WOOD MADE CANDLE BOX

This nice wood box with opaque windows for a votive candle also has a lift up platform for lighting the candle.

Materials:

4 sides 1/2" x 5" x 6" of Philippine Mahogany Plywood

1 top 1/2" x 5" x 5" of Philippine Mahogany Plywood

1 candle platform 1/2" x 3 7/8" x 3 7/8" of PMP

1 bottom 1/2" x 6" x 6" PMP

1 dowel 1/2" x 6 5/8"

1 wooden ball 1" dia.

4 window panels 1/16" Plexiglas 3 1/2" x 5 1/2"

4 wallboard screws 1" long

Craft sticker for the panels

Thin strips of double stick carpet tape

Craft paints, wood glue, and wood finish

Tools:

Table saw, 3" hole saw, drill & bits, 2 large rubber bands or clamps, 2" forester bit(or spade bit), router, and screw driver.

Steps:

1. Cut the top, bottom, sides, and platform from PMP as seen on drawing below.

2. Router out 1/8" deep and 3 1/2" wide notch in the inside of sides as in drawing.

3. Cut dowel and Plexiglas panels.

4. Drill holes in PMP and wooden ball as on drawing.

5. Sand all the PMP pieces.

6. Glue the 4 sides together with angled to angled edges forming the box, clamp with rubber bands or clamps( make sure to leave angled top edges to receive the top).

7. Glue the top into the angled edges of the sides and place a weight on top to clamp.

8. Glue dowel into the hole in platform piece.

9. Sand and finish all the PMP pieces, dowel and ball.

10. Place Plexiglas panel into notch and lightly mark the round window shape on outside of Plexiglas, remove and apply craft stickers on outside of panel within the circle(remove line with damp cloth).

11. Paint the back side of panel with watered down craft paint, I used a blue and white swirl mix with wet brush for 2 panels and green & white for 2 panels(experiment on scraps to get right opaque look)

12. Attach panels inside box with strips of double stick carpet tape.

13. Place the assembled box over the platform & dowel assembly, allowing the the dowel to stick up through the 1/2" hole in the top.

14. Turn the box bottom side up(place on 2 boards so dowel is free) and place the bottom onto the box, drill pilot holes and countersink, attach with wall board screws, put felt pads over screws.

15. Turn box upright and glue wooden ball onto dowel, allow glue to dry.

16. lift candle platform to the top of the box with the ball on the top, set candle in 2" recess and light(see photo below), lower candle into box, watch your new wood made candle box.

INDIAN CORN CANDLE HOLDER

Here is a simple, but attractive center piece/candle made with an ear of Indian Corn.
Materials:
1 ear of dried Indian Corn
1 6” plywood disc from Walmart Craft Department
1 top section of a water or soda bottle 1 autumn colored candle
1 bouquet of plastic autumn leaves Modeling dough black and orange
Wood stain and finish
2 part epoxy and hot glue
Tools:
Saw, sand paper, hot glue gun, and brush
Steps:
1. Sand, stain and finish 6” wood disc for base (apply 2 or 3 coats of finish).
2. Cut the bottom and top of the ear of corn off so that you have 2 square flat ends.
3. Cut the top of a water or soda bottle off just below the flange that is below the threaded part of the bottle, and sand until bottom of flange is smooth and flat.
4. Using 2 part epoxy, attach the larger end of the corn to the center of the 6” wood disc.
5. Attach the flange section of bottle to the small end of the corn with 2 part epoxy, making sure to center and keep perpendicular to the wood base (try placing the candle into bottle piece to keep perpendicular).
6. Form a flat piece of orange modeling dough about 1/8” thick and wide enough to cover the treads on bottle piece. Apply the dough to the threaded piece and smooth in place as in photo above.
7. Form a piece of black dough to apply to the top of the corn and over the flange of the bottle piece as in photo above.
8. Allow the dough to set a day to harden and cover the whole center piece with finish if desired.
9. Remove individual leaves from bouquet and hot glue to base around the bottom of corn as in photo above.
10. Insert candle into open end of bottle piece and display for autumn accent.

HALLOWEEN DECORATION

This is a simple way to make some Halloween Creatures.
Materials:
1 empty gallon water jug
1 black permanent marker
1 or 2 battery tea candles
½ yard of black material or 1 over the head mask
Tools:
Scissors or knife and hot glue gun
Steps:
Cut the top off 1 gallon water jug, and cut small opening in side of jug on handle side as in first photo above.
For the middle photo design draw face on sides of jug opposite the handle as in second photo above.
Cover the opposite sides from the face with the black material, leaving a flap where the hole was cut in the jug for the tea candles to be inserted.
Another option is to buy a over the head mask and place it over the jug as in the third photo above.
Turn on the tea candles and insert in the hole at back of jug and display at night.

DOUBLE POINTED KNITTING NEEDLE HOLDER

DP Needle Holder is a handy way to store your double point needles.
Materials: 1” wide decorative ribbon, ¾” wide elastic (I prefer black), iron on mending tape any size will do.
Directions: Cut two pieces of ribbon wide enough to cover tips of needles about 2 ¼”. Cut elastic 5 ½” long, cut two pieces of iron on tape the same size as the ribbon. Lay ribbon face down place elastic on top of ribbon centered half way up, lay iron on tape on top press with hot dry iron. Do the same with the opposite end. Fold ribbon in half and whip stitch seems on top and side. Leave bottom open for the needles. NOTE: typically dp needles are 7” long. If you have any that are longer or shorter cut the elastic about 1 to 1 ½” shorter than the needle.

KNITTED KLEIN BOTTLE HAT

Childs Klein bottle Hat(First Photo)
Materials: size 3 dp needles, darning needle, Bernat baby Jacquards yarn 3.5oz skein.
Directions: With invisible cast on method cast on 20 sts. Evenly divided on three dp needles 6sts, 8sts, 6sts. Join to form a ring being careful not to twist.

Row 1: K1, P1, around, repeat this row for 5 to 6”.
Row 2: K4, K2 in the next st. repeat around (24sts).
Row 3: K1, P1, around.
Row 4: K3, K2 in the next st. repeat around (30sts).
Row 5: repeat row 3
Row 6: K4, K2 in the next st. repeat around (36sts).
Row 7: repeat row 3
Row 8: K5, K2 in the next st. repeat around (42sts).
Row 9: repeat row 3
Row 10: K6, K2 in the next st. repeat around (48sts).
Row 11: repeat row 3
Row 12: K7, K2in the next st. repeat around (54sts).
Row 13: repeat row 3
Row 14: K8, K2 in the next st. repeat around (60sts).
Row 15: repeat row 3
Row 16: K9, K2 in the next st. repeat around (66sts).
Row 17: repeat row 3
Row 18: K10, K2 in the next st. repeat around (72sts).
Row 19: repeat row 3 till hat measures 5 1/2” from start of increases.
For the next 10 rows work back and forth not in the round, this will leave an opening
(Or hole) in the work.
Then working in the round again, repeat row 3 for ten more rows. Now decrease in same fashion as you increased. First row will be K9 K2 tog. around. (This is a reverse of row 16) Repeat row 3.
Continue in this fashion till you have 20 sts. Work another 3” of K1 P1.
Reach into the opening (hole) pull the small end up through the hole turning it inside out. This will make the hat double thickness.
Finish by joining the two ends together using the kitchener stitch(See Photo Below).

This hat can be made for an adult child(Second Photo) by using worsted weight yarn and a size 7 knitting needle. The original tube will be 7” and the body area will be 10” the hole opening is about 2”. You can also use a K2 P2 throughout if you prefer.