Keepin it Lite

My quest continues to beautify my shed... and this time what I needed was a windowbox for some flowers.  My dilemma was... to keep it light enough to hang from the scrap window frame that when I had dirt and flowers in it, the weight of it all wouldn't damage or destroy the frame itself.....

I made the window box out of  a scrap of old picket fence -  - using a piece of trellis along the bottom so that drainage was not an issue.  I had to add the border along the front of the box to hide the edges of the trellis - but it turned out ok....

 

For the plant holders - I saved up some lite and fit yogurt containers... drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage (and that's important... don't try to hammer the holes with a nail... the whole bottom will crack... ask me how I know this.....)   and then - to cover up the obvious commercialism of it all.... hot glued some nature to the
outside of them...

I covered the first one with sticks  (again.. from branches that fell in our back yard)  filled in the cracks with moss and tied the whole thing

up with hemp string. 

That took FOREVER... so I looked for something easier..... The next one I covered with bark strips.... that went a whole lot faster.... didn't take much moss at all to fill in the gaps and again - I tied it with hemp to make it consistent.

 Lastly - for variety - I covered the last one with Magnolia leaves.... that one was the fastest one ever - although it is the most fragile - and probably won't last a month.

Here's the finished product -

 you'll have to let me know what you think....

and yes - it's very light - even with dirt and flowers.....  I think the end result turned out fun - if not interesting. 

 We'll see how everything weathers over time and then I'll have some opinions as to how practical these finishes are.  (although - since I have no money in them at all - I have no risk...)  : )

Shutter Plant Stand

I saw some shutters at the Habitat store the other day - and had about 20 (or more) ideas of things I wanted to make with them.... Sometimes that's the problem I have, not wondering WHAT to do with something, but narrowing down

the ideas to just one.

I've made  standing screens..... you know - for hanging things on....or for putting on a desktop (they make a good table-scape)

They look good in two's and threes -

and in all colors!

This time - I happened to find 4 that were approximately the same size and thought I'd make them into some kind of stand- since the 4 I had were narrow and tall....

and so made this one with top and bottom

Perfect for a plant - or vase or something...

then I had an idea - and made this one -

with just a top.  I put an up-light under it and

lifted the shutters a bit.  The affect was

pretty neat - a night light affect.  It would be

a cool thing on a deck or front porch.

I'm working on one right now - candy apple green with a cobalt  blue top and bottom to match a candlier I made for someone earlier. 

Here's the candlier.   If you can see the candlier past all the other stuff it's hanging around.  I'm re-doing the candlier as well as it's spent a season out in the rain and weather and the glass has faded, the paint chipped a bit and one of the pendants has come loose.   All in all - it's weathered pretty well, considering I did not make it to be in direct weather.  I'm trying to get the glass free from the candlier right now - but the epoxy I used to glue it in place was WAAAYYY too good and I'm having some difficulty getting it to release. 

 I'd rather not break the glasses...

 they are the perfect shape. 

I'll take a picture once everything is completed and let you see the two together.  Hopefully I'll get the projects done this century. 

Anyway - won't you agree...

shutters are very cool!

Stick to It

With the May showers come lots of fallen branches - some of which have fallen on our house.

  So... what to do -  what to do!    We've hauled truck loads to the recycle center  

(after I've picked through them of course -

 to pull out the best pieces) 

There are so many things you can make with branches and sticks....

Like these trellis-fences to hold up our lily's

It doesn't look like it in this picture - but the lilys will grow really tall - and then fall over, which makes it hard to mow.... these stick trellisses are just enough to keep them from laying flat on the ground  - or breaking off altogether. 

I made this free-form trellis after I got my nail gun for my birthday - - - wow what a difference it made as far as construction ease!   Night and day I tell you!  Night and Day!!  (I LOVE my nail gun.... I'm just saying!)

In this picture you can start to  see how the lillys grow - and these haven't reached full size yet.  They are especially pretty when they bloom!  Please imagine these carefully weeded....

thank you!

 My rosebush really loves this trellis - although I think I needed to make it about twice as big!

I wanted a split rail fence next to my shed so I could grow some climbing roses to spruce up the empty wood side...

My first attempt turned out more like a headboard than a fence.... I'll have to find a place in the back yard to put that.....

My second attempt - much better - turned out more like what I had in mind... and the best part...... it only cost me the price of some nails for my nail gun!  I can't wait to plant my rose bush!

more stick ideas to come.....

Scrap Wood Thingies....

The good thing about renovating a house is he piles and piles of wood scraps that are left behind... and being the recycler that I am - I can't just throw any of them away until I determine that they are just too small to make something out of.

Even the smallest scraps of wood can become a little bench. 

An old kitchen cabinet door - a funky table....

Shutters and a square of wood could be a plant stand

and all those scraps that are left.... make into a shelf to hold your knick knacks.... like we ALL need one of those!

I have decided that all I need to be happy is some wood, paint and tools...!

Life is good!

Hip to be Square Headboard

My youngest daughter is anything but square - so when we bought her a new bed and changed her from a twin to a more grown up queen size bed - I wanted to upgrade her to a headboard more in keeping with her fun, "random" personality. 

After much head scratching, a lot false starts and many ideas that never left my sketch pad - here's what I came up with.....

Each panel is hung on the wall separately so she can move it around if she wants and keep the pattern interesting. (of course - her bed is never made - so this is the best picture I can give you).....

Shutter Re-do

I found these shutters at a yard sale and immediately saw their shabby chic potential as a room divider.  Much to my family's dismay - I took the wonderful and lovely golden oak wood and "shabbied it up" and in no time had it looking ancient and worn.... my favorite kind of look.... quite an improvement don't you think?

Before

After

After Closeup

Footstool Makover

 I'm living proof that you don't have to be a pro at sewing (or love to measure) in order to make a footstool cover. 

Here's a picture of my shabby chic footstool makeover.  

Hand Wrapped Candy Bars

Here's an easy, inexpensive Christmas idea to give a little personal gesture to an acquaintance coworker or (the mailman).  Take a large Hershey bar and remove the overwrap - replace it with wrapping and embellishments of your choice and voila' - a crafty and cute gift to give along with your christmas card.  Make it extra special by getting the really really big Hershey bars!  Everyone loves chocolate! 

**  This one shown with Cinnamon Star ornament (see my recipe)