Western General Store

  Here is an easy way to decorate western style for Fall. You may have an old saddle tree you could use or find one at a flea market. Or you may purchase our saddle tree  here . This decor would make an excellent table center piece, or place on an entry table, shelf, mantle, or porch. I put a piece of dry foam for floral arrangements underneath the saddle tree. You may need to trim it to fit and spray paint it black or brown. Then just add Fall foliage. Easy right? You need easy for the holidays. Enjoy!

This window picture frame, which I bought at a craft store many years ago, was behind my stove in the old kitchen, but I thought I'd repurpose it. I'm sure you can still find these type of frames, or you could make your own. Another idea is to find antique windows from old houses. Print out your favorite picture or have it printed by a print service. This photo is of my two mares who were sisters. November is about the family getting together and celebrating what we are thankful for. You could print out several family photos and place one in each pane. I found a board that was already finished and was the perfect size for the shelf. It is 31" x 3 1/2" x 3/4". The window Frame is 30 1/2" x 23" tall. I drew and cut out these shelf braces on the scroll saw and gave them the same finish as the shelf, which is dark brown Briwax. I thought about painting the whole thing one color and distressing it to look old, but I like the contrast....

I came across this website on how to make wood stars, so we got right to work, as it looked pretty simple. This star is made out of mahogany 1x2 standing on edge. It is approximately 16"x 16". We tried to build it with the 1x2's laying flat and the dimensions didn't work out, so we adjusted the dimensions and built it anyway. I like them both. The first star has 3 coats of marine varnish, so it could be hung inside or outside. The second star is also made from mahogany and has two coats of spray polyurethane. These would be great for décor or holidays.

Many years ago a friend gave us several boards from huge pallets. They have been sitting around the shop until we could find some use for them. I came up with the idea to cut them up and turn them into candle holders .  It took a lot of sanding and no small chore to drill the holes. I'm not even sure what type of wood it is. So here they are bare bones and ready for creativity.