Welcome to The Vettel Farm, where I love to share all things cooking, collecting, crafting, and creating. Check out the blog for all kinds of inspiration. Let's have some fun!

Pack the Perfect “Vintage Style” Picnic

Packing the perfect picnic entails three elements; good food, a good blanket, and a good basket. Using vintage elements for your picnic takes your picnic to another level of sophistication. The girls and I decided we wanted to create a bucket list of sorts for the summer and going on a picnic was at the top of our list! So let's walk through the elements of the perfect "vintage style" picnic, so that you can add this to your bucket list for the summer too. Good Food Food is the central showpiece of every great picnic, so it deserves time and attention. We have been using the Wildgrain themed  subscription service to get the best artisanal breads, pastas, and pastries delivered to us ...

Continue Reading

2 Ways to Use Garden Seeds as Mother’s Day Gifts

Wonderful Spring, the time when we can celebrate all of the amazing mothers, grandmothers, and soon to be mothers in the world. What better way to celebrate Mom this year than with a few pretty garden seeds. Today I am sharing two fun ways to display a variety of fun garden seeds for you to give to your favorite Mom out there. Each of these took under 5 minutes to create and they have a big impact! I fell in love with the Valley Greene garden seed packets because of the minty green color and I had to use them in a fun way as a gift. Both my Mom and Mother-In-Law love to garden, so these were absolutely perfect for both of them. Garden Seed Wreath SUPPLIES Garden Seeds ...

Continue Reading

How to Make Homemade Soap – the Easy Way!

I won't lie to you, Chemistry was my least favorite course in high school. I hated it with a passion, so when it came to choosing the process for soap making, I chose the least scientific route possible. In doing that though, I found an easy and fun DIY project that creates the most gorgeous soaps for guests or gifts! This project takes a few supplies, but I have rounded up everything at the bottom of this post for you to easily find what you need. I loved choosing different add-ins, fragrances, and colors for each soap. This project was so simple, even my girls each made their own variety of soap. Supplies Soap Base (Oatmeal, Glycerin, Goat's Milk) Fragrance (Lavender, ...

Continue Reading

How to Create an Antique Frosted Window

Have you ever seen those classic antique windows, the ones that have a distinct title on them like "ticket office" or "Dr. Smith"? They are characterized by their frosty look, gorgeous antique glass, and a quintessential vintage style font that was typically painted on the window. I missed a window like this at a flea market last year and it still haunts me, but it inspired me to create my own. In our Deadwood Bed & Breakfast - the Victorian on Van Buren, we created a laundry room closet in the upstairs bathroom of the home. For the closet, I used an awesome Facebook Marketplace find for the closet door. The window on the door was clear, so it needed some revamping to hide the ...

Continue Reading

Architectural Salvage Garden Tool Rack

I have a small collection of antique green handled garden tools that I love to display and use. I have always wanted to display them on the outside of my garden shed and I knew I needed a rack that would live up to their vintage splendor. Using a piece of architectural salvage is a great way to showcase this unique collection that you can see below. Last Spring I went to a really fun garage sale for a couple that was getting out of the antique business. They had so many neat items and they were ready for it all to go to a good home. I bought a huge lot of great items and actually went back to the sale at the end of the day and they stuffed my car full of more treasures! One of those ...

Continue Reading

3 Tips for the Perfect Easter Table

Easter is fast approaching and nothing is more beautiful than a carefully, curated Easter table. Each year the bright Spring colors bring so much joy to the season and set the scene for a splendid holiday. These are three considerations that help to coordinate a well thought-out tablescape that is captivating, but also functional. Set a THEME Each year I devote a lose theme to center around for my Easter tablescape. It can be as simple as a color, animal, or concept. Last year I was very inspired by the antique putz sheep I had found and I developed an entire table around lambs for Easter. Another was focused on all pastel colors and the use of a chenille bedspread as my tablecloth. Other ...

Continue Reading

This or That – Easter Basket Edition

It is amazing how when you look closely at a new product, its roots are deeply grounded in vintage products. Which makes it no surprise that vintage inspired items are highly sought after today. Unlike their vintage counterparts, these newer vintage inspired products may lack the original character and often have a much lower price point. I love to compare the two side by side, so I started this segment, where each week I share different vintage inspired products and their vintage counterpart for you to choose which is your favorite! If you see a product you are interested in you can shop each picture! Here is an example of a vintage inspired product and it's original vintage (or sometimes ...

Continue Reading

Terracotta DIY Bunnies

Remember those viral terracotta pumpkins from this past fall that EVERYONE was making? Well it's almost Spring, so that means we need some terracotta bunnies! This project is so simple and satisfying. It's the perfect way to upcycle a few thrifted bunnies or bunnies that have lost their style over the years. They lend the perfect garden nod to any spring display! For supplies I like to use a combination of different acrylic paint colors to achieve the perfect terracotta color. My three favorites are Folkart Terra Cotta - Dusty Trail, Delta Cermacoat - Terra Cotta, and Apple Barrel - Chesnut. You will also need a small paint brush, corn starch and a paper towel. You can use any type of ...

Continue Reading

Vintage Postcard/Envelope DIY Art

The postcards of yesteryear were the only means of communication for many. Each postcard carried a special message and often a delightful piece of art with it as well. Antique postcards have some of the most charismatic images, so why not reuse those images for a piece of large scale art! This project is made even more special if the postcard is one from a loved one or family member. One of my favorite projects of all time is an envelope from my Great-Grandma that I blew up and framed. See below! You can enlarge your postcard or envelope to any size of your liking. I used an old sign and repurposed the other side to make these which made it really easy. Walk through the steps below ...

Continue Reading

How to Make a Vintage Ornament Wreath

Vintage ornaments can be used for every holiday, which makes them the perfect craft tool for a wreath. Vintage ornaments come in all varieties of shapes and sizes, making them the perfect choice to craft a unique wreath. This is the first year that I created a wreath for Valentine's Day and I am OBSESSED! The heart shape and vintage trinkets that I added to the wreath make it so special. Follow along for the easy how to! A few helpful tips: Glass ornaments work the best to adhere to the wreath. When I have used plastic ornaments they tend to melt. Plastic style ornaments COULD be used but using a lower temperature glue gun or E6000 may work best. Don't skip the tinsel! The tinsel ...

Continue Reading