Lots of classic summer craft projects involve popsicle sticks. You can buy boxes of popsicle sticks now, but the best part of a popsicle stick project was eating enough popsicles to have enough sticks to make something. It was always a challenge to get the blue food coloring from blue raspberry popsicles out of the wood. This week’s fresh to market vintage has a super cute popsicle stick project. Did the person who made it ever imagine it would be something prized by vintage lovers 60 years later?
Handmade vintage is a beloved category of its own. Needlework, like crewel, cross stitch and needlepoint, immediately springs to mind. But let’s not forget paint-by-numbers and mosaic tile trivets. Or hand knits and crochet. And home crafted woodworking projects, especially wooden totes and boxes. Handmade is always one of a kind, because even if it was made from a kit, no two people complete it the same way. It’s also personal, someone took the time and effort to create it. It probably decorated someone’s house. And now it’s going on to decorate someone else’s home.
We’ve got some great picks for summer in this week’s fresh to market vintage that don’t involve popsicle sticks too, so let’s get to it.
Copper Enamel Speckled White Dangle Earrings
These copper enameled earrings give off 1950s mid-century vibes. Copper jewelry was popular in that era, as some of the most famous jewelry designers of the time created stunning pieces using copper and enamel. These earrings are unmarked, leaving the shapes and design to speak for themselves as to age. Dangle earrings are summer staples as we tend to wear our hair pulled back or worn up due to the heat.
Copper Enamel Dangle Earrings, $22.95
–Pam, Vintage Renude
Popsicle Stick Bowl & Trivet c 1960s
Offering two vintage popsicle stick folk art creations – a storage bowl and trivet that can also be hung as a fun piece of wall art. They were crafted from popsicle sticks interspersed with red, blue, yellow and white wooden beads. The bottom of the bowl is a piece of plastic that is tied in at the bottom. It’s likely these works of art were made as a summer camp project in the 50s or 60s.
Ever wonder who invented the popsicle which led to so many great craft projects? Read this article from the Smithsonian and you’ll be ready for the next Trivia contest.
1960s Craft Project – Bowl & Trivet, $65
–Linda, Selective Salvage
Bjorn Wiinblad August Tile
This is one of 12 decorative wall tiles that tell the story and romance of a couple through each month of the year. Bjorn Wiinblad’s rich drawings invoke an earlier time if you look at the clothing. In terms of courtship, this is the part of the relationship where one would share in the other’s activities to see another side of their personality. I show it today because August is quickly approaching.
August Tile, $42.99
-Mary Ellen, AuntHattiesAttic
1950s Mohawk Trail Souvenir Plate
Lots of things come and go from my online store, but I always have souvenir plates because I love them. I also love road trips, which is probably why I love souvenir plates.
Here in Massachusetts, there are zillions of plates from Florida, New Hampshire, Niagara Falls and Las Vegas. This makes sense because those are big vacation destinations. But it is unusual to find anything local, like Connecticut, Rhode Island or Boston. The Mohawk Trail is a popular scenic destination in western Massachusetts, so souvenir plates, like this one, turn up occasionally. This one is particularly pretty because it has printed black outlines and hand painted color details.
Mohawk Trail Souvenir Plate, $25.
–Laurie, NextStage Vintage
That’s this week’s fresh to market vintage lineup. The Bjorn Wiinblad monthly plate series was a new one for us, but we already think we love it!
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And if your thoughts turn to blueberries when the calendar turns to August, you might like our blueberry crisp recipe.
