“Redneck” Wine Glasses

“Redneck” Wine Glasses

One of this weekend’s projects was to make some “redneck” wine glasses for some upcoming events I’m attending.

I knew I could make them instead of having to buy them.

And they turned out so much better anyways!

I made a few different kinds to try out what I liked best and so you’ll have a few different examples of what you can do!

What you’ll need:

*Mason jars or jelly jars: Find at Dollar General/Walmart*

($6 – $10 for 12)

*Glass candlesticks: Find at a Dollar General/Tree*

($1 apiece)

*Burlap or pretty fabric: Find at Walmart/Craft store*

(As much or as cheap as you want- mine were 97¢ and 88¢ respectively from the Walmart clearance bin)

 

*E 6000 craft glue: Find at Walmart*

(About $10)

How to do it:

1. Squeeze a good amount of E-6000 around top of candlestick, but not so much it’s dripping down the sides.

2. Press the Mason jar to the glue and smear it around and up and down.

3. Center the jar on the candlestick and press down for 30 seconds.

4. Move to a flat, out-of-the-way space and leave for at least 2 days.

5. Cut strips of burlap/fabric and tie in bows around candlestick/jar junction or the jar itself.

 

6. DONE!! Go and enjoy some yummy drinks from your pretty new glasses!

7. Instead of bows, you could also paint the candlesticks, glitterize them, bejewel them, collage them, etc. Anything goes with these!

***TIP: Super Glue WILL NOT WORK!!! (I tried it and it failed miserably)***

***So unless you want your guests to pour drinks all over themselves, you’d best stay away- far far far away***

Examples:

Diamond textured jelly jars from Walmart and candlesticks from the Dollar Tree

Small jelly jars and candlesticks both from the Dollar General

Small jelly jars from the Dollar General and candlesticks from the Dollar Tree.

Watercolors

I’ve recently taken up watercolor painting to keep me busy and sane.

Although sometimes painting makes me more insane because I HATE leaving things unfinished.

So I paint and paint until the project is done.

I really have a hard time leaving paintings overnight like you generally have to do with acrylics and oils.

So in come the watercolors!

Watercolors are GREAT for beginning painters.

1. You can “erase” things a bit with water and a rag.

2. You can cover up mistakes with a not so watery paint.

3. You can blend colors soooooo much easier.

4. Things don’t have to be perfect when it comes to lines and edges- most usually they aren’t with watercolors. So that shaky hand? Forget about it.

5. And my favorite part? You can take regular acrylic paints and……add water!!!! So much cheaper and plentiful than an actual watercolor set. You basically double the amount of paint you just bought.

My secret? I look up pictures online and paint from them!

Now get out there and paint! It doesn’t matter what!

Baking Pan Corkboard Tutorial

This craft was part of the afore-posted “First Night Survival Basket”

It started out as a plain old baking pan from the Dollar General.

(When the Walmart is 30 minutes down the road, and the idea of a craft store is unknown to the general public, you make do with what you got 😉 )

And it was originally planned to be a chalkboard.

(Which is why it’s black and not another prettier color).

But after being painted and tested,  the chalkboard paint started to come off.

So, I was annoyed and frustrated and I didn’t know what I was going to do.

And then inspiration hit while drinking my Monday-night-glass-of-wine!

I actually think it turned out much better than it would have as a chalkboard.

What You’ll Need:

*Lots of wine corks (I used 46 for this project)*

*Paint*

*Hot glue gun or super glue*

*Flowers or ribbon or anything decorative*

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Step 1: Paint the entire pan whatever color you want. Let air dry.

Step 2: VERY carefully cut the corks in half lengthwise

Step 3: Lay the corks out how you want them on your pan

Step 4: Pick one up at a time, apply glue, and reapply to board in same spot

Step 5: Repeat with the other 91 cork halves

Step 6: Apply flowers/ribbon/figurines/whatever decorative accents you desire

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I didn’t have time to find one, but it would look cute either hanging on the wall or stood up on a plate stand.

First Night Survial Basket Tutorial

One of my friends is moving from Alabama back home to Atlanta for her job.

I’ve moved more times than I can count.

So I know that that first night in a new place is always a little bit stressful.

You’re tired from lugging boxes around, driving, figuring out what goes where, etc., etc.

And you still have to OPEN said boxes.

But you packed your scissors……and you don’t know which box they’re in……great.

So instead of her having to worry about anything, I decided to help her out and make a “First Night In A New Place Survival Basket”

It includes: Paper towels, Paper plates, Plastic cups, Plastic utensils, Scissors, a Candle, Wineglass, Bottle of wine, Hand soap, and a Corkboard for decoration, all wrapped up in a handy cute basket.

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There really is no tutorial here though.

All you do is stick everything in a basket (I purchased mine from the Dollar General on sale) and tie a pretty bow/lace around it.

Bam- DONE!

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Additional things you might want to put in the basket:

Flashlight, Batteries, Magnetic notepad and pen for refrigerator, Socks, Dry spaghetti and sauce, Ice cube tray, really whatever you think they might like/need/want/enjoy!

Window Sill Herb Garden Tutorial

This was a gift for a kitchen themed bridal shower I helped host.

The Bride-To-Be of the afore-mentioned shower LOVES to cook.

So what better gift than one she can grow herself and use to make yummy dishes?

(It’s certainly easier than buying some baby chicks for her to have fresh eggs)

             

What You’ll Need:

* Soup cans (emptied and cleaned) – however many you want*

*Seed packets of the herbs you want to plant*

*Potting soil that helps with moisture control*

*Medium thickness hemp twine- (found in the craft section of Walmart)*

*Superglue*

*Toothpicks*

*Wine corks*

*Basket: optional*

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For The Garden:

Make sure you start this project at least 1 month before you want to give it if it’s going to be a gift!

(This gives the seeds plenty of time to germinate and grow into distinguishable plants)

Step 1: Wash the veggie cans/soup cans after you use them in your own meals.

Step 2: Begin at the bottom and superglue the end of the twine to the soup can. Hold until secure.

Step 3: Wrap the twine around the soup can, squishing the twine down tight as you go.

Step 4: Superglue the top wrap of twine in several places and hold until secure. Cut from ball of twine.

Step 5: Repeat until cans are done!

Step 6: Fill with potting soil, but not quite to the top.

Step 7: Scatter seeds in can, making sure some land in middle.

Step 8: Cover with a small amount more of potting soil.

Step 9: Place on window sill and water gently in sink with spray attachment.

Step 10: Enjoy watching your plants grow!

(The first sprout!)

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For The Markers:

Step 1: VERY VERY VERY carefully cut the wine corks in half lengthwise. They are hard to cut.

(I used a super sharp, super serrated, super scary looking knife and got only one tiny nick)

Step 2: Write the correct herb for each can on the flat side

Step 3: Insert the sharp end of a toothpick into the bottom of the cork

Step4: Place other end into soil!

Utensil Cake Tutorial

What you will need:

* 6 large soup cans (emptied and washed)*

* 6 smaller soup cans (emptied and washed)*

* 12 kitchen hand towels*

* Fake flowers*

* Round cake pan*

* 12 rubber bands*

* Utensil gifts*

*Ribbon*

*Hot glue gun or superglue*

*Cutting board (optional)*

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Step One: Fold towels in half lengthwise and wrap around large soup cans. Secure with rubber band in middle. Tuck ends of towels down into soup can.

Step Two: Wrap ribbon around bottom layer of cans and secure with either a dab of hot glue or super glue.

Step Three: Repeat with smaller soup cans and place inside of round cake pan.

Step Four: Hot glue or super glue small flowers onto ribbon to mask where the ends join.

Step Five: Cut flowers from bouquet and stick inside of cans in a pattern.

Step Six: Insert utensils into space between top layer of cans or into cans themselves. Additional towels can be rolled and stuffed between or behind utensils to help steady them and keep them upright.

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For this particular utensil cake, my bride-to-be had registered for everything save for the black and turquoise towels, the cake pan, and the cutting board. All of these things, minus the cutting board and plus the flowers, were bought at the dollar store to keep it cost efficient.  It can be amazing what you can do with dollar store finds!

Blankets and Babies

Remember that baby blanket I said wouldn’t get finished before I had my own kid on the way?

Well, the kid’s not on the way quite yet,

but

!!!!!!IT’S DONE!!!!!!

!!!YAY!!!

I honestly thought it was going to lay on the floor in the front room of my house until I gave up on it.

It terrified me.

But it was SOO easy!

Here’s the blanket:

And here’s the tutorial if anybody wants it:

http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2012/01/easy-thrifty-pretty-rag-quilt-tutorial.html

I used smaller pre-cut squares that I found at Walmart, but it turned out just as good I think!

I also only used the colored squares on the front, unlike she did.

Instead, I used batting for the middle layer and home-cut squares of fleece for the back to make it extra soft.

Crafts and Completion

Unfinished business is my craft motto.

I have a HORRIBLE habit of starting something……

and then letting it sit for a year or so before completing it.

But no more!

I have made myself finish everything I’ve started in the past 6 months.

Pinterest has not made it any easier.

It’s like crack for Do-It-Yourselfers.

Seriously.

But anyways- here are all the Pinterest-inspired crafts one post can hold!

Weekly dry-erase calendar!

Acrylic painting of the old house behind ours to remember it by before it gets torn down and Oil painting of our food plot!

       

Let’s see…A swirly metal ring, a permanent family birthday calendar with a cool crackle paint coat on it, and some diapers all wrapped up in a fluffy blanket for the stork to drop off at a baby shower!

   

Measuring utensil hangers and labels! (Made from….get this….paint sticks!!)

     

Fabric hoops and a no-sew pillow cover (before and after)!!

     

These cornhole boards I made for our wedding. And they were a LABOR. of. love.

(Extra emphasis on the labor part)

But SOOOOO worth it!

   

No, I can’t claim that we built this swing…it was actually an amazing wedding gift. But I did have to sand, stain, and seal it. And believe me, that’s a feat in and of itself! But I use it every single day and if you don’t have one, I highly recommend investing in one!

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I’ve done so well with all the other projects……

But habits do die hard they say…..

This poor baby quilt will probably be done right before I have my own child.

And I’m not pregnant.