Tin cans of all shapes and sizes. I will be using quart cans, paint cans, gallon cans, and a few leftover food cans. The more the merrier!
Hot glue gun with glue sticks
Scissors
Fun things to decorate your cans with. I’m choosing loose pebble rocks and sand, a self-adhesive faux-tile that looks like a mix between glass tile and travertine, craft sticks, craft paper
Mod Podge
Sponge brush or artist brush
OPTIONAL: Acrylic paint for your wood sticks.
INSTRUCTIONS:
For the pebbles:
Pick some larger pebbles for some of the main areas and glue them into place.
Roll out the smaller pebbles on a sheet of paper or a hard surface.
In sections, going from top to bottom add LOTs of hot glue on to your tin can of choice. You will have to do this step quickly so the glue doesn’t harden.
Roll the tin can with the glue on it over the pebbles. Continue to do this until the entire can is covered.
Now, if we were tiling and grouting, this is where you would add your grout. But instead of doing grout, we are going to add sand to give it a beachy feel.
Fill your brush with mod podge and stick it in between all of the rocks. Remember that mod podge dries clear, so it doesn’t have to be perfect in between the rocks.
Take your sand and pour it into the spaces between the rocks where you’ve mod podged.
Set aside to dry.
Fill with your favorite greenery, florals or beachy items to complete the look and enjoy!
For the Faux-Tile:
Turn the can on its side for application.
Peel off the adhesive backing on the tile and lay it on a flat surface, adhesive side up.
Roll the can onto the back of the tile.
Cut off any excess with scissors.
Fill with your favorites and enjoy.
For the Sticks:
Lay your tin can on its side.
Make one bead of glue along the stick and immediately attach it to the can.
Continue this all the way around.
To add a little pop of color, take some acrylic paint of your choice and dry brush the sticks. This will make it look chic and rustic.
Set aside to dry then fill it with your favorite plant or floral bouquet!
Spring and summer are the best time to select the peony plant that you would like to grow in your garden. To save money, wait until fall so you can buy the bulb Vs plant. Peonies are perennials plants that can live up to 100 yrs. There are 3 types of peony plants: Herbacious, Tree, ITO.
Whether you plant a peony that you buy from Garden center or bulb in fall, during the first year, the peony has special needs:
During first spring bloom, stake plant in order to keep stems from flopping over.
Use a soft tie such as velcro or nylon.
Plant in full sun.
Feed them with a potassium rich fertilizer.
Keep plant from drying out completely.
For best long life growth, remove flower buds from plant first and second year, this will cause plant to establish its roots and store energy to give a prolific bloom the third year.
Some plants can grow up to 100 flowers in its third year!
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Summer Painted Glassware
MATERIALS:
Frosted Sea Glass
Paint options: Spray paint for glass or enamel paint for glass
Painter’s tape
Painting sponge; use this if you are applying the paint with the enamel paint, not the spray paint
Plaid Paint Pen Glasses
Paint pens in various colors
Fabric measuring table
Painted Brush Stroke Glasses
Enamel paint
Paint brushes; for precision, you want to make sure to use thin brushes, not spongy
INSTRUCTIONS:
Frosted Sea Glass
Wash and dry the glasses so they are clean
Apply the painter’s tape to the glasses as desired for the design of choice
If using the enamel paint, use the sponge to press the paint onto the glass, not swipe (this process is similar to how you would use the same sponges on a stencil)
If using spray paint, make sure to completely cover the areas not being sprayed with painters’ tape for safety
Plaid Paint Pen Glasses
This is as simple as drawing the lines onto the cup with the paint pen
Use a fabric measuring table to wrap around the glass and make a small mark to evenly space out your lines
Painted Brush Stroke Glasses
Add brushstrokes of a single color as desired and allow to dry completely and then add another color and repeat until you have all the colors you like
Wash tire with pressure washer before creating swing to eliminate rubber bits that can mark clothing. If painting your tire, use latex outdoor primer, let dry, then use the latex outdoor enamel, and let dry. You can also use spray paint.
Once dry, drill 3 holes in the tire, equal distances apart.
Measure the outer circumference of the tire and divide this number by three. You will use this measurement to mark and evenly space the holes.
Drill 3/8-inch holes at these locations. Attach a u-bolt or rope clamp to the end of each rope, pull other end through holes. Secure three ropes at top with clamp.
For Cushion
Take pre-cut plywood round.
Place upholstery foam on top of round.
Wrap with fabric around the plywood and foam and then using a staple gun, staple fabric to round.
Place cushion inside tire.
Hang Swing
The swing should be hung about 10 feet off the ground, about 10 feet out from the trunk and from a tree branch at least 6 inches in diameter. The bottom of the tire should sit at least 12 inches off the ground, depending upon the size of the child using the swing. It should be high enough that the child's feet do not hit the ground. When hanging in a tree, loop the long rope over the branch and use a quick connector to secure the swing at the desired height. For a permanent installation, protect the tree branch by placing a scrap of carpet under the chain to avoid damaging the tree. The swing can also be mounted under a deck, on a playset, or on a brace between two smaller trees.
Measure 24”W x 14”L on your fabric to create the size for the pillow.
Cut excess fabric away to create the pillow.
Make sure that the pillow fabric is centered at the front end of your towel.
Pin the sides of your fabric to the towel.
Sew 3 sides of your fabric onto the towel.
Leave about 6” of room for your hand to fit inside to stuff the open side.
Stuff open pocket with pillow stuffing.
Pin the 6” closed.
Sew final 6” closed.
Hold towel with pillow finished.
DIY Beach Towel Straps
Cut fabric for straps. Make it double the width you actually need.
Fold and iron each side of the fabric strap.
Sew ends of fabric together.
Safety pin the top and feed through to hide your frayed edges.
Iron handle so it is fully flat.
Fold the fabric at the end a couple of times to hide any of the fray.
Attach one of the straps to the end of the towel.
Pin each end of the fabric onto the towel.
Sew each end of the fabric straps onto the end of the towel.
The second strap will go in the middle of the back of the towel to ensure the bag has two straps and can be held upright. Use pins to keep a placeholder in your towel. Then, sew the straps onto the towel similar to the first strap sewn.
You can choose to use leftover fabric scraps from previous projects to add a different design/pop of color to your DIY Beach Towel Bag.
Start with two boards and paint or stain them to your desired color. We went with a cherry stain.
Attach the two top edges of the boards together using the piano hinges
Flip the boards over and bend them into a ‘A’ shape
Optional - Add rubber stoppers to the bottom of the boards. This won’t be needed if your movie night is taking place in the grass. (If you don’t want to buy rubber stoppers, you can also use hot glue across the bottom as a no-skid solution).
Grab your popcorn, sit back, and watch your movie!
Carabineers or S-hooks (4 to hold 50 lbs, 1 to hold 100 lbs)
Floral moss
Flameless tea light candles
Metal framed tray or planter
Sunflower seeds, chia seeds and or colored quinoa
Vase, flowers and/or plant for centerpiece
Bolt cutter or pliers
INSTRUCTIONS:
Measure out the length of chain that you will want for your yard. You will need to find some place to hang this that works in your yard, so this part is up to you.
Cut your chain to length with a bolt cutter or spread a link apart using two pairs of pliers.
You will need four lengths of chain, all the same size.
Attach the carabineers or s-hooks to the bottom of each chain length. Attach the other side
of the hook to the wire planter or tray.
Take the moss sheets and add that to the top of the tray (this will be the bottom of the
mason jars).
Arrange mason jars all the way around the outside diameter of your tray. You will want to
do this before you hang up your chandelier.
Inside each mason jar, fill with seeds, rice or quinoa about 1/3 of the way up the mason jar.
Add a battery operated tea light to the top of the seeds.
In the middle of the tray, add a plant or flower arrangement.
Use extra moss to help fill in the gaps so that the entire structure looks lush and gorgeous.
Take the one carabineer that can hold 100lbs and attach the top link of all four chains.
This will serve as the top of the chandelier.
Attach this top to a secure area in your backyard.
Enjoy the summer nights with your friends and family accompanied by gorgeous garden
Once everything is disassembled, spray paint all of your pieces.
Retro Fan:
Take apart; spray the blades add the cage silver, spray the rest of the face teal.
Color Blocking Fan:
Spray paint everything yellow.
Use duct tape to create lines on each blade so that each blade is the same; this will create a continuous line of color when the fan is on.
Vintage Fan:
Take apart fan, spray paint, let dry. Take scrapbook paper and trace the blades of the fan and then cut to size. Add a layer of Mod Podge to fan blade, then place scrapbook paper on top. Cover with Mod Podge and let dry.
Take your Perler beads kit and using the base take beads and create your design, leaving a hole in the middle for your straw.
Once you’ve established your design, cover with parchment paper and place iron on top, rotating in a circle for 15-20 seconds. Test to see if beads have melted together, if not, continue until holes are gone.
Let cool slightly then flip over base and peel away the design.
Then take parchment paper and iron on backside of project.
To avoid it curling up, place books or heavy object to weigh it down.
Figure out how long the 2x2s would be. Make sure they extend passed the bench far enough to accommodate the wheel on one end, and comfortable enough to act as handles that do not stick too far out on the other.
Mark holes for axle brackets 1 ½ inches from the end on one end of both 2x2s.
Attach the axle brackets with short carriage bolts. Fit the wheel and axle into the
brackets.
Clamp the handle 2x2s to the inside of the legs just under the seat. The wheel should
clear the bench and allow extra space for the 2x2 crosspiece that you will be adding.
Mark where the top of the crosspiece crosses the legs of the bench and drill into place.
Clamp handles at the wheel end with a bar clamp, mark the top of the crosspiece and
drill and insert bolt through each hole.
Drill and bolt the handle end of the 2x2s that are clamped right under the bench seat.
*Optional: Paint a colorful color for summer or leave natural!
Pre-paint all of your materials. We chose to paint the plywood that is outside of the embroidery hoop copper, and everything else is painted bass.
Place your 12” round mirror in the center of the plywood round. Use super glue to secure. 3. Place 14” embroidery hoop around the mirror. Use wood glue to secure.
Use super glue to attach bolts to the wood chunk on the embroidery hoop. This will make it look like a hinge.
Use wood glue to add wood plugs around the plywood.
Stack a wood plug, bolt, and faucet handle to each other, with the faucet handle on top. Glue to plywood. This will make it look like the porthole can be opened. *Optional: If you want to give your mirror a weathered look, go back in with chocolate brown paint and paint around the bolts and embroidery hopp. Use a rag or paper towel to pull of some of the paint.
Allow everything glued to completely dry, then hang with a flush wall hanger.
Fill the trash can with clippings and moss. Use materials that birds would use in nest building. We also fed a stick through the inside of the trash can as a bird perch!
Attach the wire wreath frame to the trash can (our trash can lip wedged perfectly into the center hole of the wreath frame)
Line the top of the wire frame with moss
Place a plate or plastic lid on top of the trash can/wreath as a “lid”
Fill with birdseed and watch how much your birds love it!
½ in. PVC Pipe (length varies, For our purposes we have: 12, 36in. pieces; 4, 24in. pieces)
2, ½ in. PVC side outlet elbow connectors
3 , ½ in. PVC tee pipe connectors
6, ½ in. PVC 90 elbow connectors
Corrugated Roofing Panel (cut to a larger length and width than your rectangular carport)
2 Cafe Curtains (fit to the length of the carport)
Screws and drill
INSTRUCTIONS:
Measure the length, width, and height of the area you have.
Assemble the pvc pipes and connectors together. (For the top rectangle, we used 4, 36 in. and 2, 24in.; Each side has has 2, 36 in. sides and 1, 24 in. bottom; The back has 3, 36in. For the bottom and sides; the front has 1, 36 in. for the middle “T” piece)
Run the curtains through the front-top pvc pipes of the rectangle.
Place the corrugated tin on top of the rectangle, as the roof. Screw it through the pvc pipe to hold it into place.
Place your bikes, cars, and wheelie toys inside the carport!
Pick out the herbs that you would like to use. Buy them as already planted herbs and not seeds, unless you have a green thumb and wish to wait until they grow.
Make sure your mason jars are clean before you start. Using your shovel, put some potting soil in the bottom of your mason jar.
Take the Herb out of its packaging and set it inside the mason jar on top of the potting soil.
Fill the rest of the mason jar with soil.
Moisten the soil with a little bit of water.
Take your chalkboard labels sticks and chalkboard markers and label the Herb. Stick this in the side/top of your mason jar.
Take a little bit of the twine and tie around the open mouth of the mason jar. You can tie this in a knot or in a box. This is simply decorative.
Put your decorative boxes inside the window pane.
Put a mason jar with an herb in the front and the back of the box with the window frame in the middle.
If you would like to secure your boxes in place, use hot glue. (optional)
Prepare the loofah sponge. Bramble Berry’s loofah is flat until it’s dunked in water, then it softens and expands. We find that the sponges are easier to cut once they have expanded, as they are softer and it’s easier to see their shape.
Dunk the loofah sponges in water until they expand. Because they are a natural product, some loofah sponges are larger than others.
Squeeze out any excess water. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut the loofah into round shapes. It helps to tightly squeeze the sponge to make it more compact while cutting. Try your best to cut the loofah so it’s slightly taller than the depth of the silicone mold cavities. *TIP: If you cut it a little too thin, place a small piece of loofah into the mold cavity and set the thin loofah piece on top. This will help lift the loofah up so the soap doesn’t completely cover it.
Place each round into a mold cavity. If the loofah sponge is large, you may want to cut it in half. Place the mold on a cutting board and set aside.
Chop 32 ounces of Clear Melt and Pour Soap Base and 16 ounces of White Melt and Pour Soap Base into small uniform pieces. Place all of the white soap into a heat-safe container. Split the Clear Melt and Pour Soap Base into two heat-safe containers – each should contain 16 ounces.
In separate containers, disperse 1 teaspoon of spinach powder into 1 tablespoon of 99% isopropyl alcohol and 2 teaspoons of tomato powder into 2 tablespoons of 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix together. Dispersing the colorants helps prevent clumps.
Melt each container of melt and pour soap using 30 second bursts, stirring in between each one. Once they are all completely melted, add 0.3 ounces of Avocado Fragrance Oil to each container and mix in thoroughly.
To the melted white soap, add 1.5 teaspoons of dispersed spinach powder. Then, add 1.5 teaspoons of dispersed spinach powder to one of the containers of melted clear soap. Finally, add all of the dispersed tomato powder to the last container of melted clear soap. Thoroughly mix in all of the additives.
Pour each color of soap into 4 cavities of the mold. Each cavity will be filled to the very top. After each pour, spritz the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help get rid of bubbles. TIP: The tomato powder tends to fall to the bottom if the soap is too hot and thin. To prevent this, pour the soap once it has cooled to about 120-125° F.
Allow the soap to cool and harden for several hours, up to overnight. Once they have cooled and hardened, remove them from the mold and enjoy. To help prevent glycerin dew, wrap the soap in plastic wrap.
Mache to line the wood box (waterproof holder that fits inside the wood box)
Oasis (soaked)
Sunflowers, Lemon Leaf & Solidago
Ribbon
Chenilles or pipe cleaner to tie off your bow
Glue gun
INSTRUCTIONS:
Pull out the ribbon and create a loop, pinch together and twist.
Create another loop and tuck it under the first loop you created. It should be an inch longer than the first one you made, pinch again and twist under the first loop.
Make another loop, it should match the loop you just made. Pinch and twist. Have your forefinger and thumb in the center of your bow to hold on to all your loops.
Repeat this process and make sure to make each loop longer than the previous loop.
We are looping seven times. Always use an odd number of loops on each side.
Unravel 12 inches off your ribbon spool, cut and now you have both your tails.
Use a pipe cleaner, wrap it around all your pinches and twist tight. This will hold bow securely, but it also allows you to move the loops around to spread out the bow when you’re ready to spruce it out.
Keep your snowboard boot braces attached to the snowboard. Use these as your wall mounts.
Find a stud to anchor at least one of the boots into, using screws and metal wall anchors. (If you have a large or heavy trophy collection, buy your screws and wall anchors according to the weight you need).
Baseball Shelf
Measure and cut a plywood piece to match the size of home plate.
Cut a 1x2 inch strip of wood the width of the base (the side against the wall). This strip will act as the support for the shelf.
Paint the plywood to the color of your choosing, but the real base will be covering most of the plywood (We went with black.)
Measure the height of your bat, angling it to meet the center of the “shelf.” (The bat will help support the shelf).
Screw your mounting strip (1x2 wood strip) at the bat height.
Screw the back end of your home plate shaped plywood onto the mounting strip, wedging the bat into place between the floor and the “shelf.”
Use one screw to hold the bat into place underneath the plywood base.
Place home plate on top of the shelf, covering the plywood and the screw going into the bat.
Basketball Shelf
Using your basketball hoop, trace the circle inside the rim onto the plywood (sand the edges if needed to make a perfect fit.) The net hooks should be able to support the plywood.
Stain the board to your choosing (we went with the color that emulates the traditional basketball floor.)
Attach the basketball hoop to the wall as you would normally attach it to the backboard. (we chose to put a piece of plywood behind it to add a bit of strength. Buy screws and wall anchors according to your needed weight for trophies.)
Figure Skating Shelf
Mount your figure skate blades to the wall using screws. The blades already have holes in them from where they are already attached to the skate boot. We mounted ours horizontally, but you can also mount them vertically!
Take your wood round & screw your handle to the middle of the wood round.
Take the silk flowers of your choice, trim the stems down a little bit, then proceed to staple the flowers down to the wood round. Then keep some with stems on to get some height.
Put as many as you’d like, the more the better though, this way it will really look like a flower planter.
To keep the lid level, you’ll need to put support blocks on the top inside of the barrel.
Use about 3-4 wood blocks & screw them in along the inside of the barrel.
Store all of your garden supplies inside the barrel & you’re good to go!
Apply the painters tape around the center of the glass, making sure it is on tightly to achieve clean lines.
Apply the dark green paint with a paint brush, allow to dry.
Apply another layer of the dark green paint and then immediately, using the same paint brush, apply some of the lighter paint making sure not to blend too much. This will create the look like lines like a real watermelon.
Allow to dry, then remove the painter's tape.
Use the black paint pen to draw "seeds" onto the glass as desired.
Tip: don't draw the seeds too close to the top of the glass where you would drink to avoid any paint chipping or wearing away.
Lemon Champagne Glasses
Apply a small amount of glue onto the bottom of the glass and attach the yarn, holding it until it dries and stays on its own.
Apply more glue and wrap the yarn tightly around the glass about half way up.
Cut the end of the yarn and secure with more glue and make sure to only apply glue where the yarn will be since the super glue could leave marks on the glass.
Use the white paint pen to draw "seeds" on the glass as desired.
Tip: don't draw the seeds too close to the top of the glass where you would drink to avoid any paint chipping or wearing away.
Take your backpack and cut out a piece of foam core that will fit inside.
Use the foam core to trace an identical piece on the fold of the batting.
Use the base shape as your pattern and trace out two pieces on fabric.
Allow an inch or so for seam allowance, and for wrapping around foam core base.
On one side, figure out the placing of the elastic and how much give you need depending on the size of your dinnerware (Recommended to place the silverware at the bottom)
Pin them down and sew into place.
Sew the two front and back pieces of fabric together inside out, leaving space to insert the base shape, and then turn right side out.
Use tacky glue to wrap and adhere the batting to the foam core.
Insert the base into the cover.
Finish sewing.
Add to backpack
Optional: Add two elastic straps to the side of the backpack for your picnic blanket.
Take a wine bottle and add sand to it. Add the cork back to the bottle and stick a wire/place card holder through the cork. Use this to hold up your table numbers!
Cut a cork width-wise into sections. Burn or paint the initials of the couple into the pieces. Glue these pieces to a grape vine and wrap it around the napkins.
Leave corks and vases at each table with markers and pens. Have the guests add a small note and their name on the cork and leave in the vases. This can be saved for years in your own home!
Tie a candle with beautiful ribbon/flowers around the bowl for a great effect at gift table or dessert table
“The Chirpy” - When used on a water bottle, the ‘chirping’ sound could signify that the toasts, or announcements are going to begin; also a good souvenir that comes in a variety of colors!
Add sunglasses for fun! Maybe the couples’ future is so bright, they need shades! Especially great for outdoor events.
Some vegetables you can regrow include, onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, mint, basil, cilantro, pineapple and celery.
Take scraps and place in a cup with a few inches of water.
Allow a few weeks, until you see root and top growth.
Plant in pot (size depends on vegetable) using well-draining soil.
Place in full sunlight to continue growing (Check online if you do not know the vegetables growing season to keep them in those seasonal temperature ranges).
Place your 42” wood boards down on the table horizontally.. Make sure they are all even and touching on all sides.
Take your 26” wood board and lay on top of of the 42” boards vertically. Place it evenly on the left side of board. Mark the width of wood board with pencil. Repeat on the other side.
Glue two 26” wood boards on the opposite side of the pencil mark with wood glue. Nail to secure. The frame of the pallet is now built.
Measure one inch between first horizontal board between the next one. Use wood glue and nail to attach. Repeat for remaining boards.
Begin to paint your flag’s pattern. Paint the top corner blue and the rest of the wood red. Allow paint to dry.
Use a star stencil and paint on your stars with white paint and a sponge.
Fill open space with white, faux hydrangeas. Secure with hot glue.
To hang, screw in two eye hooks on the top of your pallet. Install your chain wherever you want pallet to hang from. Cut your two hanging chains to equal lengths. Loop eye hooks through chain to hang.