Flowers for the Garden

After making my garden hose mat, I found I had a little hose left over. Not wanting to waste my scrap materials, I decided to make a flower for my fence. Have I mentioned how much I love flowers?  

The most time consuming aspect of this little project was waiting for the paint to dry.  Other than that, this was a snap to put together.  Quite simply, I cut three equal lengths of hose and used electrical tape to keep them in a "petal" shape.  Next, I used a little more electrical tape to tie the "petals" together.  A pretty little yellow spray paint job and my ugly old hose bits became a cute little flower for my fence.  

This flower now hangs on a fence in an area that gets a little dark at night. Considering I do not like dark little corners, I decided to add a little glow of my own.  I placed a solar light in the center of the flower.  This small landscape light emits a sweet little glow each night.  Now I can enjoy my flower day or night!  The silliest things bring me joy!

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!!!

Scrap wood over the range lighted shelf

I have been working on this little sweetie for two weeks!  Our over the range microwave bit the dust, again.  That was the second one to go in the past four years.  Obviously, this house is not meant to have an over the range microwave.  Either that or I am too cheap to hire another electrician to check the wiring again.

Once we removed the old microwave, I had one ugly looking area to start with.  It had potential even though I wasn't completely certain what to do with this new space.

When in doubt, build a box.  Below is a view of the scrap plywood used for the box.  It had some delightful warps but was otherwise quite sturdy.  I know because I had to stand on the silly thing to glue and screw it together.  Talk about a workout!  

The bare wood look was not for me, nor did I feel that a stain would blend well with the existing kitchen.  That left me with painting it to match the rest of the cabinets.  With free paint from the landfill, of course.  Notice how the paint really highlights the gap on the upper left side.  Ah, the joys of working with wood.  :)

I used some scrap lattice pieces to trim the edges.  

I decided to jazz up the interior with a broken glass mosaic, added a shelf and two LED light strips.  Total cost for this project = $25 for the lights.  I am one happy lady woodworker!! 

Glass mosaic aka accidental art - the final step

The final step, so to speak.  Yesterday, I completed a rounded step that had been an eyesore to me for quite some time. Today, I finished the grout and clean up for this step leading from the entryway to the "sunken" great room.  9 and 1/2 feet to be precise.  There is one more step to be dealt with but thankfully it was tiled nicely by the previous homeowners.  It can wait until my knees and back recover from these two steps. Although I am not thrilled with the amount of time it took to complete the project, I am happy with the outcome.  Not only does the mosaic cover the previously ugly steps, it also highlights the fact that there is a step present.  The glass and broken bits of mirror sparkle ever so sweetly to highlight the difference in floor levels.  

The broken glass and mirror pieces were either gifts from my mom or things I had broken.  And yes, my mother is just the type of person to keep broken bits of jadeite glass around.  And I am a hazard who has been known to break a dish as I place it in the dishwasher.  Finally, the concrete and grout were picked up at the local landfill.  When all is said and done this is another freebie project - completed!

Glass Mosaic Step aka Accidental Art

Played Cinderella today by spending hours on my hands and knees grouting a curved step. The only thing missing was the grouchy witch standing over my shoulder supervising my work.  Our little rescue dog took  that job instead. After more than a year looking at a lumpy, bare concrete facing, I finally figured out what to do with the step leading to the kitchen.  By using bits of broken glass and mirror, I transformed an ugly awkward step into something with a little sparkle!  Of course, the free concrete and grout picked up from the local landfill also helped the project along.  I just love completing projects that tickle my imagination.