Thought for the day

Rag Rug Frame Loom

We have several four-legged friends living with us.  Three cats, two dogs and two guinea pigs, to be exact.  As a general rule, I love having pets; except for the times they have "accidents" in the house.  One of our dogs is quite old and has apparently lost some bladder control, which I guess should be expected.  The other dog, however, is much younger but still has "accidents" regardless of the years we have tried to house-train her.  She is as sweet as can be but stubborn when it comes to potty training.  Needless to say, I am thankful we do not have carpeting in the house.  Heaven only knows what the house would smell like if we did.  

Although I am thankful for the lack of wall to wall carpeting, I do enjoy having scatter rugs throughout the house.  Unfortunately, our dogs enjoy them as well, either for napping or potty breaks.  Needless to say, I go through several rugs a week thanks to our furry friends. Originally, I thought I would buy several throw rugs and place them throughout the house.  That was, until I realized how much a throw rug could cost.  Considering I have a dozen rugs on the floor at any given time, purchasing these either new or used was cost prohibitive.  I had to learn how to make them if I had any hope of enjoying my little scatter rugs.

Thankfully, I love a challenge and got busy working on a plan.  I am also grateful for the fact that I come from a creative family and have been exposed to many different craft techniques through the years;  one of which is weaving.  

Although I did not wish to build a full weaving loom, I recognized that I could easily construct a simple frame to accomplish my rug making goal.  A few 2x4's and screws would fit the bill nicely.  Creating my own frame also allowed me to choose the size of the rugs I would be making.  

I began by making the loom portion; the area where I would create the rugs.  I cut (2) 2x4's 48" long and (2) 2x4's 30" long.  I screwed these together to make a rectangular form.  I then drilled screws  1" apart across the top and bottom portions of the frames.  These 1 5/8' screws are what I use to wrap my fabric around which is also referred to as the warp.

I did not like trying to weave a rug by sitting on the floor so I decided to make a frame to support my "loom".  Again, using 2x4's, I cut (2) pieces 40" long, (2) pieces 48" long and (2) 38".

My contraption is not the prettiest thing I have ever seen, but it gets the job done.  Weaving the rugs is very simple.  Once the vertical strips (warp) of fabric are wound around the screws, I simply weave the rug by running the horizontal strips (weft) in an over under fashion.  In other words, go over one strip and under the next.  Just like we did in elementary school.  Easy peasy!   I am now able to make rag rugs that measure 32" x 27" essentially for free, thanks to all of the fabric scraps my mom has given me.

Feel free to comment, offer suggestions or ask questions.  I love connecting with other creative people.

Just like the little engine that could, I will keep telling myself; I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Revamped envelopes = party favor utensil holders

I happen to have a lot of greeting card envelopes just lying around, gathering dust.  I also had a need to organize utensils for my boy's birthday bash dinner.  The theme for his party was mock paintball which gave me license to incorporate a variety of colors.  As I like to do things a little differently than most, I decided to use my stash of envelopes as utensil and party favor holders.

My man helped me out on this one.  While I was wrapping the plastic utensils in paper napkins, he was busy sealing and snipping the envelopes.  This was one of those times where I was glad I had a pair of pinking shears available.  They make nifty designs in paper.  Once the envelopes were cut and filled with utensils, I taped a noisemaker to the front.  I then added in a few Pixie Stix and a bendy straw and the project was complete.  

Oddly enough, the adults at the party had as much fun with the candy and noisemakers as did the teens. Go figure.

More scrap wood art/wall hangings

Finished Project measures 31 1/4" x 43"

As I have stated previously, I love rescuing goodies from the trash.  Several months ago, I found this large plastic frame buried in a pile.  The corners had come apart and it had a few dings but was otherwise perfectly functional albeit with some work.

Mock brickwork paneling

I also had some fake brickwork paneling pieces left over from a Craigslist find.  I did not care for the look of the fake bricks and had been wondering how I would put this piece to use.  It too, has been sitting in my garage waiting for inspiration.

Painted brickwork paneling

And of course, I have scrap wood pieces.  Everywhere!

Leftover plywood pieces

Once I decided to mix these elements together, I realized the frame would need to be cut to remove some damage from the corners.  I learned that plastic stinks when you cut it with a saw.  It is also difficult to align the angles.  Obviously, I need help to learn how to cut mitered corners.  Any tips would be appreciated.

Corner gaps after cutting off damaged pieces

Since the corners did not align correctly, I had to cover the gaps with putty and paint.  And, thanks to my boy's suggestion, I decided to paint the scrap plywood pieces black to match the frame.  Once all was dry, I glued the "burst" to the center of the brickwork using wood glue.  The final step was to add a little black glitter glue to the corners and burst pieces.  After all, a girl likes her sparkles.

Thought for the day

Inspiration for the day!

I best get busy moving!!   Wishing you a successful day!  :)

Pallets as decks

I have a tiny yard!  It is nice as far as minimizing the need to mow but difficult when it comes to landscaping. Or hosting a party.  We live in an area where the soil is mostly sand and the temperature is in the upper 80's to mid 90's the majority of the year.  Needless to say, my yard needs some creative solutions if I have any hope of having something cute or pretty or, at minimum, not bedraggled looking.  Here is an example of my poor little side yard.  It is approximately 5 feet wide and receives the full force of our beautiful Florida sunshine.

This is an example of the best it has looked in the 3 years I have lived in this house.  'Tis sad, but true. Admittedly, I have not spent a great deal of time in the back side yards primarily because they are usually really hot.  However, my boy wanted me to host his birthday party at home.  I was thrilled to oblige my 15 year old baby!  After all, when my teen thinks I can do something well, I start singing a happy tune!!   Once again, it was time for some thinking "outside of the box".

We decided that the birthday party would be a typical teen guy type of affair.  And I do have a reputation for hosting some ridiculously messy kid parties.  I didn't want to let my boy down but I needed some room to work my party magic.  ;)

The party theme was "mock paintball" where the teens would be separated into two teams.  Each team needed a home base to keep their paintball materials and various party game supplies.  I decided that decks would fulfill the needs of the party but did not have the money to buy the materials from the big box stores. Unfortunately, my go to source for building materials (Craigslist) did not have anything available.  However, my man was able to get some pallets and fence panels from his boss!  I was thrilled!!

I began by placing the pallets on some landscaping cloth I had saved from a failed gardening project.  

The pallets had seen better days and required some reinforcement.  I decided to add  2x4's down either side and fence panels slats in between the 2x4's.  The fence was originally 6 feet long which was far too wide for my needs.  I cut each panel in half and placed them perpendicular to the pallets.  I splurged and purchased some deck screws and secured the pieces together.

The project went together rather quickly and was a wonderful addition to the paintball party.  I even added a cute little bench, just for fun.  Best of all, my boy was happy which makes me happy.  Life is good!!

Thought for the day

I am working on those endless opportunities today!  Can you hear me humming a happy tune while I work?  :)

Positive thought for the day!

Well, that sums it up nicely!  Have a great day!!!

Scrap Wood Art?!

Hot dog! I finally found a way to put some of my wood scraps to good use. And here I was, worrying that I would have to build another storage bin just for my little wood bits and bobs. Danged if they aren't just like Legos; they're everywhere and hurt like heck when you step on them!

It all began with this pile of scrap wood.  I loved the shapes but had no idea what to do with them.

I also had this frame which was rescued from a trash bin.

And this chunk of plywood we salvaged from a Craigslist freebie.

I painted both the plywood sheet and frame and let my imagination run free. Daydreaming is one of my favorite things to do!!!

After pondering (while waiting for the paint to dry) I played with the placement of my scrap wood pieces.  I liked the "pinwheel" appearance I found with this configuration and decided to enhance the look by painting the pieces with a variety of colors.  I am a color girl; I LOVE having a rainbow of colors all around me.  The final step was to affix my pinwheels to the white background with a little wood glue.  Not only did I put my scraps to use, I also ended up with a fun little wall hanging for my lanai.  I just love it when a "plan" comes together!!!

Chest of drawers upcycle

One of today's projects in the works; a chest of drawers upcycle.  As I said, it is in the works so the pictures do not depict a completed project.

My man brought this home for me a few weeks ago and I have been itching to get started!  It came to me as a Plain Jane 5 drawer chest of drawers in need of attention. Two drawers need new bottoms while the other three have already been replaced.

There was nothing wrong with this baby that couldn't be repaired; she's just a little plain looking.  Thus far, I have tried a purple paint job but did not care for that.  Next, I considered working a card stock mosaic across the top, down the sides and over the drawer fronts.  However, that would be somewhat time consuming and I am on a time budget for the next two weeks.  My boy's birthday party rapidly approaches so I need to be careful about the projects I become involved with.  Nothing like inviting a houseful of guests to get me moving! 

This is the progress made thus far.  I have wiped down all surfaces and applied spray adhesive to the top, sides, drawer fronts and back support piece.  Next, I affixed two different patterns of paintable wallpaper we picked up last year on clearance at Lowes.  I believe each roll cost $2.00.  The next step will be to install another support bracket and shelf.  I am not quite certain how I will use this baby once I complete her but am excited to see what happens next!

Scrap lumber stemware rack

This one has been on my wish list for quite some time!  I have wanted to add a little pizazz to my bland white and beige kitchen as well as find a convenient spot for my stemware.  Lo and behold, I could not find a stemware rack I liked, so I made one of my own.  

I began with some scrap lumber my man picked up at work, measured the underside of the cabinet, and went to town with the saw.  

Once the pieces were cut to length, I cut the end of each support piece with a 50 degree angle. The next step was to use the router to make slots for the base of the glasses to hang upside down.  After a little mishap with the router, namely letting my thumb get too close the the spinning bit, I drilled two pilot holes in each bracket with my handy dandy counter sink bit.  The final step, and most time consuming, was to spend my afternoon laying on the counter while I measured each type of glass base.  

Wouldn't you know, my eclectic assortment of stemware includes multiple diameters.

There are still a few little tweaks left to correct. One bracket is off by the tinniest bit so the glasses can only come out on one side.  After that,  I need to decide whether to paint, stain or simply seal the brackets.  Then again, I could just leave them as they are and move on to my next project. Time will tell.

  

Stemware rack install time!

My date for the next few hours: 2 drills, a box of screws and the kitchen counter.  It is time to install my stemware runners.  This project has been on my wish list for quite some time.  My coffee cup is filled and music is blasting; consider me excited!!!