Red Truck Craze

I belong to a few facebook groups that right before Christmas began posting pictures of their red trucks. I didn't understand the craze at first, but as each person posted a picture of their red truck - sometimes with a tree in the back, or next to a belsnickel, or beside a snowman - I must admit I became smitten with the red truck. Apparently you can find these at a variety of craft stores, but all of them were sold out long before Christmas rolled around this past year. So, we jumped on the bandwagon and are bringing you some red trucks. Enjoy! www.thetinbin.com

Home Sweet Home

Christmas Truck Pillow

Nursery Truck Ornament

Nursery Truck Ornament

Candle Rings on Tin Chandelier

Sometimes it's the little things that make you take notice. These arborvitae  candle rings are a very inexpensive ($3.95 each) addition to any light and look really great on this tin chandelier. The chandelier is very useful in the kitchen because the downlight in the center cone provides task lighting for browsing through cookbooks or for crafting. In my case, my kids gather around the table while I am cooking and do their homework. So tonight, we added a touch of Christmas to our chandelier and everyone smiled.

Punched Tin Panels

In colonial times, punched tin panels were used on pie safes and cupboards to keep the air flowing in to cool fresh baked breads, pastries and desserts while keeping the bugs away from the delicious food.

These days, these punched tin panels will provide a lovely accent in any piece of furniture, especially a pie safe. Maybe you have an antique that is missing some panels or maybe you dabble in furniture making. Either way, these punched tin panels are perfect to complete the job!  Unfortunately, we are not able to offer custom sizes.

Early American Lighting

Introducing our new Early American Lighting collection made right here in Pennsylvania by a skilled craftsman.  The attention to detail makes every light a unique creation that you will be proud to display inside or outside your home. 

Floating Candles

Our Floating Candles include cedar tips and berries that look great in your own enamel ware bowl. You can also order our Floater Bowl if you don't find a water tight bowl in your collection. This is the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table as you gather friends and family together.

Frakturs by Susan Daul

On our website at www.thetinbin.com, we have a terrific collection of printed Frakturs, an artistic folk art stylized by the Pennsylvania Dutch.  We feature the work of Susan Soloway Daul, who has been drawing and painting since her early childhood.  "Old things" have fascinated Susan all of her life, as she fondly remembers accompanying her parents to visit homesteads of many of our founding fathers and countless antique shops searching for treasures from our past. Susan's Folk Art has taken many forms over the past 20 years, as she has used various media including wood and clay, usually incorporating animals into her pieces in some way.

It was a natural progression for Susan's focus to fall on the Fraktur, as their inspirational verses, charming use of animals and beautiful combinations of color proved irresistible from the first time she saw one. Initially given as gifts to special friends and family, Susan's creations have quickly become desirable to collectors as appreciation for her Fraktur has spread far and wide, finding their place in various Museum Shops throughout the country, including Colonial Williamsburg, The American Folk Art Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, to name a few.

Welcome Lights

From the outside looking in, a warm glow at each window of your home represents hospitality and friendship.

Many people use our welcome lights, also known as window candles, throughout the holidays. However, in Lancaster County, the tradition has been to let the welcome lights up throughout the year to have a nightlight in each room to light the way.

Click to see our Window Lights at The Tin Bin

Homespun Country Curtains

We have been adding new homespun country curtains to our website at www.thetinbin.com.  Here are a few ideas to help you choose curtains for windows that might be difficult.  You can shop for a great selection of  Homespun Country Curtains by clicking on this link.

If you have a large window, consider combining a valance and a pair of swags on the top and a pair of tiers on the bottom.  Shown in Lemon Pepper Curtain Collection.

If you have a small window, tiers can be separated to create a soft window drape.  Shown in Saffron Curtain Collection.

Time to open up the windows and let in some fresh air.  Why not dress them up a little?

Fall Decorating

Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to Fall. As much as I enjoy the less hectic days of Summer, there is something about being in a routine that I like. And I also like the cool, crisp weather of Fall. It is a great time of year to freshen up a room with a new coat of paint, a new pair of curtains, or a new arrangement of furniture.

We have a great assortment of Homespun Curtains that would be a great start to changing up a room for the new season. I am thinking about starting in my living room and taking it a room at a time. We also have Wrought Iron Curtain Rods and Tiebacks to complete the look. Happy Decorating!

Primitive Furniture - NEW!

Our line of  Primitive Furniture is made in America by skilled craftsmen who take the time to enhance each piece with a primitive paint finish.  Each table, cupboard, bucket bench and shelf is made to look like an antique, making it the perfect addition for your colonial home decor.


Try combining a primitive table and cupboard or looking glass for a great look in an entry way. Find a place to display a primitive bucket bench to show off your antique collectibles. Redware and stoneware pottery look especially terrific displayed in these primitive pieces of furniture. A collection of antique pewter would be absolutely beautiful in any cupboard - particularly in the black finish!

Lighted Willow Branches

Just in time for the holidays, we now offer Brown Lighted Willow Branches and White Lighted Willow Branches!  These lighted branches are available in two sizes.  The tall branches measure 39 inches tall and have 3 flexible branches with 96 lights.  The short branches measure 19 inches tall and have 5 flexible branches with 60 lights.  Both are for indoor use only and come with and AC adapter.

These lighted willow branches are excellent decorative elements that you can add to a mantel or a table display.  Add real curly willow branches to fill in the display and change it up with the seasons.  In the Winter and during the holidays, add fresh or artifical greens.  In the Spring, add pussy willow or forsythia.  In the Summer, add a few flags for a patriotic look.  In the Fall, add some bittersweet.  They really can be used all year long.

Here is a picture of the tall brown lighted willow branches on my mantel with some real curly willow branches filling in the Black Urn.  A simple design that freshens up the mantel with a festive holiday look.

You will have a lot of fun using your creativity to see how you can use these lighted willow branches to give a warm glow to someplace in your home.  Please share pictures with us at www.facebook.com/thetinbin.  We would love to show your pictures off on our blog!

NEW - Timberline Wooden Chandelier

Timberline Wooden Chandelier with Shades

This is one of our newest chandeliers - its design was inspired to provide better lighting over longer furnishings in your home, such as your dinning room table, your kitchen island, or even the pool table in the den.

While the recessed lighting in my kitchen provides ample task lighting, it does not provide an aesthetic value.  This light will provide both general room lighting and the needed task lighting at an island for preparing food and for children doing their homework.  Any one else re-thinking the light in their kitchen?

You can custom order this light to just about any color combination you can think of.

Come visit us at http://www.thetinbin.com/ and find the colonial lighting and home decor that you love - just in time to decorate for the holidays!

New Lamp Finials

We have the coolest Lamp Finials to dress up your Table Lamps.  From nautical to nature themes, these finials are sure to catch your eye.  With such a reasonable price point, they would make a unique gift.  Just top off any table lamp with a harp and shade with these great finials - a great addition to your home decor.

Come shop with us at http://www.thetinbin.com/.  It is so much fun to decorate for Fall - and we're already getting in holiday mode.  If you live nearby, please stop in to see us soon!

New Punched Tin Panels

 

Punched Tin Wheat Panel

In colonial times, punched tin panels were used on pie safes and cupboards to keep the air flowing in to cool fresh baked breads, pastries and desserts while keeping the bugs away from the delicious food. These days, these punched tin panels will provide a lovely accent in any piece of furniture, especially a pie safe. Maybe you have an antique that is missing some panels or maybe you dabble in furniture making. Either way, these punched tin panels are perfect to complete the job!

Come shop with us at http://www.thetinbin.com/ and click on Punched Tin Panels to order!

New Homespun Curtains and Accessories added to Website

We hope you visit our website soon - we have added a lot of new products in the past few weeks.  Most recently, we have expanded our selection of Homespun Curtains and Accessories which includes some great wrought iron curtain rods and tiebacks. 

Combine homespun valances with homespun tiers to create a charming cottage look to a kitchen window. Or try homespun curtain panels for an elegant, luxurious look in your living room or dining room. Think about using mini blinds in the bedroom for privacy, but add some homespun fishtail swags to dress up the window - especially for a tall or wide window.

Updating your windows with some fresh homspun curtains and wrought iron curtain rods and tiebacks can give a room a whole new look - even without changing the paint color.  Throw in some Braided Rugs or Hooked Rugs and Pillows to complete the look!

New Tin Switchplates & Outlet Covers

We have added a new line of Tin Switchplates & Outlet Covers to our website.  These wall plates are handcrafted in Pennsylania and are dipped in an antiquing solution giving them an authentic patina.  Then they are dipped in a dull lacquer that prevents rusting and gives an extra layer of protection from fingerprint smudges.  This is a brand-new finish called Kettle Black that we hope you will enjoy.  These handmade switchplates and outlet covers will add some charm to the walls in your kitchen or bath, or wherever you would like to add some warmth!

We also continue to carry our very popular Punched Tin Switchplates & Outlet Covers which hand-punched right here in Lancaster County!  These wall plates are coated with an enamel finish which prevents rusting and fingerprint smudges.

We are pretty excited about this new light.  It provides excellent task lighting over an island, or even a large desk or work station.  Previously, if a home owner had a large island, it would be necessary to decide in advance how many shade lights they would need to have ample lighting, and make sure that the electrician could install the proper amount of electrical boxes and the proper spacing in order to accommodate a few of our very popular tin shade lights.  Now, with this terrific light, you can have more than enough lighting with only one electrical box centered over your work area.  No more re-wires or multiple installations!  Just install this one light over your kitchen island and have plenty of that much needed task lighting!  Come visit us online soon...

Scherenschnittes

We just added a new line of scherenschnittes on our website.  Our scherenscnittes are great reproductions of Pennsylvania Dutch folkart. Scherenschnitte is a German word meaning "scissor cuts." The folkart of papercutting came to America in the 1700's by the German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. These German people are known as the "Pennsylvania Dutch" probably because the word for German is "Deutsch." The Pennsylvania Dutch are known for a rich heritage of folkart including quilting, frakturs and scherenschnittes.

Colonial Floor Cloths

We have just added Colonial Floor Cloths to our website.  What do you think?  We have added some welcome mats but have many more things that we could add - table runners, placemats, chairpads and rugs.  Would you like to see more choices?  Do you have a floor cloth?  Have you ever made one?  Leave us a comment (which are moderated) and let us know your thoughts...

History of Floorcloths The floorcloth is actually an art form dating the whole way back to fifteenth century France! Originally made from the sails of ships, floorcloths served as wall hangings and table runners, but when the English discovered their functional value, they quickly extended the art form to rugs. By the 1800's floorcloths were being widely used to insulate floors of the less wealthy, and were often made in diamond patterns that imitated more expensive marble flooring. And of course, it wasn't long before floorcloths made their way overseas and into the homes of some very well known Americans. It is recorded that George Washington purchased one from Robert and Co. in 1796 at a cost of $14.82. We also know that Thomas Jefferson owned at least two, one in the dining room and a rather large, green one in the great hall of the Presidential Mansion, because he wanted to bring the outdoors indoors. Use and Care of Floorcloths Upon receiving your floorcloth be sure (if necessary) to allow it to warm to room temperature before unrolling. Sweep the floor free of any debris before laying your floorcloth down. They are designed to lay flat on smooth hard surfaces, so watch out for any protruding nail heads, etc. that could put strain on the floorcloth from underneath. If used on brick or ceramic tile floors, the piece will dip slightly into the grooves over time. If this is not desired a thin rubber mat may be used underneath for added support. Our floorcloths have a non skid backing applied and is painted over to prevent debris from sticking to the back. The non skid backing remains effective on many smooth floor surfaces, however a non skid tape or mat may be used if necessary. To clean, just sweep and damp mop as you would the rest of your floor. If the side of your floorcloth is ever scraped or any other damage occurs, simply touch up with water based paint and brush it over lightly with a water base polyurethane.

New Treenware!

We have been busy adding new products to our website again!  We have greatly expanded our line of Treenware.

This great Farmhouse Bowl would look great with a piece from our collection of Primitive Glassware and your favorite candle and some botanicals.  We love the simple look of some artichokes, pomegranates and some pine cones.

The word "treen" comes from the middle English and means "wooden."  Treen is distinctively different than other pieces made from wood such as furniture or cabinetry in that it is a name for small handmade household items such as bowls or spoons. Our collection of "treenware" is made from a resin and is treated with a primitive patina giving it the look of an antique.  It is for decorative use only and is not suitable for any food service.