Friday, January 25, 2013

Tied Up in Knots

With spring not nearly close enough, but always on my mind in the recent sub-zero weather, this project seemed like a good one to share. These bird nest necklaces have been floating around on the internet for a while. I thank Pinterest for leading me to tutorials on this subject. 

Here are two ways to make them look great without using findings (which is nice if you have run out or are budgeting). 

1. Forget the clasp. Make an adjustable sliding clasp, instead. I added artificial pearls at the ends to make the knot easier to open and close.

If you are making a necklace as a gift and are unsure of the length necessitated, an adjustable sliding clasp is perfect. 


Sliding knot clasp
                                       

 2. Use the nest itself as a jump ring. Since the wire wraps around and around, there is no need for a jump ring. Just warp one of the rungs of the nest a bit then thread your necklace through it.

I think it turned out well, but most importantly, my friend liked it. That is all that matters. I hope it keeps  her thinking of spring.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Sock it to Me

I have the absolute worst dry hands. Then there are my cuticles; they cause panic in manicurists, who seem to wish they could take acid to remove them. The solution is supposed to be a simple "sleep with gloves and a thick moisturizing cream on them."

Finally deciding to take matters into my own hands, I went to buy moisturizing gloves. Ugh, $7.00. Alright, seven dollars is really not too expensive, but I would prefer that for my new guitar fund.

Then it hit me: Socks. I already have plenty on hand. The glove shape seems necessary for fishing for one's keys in the cold, but not so much for sleeping.

Give it a try. You can upcycle a pair of socks you are probably not using anyway, save a few dollars and protect your skin from the weather, especially if you live in a wintery state like me.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Organizing? Shop Your Own House!

January has come and the stores' seasonal aisles have changed, beckoning us to organize. The quest to have clean room and clean mind is always popular, but nothing seems to provoke organization frenzy like a new year on the calendar. It is great to take this time to re-arrange everything, but before you run off to the store, shop your own house.

I found a candle votive stand from high school. With the votive missing, I thought the stand had outlived its usefulness. Then, I absentmindedly sat my hat on it one day. Before I realized it, I had a bowler hat hanger.

 Boom. Easiest upcycle ever. (How perfect, since this one hat unfortunately cannot hang on my hat rack).








Anyone else want help organizing their to-do pile? I know we can buy these things, and this is nothing new, but here is my version. Once again, I did not step foot into a store for this revamp.

I simply used cereal boxes, paper and stickers which I already had. If you don't have stickers (or have better handwriting than me) you can always use a Sharpie. I also used the same washi tape which I have used for so many projects. (K&Company Smash Tape).

I have a few other boxes I want to make into organizers. We will see what happens. While the stores have so many exciting options and fun colors, I am glad I can bring new life to some materials already on hand, without spending a thing.

See what you find when you shop around in your home.






                                       


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

And The Rest

Happy New Year, everyone!

The rest of my friends must have received their holiday gifts by the end of last year, so I can finally post them here. A bunch of my friends love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It took me a while to think of a gift I could make them, but here we go!

My Little Pony Magnets


I also made a couple of Doctor Who things for my DW fan friends.

Necklace for my friend


Cell phone strap (front)

back of strap
 The end of the holidays makes me sad, because it might mean a slowdown to my DIY activities. Well, we'll see. Stay tuned.