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Craft Organization Project: Glue Gun Stand

Glue Gun Stand

Crafting is a great outlet for individual creativity and pure source of feeling productive. When the process becomes frustrating and a job, it’s time to reorganize and make things better and the process easy to handle.

I always seem to be looking for things or fumbling through the project for the glue sticks, trying to not get hot glue all over my table or counter, and to have it all in one place ready to use and clean up easily after I am finished.

This is an easy project and I actually had all the necessary items on hand. (I do tend to save a lot of stuff for some project later) All you will need is a small glass cutting board, a glass or cup large and tall enough to hold your glue sticks, a small ring to set your glue gun on while you work and E6000 clear glue or an all purpose glue for glass. I found a glass top from a small dollar tree candle was the exact size and height for my particular glue gun. Tee light holders can be used also, some are too high for the glue gun so you will have to measure to see if it will rest and stand with that one you choose. A medal canning ring would also work if it not to high for the gun stand. I like to use the glass because it is so easy to remove the glue drippings and it is a good weight so it feels stable as you are using it.

I simple laid out the glass board, the cup and glass ring in a position that was comfortable for me. I am right handed so I set it up for my ease of use and placed the glue stick cup/glass were I can easily reach them as needed. Make sure that your glue gun can stand on the cutting board without tipping over, the size of the board may have to be big enough to accommadate all of the items on the board for the size of your gun. My glue gun is 7×7 inches and my cutting board is 8×11 inches. If you have something larger or smaller you will have to adjust the cutting board size.

When you finally get everything placed that is comfortable for you, simply use the E6000 or glue of your choice, and glue to the board. Let it dry completely and you are ready to go. I love that everything is handy and I can even wind up the cord and place it in the stick cup when I am through.

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Burlap and Pearl Spring Wreath

It’s that time of year again when all the trees are budding and plants are breaking ground, and I to want to renew my home decor.  Nothing too drastic, just a few new decorations that say spring is here.  While looking for things that appealed to me I saw a burlap wreath that looked easy and economical to make so I bought a few things and gave it try.  I was very pleased with the results, but the ease of making it was the real bonus.

The instruction and demo are on youtube, they are done by Kat’s Creations.  She is an excellent teacher and she does not go to fast so you can keep up with what she is doing.  Her you tube address is  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkttOaZh4VY.  She will tell  you the items she uses and the sizes.  Her wreath was a fall wreath and she also included a sign in the center.  I made mine for the spring season so I chose to use the burlap with pearl edges that I found at my Walmart ,  I used three 6″ rolls to complete the wreath.  The wreath form measures 12 inches in diameter and is the Dollar Tree wire form.  The finished wreath is 15 inches across and about 3+ deep.  I think you could hang this in between the door and storm door.  I did not want a sign on this one so I just left it plain and added the bow. I was really happy with my end result and I hope you will get inspired to try one yourself. 

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Candy Cane Door Decor DIY

I love to craft and decorate for the holidays and I have found that making some of my own decorations is more fulfilling than just purchasing them.  Lets face it, somethings are out of my ability wheelhouse and I can recognize that fact, but sometimes just a little visual example and explanation can get you trying things you may have never thought to try before.

I have recently started watching some learning channel, You Tube “how to” channels and I find some amazing crafters and creators that are just phenomenal.  Their instructions are visual and understandable and totally enjoyable.  I recommend you take a look at something you may be interested in and give it a try.

I made this Candy cane door decoration  with five plastic candy cane sticks I purchased from Wal-mart, an evergreen pick, two ornaments, and three different kinds of ribbon.  The five candy cane sticks are zip tied together and before the final tightening are arranged in levels you find appealing and then tightened down.  Hot glue is used to attach the greens and ribbon bows, and then lastly the ornaments of your choice are glued down and it is done.  I used a pipe cleaner that I twisted to the back for hanging purposes. If you are bow challenged there are videos to take you step by step. Easy quick and results are better than expected.  These Candy cane door decorations also make great Christmas gifts.

If you would like to watch a video by Damon Oates of “Deco Exchange” www.decoexchange.com/ unfortunately  this project video is no longer posted at this time. But he has others you may be interested in.   Below are some of my recommendations.  Hope you find something that truly interests your creative energies and give it a try.  I like the feeling of accomplishment that I learned something new and I did it.  Happy Holidays and creating.

Deco Exchange

Southern Charm Wreaths

Kats creations777

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Tomato cage milk jug Dracula

 

This is the time of the year that has always been my favorite season.  The weather starts to cool down, and my ambition ramps up and the creative juices start to flow.  I want to go thru my closets and reorganize and let go of the things I no longer use.  The yard work that we have been putting off due to the heat, is finally getting done.  Then we have my favorite, decorating for fall.

Because I have gotten such a great response from my past tomato cage projects, I have worked up a new fairly easy addition to the past years characters.  “Dracula the tomato cage version. ”  I still try to keep to my non scary or threatening Halloween  tradition, so hope you will try this years entry.

Step 1- His head is made from a gallon plastic milk jug which was spray painted blue and then  I hand painted his features in with acrylic paint bought at Walmarts’  craft department. For Dracula, the milk jug handle will be the back of the head, and the opposite side will actually be his nose. I do not have an actual pattern for this, it is done basically free hand. I did pencil sketch some features in to keep it balanced on both sides.  He does have a turtle look to him, but it will improve when finished.

Step 2-  The tomato cage is next and it will be used upside down with the prongs facing up.  The size of tomato cages vary and I try to find the size that will suit the head .  Some small cages are too short so I will use the next size for a better visual balance.  These prongs will be gathered together and duct taped or wired up.  This is where his milk jug head will later be placed and stabilized. If your prongs are to long you can try to either cut the excess off after taping or bend them down and out of the way.  Try the head on first, before cutting prongs to short and the head will fall forward.  I add more duct tape to thicken up the neck wire to keep the head steady.  Do not attach the head now.

Step 3-  The arms.  I use a wire coat hanger with the top hook cut off.  I then fold it in half to find center and wrap it twice around the top part of the taped/wired tomato cage.  I also tape this to stabilize.  I bend the coat hanger end back about two inches to form a sort of hand.  You can form his arms in a direction of your choice, raised, one up. one down, crossed, you will be cover/dressing his arms now .  I found a small  size turtleneck white shirt at the thrift store and I worked the hanger wire through the sleeves and over the neck.  You can now refine you arm placement as you like.  Tape down the bottom of the shirt to the wire cage it keep it in place.  I then used black fabric taped to complete the bottom .  You can also staple the material together instead of taping. I have used both methods and they work equally well.

Step 4-  The head placement.  The head is simply slide over the prongs into place and taped to the tomato cage body.  This is why the turtleneck shirt works to hide the taping.

 

Step 5-  The cape and jabot(necktie).  I purchased the cape for $1 at the dollar tree.  I actually used two of them to have it appear fuller and the collar stands up better. Simply tie around the neck . I used a white wired ribbon to tie a bow, necktie around the turtleneck.  A pendant may be added to dress up the look.  I also added the red sash just to add more color to the outfit and also hide the separation from shirt to black bottom. At this point you are finished with your basic tomato cage Dracula.  Anything goes,  you can  embellish  your creation as you wish,  have fun and a safe Halloween.

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New Sunflower Wreath for Spring

After putting all the Christmas decor away for another season, I was looking for something bright and cheerful to replace the front door wreath. I came across this tutorial on how to make the sunflower wreath and decided, this one was the one I would try, “Hard Working Mom” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLQPYv6-ovA. There are many to choose from and they are all very explanatory, even giving you full list of things you will need to make. I highly recommend the youtube site and see if there is something you would like to make.

This sunflower wreath took me about two hours to complete and I was pleased with the final look for my spring overhaul.  I wanted a slightly smaller wreath so I used the 5 1/2 inch burlap to keep it a manageable size on the door.  Otherwise I followed the instruction on the tutorial which was pretty clear and understandable.  I have use the deco mesh in the past on outside wreaths, but I have found that the color does not hold up to direct afternoon sun on my covered porch.  That was why I choose the colored burlap instead.  I hope you give the site a look and  find something that you like and make this fun wreath.

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Tomato Cage Scarecrow Couple

The best part of  the fall is the decorating  season lasts from September to November which is considerable longer than most of the other seasons.  I love the fall mums and pumpkins of assorted colors, and the changing of the color of the leaves and cooler nights.  Harvesting of the gardens are slowing down and summers finest flowers are fading fast.

For the past four years or more I have been creating new decorative characters out of tomato cages.  I have used them for porch decorations and to adorn my brick pillar lights at the end of my driveway.  This year I was running out of original ideas so I got to work trying out different things that might work.  After many failures I decided that my choice for this year is my pair of scarecrows.  The hardest part of the planning stage for me is trying to get the part you want to light up in the right place for the scarecrow.  Also the fact they are going to be exposed to the weather and wind has to be taken into consideration in the plans.

I started with smaller tomato cages placed upside down so widest part is at the bottom and the prongs are on the top.  I than bend the prongs over to the make a flat top. They could be cut off also if need be.  Mine fit tightly over the light fixtures we have but they needed to have a taller base to sit on to accommadate the light bases.  This is were I had to use creative ideas for  something that can be worked around the light bases.  For my idea I found the oval foil turkey pans would work because I could cut them easily and fit them around the light stem.  I still had a few inches that I  needed to fill so I used a pool noodle that will become the arms of the scarecrow.    Burlap was my choice for the face /bottom section of the scarecrow.  I used old flannel shirts that I cut up to use for the covering of the base foil pans. I used duck tape to tape it down and it keep it securely in place.  The sleeves of the flannel shirt are used to slide the pool noodle through and a dowel rod is slid in the hole in the pool noodle to keep it together and in a good oval shape that will rest on top of the covered foil pan.  I had two hula skirts that I used for the hair ( raffia would also work just as well and it is available in most craft departments).  I used assorted ribbons and floral pieces to decorate the finished product . I painted the face on with a fabric paint. It needed a heavy coat so that when the light shone through the face the features could still be seen. I have posted some photos that may be helpful .  This is a more involved project compared to my other tomato cage characters, but the planning time and effort have paid off in the enjoyment of creating them.  I hope you will enjoy them .  Happy Fall !

The hat was made out of felt from a pattern I found on Pinterest. http://www.wherethesmileshavebeen.com/diy-scarecrow-costume/

 

 

 

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Tomato Cage Ghost : Halloween Decor for Your Front Porch

Make a jack-o-lantern ghost tomato cage craft for Halloween home decor.
Make a jack-o-lantern ghost tomato cage craft for Halloween home decor.
Make a jack-o-lantern ghost tomato cage craft for Halloween home decor.

 

Making a Jack O’ Lantern Ghost Tomato Cage Craft

Tomato cage ghost crafting is easy and cute. The decorating urge has overtaken me this Halloween season along with the fun and creativity it gives  you when it is completed. I am not a scary decorator, because they have always frightened me, but I love the cutesy whimsical themes.

Continue reading “Tomato Cage Ghost : Halloween Decor for Your Front Porch”

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The Joy of Retirement is Friends

 

 

I have been very blessed to move over 450 miles from where I grew up and at 63 years of age, be able to meet and love the ladies in my new home town.  When we got here I literally knew no one and being that we were so busy settling in to our new home, it didn’t really seem to matter.  I was approached by one of the ladies from the neighborhood who asked if I would be interested in joining a group of ladies who have also moved to Tennessee from other states to go out for lunch and fellowship.  The best thing I ever did was say yes, I would enjoy that very much.  That was eight years ago and these crazy dear ladies have become my best friends.  Besides trying out all the great restaurants in a 60 mile radius and visiting places of interest and history. Shopping and gardening are always included in some of the things we share. We also have volunteered  to make lunches for the Special Olympics in town and work for the Helping Hand Organization to befit the people locally in need.  The laughter and tears we have shared cannot be measured and I keep thinking , if I  was not brave enough to make this move into the unknown, I would have never encountered these marvelous women.  If an opportunity ever comes along that you are hesitant about the what if’s, and  maybe you do take that challenge, I hope it is as happy an experience as the one I have been fortunate to be living.  No regrets!

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Pumpkin Snowman

Now that the  Christmas decorating season is upon us, all the fall decor has been tucked away or disposed.  Some of my larger pumpkins were never carved and just used for a nice fall harvest effect and in perfect condition after months of use.  The thought of just throwing them out made me look for a better alternative and so I decided to reuse them, but with a winter theme.  My final simple solution was to make them snowmen.   Everything I needed I had one hand so it was a free craft project as far as immediate cost outlay.  I hope you like them and will give them a try, it adds a bit of whimsy to my outdoor decor.

First I selected the two pumpkins that would be best suited for a balanced effect.  I used four 8″ dowel rods to attach the top pumpkin to the large bottom.  If I did this again I think I would use a center large dowel rod the height of the combined pumpkins to secure the head to the body.  The four dowel rods worked fine, but they tend to slide down into the body and I did angle them so they would not just slip into the cavity of the pumpkin and be of no use for securing them permanently.  The central rod would probably be the best choice.

Next I use a white Krylon spray paint in a white gloss finish to paint the entire head and body of the pumpkins.  After a few hours of drying time, I found a old derby hat that fit the  head of the now snowman snuggly, I did this to see where I will have to start the placement of the face. Another option could be a large stocking hat or earmuffs would work great.  I found some different selections of facial features for a pattern on Pinterest and just copied the one I liked best onto my snowman.  I used a permanent fabric paint I had on hand to paint the eyes nose and mouth.  I also painted on the 3 buttons on the front.  You could also glue on real buttons or pom poms if you choose,  all would work well for this.  Lastly I found some branches in the yard that I used for arms.  Ribbon was used for his hat band and tied around his neck.  I had first put a scarf around his neck which I really liked, but we get a lot of rain this time of the year and the waterproof ribbon would be a better choice for my location.  A sprig of fabric holly was set into the hatband and the snowman project was finished. This is a fairly simple and fast project I hope you will try.

 

Merry Christmas!

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Spring has Sprung

downed trees twig bowbird nestThis has been a very mild winter for our region of the south and we totally are thankful for that.  Now with daylight saving time and spring having arrived we are feeling the changes.  We have experienced some powerful storms and wind damage has been the biggest problem for our neighborhood.  We personally have lost three trees that were completely uprooted, and tons of broken branches are strewn all over the yard.  The other spring arrival has been the rain, that has been more than generous up until now.  I have been trying to cleanup my perennials, dividing of hosta’s and day lilies, and finding them new spots in the yard.  We lost a mugo pine bush that I replaced with a small “lemon thread false cypress” which is slow-growing and will add some yellow to the front landscape.  I have three large red knockout rose bushes in the same area so hopefully all will go well together and the Japanese beetles won’t kill everything.

The birds are also nesting all over the property, jays, mockingbirds, blue birds, and finch.  I have a twig bow decoration on my front door that has a little bird nest and tiny eggs inside.  The finch must have liked that idea and have also made a perfect little nest in the bow. Unfortunately the last wind storm blew it off the door and the birds have not returned.

We already have some lettuce, kale, spinach, and pole beans coming up in the garden.  The tomato and peppers are on order and we are planning on strawberries this year.  The blackberry bushes need to be moved to a sunnier location and then it should be time to sit on the porch with a cool drink in my hand and enjoy.

Hope you have a happy spring!