DIY outside boot scraper and shoe brush

 This project is a great DIY that will save you money and can make a great gift depending on how fancy you want to get with it. 

    It is a basic shoe brush for knocking the dirt and mud off your shoes before coming into the house.     As you can see from the photo below I used a couple of scrap pieces of  2"X 8". The bottom one is approximately 14 inches in length and the side piece is about 7 to 8 in length. I screwed the short 2 x 8 at a right angle to the longer piece with 3" screws, making sure the screws are heavy enough to withstand being kicked and rubbed against.
The brushes are scrubbed brushes from the dollar store. They had a screw-on back that I removed and discarded and using the existing screw holes I used 1 1/2" screws to secure the brushes to the boards. Now I found these scrub brushes in the housewares section and could have just as easily used wooden brushes and simply predrilled my holes.
     And that was the complete project with a total cost of about four dollars. Now I could've gotten a little more fancy by adding a metal plate for scraping your boots on, but the heavy 2" X 8" I think will work just as well without. Now you could put Thompson's water seal on your project and that will help your project last a little bit longer. The main thing I was looking for was a shoe brush and boot scraper that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Most of the ones that I saw online were upwards of $15-$30 and the few that I tried didn't last more than one season. The worst-case scenario with this one is that I might have to replace the brushes at a total cost of three dollars.
     As it turns out, it also could turn into a moneymaker, as I've already had several people offer to pay upwards of $10-$15 for one.

So happy Nevada crafting and have a great day.

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Contest winner

Congratulations to Lisa Hess for being the month of May Nevada crafter contest winner.

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Creative micro bottles with handmade stoppers

    Miniature craft bottles can be had from an array of sources. E_Bay, and Amazon just to name a few, but I avidly recycle and believe nothing should go to waste. To that end I found that red ginseng comes in these little glass amber bottles. Ginseng can be found in your local health food store or Asian market. They come in delightful cardboard boxes, 10 or more to a box, that I also use in my craft projects, but that's another story.

                                                                           

    As for the cost of the miniature glass bottles, it may be cheaper to simply buy them on eBay, unless you're like me and you're already using ginseng. After you have consumed the contents of the bottle, it is a simple  matter of using a pair of pliers to carefully remove the metal cap. Once you have removed the metal cap, thoroughly rinse the inside of the bottle. Note: The ginseng once dry, is harder to remove, so it is easier to clean if you rinse the bottle right after consuming the contents. 

     

    When you have accumulated several bottles, soak the bottles overnight in a bowl of water. This will loosen the label and make it easy to remove by simply rubbing the label off with your fingernails or popsicle stick.

    Once you have your clean bottles obtain a wood dowel that is slightly larger than the diameter of the mouth of the bottle. Cut the dowels in 1 inch lengths and sand one end to snugly fit the mouth of the bottle to make your bottle stopper. A pencil sharpener may work also, but you may want to sand afterward with fine sandpaper to smooth any rough edges. Then using a rotary tool, or sanding disk you can shape the top of the bottle stopper to a half round or a smaller dowel shaft on which you can affix your pony beads. Remember that the upper shaft needs to be just small enough for the beads to slip on with some glue. Don't make your shafts too small or you might break the stopper when you try to remove it from the bottle. I have found that the half-moon design( bottom left ) is a more sturdy design and saves the expense of using beads and is easier to grip when removing the stopper. That said, the bottles with the beads are more appealing, and are a better seller.

Once you have your stoppers complete you can paint them or add beads depending on the style stopper created. 

    When your bottle is finished it is ready for whatever you may want to put in them, dry spices, trinkets, talisman,etc. keep in mind I have not tested these bottles with liquids such as oils or perfumes and if your stopper is not a perfect fit they may leak. 

    So there you have your crafty little bottles that are perfect for decoration, little love notes, wishes and more. They make a great conversation piece or decoration with ribbons and bows on packages.

So happy crafting, and have a great day from the Nevada Crafter at nevadacrafter.com.

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DIY crafts micro clamp from clothes pins

Do you need a micro clamp but don't want to spend the money? Here's a quick DIY micro clamp made from clothes pins.

Micro clamps can be made cheaply from a package of close pins purchased from the dollar store. As you can see they can be made in an assorted shapes and sizes to meet your custom needs.

 You can use a belt sander, disk sander, Dremel or whatever you happen to have. I have even used a scroll saw to cut various shapes and sizes. My preferred method is still to use a belt sander with a course grit but that is only because it is quick and easy.

These clamps can be made in a minute or less and not only do they come in handy for various projects, I have also found them to be in demand at craft and trade shows. I usually sell them as an assorted package of 4 for a dollar.

They can be used for various projects such as holding projects while I'm painting them, or holding parts together as they are being glued. Uses are many, and if you know a crafter in need of clamps, they make a great gift.

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Vintage Suitcase into craft or activity box

   Setting up at a craft show can be a pain, carrying boxes and totes can be cumbersome and sometimes hard to manage. And then there are times we just simply want a convenient place to carry our crafts when we are on the go. Or maybe we want a special place to put children's activities when they come to visit.
    One of my favorite haunts are yard sales and flea markets. I am constantly finding items to be upcycled, or restored into something new and wondrous. On one such trip I came across a couple of vintage suitcases that were in very poor condition. Although I may have restored them to their original condition I had something less expensive and much better in mind. Going to a craft show with a couple of suitcases seemed much easier than carrying several totes.

I started by painting the outside of the suitcase with a quality exterior house paint. This would help hide any blemishes and give a good protective coating to the outside of the suitcase. Once I had a good protective coating on the outside, I began decorating. First by using one of my favorite stencils to stencil a favorite slogan on the top of the suitcase. This personalize the suitcase and gave it more character. Later I would paint the brass fittings with a nice nail polish to protect them and to make them stand out.

    The inside of the suitcase was in pretty bad shape, with the original felt extremely well-worn and in some places holes. The only option here was to replace it with new felt, which I got at the local fabric store. Using a spray adhesive I cut and placed new felt over the top of the old felt. Once the new felt was in place I tack down the edges with hot glue. I hid this seems by brushing the edges of the seams with a stiff toothbrush.

     I continue to add embellishments from time to time, such as these butterfly stickers. Decorating the suitcases is a matter of using your imagination. One could use a theme such as Alice in Wonderland or use a vintage theme such as travel stickers or decoupage old newsprint or even sheet music. The uses for these suitcases are many, such as costumes and activities for kids or just plain storage for your arts and crafts projects and tools. The possibilities are limitless and should you ever become bored with what you have created it is simply a matter of putting on a new coat of paint and changing the style.

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3D Pen Holiday Ornaments

  

Using a 3-D pen with a tennis ball used as a form

   One of the big disadvantages of a 3-D pen is the lack of precision. Unlike a 3-D printer the 3-D pen relies not on a computer but on how skilled you are with your hands. However you can compensate on some things by using a form rather than just creating freehand. Here I am using a tennis ball as a form to create a Christmas ornament, but realize that any ball that can withstand the heat from the pen can be used. And any size ball can be used to create even more than just ornaments, such as using a basketball to create a lampshade. You may wish to cover your ball with masking tape or some other material so the plastic does not melt into the ball. I'm using the tennis ball basically because that is what I have handy and the plastic adheres enough to the ball to make it easy to control. The disadvantage of using a tennis ball is all the small fibers that the plastic adheres to. This can make removing the finished ornament rather difficult. The trick I use to overcome this is the use of a old painter's palette knife. Using the knife as I work, I periodically carefully lift the plastic off of the tennis ball. A thin blade screwdriver could also be used in the same manner. Just be sure to lift the plastic as you work rather than trying to do it all at once at the end. If you try to wait until the end, it becomes extremely difficult to lift the plastic without breaking it.





    Once you have removed your ornament you then can began to remove the fine hairs with a lighter or hot knife. Be sure and move quickly so as not to melt the plastic ornament you're working on. Most of the ornaments that I create are shaped similar to a half finished death Star. If you wish to create a full sphere, you need to create two halves and then weld them together after you have removed them from the tennis ball form. One trick I use is to create the ornament using the lines on the tennis ball, rather than a straight half circle. This also helps hide any seem that is created when I weld the two halves together, as it is not a straight line.

     So here we have our finished ornament and all that is left to do is to add a bit of thread or ribbon to hang it by. We can also add lace, beads, crystals or other decorations to the ornament as well as sand and paint the ornament as needed. The type of artwork you use is up to you and I have personally created ornaments for all the seasons, not just Christmas. So have fun and enjoy creating a little bit of artwork with your 3-D pen.

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Put a chalkboard on your clay pots.

This is a simple crafters garden project. 

 There has been many a time when I found myself trying to figure out what was growing in the pot that I planted. Tags and plant labels get lost, popsicle sticks get moldy and can't be read and buying plant labels can be quite expensive.
  So I bought a chalk paint that I found in a dollar store. Chalk paint can be found at most hardware stores or try ordering it online. I painted the upper lip of the clay pot on the outside only with the chalk paint and let it thoroughly dry. As I did not want to interfere with how the clay pot works I only painted what I needed to. Then using a chalk marker or a piece of chalk I labeled and decorated the outside of the clay pot rim. You can also use a stencil to paint leaf shaped label areas or other designs, just use your imagination. But remember not to paint the inside of the pot and leave the majority of the outside unpainted as well. One of the advantages to using the clay pot is that the clay helps distribute and wick away excess moisture.

What you will need for this project:

1. clay pots
2. chalkboard paint
3. a good paintbrush
4. a chalk marker or piece of chalk
5. optional: stencils of favorite shapes or designs. This is used instead of just painting the rim. Note: be sure and use a design that is large enough to write on.

So there you have a simple craft idea that would make a great gift or a great item to sell at a crafters market.

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Soda can pinwheel or wind spinner

Soda can pinwheel

    [ Disclaimer ]

    First off let me explain that this is a conceptual presentation and may not be complete instructions. One should use all safety precautions and proper tools in constructing this craft item. It is not intended as a child's project or toy and should not be placed within reach of children as the edges of the metal can be sharp if not properly sealed or bent over.

    First we start with two aluminum cans of the same size diameter and a coathanger, brazing rod or any rigid piece of wire. You will need also a hot glue gun and for pony beads. A drill and a small drill bit or a nail and hammer. (Drill bit or nail should be same diameter as wire being used or slightly smaller.)

    Taking one of the cans we use a fabric tape measure to measure the diameter of the can and divide it into equal widths. (For this Arizona tea can it came out to 1 1/8 inch) remember to mark both ends of the can and draw a line from top to bottom between the two marks using a marker. When your project is complete you can remove any unsightly marks with rubbing alcohol.

    (NOTE: smaller cans will require different measurements. It should also be noted that shorter blades for the propeller will work better in stronger winds.)

    With a pair of scissors, box cutter or pocket knife carefully cut the top off the can. We recommend wearing leather gloves for this as a precaution.

    Here we are using utility scissors and it should be noted we do not cut all the way to the bottom. End your cut about 3/8" to a 1/4" off of the bottom, above the curve as marked in the above photo.

    Bend the blades out and slightly twist all the blades in the same direction forming a propeller.

    For this next step we are going to use the other can. Measure a half inch to an 1"off the bottom of this can and cut it off. Slightly bend the edges of this bottom inward so as to fit it inside of the backside of our propeller. (Inside the bottom of the other can) try to keep it as even as you can. Then place it on a level surface with a scrap piece of wood underneath it. Use a BB or marble or even a drop of water in the indentation to find the center of the can and drill a hole slightly smaller or the same size as the wire you are using. This does not need to be perfectly centered but the closer the better. If you are using the nail and hammer to create your hole you may want to punch the whole with each half separate.

Make an L-shape out of your wire and thread the short length through both bottoms using two pony beads on either side. Hot glue the outer beads in place, as shown above, and leave the inner beads loose to act as washers for the propeller. (Note: make sure the long side of your wire is long enough to place in the ground or on a fence post and still allow propeller to spin freely. I used a spoke from a bicycle which isn't long enough to put in the ground but can be mounted on a fence post.) At this point you may wish to glue the two can bottoms together. You may also wish to coat any sharp edges with nail polish or glue. You can use a pair of pliers to bend the edges in so there are no sharp edges, but I have found this very time-consuming.

So there you have your soda can pinwheel.  Please feel free to leave constructive ideas and suggestions.

[Note; as of 6-11-2015 a strong thunder storm came through and blew the wind spinner apart. So a redesign is needed. Shorter blades or reinforce blades would be more apt to survive high wind gusts. And at present I cannot recommend this wind spinner for anything other than light winds with the present design.  We will try to come up with design improvements and update this post at some point in the future. Constructive suggestions are welcome.]

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Paintbrush cleaning and storage jar

    Often we are throwing out and replacing paintbrushes that were left to sit in the bottom of a jar. This flares and ruins the brush and if left long enough dried out, brittle and useless. This can be expensive, time-consuming and just a plain waste.  But here is a jar that will keep your paintbrushes like new. It is a simple and easy DIY to make with found materials. And can be sold at arts and craft shows for several dollars.

 The jar stays sealed and suspends paintbrushes off the bottom of the jar. Liquids can be added to the jar for cleaning the brushes. The jar is airtight and thus maintains a plasticity of the bristles.

The lid consists of a mason jar ring, a mason jar lid with a hole cut in it and a piece of rubber cut from a tire innertube. Cut the innertube to the same size as the mason jar lid and place it on top of the mason jar lid when assembling. Punch several small holes in the rubber innertube, preferably with a leather punch. Make the diameter of the holes slightly smaller than the handle of the brushes being used. (This is to keep an airtight fit around the handle of the paintbrush and to help hold the brush in place when it is being suspended off the bottom of the jar. )It is important that you use some type of hole punch to keep the holes from splitting and allowing air in the jar.

I use a glass jar and metal lids because the paints and solvents I use would dissolve any other type of container. But if you're only using water-based paints then a plastic jar or cup could be used.

To add paintbrushes to the jar simply push the handle of the paint brush up through the bottom of the lid and through the holes in the rubber seal that you have made. Adjust the brush so that the brush is not sitting on the bottom of the jar and there you have it. The perfect paint brush cleaning and storage jar.

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Christmas Ornament patterns

Christmas Ornament patterns

for personal use only not be used for mass production or reprinting for resale. All work is copyrighted by

 Abadu44.com studios 2013

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