Silverware Caddy

I was contacted by Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts a few weeks ago asking if I'd participate in the

 Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts Cape Discovery Summer Crafting Challenge

They provided me with a $25 gift card to do so.

I was asked to peruse their Spring Children's Craft Catalog and choose a craft to implement.

I was told I could put my own spin on the craft.

Which I did....but it kind of spinned off in a whole other direction.

It turned out not to be a child's craft after all.

 I was to pick one of the 72 crafts.

I chose a jungle inspired planter to duplicate.

You can view all 72 summer crafts for kids here - 

http://www.joann.com/search/_kidscrafts13/?page=3&isPrj=1

Here's a link to the original craft at Jo-Ann's.

Jungle Window Box

Well, I got to the store and realized that the space I needed a window box in...

I really needed two window boxes and I didn't really want to go over my $25 budget.

So then I spied this smaller wood crate and my brain wheels started turning.

After I found these lovely frenchy hooks in their garden decor... a light bulb went off.

I liked the look of the gray scrolly hooks and thought they would be a nice embellishment for the little crate. 

There were lots of great garden accessories. Many things I'd love to have.

I first thought I'd cut the hook part off and use them only as decoration.

But when those hooks turned out to be way too sturdy to even think about cutting off...I realized 

they would be perfect for holding something.

That is when I knew I was going to make a silverware caddy to use outside.

I bought all the supplies needed and did not go over my $25 limit.

Of course I wanted to do something to the finish of the crate.

I mixed up some vinegar and steel wool stain. Have you tried this? 

It's super easy and works very well. 

Just soak steel wool in apple cider vinegar overnight and then apply to the wood as you would any stain.

This stuff really works...so cover your work area or it will be stained too!

I bought wood beads to make feet for the crate and stained them also.

I let the whole project sit for a few days in which time the stain got dark...dark!

I knew I was going to white wash over the brown stain. 

So was not worried when it turned out darker than I'd hoped.

Here are all my supplies for the little caddy.

Two hooks - one for each side. Two glass containers also bought at Jo-Ann's, wood beads and some 

wired twine. 

I ended up not using the twine on this project but I'm sure I'll use it on something soon.

I applied a very light gray wash. 

Once done...I don't know that I needed to bother with staining it dark first but it did give it a depth 

of color...that I don't think it would have had if I hadn't gone dark first.

Here you can see that I attached the wood balls to the bottom with screws creating feet.

I was stalled for a bit about how to attach the hooks.

There were holes where you would have attached the hooks to a wall but I didn't want screws 

jutting through the inside.

In the end...hot glue was the answer.

I just hot glued them in place and that has worked perfectly.

You could make this same container but use decorative handles instead.

If you want this to have more of a country feel use mason jars for the silverware holders rather than the glass vases.

Here's the finished product. A sweet little silverware caddy.

You could use this for other things...place candles in the glass vases and it's a candle caddy.

Flowers in the vases and it's a chic country floral caddy.

But I was going to use it as a silverware caddy perfect for outside dining.

I whipped up these napkins from fabric I had on hand.

Little fairy roses picked from my garden provide a little color on the table.

I tell you...I've become a big Jo-Ann's fan ever since they sent me fabric to sew up in the spring.

See that project here.

Remember?

I hadn't been in the store in a long time before doing the fabric review and I was very impressed 

by the wide variety of supplies available and even more so by the upholstery fabric, especially.

I've been telling everyone that asks about finding good outdoor fabrics to go to Jo-Ann's.

I do this at Pier 1 when I have a customer that can't find outdoor cushions they like...

I suggest recovering what they have using fabric they will find at Jo-Ann's.

Now - there is a little more to this challenge.

If I get lots of pins of the image comparing my project with the original inspiration pic....

That one above....I could win a Jo-Ann $100 gift card.

Just pin to Pinterest and use the hashtag #summerofjoann.

Also...

If you go to joann.com now by using this link -

Jo-Ann's Preferred Customer Sign Up

You can sign up to be a Preferred Customer and you'll receive a 20% off coupon.

For those that want to pin without the comparison photo...here's another version for you.

So far I'm really enjoying this summer....all five days I've had of it.

I burned my fingers silly hot glueing a lampshade the other night...I'll show that soon.

I made it for the Goodwill lamp I made over...I'll show it too of course.

It used to look like this....

Now it has a new base and is painted.

I'll show it very soon...plus another craft I whipped up.

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Little Ghosts All Around

I am the Ghost Whisperer

I spent the day with my little ghostie friends.

Communicating with the never dead.

You have to keep these little spirits contained or they get into mischief.

Seems they do like to have their picture taken.

I'm busy making more containers to trap these little beings in. 

These little spirits are of course super easy to create. I've made them in years past out of tissue paper but 

this year I decided to make them a little more stable and made them out of Interfacing. 

Actually, the tissue paper ones had lasted a couple of years...but I'm always afraid they will tear. 

So I made these new ones that I don't have to worry about.

To make them, just draw a free form ghost on a piece of paper to the approximate size needed 

for the container.

You can hold up the drawing to the container to make sure it looks like it will fit. The tippy top of the 

ghost needs to touch the roof of the container and the bottom of the ghost need to touch the bottom 

of the container. Then just cut it out and hold it to the interfacing and draw around with an ink pen. 

Give yourself a little room around the pattern...adding a little all away around because when you cut 

them out, you don't want to cut on the line you've drawn but instead inside the line so that your ink line 

does not show. And be sure to give yourself plenty of a tip at the top of his head to tape to. You'll put 

scotch tape at the very tippy top of his head and tape to the inside of your ghost container.

The great thing about using interfacing is...you only have to put a little tape at the top and the weight 

of the fabric makes it hang straight. When I've used tissue paper...I've had to tape the bottom too 

which is tricky.

I used a medium weight interfacing...one slightly see through but not as thin as some.

These make me ghoulishly happy. I have one flying around the house free now...because I'm making 

him a container to trap him in. I'll show soon. I can't decide if I should make the container black or silver. 

I'm really into silver this Halloween. I would have done all silver and white pumpkins but the budget 

does not allow. I probably would have painted my existing pumpkins but all my pumpkins are the kind 

with glass beads and glitter which I love....but not paintable. 

Let me know if you do any ghost whispering.

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