Something Out Of Nothing Part 3

Ok folks... let's rewind a little.  Here's a post that I was working last month on when I had some trouble with the photos.  Finally got the problem resolved, so better late than never!

So a few days ago, while hubby was napping, I got really creative!  After making all the flowers I could make, I found myself searching around the house for my next project.  Out in the backyard I found this old piece of wood that had been nicely weathered by the elements after the refurbishing of my Grandparent's farm house.  It was a great old piece of wood and I just couldn't see it going into the burn pile.  Hmmmmm... what to do??  I love making wall art and I think what I did with this one will surprise you!

Step 1:  Clean it up!  This piece of wood had originally been painted white and had a good patina to it, but it was caked with mud and dirt so a good scrubbing was in order!

Step 2:  I really like all the items I see in Pinterest with the chevron pattern, so I started by creating a "lattice" effect with painters tape.  My taping wasn't precise by any means, but I think that adds to the whimsy of the piece!

Step 3:  After I completed the "lattice" effect with tape, I simply cut away the pieces I didn't need with a pocket knife that my 17yo son had on hand.  Be really careful here.  I found myself having to re-tape several pieces that I had cut away to achieve the chevrons.  If you pay attention to what you are doing it's really easy.  As for me... I was watching to see if Maury's latest victim was in fact "The Father" which left me a little distracted.  Haha!

Step 4:  After I removed the unnecessary tape, I lightly spray painted the piece in turquoise.  I just wanted to give it a light coat of paint so that the original feel of the wood came through.

Step 5:  Next, I peeled away the tape to reveal the chevron pattern.

Step 6:  I needed something to hang the piece by, so I rummaged through the barn (thanks to my cousin, Tony, who said my sis and I could have any of that old "junk" in there) and found several items that could be useful for my project.

Step 7:  Once I decided on which clamps to use (and gave them a good bath), I affixed them to the piece.  They don't match and are different sizes, but I lined them up just right so they will allow the piece to hang level.  I just love them, don't you?

Step 6:  Now here's where I was perplexed.  What to do now that I have this loverly chevron pattern?  So I remembered something I had seen on Pinterest (alas!).  String Art!!  I found a cute clip art of a bird and I did a little Power Point magic and made it really big (it took 4 sheets of paper to print it off).  Basically I copied it 4 times (each on to its own slide) and cropped each one so that the four of them fit together and made the complete bird when put together.

Step 7:  I lplaced the four pieces of paper on the board and got them in just the right position, then started hammering nails in around the silhouette of the bird.  I used my finger to space them as equal distance apart as I could without sustaining any injuries to my fingers! 

Step 8:  I tore away the paper from the nails.

Step 9:  Using yellow string, I looped and tied a knot on the first nail, then basically went around the nails in no particular manner, until the bird was formed, then tying it off at the end.  This took a few hours, so be patient!  It's well worth the final outcome.

Voila!  One of a kind string bird on a refurbished piece of wood.  :)

Lighted Coney Island Sign

I LOVE the way this sign turned out!  I found the light set at Hobby Lobby and I knew these lights were destined for a very fun, whimsical sign!  I found the old wooden ironing  board at an antique shop and when the two melded together, it was MAGIC!

Antiques Sign Made From Vintage Ironing Board

It's a pity that I didn't take a "before" picture of this vintage wooden ironing board before I started to work on it.  My picker sister found it for me, as she knows I have a hobby of turning these old wooden ironing boards into one of a kind signs. 

This one was particularly worn (yes, that's a good thing!), and had a nice weathered look to it.  I started by giving the board a light coat of white spray paint.  Not too much paint, as I wanted the wood to show through.  Then I found a really cute font and printed off the letters on my regular old printer on regular old paper.  After I cut them out, I adhered them to the wood (cutting them in the middle since the boards weren't flush).  After they had dried, I sprayed 4 coats of clear coat on the entire board giving it a good seal.

I had decided to adorn this sign with 100 miniature lights, so I set out measuring and drilling the 100 holes.  However, once I got the holes drilled, I liked how it looked so much that I decided to leave it as is.  The final touch was to add some twine to hang it from. 

Here's an example of another ironing board sign I did last year.  This one was lighted!

Something Out Of Nothing: Part 2

I'm happy to report that Hubby is feeling much better and is recouperating well.  However, he has been through several cases of bottled water during his recouperation.  What to do with all these stinking water bottles?  Make flowers of course!

This first set of flowers were made from a generic brand of water in which the top portion of the bottles were ridged, thus giving the flowers some riges on the petals.  I wasn't real happy with the look of the ridges, so I started buying Dasani water because the tops of the bottles are smooth.  (Sorry, I dont' have any pictures of the flowers made with the Dasani bottles, nor did I take pictures for steps 1-4;  next time I will be sure to get pictures of each step!)

Step 1:  Remove the cap and put aside, then cut your bottle depending on how large you want your flower.  I usually cut at the first horizontal ridge just below the slanted top.

Step 2:  Cut your petals equal distance apart vertically from the edge toward the top all the way around.  You can get creative here and cut on an angle or in a wavy deisgn and in various widths.

Step 3:  Cut the tips of your petals in whatever desired shape.  Some I made curved, and others I made slanted cut, and still others I made with a pointed tip.

Step 4:  Bend your petals at the base to get the desired shape.

Step 5:  Spray paint the bottom first, and when dry, spray paint the top.

Step 6:  Spray paint your cap your desired color and let dry.

Step 7:  Glue your painted cap on the top of your petal.  The only glue I had on hand was fingernail glue (thank you 13yo daughter!) and I must say, it worked very well!  I put the glue around the center of the flower then placed the cap in the glue and held it until it dried (about 20 seconds).

Step 8:  If you would like, you can attach a magnet to the back to place on your fridge, or attach it to a floral stick to place it in your garden.  Use your imagination and most importantly, have fun!









Something Out Of Nothing: Part 1

Yes, finally Corn Field Finds has a blog!  Yippie!  I've been intending to start a how-to blog for some time now, but fate stepped in and I've finally had enough time on my hands to make it happen. 

Unfortunately, fate dealt my husband an awful blow when he was involved in an accident on the family farm in Oklahoma.  After surgery and several days in ICU, he is home recouperating for what might be 6 weeks!  So, needless to say, I'm trying to keep myself busy by taking advantage of this time to get some crafting done.

The "farm" is our getaway home and as since we were just here for a visit, I didn't have my myriad of crafting tools on hand to satisfy my creative addiction.  Since it is a ways to town and I couldn't leave hubby for too long, I decided to make do with what I had around the house (and in the barn) to come up with some craft goodies, thus making "something out of nothing."

This is the view from my "office".

So without further ado, let's get to it.  The first necessity in any crafting project for me was the need for Mod Podge.  Since a quick trip to the nearest hobby store was out of the question, I googled and found a recipe for homemade Mod Podge.  Honestly, I had no idea how simple it was to make, not to mention how cheap!

Materials

empty water bottle or jar

4oz. bottle of glue (Elmers or similar)

4oz. water

1Tbsp. clear varnish (optional if you want a glossy finish)

Step 1:  Empty 4oz. of glue into empty water bottle.

Step 2: Pour 4oz. of water in with the glue.  If you want a glossy finish, add 1Tbsp. clear varnish.

Step 3:  Shake, Shake, Shake!

Voila!  Homemade Mod Podge for about $1!