check out the French Hen Farm blog for more.

Crafty vignette

At my house, this would look like jars. At the Farm, it's art!

Very cool chalkware that sold out fast!

Velvet pumpkins made from fabric that Lindy and daughter Anya custom-dyed. Note the real pumpkin stems.

One of many chandeliers, which Lindy restores.

Something new 'round every corner.

The merchandise is new for every show. If you like it, grab it quick.

No. 1: Thanksgiving Wreath

For years, I have wanted a Thanksgiving wreath. I'm not typically a fan of the pre-made wreaths you can buy at craft stores and besides, they are too expensive. I actually saw one at Meijer yesterday that was on sale for $27.99. I kid you not. A Meijer wreath made in China or something. And the sale price was $30. So now that I've got my craft on, that wreath was Job 1 (and coincidentally, No. 1 on the Craft It List).

Here is the result. I am quite pleased with it, and really pleased to announce that I had nearly all of the materials on hand. The only Craft It Coin I spend was a few bucks at the Dollar Store, where I purchased some fall picks and fabric leaves.

Getting My Craft On

So I finally have the basement to the point where I can have a permanent craft area. In its previous incarnation as a "teenage lair," it housed a foosball table, an air hockey table, a dart board, and various other teenage accoutrement. In order to even carve out a space I had to dig through other spaces. After about two weeks of almost daily work, and many, many trash bags, I'm ready to go. Here is one of my favorite little crafting nooks.

 I had so much fun organizing all the supplies I've collected over the years! Now...what should I do first?