That’s right. I said banana holder, like the kind you see at the thrift store every day,like you might have on your counter right now. How about an upcycled banana hanger made into an awesome hanging vase?
The best part is, I got it in the mail! Because what could be a cooler party idea than 21 people mailing each other whatever they find at the thrift store, and then whatever you get you have to actually do something with? On purpose. In your own home.
Nothing. That’s what!
We took 21 bloggers and gave them the ultimate challenge. We let the person in front of you send you whatever they found at the thrift store, and they had to send something in turn to the person in front of them.The only rules were it had to be under $15 and it couldn’t be bigger than a bread box (and no food!). I think sometimes the shipping was more than the item! Talk about a feeling of fear mixed with anticipation of not knowing what you are going to get! And then you have to put your creative brain in gear and make it into something awesome. Luckily everyone was up to the challenge!
My sender was Stacy from Not just a housewife.
Stacy was very kind to me and did not send old tupperware. 🙂 I am going to show you how I rocked a out the banana hook she sent into a very cool and eclectic vase.
First I wrapped the entire stem part up to the hook in twine and hot glued it. I left the base exposed because I kind of liked the wood. I waxed it with Miss Mustard Seed antiquing wax to bring out the depth and natural pattern of the wood.
I then bought a set of 3 scientific glass flask set
on Amazon to use for my vase part and I taped and spray painted the bottom of them with gold spray paint.
Then I wrapped some 22 ga. gold jewelry wire around the neck to make a hanger. I would say to be careful when you handle it not to shatter the glass by wrapping it too tightly. Also don’t hold it by the skinny neck part, that could cause the top pat to snap off. I wrapped it while it was sitting on the table.
I added some water and flowers and it was transformed!
It’s a hanging vase!Isn’t that cool and funky? I love a good upcycle!
I made a vignette with the other beakers. I love how pretty they look! I love the touch of gold with the lab writing on the side and the flask shape.
I think this is one of my most favorite projects I have done to date, and I think it was good to be challenged. I might by more flasks and do an entire set across my mantle.
Sometimes it’s good to work outside of your comfort zone a little bit!
Wait until you see what I sent Donna at Funky Junk interiors!!! I hope she doesn’t hate me too much! 🙂
And you can see everyone else’s projects by clicking on their links below! Some people got some veeeeery interesting things!
Jennifer Rizzo
Funky Junk Interiors
My Sweet Savannah
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Four Generations One Roof
Home Stories A to Z
Today’s Creative Blog
Jeanne Oliver Designs
French Country Cottage
Finding Home
The Inspired Room
The Handmade Home
Eclectically Vintage
Makely School for Girls
East Coast Creative
Infarrantly Creative
At Home on the Bay
Thistlewood Farms
Serendipity Refined
At the Picket Fence
Not Just a Housewife
Funky Junk Interiors says
March 25, 2014 at 1:40 amNow THAT is the cutest thing ever! I admit I’d be stumped with this send! So so SO adorable!
And nope, no hatin’ here. I LOOOOVVE my new old relics thanks to you! 🙂
Karah @ thespacebetweenblog says
March 25, 2014 at 6:43 amSuch a fun idea for a challenge! Love the use of the beakers!!
Christy@Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer says
March 25, 2014 at 7:32 amLove this challenge, Jen! I can’t believe you turned that banana stand into something so pretty!!
Debbie Fletcher says
March 25, 2014 at 7:39 amI love what you have created. Very nice. Where would you find the beakers? My daughter is graduating a masters program this May. She would like to have her first place all to herself. I would love to decorate with beakers as she is a biologist/genetic research. Would appreciate your help. I love what 21 bloggers have done. Excellent way to show all of us how to have a lot of fun with a little bit. Thank you
Jennifer says
March 25, 2014 at 9:30 amI have a link in my post where you can find them on Amazon. If you click through my link to buy them I get some credit 🙂
Laurie @ Vin'yet Etc. says
March 25, 2014 at 7:52 amHow fun!!! What an awesome & fun concept! I love what you did with this banana holder and those glass beakers, swoon!
mary@athomeonthebay says
March 25, 2014 at 8:21 amAnthro called and they want to know if they can sell these. Very cool upcycle!
Laura @ Finding Home says
March 25, 2014 at 8:21 amLove it! Such a fun idea and thanks so much for including me Jen! You always have the best ideas!!
Courtney says
March 25, 2014 at 8:33 amLove it! What a cute idea- and I would have walked right past the banana holder at the thrift store! Love how it turned out! Thanks for asking me to join in today!
Kelly @ Eclectically Vintage says
March 25, 2014 at 8:59 amThere is going to be a buying frenzy of banana hangers at every thrift store from here to Timbuktu! What a fun idea – this sure beats having ripe bananas in the house any day!
Kelly
Debbie @Dewdrop Gables says
March 25, 2014 at 9:09 amNow this is one fun challenge! It’s going to be fun to see what everyone got and what they did with it. Very cool idea to create these adorable beaker vases!
Debbie 🙂
Thistle says
March 25, 2014 at 9:16 amJen,
You were right….you totally rocked that banana hanger. 🙂
Love, love, love the gold beakers!
Happy day to you friend and thanks for hosting such a fun party!
karianne
Kimberly ~ SerendipityRefined says
March 25, 2014 at 9:17 amPERFECT! I have one of these….and to think that I was just using it for bananas!!! You rock! xo
Melissa @ DaisyMaeBelle says
March 25, 2014 at 9:22 amWhat a FUN little “series” this is! LOVE this! Life to the full! Melissa
Stacy Risenmay says
March 25, 2014 at 9:23 amI LOVE IT!!!! I was pondering what I would have done and great minds must think a like because I would have painted it and hung a tea cup with succulents planted in it from the hook. But you idea is more modern and fresh! It is perfect 🙂
kristin says
March 25, 2014 at 9:25 amYou totally rocked the banana hanger!!! Love it with the vase, great idea. Thanks for such a fun and fabulous party, we might have to make this a tradition! XO
Kristin
Hilary says
March 25, 2014 at 9:27 amThis was a great series! I clicked all the way through and even found a few new blogs! Thanks!
Tammy says
March 25, 2014 at 9:39 amWhat a great idea…love it!
marie says
March 25, 2014 at 10:05 amOne of my favorite upcycled items ever! Love this challenge!!
Tania // Run to Radiance says
March 25, 2014 at 10:06 amSuch a fun challenge! I love what you did! 🙂
Diana says
March 25, 2014 at 10:12 amI need some twine now, everyone is using twine to rustic things up and I love it!! Love what you did with the vase too! 🙂 Such a fun link up party!
PS, stopping by from East Coast Creative, I’m their blog assistant! 🙂
Melissa Michaels says
March 25, 2014 at 11:59 amOh my! I love it, Jennifer! So creative. Makes me want to make it myself! 🙂 xoxo Melissa
the cape on the corner says
March 25, 2014 at 12:11 pmok, such a great idea for this and SO FUN!
Angie says
March 25, 2014 at 12:37 pmFun! What a cute idea! I think my fav might be Funky Junks lamps.
Thought you might want to know that a bunch of your links don’t work though so it makes it harder to go thru them all.
kim- Today's Creative Blog says
March 25, 2014 at 12:54 pmOnly you could make this work! Great job!
Sonya~At Home with The Barkers says
March 25, 2014 at 1:31 pmI must steal this awesome idea!! I have one of those banana stands that I don’t even use!! This is just the cutest thing ever!
karen@somewhatquirky says
March 25, 2014 at 2:51 pmNever would have thought of this. I would have felt totally punked getting a banana hanger! Really cute – and the beakers just make it.
Paula R. says
March 25, 2014 at 3:36 pmI was just thinking about using the one I had downstairs for bananas, but now I know what I’ll use it for! What a creative idea! Thanks
Leanne says
March 25, 2014 at 3:55 pmWhat a fun challenge! I love what you did with the banana hanger, but the gold beaker vases are gorgeous!
Jill Flory says
March 25, 2014 at 7:54 pmThat is awesome Jenn! Love it so much! I might just have to buy one of those next time I see it at the thrift store!
Leslie Anne @ Fairhope Supply Co. says
March 25, 2014 at 8:16 pmOkay . . . I think you win! This is something I would really put in my house! Very clever, charming and whimsical.
ashley @ the handmade home says
March 25, 2014 at 9:30 pmThis. Is. FANTASTIC. I absolutely love what you did! I would have had no idea what to do with a banana hanger thingy but it’s awesome! ;} Thank you again for inviting us to play in such a FUN hop! HUGS girl!
Alice W. says
March 25, 2014 at 10:14 pmLove it! So completely creative and what an awesome challenge!
Debra @ MsMoozys Open House says
March 26, 2014 at 8:16 amVery cute idea, thanks for sharing. Have a great day.
jessica @fourgenerationsoneroof says
March 26, 2014 at 9:19 amSuper creative you are! I love how it turned out 🙂
Amy says
March 26, 2014 at 12:33 pmI have only been blogging about 4 months- yes baby blogger:)- and before that I never did anything online other than pin on my phone- happy moments:) Since miraculously getting the bug to start a blog, I have been bipping around trying to learn from others, and been delightfully surprised at what I have found, however, this idea Jennifer takes the cake. I actually first saw it on infarrantlycreative.net and then continued to take a mini tour of your She Sent Me What Party. What a delightful idea, by far my favorite thing I have stumbled upon yet, gosh what next:)
Emily Maldonado says
March 26, 2014 at 2:54 pmWhat a fantastic blog party idea!! I love your creation….so smart!
Curtains in My Tree says
March 26, 2014 at 4:16 pmwhat a great idea
Christine says
March 27, 2014 at 12:44 pmGreat ideas – I just love using something that would otherwise be in the landfill! 🙂
Sandy says
March 27, 2014 at 4:25 pmWOW, I spent an afternoon, which I will NEVER see again, totally engrossed in your “She sent me WHAT” project. How AMAZING! I want to be each and everyone of you or at least have you next door. I could have joined in and never left my home. haha
Thanks SO much for the interesting journey, proving once again that one CAN turn a ‘silk purse into a sow’s
ear ‘ (reversal intended) with a bit of innovation!
Sandy
Amy says
March 29, 2014 at 6:47 amWhat a fun challenge and you made a wonderful little vignette with it! Cheers and well done, Jen!
Wangu says
March 29, 2014 at 2:33 pmI love what you did with the beakers there. It’s so cool I’m itching to give it a try.
And thanks for this challenge. It’s really great seeing all the creative stuff bloggers have come up with.
Heather @ Beyond the Aisle says
March 29, 2014 at 2:41 pmI really love the painted flasks.
lisa @ being stepmom says
March 29, 2014 at 7:10 pmSo clever!
Teri O says
April 9, 2014 at 6:18 pmNever in a million years would I have come up with that! It’s brilliant! And very cute. Good job!