Sunday, August 30, 2009

RECYCLED BATTERY CANDLE LIGHT

This decorative lamp with a battery powered tea candle is a nice night light that gives the look of candle light.
Materials:
1 empty large tuna fish can
1 empty olive jar
1 battery tea candle
2 part epoxy and amber shellac
Tools:
Shellac brush
Steps:
1. Clean tuna can and olive jar, remove labels.
2. Attach the top side of the jar cover to the center bottom of the can with 2 part epoxy.
3. Apply 3 coats of amber shellac to can and jar cover to give a bronze look.
4. Switch on candle and set into the open side of the jar cover and screw jar into cover to form globe of light.
5. Set your light in desired location and enjoy the candle light.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

RECYCLED WOOD LETTER OPENER


Make this wood letter opener from an old spatula handle and decorative stickers.

Materials:
1 wood spatula handle
2 decorative stickers
Wood stain, and lacquer
Tools:
Wood rasp, sand paper, and brush
Steps:
1. Remove handle from old spatula and rasp to the basic shape as in photos, be sure to keep the hole at handle end of opener.
2. Rasp and sand the blade of the opener to a thin edge, sand complete opener until smooth.
3. Apply wood stain to opener, allow to dry. Apply decorative stickers to the handle.
4. Apply clear lacquer to opener and stickers. Put on several coats of lacquer(sand lightly between coats).
5. Allow to dry fully and start using your recycled letter opener.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

PHOTO CHRISTMAS TREE BALLS

These are by far one of the easier things to make. And because you are putting the picture on a transparency sheet you can see the picture from both sides.
Materials: clear glass ornament balls. Overhead transparency sheets, photo of your choice, computer, scissors, tweezers.
Directions: Measure the size of the ornament ball you have chosen, you will be cutting a circle about 1/16” smaller than the diameter of the ball.*
Remove the hanging top of the ornament.
Using a computer program for Avery circle labels chose the appropriate size import a picture of your choice into the space of the circle. You can continue this for the whole page or just one picture. The key here is to print it on the transparency sheet.
Cut out the circle picture, carefully roll this around a knitting needle or anything thin and round, slide it into the center of the ornament, and remove the needle this will open up automatically and fill the open space of the ball. You can do this step by hand it just takes a little work. Note make sure to line the picture up so that the persons head is at the top of the ball, you can move it inside the ball if you have to with a pair of pointed tweezers,
Replace the top of the ornament.
If you want you can add a little fake snow in the bottom of the globe before putting in the picture, you can also crochet a fancy lace to cover the top of the globe if you want.

*you can figure this by using calipers or by dividing the circumference by 3.14

Friday, August 7, 2009

CHEMO HATS

This is a nice item to make and donate to cancer centers for Chemo patients.
Materials: 1-2 skeins fun fur, size 9 16” circular knitting needles, darning needle.
Directions: cast on 60 stitches; join to form a ring being careful not to twist.
Row 1: knit around. Repeat till hat measures 6”.
To start your decreases;
Knit 8, knit 2 tog. repeat around.
Knit around.
Knit 7, knit 2 tog, repeat around.
Knit around.
Knit 6, knit 2 tog, repeat around.
Knit around.
Knit 5, knit 2 tog, repeat around.
Knit around.
Knit 4, knit 2 tog, repeat around.
Knit 3, knit 2 tog, repeat around.
Knit 2, knit 2 tog, repeat around.
Knit 1, knit 2 tog, repeat around.
Leave a 12” tail, with darning needle weave through remaining stitches pull tight, and fasten off.
This hat will be about 21” to make larger 22” add 6 stitches.

If you want other patterns and designs a good site is Head Huggers.org

Thursday, August 6, 2009

COUNTING BEADS

These are called counting beads because it is used to help people keep track of how many glasses of water they consume in a day. It can be used for anything that needs to be counted. The one with the larger beads is for my husbands’ golf bag where he uses it to keep track of the # of strokes per hole. If you make one of these for a woman I would use bright colored beads.
Materials: 16” (about) cording, 8 beads. For the golf set I used 19” cording and 9x6 mm pony beads.
Directions: Fold cord in half tie a loop knot at top, thread beads by starting at the outside edges, thread left side through to the right then right through to the left, and continue this for all 8 beads then tie a knot at bottom. * note, the knot at the end should be about ½” from the bottom bead. I use one dark bead at the bottom of the small set to start.
Now you will be able to slide the beads one at a time till you reach the top.

RECYCLED CHRISTMAS TREE STAR

An easy to make Christmas Tree Star from a 24 oz. Pepsi Bottle.
Materials:
1 Pepsi bottle 24 oz.
1 piece of 5/8" ID PVC pipe 4" long
1 Styrofoam ball 2" dia.
Silver paint, adhesive spay, 2 part epoxy, and glitter
Tools:
Scissors, pliers, felt marker, and paint brush
Steps:
1. Cut the top section off the bottle right at the top off the label, remove label.
2. Make a marker line at the top off bottle at the center point of each of the knobs on the bottom of the bottle as in first photo below.
3. Cut from the line to the outside edges of the knobs on the bottom of the bottle as in first photo.
4. Bend the 5 pointed sections down until perpendicular with the bottle of bottle as in 2nd photo below, crimp the fold with pliers to get a good crease.
5. Attach the PVC pipe to the star with 2 part epoxy as in the 2nd photo above.
6. Paint the bottom of bottle, pipe, and the folded sections with silver craft paint(only need to paint one side of star, allow to dry.
7. Spay one side at a time with spray adhesive and apply glitter of green & red(or what ever color desired).
8. Paint the Styrofoam ball with the silver paint, spray with adhesive and apply glitter.
9. Allow to dry, epoxy ball into center of bottom(as in first photo above) and you are ready for the tree.