Utter the word “flea market” to any group of RV’ers and you will see a stampede to parked vehicles! Seriously! Flea marketing is one of many RVer’s most fav pastimes. ..mine included. The ultimate flea market that an RVer must at least try to visit in their RV adventures is located in Quartzsite Arizona area from January to oh, say March. Quartzsite is the area that RVer’s flock to yearly to camp during snowbirding season…the Bureau of Land Management allows for very inexpensive boondocking or dry camping. Thousands of RVs dot the landscape in and around the area…some RVer’s trek to the dessert yearly, and many RV clubs and groups plan rallies and gatherings in Quartzsite every year. It is also the site of the largest RV show around, usually scheduled for mid-January, and is preceded by a rock “hounds” heaven of shows, the Quartzsite Annual International Gem and Mineral Show. Check out these sites: Dessert USA,Quartzsite and Quartzsite Shows here
Most of the RVer’s I have met in our travels have said that everyone must at least ONCE go visit while the RV show is in town. This is the year I am hoping we can slip out of the Rio Grande Valley and head to the Mecca of flea markets!
A couple of weeks ago…OK, three weeks ago, I promised to post the directions and some pictures of my soup can pumpkins. I then deleted my step by step photos, therefore the delay in posting a picture and some easy directions. I needed to come up with some table take-home decorations for a Halloween party at our winter getaway in the Rio Grande Valley. I have made these cans several times using different sizes and styles of cans, and every year someone asks me to make them one. I have used this idea with coffee cans and gave gift “cans” stuffed with treats to folks. Well, they are quite simple to make so I am sharing my “secret” here! . For the take-home table decoration at our upcoming party, each can will have some Halloween treats stuffed inside…some candy corn, a pumpkin cookie, and even a fun little pumpkin head pencil I found at the flea market.
After cleaning the can thoroughly and making sure it is completely dry (make sure to get all the glue off the can from the label…) spray paint the can, inside and out with any color spray paint you may have sitting around. This is going to serve as the “base coat”. If you prefer to buy orange paint that is just fine…I have orange on hand from previous years. If using another color, you must then paint the outside of the can in orange craft paint. Simple. It may take a second coat…you be the judge. Then let your imagination go. As you can see from the picture of my latest cans, I have painted jack-o-lantern faces from the past. I love old vintage stuff so why not have a vintage jack-o-lantern face? BTW, hubby thinks that they are just as weird as I am, LOL! I think they are adorable…I even made cupcakes and pumpkin cookies with these faces! Oh, yep, almost forgot. Drill a couple of holes on either side of the can and add a handle. I used craft wire and then attached some raffia and Halloween print fabric strips to the wire. This really adds a nice touch. Be creative…look around at the decorations others have put up for inspiration. These are great little “gifties” to take as a hostess gift to a Halloween party, or to hand out to special ghosts and goblin grandkids…they love them!
