This is Ghostly!

I love making new things from old stuff

Autumn leaves changing colors, children changing personalities, cheesecloth changing into ghosts. It's a time of...change! For your Halloween decor, try these cute ghosts. It's a snap to make them, large or small, eezy peezy! It's not a new idea, but a good one.

Today's project is:
Cheesecloth ghosts

You will need:
~cheesecloth
~fabric stiffener
~black felt
~tall glass or vase
~tennis ball or crumpled foil
~Tacky glue
~wax paper, and Saran Wrap

You should double or triple the cloth (as one layer is too flimsy). The bigger the ghost, the more layers for strength.
Figure out how big your ghost should be. And cut it accordingly.
Take the cheesecloth and soak it in a bowl of fabric stiffener.

Take a glass or vase, and put the tennis ball on top.  (or crumple aluminum foil into a ball). Cover this all with Saran Wrap. Place on waxed paper (to catch the drips from the fabric stiffener.

Drape the cloth (which you have squeezed out) on the top of this, coming down on the sides. Form the edges into a nice shape. When this dries, it will be stiff in the position you have left it.

When dry, lift gently off the form.
Cut out a mouth and eyes and glue onto the face with Tacky Glue.
Use a battery operated tea light to glow it's ghostly, transparent self.

Tip of the day:
I parked under the pine tree in my driveway and got that nasty sap on it. I slathered some mayonnaise on the drips and let sit for about 15 min.  After that, I wiped it off with a cotton rag. Voila! Then I cleaned it as usual.
I'll save those pine boughs for Christmas decorations, and not for covering my car.

That's all for today!
Dee

Fabric pumpkins

I love making new things from old stuff.

The neighborhood is really getting into decorating for Halloween. The air is getting colder, we've had some rain, (and snow up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Lake Tahoe).

So I guess I have to resign myself to the fact Autumn is here.

So I will decorate my house too! Inside and out. Today's project is: Fabric Pumpkins

you will need:

~fabric (fall colors) I used an old cloth napkin, and a tablecloth.

You can use a new piece of fabric, or scraps from previous projects.

~glue gun

~stuffing (cotton balls, fiberfill, the one sock who lost its mate in the wash, etc.)

~green felt

~needle and thread

~green wire (optional)

You will need to make a circle template. I used a pot lid. Put it on your fabric (wrong side up) and trace around it. I used a pencil. The bigger the circle, the bigger the  pumpkin.  (ie. the bigger the lid, the bigger the pumpkin)

Cut this out. Thread the needle and tie the two loose ends of the threads together, so you have a double strand (stronger). If you don't have sewing supplies, you COULD use the glue gun, it's a bit trickier though. You would have to glue the edges as you try to scrunch them together. Watch out not to burn your fingers, ouch!

Sew a running stitch ( -  -  -  -  -  -  -  ) around the edge of the fabric circle. You will pull up the threads to gather the circle, but before you gather it up all the way, put your stuffing in.

Then knot the thread so the top is closed up tight.

Next take your green felt, cut out a couple of leaf shapes. No need to be perfect on the shape.

And cut a long rectangle also. You will roll up the rectangle, periodically gluing as you go, so you end up with a stem.

Now glue the stem to the top of the pumpkin with the hot glue. (You could sew it on too, if you had no glue gun).

And glue the leaves to the sides of the stem. The stem and leaves help hide the gathered top.

If you have green wire (can be florist's wire, or telephone wire), wrap this around a pencil to make it curly. Then wrap a few times around the base of the stem and twist to secure it.

You could use curling ribbon (used for gift wrapping), too. I like the look of the wire, though.

Make a bunch, for every nook and cranny. They look nice nestled among some Indian corn, or squash, in a basket, too.

tip of the day:

If you are buying the wonderful apples that are in season now, here's how to keep them fresh for a long time.  Do not wash them, wrap them individually in a paper napkin (you can pull the plys apart if the napkin has a couple of layers), and put them in a brown paper bag.

Keep this in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Take out the apples one at a time, as you need them. Wash them now and enjoy. You'll be surprised how long they last kept in the bag.

that's all for today!

Dee

Punkin' head

I love making new things from old stuff

Hi!
Well, things around here are looking very Halloweenie!
My neighbor and BFF Gianna was wavering between being a dragon and a knight.  So cute! I love to help out with costume dilemmas! I gave Allie, her mom, an old blouse that was silver and sparkly for her knight's chain maille cowl. And found G's dragon costume at a resale shop. Afterward I had my favorite Kindergartner Gianna over to help me with this great, simple holiday project. I found it in Family Fun magazine, and embellished it.

Today's project is:

Jar Pumpkins

You will need:
~old jars, no lids (labels off)
       pickle, olive, jelly, etc.
~orange paint (acrylic or tempera)
~green raffia, green silk leaf
~votive candle or battery candle
~painter's tape, or masking tape

To remove the labels, I soak a paper towel and wrap around the jar. Let it stand for a few hours, re-wetting periodically. The label should come off easily. You can use a single edge razor blade to scrape off any remainder.

Cut eye, nose and mouth pieces from the tape and adhere to the dry, clean jar.

Paint over the whole thing, on the outside. Not the bottom, but do the top edge.

When it dries, remove the tape to reveal the face. I sprayed it with fixative to help keep the paint from scraping off, but you don't need to do this, if you are careful with surface.

Take the green raffia and wrap around the top several times, and tie securely. Take a leaf and glue gun it to the raffia. (optional).

Put the candle or battery operated candle in and let the punkin' glow! The painting part is so easy, any age can do it. Gee had a ball, and loved her pumpkin family (she made four different sizes). These look great on the front porch steps, or grouped on the fireplace mantel.

tip of the day:
If you ever buy a cake or pie or veggie tray and it has a sturdy plastic lid, don't throw it away. Take off the paper. This is great for using under a large planter pot to catch the excess watering.  I have used these for a salad or casserole that I am taking to a potluck, and don't care if I get the container back.  It holds candy for Halloween trick or treaters and lots of other uses. Be creative and recycle!
that's all for today!
Dee

You "CAN" do this!

I love making new things from old stuff!
 I gave a party a couple of weeks ago, and wanted to use a harvest theme.
So I decorated my hanging light with canning jars with lights in them.
And I made an awesome: Can-da-lier !

Today's project is:

CANNING JAR DECORATIONS

You need:

~canning jars (used is fine)

~leaves (go out and gather)

~spray paint (autumn colors)

~rims for the jars (not lids)
~small battery powered "fake" votive candles
~wire, 20 or 24 gauge (black preferred, but any color will do)

If you don't have a hanging light, or ceiling fan to use for hanging these candle holders, don't bother cutting the wire into the long lengths.

I gathered some leaves and spray painted them (outside on newspapers). Let these dry.

Then cut different lengths of wire. Some were about 20" others were about 30" and sizes in between.
These measurements are not critical. Bend the wires in half, and place each end on the outside of the jars. Then screw on the rims, catching the wires inside. I left some wire extending below the rim, so I could bend it upwards, for added strength.

I added a small wire to the leave stem, and stuck through the leaf, and bent it around the wire near the jar tops. (this works best with a finer gauge wire, i.e. 24 or above)
You can make a leaf garland by using twine or raffia and attaching these leaves along its length. I didn't have time to make one, so I used a garland from the Dollar store.

Then I hung up the wires from my light, and added the fake votive candles. I first used real candles, but since the jars are at an angle, the wax melted off to one side, the flame went out, and left a big mess inside the jar. But if you are using these on a table top, you could certainly use real votives. I like the small ones with the metal bottoms, to catch the melting wax. No mess in the jars. You can scatter some of your painted leaves on the table, around the jars also, for a real autumn look.
(I used the garland idea here, because I wanted to drape it around and hanging down from the light. But next time, I think I'll make some for the table top also, and scatter the leaves around. I LOVE LEAVES ! )

I received very many compliments on this and really love the look of
Country- Canning Jar- Decor!

Another great idea came from my friend Bonnie McAskin (Sierra Candles). She took these jars (with the rims on), added a base that was a candleholder, and sells them as "Hillybilly Wineglasses". They are a riot. And would go perfectly with the 'canning jar decor'. Here's her contact info. if you'd like to purchase some: bmcaskin@comcast.net

tip of the day:
For those of us contact wearers, it seems we always have a couple extra cases lying around. If you don't wear contacts, perhaps you know someone who does, and you can use one of their extra cases.
These little babies make perfect spice containers.
Fill one side with pepper, one side with salt.  OR one side with salt and one with sugar. Hey...any spices you like will do!
But be sure you use the screw-on tops, as the flipper tops may pop open (what a mess that would be).
So if you are picnicing or packing a lunch or taking a road trip with yummy traveling food, you may need a little seasoning to go!

That's all for today!
Dee

Boxed IN

I love making new things from old stuff...

I hope you've been saving those greeting cards, because here comes another idea for them. I like to use this one for lightweight gift giving. Not only for Christmas and birthday gifts, say for those pretty scarves, or a tie. Gift cards, and money fit into these nicely, too for other occasions.
And what about Halloween candy for those special kids who deserve more than a lollipop? Some cookies, and little trinkets would be a welcome treat, also.

Today's project is:

Greeting Card BOX

You will need:
~5 cards, approximately the same size (and same theme)
~ribbons, or string, or raffia
~ a hole punch
~tissue paper

The Dollar stores sell cheap greeting cards if you have not saved up any.

1. You will punch a hole in all four corners of the cards
2. The four cards you will be using for the sides should be the same size. If not cut them to the smallest card's dimensions.

3. The fifth card that you will use for the bottom needs to be a square, the width of the side cards, so cut this accordingly.
4. You will lay out the cards as shown, and tie the ribbons through the holes at the bottom corners of the sides to the box's square bottom. Don't pull the ribbons too tight or the cards will bunch up.

5. Bring up the sides, and tie the top corners as shown.

The box will have gaps in the edges, but that's okay. Because when you give the gift, you will put in a piece of tissue paper (in the case of the scarf or tie). And if you are giving little goodies, put them in a ziploc bag first, then in the tissue paper. That way nothing will spill out.

You now have a decorated box, and made it yourself using recycled materials. Aren't you wonderful? I think so!

Tip of the day:
If you roll up your kitchen towels, THEN put them in the drawer, you can fit a lot more in, than if you folded them in the traditional way.  The kitchen drawers are usually pretty shallow, and the smaller size of these towels work well. Fold them in half, then roll up. Try it. You'll be amazed how many you can squeeze in.
I also roll up the bath towels too. They fit in the closet nicely, and I have some in a large basket in the bathroom, next to the tub.

That's all for today!
Dee

Corky Candle

I love making new things from old stuff!

Hope you've been enjoying some fine wine during this autumn harvest season...
and saving those corks.
The vineyards around here have some really wonderful wineries.
It's always fun to go wine tasting and if you don't have any corks at home, ask the winery for some of theirs. They always have plenty.

Today's project is:

Cork Candle

You'll need:
~32 corks, approximately
~old candles
~bucket filled 1/2 way with sand
~one new candle (about 1" less than the height of two corks)
~plastic grapes, optional
~glue gun

You need to find a large can or vase that you can use a form to use while you glue the corks together. Make the bottom layer first. The glue the upper corks onto the bottom ones, and glue them side by side. Hold for a few seconds each time to let glue dry.

In the meantime, take your old candles and put in an old metal coffee can, and place this into a pot filled with water (double boiler) and heat up to melt the candles.

this part you should do outside...
After your cork circle is completed, make an impression in the sand bigger than this. Put the cork circle into it. Push the sand snugly (but gently) up to the outside of the cork circle. (This will keep the wax from oozing out.) Use a can to tamp down the center so it is even. This will be the base of your candle and you don't want it lumpy.

Place the candle into the middle and pour the melted wax around it up to the top of it.

Let cool overnight. Then lift gently out the cork candle and brush off the excess sand back into the bucket. You can hot glue a cluster of plastic grapes to one side if you wish. ( just make sure it doesn't interfere with the candle wick)

tip of the day:
If you have removed tape from something and it's left a sticky residue, a quick fix is to sprinkle baby powder on it, and rub it around then shake/wipe it off.
This works for pine sap too. Sometimes it gets on my clothes or shoes.
I bought some tea cups and saucers from the thrift shop, and they were taped together. When I removed the tape it left a sticky mess. But the powder worked wonders, so I could handle them easily.
Of course these will be for outside use (upcoming project). If you were to drink from them, use Goo Gone.
Of course, Goo Gone will take it off for good, it just takes more time.

That's all for now...
Dee

Minty fresh idea

Wow, where did the summer go?
I was looking back when I started blogging and talking about the hot weather, and picnics and summer fun. And now it's the beginning of autumn. Although it's still warm up here in the foothills.
Not that I mind fall that much, it gets a bit cooler, and the leaves start turning pretty colors.
What I don't like is what follows autumn...winter! ugh.
I hate cold weather. And count the days til it gets warmer again.
So what do I do on cold days, stay in and make stuff!

Mint Tin Containers

you need:
~small metal containers (such as Altoid mint tins, I also got a few tins from cigars that my husband ordered)
~ duct tape (get decorative designs: like zebra stripes or tie dye designs, from Walmart or Michaels)
~optional: squeezy paint

The duct tape sticks really well to the tins. Make sure they are clean, shake out the mint crumbs from inside, too. I rounded the edges of the tape so it fit with the shape of the tin. After the tape is on, burnish it down with your fingernail or popsicle stick so you get a good flat finish. Although it won't look smooth, it looks kind of leathery, and that's a good look.
You can cover only the top, but I like to do the bottom and inside lid.

Then I added some embellishments with the squeezy paint, like dots around the edges, or fake laces or stitches. This paint takes a while to dry, so keep that in mind (you might only want to do the top)

If you have small tins, you can make a keychain with it. Take a hammer and nail and make 2 holes in one end. You'll have to open the top and work on a firm surface (like scrap wood). You don't want to bend the metal. Loop a piece of string or twine (with a bead or two, if you want) through the holes, and tie inside the tin, double knot and trim ends.
Then get a big key ring, and fasten it to the string.

You'll find lots of uses for these little gems:
1. I use one for traveling, to put my recycled aluminum can earrings in so they don't get crunched.
2. If you made a keychain, you can keep your vitamins or pills you take daily in there. That way you'll have it with you at all times.
3. It's the perfect size to fit credit cards, your driver's license and change. It fits into the back pocket of jeans nicely too, when you don't want to lug a purse or wallet around.
4. Kids love little boxes to put little treasures in.
5. Use it for gift giving for Christmas or birthdays. Put a gift card in it, a ribbon around it- instant gift. No need for further wrapping.
6. Or make an emergency sewing kit. Fill it with a few safety pins, a needles with a long piece of thread on it (stuck into a piece of cardboard and folded over the sharp tip), a few buttons of different sizes and small emery board.

Make a bunch, they're fun and useful, and recycled!

tip of the day:
While visiting Montana last month, I spilled tea on my white pants. My friend Kathy suggested getting out the stain using Dawn detergent.  Now this is the 'original' Dawn (she said that works best).
Take a small amount in your palm, add a little water and suds it up, and then rub onto the fabric. I did this several times, and using my fingernail to scritch it in a bit, the tea blotches started coming out. Wash as usual, but do not dry it, until you check to see if the stain is gone. If not, repeat process.  (Heat will set the stain in and make it virtually impossible to get out). And tea and coffee are really tough to remove.
I was overjoyed! Or should I say "over-dawned"? sorry 'bout that, I couldn't help it.

That's all for now...
:D