50th Project completed - recycled wine glass charms!

Don't you just hate it when you can't remember which drink is yours? Well no longer, jazz up your Christmas glasses with these cute little charms! I have made a set of 4: A Christmas tree, A snowman, A Christmas pudding and Father Christmas himself! All made from the plastic bottles and paper clips I found whilst tidying up last week!


Materials needed

• A couple of white plastic bottles
• Multi purpose Glue
• Super Glue
• Seed beads in different colours
• Pliers
• Scissors
• China-graph pencil 
• Sharp, thick needle
• Thick knitting needle or similar
• 4 small jump rings / metallic thread

Instructions

1. Remove the top and bottom of your bottle then cut open so you have a flat piece of plastic to work on. Now draw out your designs using a china-graph pencil or similar.

2. Cut out the basic shapes and spread glue all over the front. Using tweezers, place seed beads into the glue to make the design. Then run a layer of super glue over them to seal.

3. Allow to dry thoroughly, whilst you wait straighten out the paper clips using the pliers. Then wind them around a thick knitting needle or similar. Trim off any excess and make an open loop at one end. 

4. Make a small hole at the top of each charm with a sharp, thick needle an attach a small jump-ring to each one. If you don't have any jump-rings you can make a loop with metallic thread.

5. Now thread a small number of beads and your charms onto your rings. Finish by making an open loop at the other end so you can interlock the loops to close

There we have it, a set of wine glass charms for your festive party!

45th project completed - a 'stained glass' keyring

I am finding it hard to believe it is Saturday again already. So what did I make with the plastic packaging? 

A 'stained glass' keyring. Does any one remember shrinkies / shrinkie dinks??? Well the type of plastic found in some plastic packaging has very similar properties. You will find it labelled number 6 on the recycling stamp marked on the packaging (it has to be the non-foam type number 6).


Materials needed

• Number 6 type plastic
• Permanent marker pens
• Key chain ring and chain
• 4 x Jewellery pins
• Some small beads and 4 x handmade sweetie wrapper beads (as made in project 1 of the challenge)
• A small piece of tin foil
• Multi purpose glue (like UHU)

Instructions

1. The first job is to thoroughly clean your packaging making sure any labels are completely removed and no sticky glue remains.

2. Cut a section from the bottom of your packaging and using the permanent pens, decorate it as desired. I drew random intersecting lines on mine but you could draw a motif or favourite design instead. Outline in a black pen to simulate the leaded lines separating the panes.

3. Place in an oven at about 180 degrees Celsius. It will curl up then settle down flat again but shrunken when it is ready. Once cooled, glue your piece onto a small piece of tin foil to accentuate the colours.

4. Trim to a desired shape and punch a hole at the top to accommodate the key ring.

5. Thread some beads onto the jewellery pins and make a hook at one end. 

 

6. Now pierce 4 holes in the bottom of your piece to take the jewellery pins. Thread them through and turn in the end to form a loop to attach.

7. To finish add the key chain and there you are, a highly unusual key ring made from recycled plastic packaging.

44th project completed - A buttercup ring

I have noticed lately that there is a fashion for large plastic rings around at the moment so I thought I would have a go at my own. Here's mine .........

A buttercup ring made from the 'butter' tub!

Materials

• Yellow plastic butter tub
• Ring blank or Gold wire and a scrap of yellow craft foam
• 3 light green seed beads
• Super glue
• Needle & thread
• Small sharp decoupage scissors

Instructions

1. The first step is to remove all the borders from the tub so you have flat sheets of plastic to work with. Then cut a small simple 5 petal flower shape from a piece of the plastic.

2. Now cut a small circle from another piece of the tub which looks the right size to make the centre of the flower and cut slits around the edge towards the centre as shown above. Now using a heat gun gently heat the edges of your circle so they start to curl up slightly and separate. You will need to hold down the centre of the circle with a pair of tweezers and do the heating in short bursts to avoid a melted mess!

3. Using the super glue, stick the two parts together and leave to dry. Once completely dry, glue 3 light green seed beads onto the centre of the flower using super glue and set aside to dry completely. 

4. If you do not have a ring blank (like me), you will now need to make a ring. Wind a length of wire around your finger 3 times make sure it feels comfortable and is not too tight. Now neatly bind the 3 strands together tightly with some more wire making sure the edges of the wire are covered.

 

5. Cut a small circle from a scrap of yellow craft foam and stitch it firmly to the wire ring.

You now have a ring blank - of sorts!

6. Now glue your flower onto your ring back and there you are a cute little flower ring! 

I could have painted out the printing on the back of the flower but I thought it was actually quite nice to leave it there!

42nd project completed - perfect autumnal earrings

Well what did I make with the fir cones and sycamore seeds?

Two pairs of autumnal earrings! 

Materials needed (Sycamore earrings)

• Two sycamore seeds
• Permanent Marker pens
• Earring hooks
• Jewellery Pliers 
• PVA Glue

Materials needed (Fir cone earrings)

• Two small fir cones
• Some semi - precious stone chip beads (taken from a broken necklace)
• A few small silver beads
• Earring wires and hooks
• Hot Glue Gun
• Jewellery Pliers

Instructions (Sycamore Earrings)

1. Take your sycamore seeds and very carefully, draw on a small design using the permanent pens ( I did a simple 1/2 tree design using the seed head and spine as a trunk!) See above.

2. Give both sides a coat of PVA glue to add a shine and some protection

3. Once completely dry, pierce a small hole in each top just large enough to take the earring hook.

4. Very carefully attach the earring hooks using jewellery pliers and there you have it a highly unusual pair of earrings, bound to cause a stir!

Instructions (Fir cone earrings) 

1. Using a hot glue gun, glue the jewellery wires to the back of your fir cones. Then very carefully bend them so they curve around the shape of the cone and stand up straight, you don't want wonky earrings!!!!

2. Add a few beads to the wire and then attach an earring hook after making a small loop at the top with the jewellery pliers. 

There we are, two very simple but very interesting pairs of earrings!!!

40th Project completed - A' filigree brooch'

Well another busy day over and done with. I spent the morning replacing numerous bolts in the Locomotive - Jerry M that we are overhauling at Hollycombe. A bit of an unusual way to spend a Saturday morning I'll admit but there you go!


Well what am I making with the bottle tops I found?

Filigree brooches, very 'Accessorize'


Materials needed

• Bottle top
• Fine gauge coloured wire
• Knitting Needles (I used size 7 needles)
• Bits and bobs (left over seed beads, broken bits of necklace etc.)
• Brooch pin
• Hot Glue gun and stick

Instructions

1. Knit a small rectangle with the fine gauged wire (I cast on 12 stitches and knitted around 12 rows).

2. Once complete, fold opposite corners of your knitted piece together as in picture above and slip in the bottle top. Then take a length of wire and attach it to the back of the brooch then randomly 'sew' on some small seed beads through all layers taking care to encapsulate the bottle top.

 

3. Now add some swirls of contrasting wire to add interest and sew on some larger beads, bits of broken necklace etc.

4. Once you are happy with your design attach a brooch pin to the back using some hot glue, allow to cool and there you have it, A filigree brooch!

I hope you enjoyed this project please join me tomorrow evening to find out what I will be using next week.

39th Project completed - a zip flower

What a warm day! It has been about 28 degrees out today -  really warm especially for October! They do say that it will break all the records for an October day in the UK today, I wouldn't be at all surprised!!!!


It has been far too warm this week to do much heated craft work but this one is nice and simple and should appeal to most of you, as you can use them however you like whether it be as a topping for cards, as embellishments for sewing projects such as bags or as I have, as hair accessories.


So what are they?

Zip flowers!!!


Materials

• An old zip
• Scissors
• Strong sewing thread
• Needle
• Seed Beads and thin wire
• Long nosed pliers

Instructions

1. Firstly you need to separate the two parts of the Zip by cutting off the bottom stop of the zip. Then open the zip so you have two halves.

2. Next run a row of gathering stitches along the half you are using. Carefully pull up the stitches,  and then manipulate it around to create the centre of the flower, you will need to add a few holding stitches to hold it all together. If you are using a shorter zip add the remaining half of the zip in the same way to make the flower larger.

 

3. Cut some pieces of wire. Fold each in half then add a bead to the end by bending the wire back on itself with a pair of long nosed pliers. Push each pair through the centre towards the back and stitch into place.

4. To finish you can use the flower however you wish, I added a hair pin to mine but you could stick it to a card. Or sew a few onto a bag, add a brooch back or even add to shoe clips! You could also decorate with more beads or colour with some fabric paint.

38th Project completed - a gift box

Welcome to the 38th completed project in the challenge. Firstly I must apologise for being a few hours late with this one, I had completed 3/4 of the project and had put it to one side when the pup decided she required a snack and decided that it looked good enough to eat! So I had to begin all over again!!!!!

Anyway here it is, a paper mache gift box.

Materials 

• Empty gravy tub
• Cereal box
• Multi purpose Glue
• PVA Glue
• 1 Sheet of tissue paper
• Decoupage flower
• Ruler
• Pen
• Scissors

Instructions

  

1. Cut your gravy tub  down to the desired size, you need to end up with two sections, a base and a lid. Cut a circle from the cereal box to make a top for the lid and glue into place.

2. Cut a strip from your cereal box that is the same height as the inside of your base plus 5mm x the inside circumference of your base and glue it inside your base so that it lines the inside of the base and creates a lip for the lid to fit onto.

  

3. Cover your sections inside and out with a layer of tissue paper. Try not to build up too many layers around the inside if the lid and around the lid as this will make fitting the lid more difficult!

4. Add some decoration, I used a flower that I removed from a handmade decoupaged greetings card that i was given, and there we have it a great little gift box ideal for any small gift!