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Here’s another painting I did last weekend from reclaimed wood….a rustic American Flag for our outdoor living area. It took under 45 minutes to paint:
The only labor intensive part was making the canvas from a reclaimed wood pallet. First, the pallet was dismantled and then the pieces were attached to two boards: CONTINUE READING
There is something very gratifying about carving into a rock. This project was kind of therapeutic. I was thinking I’d carve some words into rocks and maybe start leaving them around Palm Desert to see if people find them…. CONTINUE READING
I’m having so much fun with this woodburner. My favorite thing I’ve made so far: little driftwood message hearts. I’ve had a lot of luck with this brand…..the Creative Versa-Tool.
The heat control is key because it heats up much hotter than most wood burners…..making it much easier to burn:
I ordered these pre-cut driftwood hearts on Etsy from Tinker’s Attic:
Driftwood is super easy to burn because it’s so soft:
You can add some paint for some color:
A love note:
My favorite point is the universal point…it performs all fundamental designs:
A tapered point can burn more intricate designs:
Just heat the tool up and using light pressure burn your design into the wood.
The longer the point remains on the surface the deeper and darker your burn will be.
Golden Fluid Acrylics are perfect for adding color:
Leave a sweet message for someone you love! Drill a hole for to make a little gift topper or keychain. Place one in your kid’s or spouse’s lunch. Put one on your dresser.
Recycled crayons have been around forever but Boo and I wanted to share our take on them: colorpillars! These are great as a fun weekend project or as party favors and gifts.
We bought our centipede silicone mold from TJ Maxx….they have some really cute ones at Marshall’s too now and then: dinosaur bones, legos, robots, butterflys etc. You could just do an internet search for “silicon ice cube mold” if you are looking for a specific theme.
I keep a Ziploc bag around to collect broken crayons so we always have a supply of them:
Boo and I broke the crayon pieces into small pieces and filled the molds:
I set the oven to 175 degrees and put the crayons in to melt:
It’s a slow process and took about 30 minutes for them to melt entirely. You don’t want to melt them any faster or the colors will become too soupy and turn a brownish color. Once the crayons were melted I removed the pan from the oven and let the mold cool for about 2 hours.
The finished colorpillars! Aren’t they cute?
A few tips!
1. The smaller the bits of crayon….the better the result. It will take less time for the crayon bits to melt and the colors won’t mix as much. Chop them up using a sharp knife.
2. Using the lowest heat possible on the oven is ideal…..you’ll just have to be REALLY patient for the bits to melt. 150 to 175 degrees is recommended.
3. Allow ample time for the crayons to cool so they won’t break as you remove them from the mold.
4. Stay away from washable crayons….they have a wax in them that will float to the top. I use them anyways just in very small amounts.
5. Don’t mix too many colors….in case you end up heating the crayons too much you’ll keep the colors brighter. Mixing across the color wheel results in brownish colors!
6. Quality of crayon can make a difference! I had some cheap dollar store crayons that took too long to melt and left some large chunks. The color seemed duller too.
I’ll call this series of posts Project Playroom because it is a work in progress. Lots of little projects leading up to one big reveal. I just have to pace myself and work on things as I feel up to it! We took the old LBB office and cleared it all out into a much bigger office. It was going to be the nursery but those plans are on hold for a bit until I am cancer-free and we figure out how we want to add to our family. So NOW it’s my new “writing room” and Boo’s new playroom….we needed a room JUST for that almost-four-foot-tall Barbie dream house she got for Christmas.
Boo loves her kitchen and she’s always wanted a market/grocery store to go along with it…..so I thought I’d devote one small corner to just that. Mr. LBB found this old awning that someone had tossed out:
I took off the existing awning to reveal the frame and Mr. LBB got out the power tools to make it a tad smaller. He’s always so great when I ask him to do little projects….you know I love my power tools, but I’m not feeling quite as strong as I used to so I don’t trust myself with the saws right now….I’d like to keep all my fingers and limbs if I can:
I used my seam ripper to take apart the existing awning cover. This is the easiest way to make a new pattern! Just take apart something old, trace it onto new fabric, and then put it back together the same way! That’s how even the biggest of companies do it!
I bought some bright yellow canvas, bias tape, and thread at Joann’s. Hey, did you know Joann’s has an app now that you can load your 40% and 50% off coupons right at the register? LOVE that.
I traced all my awning pieces onto the new canvas:
I sewed the pieces together and tested the fit of the awning on the frame. Looks good!
I made a little template so that I could cut the bottom into a scalloped edge:
I stitched white bias tape all around the raw scalloped edges:
The finished edges!
I used a simple freezer paper stencil to add the word “MARKET” to the front. The letters could be cut out by hand but my Silhouette machine cut them out in under a minute. You can see more about freezer paper stenciling here in my beanbag tutorial.
I used a sponge to dab white fabric paint onto my letters:
While the letters were still slightly damp, I carefully peeled off my freezer paper stencil and touched up the letters with a small paint brush:
Mr. LBB hung the market awning up in the playroom. Now I’ve got to create the actual market and stock it with lots of goodies!
I just ordered this antique milk scale off of Ebay the other day to hang in her market! Isn’t it cool? It will be the perfect addition.
Click here to check out Project Playroom for all of our related projects!
These are great hot compresses that you just stick in the microwave for 60 seconds! So easy to make and you can be sure there aren’t any scary chemicals inside. My mother and Boo are responsible for this tutorial….I just took the photos for them! It’s the perfect use for those cute baby legwarmers your kiddo might have grown out of. Make some as gifts to add to a basket of bath products! They’ve been great for when my leg hurts!
All you need is white rice (or buckwheat if you prefer), long socks or baby leg warmers. needle and thread, and some essential oils:
If you are using long socks you can cut the foot off or just skip this step. With the baby legwarmers, Boo sewed one end shut:
It’s such an easy sewing project a 4-year-old can do it:
Here’s the closed end:
Fill a measuring cup with white rice:
Fill the sock or legwarmer to the top with rice:
If you want to use essential oils, make sure you use pure, therapeutic-grade oils. Not only do they smell amazing but they have many medicinal and therapeutic benefits. Just add a few drops to the rice as you go….it will spread through the rice after you close the sock. We used rose oil in our because it smells so good but you can add any oil you like (here’s a list of essential oils and their benefits).
Sew up the other end of the sock or legwarmer so the rice is completely enclosed. Finished hot packs!
To heat the hot pack just put in the microwave for about a minute. You’ll be surprised at how long it stays hot! Put it on your shoulders, or under your back as you rest to relieve aches and pains!
Missing a puzzle piece from one of those nice wood puzzles? My OCD won’t let me keep it after that so……
……..I recycle the pieces into stamps! They are the perfect size and super sturdy.
I’m not a wreath person….seriously, I’m lucky to get Christmas wreaths up once a year. I love this wreath (by Proverbs 31 Life) made from…..who would ever guess?! toilet paper rolls!
I’ve rounded up 10 simple fall wreaths that I might attempt because I love how simple and uncluttered they look! Click to image to check out the gallery roundup with links to the tutorials:
I recently pulled out a bunch of old jewelry and silverware that was in storage and was shocked to see how much tarnish had built up over the last 10 years!
I cleaned it all up easily and without any harsh tarnish removers using an eco-friendly stovetop method. All you need is a large pan (see bottom of the post on how to manage larger pieces of silver), mild dish soap, tin foil and baking soda:
(see more after the jump)
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