Thrifty Thursday Wood Ice Cream Bucket

Wood ice cream buckets or ice cream makers are a must buy at the thrift store if the price is right. I recently found this one on a half price sale at the thrift store. It was missing the metal bucket and the ice cream paddle. I did plug it in just for fun to see if it would run. It did, but boy was it loud and had a hot smell. So the motor part went into the trash.

I removed the label and used some Goo Gone to remove the "sticky" and then painted it Aged Pine green.

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I left the handle as is and I tried to not completely cover the wire handle or hoops that help hold it together. 

When I first saw it I thought it would make a terrific tree holder for Christmas. I thought about painting it red, but then decided I wanted to use it more often than just at Christmas time. I have decided that green is a wonderful neutral for all the seasons. 

After a couple coats of THIS PAINT, ( I love this GREEN!), it was ready for a fresh look.

I walked around my yard and clipped some various branches to put together a FREE and fabulous fall arrangement.

This green ice cream bucket will be perfect for a fake or real Christmas tree. It also works to hold blankets or towels inside, extra rolls of toilet paper in the bathroom, newspapers or logs next to a fireplace. For now, I love it on my front porch holding beautiful fall foliage.

SO...be sure to look for old ice cream makers at the thrift store. They may be located in a spot that you don't typically scout for items. This one was in the electronics section.