Decorated Jam Jar tealight lantern

Hello again - time for more crafting for the financially frugal! Today we'll be making hanging jam jar tealight holder with a cute decorative twist.

I saw this idea on the internet but without instructions so thought I'd try to make it myself. It's hard to quantify the cost on this project as it's made from rubbish and scraps. If you have done decoupage in the past  and have leftover paper and glue - that's a big bonus  making this will cost you next to nothing. 

Here's what you need:

A glass jam or pickling jar - small or medium sized.
A couple of metres of thick wire.
Sellotape
Decoupage glue (ordinary pasting glue will do)
Cheap or old paintbrush
Scraps of decoupage paper, pattered tissue paper or thin cotton fabric.
Wire cutters or jewellery pliers are useful but not necessary

This blog comes to you from outside in a very sunny England today!

First, assemble your equipment:

  

Take a piece of paper or thin fabric and cut it to size, making sure it fits all the way round the circumference of the jam jar. Leave 2cms of extra hem - this will be folded under the jam jar.

Cover the outside of the jam jar in glue.

Glue the paper to the jam jar.

Snip the excess hem vertically and shown below and fold down and glue to the bottom of the jam jar.

 When the flaps of paper are glued down, cut a small circle of paper to cover up the gap.

If using normal glue, leave it as it is - if using applique glue give it a thin coat round the outside.

Ok...now onto the tricky bit. I used thin scraps of wire I had hanging around - but if you can, get hold of some thick, sturdy wire. The idea is to wrap and weave the wire underneath the the jar and make a long handle. It might take several attempts and you might find your own way of doing it is easier!

Don't forget to put a little bit on sellotape to hold your wire in place on the bottom of the jar.

Wind the wire around the top of the jar below the rim, under the jar and then loop over the top the make the handles. I suggest making the handles quite long so the lanterns hangs quite far from whatever you're hanging it from for safety purposes - and so you can loop it over branches etc. If your wire feels a bit unsteady, fix more sellotape here and there to make it more study.

Wait for nightfall...poor yourself a drink and hang on the low branches of a tree to create a beautiful ambiance on a summer night.

 Here's a deep jam jar I covered in a cotton fabric offcut rather than paper. As you can see it makes a cottage style shabby chic hanging vase as well as a lantern.

(P.s a quick reminder - take your lanterns inside when not in use, and never leave a candle flame unattended. Enjoy your handywork!)

Avocado Seed Jewellery

Hello again, welcome to Crafts for the Skint. This week we are delving into the compost bucket to make a unique piece of jewellery for just a few pence/cents.

All you need is:
An avocado seed.
Acrylic paints
A good craft knife
Gems and glue (optional).

Note: This project is not really suitable for children due to use of craft knives. It needs to dry out for a couple of weeks.

Ok... first you need to eat the avocado flesh! Remove the seed and rinse under warm water. Give it a scrub with a dish scrubber until any flesh is removed and it starts to feel smooth. Dry with a cloth.

Using great care and a sharp knife, cut the avocado seed in half longways down it's natural seam.  It will have a strange texture, like soft, waxy wood. I find it best to gently run the knife round several times  shallowly until it comes apart.

Now you have two halves, it's time to take the hard skin off. Peel the outside gently with a craft knife. If your avocado is a bit old, it may rub off with a scrubber at the washing stage,but if it's tough, just lift the woody skin with a craft knife and peel.

Now you have two halves to carve. Have a think about your design,get some inspiration and get going. The seed will change colour and darken to several woody browns  as you carve and you may get a blue, ink stain on your fingers. This is just the juice from the seed.

Ok, now you have two pieces to work with. Remember to make sure some of your detail stand proud by a millimeter or two. Use a pin to make a hole in the top of your carving if you wish to make it into a pendant.

 

I have carved a face, a hear and a sunflower (not pictured).

Now for a bit of patience! Put your carved seeds somewhere warm and dry for 2 to 3 weeks to dry out. They will darken and shrink a little.


By now your avocado seed carving should be dry and ready to paint! I have used acrylic paint mixed with a very small amount of water. You could add some stick on gems for glitz or leave them plain for a home homespun or rustic look. You don't have to paint them at all if you like the woody look. Attach to a cord or chain and enjoy impressing people with your jewellery make for a few pence/cents from avocado discardings!

Was meant to be Siouxie Sioux!!Sorry Siouxie!

Back soon with more Crafts for the skint!

Handmade Clay Sunflower Dish

You will need:
A pack of air-drying clay
Acrylic paints
Scissors
Liquid or gel-like glue like UHU or Evostick. (you could use a glue gun if you have one)

Hello and welcome to Crafts For The Skint - your guide to making homemade craft items on a budget. This blog will show you how to make a pretty sunflower dish for very little money. So easy that kids can do it (with a bit of guidance) and a good introduction to air-drying clay.

For this project I'll be using Das Air -drying modelling clay which is great for several reasons - firstly it's pretty cheap -  £3.50 (just over $5) for 500g. Secondly, you don't need any special equipment for sculpting or drying it. Thirdly, you can paint, sand and (carefully) drill it. It's pliable, cheap and versatile.

Das clay comes in a light grey colour but dries to a chalky white. It's best to use it straight from the packet before it starts to dry out. If it does start to dry, add a tiny amount of water to it and knead until it pliable again. Ok, now you're ready to start!

Rip off a good chunk of clay - about a third of the packet. Mold it with your hands into a shallow dish shape. The sides of the dish should be about 2.5cms high and the diameter of the dish should be about 11cms. 

Now onto the petals. Another good thing about Das is that when you roll it flat, it's pretty easy to cut it with scissors so this is how I have made the petals. Make around 10 or 11 petals and lay them against the inside of the dish. Bend them over the sides ever so slightly.

Now roll out the middle of the flower and cut into a circle with your scissors. The diameter of the circle should be around 6.5cms. Place in the middle of the dish, press down firmly but trying not to make any deep fingerprints.

Smooth any minor cracks or rough edges with your fingertip dipped in water. Now all you have to do is wait for it to dry!

You can speed the up the process a little by leaving it somewhere warm like a sunny windowsill or a shelf near a heater. You can also use a hairdryer on a medium setting to dry it out faster. Some people put their DAS creations in a cool oven - but I would warn against this - drying too quickly can cause the  clay to crack. With the aid of a 60-second blast under a hairdryer two or three times and drying off in a warm place, my dish dried in about 35 hours.

When it is completely dry, you will notice that your sunflower dish components are no longer stuck together. That's part of the plan - it will make painting and decorating your dish much easier. You will glue them back together at a later date.

Now to paint - I'm using ordinary acrylic paint, diluted with just a tiny dab of water. Give it everything a generous coat in the colours of your choice. I've used cheap but effective Reeves paint in green,yellow and metallic copper.

  When the paint has dried, it's time to glue it together. It might cost around £3 but I really recommend you get yourself a good quality glue for your craft box. I use EvoStik Impact, it's available at most craft and DIY stores. Squeeze a generous amount of glue on the back of the petals  and press them against the inside of the dish.

The glue is gloopy and sets in minutes  - this should give you a minute or so to tweak the positioning of the petals if need be.  Once all the petals are in place, blob some glue at the base of the petals to further hold them in place.

Finally, give the undersize of the centre of the sunflower a generous few blobs of glue and place in the centre, pressing down firmly.

Let the glue set for a few hours and your dish will be ready! You can glaze it if you want to but I'm keeping the cost down and keeping it rustic!

             Enjoy your little hand made sunflower dish. A unique dish for your nic-nacks :)