Outdoor Fall Decor. Porches, Decks, Patios and Doors.

As we're preparing for our Fall sale, October 16-19, we're browsing Pinterest to see what the hot fall decor trends are this year. Here are a few favorites, and some items we'll plan to have on hand during our sale!

Check out these great outdoor fall displays (photos link directly back to source blogs):

From http://www.wildruffle.com, this cute, understated front porch style. Milk cans, old wooden crates, pumpkins, and mums available at Carver Junk Company for October's sale!

From http://www.stonegableblog.com/, this autumn-colored tartan blanket inspired us to hunt for some vintage plaid and wool blanket for the cooler weather that's on its way in! We always have baskets and crates that will be perfect next to an old rocker, for displaying gourds and pumpkins!

From HGTV's list of favorite fall decorations, this adorable little bench, with a birdhouse and pitcher of leaves makes a great statement on a small porch! We have birdhouses in a variety of colors, lots of enamel, and various vases, along with some small benches!

From http://organizedclutterqueen.blogspot.com. Consider us officially on the hunt for old, rusty birds! We do have framed, rustic bird art painted on burlap, though! And multiple old wagon wheels, milk cans, and antique scales. And a great handmade bench with antique wagon wheel ends! 

Let's just stop and talk about how much we LOVE this porch from LizMarieBlog.com. It is so perfectly fall, without all the leaves and orange and over-the-top decor. Swoon. Drool. Covet. While we just sold our 8-foot church pew, the great news is that we have more coming into stock! We haven't decided whether we'll rent them or sell them yet, but stay tuned! We also have some great burlap pillows, blankets, and baskets. And how about that vintage leather ottoman? I want to live on Liz's porch. 

What's the story with your porch decor this fall? Are you going rustic? Over-the-top colorful? Understated and vintage? We'd love to hear about it, and any items you still  need!

CJC Wedding and Event Decor Rental

We're excited to share the news that Carver Junk Company will now be offering decor rental for weddings and events! True to our vintage, rustic, repurposed style, our rental items are great options for weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties and many other events that have a unique, vintage flair.

Here is a little preview of just a few of our rental items:

Check out the link on the right side of the page (Wedding and Event Rentals) for many more items, quantities, and pricing! And, as always, we are happy to hunt down something special for you that may not be on the list - just ask!

Are there any special items you are looking to rent or purchase for your big day? For some other event? Let us know in the comments below!

Vintage Frames - DIY Chalkboard

As we plan for our vintage-styled wedding, we know that we want chalkboards throughout our venue, as signs, welcome notes, and little notes of instruction for our guests.

They'll say things like:  

"Today two families become one, so please choose a seat, not a side."  {near the entrance to the ceremony}

"For your tears of happiness."  {beside a basket filled with vintage handkerchiefs}

"Our love story....."  {alongside the barn door we're using to display a photo timeline}


Ever the DIY-ers, we found some great frames that weren't quite right, and updated them a bit. Here they are Before:

We don't have any in progress photos, but here are the basic steps:

1. Clean, and remove any wires or staples from the back of each frame.

2. Make DIY chalk paint - we use plaster of paris and latex paint. For these frames, we used a grayish white paint.

3. Two coats of chalk paint, and a little distressing with a 220 grit sandpaper.

4. For some chalkboards, we use chalkboard paint on glass, wood, or whatever surface comes with the frame. These ones were empty when we got them, so we bought a sheet of blackboard/chalkboard....board....and cut it to size for each frame. 

5. You could attach the board to the frame in a few different ways. You could use staples, or whatever was in the frame to start with. You could get those little screw-in things that spin, like on the back of Target picture frames. Or...you could glue it. We used Gorilla glue, turned the frames upside down, and put a gallon of paint on them to ensure it set properly overnight.

6. Finish the frame (not the board) with a layer of clear wax. For a little more rustic feel, you could also put on a coat of dark wax!

Ta-Da!  Do you love the little bit of gold peeking through the white paint? 

We're so excited to letter these up, we may just have them done months before the wedding!  {yeah, right...along with all of the other projects on the list. something tells me these will be day-before projects...}

Have you ever made a chalkboard? Did you use paint or pre-made chalkboard? What did you use it for - kitchen, menu, wedding, homework, to-do list??  What questions do you have about how we did these ones??






Linking up to: {Primp}, Savvy Southern Style, Vintage on a Dime, Not Just a Housewife, 

Handmade in Minnesota. We Love Local!

Each month, we bring in more and more handmade products. While the majority of our store is vintage, antique, or repurposed, we also love to support local artisans. And by "local" we mean Minnesota-based. Many of our in-house dealers make handmade items of their own to sell at the store. Others come from folks who specialize in a particular craft, and we work with them to provide specific products for the store.

Here are just a few of the handmade items carried at Carver Junk Company:

What other handmade items would you like to see at Carver Junk Company?  We're always looking for inventory suggestions!