Friday, December 13, 2024

Cleaning Your Thrifted Finds - Faux Fruit

 Fake Food Decor

You guys know that I practically live at the thrift store, but I'm also super picky about cleanliness.  I love recycling used goods, but they must be properly cleaned as soon as I get them home.  Here is an example of how I went about cleaning a collection of faux produce:


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Disclosure - This post may contain affiliate links.  If a purchase is made through an affiliate link then (at no additional cost to you) I will receive a commission.  You can read more about affiliate links here



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Fake Food Decor

I found a big bag of fake fruits for only $1.99 that would work perfectly in my laundry room Faux Pantry Wall Display.  I was especially happy because I could see that there was a pineapple, a cut cantaloupe and some chocolate covered bananas!  



Fake Food Decor

With the bag opened up you can see how filthy the items are, whomever had them before wasn't big on dusting!  But that's ok, they clean right up with a little effort.  The dust was stuck on with grease to each item so I didn't have to worry about it floating around, but if the dust is loose or there is any kind of mildew/ mold (think damp basement storage) or smoke then I'll do my cleaning outside to protect my allergies.



Fake Food Decor

I like to mix up dish detergent, Oxy Clean (Dollar Tree version pictured here) and hot water.  If the items can handle it, I'll add some bleach too.



Fake Food Decor

I loaded up my sink and let everything soak before giving it a good scrub, changed the water and then scrubbed again.  Once cleaned I shook out each piece to remove any water that had settle inside and let air dry for 24 hours.

*Because faux fruit items are often hollow (and take on water) is why I didn't use bleach this time.  I didn't want any bleach water to come out later and ruin anything.  If you really need to use bleach to sanitize a hollow item, mix up a bleach solution and use a rag to wipe down the outside rather than submerging it.



Fake Food Decor

Such a difference!



Fake Food Decor

And here is how everything looks after a good bath, such a difference!  There are many items that you might pass up while thrifting just because of their condition, but a little cleaning and you will have a perfect treasure!


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Friday, December 6, 2024

DIY Plaster Fake Bake Cookies - Chocolate Snowflakes

Winter Christmas Fake Bake Decor

In addition to the salt dough cookies that I've been sharing recently, I also made up a set of plaster snowflakes.  Read on to see how you can make some yourself:

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Disclosure - This post may contain affiliate links.  If a purchase is made through an affiliate link then (at no additional cost to you) I will receive a commission.  You can read more about affiliate links here



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Winter Christmas Fake Bake Decor

I started with this Wilton snowflake cookie pan that I found at the thrift store.  Because it's a pan and not a set of cutters, I opted to use plaster to make my cookies.  Once dry the plaster pops right out where salt dough can be a nightmare to get unstuck.  

Another option is clay or modelling foam - both allow you to put the pan in the freezer and then pop out your frozen cookies without harming your designs.  Just make sure to place your popped out shapes on a drying sheet before they thaw as once they do so the clay can mush.



Winter Christmas Fake Bake Decor

After mixing and pouring the plaster into the cookie pan, I let it sit for 24 hours before popping out the shapes.  Sometimes you might need to tap your pan against your counter top to get the shapes out.  Do so gently to avoid cracking your plaster!

This popsicle tutorial shows you the plaster that I like to use.


Winter Christmas Fake Bake Decor
Winter Christmas Fake Bake Decor

After removing the plaster from the pan I like to let the shapes sit another day or so before painting.  This allows the pieces to fully dry and prevents them from crumbling apart later once covered in paint.

I painted these snowflakes in a chocolate brown and then added 'icing' with white puffy paint.



Winter Christmas Fake Bake Decor

And here are my plaster snowflakes!



I hope you enjoyed this fake bake post, thanks for stopping by!
-Jennifer

© Studio 27 by Jennifer Adams 2024


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Winter Christmas Holiday Tiered Tray Home Decor

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