Time to SHAKE THINGS UP!

...and that's exactly what I did with these re-purposed shakers!  Thanks to my amazingly creative friend, Jill George who shared this Pinterest idea, I headed to Goodwill and found salt & pepper shakes to create these Shaker Vases. I even found a cheese shaker (middle picture). I paid $2.16 for the pair of salt & pepper shakers and the same price for the cheese shaker.  Goodwill is a pletheroa for old stuff so go hit up a resale store and rummage through their shakers to create your own Shaker Vase.  I'll be selling these during a craft fair on April 20th at Holy Innocents Church.  You can find details about this fair HERE.     Here's how I made them:

1. Stick with glass or ceramic vases because the paper flower/button combinations can be heavy in multiples.  
2. Fill the bottom of your shaker with either crinkled paper or clear, small marbles, like I did with these .  You can use rice in shakers that are solid.
3. I punched out flowers using Designer Paper, pieced a hole in the center with my Paper Piercing Tool.
4. Cut about 12-14" of pliable wire (I think I used 26 gauge), gently bend into a U shape and thread your buttons on.  
5. Add a few Glue Dots around the center of the punched flower, near the pierced hole and thread through the wire.  
6. Twist the raw ends of your wire together to form a stem and insert into one of the shaker holes. It's not necessary to fill all the holes in the shaker. In fact, it looks better if you don't.
7. Dig through your old button boxes.  I used some from my Grandmother's stash that I've had for 15 years. It not only brought back lots of fun memories of watching her sew but now, those old buttons have a purpose and I can bless other people with them!  

Supplies:

• Designer Paper: Tea for Two #129311, Floral District #126919, First Edition #121878, Comfort Cafe #126898, Parker's  Patterns #131021
• Buttons: Brights #119747, Subtles #119745, Neutrals #119743
• Punch: Blossom #126603
• Accessories: Glue Dots #103683, Paper Piercing Tool #126189, Piece Mat #126199, 26 Gauge floral wire, Needle nose pliers, crinkled paper, small, clear marbles, salt, pepper, cheese shakers