Around The House Archives

September 6, 2018 by Hootshack

Fall Feather Wreath

Feather Wreath DIY

I wish I could take all the credit for this beautiful feather wreath DIY, but mom is going to get the credit for the idea behind this one! I love all of the rich colors in these feathers but I’m also thinking real hard about making another one in all white! You don’t need much to make this wreath but the trick is to give it some dimension and I’m going to tell you just how that’s done.

Here’s what was used to make the Feather Wreath DIY:

(This post contains affiliate links which means I may make a small commission at no cost to you if an item is purchased. Thank you for your support!)

feather trim
2 wreath frames – one smaller wreath and one larger wreath – If you use grapevine wreaths, you can sew them together instead of glueing!
a nest for the center (eggs are optional or may come with your nest) (similar nest linked)
a glue gun and glue sticks
a small piece of cardboard cut to fit the larger of the two wreaths

First, cut the cardboard to the same size as the smaller wreath so that it covers the wreath on the front entirely. You can lay the wreath on the cardboard and trace a circle. This gave the surface to glue the nest to in a later step. The larger wreath was not that different in size, so we were able to glue the larger wreath to the smaller one. If the two wreaths aren’t the right size for this, another piece of cardboard can be glued between the two wreaths. Remember, this is to add the dimension.

After the cardboard and wreaths were all glued together, the nest was glued to the front. Then begin glueing the feather trim around the nest. Work in a circular pattern making the wreath larger and larger until you reach the fullness you want. In other words, you’ll have a couple of layers of feathers by the time you reach the outer edge. If your nest isn’t as full as this one, you may want to glue the feathers first and then glue the nest on top so you can’t see the trim from the feathers.

This nest was made from natural grasses, and the eggs were already attached. If your nest doesn’t have eggs, you can always add them if you’d like.

This photo may be a bit confusing, but this nest was attached to a small piece of wood that you see in the very center, so a hole was cut in the front piece of cardboard so that the wood piece came out the back and could be secured better with glue. If your nest isn’t attached to wood, you can just glue the nest to the front of the cardboard. You can see the piece of cardboard used was the box from trash bags 😉

I’m sorry I don’t have better pictures of this DIY, but this was written by popular demand after the wreath was completed. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Attach something to hang the wreath from, or just hang it directly on a nail. This is another quick and easy DIY. Here’s some resources for you to find the feather trim and other items used. If you make a feather wreath, be sure to post a pic on Instagram and use the hashtag #hootshackinspired so I can see! You may even get featured on my feed!

xoxo,

Denise

August 23, 2018 by Hootshack

Fabric And Velvet Pumpkins

How To Make Fabric Pumpkins

Fall is in the air and I honestly couldn’t be more excited! It has been one hot summer here in Paso Robles and I’m so ready for the heat to subside. It’s only going to be about 85 degrees today and while that may still seem hot to you, it’s the first day we’ve had under 90 in over 50 straight days. I’m convinced that decorating for fall is what finally made the temps go down, so next year I’ll try this a little earlier 😉

My mom stopped by this week and brought me a stack of fabric swatches that she’d saved from our old furniture store. You know the ones you look through while you’re trying to choose a fabric for your new couch? Our store closed over ten years ago and she still had the swatches. Lucky for me, mom hangs on to everything!

I like a DIY that I can complete pretty quickly. I have a short attention span and I like instant gratification. I don’t ever see myself being a quilter or a knitter like my mom. Patience is something she didn’t pass along to me. I decided to make these quick and easy fabric pumpkins to add to my fall decor.

Before I get started, I wanted to say that I’ve read several tutorials on how to make perfect shaped pumpkins. Personally, I like things that look more homemade and less store-bought, but that’s just me! This method makes every single one look a little unique, and I love that! I also can’t thread a sewing machine, so I did this all by hand 🙂

Things I used to make fabric pumpkins:

fabric
stuffing (like polyester fiberfill)
needle and thread – embroidery floss or heavy-duty thread
a stem
fabric glue or a hot glue gun
embellishments (optional)

First, I’ll talk about the basic steps I followed and then I’ll get into some great ideas for things to use that you may already have in your house! This is the most fun part for me, so make sure you read all the way to the bottom!

I start with taking a square, or rectangular, piece of fabric and folding it in half. I cut the two loose corners off of one side, then on the other side, to create something that resembles a circle or an oval. Some of you are going to be specific about how to get a perfect circle, but it’s really not necessary. Just get it pretty close to a circle shape. If you’re really OCD, you can use a plate, platter or any round shape to trace on the back side of the fabric to get a perfect circle. Pumpkins aren’t perfect so don’t stress on this part!

First Set Of Corners Cut

Fold The First Cut Corners Over So You Have A Guide For The Second Set Of Corners 😉

Not even close to a circle on this one but it will work!

With the needle and thread, I knot the end of the thread and create a single running stitch all the way around the edge of the fabric, about 1/4 inch or so from the edge. If my fabric is a really loose weave, like burlap, I use a larger edge so I don’t rip the edges on the next step. (if I’m doing a large pumpkin, I don’t wait until I get all the way around to start bunching the fabric on the thread. I bunch as I go.)
Once I’ve made it all the way around, without removing the needle, I pull the circle together until I have a small opening. I’m basically just cinching the fabric tightly together by working it down the thread. I make sure it’s large enough to stuff the batting in.
Once I get the amount of batting I want inside, I add the stem and then pull the thread tight around the stem.
If I decide to add embellishments, I add them now. I add things like rope or twine to make the little curly-cue pieces so I can tuck them in with the stem. Loose embellishments like charms or necklaces may need to be sewn on. I’ll get to this in a bit.
I secure the stem and embellishments by carefully poking the end of the hot glue gun into a couple of places and adding small dots of glue where they won’t show. Fabric glue works, too, but it takes a little longer to dry.

If I’m making larger pumpkins, like my cream colored velvet one, you’ll notice that after making the running stitch and pulling it as tight as I can, the opening is still about the size of a softball. After I place the stem in the center of the filler, I start closing up the softball size hole into a smaller hole. I do this by sewing one side of the fabric to the other several times until I get it sewn tightly around the stem and then secure with glue.

Softball Sized Hole That I Mentioned

I’m Sewing The Larger Hole Around My Stem

Before I get everything sewn super tight, I add any twigs, twine, etc. if I want to add curly-cue parts to the stem. I secure them with glue.

So those are the basic steps, now let’s talk about some different things you can use to make your pumpkins!

Fabric – Burlap, velvet, cotton, old shower curtains, drapery panels, old bed sheets, blankets, t-shirts, jeans…. Anything fabric will work so I’m sure you have something to get started.

Stuffing – I find cheap bags of fiberfill but you can also take the stuffing out of old pillow you aren’t using. I’ve heard of people stuffing them with old t-shirts or any of the items I listed under “Fabric”.

Stems – If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on real pumpkin stems, they look great. I don’t usually have access to them, so I use a number of different things. Bark ribbon, old dowels, spindles, small table legs, rolled burlap, pieces of tree branches just to name a few.

Embellishments – This is another area to get creative. I raided a box of old jewelry I had. I used charms from old charm bracelets and necklaces and strands of cheap pearls. I would imagine that any yard sale or thrift store could be a gold mine to find cheap items that can be repurposed. Hey Mom! If you’re reading this, I’m sure you have a secret stash for me!

This One Was A 12″ Square To Start

This One Was A 26″ Square To Start

This One Was A 26″ Piece As Well

I could go on forever about different things you can use. These pumpkins are so fun and easy to make. I hope you’ll share some of your favorites in the comments below. I love to get new ideas. Happy pumpkin making, my friends! Sharing is caring… Please be sure to pin, post or share my DIY with someone. If you try my DIY, be sure to post a picture on Instagram and use the hashtag #hootshackinspired so I can see it. I may even share it in my feed!

xoxo,

Denise

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