For a chance to win a FREE copy of the Junk Gypsies’ new book, Junk Gypsy: Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder & Wander, tell me how MaryJanesFarm has inspired you to upcycle a junk find in the comments below. I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-December.
You’ll see how the Junk Gypsies have transformed vintage Airstreams into glittery glampers in the Dec/Jan issue of MaryJanesFarm. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.
I have been collecting treasures for a long time -and people wonder about me since Iam 89 – years old and love to make something from nothing–such fun.! Your magazine is an inspiration and I love to share it. Thank you, Kay
Dear Kay, You are the first person that I have posted a comment to on Raisin Jane site. Just wanted to say that you are an inspiration yourself! I’m 66 and have been creating somethings from nothings all my life. It’s more fun when you can dream up something that others never see, isn’t it? I’m located in Pa,originally from Texas, always a country girl. I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and say keep on creating! Sincerely, Gin Nicholas
Mary Janes Farm magazine is a lesson in awareness, focusing on creativity, craft adventures, and farm girl fun, inspiring so many ideas, it sends me in all directions to try everything at once. Splendid artwork too. A Magazine like no other.
I have a couple old baby crib springs on the wall to hang family photos on. One is a slatted wood one and the other is metal- sure makes a cute statement- esp. with the grandkids pictures on one and wedding pictures on the other.
I have turned bedsprings into candle holders and made a wine bottle tree with them; made a windchime from empty Tabasco sauce bottles; used old plates and teacups for bird feeders, turned a small grape arbor into a winter-time greenhouse for a few precious plants that I have babied this way for nearly 20 years. I am in my 60’s and have lived a life of re-using, repurposing things. My sister gave me a subscription to Mary Jane’s Farm a few years ago and I have loved every single issue. The Junk Gypsies have taken upcycling to a whole new level!
We bought 6.5 acres in the country; on the property, we found the head of an old, rusted yard rake. I wire-brushed the rust off, painted it and hung it by the kitchen door—it holds keys to our vehicles, the tractor, mower and shed.
I am 6th Generation on my family’s farm! Lots of treasures, that I find, all the time. Nice to have a book, so I know what to do with all those goodies!!
I took an old wooden ironing board and covered it with a sheet of metal. It now leans in a corner in my sewing room as a magnetic board.
I’m a retired farm wife, love your magazine! Giving a subscription for gifts this year!
I love old cast away antique items big and small and reusing and repurposing them in and around my home.
Oh fun! Eye candy! It’s hard to pick one project. That said, one of my favorite is the candy dish and butter bell lids on the tops of the fence posts around my kitchen garden. They protect the posts from water as well as rusty tin cans and are so much prettier shining in the sun. It also gives me something to hunt for when I’m out junking. I only buy lids without bottoms so I don’t have to figure out how to upcycle the bottoms.
I stripped the cover from an old mattress springs and am cutting the springs into crosses and wreaths for Christmas. I plan to add bows, greenery, and possibly ornaments for door decorations. I will give some as gifts to friends and neighbors.
Nothin’s cuter than my wee grandson having an outdoor bath in a big aluminum washtub on a hot day. I’m still lusting after a watering-trough-turned-outdoor-bathtub for myself (like one featured in MJF a couple years back)! Heartfelt thanks, MaryJane, for keeping my country roots watered with every farmgirl issue. ❤️❤️❤️
I just love MaryJanesFsrm Magazine. I read every word.
I scour junk & secondhand shops and flea markets for glass vases and bowls that can be be attached together with superglue to make garden mushrooms (“shrooms”) to tuck here and there between plants and bushes in my one-acre garden! In the summer I tuck battery tealights in the tops of some for a a nice fairy-like glow about the garden! Just another inspiration for turning junk into art. 😊
I am inspired by each issue. I can’t wait each spring to get out to the neighborhood yard sales or local rummage sales in order to find items to upcycle. It is so true that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. The local lumber yard has even dropped a load of pallets in my yard. My best find this summer is a rusted domed bird cage in which I placed flameless candles.
Would love to be inspired again ! Especially repurposing some of the things I have saved for that reason!:)
I would love to give the book to my daughter who has purchased an old trailer
and wants to fix it up. I love your magazine for the recipes, ideas for repurposing
items that some would call junk, and every page has useful information.
Everything has the potential to be transformed into something beautiful.
I just became a member of Mary Jane’s after reading the magazine for a year . .. so haven’t had a chance to wander around all your various sites yet, for ideas . . . but I did love the idea (haven’t done it yet!) of using chopped off old rolling pins mounted on a board, on the wall, for a clothes hangar!! For sure gonna do that one!
Well, Not sure if this counts, but a recent article of MJFs had a wonderful upcycled coat. A few days later I found a smelly old grey wool jacket, bought it for a dollar and had it dry cleaned. This is my winter project; I’m imagining patches, buttons, flowers and birds to cover the moth holes. I long to embroider something about birds from a hymn, just because I love the Lord.
For over 20 years my husband and I have been repurposing everything from A-Z… We dumpster salvage pallets,furniture, household items and yard tools and decor. Oh and even cloths. Our favorite pastime is “junkin” in the hopes of finding a new treasure. After spending my 50th birthday at MJF we created our own hot tub area in my garden. I found a claw foot tub and built heaven around it. Each summer we add something new. Last year a glamper playhouse that matches our 105 yr old log home, and this year we added a outhouse also in the theme. All materials used were recycled.At the end of the day it’s rewarding o look around at all our treasures that started out as one ting that ended up another…
Love to repurpose things makes you feel good to know you didn’t throw it out.
Bought a 1967 Airstream and had it towed to our property in Sunizona, AZ. It needs a lot of TLC…then it will be my home away from home.. using wood from the old house we are tearing down… eventually my essential oil lab….but first, I need to put a lock on it!
Love love love your magazine!
My favorite thing to do is sew. Lots of my up-cycling is done with old jeans, old sweaters etc. I have made grocery bags, quilts, mittens, socks, slippers and lots more. Mary Jane’s magazine gives me great ideas for things to do with old and used fabrics. I also love all of the recipes!! I’m planning on making the biscotti recipes as Christmas gifts for my family!! Thank you Mary Jane.
Please toss me in. I love upcycling
I have turned corduroy jeans into purses by cutting off the legs and sewing on felt appliques. I am saving old denim jeans to make a patchwork quilt with a plastic shower curtain on the back to use on picnics. I make cloth dolls from old clothing and then had a doll show and sold many of the dolls. The magazine is refreshingly different and innovative.
Greetings,amazing women! I’m 3rd generation Californian ,but grew up in the high Sierra Nevada mtns (so many gal not city). What a huge blessing for a child to have.grown up in a clean, energetic community of 350 souls… yes, you knew one another, never locked a door, left the keys in the car, unlocked! MJF, be it a farm type life path, drew me in initially when I was living in a lil town by Cor’ d’ Alene Idaho.I fell on love w her garden, mini home. fluffed w white on white material,lace, flowers, chandalier, books ….. delicious place I just wanted to escape to…in the snow….lordy…from there I found her store and just rambled around, dreaming in so many wonderful, happy, down to earthyness(my word)…after about 6 years, I’m back to Calif and intend bring MJF ideas into all aspects of my Lil 1/2 acre! Craziness, great older neighborhood and to top it off….the trains travel daily behind our property, sparing only about 30ft behind my Lil barnish building!!!
The horses are cool with it, thus, I am too!!
So far I have 2 Lil Adirondack chairs and a lil spool for a table and, lastly, an old gate from my back property. Pulling them all together around the base of my big bushy mulberry, is only the beginning of mantel Lil spaces to b dreamed into existance on my Lil property!
I still want to redo a small camper as you share in you magazine…Sorry, this is all such an awedome beginning….onward!!! sharing wonderful ideas with more peeps!!
My favorite ideas in Mary Janes Farm magazine are the ones about making items from reused cloth. I like to construct purses out of corduroy jeans and embellish them with felt applique. Also I have made dolls from used cloth and have even exhibited them in a show. I love the recipes and the glamping ideas. It is the most innovative magazine I’ve seen.
Mary Jane’s farm is so inspiring to me it has given me the courage to think out-of-the-box and make something out of nothing
I’ve taken the old jeans that were worn and used well by my husband, daughter, my father and myself and given them new life as a warm queen sized quilt for cold winter nights. Snuggle, snuggle!
I sure wish I was as creative as these ladies. They transform the rugged into a sight of beauty and romance.
I love each issue of Maryjanes Farm and look forward to the next month as soon as I get the new one! I loved the article on upcycling the coats and went scouring my sewing box for embellishments to update some items in my wardrobe that needed some love
Thank you for your inspirations
I like the variety of great things to do…crafts, recycle, playing with junk. I can hardly
wait to get each MJ issue. I have all of my magazines & books in one place with lots
of post-a-notes & bookmarks for things to do.
i turned an old metal aquarium stand into a tile topped table for my kitchen. it’s small enough that it sits at the end of my counter and it’s very useful to set hot pans on during large family gatherings. i cut the tiles to make flowers.
We built our green house and chicken coop out of recycled materials. I make rugs using the Amish knot method from old t-shirts and sheets, made on a loom made from an old wooden window. I make reusable shopping bags out of feed sacks. We recycle most everything here at Serendipity Farm. I’ve been wanting to purchase this book, would love to win it.
From your magazine I learned that my SINGER sewing machine was manufactured in 1941 and I USE IT ALL THE TIME!!!!!!! It is the only machine I have. I have considered buying a new one over the years, BUT just cannot seem to part with this treasure. It sews like a charm!!!!!
I’ve been a member for so long. During that time I went from a traditional veggie garden to all organic– one year my cantaloupes escaped and were playing with my nearby crepe myrtle tree, nothing like harvesting cantaloupes from your trees! I’ve explored my heritage. I was adopted and found my birth family. I flew in and met Sisters, nieces and my birth father who was still living. This brought me to a Geneaology search that went back to 1705 in Connecticut. which led me to a Geneaology quilt for my son’s family.
—– I think the most amazing thing about MJF is the wonderful Sisters I found along the way… loving, cari g, supportive, creative. MJFarm sisters are truly a blessing…
I use old wooden pallets for unique garden signage. Next project: small handled trays for plant displays! Love your magazine, Mary Jane!
I purchased an old farmhouse and with the many treasures left behind, I have converted many of the old broken furniture into new useful pieces. One particular piece was repaired with new doors, paint removed, sanded and repainted to look new and fresh, yet with the flair of an old farmhouse look, which I use for my large pots and bowls.
The junk I’ve been inspired to use isn’t really “junk”, it is used-up nature! I became inspired to make wreaths out of broken tree branches and flowers, bushes, leaves, seed pods, and pine cones that have long since bloomed and have fallen to the earth. The wreaths are simple and beautiful, especially for the fall season! Your magazine is wonderful in helping me continue to see everything I come across with different eyes, always looking for a way to re-purpose vs buying new. Thank you!!
In the early Spring I walk through our woods and gather the fallen branches and twigs , always looking for odd shapes then turn them into beautiful garden supports for my many perennials as well as my vegetables. The shapes are all so different, as each one got its design from nature. My husband helps me and we use a nail gun with small nails. I get lots of comments and people always want to buy them. When I visit friends with gardens I bring them a creation and we brain storm to see how we can further add pieces from odds and ends to add to the beauty. Sometimes the shape yields itself into a plant support and the top turns into a nest for a potted plant. So much potential and all gifts from the Winter snow and winds. Looking forward to my Spring walk into the woods❣️I give the gift of MaryJane to many of my friends as well as my daughter and when we get HER, there seems to be this competition on who received theirs FIRST, then we all talk about what ideas we liked the most.
My two favorites were the Soap making, and Kombucha❣️ I do both and now most of my friends do too. We are constantly giving Soap and Kombucha babies.
What did we do before MaryJane❓
Cheers and Gratitude
Susan from China Village, Maine
I love the Junk Gypsies and love Mary Jane. I love giving junk new purpose and using what you have vs. running to the store for what you think you need. Chicken feeders make great planters!
Empty cans with a little bit of burlap ribbon make a great herb garden on my window sill.
My junk find is my little 1830 farmhouse and barn, left for years to deteriorate I have worked hard to transform it into a little gem. I’ve learned a great deal of skills, with laughter, tears and triumphant shouts of joy. I’ve learned a great deal about myself and My daughter learned women can do many things if they put their mind to it.
💖Your magazine
Since reading your magazine I eat organic, made soap, started a quilt and now up cycle . If you see my Instagram @miscrafter you’ll see a door with a Chevy grill on it turned into a light. We went flea marketing looking for old hankies to use for an apron & ended up with a headboard. I’m going to keep reading for more inspiration . Thanks!
I use a lot of her quotes in journaling, a lot of ideas I share with my youth aND adultgarden clubs. I love decorating ideas with refurbished items. Have bought friends subcriptio s this year. So reading the work of MaryJanesFarm.
Have made beautiful aprons out of old linens that are too beautiful to toss. Cut around the stains and holes, and make beautiful again.
I have been thrilled and over whelmed with new thoughts and ways of thinking since the day I purchased your magazine. The inspiration that is found on your pages fill me with creative thoughts and the motivation to create! Thank you! Your magazine is needed in this crazy world and I love telling people about it all the time! Keep up the great work.❤️
I have subscribed for years and just LOVE,LOVE,LOVE your magazine. I upcycle clothing ,buttons and anything. I can find a new use for!!!!!!!!!!Keep up the GOOD work. Subscriber for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We live on the coast. We used an old lobster trap for our kitchen bar. We had to downsize and basically used everything in a different way. Love it