Tuesday Tip: Vintage Halloween

Who says that Halloween décor has to be scary? It’s possible to achieve a kitschy and fun look without everything screaming BOO! Our vendors here at The NAT tend to go all or nothing when it comes to Fall + Halloween décor, and we’d like to share tricks (and some treats) that we absolutely adore!

Birdcages

Whether you have a few crows you snagged at your local craft store or if you want to create a vintage “graveyard” look, vintage birdcages do just the trick! Add a tiny caution sign and you’re in business!

Jack-O-Lanterns

Vintage jack-o-lanterns are easy to find at most antique stores. Start yourself a collection and hang them in your tree for wonderfully weird yard décor!

Go Glam

Fairytale pumpkins are our FAVORITE! Stack them on your mantle - or even your front porch - for a whimsical and glamourous vibe.

Pumpkins

If carving isn’t your thing, you can create some amazing and unique looks with a little paint! A great craft to do with the kids as well.

Simplicity

Your home doesn’t have to look like the Great Pumpkin has taken over. Pick and theme, and stick to it! We’re loving this neutral bookshelf with the understated Halloween items.

Dolls

We understand that dolls aren’t for everyone, but this kitschy wreath is right up our alley! The vintage bottle wreaths stuffed full of vintage doll parts make our vintage-loving hearts happy.

Masks

Vintage masks have SO much charm! The bright colors make them stand out among other decorations, and they’re a great conversation piece! Impress your Halloween party guests with a creative idea like this!

Whether you’re looking for great decorations for your upcoming Halloween party, or if you’re looking for a vintage costume for 6th Street’s very own Creepy Crawl, The NAT has what you’re looking for!

Vendor of the Month: October

Name: Ema Mowoe

Business Info: House of Emana

Name three words that describe you. Sassy + Outgoing + Compassionate

What items do you specialize in? Macramé!

What is your favorite place to source products? I love finding unique objects to work into my macramé projects, so I really love coming to shops like The NAT and other flea markets to find items.

What is your most prized possession that you've made over the years? I made a large macramé wall hanging that is being used for backdrops in some weddings! You can find it in the October issue of Amarillo Magazine.

Where do you find inspiration? Most of my inspiration comes from African textiles, and nature. I love looking through photos of textiles and vines and mimicking those looks in my work.

How do you spend your time when you aren't at The NAT? I’m a full-time nurse at BSA, and I’m a mother!

What's your personal motto? One of my favorite quotes is, “Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she became a butterfly."

Get it Before it's Gone!

The month of September is coming to a close, so we wanted to share a little reminder of all the sales that will be ending! The last day to shop our sales will be Saturday, September 29th! We hope to see you this weekend!

• Select items from Junk ‘N’ Disorderly are 75% Off

• “Red Dot” items from Room No. 2 are 50% Off

• All MudPie Clothing is 40% Off

Tuesday Tip: Unique Vintage Planters

Are you tired of the same old boring planters? We love seeing unique and odd objects repurposed, so why not get creative with our plants? Fall is just around the corner, so we’d like to share a variety of upcycled items for you to use when your bring your plants inside when the weather gets a little cooler!

Porcelain Dolls

Porcelain dolls aren’t just for decoration in your kids room. Try using your broken dolls for planters instead! They will create a unique planter that your kids will love.

Birdcages

Hanging plants are the hardest to find cute planters for. Why not use a vintage birdcage?

Helping Hand

We all need an extra hand sometimes here and there, why not one for your plants too! Vintage hands are a great and creative way to showcase tiny collections of succulents.

Plant Babies

Do you still have your old strollers? Whether you want to turn them into a terrarium or just use one for your larger plants, they bring a great vintage vibe to any space.

Kitchen Ware

Want to add a little spice to your kitchen? Then try adding succulents into your old ladles. It makes for a unexpected addtion to any rustic kitchen.

Chairs

Use your old chairs, or all of those garage sale finds, as planters. They would be a simple way to move your plants inside for the winter - straight from your fence to your walls!

Geodes

Crystals are the hottest trend right now - and plenty of geode clusters are made into tealights! Why not ditch the candle, and go straight for the air plant!

Below are just a few of our unique planters that we have here at The Nat. Come check them out!

Get it Before it's Gone!

If you weren’t able to make it to the open house, there are still plenty of booths continuing their sales! These sales are only valid through the end of the September, so make sure to stop by before the month is up to explore all the markdowns happening! 

• All merchandise from Vendor #548 is 25% Off

• Select items in From 6th Collective have been marked down

• Select items from Room No. 2 are 50% Off!

Did You Know?

The commercial signs of yesteryear - which were all painted by hand - offer a kind of beauty, personality, and longevity that today’s industrial signs have been unable to duplicate. We see them almost every day without a second thought. Weathered by time, distinct characteristics shining through, hand-painted signs are a product of a fascinating 150 year-old American history.

What was once a common job has now become a highly specialized trade, a unique craft struggling with technological advances. These vanguards of unseen originality are leading a renaissance with a keen creative purpose and exemplify the working class American success story. While exploring what’s left of the old sign-painting traditions, there are several young and up-and-coming artists who celebrate keeping the tradition intact with an appreciation for a balance between art and commerce.

This box of decals would be used by sign painters to make their job a little easier. Each letter individually packaged to better assist in the creation of a new sign. One of our vendors, Brave Relics, stumbled upon this vintage lettering kit from Chicago over one of their many travels. With sign painting making a comeback, we thought we’d share a little history with you.

Tuesday Tip: Vintage Kitchens

Remodel season is officially in full swing! If you're anything like us, you have a mental list of everything you want to update around the house. The kitchen is typically the biggest update to try and tackle, but not everyone can dish out the cash needed for a complete overhaul. Today we're sharing a few tips & tricks that can give your kitchen a new look while sticking to a budget!

Collect

Don't just decorate, collect! The kitchen is a great place to start and share a collection. Old soda bottles, antique china, & rolling pins, are an easy way to get things started without breaking the bank.  

Cutting Boards

Cutting boards can add texture and depth to your space in a snap. We recommend finding and displaying aged ones on the wall while making a stack of more functional ones on an adjacent counter. 

Scales

Vintage scales abound in most antique stores. Look for ones that have their original logo for more visual interest. If you plan on actually using the scale, make sure it measures in increments suitable to your needs (ounces/pounds). They make a terrific place to set that banana bundle or use them to hide unsightly outlets and switch plates.

Cookbooks

Our rule of thumb when it comes to cookbooks is, never pass a good one up! They're a versatile decorating tool that's also functional. They make wonderful housewarming gifts as well!

Repurpose

Not all collections are functional, and that's okay. There's a reason why a lot of kitchen utensils and appliances have been updated over the years, but bring new life to something old by thinking outside the box! 

Built-Ins

Turning vintage crates into drawers is a genius idea, but if that seems a bit overwhelming, try adding vintage wooden shelves or an old Hoosier Cabinet to warm things up! The possibilities here really are endless!

Canisters

Canisters are a customer favorite here at The NAT. People are always looking for a little extra storage on their counter, and a stacking canister set does just that while looking cute! 

Mixing the old in with the new is always a stunning combination. Take a look at some of the vintage kitchen goods we have in store right now!

Vendor of the Month: September

Name: Karen Wilson

Business Info: Furniture: Restyled

Name three words that describe you. Creative + Nurturing + Innovative

What items do you specialize in? I have a wide variety of interior items in my booth. For the most part I work with furniture. I love giving new life to old things!

What is your favorite place to source antiques? I mostly go to estate sales and auctions. I also love getting to go to Canton.

What is your most prized possession that you've "picked" over the years? A few years ago I was lucky enough to find an amazing Broyhill Brasilia bedroom set. It is one of the most unique sets I've had - I even kept it at home for a long time because I wasn't ready to part ways with it just yet! I eventually brought it into my booth at The Nat, and it found a new home from there!

Where do you find inspiration? Mostly through Pinterest. I have family and clients who live in Austin, so we get to visit fairly regularly. I always make it a point to stop in clients' stores to see what their selling, what displays catch my eye, that sort of thing. Any time I'm in a bigger city, I like to check out their antique stores to find more inspiration.

How do you spend your time when you aren't at The NAT? I retired not too long ago, so I get to spend a lot of time with my grandkids! If I'm not chasing my grandkids around, I'm usually found painting. There aren't many days now that I'm not covered in paint!

What's your personal motto? Honesty is the best policy! I've found over the years that telling the truth, even when it hurts, is a great lesson to follow.

Tuesday Tip: Favorite Vintage Finds

We know better than most just how overwhelming Antique stores can be ...especially ones like The NAT. There's just so much to see! We understand that it can be difficult to see potential in specific items when there's so much to look at. Scoring big at a vintage store requires some preparedness, creativity, and sometimes you have to simply cross your fingers that it works! Ahead are some great vintage finds that you may (or may not) be passing up, but we're here to help! 

Vintage

Frames

Ignore those boring images housed inside antique frames. The image itself can easily be popped out and replaced with treasured ones you already have!

Upholstery

Reupholstery isn't  your only option when it comes to furniture with dated fabric. There are plenty of fabric paints + dyes out there these days that can make a drab chair fab in a snap!  

Candle-

Sticks

Whether you're planning an event table or if you simply need a great centerpiece at home, a plethora of candlesticks can be found in malls like ours. Sand down wooden ones for a  weathered look or snag several different metallic ones for a little added glitz!

Depression

Glass

Depression glass is a hot ticket item around here! It's available in all different colors, shapes, and designs. Even trendy bars are serving up fancy cocktails in them as of late. Whether you plan to display your collection or simply stock your bar cart - these are a must have!

Paint by

Numbers

These artworks may seem a little cheesy at first glance, but mixed with the right elements they can bring a curated, fresh, and modern look to any space.

Pyrex

Not only is it a fun, kitschy addition to your kitchen, but it's useful! Start a collection of one style or go full on mix + match! There are a lot of pyrex collectors out there so if you decide to go a different route later on, you can typically recoup your money by reselling them.

The NAT boasts the widest selection of items like these in the Texas Panhandle. If you've been on the hunt for something specific, we'd be happy to help you out! Simply give us a call or swing by today!

(Here's a small selection of in-stock items similar to those listed above)

Spread the Love

Alright guys, so we're going to try something new over here and we hope you'll help us out! We're lucky that so many of our lovely customers are just as creative as our vendors themselves, and we WANT to see that creativity when it comes to life! You may have noticed that most of our posts include the hashtag #natcessity. See what we did there? Anyway, what we're wanting is for you to share with us what you do with all those one-of-a-kind finds! Whether you simply collect a specific item or say you purchased an old work bench and turned it into a kitchen island, we're asking that you please share it by posting a photo to your facebook or instagram using the hashtag #natcessity. Simple enough right!?!

To kick things off, we're offering a free NAT tote bag to anyone that participates in our Spread the Love campaign throughout the remainder of this month. Remember, if your account is private, make sure you also tag @thenatroute66 so we don't miss it! As a token of gratitude going forward, we'll select one lucky participant each month. They will receive  a $20 NAT gift card or merch item of their choice!

See you on the web!!!

(Tote bags only available while supplies last)