Around The House Archives

July 31, 2018 by Hootshack

Rustic Hanging Light Bulbs

How To Use Old Lightbulbs

I came across these old light bulbs at a local craft fair and, for some reason, I couldn’t pass them up. I had absolutely no idea what I would do with them, but they spoke to me, so they came home with me. They obviously don’t function, but I still think they are pretty cool. The largest bulb I have in my house is probably 60 watt, and one of these is 1000 watts! I’ve yet to hear what these would have originally been used for, so if you know, please share in the comments below.

Things you’ll need to make the Rustic Hanging Light Bulbs:

Large light bulbs
Rope
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Board (or another item) for hanging. My original plan was to hang these from old pulleys and I think that would be super cool. Of course, I couldn’t find the pulleys when I was looking for them, but if I do, I may make the change.
Hook and eyebolt for hanging

The rope I used was a very stiff, smaller diameter rope that I found at Lowe’s. First is glued a small piece to create the loop for hanging.

Gluing the rope around the threads of the bulbs took the longest. Since the rope was pretty stiff, I had to work slowly and add a little glue and hold the rope tight until it dried. Then I’d add a little more and hold it again as I worked my way around until the bulb threads were covered and then glued the end in place. Again, I held that tight until it dried. If I didn’t work slowly, the rope would pull away from the bulb as it dried. The glue is so hot, so you have to be careful when doing this. Don’t use too much glue or it will seep out and burn your hand. Press slowly until you’re sure that no excess glue is seeping through.

The bulbs looked like this once the threads were completely covered.

Now all you have to do is flick the light switch on the wall and they’ll turn on. Just kidding… they don’t actually work and I could have picked a better place to take this picture. lol .

Then, I repeated this process with all three light bulbs. Once I was done, I had this mental picture of them hanging from old pulleys. I tried to find them everywhere! I had no luck so I used the old piece of wood to hang them for now. I’m not going to stop looking for the pulleys though!

Hanging the Rustic Light Hanging Light Bulbs:

I wanted a different texture, so I untwisted the same rope so that I had two pieces to create the longer pieces that each bulb hangs from. I’m not sure if I achieved anything all that different, but it looked a little more interesting to me. The rope pretty much sticks to itself, so I just wrapped the excess around the wood piece several times and secured the end with a not. I hung each bulb at a separate length. You’ll notice I used two chairs to support my work. I had to be careful though, it wasn’t as secure as I’d hoped. Don’t let them slip off!

The final piece of rope was looped in the center with equal length pieces hanging on each side. This piece was about 3 feet long. I looped the center and then evenly spaced the sides.

Next, I drilled a hole at either end of the wood pieces and fished the rope through the holes and secured each end with a knot. I had to work with each knot a bit to get the entire assembly to hang evenly. It didn’t really take that long to get things even.

Other than installing the eyebolt in the ceiling, I’m pretty much done. I used a small “S” hook to loop into the eyebolt and then onto the loop in the rope. If you put a screwdriver through the eyebolt, it gives you more leverage to screw the eyebolt in or to get the eyebolt turned to the right angle so your finished piece hangs the way you want. Twisting the eyebolt in with your hand can be a little hard.

If you decide to make your own, PLEASE tag Hootshack on IG or Facebook. I really love to see how others interpret my projects or how they make changes to make things look a little different. Please give this post a share. I love new followers!

Please be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and/or Pinterest!

Until next time…

xoxo,

Denise

June 21, 2018 by Hootshack

Old Shutters Make Easy DIY Shelves

How To Make Shelves With Old Shutters

I love old shutters but sometimes they come in less-than-perfect shape. I bought four at Three Speckled Hens in Paso Robles over a year ago. None of the shutters functioned so they sat in the garage for a year before I finally decided it was time to put them to use. I’ve been decorating my she-shed so I have a lot of space to fill. Turning the shutter sideways while paint dried gave me the idea to turn my old shutter into a shelf!

Here’s what I used to turn my shutters into shelves :

*my posts contain affiliate links

old shutter
chalk paint
chip brush
shelf brackets
shelf boards (I used scraps from the yard)
Dewalt drill (of course you can use any but I like Dewalt)
Gorilla brand wood glue
Shelf hanging hardware

You’ll also need a saw to cut the shelf boards unless you have the hardware store do it for you. You’ll also need a drill bit for pre-drilling holes.

If your shutters are broken, you can use the Gorilla wood glue to glue them in place so they don’t fall out when you hang the shelf. If they aren’t broken, lucky you! I started by painting the shutter using chalk paint. I wanted some of the natural color of the shelf to show through, so I used a little bit of water in a shallow plate to dip my brush in from time to time to slightly water down the paint. If you want your shelf solid white, just lay that paint on heavier. This part takes the most patience because painting every part of the shutter is a bit of work. You don’t have to paint the back if you don’t want, but I recommend painting all of the edges around the outside because you’ll see that portion when it’s hanging on the wall. I used a cheap chip brush to paint the shelf. I like to reuse things, so I actually rinse my chip brushes and use them as many times as possible. If you like chalk painting, I recommend stocking up. You’ll use them a lot in all different sizes! Anyway, here’s a before and after of the shutters. The screws that are sticking out of the top in the picture were there when I started. I removed those for the shelf.

Now that you have the shutters painted, you’ll need to cut the piece of wood that you’re using for the shelf. I cut mine to the exact width of the shutter. Lowe’s or Home Depot can do it for you but I used old wood from my wood pile for this project. When you pick your shelf, make sure it’s deep enough to cover your shutter and the brackets. The wood in my pile wasn’t deep enough, so I pieced two together. I love rustic, but that may not be your thing. Here’s a picture of my two pieces from the side.

I feel like the above picture says a thousand words. You’ll reference it for your bracket installation and your shelf installation. Make sure to attach your shelf brackets to the thickest part of your shutter. You can see that I attached mine to the frame using shallow screws that won’t poke out the back, but will keep the shelf secure. My shutters were old so I pre-drilled the holes so the shutter wouldn’t split. If you’re not sure what pre-drilling a hole is, it just means that you drill a hole that is smaller than the circumference of the screw into the wood to create a path for the screw to follow. Align the bracket, mark the spots that you should pre-drill, remove brackets, pre-drill holes, align brackets again, then screw them to the shutter. Easy-peasy, just a little time consuming. After both brackets were attached to the shutter (aligned with the top of the shutter), I attached the shelf pieces using the same method. I pre-drilled the holes and then attached the shelves to the to part of the bracket. The last things you have to do is attach the hardware to the back. Again, pick the meatiest part of the wood so the screws will support the weight of the shelf. And, yes, you have to pre-drill one more time. If you’re lucky enough to have two drills, one should hold the drill bit and the other the driver. This is so much faster!

You can see in the photo that I also added some cool rustic drawer pulls to the bottom of one of mine. You don’t have to do this but it’s a fun option. I made one that is for sale in my booth at Reminisce in downtown Paso Robles and one for my she-shed. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you want to learn how to paint mason jars, you can read my 3 Simple Mason Jar DIY Projects to learn how I paint them and other ways I love to use mason jars.

Thanks again for joining me at Hootshack. Be sure to link back to my post if you decide to share my content. Sharing is caring!

xoxo,

Denise

June 21, 2018 by Hootshack

How To Use Old Door Knobs

How To Use Old Door Knobs For Window Decor

I’ve had these old door knobs that I’ve been hanging on to and could never find a use for them. While making my Easy Burlap Window Shades, an idea popped into my head about how to use them. My husband, Jake, was my savior on this one because he came up with the idea for how to attach the knobs.

If you’re lucky enough that your set screws aren’t seized up, you can remove the extra hardware that you won’t need. See this picture below, it shows you what a set screw is and also shows the long metal piece from the doorknob that will need to be removed. This particular knob was extremely stubborn so this set screw is going to have to be drilled out. All of the others played along nicely.

We bought 5/16″ hanger bolts and glued them into place. They fit pretty good in almost all of the knobs. A couple were too tight so we drilled the hole a little larger with a drill bit so the hanger bolt would fit. Your knobs may take a different size so take the knobs with you to the hardware store so you get the right size.

Before screwing the knobs into your shade, lift the front flap of the shade up and pre-drill a hole. Don’t drill directly through your fabric! The fabric will catch on the drill bit and snag it, or wrap it up completely. It’s a mess, trust me. After you pre-drill the hole, let the fabric back down and use a screwdriver to gently push a hole through the fabric. Now you can just twist the knob into place.

I’m excited about these because old door knobs can be used for so many other things. I’m going to be on the hunt for more knobs so I can use them for decorative wreath hangers for my Burlap Bubble Wreaths!

If you use any of my ideas, please mention Hootshack in your post or pics. Also, if you try this at home, share your own photo on Instagram and use #HootshackDIY so I can see. Don’t hesitate to send pictures and details about your projects. If you do, I may share them with my readers. You can use the Contact page to reach me! Please share, pin, tweet or whatever you do! 😉

xoxo,

Denise

June 20, 2018 by Hootshack

Kitchen Tray Decor To Organize The Kitchen

Using A Decorative Kitchen Tray To Organize

The kitchen tray on my counter helps keep my favorite olive oils, vinegar and seasonings right at my fingertips. You would think that since I’ve worked for a company for nine years that is predominantly about cooking, I would enjoy my time in the kitchen. But, honestly, it’s just not my favorite thing! I’m always bringing home new products to try. All the freebies I end up with are definitely a bonus, but if I put them in the cupboard, they are going to become dust collectors.

Instead, I use a decorative kitchen tray to keep all my favorites and new things I want to try, right where I can reach them. My “fresh” grapes are awesome. When I take the tray apart for cleaning, the grapes go right into the sink for washing.

That’s it friends. Nothing epic here today. Just a tip I thought you might enjoy! Here are a few great selections from some of my affiliate partners.

Do you have any quick tips for keeping your kitchen organized? I’d love for you to drop a comment below. I can always use some organizing tips!

xoxo,

Denise

June 19, 2018 by Hootshack

Easy Burlap Window Shades

I am loving these easy burlap window shades! Some of you know I’ve been working on building my she-shed and I’m finally getting to the fun part, the decorating! Today I’ve been working on the window coverings. My Easy Burlap Window Shades were pretty easy to make. I have basic sewing skills, as long someone loads the bobbin thread for me 😉 but for this project, I called in the big guns, MOM!

Here’s what to use to make burlap shades:

1. Burlap Fabric
2. Sewing machine, scissors, pins, and thread
3. Heavy Duty Stapler
4. Thin strips of wood. 1/4” thick x 1 1/4 “ wide x by the width of the window
5. Hammer and nails (drill and screws work, too)

Here’s how we did it:

After we determined the finished shade size, we added 4 inches to the width and 7 or 8 inches to the height. Here’s why:

My window is 72” wide so I cut the fabric width to 76”. We turned the fabric over one inch, then another and stitched it down so the edges of the burlap will be hidden and won’t unravel over time. That’s where you get the extra two inches on each side. As a tip, my mom came up with the idea of using a piece of cardboard that was cut into a 1-inch strip to use as a guide for the side folds. She wrapped the fabric over the cardboard one inch and then folded it again and pinned the fabric in place then kept sliding the cardboard out as she worked her way down the side. I hope that makes sense… You can also iron a crease for the first inch and then fold and iron again and then secure it with pins before you sew.

The part of the project that took us the longest was getting the burlap cut straight. We tried methods we’d read from others like pulling a string out to create a straight line and it honestly didn’t work for us. What finally worked was laying the burlap on my wood floors and using the line in the wood to get things straight. Once you get the burlap fabric cut, the rest is pretty easy.

(This is a sample of how the finished side hem looked)

The height of my window is 36” and I wanted a 3” hem. Again, we turned the fabric one inch, then three inches and sewed the hem. You’re still going to need a few extra inches at the top to attach the shade to the board. More about that later.

Once you’ve sewn the sides and the hem, you’ll be ready to attach the shade to the thin strip of wood. We laid the shade out flat on the floor and measured from the bottom of the shade to the height that we wanted the finished window covering to be and marked it with a straight pin on both sides. Place the pre-cut piece of wood on top of the shade so that the top of the wood is aligned with the two pins. Now gently and evenly flip the wood piece towards the top of the shade two times. You won’t pick the wood up. Just hold it down to the ground and flip it two times. Have someone help you hold the wood in place while you cut the fabric off so you have about 1” sticking out the top of the wood piece.

In the picture above, you’ll see the fold over the wood. This is where you’ll want to staple the fabric to the wood strip all the way along the strip. You may have to use a hammer to tap the staples in all the way if they don’t cooperate. You’ll want the staples flush. See the frayed fabric edge, since I didn’t take a picture of this project along the way, you’ll have to pretend that the frayed part is your finished bottom hem.

Now, roll the wood up in the fabric by flipping it back towards the bottom of the shade two times. This is when you’ll want to hold the shade up to the window to see if you got it right. Hopefully, all is good! Now, have someone help you hold the shade up to the window frame and lift the shade over your head and hammer nails into the wood strip. You’re doing this so you don’t nail directly through the visible part of the shade. You can see that my shade is attached directly to the front of the wooden window frame. If you have to install yours inside the window sill, you’ll have to rethink the measurements so keep this in mind.)

Holy moly, the shed window is dirty!

I originally wanted a roman shade, but my shed is tongue and groove and I already have so many horizontal lines to deal with so that’s why I opted for this simple design. I also didn’t know if I’d have the patience for attaching the strings. (that’s the real reason!) Instead, I attached small silver washers to the bottom corners of the shade and one in the center. I installed small white cup hooks that blend well with my white paint at the top of the window. When I want to open the shade, I just hook the washers onto the cup hooks. The second cup hook hanging out there on the side was a failed attempt. Oops.

Did you notice the old door knobs I used in the final picture? I am in love and if you want to see how I did it, you can read this post about Door Knob Window Decor.

If you use any of my ideas, please mention Hootshack in your post or pics. Also, if you try this at home, share your own photo on Instagram and use #HootshackDIY so I can see. Also, don’t hesitate to send pictures and details about your projects. If you do, I may share them with my readers. You can use the Contact page to reach me! Please share, pin, tweet or whatever you do! 😉

Have great day friends!

Xoxo,

Denise

You have permission to share this content on your site as long as a link to my original article is included. Thank you!

June 19, 2018 by Hootshack

Burlap Easter Egg – An Easy DIY

This Burlap Easter Egg Is So Easy!

This Burlap Easter Egg was so easy to make. You’ll need just a few simple things and about 10 minutes of your time.

What you’ll need to make a burlap Easter egg:

5″ wide burlap ribbon
small piece of chicken wire (1″ holes)
contrasting fabric or ribbon (optional)
wire cutters and scissors
Wood plaque (optional)

*Remember that the chicken wired edges are sharp, so please wear protective goggles. Also, don’t wear your best sweater because you’re probably going to snag it! Gloves are probably a good idea, too.

Start by cutting a rectangle piece of chicken wire. You’re going to have to take a look at the piece to get a judge of where you want to start. Until you get the hang of it, you may even want to cut a shape out of paper first and lay it on the chicken wire so you can visualize your path. I’m including a video because it’s a lot easier than reading this!

From the underside of the wire, pull a small loop up through the back. Keep pulling small loops by creating the small bubble shapes. Follow your path to create your desired shape. In this case, it’s an Easter egg.

I used a contrasting fabric to create stripes. Once you’re all done pulling your burlap through the entire shape, you can fish the contrasting fabric up through the holes and create more loops in the pattern you want. You can see I did two purple stripes. You can also easily create polka dots.

After you’re all done with your Burlap Easter Egg, you’re going to need to cut the excess chicken wire. Don’t cut any pieces that are touching your burlap or fabric. Cut around the edges and then fold the wire underneath so it’s on the back.

This picture below shows the Burlap Easter Egg attached to a wooden frame. I would love to see someone attach several to a wood background. I’m envisioning a tall narrow board with three eggs attached or a large wide board with several attached.

Please be sure to tag me in your posts, Pinterest pins, or Instagram stories if you make my Burlap Easter Egg. I want to see! Use #HootshackInspired so I can find you!

xoxo,

Denise

June 19, 2018 by Hootshack

Milk Bottle Mod Podge – Another Simple DIY!

Milk Bottle Mod Podge Is A Quick 10 Minute Project

The Milk Bottle Mod Podge project is extremely easy. My husband and son are big fans of Rosa Brothers Milk Company’s chocolate milk. It comes in the cutest little bottles and I’ve been collecting them for quite awhile. I knew they would end up being a part of a project one of these days, and today is the day! To make this project you’ll need: (My posts contain affiliate links)

Put your game face on and down three bottles of delicious chocolate milk (or I guess you could share with your family). Seriously, any glass bottles will work
Mod Podge
Wrapping paper, greeting card, or paper napkin cuttings – I used a greeting card
Paint Brush – Foam worked great for me like this one

The hardest part about this project was getting the clear adhesive labels off of the milk bottles. I used hot water, adhesive remover, and some elbow grease. Once I got those off, things were clear sailing. Starting with clean glass, spread a little Mod Podge on the back of the shapes you’re using. I used speckled eggs cut from a greeting card. Place them on the glass in the spots where you want them and begin gently pressing them on using the foam brush. Once you’ve got them starting to adhere, dip your foam brush in more of the Mod Podge and evenly coat the entire bottle, skipping the very bottom and above the neck ring. Make sure to keep checking the edges of your shapes to make sure they stay down. You may need to keep gently patting them down until they stick. I placed my fingers in the neck of the bottle to hold it and avoided painting the bottom so I didn’t have to touch the surface with my fingers. I have to say that using the greeting card for this project probably was a little more difficult than a thinner paper but I got a cool effect. Greeting cards are thicker card-stock so I had to work a bit longer to get the edges to stay stuck to the glass.

For being a crafter, I’m surprised I’ve never worked with Mod Podge before. I actually always thought that it was called Modge Podge. Who knew? The glass had a bit of a milky finish when I was done. After finishing the project, I learned Mod Podge makes a product that has a glass finish. If that’s what you’re looking for, try the glass finish Mod Podge. My shed is painted white inside so I think the matte finish still looks fine. Once everything dries, you’re done. It’s so easy and they look adorable above the window in my she-shed. If you want to read more about it, be sure to read the post about my she-shed!

What do you use Mod Podge for? I could use some new inspiration. In fact, I think I’ll head over to see the projects that my friends in the #DIYBlogChallenge have made. Please make sure to take a look!

Cassie Smallwood

Simply Mindy

Makes, Bakes and Decor

Xoxo,

Denise

June 12, 2018 by Hootshack

3 Simple Mason Jar DIY Projects

I love working with mason jars. Regardless of our age, these timeless treasures seem to have a memorable story for all of us. Whether they were the peaches preserved by grandma or the button collection of your moms, mason jars have stood the test of time. One of my childhood memories was visiting my aunt and uncle’s farm in Oakdale, California. My uncle had an old room with a dirt floor that was attached to the garage. We called it “The Pop Shop” because there was always a supply of “pop” (aka soda) in there. Along the top shelves of The Pop Shop were jars of preserved fruits, jams, and vegetables that my aunt had made. I honestly thought the veggies looked pretty gross and my eyes were always on the prize, the soda! All that soda…. I can still smell the musty room when I close my eyes. I can also remember the sharp pinch from the geese that bit us when we were strolling through the gardens! Man those geese were mean!

Crafts are one of my favorite past-times and I’m always needing little trinkets, screws, nails, paint brushes and many other things. Most of these items live in mason jars in my craft room. This month I participated in a #DIYBlogChallenge where the theme is mason jars, and I had no shortage of ideas! Other than using them for storage, here are three of my favorite mason jar DIY projects:

Painted Vases or Containers

Things you need t0 paint mason jars

Acrylic paint or chalk paint
Paintbrush
Rubbing alcohol
Cloth or cotton ball
Sealer

Not every craft needs a full DIY with pictures and tutorials, but there are a few things that are important to note when painting mason jars

wear gloves and clean the surface of the glass with a lint-free cloth and rubbing alcohol prior to painting in order to remove oil from your hands and other debris (cotton ball will work but watch for fuzzies)
allow paint to dry completely between coats – two coats are recommended
to get the distressed look, sand the raised edges with a small piece of sandpaper
if you’re using a chalk paint, be sure to also use a sealer

Burlap Flower Vases

Burlap flowers vases are easy to make. You can read my Rustic Burlap Flower Wreath post to learn how to make the burlap flowers. I attach my burlap flowers with a hot glue gun using glue that dries more clear. I think these would make beautiful wedding centerpieces with your favorite floral arrangements inside.

Hanging Mason Jar Lights

These hanging lights are one my favorites and are really quite easy to make. I bought these light cords for this project and they worked great. Because this one might need a little more explaining, I created a quick DIY tutorial for you!

On your light cord towards the socket, there is a larger ring that unscrews from the socket. Remove that ring and set it aside (see next photo)
Remove the center of the lid from the mason jar and set the ring and jar aside
Using the end of the socket, trace around the end that holds the light bulb onto the back of the mason jar lid like in the next photo – you can see the socket end I traced with the ring that we removed laying to the left and the circle. I traced the socket end, not the outer ring.

Place the mason jar lid on a block of wood and use a small drill bit to drill holes close together. You can keep going all the way around or just get started with the drill bit and then use tin snips or old scissors to cut out the rest of the hole. Please wear gloves. The edges are sharp!

Fit the socket into the hole and then attach the outer ring from the socket onto the inside of the lid – I should still have my gloves on! Please keep them on. 😉

Now screw in your light bulb then feed the plug end through the mason jar ring and screw the mason jar lid onto the jar. The plug will be facing towards the sky out the top of the mason jar ring and the rest of the lighting attachments will be hanging out the bottom. This is not a pretty light bulb but I plan on using it in a painted jar. If you’re using a clear jar, buy a pretty light bulb.

I’m going to hang three of these mason jar hanging lights from my outdoor gazebo. I love the way they turned out. This photo does not do it justice but have you ever tried to take a picture of a light hanging at night with an iPhone?

I would love to hear what your favorite use is for mason jars. If you have extra ones, be sure to check out my Mason Jar Bird Feeder. Also, be sure to comment below and let me know what your favorite use is for mason jars or what your favorite memory of them is. I would love to hear.

Please take a minute and visit some other creative ladies from this month’s DIY Blog Challenge! Makes, Bakes and Decor and Cassie Smallwood.

xoxo,

Denise

June 11, 2018 by Hootshack

Burlap Tree Decor – A Unique DIY

Make This Simple Tree Using Burlap And Chicken Wire

My Burlap Tree Decor is one of my favorite burlap projects. When done with a neutral burlap, you can decorate the burlap tree decoration with many seasonal items, making it the perfect home decor item.

Year-Round Decorating Ideas:

Clear lights and sparkly New Year’s Decorations
Red pom poms or heart ribbon for Valentine’s Day
Green ribbon or felt clovers for St. Patrick’s Day
Easter ribbon or spring colors for Spring or Easter
Bright flowers for Mother’s Day or red, white and blue for Memorial Day
Graduation or Father’s day shapes and colors
Red, white and blue for 4th of July
Rulers, pencils and apples for Back To School
Little pigs for National Bacon Day (it’s a thing!) or red, white and blue for Labor Day
Pumpkins, ghosts and candy corns for Halloween
Fall leaves and ribbon for Thanksgiving
Christmas is so fun! Pom poms, clear or colored lights, ribbons, poinsettias and so much more.

The best part about decorating the burlap tree decor is that you don’t usually need any glue at all. Most items can just be tucked in between folds. Pom poms just stick wherever you put them. Ribbon can be held by placing it between two folds in the burlap.

So let’s get to making one!

You’re going to need:

Chicken wire with 1″ openings
Burlap ribbon
Board, tree branch or another item for the trunk (optional)
Cardboard, wood or other material to support the back (optional)
Wire cutters and scissors

Please wear safety glasses so you don’t scratch your eyes! The chicken wire is very sharp on the cut ends:

Start by cutting a rectangle of chicken wire a little larger than the size you want your tree. Never cut the tree shape first. It’s much easier and more forgiving to make your entire burlap tree just the way you want it and then cut around the edges.
Fold the end of the ribbon over about 4 inches from the end creating your first bubbly. At the tip of the tree, pull your first bubbly up through the back of the wire.
Starting on the next row, repeat this process adding an additional row. Just keep pulling bubbles up through the back adding additional bubble with each row. You’re working towards making a tree shape.
Once you get all the way to the bottom, cut the ribbon leaving about 3 or 4 inches to tuck into the wire or secure with glue. I don’t use glue but if it makes you feel better, you can use it.
Cut the wire around your tree shape making sure you don’t cut a wire that is touching the burlap fabric! Leave an extra row all the way around. Now you can use pliers to bend the excess wire to the back of the tree.
Attach your trunk if you decide you need one. I just drilled holes in a piece of pallet wood and fished a pipe cleaner through the tree and to the back of the wood and secured it in two places, at the top of the board and towards the middle.

I had a hard time getting the tree to lay flat against the wall. The trunk kept poking straight out. I finally put a double-sided sticky pad on the back of it so it would stay close to the wall. I had this problem because I didn’t run the board as far to the top of the tree as possible. If I had done that, I could have added a picture hanger to the top of the board. Oh well, you get to do it the right way!

Bonus tip: If you accidentally skip a hole in the chicken wire, just cut a square of burlap and tuck it in from the back. All fixed!

I would love to see your finished project when it’s complete and see how you decide to decorate it. Please be sure to share your photos with me and use #HootshackInspired. I’ve added a bonus picture of a burlap flower that I also made. If you’d like to watch a video, you can follow my Burlap Easter Egg video on YouTube. It shows the basic concept of how I make all of my shapes using chicken wire. Warning, I’m a terrible video maker! 😉

xoxo,

Denise

June 11, 2018 by Hootshack

Repurposed Yogurt Jars

These repurposed yogurt jars make the cutest vase

Repurposed Yogurt Jars are great for crafting. My mom had been eating yogurts that came in glass jars and, since I’m always making things, she started saving them for me. I had them in my cabinet for a couple of months and pulled them out the other day. I have many other projects in mind, but I’ll save those for another post.

Things you’ll need to make the vases:

Glass yogurt jar or other desired jar
Rubbing alcohol and cloth
Foam paintbrush
Chalk paint – I use this one
Paint sealant – I use this one
Florist foam
Twine – optional
Moss
Silk succulent
Craft glue
Scissors

Cleaning the yogurt jar was probably the hardest part. My jars were Yoplait Oui yogurt and they come with an adhesive paper that seals the top. Getting the adhesive off the rim of the jar took a bit of time. Once you get the jar clean and dry, you’ll want to wipe the outside surface with rubbing alcohol. This is to get the surface really clean and remove any oils from your hands. I tried to hold the jar by placing one of my hands inside and holding the jar from the inside so I didn’t have to touch the surface from this point.

Once the alcohol is dry, you can paint an even and smooth layer of the white chalk paint on the outside of the jar. You can either avoid the bottom or have a kitchen cooling rack ready to rest the jars on while they dry so the paint doesn’t stick. I had a small piece of chicken wire, and that worked great. Depending on the look you’re trying to achieve, two coats may be necessary. I used a hair dryer on the cool setting to speed the drying time between coats. If you’re using a jar with raised lettering, or are wanting to achieve a more rustic look, after the paint is completely dry, you can sand places to remove some of the paint. Wipe any sanding dust away and then apply one even coat of the sealer, making sure to seal everywhere that you applied paint.

Nexgard is a soft beef-flavored chews for your dog. No. 1 choice of vets, Nexgard kills fleas and ticks. The palatable chew destroys adult fleas before they lay eggs and kills ticks too.

Using regular scissors or a kitchen knife, you can cut the florist foam to be just slightly wider than your jar and a little bit shorter so it doesn’t stick out the top. You want a tight fit so you’re basically going to force the foam into the jar. I used a little bit of craft glue on top of the foam and then put a couple small pieces of moss on top. Avoid the very center or it’s hard to push your succulent through the moss.

Hold the succulent up to the jar to get an idea of the length you need to cut the stem. Add some glue to the stem and then push it into the center. At this point, you can tie the twine to the outside and you now have an adorable Repurposed Yogurt Jar Planter.

If you decide to use real succulents, don’t forget you’ll have to use a special carbide drill bit to drill a drain hole in the bottom of the jar. I’m not an expert on plants, but I do know that succulents love drainage.

Stay tuned for more glass jar projects. I’m already working on distressed canning jars! If you’d like to take a look at another glass project, check out my Milk Bottle Mod Podge!

xoxo,

Denise