Light 'er up!

I love making new things from old stuff!

Thanksgiving is over, and now we all start thinking about Christmas. Well, those of us who love to make our gifts and decorations better get busy, if you haven't already.  Here's a project that anyone can do, even kids, if they are old enough to hit a nail with a hammer, and not their fingers.

For that 'country' Christmas feel, it's nice to use everyday items instead of buying expensive decorations. And you get the satisfaction of recycling and making something yourself. Like this one...

Project of the day:

Tin Can Luminaries

You will need:
~empty (clean) tin cans (any size will work)
~hammer
~large nail with a large head (easier to hit, and makes bigger holes)
~towel

This project needs a couple of days preparation. You will need to start collecting your empty tin cans (not aluminum pop cans), of course. I found some canned corn that comes in a can that has gold colored metal on the inside. This makes the candle really glow. The cans can be any size, large chili cans down to small tomato paste cans and everything in between.

Then when you have several empty cans and they are washed thoroughly, and the labels have been taken off...you need to fill them with water to about 1" from the top. Put these in your freezer overnight until frozen solid. It is a good idea to put several in the freezer at the same time. That way you can alternate the hammering part. I'll explain that later...

After the water has frozen in the can, take it out and lay it on a bunched up towel. You want to make a 'nest' for the can, so it does not roll away as you hammer. It can be slippery. Also the towel will absorb any melting water. Don't do this project on your lovely glass top coffee table, or your bouncy couch. A hard surface is best.

You can make a pattern or just random holes. Random is best, don't be too fussy.
Keep in mind that the candle's light will show through these nail holes. So you don't want to just dent the can, you want to puncture the metal, and punch into the ice.  Older kids (especially boys) love this project because they can hammer, hammer, hammer away. It would be nice to send them outside if the weather permits.

The ice inside will keep the can from caving in when you bang on it. But after a little while, you will find the ice starts to melt (on the larger cans), so put this can back in the freezer and take out another one, and start hammering again.  If you get tired, leave the cans in the freezer for another time.

You will keep making holes all around the can, starting at the top and working downward. Now keep in mind, if you plan on using real candles, don't puncture holes too close to the bottom of the can. You don't want any wax oozing out. But on the other hand, you don't want a row of holes around the top only, you will not be able to see the candlelight at the bottom very well. Especially if you are using tall cans.
When you are done, leave the cans in the sink or bathtub so the rest of the ice can melt.

You can line your walk with these luminaries, and since they are metal, you can use real candles if you wish.  You can also make a nice centerpiece for your table, but if you do, I would use battery powered fake candles. The Dollar store sells them, as well as most other places now. They won't heat up the can, the table surface, or leave wax anywhere.

tip of the day:
IF you have a  paper shredder at home, which more and more people do have, start saving all those little paper pieces. AND throw in some green and red papers (construction paper, magazine ads, etc.) for some festive colors.  You can use these in your Christmas gift wrapping. Even if the item is not fragile, it looks much more special when surrounded with 'frou-frou' papers.  You are renewing and reusing. These are also great if you have to mail gifts to those far away friends and family. Pack them in your shreddings~and keep recycling!

That's all for today!
Dee

Pain in the Neck!

I love to make new things from old stuff!

With the holidays coming, and things getting so busy, I'm getting a bit stressed.
And when I get stressed, I get a neck ache. Not to say I'm a pain in the neck,
which I can be...but that stiff neck, between the shoulder blades pain. ARG!

So to get the kinks out in the morning or at the end of a long day, it's good to put a warm rice bag on those achy muscles.  Also a great gift (just use a brand new pillowcase or pretty fabric) for Christmas or a birthday.
*I made two, one for me and one for a gift. So I used an old plain pillowcase for the insides, and a nice new flannel one for the outer case.

Today's project is:

Rice bag neck warmer

You'll need:
~a cotton pillowcase (any old one is fine, remember we are recycling)
~long grain rice (not instant)
 2 small bags (36 oz.) will fill one bag, with a bit left over.
~scissors and a sewing machine
~velcro fasteners (optional)

Now some of you may not have a sewing machine, but know someone who does. If you do the cutting out and measuring everything first, I bet that friend of yours that has a sewing machine would be happy to help you. All the sewing is quick, straight stitching.  Hey, make one for you and give the other one to her.

You will lay out the pillowcase out, and measure about 8 1/2" from the edge, and mark lengthwise. Cut this long piece out. One side will hold the rice. The other side (slightly wider) will be the cover.
*This is IF you are using one pillowcase to make 1 bag. If you are making two bags, cut both plain case and pretty case in half lengthwise.

Take the 8 1/2" piece and cut off the 'hem'. (You want the inside bag to be shorter than the cover) Leave the hem on the wider (10 1/2" piece)


Turn cases inside out, and sew along the long edge of both. You will leave the end open to put the rice in.  Turn pillowcases right side out again. Set the larger one aside for now.

You must now divide the smaller 'rice' bag into thirds and mark. This will give 3 rice pockets within the bag. You don't want all the rice to bunch up at one end, right?

Now measure two cups of rice and pour into the bag. Take to the sewing machine and with the rice at the end, sew on the first marked line (about 9" from the end).  Fill again with 2 cups rice, and sew the next pocket (18" from the end). And lastly fill the last section with 2 cups rice and sew up the end completely.

Now you can take the larger piece that you put aside earlier, and add a little velcro closure at the hemmed end. This is optional, but a nice touch.

Now, if you get the outer case dirty, you can take it off and wash it, leaving the rice bag intact. Remember heating the rice is okay, getting it wet is NOT.

To heat up the neck warmer, put the whole thing into the microwave for 2 min.
It will smell like rice, but feel soooo nice!!
You can use this over and over with no worries about cooking the rice. And the shape of the rice bag conforms nicely to any achy part.
Perhaps you can warm your feet, and use it for warm lumbar support.
Hey you could even use it a bed warmer on these chilly nights.
Heat it up, and put it between the sheets a little while before you slip yourself into bed. Who needs an electric blanket? (Just an electric microwave)

tip of the day:
Since we are using rice, why not make a quick shoe deodorizer with that little bit left over in the rice package?
Get a couple of clean socks, mismatched is a good way to use up those "lost in the wash" ones.  Pour some rice into it, some baking soda, and perhaps some potpourri, I like to use the lavendar I dry myself.
Sew or knot or twist tie the end shut and mush, smush and squash the contents around to mix,  then stick one in those smelly sneakers.
These should absorb the moisture and leave a nicer smell.

That's all for today!
:D

Hardware for earwear

I love making new things out of old stuff!

Well, we survived Halloween. So now I am hoping people will take down their cobwebs and rotten pumpkins. And the bats are not invited for Thanksgiving, either.

I've been super busy with craft fairs, trying to cash in on the Christmas shopping crowd. So between creating my goodies, and schlepping them around trying to sell them. Whew! I'm pooped.

And since I make so many earrings, I end up keeping a bunch. So I had to custom make my own holder. So here is today's project:

Hardware cloth earring holder

You need:

1/4" hardware cloth
20 gauge silver wire
wire cutters
needle nose pliers

The finished size of the wire mesh is up to you.
It depends on how large you want your
holder to be. The wire is pretty stiff, so
you can make it fairly large and it should hold up. Mine is about 12" tall with a 7" base. (so I cut my piece 32" long and 8" wide.)

Keep in mind that you will need two sides and one bottom. This will be all one piece.
You need to cut the wire mesh so you have little wires sticking out. Because once you have cut the hardware cloth to size you will need to curl those ends inward. That way you won't have any sharp pokey wire ends. You will do this the total length. It takes a while, but it's a must.

Find the middle and bend it in half. Then bend each end inward 3 1/2". This will form a triangle. Where the two ends meet you will take some wire and weave it in and out securing the ends together.

I added some wire to the top, and curled it for a little swirly look. You can put ear wires on both sides if you wish for double the space savings. Or hang your necklaces from the top wires dangling down the back side.
The shape could also be made into a square, or cylinderical. 

tip of the day:

My neighbor found a good tip in a cooking magazine and I wanted to pass it on.
If your mustard bottle is getting empty, it's almost impossible to get the last drop out. So instead put in some olive oil and a little bit of balsamic vinegar and shake it vigorously.
Now you have some great salad dressing with some added mustard zing.

That's it for today!
And Thank you to all the troops on this Veterans Day.
:D