Easy Project - Embellished Town Names Cards

Do you have boxes of "schnibbles", small little treasures & bits of ephemera that have followed you home? I do. I love tiny things, but what do you do with them?  It's difficult to display them so that they won't be overlooked. This weekend I decided that I would give a few of them the respect that they deserve.

Several years ago at a flea market I purchased a vintage post office training kit. It consisted of a suitcase-sized wood box with dividers, to mimic post office boxes.  With it came boxes from various states, with hundreds of small cards with town names printed on them.

I went through the box from Montana and pulled out the cards with interesting names. Digging in my boxes I found items that would complement the names.   An old brass button with a horse head on it was the perfect match for the town of  "Hungry Horse".  "Rosebud" was a no-brainer; a shabby millinery rose and a bit of scrap.

 A small cowboy hat charm was attached to "Roundup" with 20 gauge wire and I couldn't resist using that same wire to make a circle to attach a round token to the "Circle" card.  (The token reads "For Amusement Only".) All items can be removed from the cards for another use later, if desired.  

This idea is easily adaptable to any tiny treasure.  Print or stamp cards with a word or phrase to complement  your item. Attach your "schnibble" to a vintage postcard or photograph.  Select items specific to your guests to use as place cards or party favors. It takes just a few minutes to make each one and the possibilities are unlimited. It's fun, easy, and you'll enjoy showcasing your smallest finds.

Marquee A B C - Letter Love

Letters. I love letters. Not love letters, but alphabet letters. Tiny typeset letters, initial brooches, Scrabble tiles,and letters from outdoor signs. There's something pleasing about rummaging through a random pile of letters and finding just what you are looking for.

Perfect for decorating, letters make an easy statement. Spell out your family name on the mantle. Gift a friend with their initial. Hang words that have special meaning to you like " faith", " beach", or "love" above your doorways. A stairway wall is the perfect place to hang your family's initials. The possibilities are limited only by your creativity.

Recently I was fortunate enough to acquire the letters from the marquee of the old Esquire Theatre in Milwaukee. The Esquire was on Wisconsin Ave in downtown Milwaukee from 1947-1981. It was torn down to make room for the Reuss Federal Building. Fortunately someone had the foresight to rescue the marquee letters and store them away in the loft of an old garage. Here they sat for the past twenty-eight years, neatly stacked under the eaves. With my van loaded down I brought them home and cleaned them up.

Made of cast aluminum, they are 10" tall. There are two colors; a solid beachy-blue, and two-tone with a seaside aqua outlined in that same beachy-blue. I can't wait to pull out the two-tone letters S E A and hang them near my assemblage of fishing floats & sea shells. We have plenty of letters to share and will be offering some of them online and at shows in the coming weeks.

If you are an avowed letter-lover, subscribe to our blog, (see the link at top right), and in the comments section describe your favorite way to re-purpose old letters. Tell us what state or province you're in. On Sept. 28 th, one person in the U.S. or Canada will be randomly selected to receive the letter of their choice;  we'll ship it to them as a gift from us!