Questions for You!

Remember the old house next door? Well, all that is left of it is a pile of splintered boards. However, we were fortunate to get some of the scrap lumber and these wonderful windows. The picture is not so great--sorry.

So...Does anyone have any ideas for old windows? I asked one friend and she said she's seen a few ideas. Some people bust the glass and twine fake ivy around them. I suppose you then hang it on the wall. She also said she had seen old windows made into mirrors (with mirror glass in place of the panes). Another idea was to create photo collages behind the glass.

Now I am goofy and I think they are pretty just as they are. I would hang them as art. But I can almost guarantee that Billy would not appreciate that, and since this is his house too, I try to avoid decorating with things he really does not like.

The paint is certainly lead, so they will need to be safely cleaned and painted over. Quite honestly, I have no real need for 10 windows, so I might fix some of them up in the ways my friend suggested (or according to any of the wonderful ideas I know you all will come up with!), and sell them.

Which brings up another idea, for the far future. I read one time on a blog about some ladies who painted old furniture and had a twice yearly shabby chic yard sale. All the furniture was painted white, cream, or pale pink, and it became a much-anticipated event with returning customers. I love this idea for several reasons.

First, the cost would be fairly small. You can get beat up old furniture that is still structurally sound for just a few dollars, and sometimes for free. Paint and minimal hardware is not that expensive either. A coat of paint can turn an ugly piece of furniture into a true treasure.

The other thing is that you could work on it throughout the year. If you picked up pieces all year for a few dollars, and spent a few hours here and there painting, the time involved would not be that great either. In a year's time, you could build up quite a collection. The only problem with this is that you'd have to have a place to store the stuff, which I do not. Like I said, this is something I'd like to do in the future.

Finally, if you had it as a yard sale, you would not have to pay for a space or booth at a craft fair or antique mall. So...The place would be free.

I actually found an interesting article about this type of idea.

OK, now my other question.

I was recently fortunate enough to be given some wonderful, high-quality old sheets and pillow cases. However, even after a thorough washing in hot water, they still have a musty, old-house smell. Does anyone know how to get rid of this? I can't wait to use them, so I'm looking forward to your replies!