assorted possibilities…
By Kim Jones
Being on the hunt for antiques or junk is always more fun when you collect something or are searching for a particular item. One thing my mom and I have kept our eyes peeled for over the years is salt and pepper shakers. It started long ago when my mom’s best friend, Mandy, shared a special craft with her. Mandy has amazingly talented sisters. They would spend sister weekends designing and dishing together. This project comes straight from those snazzy sisters. ( thanks Tammy) The idea was contagious and now my mom shares this craft with my daughter. They hunt together for the perfect shakers and then spend girl time together transforming their finds into glorious décor. My house is sprinkled with these gorgeous baubles. When holidays roll around, out come even more.
Salt and pepper shakers recycled into decorative tassels. Seriously…how fab are these???
Can I tell you a secret?
They are super simple to create.
First is the fun part. You have to hunt for supplies. Do you have your grandmother’s old shakers? Do you collect something special? Want to decorate for an upcoming holiday? Don’t have any? Even better, you get to go hunting! You can find shakers of any kind…vintage, animals, states, china, any shape, color or size can work. It’s all a matter of preference.
Next gather assorted yarn, twine and ribbon. You want to get a good variety of textures, thickness and color. Draw from the colors in the shaker you choose and tie it into the colors of the space you will be displaying your creation. You will also need assorted beads. Again – different size, shapes, color and textures are needed. Visit Hunt & Host for a step by step tutorial to create your own!
Theses tassels are beautiful, fun ways to show off your personality, loves and interests in your home. They make sweet personalized gifts too. How do you display your amazing new craft? Lots of ways! On a lamp. Over a candlestick. Cabinet door or china hutch knobs. Dangling over a book. Layered over anything. (see pictures below)
Salt shakers can stand for such a strong visual reminder of who we are called to be as Christians.
The Bible refers to salt numerous times calling on it’s penetrating and preserving nature. Salt is such an easy analogy because we all have experience with it, know what it is and know how it works. Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth.”
What an opportunity and privilege we have! Think about it – salt can make or break a dish. It can have you begging for more or saying “never again.” Mind blowing that something so small has so much power. We do too. We are called to be salt for Christ. To sprinkle his truth, love and word throughout our world in an effort to draw others to him. It’s a delicate balance of too much, which can turn people off or none at all which doesn’t help anyone. In fact Luke 14:34 goes on to say that salt if loses it’s taste – meaning it doesn’t do it’s job anymore. “it is neither fit for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.” Yikes.
Our salvation is not about works. It 100% solely rests on us accepting Jesus as our savior. But then what? Our works, our salt, has the ability to either heap us somewhere worse than the manure pile or be a conduit to someone else’s salvation. I say use me all day long over something worse than a steaming stinky poo pile.
But how do we salt things gracefully? This is what I love about the salt shaker tassel…the salt shaker comes empty. It can’t season anything on it’s own. Then, once filled, it can only season with what is inside of it. If we come to Christ empty and ask him to fill us up he will put just the right amount of salt in us. He will tell us where to season, when and how much. If we choose to fill ourselves with other things then there is no room for Christ. When you taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8) you can’t help but want to share that joy with others.
We have to remember that we aren’t the one doing the seasoning, the one on the inside is. Only Christ can offer salvation, not us. We are merely a tool for God to use. An empty shaker. I don’t know about you, but that really takes the pressure off. It’s not up to me to save people. That’s God’s job. I am merely called to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all.
So when you see these bright shiny salt shakers tassels laced throughout your home, remember to empty yourself, ask God to fill you and go be the salt of the earth.
Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50
I’m a Jesus lovin’ wife and mama to three littles. My whole life I have had a heart that craves to paint, craft, decorate, DIY and create. It just never felt purposeful. I spent years knowing Jesus but walking my own path. God went to great lengths to get my attention and I’ve never looked back since he captured my heart. This blog is the fruit of owning who God created me to be. My purpose is to help other women find that freedom and see God in the unexpected.