DIY Wire Hurricane and the DIY Holiday Highlights Party

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Roeshel

This will be the last DIY Holiday Highlights party this season. Are you sad? Or glad the holidays are nearly over?

New Year’s Centerpiece

I was at our local True Value and came across “hardware cloth”. Intrigued, I brought it home. Then got creative, using it to dress up my candles!

Here is what I did.

1. Measure candle and mark height and width of candle on wire mesh.

2. Using wire cutters, cut the wire to the correct size. I went a few inches bigger.

3. The wire mesh comes wrapped in a long piece of wire. Cut small piece of it to use as a “tie” and make a cylinder, overlapping rows. It’s tricky to get it not to be crooked. I used needle nose pliers to help bend the “tie”.

4. Embellish. Weave twine to create a monogram, add seasonal tags that can be swapped for the change in holidays, add ribbon, etc.

(graphics courtesy http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/)

Warning – make sure if you accessorize the wire that you keep embellishments away from the flame! I’m sure you know that but just in case, I don’t want you to start a fire! If you’re a little accident prone, maybe try flameless candles. 😉

Since I love to re-purpose things, especially DIY…I also love them on our glass cannisters which aren’t labeled. Cannister cozies!

More pics…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as my writing about my experience. I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

~*~*~*~*~

Let’s see the last of your DIY Holiday Highlights!

Please share your holiday posts below!

You must use the button above (or html code on left side bar) and link to this post to share the linky love.
Add your permalink (not your blog url, but your holiday project post url which is the web address that goes directly to your holiday project blog post, not your blog address). Feel free to link a Past Post, just invite your readers in a current post with a quick note.
Or email your link to thediyshowoff@gmail.com and I will add it for you.
If you notice your link has disappeared –please check the content of your post. Is it holiday related? Add the link back to The DIY Show Off to your post today with a quick note to your readers about the party and try again! I love when everyone participates and readers check out everyone’s links, but I think the return favor of linking back is the nice thing to do so everyone plays fair and enjoys all of the projects and links. Links not related to DIY holiday projects or holiday decor for inspiration will be deleted. Please make sure you follow the above steps.

~*~*~*~

Don’t forget to enter the NEW year GLUE year Giveaway!

Stock your supplies – get ready for the year year!

HERE!

I’m sharing my project here…

Polly Wants a Crafter

Tomato Cage Christmas Tree and The DIY Project Parade

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Roeshel

I know this is nothing new but I love this idea – a DIY Christmas tree using garland and a tomato cage. I headed to my favorite local True Value for my supplies to make one for indoor use.

Tomato cage. Ask a store associate. They should have them in the warehouse/storeroom since it’s not garden season.I got the largest they had.

3 – 9ft. lighted garland

Thick rubber band

To make the tree:

Using a rubber band, gather the “stakes” to make a tee-pee top and secure together (sorry for the bad picture! I must not have checked it before going to the next step…too late now!).

Starting at the bottom (with the plug end of the garland), start to wrap the bottom wire circle with the garland. Wrap a few branches here and there around the wire frame to secure.

Working around the frame, continue wrapping.

When one garland ends, plug in another and continue wrapping to the top.

Fluff. If there are gaps, fill in by twisting branches around the frame or fluff branches to fill ‘holes’.

All done!

We don’t have a live tree and I love the smell of pine. So I headed out to the backyard and clipped small pieces of real pine.

Just tuck them in open areas for a fuller ‘real’ look with pine scent! (Mine are only tucked but you can use floral wire to make things more secure if needed.)

Here it is all complete! I love it!

Need more height?

This works great for a base:

5 gallon bucket
fabric
large rubber band

Take the handle off of the bucket.

Stretch a rubber band around the top of the bucket.

Sit bucket in the center of a piece of fabric and tuck under the rubber band.

It’ll look like this:

Add a round tray (aluminum cookie tray or rattan works) and it’s the perfect base to add height to your tomato cage tree. If you have an out of the way spot, it can just rest on top. Otherwise attach with wire into the holes were the handles were removed.

You could also paint the bucket instead and fill with stones for weight to use outdoors. The base was a little to high for my purposes so I didn’t end up using it…oops!

Again…my tomato cage Christmas tree:

~*~*~*~

If your project is holiday related, please feel free to link up to the DIY Holiday Highlights party as well!

If you’d like to link YOUR DIY project post
to The DIY Show Off Project Parade:

1.You must use the button above and link to this post to share the linky love.

2.Include your name or blog name and project title. Add your permalink (not your blog url, but your DIY project post url). Feel free to link a Past Post, just invite your readers in a current post with a quick note.

3.Or email your link to thediyshowoff@gmail.com and I will add it for you.

4.If you notice your link has disappeared -please add the link back to The DIY Show Off to your post today, a button or a quick note to your readers about the party and try again! I love when everyone participates and readers check out everyone’s links, but I think the return favor of linking back is the nice thing to do so everyone plays fair and enjoys all of the projects and links. Also – this blog party is for DIY projects only. Links not related to DIY will be deleted.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~*~*~*~*~

DIY Burlap & Starfish Wreath

Posted on September 18, 2010 by Roeshel

Easy DIY Burlap & Starfish Wreath

Materials:
1 – 8 inch straw wreath (plastic wrap intact)
Approx. 1/2 yard of burlap
1 Starfish
1 Piece of Ribbon (approx. 36″)
Gorilla Glue
Gorilla Super Glue

Tools:
Scissors
Phillips Head Screwdriver

Step 1: Cut burlap into 4″ squares. Perfection not required!

Step 2: Using the screwdriver, make a pilot hole into the plastic-wrap covered straw wreath.

Step 3: Add a dab of Gorilla Glue into the hole. This will expand and keep the burlap in place.

Step 4: Fold a burlap square into 4s (in half and in half again)

Step 5: Place burlap corner (without an open end) on top of the pilot hole and using the screwdriver, push into the hole and twist. Repeat until the wreath is covered on the front and outer edge, leaving an open area for ribbon/to hang the wreath.

Step 6: Determine where starfish will go and apply Gorilla Super Glue to the backside of the starfish that will touch the wreath. Apply pressure and hold for a minute until secure.

Step 7: Tie the ribbon around the non-burlap part of the wreath.

Step 8: All done. Fluff. Tie into a bow and hang.

Other Options: Personalize a wreath for any occasion the same technique with different fabrics and embellishments.

See more awesome burlap projects at

DIY Show Off ™ – DIY Decorating and Home Improvement Blog

DIYShowOff – Budget Friendly Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement and Decorating blog

Tag Archives: Crafts

DIY Wire Hurricane and the DIY Holiday Highlights Party

Tomato Cage Christmas Tree and The DIY Project Parade

DIY Burlap & Starfish Wreath