April 2010

Last year about this time I put together this little vine wreath for the front door.  My plan was for it to last through the summer and then to reuse the wreath as a base for a fall themed wreath.

But, when fall came, it was still growing and looking beautiful! So, just before the first frost, I brought it inside with the faint hope I could winter it over.

And here it is - back on my front door for another summer!  Those two little canisters I used to hold water really worked great!

My wreath one year ago! I never dreamed the ivy would not only survive but continue to grow with their little feet in that tiny bit of water!

I have a few old film canisters laying around - imagine that!  So I poked a little hole in the lid just big enough for a couple stems.  Plant staking wire does a great job of securing the canister to the back of the wreath.

I can pull off the lid, refill the canister with water and then replace the lid. The staking wire is wrapped around the bottom of the canister so I don't need to intefere with the hanging system when I remove the lid.

You could also use those little glass tubs with a rubber stopper that are often found in mini marts - they are used to keep roses fresh.

So - just thought I would bring you up to date!  My little intended reuse project that has become a permanent part of my home!

Another project using tin and aluminum cans from my trash stash!

I again turned to mid-1800's New Mexican tin work for my inspiration for this wall sconce. 

In keeping with the necessity of using only what was at hand at that time, which included repurposed tin brought over the Santa Fe Trail, I repurposed a large tin can, a tuna can, and an aluminum pop can bottom.  I kept my tools very simple - what almost any household would have on hand -  a hammer, nail, tin snips, screw driver.  In place of solder, I used E-6000 glue.  And of course, most importantly heavy gloves and protective eye ware.

Before I share how I made the sconce, I am going to share the inspiration for the sconce and my tin frame by way of introducing you to an incredible Santa Fe tin artist, Jason Younis y Delgado,  who is working hard to preserve the art and traditions of early New Mexican tin work.

In my "Tin Frame" post, I provided links to help share the history of tin work in New Mexico. I hope, if you haven't already done so, you will take the time to visit some of them today.

Now, be prepared to be blown away by the images of some of Mr. Delgado's amazing art which he has so graciously sent to me in response to my request for pictures of tin work that I could share with my readers.

It takes a lot of - well, courage - to show my little sconce next to these amazing and beautiful works of art!  But how else can I share my inspiration?

Notice his precise punching technique.  He designs and makes his own stamps which you can actually order here!  And just look at those perfect rosettes at the top of the sconces.  Let me tell you, laying out a rosette is not as easy as it might appear!

Mirrors and picture frames for religious images were very popular objects made by early New Mexican tinsmiths.  Mirrors are definitely my favorites - especially the round ones. 

No doubt you have noticed the similarities to Mexican mirrors and tin objects.  That is because, the early tinsmiths in New Mexico actually were  Spaniards who traveled north to what is today the state of New Mexico, but at the time was the northern most territory of Mexico. The Spanish silversmith influences are found in both Mexican and in New Mexican tin work. Read a little more about the history here.

Just so you know - you can order tin sheets from Mr. Delgado!  I wish I had known that ten years ago when I was searching far and wide for tin!   He also offers a great selection of tools and has even assembled kits which include tin, center punch, nail set, tinsnips, stamp patterns and in some kits he even includes some of his custom punches.

Here is a great close-up of his work showing his beautiful artistry.  This is WAY beyond anywhere I have been with my hammer and nail!!!

As I mentioned, most of the tin work produced in the New Mexican territory was used for religious purposes,  and in addition to nichos and frames, crosses were an important part of that tradition.  Tin crosses are still very popular today both in Mexico and New Mexico.  I am so pleased Mr. Delgado sent me this stunning example to share.

Here is a direct link to Jason Younis y Delgado.  In addition to a bit of history and his shop, you will be treated to his gallery, which you must not miss seeing!

Back to my humble little repurposed tin can project!

Here is how to make it!

Start by removing the top and bottom of the large tin can..  (Refer to my previous post). And wear gloves and goggles!

Sorry about the tuna can - I got a ahead of myself in my excitement and completely forgot to take pictures!  Cut off the back leaving a lip on the bottom section.   (Gloves and goggles!)

I have lots of soda can bottoms left from the butterfly mobile.  And I totally love the shape so it was a natural choice for the top piece of the sconce!

In order to get your punched design  as close to perfect as possible,  carefully mark the placement for each half circle using a sharpie.

Then my favorite part of working with tin - punch the design into the metal using a hammer and nail.

The craziest idea I ever had in my life was to attempt to punch a rosette into a concave surface! 

It is very important to lay out the design with a sharpie before beginning to punch.  And then make absolutely certain that you hold your nail very firmly in place when you are ready to punch.  Nails just get the biggest thrill out of sliding down that slick, curved surface just before you tap it with the hammer!

Marking is helpful when cutting the petals as well.  Once the divisions are marded, cut the edge into slits as I did for the little candle holders.  Then, using very sturdy toe nail scissors, cut first one side of each petal all the way around the disk and then cut the other side of each petal.  This works out to be much easier than cutting them individually.

A closer look at the tuna can.

Make a candle holder by wrapping a piece of either soda pop aluminum, aluminum pie plate or tooling foil around a candle base.  Glue with E-6000 and hold in place with a rubber band until dry.  Remove the candle and glue the holder in place again using E-6000. (Not exactly my finest hour with glue - fortunately it won't show!

The lip on the bottom is designed to slip through a slit in the sconce back to help support the weight of the candle.

A bit of soda pop metal left over from cutting butterflies works well as a little hanger.

You are looking at the back side.  The ends have been pushed through a little hole and bent up toward the tip on the other side.  When you attach the top disk with glue, the ends will be secured as well.

Funny thing, I designed the disk to be placed on the sconce this way!

But I ended up liking it better "backwards"!

The disk is glued with E-6000.

Now we come to the part that reveals my absolute lack of engineering skills!  Using the tools at hand, I chopped - no other word for it - my way through the back of the sconce with a sturdy screw driver and a hammer.

Remember - this is all about improvising and using what is at hand. I am sure there are ten better ways to do this.

Be sure the slit is placed high enough on the sconce back so that the lip on the tuna can will not show.

Wearing gloves, place the lip of the tuna can through the slit.

Tilt the tuna can in place so that the lip is flush against the back of the sconce and the edges of the tuna can are flush against the front of the sconce.

Once you are satisfied with the placement, apply E-6000 glue to the underside of the lip and a little to the edges at the front and tip into place securing with a couple clothes pins as shown.

(Photo quality on some of these last images is pretty bad - don't know what happened but unfortunately it's too late to go back and redo them!)

During this whole process, I was not too happy with the appearance of the dull gray tuna can and I gave a lot of thought to how I could make it prettier. 

As you see above in Mr. Delgado's sconces, mirrors were often added to help amplify the candle light. (Remember - no electricity in those days!) 

Rather than place mirrors on the sconce backing, I decided to use them to cover the tuna can!  Although the mirrors are not repurposed, they are left over stash from making Espejitos.

Once the glue is dry, remove the clothes pins. I loved how the mirrors sparkle and reflect the surroundings!!

Done!

The sconce is rather small - 10" high and 3 1/2" wide.  It was designed to be just the right size to hold all the 4" to 6" candle stubs left from burning long tapers during dinner. Now tbey can be reused in my sconce instead of hanging out in the "emergency candle bag".

Unlike so many of you, I don't have a huge stash of fabrics!  Every scrap I have (except for the felt collection  of course) fits into this lovely box which measures 15"X15"X15".  I don't have much room left for new fabrics, so I had the idea that it would be really helpful if I had a separate container for the small bits and scraps that accumulate following every project.

The projects I am about to share are not unique or new or original!  But they have been a great way to put some of my reuseful cardboard canisters to work.  Some of my inspiration came from this post on Craftstylish!

But before we move on to my canisters, stop reading and follow this link to Lee's fabulous and brilliant cubbies for her yarn stash created from cardboard canisters!  She shares the how-to on her blog Do Stuff Leethal Blog.

Wall art and wall storage all in one!  And guess what!!

YAY!  I have the beginnings of a yarn wall storage unit in my trash stash!

And just feast you eyes on this cardboard canister I found in my stash!  This was a Yuban coffee container if any one wants to know!  And since we have to purchase several of these a year for a club luncheon we host, I am thinking they would translulate into Lee's brilliant cubbies beautifully!

And the shiny surfaces should reflect the yarn colors all over the place! Psychedelic yarn cubbies!

However, today we are working with something a little less exciting - but every bit as useful - a very large size coffee creamer canister.

I am making a bin for storing all the odd tiny fabric scraps I have been saving. To decorate the outside of the canister, I cut some of my fabric scraps into tiny little triangles.

Since I have fabrics that represent all four seasons, I thought it would be fun to divide my canister into four parts (seasons) and fill each section with fabrics that say "spring"!  Or "fall".  You get the idea!

My scrap canister can be turned with the seasons!

I  need to make another - I can tell that already!  First I cut way too many scraps into little triangles, so I have plenty to cover another canister!  And my scraps have nearly filled this one to the brim!

This project is so easy, easy, easy!

Besides the cardboard canister, you need fabric scraps, a brush and both Fabric and Regular Mod Podge. ( I prefer matte Mod Podge)

Working one section at a time, cover the canister surface with a coat of Fabric Mod Podge.  Arrange your scraps, pressing them into the wet Mod Podge.  Fabric Mod Podge seems to me to dry more quickly than the regular formula, so you may need to reapply in areas where you notice the fabric isn't sticking.

Let each section dry before moving on to the next

Spring, summer and winter! 

After applying your fabrics to the entire surface, let the canister dry several hours.

Fall ( and spring) are my favorites!

Once the canister has dried for a few hours, apply a coat of Fabric Mod Podge to the entire surface to seal and protect and prevent fraying.  Let dry overnight.

Apply a second coat using Fabric Mod Podge if you like a really glossy finish.  I prefer a satin finish, so I applied a coat of Regular Mod Podge - matte. Let dry overnight. 

Your scrap canister is ready for duty!

I hid this one at the end so no one would pass out thinking they had missed summer!

Love this fabric left over from sewing Sofia's apron and hat to wear while she decorated her gingerbread house. Perfect to cover a few of my saved canisters from the trash stash!  These will be great for holding cookies, candy and treats during the winter holidays! Also great as gift containers for home made goodies!

I simply measured the height and circumference of the can and cut my fabric just a bit larger to allow turn unders and overlaps.

Then I glued the fabric to the canister surface with Fabric Mod Podge, let dry, applied two more coats and sealed with acrylic spray because I am thinking a sticky finger or two may come in contact with the canister once and a while!

I wish you could see my holiday canisters in person!  Very cheerful! I can't wait to use them!

This little tutorial is for Meg!  She wrote me asking how to make the hanging system for the little Mod Podge lanterns.

Thank you for asking, Meg.  I never thought about that part!  I was way too excited playing with my Mod Podge!

So... here is a simple way to make a hanger for your lanterns!

Tools are simple! 

1. I like to use 16 gage wire because it is still fairly easy to bend but it holds it's shape well.

2. Wire cutters and needle nose pliers.

3. I always like to suggest wearing eye protection and gloves when working with wire.  You just never know where little bits of wire might wind up!

Cut a length of wire that will wrap around the top of the candle twice plus extra for the hanging loop.  Be generous in your estimating!

Plop the double loop of wire down over the jar opening.

Bend the long end of the wire 90 degrees.  Do this very close to the jar.

Make a bend in the other end of the long wire - mine is about 1 1/2" from bend to tip of wire.

Catch the loop you just made under the two wire loops surrounding the opening.

Now using your fingers and the needle nose pliers, if needed, bring the loop wire around behind the hanger and bend and twist into a nice little "knot" as shown.

On the opposite side of the opening, draw the wires tightly against the surface of the jar and create another little twisted knot as you see was done on the right side in this image.

Take special care when pulling your wires snugly to be sure that your wires are positioned below the jar threads so the wire handle won't slip off during use.  Some parts of the wire may not be under the thread, but most of it should be.  Test before making that final knot.

Done!