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Christmas Candy Cane Wreath

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14925260_673532276143865_8704779479642941148_nHow cool – but even better – how simple it is to make these. We like simple and great crafts – and this one is edible too. Yumm. You could use any regular sized candy canes to do this so color combinations are endless. These would work great as gifts as well.

The middle uses a cap from a two liter bottle to provide support while making this wreath. Use hot glue and attach 9 sets of candy canes back to back. Attach these to the cap first and then to the next set of candy canes as you make your way around. Hot glue the tilps of the ‘hook’ together from one to another and secure well to cap. It i important to provide a good strength so it does not come apart. This is topped with a snowflake flat ornament but any ornament that is flat would work.

Some different options for you is to back each candy cane with lace ribbon that comes out on both sides so it can be scene from the top side. Also, it the pictured wreath you could add snowflakes that are much smaller at each joined pair of candy canes.

Pallet Christmas Tree

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trttryrtI always love to recycle and pallets are so cool to use right now because of their country rustic charm they give to your creations. The base is made from a 1.5′ and 2 6″ x 5″ cut pallet boards. These pallets lengths are 5″ wide so you will need to adjust your cuts to work with the width of boards you have. The tall board making the trunk is 4.58′ by 5′ board. The branches are made from 3.5′ – 3′ – 2.5′ – 2′ – 1.5′ – 1′  – 8″ x 5′ planks. All are fastened with wood glue and srcews to ensure it being secured. You will not be spray painting this unless you want a solid coverage. The tree pictured is meant to be rustic so use poster paint (to keep it cheap) and rub it on with a paper towel that has been dipped into the paont and then brushed off on newspaper. This ensures it has no dark and light spots but more uniform. This will allow the wood roughness to come through. You can sand paper the edges if you want to give a more rustic charm. You can also use a very light stain over the entire project to provide age. Just make sure to wipe a section of stain on and wipe it off. You only want the appearance of aging not a heavy coating of stain.

Make A Christmas Wreath Made From Paper Towel Tube

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12111974_865135706939527_4898330760317110605_nDesigning with tubing from paper towels of toilet paper rolls can be never ending.  This design is very simple (and cheap YEAH) and can be made by children or adults. The tube was cut in 1.5″ increments – measured with a ruler then cut. If you just haphazardly go cutting it will show in the end product. After the tube is cut use spray paint to cover five all red and 33 green. Spray two coats and flip to other side and spray a coat to ensure a good covering. fold the tube to make a leaf design like in the picture. Assemble as shown using hot glue or Elmers glue. If you use Elmers glue use paper clips to hold together as you go and until dried! You can skip the poinsettia if you wish and glue on a large ribbon or silk poinsettia flower. Hang by using a ribbon tied to top.

How To Guide: Building Your Personal Wood Bar By Diana Smith

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What’s a better way to complete your man cave than to add a fully functional bar to it? Better yet, expand your horizons and create a barrier between the kitchen and the living room by placing the bar between the two areas. The possibilities are endless. And in order to get the whole experience, it’s only fair to build the bar using your own two hands and a set of proper tools. You don’t need to be an experienced carpenter to build a bar; all you need is some time, materials and this simple tutorial to guide you through the steps:image-1

Gather the Tools and Materials

Before you officially start with the project you’re going to need to do some shopping. The first thing you should do is measure the space you have available and decide on the size of the bar. Depending on the said measurements, you should equip yourself with screws, a saw, glue and a drill bit. Once you gather the tools, you’ll need 6 pieces of 2×4 lumber, a trim to cover the whole framework and an MDF board for the bar top.

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Create the Framework

Use the saw to create the bottom and top plates for the framework. It’s crucial for the plates to be exactly the same size, so it’s smart to use a miter saw for this job. Make lines along the plates where you wish to place the wedges and screw them between the top and bottom plates.image-3

Support Is Crucial

One of the most important parts of building a bar is making sure that it’s supported properly. Depending on the length of the bar, you might need to fasten it to the wall or the flooring, but if your bar follows the whole length of the room, this step might not be necessary. The second step is building additional support in a form of two rectangular blocks that you’ll attach to the wedges. You can add an additional block of support if you wish to add shelving to your bar. Cover the wedges with several 2x4s to make support for the bar top.image-4

Install the Shelving

This step is quite optional, but if you decide to add shelving to your bar, all you’ll need to do is to secure the shelf boards with screws to the support. The most important step when choosing shelves is deciding on their optimal height, but if you’re indecisive, it’s a good idea to place multiple shelf units. This way you can use the bottom shelves as storage for drinks and ingredients and the top one as a working area.

Place the Bar Top

Attaching the bar top is one of the final steps of the project, so it’s important to conduct it properly. The length of the bar top should be equivalent to the length of the bottom plate of the framework, while the width should be the size of the stabilizers you used for the support of the bar top. It’s best to use a hand saw for this job and then to screw the board from underneath to adjust it properly.

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Finish with A Bang

Once you’ve finished with the technical aspect of building a bar, it’s time to add the finesse. This includes applying a specific material or cladding for the front of your bar; adding bar stools and even installing foot railing or adding LED bulbs for the ultimate effect.

While a project of this extent might seem a bit daunting, it’s important to realize that you don’t need professional assistance if you only learn how to master a few basic steps and follow a simple tutorial. With just a bit of effort and patience, you can have your own personal bar in no time.

 

 

 

 

Princess Castle Party Entrance HOW TO

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What a great entrance for your little princess for a birthday party or special event. This can be done with a little planning and I will tell you the secrets to do so.

TOWERS: You will need six feet of pine that is 2″x4″ or 2″x2″ and  a 1.5’x1.5’x1″ square for the bottom. You will need balloons and poster board and a 2′ piece of doweling that is no thinner than 1/2″. Attach the square 1.5′ board to the bottom of the 2″x4″x6′ pine board. This needs to be centered evenly to prevent it from toppling over. To the top of the 2″x4″x6′ pine board attach the doweling by drilling a hole to fit the dowel in the 2″x4″x6′ pine board. My suggestion at this time is to paint all of this with a coordinating paint color to the balloons. When these are in your venue you will either use push pins or staples to attach the balloons at the part where they are blown up to the 2″x4″x6′ pine board. Use your poster board to make a funnel that slides down the dowel. Use additional piece of poster board to make a flag that attaches to the top of the dowel.

CHAIN: You will need the long balloons that you will interlink to each other to create the chain. The base is a pile of small balloons that the chain gets attached to. The top is attached to the top of two towers.

PATH: As seen we used a roll of white paper that is about 12′ and created a cobblestone pattern on it. We used a sharpie marker and a cement path mold and traced around the “stones”. We embellished it with some natural marks with the sharpie marker.

There you have it –  a little work and around a hundred dollars will make the perfect grand entrance for your little one. I had thought about adding some small pots of real growing grass around to give a unique look but stayed with this design.