*Tutorial by Amber C @ The Craft Project for her win of the “Scrap”tastic Challenge of season 15*

To create my “Butterflies in the Wind” project you will need:

• A picture frame with a wide mat and the glass removed (mine was 16″ x 20″)
• A piece of good watercolour paper
• A selection of paint chips in a range of colours (grab them from the paint section of a hardware store)
• Black and white sharpie paint pens
• Thin wire
• A strong glue, like E-6000
• Three sizes of butterfly punches (2″ wide, 1″ wide, 1/4″ wide)
• A bone folder helps, but isn’t necessary

I started with punching out a wide range of butterflies from paint chips. I wanted the piece to be very 3D so I folded each of the largest size of butterflies in half with the bone folder. To add a bit more visual interest to the piece I added geometric patterns with alternating white and black paint pens to one half of each of the larger butterflies.

I put the watercolour paper and mat into the frame after I pulled the glass out of it. I wanted to extend the piece beyond the rigid boundary of the frame so I twisted a some wire into tight curls and glued them to the back of the frame, with the plan of using these as extra bases for the butterflies.

I then arranged the butterflies in a swirl across the entire piece – working through a range of colours. I set the butterflies in a swirl that started on the wires and went across the piece, touching the paper, mat, and frame throughout the piece. I used E-6000 glue to put secure them in place.

I hope you enjoy making your version as much as I did with this one.

*Tutorial by Heidi @ greendoodle for her win of the Knock-off challenge of season 16*

Wow!  Thanks for the votes.  This project has elements of super frustration (cutting glass and photographing glass) and really easy rewarding elements (like coloring the glass).  If you can get past the bottle cutting phase you are sure to have a really cool D.I.Y. light fixture.

Supplies:

bottle cutter

large bottle/jar (can be purchased here)

food coloring

colored nail polish

Modge Podge

small paint brush

automotive chrome tape

medium base porcelain socket (hardware store)

desired length lamp cord

chrome spray paint (optional)

Research bottle cutting on YouTube.  Then research some more.  This is by far the hardest step. I am super cheap frugal, so I only bought a glass cutter and my husband rigged up a bottle cutting device.  His tool worked like a champ, but it is still very tricky to get a perfect cut.

Score the glass then slowly pour HOT water over the cut.  Pour cold tap water, then HOT water again.  The bottom of your bottle should fall off at this point. (Again, YouTube is your resource for this step).

Throw away the junked bottles and get ready to paint any that are to your satisfaction.  (I cut three bottles with one perfect success, and one that had a large crack.  When painted however, the large crack was undetectable).

Mix 3T hot water, 1/2 c Modge Podge and desired food coloring.  I used 20 drops of blue and 10 drops of green.  Your finished product will dry much lighter.  Add colored nail polish if desired.  This creates a seed glass look, however clear nail polish will be your enemy.  Also, color all of your glass from the same batch.  It is really tricky to recreate the exact color. Trust me.

Pour a small amount of glue mixture and slowly swirl. I found this part of the project to be really fun.  Keep turning the bottle until all the glass has been covered.

Set right side up on paper to drip dry for 5-10 minutes. Paint any handles with mixture.  Place in a warm, dirty oven (170 degrees) for about 30 minutes.

I was unhappy with my first attempt to trim the light with chrome.  I used a chrome tape from the auto parts store, the price was great ($4) but ended up bubbling and lifting.  My second try was more successful.  I still used an auto chrome tape – but this time bought the more expensive product ($20).  I used custom chrome flexible interior exterior molding and lays beautifully. I used 3/4″ but would have preferred 1/2″.  This tape is firm and covers any imperfections in your cut.

Also, I spray painted the lid chrome (but don’t love it).  The original pendant reminded me of an oil dispenser so I grabbed one from the dollar store.  The look is similar, but unnecessary.

This step varies for each bottle.  I experimented with a pendant kit ($15 Home Depot), but found the fixtures to be too big for this bottle.  I ended up using lamp cord and a porcelain keyless light socket.  This part was not hard, but will you will need to customize the electrical for each bottle.  Best of Luck!

*Tutorial by Kim @ Maiden D’Shade for her win in the Finale round of Season 14!*

Once again, thank you all for this amazing honor of winning season 14! But I’ve got to say, even though it was fun, I’m glad it’s over!

Here’s how I transformed this “seen better days” clock from my husbands side of the family and gave it new life.

This clock was built in 1987 by a friend of my in-laws. It has spent many years in my basement. It had some damage (bottom corners and the weight sleeves are scratched and oxidized) and some missing pieces (pendulum bob and tall door glass) likely due to many moves over the years.

First thing I did was clean the surface. I wanted to give it a more commanding presence so I added some molding along the front edges to give it more interest. Because the molding wood is “raw” I sprayed it with shellac so the surface wasn’t as porous and would be more like the surface of the rest of the clock when I went to paint it. I also thought this front molding piece matched the molding on the top of the clock quite nicely and gave that “blank” space some interest! I added the molding with wood glue.

I took it apart and laid it down, using some really Read more

*Tutorial by Amelia @ The Night Garden for her win of the Upcycle challenge of season 14*

I’m so glad to be here with you this week, sharing this tutorial for my
card catalog display-top coffee table!

Materials you’ll need for this project:
Read more

*Tutorial by Catherine @ CathGrace for her win of the Upcycle challenge of season 14*

*Tutorial by Kim @ Maiden D’Shade for her win of the On the Wall challenge of season 14*

I wanted this shelf to be as wide as the TV that hangs above it. The TV measures 63.5 inches wide so I decided the shelf would look nice at 63 inches wide plus trim. I needed a plank for the top, a plank below the top (to get the layered look) and a plank for the vertical board. In order to get the right shelf depth for the brackets, I needed a 10 inch deep plank. I picked up two 1x10x8 pine planks and one 1x8x8 pine plank and three 6×8 pine shelf brackets and some trim.

I marked each plank where they needed to be cut. The top board needed to be 63 inches wide. The board below that 61.25 inches and that vertical board 59.5 inches. Basically I wanted the bottom board to be 1.75 inches shorter than the top board and the vertical board 1.75 inches shorter than the bottom board so when stacked and centered, they tiered 3/4 of an inch on each side.

I cut them with a miter saw because I didn’t have another option. The 10 inch planks were too deep for a single pass cut so I flipped them over to finish the cut. Once the boards were cut, it was time to attach them together.

1. Spread a bead of wood glue on the vertical board (1×10) along the edge where when flipped up…
2. it lines up with the side of the underneath plank (1×8).
3. Drill a pilot hole for your wood screw through the vertical plank into the underneath plank. The bit should be slightly smaller than your screw. Then use a recess bit over the pilot hole. You want the screw recessed because this board will be on the wall and you’ll want it to hang flush with the wall.
4. Screw the planks together with 2 inch wood screws. I put in four (somewhat evenly spaced) along the length of the vertical board.

Next is preparing the brackets for the curtain rod.

1. Mark where you want the center of the hole to be. I marked it this way: from the corner I measured one inch across the top and then two inches down.
2. Tape two brackets together.
3. Drill a pilot hole, making sure you at least get partially through the bracket underneath. If you don’t have a vice or good clamps, find a brave soul willing to hold them while you drill (I got my husband for this part). Separate the two brackets, then complete the pilot hole on the bottom bracket. Then for the third bracket, line it up with and tape it to one of the brackets with the drilled pilot hole and put the drill through the pilot hole and drill the partial pilot hole in the third bracket. Then complete the pilot hole as before once you separate the brackets.
4. Using a wood boring drill bit and the pilot hole as your guide, drill holes into each bracket. One at a time. I used a 3/4 inch bit because the curtain rod I used has a 5/8 inch diameter.

Next you attach the brackets to the basic shelf.

1. Remove the hardware that they come with.
2. Drill 2 pilot holes on the vertical plank and one pilot hole on the underneath plank going through to the bracket. Do this for all 3 with the recessed bit.
3. Apply glue to the brackets and attach to the shelf with wood screws.

Next is adding the top plank (1×10).

1. To the underneath plank, apply wood glue on the top.
2. Line up the top plank so that it’s straight and centered. Clamp it to the underneath plank.
3. Drill two pilot holes at each end from under the bottom plank partway into the top plank. Use a recessed bit here as well.
4. Screw in 1-1/4 inch wood screws.
5. Fill in the recesses with wood filler.

Let the wood filler and glue dry. I sanded down the wood filler and added some more in a few spots. Once that dried again, I sanded it down again. I allowed the wood glue to dry for a couple hours.

Now comes the trim. For the bottom plank I used cove molding. For the top plank I used a molding that would provide a “lip” so that things on the shelf won’t slide off. I used liquid nails to attach the trim because I do not have a brad nailer. It’s on the list of tools to buy. I had to clamp it down because the trim would pop up a bit. After clamping it, I let it dry over night. I’m a novice miter cutter but wood filler is my best friend in these situations After the wood filler dried, I sanded it and the shelf was ready to paint!

I decided on black since the TV is big and black. Once the paint was dry, I slid in the curtain rod through the holes in the brackets. Then using black zip ties, I hung the baskets.

And here it is! Still clutter free!

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. Thank you so much for voting for me and thanks also to Missy for hosting this fun competition!

Hello everyone!  How was your holiday season?  Did you stay warm and have fun with loved ones?  I left the cold of Boston and headed down south to North Carolina to spend Christmas with my sister.  It was so great.

How about all the guest posts the last few weeks?  Weren’t they amazing?  I started this blog so that I could see and share all the amazing talent out there and those projects certainly didn’t disappoint.  It’s enough to make a girl like me a little jealous

Well, here we are now for the first challenge of Season 14 (14!?  I can’t believe it’s been that long since I started!).  And these ladies have pulled out all the stops.  Before I show you their projects, though, let me refresh your memory about who they are and where you can find them when they’re not competing here.

Kim @ Maiden D’Shade
Camille @ Sugar Baby Boutique
Ginger @ Gingerly Made
Catherine @ CathGrace
Valerie @ Occasionally Crafty
Ginger @ Ginger Snap Crafts
Christy @ Inklings & Yarns
Amber @ Mule ‘n Nag Crafts
Amelia @ The Night Garden

So now that you’ve had a look around their blogs and have been reminded about how great these ladies are lets have a look at their On The Wall projects.

Read more

*Tutorial by Jamie @ Three Scoops of Love for her win of the Hardware Challenge of 13*

I was pretty excited about the Hardware Store Week challenge.  Lowe’s is my absolute favorite store, followed by Home Depot for a close second.  It’s so fun to walk around the aisles and try to see a new use for all of those supplies.

I had seen vintage turbine fans turned into light fixtures on some pricey websites.  All that I had seen were well over a couple hundred dollars.  I loved the look, but couldn’t justify the price.  I needed a light fixture for my craft studio and I had a feeling I could DIY my own version.

I started with a wind turbine exhaust fan from Lowe’s.  It was about $35, but I have since seen a few on clearance at my local Lowe’s.  I think these are mainly used in attics or barns.  They came in a couple of different colors, but I planned on painting mine, so I wasn’t picky.

Here’s what she looked like after taking her out of the box.  There are basically two pieces. Read more

*Tutorial by Erin @ Erin’s Creative Energy for her win of Season 12*

I am very honored to be sharing my Arts and Crafts Style Mirror tutorial for everyone.

This is going to be a VERY LONG tutorial.  Even though it only took me 4 days to complete, in all reality, this should have taken at least two weeks.  So don’t get discouraged with time, the end result is completely worth it.

Also, before attempting any of this tutorial, please know how to properly use all the tools and equipment to avoid injury.  There is nothing more important than your safety.

The first thing I did was cut my FREE mirror.  Gotta love friends that inform you of trash on the side of the road.  The mirror was broken (a very large broken mirror) that was put out for trash.  I used it and cut it down to size…twice.  The first time it broke, so I had to adjust my entire design plan.

You will need a glass scoring tool, cutting oil and running pliers.  All shown above. Read more