Sunday, January 29, 2012

Put A Cork In It - Make Your Own Wine Cork Trivet

 I started this at my former job as Activity Director for an Adult Day Program.  We collected corks from local restaurants and did many things with them.  This is just one of several things you can do.  This one, doesn't take as many corks and can be done in just a couple hours.  You can ask others to save corks for you, or just  err...treat yourself a little more often over the next couple months!

Pick out a frame you like and/or one you can repurpose.  If you don't already have one, go to one of my favorite places - the Dollar Tree or Goodwill - and pick one out!  This frame I had lying around, it was broken otherwise, but perfect for this project.

 To make life easier, you will want to organize your corks by size and shape.  You will understand this better once you start forming your trivet.  *Note - try to stick with the wooden corks.  The plastic coated and colored ones are not glue gun friendly...you would have to sand those to get them to stick to each other.  Learned that one the hard way!
Using a utility knife, you can cut corks to the size you need.

 When starting the layout, try to group similar sizes together.  You can have a row going horizontal, then a row vertical and so on.  This is where you let your imagination go and either display the labels the same direction of each cork, or put them off center, or whatever you want to do.  The layout can be anything you want!  Get the glue gun turned on and have fun!
I have had this cork trivet for awhile.  I have put coffee mugs on it, tea pitchers, even used it for a pot or two.  Works excellent!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

My Continuous Love for the Dollar Tree -$4 Votive Candle Holder

Glass votive of your choice, flat colored marbles, & mirror
 My husband and I love candles.  We love them so much, we light a couple every night for lighting while watching our shows and movies rather than have the lights on.  I have several holders, and I like those that Yankee Candle Co. often display, but I can never find the right colors I am looking for.  I love color!  Dollar Tree satisfies me once more on this project.  Run down to your nearest, grab everything you see here and your trusty handy high temp glue gun, and you're good to go! Note: I used one and a half bags of the marbles for this project.  This whole project will only take you 1/2 hour to one hour at most.




Line marbles on bottom around perimeter
 With the smallest dab of hot glue, use the tip of the glue gun to smooth out the glue as best you can.  It will blend and look like part of the marble, no worries!  Line the bottom of the votive holder like so.  You want to glue them on rounded side in, onto the inside of the glass holder.
 The second row you will line right above the first, with opposite colors, or whatever you would like for a pattern.  Then, you want to start overlaying the marbles where necessary - filling in any empty spaces - here, you can then glue either the rounded or flat side to the other marbles.  Try to get the marbles to line into place sort of like bricks.  With a couple packages of those marbles, you will find ones close enough to the size you need!
Lookin' spiffy!

Very colorful





And you're done!  Add tea light, votive candle, whatever you choose.  Place that votive on the mirror and you have a really neat, really colorful effect!

Java Really Does Go A Long Way

Coffee Can Containers
So when not crafting, I like to at least have creative storage.  I got the idea to save up coffee cans last year and came across some fabric, adhesive contact paper at my second favorite place, Goodwill.

Using the contact paper (paid .99), colorful buttons I had, the only other item I needed was coordinating ribbon. Found some fun ribbons (inexpensive to boot) at the clearance section of Michaels.  I recommend checking their clearance often...I have more luck with them than AC Moore as far as variety goes.

Then, voila, with some creativity, the ideas are limitless.  I turned these on their side, attached with my high temperature glue gun, and you have a fun storage area for your markers, pens, pencils, even adhesives and spray paints.  I have seen others attach them to a wall near your craft table.  This will be something I plan to do down the road.  My craft room is in transition at the moment.  Save your coffee cans and keep an eye out for eye catching contact or wallpaper!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Bubble Magnets Are All the Rage

Bubble Magnets
These have become quite the highlight at my craft fairs.  And they are quite appropriate for the frugal crafter as the clear glass gems can be found at the Dollar Tree. I will mention the Dollar Tree frequently on this site as they are quite handy in great deals, mass quantity and frankly, taking crap and turning it into something eye catching.

The papers for these gems are decoupaged on.  I use a variety of papers, but actually have greater success in finer, higher quality papers that I have to go to a specialty shop locally for.  This will vary for each person in preference, but personally, I like the thinner the paper.  Leaves less of the gloss from the decoupage and it's easier to work with.

Specialty papers are best to work with
These are such a highlight, that last Christmas Fair 2011 (photo below) I was writing down requests for other designs.  I met a woman who travels to Washington, DC each December to lay wreaths at Arlington Cemetery.  She asked about patriotic or American Flag themed magnets to hand out to her volunteer wreath layers.  She promised she would be back, and I don't doubt it.  She wouldn't be my first to return for these magnets!  At this same Christmas fair, I had another customer return looking for my table.  I have a lot to live up to this year.  I will soon be selling these on Etsy.
Left to Right:  My Mom, myself, and my Nana.  Three generations of crafters .