Saturday, March 25, 2023

Retro Candlestick Holder Using Ornaments



Hey everybody, it's that time again to share our "Do Over" projects! In case you didn't know, the "Do It Over Designers" is a group of talented bloggers who love to recycle/upcycle/DIY, hosted by Anne @The Apple Street Cottage. It happens the 4th Saturday of every other month and it's all about taking something old and/or unused and 'doing it over' into something new. Anything from fabric, old dishes, and decor, to dressers and hutches. Items found in closets, cabinets, barns, garages, yard sales, thrift stores, you name it!

                                      

For my "do over" project, I'm taking clear Christmas ornaments that I've had for awhile, unused, and turning them into retro candlestick holders! You've probably seen similar candlesticks with a unique retro look - a bubble glass or hand blown effect - like this clear ribbed one:

or in colors!

Imagine bringing a unique vintage look into your space with uniquely handmade candlestick holders using clear plastic ornaments! And you won't believe how easy they are to make, either!

Materials:
Clear plastic ornaments
Small plastic candleholders
Hot knife/tempered glass mat work surface
Parchment paper
Quick dry clear multi-purpose glue

Disclosure I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! The affiliate money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

How to:
Let's begin by sorting out the clear plastic ornaments you want to use to make the candlesticks. I picked out several ribbed ones and a few plain round ones, too!

Don't you just love this ribbed onion shaped ornament!

But first, for safety, when working with a hot knife, it's recommended to use a tempered glass mat to ensure your work area will not be damaged from heat or cuts. I also like to use parchment paper, too! That being said, begin by removing the protruding section (where the ornament hanger attaches) of the ornament using the hot knife.

Cutting all the way .  .  .
through!
Once the hanger section has been removed begin building the candlestick starting with the candleholder and adding glue around the rim to insert a ribbed ornament.
Then glue on another ribbed ornament. 

Making sure the ornaments are straight and aligned.
At this point, you can add the candleholder to the top by removing the base of the candleholder using the hot knife and .  .  .

gluing it on top of the ribbed ornament for a group of two, or .  .  .
create another one with a group of three ribbed ornaments and candleholder.
But don't stop there! Why not create another candlestick holder, but this time use clear smooth onion shaped ornaments for a total of three bubble candlestick holders! They can be painted to match your decor, too! But I like them clear, for now!
How cool are these creating a stunning display with the set!
I hope you liked this playful and elegant design - a sleek modern take on classic candlesticks!  Be sure to visit all of this month's creative projects by the "Do It Over Designers" listed below:


Thursday, March 16, 2023

Twisted Rope Container with Top



 Hey everyone! It's time for our monthly creative craft hop and I was thinking about what I might make this month! We all love having small storage containers for our trinkets, knick-knacks and even things like small gems we use in crafting! As a crafter, the best and easiest way is to make our own small containers! And the best part is when you are able to find all the materials already in your home! Hot damn! Imagine finding a bag of rope in your garage! Not just any kind of rope, but one that's satiny with a sheen! Who knew they come this way!

Plus, you only need a couple of items to make this lovely container: twisted rope (this one is 3/8" by 25ft.) and hot glue in addition to incidentals like a circle template, parchment paper and scissors. All basic household supplies!

So let's begin with drawing a 5.5" circle - I wanted a small container to hold my craft gems and five and a half inch is perfect!  Next, place a sheet of parchment paper over the circle. Hot glue won't stick to parchment paper. You can just rub it off after cooling!

Begin by tightly wrapping and gluing the rope in a circle. 
Apply glue to the outer center edge of the rope and continue wrapping and gluing, following the outline of the circle until .  .  .
you are on the circle outline
Make sure you line up the wrapped rope with the circle. Then begin adding hot glue on top of the wrapped rope on the last row to start building up the sides to make the container higher. 

Add glue along the middle of the rope and be sure to cover the entire length of the rope. You don't want any gaps in the sides. 

Do this by adding a bit of glue and smoothing the rope down on top of the previous wrapped rope - making sure the rope is centered and straight on top as you wrap.

Continue adding glue and wrapping the rope around on top of the previous rope until .  .  .
you have reached the desired height. I ended extending the height right above where I began building the sides.

I want to mention that at this point I wrapped a model of the top (without gluing) on the larger 5.5" template with small decorative circles on the bottom and top to make sure I had enough rope to complete the container with a top - which I did.
So I glued on a decorative disc shape along the side cutting off the excess rope. I had to add a bit of glue to the cut off end to keep the rope from raveling. 
Don't you just love how this look!
To make the top, I created a loop in the center of the circle template and continued gluing on and wrapping the rope .  .  . 
around and .  .  .

around until .  .  .

finishing the top with a decorative disc shape like on the side of the container .  .  .
for a lovely polished look!
What a great way to recycle unused fashionable rope from around the house!
How adorable is this to store craft gems!

Perfect to share on this month's  Creative Craft Hop hosted by Sara @Birdz of a Feather If you are visiting from  Niki @Life as a Leo Wife, WELCOME! Wasn't Niki's bunny topiaries gorgeous!

Up next is  Cecilia @My Thrift Store Addiction sharing her beautiful  Egg-cellent DIY Floral Arrangement .  Be sure to stop by each and everyone in our creative group listed below to check out their exciting and inspiring project! And don't forget to pin, too!

Leanna | Pretty DIY Home | Peat Pot Easter Basket Gift Ideas


Jenna | The Painted Apron | Spring Bottle in Bloom


Tammy | Patina And Paint | Easy Easter Craft


Niki | Life As A Leo Wife | Farmhouse Bunny Topiaries


Gail  | Purple Hues and Me | Twisted Rope Container with Top


Cecilia  | My Thrift Store Addiction | Egg-cellent DIY Floral Arrangement in 2 Easy Steps


Terrie | Decorate and More With Tip | Adorable Easter Craft DIY


Sara | Birdz of a Feather | Slip on Coaster


Carol | Blue Sky at Home | How to Easily Decorate Old Bottles with Paper and Vinyl


Allyson | Southern Sunflowers | How to Decorate a Dollar Tree Bunny Wire Wreath


Donna | Modern on Monticello | Easy Tile Pallet Wall Art


Ann | The Apple Street Cottage | Spring Fence...and a Bunny





Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Bunny Egg Floral Ribbon Centerpiece

 

Winter is just about over and we're so excited to welcome Spring and the Easter season! It's so easy to dress up your home with colorful flowers, pretty prints and precious bunnies! One way is to make a simple yet beautiful floral feature with an oversize egg decorated with bunny ears, a floral crown with cut-out ribbon foam flowers arranged on a floral decorated glass stand! Whew! That sound gorgeous! Just in time for this month's DIY Challenge hosted by Shae @Sweet_Southern_Grace. Each month there is a different theme challenge and this month is all about anything pertaining to a DIY Spring Project!

This stunning spring centerpiece will surely be the highlight or focal point around your home. It's fun and festive and full of springtime! And you really only need a few items to create: 

  • Glass plate stand
  • Paper Mache egg
  • Foliage
  • Poster board
  • Acrylic paint/brush/scissors
  • Ribbon
  • Foam sheet
  • Mod podge/fabric glue/hot glue
  • Iron
  • Ball stylus/sponge

 

Let's begin by making bunny ears to add to the pink paper mache egg I had in my stash. I found a free bunny ear template online that I copied and printed out. Then used the template to outline the ears on posterboard and cut out.
 Painting the ears pink to match the egg.
Then gluing the ears onto the back of the egg.
And placed foliage around the egg and plate stand.
Made a crown of foliage to place on the bunny's head.
To decorate the bunny crown and foliage, glued flowered ribbon to a foam sheet and .  .  . 
and cut out the foam flowers which were heated on an iron and .  .  .
pressed on foam using a ball stylus to give the flowers dimension.

And finally, glued the flowers on the crown and foliage for a playful design - adding a touch of whimsy to any home decor!

Don't forget to check out all the creative bloggers and their Spring DIY Challenge projects listed below:





                                                           Shae @ Sweet_Southern_Grace













Gail @Purple Hues and Me