Patent Pending Projects

Weathered Wood Project

2012-05-14T10:08:00.002+01:00

My obsession with making things from pallets continued this week when I made these vintage style crates and display trays for the Honest2Goodness market, which takes place every Saturday and Wednesday in Glasnevin.

Vintage Crates


Image: Patent Pending Projects

Display Trays

Image: Patent Pending Projects

The 'vintage style' element of the crates was pretty easy to achieve as the the wood used was fairly weathered already. However, what if you are using relatively new wood and need to create that old worn look?

Well there is a variety of ways to do this and most, if not all of them, involve sanding, staining, more sanding, denting with a hammer, burning slightly, waxing, polishing, a touch more sanding, a touch more denting - this time with rusty nails, lightly painting the wood followed by the partial removal of this light paint and finally finishing with a smidgen more sanding. Alternatively, you could just leave it outside in the rain for 3 months. Whichever method is quicker.

I have of course found a quicker way to do this, courtesy of Frugal Farmhouse Design who transformed this new timber table...

Image: Frugal Farmhouse Design

...into this 'aged' dinner table with just 2 simple steps.

Image: Frugal Farmhouse Design

What you'll need.
1. A bottle of white vinegar
2. 2 pieces of steel wool
3. A couple of tea bags
4. A glass jar
5. Paint brush
6. Varnish of your choice. (My preference is for a satin finish, not gloss.)

Before you treat the wood, you will need to make the mixture that will create your effect.
To do this you need to tear up the steel wool into small pieces and pop it inside the glass jar.
Next, pour in enough vinegar so that the steel wool is covered.
Pop the lid on top and let this sit for at least 24 hours. The longer you leave it - the darker the colour you will achieve.

After 24 hours you are ready to treat the wood.

Step 1. Take 2 tea bags and in a bowl, pour in enough boiling water for about 2 cups. Let the tea soak for a few minutes and then apply to the wood with the brush as if you were using paint.
It will look like a very light stain. Lets this dry completely.

Step 2. Once the tea stain is dry, apply the vinegar/steel wool mixture with the same method as the tea. The wood should start to change colour immediately.

Finish with a protective coat of varnish.

It's always a good idea to try this process out on a scrap piece of wood before trying it out on the actual wood you will be using.

There is a nice photographic tutorial of this process to be found over at Extreme Restoration and for those of you who prefer the sanding, denting, painting, stripping, sanding, waxing, burning approach - check out Young House Love for a one of a kind 12 foot long 'weathered look' console table.

Image: Young House Love

Stencilled Table Project

2012-05-03T11:53:00.000+01:00

So it's time to get a new dinner table. Or is it?

Unless your table is on it's last legs, literally and figuratively, then I urge you to consider all possibilities before posting it on Free Trade, abandon it in a skip, or in my case, reclaiming any wood worth saving.

There are lots of tutorials and how-to's when it comes to restoring furniture but this idea is one of the simplest and more effective ways to help revive an old piece of furniture, saving you the need to replace it.

Stencilled Table

Image: Design*Sponge

Here's what you'll need:

1. Sand paper
2. Dust mask
3. White paint (or choose your own colour) - go for a satin finish
4. Stencils. You can buy these or make your own.
5. Masking tape
6. Brushes and/or foam roller
7. Varnish

You can pick up all of these materials at your local DIY store.
If you've never stencilled before, have a look at the 'how-to' videos on this website for a few handy tips.

Instructions:
1. Prepare your table.
If you are painting an unfinished table, sand it down until nice and smooth and if you are using a painted piece make sure that your base coat is nice and fresh and ready to take the stencil.
Your piece should be smooth, clean and dust free.

Image: Design*Sponge

2. Set out your design.
Once you are sure of your placement , use masking tape to securely hold the stencils in place.

Image: Design*Sponge

3. Apply the paint.
Use the brush or foam roller. The most important thing to remember here is to use very little paint to ensure that it will not bleed under the edge of your stencil.

Image: Design*Sponge

4. Check the design.
Gently lift your stencil to view your design. If there are any “issues”, reposition your stencil in the exact same place and add more paint where needed. When you are finished painting in your stencil, gently remove the stencil and let paint dry completely.

Image: Design*Sponge

6. (This is optional) Lightly sand the finished stencil.
Once your stencil is completely dry, very lightly sand with a fine grit sandpaper (150-180) to achieve a smooth look and work it into the wood a bit. Wipe the area clean with a dry cloth.

Image: Design*Sponge

7. Apply varnish.
Apply 2-3 coats of water based varnish using either a foam roller or a brush. If using the foam roller, make sure that you roll very lightly to ensure the smoothest finish.

If it works out well you might be inspired to breath new life into some more worn out furniture.
"Revive don't replace".

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Make Your Own Board Game Project

2012-04-30T11:44:00.001+01:00

It's another cold and dreary day in cold and dreary Ireland but hopefully, with today being the 30th of April, that's the end of the infamous April showers. If not, here's fun idea to help keep the kids entertained indoors on rainy day #120.

Check out these websites for ideas and inspirations when making your own board game.

Try alphamom
Use Lego pieces, recycled colour paint chips and add instructions like 'make a funny face' or 'do a silly dance'.

Image: alphamom

Or how about... One Crafty Mumma
Make your way to the fabulous farm house, picking up treats along the way.

Image: One Crafty Mumma

And for a themed board game go to my Momma told me about...
A Christmas game where Santa has to make it from the North Pole to all the rooftops.

Image: my Momma told me about...

In the meantime...
Though April showers may come your way,
They bring the flowers that bloom in May.
So if it's raining, have no regrets,
Because it isn't raining rain, you know, It's raining violets.

.....here's a little bit of the Velvet Fog

Plastic Cap 'ABC' Magnets Project

2012-04-26T12:35:00.000+01:00

Image: The green art classroom

Most plastic soda, water and milk bottles are made from Polyethylene terephthalate, or PET #1 plastic and their caps are most commonly made from polypropylene, or plastic #5. These two different types of plastic melt at different temperatures during the recycling process and therefore, need to be processed separately.

If you are a dedicated recycler and find that you have a pile of bottle tops at the end of the week, then this easy craft will have you putting them to even better use and help your child learn the alphabet.

ABC magnets

Image: Kiwi mag online

The materials you will need are:
1. Bottle caps
2. Old magazines
3. Scissors
4. Glue stick
5. Self-adhesive magnetic tape (available at craft stores)

Instructions:
1. Collect as many plastic bottle caps as you can. You’ll need enough for every letter of the alphabet, plus a few extra E’s, A’s, S’s, T’s and any other letters that might appear twice in your child’s name or word.

2. Search through magazines and cut out bold, colourful letters to fit inside each cap. Also look for pages without much writing, and cut them into small white squares, slightly larger than the bottle caps.
Alternatively, use the templates below these instructions to cut out your letters.

3. Trim as close as possible to each letter, and then glue them onto the white square backgrounds.

4. Place a bottle cap on top of a white square and trace around it. Cut out this circle, glue the letter to it and then glue to the inside of the cap.

5.Cut a small piece of self-adhesive magnetic tape. Stick on the back of a cap so that the magnetic side is facing out. Repeat with remaining caps.

6. Stick your magnets on the fridge and start spelling!

CLICK ON IMAGES TO PRINT LARGER VERSION

B&W letters for water bottle caps Colour letters for water bottle caps

Image: Art is helping children

B&W letters for milk bottle caps pg.1 B&W letters for milk bottle caps pg.2

Image: Art is helping children

Colour letters for milk bottle caps pg.1 Colour letters for milk bottle caps pg.2

Image: Art is helping children

Cardboard Shape Sorter Project

2012-04-23T13:36:00.000+01:00

This project, found over at play and grow, appeals to 3 of my ongoing obsessions.

Image: play and grow

To start with, Evengy Kudryavtsev recycles cardboard, mostly Pampers boxes which I have in abundance, into educational toys for toddlers. That's two out of three obsessions right there. Thirdly, he's Russian, which you may or may not have guessed from his name.

When I first saw this I just felt so stupid that I had not thought of it sooner for my own son. I've looked at different wooden shape sorting toys and made plans for making one myself but this is such a wonderful idea that has just been staring me in the face. I guess that's the thing with the best ideas, they're just so simple.

The materials you will need:
1. Cardboard
2. Pack of wooden dowels (you can pick these up at any DIY store)
3. PVA glue
4. Paint (of your choice) or colourful card stock.
5. Craft knife
6. Pencil
7. (optional) Drill and drill bit (the same size as your wood dowels)

To begin with, cut 3 pieces of cardboard 260mm by 80mm.
Glue 2 of the pieces together and paint white.

Image: play and grow

Using the dimensions detailed below, mark out the holes, on the painted cardboard, with a pencil.

Image: play and grow

When making the holes, use the pencil to punch some of the way through the cardboard. You can use the wooden dowels to widen and complete the holes as they will need to fit snugly into the cardboard. Use your craft knife to remove any excess cardboard on the reverse side.

Image: play and grow

Glue the last piece of cardboard to the bottom, which will form your base and hold the dowels in place.
Use some more glue when placing the dowels into the cardboard for extra stability.

Next, cut your geometric shapes. Dimensions below.

Image: play and grow

Cut two versions for each shape (using the first version as your template for the second - the must be exactly the same). Glue two piece together.

Image: play and grow

To make the holes, pierce the cardboard with a pencil (as you did with the base) and use any extra dowels to complete the holes, cutting away any extra cardboard from the reverse side.

Alternatively, if you have a drill with a drill bit the same size as the wooden dowel, simply drill a hole in the cardboard, starting slowly with little pressure as you may tear the cardboard.

Image: play and grow

It's a good idea to make a couple of sets of the shapes so that you can have a variety of colours.
Test them all out on the wood dowels and adjust the slope of the dowels or the diameter of the holes accordingly.

Image: play and grow

All that's left to do is pop some colour on them and you're ready to go.
If you are using paint, make sure it's non toxic child friendly paint.
If you are using colorful card stock, use the dimension above to cut out your shapes and glue them in place.

Image: play and grow

I'll be sure to keep an eye on more of Evgeny's fantastic inventions and if you have kids in your house or young children in your family, I'm sure you'll find more wonderful ideas on his site.

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Cereal Box Notebook Project

2012-04-19T09:20:00.003+01:00

I'm constantly finding little scraps of paper in my back pocket with hastily scribbled notes on them.
Anything from shopping lists, phone numbers and silly ideas that pop into my head.

The worst part about this is not really the finding them in my pocket but my more my filing system for them.

Normally, at the end of each day, these scraps end up in a haphazard pile on my bedside locker where my son can, and usually does, find them the following morning and then spends the day depositing them around the house only for my wife to find them stuffed behind pillows, under seats, inside the washing machine and once surprisingly, inside a sandwich.

So, this project manages to achieve 2 of the favourite pastimes in this house. My wife's love of organising and my obsession with reusing cereal boxes.

Image: SCJohnson

The materials you need are:
1. A cereal box or cracker box or other lightweight product boxes from your recycling bin
2. Scrap paper (you could collect office scrap paper from fax machines/photocopiers)
3. Rubber bands
4. Small pencils (pick up a few free pencils the next time you're in IKEA or Argos)
5. Stapler
6. Scissors

Image: SCJohnson

How to Make:
1. Cut out box sections for covers and paper to 2 inch x 4 inch pieces.
2. Draw score lines on the cardboard for easier folding by running a straight line down center of the back side with a ball point pen.
3. Fold sets of six paper pieces together in half and line up with the cardboard cover.
4. Slide the stack into the stapler and staple the fold.
5. Fold the notebook in half, add a pencil and secure with a rubber band.

Image: SCJohnson

Nothing could be simpler. Repurposed cereal boxes turned into fun little notebooks.

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Raised Garden Project

2012-04-16T09:33:00.001+01:00

This is a perfect project for those of you who want to grow some vegetables and so far, the only thing stopping you was lack of space.

The best part of this project is, about half of the material you need, could probably be found just by walking to the end of your road.

Image: Poppytalk

Here are the materials you will need:
1. An old door. (as mentioned before - in this city lined with skips - the one thing in abundance is discarded doors.)
2. (using the measurements of the door) pick up 2 x long pieces (to fit length of door) and 2 x short piece (to fit top and bottom of door) of pressure treated wood (at least 10 inches wide) from your local DIY store. They will cut them to size if you don't have a saw.
3. 2 x Saw Horses or Trestles. You could try and pick some up in your local DIY store or buy them online here.
4. A packet of L brackets (8 in total)
5. A box of screws
6. Roll of plastic painters sheeting (to line the box)
7. Compost/Potting Soil
and seeds of your choice

Fit the wood around the outside of the door and screwed it.

Image: Poppytalk

Then secured the inside of the box with the 8 L brackets.

Image: Poppytalk

Set up your two saw horses/trestles outside and place the box on top. Line the box with plastic sheeting. This step will help prevent the water from eventually rotting the door. For our water drainage hole, leave the hole open where the door mechanism would usually go and remove the plastic in this area.

You can always drill more holes for drainage.

All that's left is to plant your seeds - or if you have already started growing seedlings, get ready to transfer them into their new home.

Image: Poppytalk

But first things first.

Go out and get skip hunting.

Yes, But Can The Steam Engine Do This?

2012-04-01T09:37:00.002+01:00

Image: Enjoy The Random

Sometimes, for great ideas, all you need to do is look sideways.

What follows is a brief biography on The Earl of Sandwich. A man, whose immense dreams and hopes (coupled with an awareness of the obvious obstacles) propelled him into inventing the very first sandwich.

Words courtesy of Allan Stewart Konigsberg

1718: Birth of the Earl of Sandwich to upper-class parents. Father is delighted at being appointed chief farrier to His Majesty the King — a position he will enjoy for several years, until he discovers he is a blacksmith and resigns embittered. Mother is a simple Hausfrau of German extraction, whose uneventful menu consists essentially of lard and gruel, although she does show some flair for culinary imagination in her ability to concoct a passable sillabub.

1725-35: Attends school, where he is taught horseback riding and Latin. At school he comes in contact with cold cuts for the first time and displays an unusual interest in thinly sliced strips of roast beef and ham. By graduation this has become an obsession, and although his paper on "The Analysis and Attendant Phenomena of Snacks" arouses interest among the faculty, his classmates regard him as odd.

1736: Enters Cambridge University, at his parents' behest, to pursue studies in rhetoric and metaphysics, but displays little enthusiasm for either. In constant revolt against everything academic, he is charged with stealing loaves of bread and performing unnatural experiments with them. Accusations of heresy result in his expulsion.

1738: Disowned, he sets out for the Scandinavian countries, where he spends three years in intensive research on cheese. He is much taken with the many varieties of sardines he encounters and writes in his notebook, "I am convinced that there is an enduring reality, beyond anything man has yet attained, in the juxtaposition of foodstuffs. Simplify, simplify." Upon his return to England, he meets Nell Smallbore, a greengrocer's daughter, and they marry. She is to teach him all he will ever know about lettuce.

1741: Living in the country on a small inheritance, he works day and night, often skimping on meals to save money for food. His first completed work — a slice of bread, a slice of bread on top of that, and a slice of turkey on top of both, fails miserably. Bitterly disappointed, he returns to his studio and begins again.

1745: After four years of frenzied labor, he is convinced he is on the threshold of success. He exhibits before his peers two slices of turkey with a slice of bread in the middle. His work is rejected by all but David Hume, who senses the imminence of something great and encourages him. Heartened by the philosopher's friendship, he returns to work with renewed vigor.

1747: Destitute, he can no longer afford to work in roast beef or turkey and switches to ham, which is cheaper.

1750: In the spring, he exhibits and demonstrates three consecutive slices of ham stacked on one another; this arouses some interest, mostly in intellectual circles, but the general public remains unmoved. Three slices of bread on top of one another add to his reputation, and while a mature style is not yet evident, he is sent for by Voltaire.

1751: Journeys to France, where the dramatist-philosopher has achieved some interesting results with bread and mayonnaise. The two men become friendly and begin a correspondence that is to end abruptly when Voltaire runs out of stamps.

1758: His growing acceptance by opinion-makers wins him a commission by the Queen to fix "something special" for a luncheon with the Spanish ambassador. He works day and night, tearing up hundreds of blueprints, but finally—at 4:17 A.M., April 27, 1758 — he creates a work consisting of several strips of ham enclosed, top and bottom, by two slices of rye bread. In a burst of inspiration, he garnishes the work with mustard. It is an immediate sensation, and he is commissioned to prepare all Saturday luncheons for the remainder of the year.

1760: He follows one success with another, creating "sandwiches," as they are called in his honor, out of roast beef, chicken, tongue, and nearly every conceivable cold cut. Not content to repeat tried formulas, he seeks out new ideas and devises the combination sandwich, for which he receives the Order of the Garter.

1769: Living on a country estate, he is visited by the greatest men of his century; Haydn, Kant, Rousseau, and Ben Franklin stop at his home, some enjoying his remarkable creations at table, others ordering to go.

1778: Though aging physically he still strives for new forms and writes in his diary, "I work long into the cold nights and am toasting everything now in an effort to keep warm." Later that year, his open hot roast-beef sandwich creates a scandal with its frankness.

1783: To celebrate his sixty-fifth birthday, he invents the hamburger and tours the great capitals of the world personally, making burgers at concert halls before large and appreciative audiences. In Germany, Goethe suggests serving them on buns — an idea that delights the Earl, and of the author of Faust he says, "This Goethe, he is some fellow." The remark delights Goethe, although the
following year they break intellectually over the concept of rare, medium, and well done.

1790: At a retrospective exhibition of his works in London, he is suddenly taken ill with chest pains and is thought to be dying, but recovers sufficiently to supervise the construction of a hero sandwich by a group of talented followers. Its unveiling in Italy causes a riot, and it remains misunderstood by all but a few critics.

1792: He develops a genu varum, which he fails to treat in time, and succumbs in his sleep. He is laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, and thousands mourn his passing. At his funeral, the great German poet Holderlin sums up his achievements with undisguised reverence: "He freed mankind from the hot lunch. We owe him so much."

For more like this check out The Complete Prose of Woody Allen

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Newspaper Pot Project

2012-03-22T12:41:00.002Z

Image: A Heart For Home

It's all doom and gloom really, or that's what the newspapers would have us believe.

This morning there is report that the Banks are going to start charging us for not having enough money.
What's next - a toll for using the footpath outside their door?

Week in week out there is a constant flow of financial mumbo jumbo across the airwaves, through our TV screens and rubbing off on our very fingertips from the daily newspapers. If it's not about bank bailouts, new government plans, bigger bank bailouts, restructuring of finance, yo-yoing interest rates, ginormous bank bailouts, increased unemployment or the astronomical bank bailouts, then it's the usual peppered attempt at bluff nonsense, reporting on the 'green shoots of recovery'.

This little idea though, is the only time you might find 'green shoots' and 'newspapers' in the same sentence.

Image: A Heart For Home

Making pots for seedlings is a great way to recycle newspaper and you save money gardening. These recycled newspaper pots are relatively easy to make and make transplanting seedling to the garden very easy. Making pots this ways removes the need for any tape, glue, string, or staples and results in a sturdy recycled newspaper pot.

Pop over to A Heart For Home for the full tutorial.

They also have a tutorial on making your own seed starter pots from toilet paper or paper towels rolls which you can find here.

Image: A Heart For Home

Playdough Project

2012-03-12T10:56:00.001Z

I made a choice, when I first started this blog, that I would never post articles about food or recipes.

There are a 101 different blogs out there, that each week, mix up a measure of crafts, a dollop of DIY and a pinch of seasonal produce to create that perfect blend of delectable, guilt free, bite sized blogging content.

So you won't find any of that here.

Saying that, this post requires you to use:
1 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of salt, 1 cup of water, 2 tsp. tartar powder, 2 tbls cooking oil, 1 cup of water dyed with food coloring.

Image: Hammer & thread

Mix everything together in a Non-stick pot. (The site makes a point of saying "Seriously use non stick." so, you've been warned!)
Stir over medium heat. It will look really soupy when you start but then suddenly it will come together. When it clumps into a ball dump it onto a cutting board to cool.

If you want to try out some natural dyes and festive scents then pop over to mini eco for their great tutorials.

The link for natural dye, using raspberries, rose petals, beetroot, blueberries and turmeric can be found here.

Image: mini eco

The link for the festive scented playdough can be found here.

Image: mini eco

Mothers Day Project(s)

2012-03-08T13:52:00.000Z

In 1985, The Breakfast Club posed the question, "Are we going to be like our parents?"
There was a time when I wholeheartedly agreed with the answer.
"It's unavoidable, it just happens. When you grow up, your heart dies."

The adult part of me believes in that first sentence. The second part belongs to every generation of teenager - and what do they know?

It's a little over a week until Mothers Day and I recently read an article which stated - "There's a lot more to being a woman than just being a mother, but there's a hell of a lot more to being a mother than most people suspect". This was made even more clear to me while reading a bedtime story with my son. The Wolf And The Seven Young Kids . In the story , a mother goat, leaves her 7 young kids at home while she goes to the woods to find food. She warns them about a nasty old Wolf who may try and trick them into letting him in and thus getting a chance to eat them up.

Of course they get eaten up, it's the Brothers Grimm after all, and the Mother goes on a revenge rampage against the Wolf, armed with a scissors, sowing thread and a bunch of stones, literally and metaphorically.
SPOILER ALERT***

The Wolf gets it in the end.

END SPOILER

It made me think about a incident in my life that I've tried to bury for the longest time. Something that happened to me in childhood that really should remain in childhood but maybe now is the time to finally admit it.

I stole money from my Mother.

I was around 8 years old. I had a crazy fixation about Magnum P.I. the tv show. I wore a brown corduroy jacket and I believed I was Magnum (Magnum never wore a brown corduroy jacket. I was 8, OK?)
I use to love the candy cigarettes that were probably only one ingredient away from chalk. The red tip giving the impression it was lit. I would hold it in my mouth for what must have seemed like hours, but was probably only 5 or 6 minutes, before eating it, tiny nibble by nibble, smoking it down to the butt. Now, I really was Magnum. (Magnum NEVER smoked cigarettes. I WAS 8, OK?)

One day I found £10 Sterling. £10. STERLING. This was a fortune to me and in 1982 was nothing to sniff at - but I found it. It was mine. Think of all the sweets I could buy. I found it in an envelope. Think of all those candy cigarettes. The envelope was in a handbag. I could have candy cigarettes for the rest of my life. The handbag was in a drawer. I could BE Magnum for the rest of my life. The drawer was in my mothers room. I ran.

I was 8 years old.

My mother found my stash of candy cigarettes under the bed along with a wad of money. She asked me where I got it and I told her. I've never been more embarrassed in my life. My mother explained to me what I had done and I understood finally what it meant. I had let her down and lost her trust. She still loved me. She was still my mother.

Now it was time for her revenge rampage. She took the money and candy cigarettes in one hand and me by the other and marched me back to the shop, not just to get her money back, but to protest at the shop owner for 1: selling all those sweets to an 8 year old - with that amount of money & minus a parent and 2: not giving the correct exchange rate on the sterling. Ah ha. You see, my mother would not be taken for a fool. The shop owner had treated the £10 sterling as if it was £10 Irish and in 1982, £10 sterling was probably worth £20 Irish. On this day my mother had been ripped off twice and she was very pissed off.

I just remember my Mother walking into that shop with her head held high and walking out with her head still high, plus £10 Sterling in her pocket.

Mothers do the most incredible things. For this, we must thank them and if we forget to do it day in and day out, then at least we have this one day in which we can praise them, before ultimately falling back into our old pattern and taking them for granted once more.

Here are 81 Handmade gift ideas for Mothers Day.

Some of my favourites are:

Mothers Day Newspaper
Honor Mom by publishing your own Mother's Day newspaper.

Image: Martha Stewart

Homemade Body Scrub
Make Mom her own all-natural body scrub filled with salts, sugar, and lemon zest.

Image: Martha Stewart

Tea cup lights
Antique teacups that have lost their saucers still make sweet gifts when fitted with candles.

Image: Martha Stewart

Stamped Book Bindings
A good read always makes a nice gift for Mother's Day, but why not make it good-looking, too? Use rubber stamps to decorate the edges with a design or message

Image: Martha Stewart

So back to that question posed by The Breakfast Club "Are we going to be like our parents?"

If that means seeing them as you want to see them, in the simplest terms and in the most convenient definitions: A teacher, a friend, a provider, a listener and a disciplinarian.

Then yes it's unavoidable, it just happens.

Pull Tab Picture Hook Project

2012-02-27T11:18:00.002Z

I love finding ways of replacing one item with another item that was due to be discarded or thrown away. This idea is so simple but amazingly clever.

Using a soda can pull tab to hang pictures.

Image: Make

All you need to do is remove the tab from a soda can with the rivet-ring intact.

Image: Make

Step 1: Rotate the tab around the rivet until the pull tab is directly over the open mouth of the can.

Image: Make

Step 2: Grasp the short end of the tab with a pair of pliers, as shown.

Bend the tab down into the mouth of the can while pulling up at the same time.

The tab should pop neatly off the rivet with the ring intact.

Step 3: Attaching the pull tab.
Mark a convenient centered location in the upper back surface of the piece to be hung. Set the tab in position with the rivet hole over the mark. Drive a short wood screw through the tab's rivet hole into the marked location. If your piece is softwood, like pine, a pilot hole is probably not necessary. If it's hardwood, you may want to drill a very small pilot hole first.

Image: Make

You may find that the pull ring on the mounted tab does not have sufficient clearance from the wood to go over a nail head. If so, insert a flat-blade screwdriver under the pull ring, as shown, and gently pry it out away from the wood.

Image: Make

Naturally, you should use caution when hanging heavy, valuable or fragile items, but you will probably be surprised at how strong these hangers are.

I've also found a great use for the rest of the can, but that's for another time.

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Plastic Bag Kite Project

2012-02-23T09:00:00.001Z

Here's a fun video tutorial that I just found, showing you how to make a traditional kite out of old plastic bags (or even newspapers - whatever you have handy)

It should take about half an hour to make.

You can also pop over to Storm The Castle for a full set of photos and instuctions along with a huge range of other projects to help you be creative.

Garden Table Project

2012-02-20T10:10:00.003Z

I'm having a small love affair.

Last week in London I was out and about with my wife and son, on my way to The Old Cinema to check out some upcycled furniture, when I found my eye wandering slightly.

It's happened before and I've become very adept at hiding these sly glances while in my wifes company but one of these days she's going to catch me out. In a way, I've already tried to prepare her for what comes next. Some days, while she is out, I'll take my car and drive the back streets in the vain hope of fulfilling my growing obsession and I know one of these days, in her company, I'm just going to walk straight up to one and bring them home.

I am, of course, talking about pallets and this is the latest project I've found for turning these sturdy, discarded items into a unique piece of garden furniture.

Image: joy ever after

This particular table was made using 2 – 4′ x 4′ wood pallets, 1 – 4″x4″, 4 caster wheels, some L-brackets and screws and gray stain. The result is a very practical outdoor rolling table that can act as a coffee table when you’re sitting outside, interacting with your friends or family, or as a mini dining table when having a snack and you want to enjoy it outside.

Jump over to joy ever after for the 'how to'.

Doodle Duvet Project

2012-02-16T00:01:00.003Z

Image: A Thousand Words

Last weekend I paid a visit to The Old Cinema on Chiswick High Road in London. A shop devoted to selling antique, vintage, retro, industrial and upcycled furniture. I could have spent hours (and every penny I have) browsing their amazing unique collection.

Some people may feel the same way about IKEA (and that's ok*)

The great thing about IKEA is that it provides a user friendly 'identikit' for home decor which is also it's greatest weakness. When choosing a rug, bedspread or curtains, you constantly run the risk of ending up in someone else's home, confused it's not your home, as everything appears almost identical in every way to yours.
Top tip - a quick scan of the reading material on the billy bookcase will usually reveal your true surroundings.

That is why, when I saw this idea, I felt a comfortable nudge back into the 'one of a kind' shaped world I live in. This idea for a doodle covered duvet comes from Jen Morris over at A Thousand Words

Image: A Thousand Words

You can have a look at how Jen created this Duvet over on her website here.

All you need are some doodles (she used some of her sons drawings) which she took photographs of and then using photoshop, she removed the colour so that all she was left with were simple black and white images. If creating your own you can just simply sketch them with a black pen.

Image: A Thousand Words

Once she had a simple drawing, Jen scaled the images up in size and printed them onto A4 sheets, ready to trace onto her blank white duvet with a felt tip fabric marker

Image: A Thousand Words

Start with your first image under the duvet and begin tracing.

Image: A Thousand Words

Repeat this process for all of your doodles and pretty soon ('soon' being a few hours) you will have a truly unique, one of a kind duvet cover.

Image: A Thousand Words

(*I have actually wandered aimlessly around the winding paths of my local IKEA for hours and I'll admit here that I've never come out empty handed - but I will say this, I always go against the arrows!)

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Last Minute Valentine's Day Printables

2012-02-13T00:10:00.002Z

Ok, It's Valentine's Day tomorrow.

You haven't taken my previous advice and gone for the simple option and now you are almost out of time and in a panic as to what to do.

There's still time though. LOVE vs DESIGN have kindly provided a free printable Valentine's card and some fun coupons. They've even designed them so that you can fill them out yourself and added an expiration date and terms & conditions.....just in case.

To download them, follow the instructions below these images.

Image: LOVE vs DESIGN

Step 1: Go to the The Printable Templates Page page
Step 2: Click on 'Download the free template here' link
Step 3: Print, cut and fold your cards and coupons together. For your envelope liners use some glue.
The pattern can be printed on the backside of the coupons or as an envelope liner.

If that wasn't enough, ISharePrintables have over 90 FREE Valentine Printables.

Image: howdoesshe

Here is the link to all of the Printables.

Now, If none of this takes your fancy and you'd much prefer to steer well clear of anything 'Valentines' then I suggest you go sit in the corner, sip on some bourbon and have a listen to a little bit of this.

Valentines Dish Project

2012-02-06T00:10:00.004Z

I've mentioned before that I don't get caught up in the whole "must buy flowers, must buy big flowers, must buy big red flowers" sentiment of valentine's day. However, I do go to some effort and I find, a little effort goes along way.

Here's a clever idea from How About Orange that really achieves some great results.
Decorated dishes with icing sugar.

Image: How About Orange

All you need is 3 tablespoons of icing sugar, 1 teaspoon of water, and 2 drops of liquid food coloring.
Mix them together and grab your paintbrush.

Image: How About Orange

If you make a mistake, it's perfectly edible so lick it off and start again!

Image: How About Orange

So this valentine's day, instead of getting into a panic and trying to book a restaurant on one of the busiest nights of the year or desperately trying to think of something stunningly romantic to write in a shop bought card, why not make sure your loved one starts their day with a nice breakfast and a touch of added sweetness.

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Bookmark Project

2012-01-30T00:10:00.003Z

Whenever I'm reading a book I tend to use whatever is the nearest 'paper-like' object around as my bookmark.

I've used photos, bus tickets, shopping receipts, my driving licence, sweet wrappers, newspaper clippings, foreign currency, a piece of tree bark, an actual book (although it was slim) and once, strangely, an unfried slice of bacon.

The problem is, when I finish a book, I often forget to transfer the bookmark that I've been using and so over the years, I've misplaced many of my cherished photos and lost my driving licence on more than one occasion. I know I could 'just bend the page' but I'm just not that kind of person.

Then I saw this wonderful idea over on d.Sharp journal about making your own bookmark from an old envelope.

Image: d.Sharp journal

There are plenty of ideas out there to recycle old envelopes (and I've probably even used a few as bookmarks) but this is such a clever idea.

Simply cut the corner off an old envelope that you were going to throw in the recycling bin anyway.

Image: d.Sharp journal

Then slip it onto the corner of the page.


Image: d.Sharp journal

If you happen to be one of the those people who give books as gifts, you could make a personalised one and scribble a little note on it about why you love that book.

It's a nice little fun idea that couldn't be simpler and I'm pretty sure they would prefer to use it as opposed to a slice of unfried bacon.

Make Your Own Pencil Project

2012-01-23T00:10:00.008Z

Image: Scissors.Paper.Wok

I know some of you might think I'm mad.
I know some of you might think I'm crazy.
I know some of you might think I've lost the plot, because I know you can pick up a pencil for less than 50 cent in any corner newsagents. However, here's the thing.

I've always tried to suggest a number of craft ideas that you and any young child in your family could sit down together and pass a few hours on some rainy day. I've also loved finding ways of recycling old magazines or scraps of paper that end up in the recycling bin. To me, recycling is not just about sorting objects into the right coloured bin. Recycling is also about reusing.

This little project fits those 2 criteria and that's why I'm sharing it with you, courtesy of SCISSORS.PAPER.WOK (It also uses Mod Podge which rocks)

Here's what you'll need.

Image: Scissors.Paper.Wok

Here is a note on the supplies.
Paper: They recommend using 6″ origami paper but I think you could use any craft paper or magazine page that looks colourful. Why not try an old map too (you know how I feel about maps). Here is the exact product used in the tutorial in case you are a stickler for rules. Try out a few ideas as you might find the paper you use could be too thick and won't act as a skin when rolling the pencil.

Lead: Make sure you use a HB lead. If you use 2B leads or above, the lead may be too soft to roll without snapping.
I've looked around and found 12 tubes (that's 96 pieces of lead) for an unbelievable €4 plus €4 postage for sale on eBay here. That works out at about .08 cent per pencil.

Here's the How-to.

Image: Scissors.Paper.Wok

There is also this video, made by Kimanh from Scissors.Paper.Wok.

You could even try out lots of different ideas.
Try placing twine between the layers to make a hook to hang it on something.
Use an ink stick instead of pencil lead.
Try a different size or different layers. The picture below is layered with different paper to fade from red to light pink.

Image: Scissors.Paper.Wok

The possibilities with this craft are endless and knowing the weather in this country, you might need more than a few hours to pass the time on one of our rainy days.

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Newspaper Basket Project

2012-01-19T00:10:00.003Z

I posted an item on Monday about making a newspaper recycling bin and much like I mentioned in this article, there is one glaringly obvious concern. The quality of the crates you can get for free.

Of course if you wanted to go to one of the expensive home stores around town I'm sure you could pick up a great looking faux vintage, shabby chic, rustic crate. However, you need not do this.
Instead of using a crate to hold all your recycled newspapers, why not make a basket out of your recycled newspapers?

Image: How About Orange

This first idea comes from How About Orange where you can find a full tutorial, which was originally inspired by this article over on CraftStylish.

Image: CraftStylish

You don't even have to use it as a recycling bin, pop it at the back door to store your dirty garden shoes in it or fill it with shredded paper to make a nice comfortable bed for your cat or dog.

As for me, I'll try and hold off on any more newspapers articles. For now.

Newspaper Recycling Bin Project

2012-01-16T11:16:00.000Z

Image: Martha Stewart

Following on from last weeks 'must get organised' post, I found this other idea over on the Martha Stewart website.

One of my pet hates is dumping all paper/cardboard and all things packaging into the large green recycling bin outside the front of my house. I know it's all going to the same place and it all gets recycled but it fills up so fast its normally overflowing by the time it's ready to be picked up.

The only solution to this problem, as I see it, is to stack the newspapers (which normally take up half the capacity of the bin) into an area, much like our bottles and glass jars, that get taken to the recycling centre every couple of weeks.

The only problem to this solution, as I see it, is my wife would go crazy if I was started stacking old newspapers in random places around the house, for fear I would become much like that man who hoarded everything who was on TV last month.

So this seems like a nice compromise. An easy-to-make bin, ideal for holding old newspapers between trips to the recycling centre. Just choose a paint color to complement your decor and add some twine to make bundling papers a breeze.

Materials you will need:
Wooden crate
Paint
Paintbrushes
4 screw eyes
4 cleats (2-inch)
Twine

Instructions:
1. Paint wooden crate, and let dry.
2. Attach screw eyes, centered, to the top edge of each side.
3. Attach cleats, centered, to the exterior of each side.
4. Before filling the bin with newspapers, run lengths of twine loosely between each pair of opposing screws eyes, and wrap loose ends around cleats.

So there it is. A neatly stacked pile of old newspapers ready to be tied up and disposed of next time you take a trip to the recycling centre. In addition, you might need to dip into this stack as you find a few ideas amongst these pages which may call for some of your old newspapers to be used, saving you a messy expedition into your large green recycling bin filling up outside the front of your house.

Perpetual Calendar Project

2012-01-14T00:10:00.003Z

Image: Sarah Wandering

It's January, the start of a new year. Which means that most of us use this time to make a fresh start in some area of our life that requires improvement. We set new goals. New resolutions. We start over and hit the reset button. To others it's just another year. Another month. Another week. Another day.

I fall somewhere in the middle of those 2 thoughts and when I say middle what I really mean is, I spend a lot of time thinking about improvement but eventually end up in the 'it's just another day' camp. Each new year though I've always thought there's one thing I could/should change about myself and that's to start using a diary.

Now, I don't mean a 'Dear diary, what a day...' kind of thing, but a daily diary for writing memos and notes, to-do lists and appointments to keep track of my life and it's something my wife has been trying to get me to do for years. Being an avid list maker herself, she went so far as to buy me a diary one Christmas in the vain hope I might remember to do the things at the time that was arranged. It now meant I had to carry around a diary along with my keys and my phone and my wallet and my mints (which once was cigarettes and a lighter) and my bits and my bobs that I obviously think are very important to my very existence. The only problem with this was I kept forgetting to write stuff in it.

After a while I saw this perpetual calender and as much as this calendar would look amazing up on the wall it's not exactly what I was looking for.

Image: Sarah Wandering

However, if you would like to try your hand at creating this practical and gorgeous piece of art then have a look at Leo Reynolds photo collections on Flickr. A wonderful source of letters and numbers.
You can use personalised photos to fill out the rest of the spaces.

Here is a little video showing you a kind of 'how-to'.

So for me, it's back to the drawing board. Or Chalkboard?
What I need is something more along the lines of this.

Image: Martha Stewart

A chalkboard wall calendar.

If you have the space and the time (and the patience I imagine) then have a look at this article over on marthastewart.com where there is a tutorial showing you everything you need to create it.

Of course, I would not be doing my job here if I didn't offer some kind of cheaper alternative to this chalkboard mural of sorts. So, if you don't have the space or indeed own the wall to be painted, there is a great way of achieving a similar effect with an old picture frame and recycled paint sample books courtesy of The Aesthetic Writer. Drop on over to the site for this post which gives a detailed tutorial.

DIY: Dry Erase Calendar

Image: The Aesthetic Writer

As for the new improvements, new goals, new me attitude, I figure there's no harm in starting a bit late. January 1st doesn't have to be the 'be all and end all' for starting new things.

As a case in point, today is the exactly one year since my first post on this site which makes my new year start date two weeks late. Which I don't really mind so much, after all, it's better late than never.

Recycled Wrapping Paper Project

2011-12-19T11:23:00.000Z

Image: Greenista

Tis the season to be wasteful.

Especially when it comes to wrapping gifts. You spend a whole night wrapping gifts for all your loved ones, only to have the brand new paper ripped clean off it a few hours later and it either gets balled up and thrown in a large black bin with all of the packaging and torn boxes or, depending on how young the kids are, the thing they play with as it's more fun than the actual (expensive) gift you fought tooth and nail to get.

So, instead of buying expensive wrapping paper, here are a few alternatives you can use from items you should be able to find around the house. You can also try out these homemade gift bows in a way to spruce up your wrapping.

Newspaper - It’s easy to find, cheap and large and you can make wrapping unique by using colorful comics or photos.


Image: Sustainable Baby Steps

Image: furniturehomedesign

Magazines - You can cover your gifts in glossy magazine pages. Just tape a few together to create larger sheets for bigger presents.

Image: Paper Crave

Sheet Music - Sheet music adds a beautiful touch to your gift wrapped present.

Image: Love 2 Upcycle

Calenders - Since you are going to be throwing out your old one anyway, why not use it to personalise a gift?

Image: Paper Source

Maps - If you've read some of this blog before then you'll know how I feel about maps.

Image: Curated By Color

Brown paper shopping bag - Not only is it recyclable, but you can use almost anything (even straw!) to decorate it and it will look great.

Image: EcoFront

So, by taking advantage of some of these products, you not only reuse materials you may already have around the house, but you can also utilize materials that can be recycled once all of the gifts have been opened.

Remember, Christmas comes once a year and sometimes we spend far more than we can afford. If you use some of these ideas instead of forking out on expensive wrapping paper it might mean you won't end up giving the shirt off your back.

Image: a subtle revelry

Or maybe you will?

Christmas (Origami) Tree Project

2011-12-12T10:10:00.001Z

Image: arraddia

It's that time of year again.

The old dusty box of glitter baubles, angels, tinsel, snow globes, Christmas lights and reindeer come out of hibernation when everything else seems to be going in to hibernation.

Sometimes the festive cheer inside the home inevitably spills outside the home and onto the front of your house. We don't go overboard in this house but walking around my local area you would be forgiven for thinking you had moved to Las Vegas when seeing the blinking, flashing, glowing lights on neighbours homes.

The one thing that we all have in common though is having a Christmas Tree.

Now some of you might think I don't have the space for a Christmas Tree, I don't need the mess of a Christmas Tree or I won't be around for all of Christmas so what's the point in having a Christmas Tree?

Well here is your solution.

An Origami Christmas Tree that won't take up too much space, make a mess with falling pine needles and buckets of water or feel all alone sitting on it's lonesome in your empty house/apt while you are out gatecrashing every Christmas party to be found.

Brought to you by Francesco Guarnieri at Happy Folding.

So now you have no excuse to get into the Christmas spirit.

Just don't go and make your home look like a casino.

DIY Vintage Tin Project

2011-12-01T10:14:00.000Z

Image: Tortoise and the Hare

I'm always searching for new ways to recycle old things but every so often I come across an old way to revamp a new thing.

Here's simple way to put a vintage spin on a plain tin.

Image: Tortoise and the Hare

Step 1: Spray paint your tin whatever color you like.
(O'Sullivans Art supplies on Camden Street have great offers at the moment on spray cans)

Step 2: Choose an image and resize it to fit your tin.
There's a great selection here where you can find images just like these.

Image: pilllpat

Step 3: Print the image onto adhesive paper or you can print on plain paper and use craft glue to stick the image to the tin. Once attached - use a sealer like Mod Podge to waterproof the label. You should be able to pick some up in any art or crafts shop.

If all of this sounds like a great idea but you are faced with one small problem and that's having any tins to spruce up, fear not, IKEA have a set of 3 tins, seen below, for a tidy sum of €3.59.

Image: IKEA

So now you have 3 good reasons to get organized and make your own vintage style tins.