candle in a jar

These jar look beautiful and you can personalize them as you want. You can have loads of fun and really be creative in making them...

What you need:

glass jam jars

glue gun

masking tape

spray paint

print of word you want to put on your jars

Make sure your jars are clean and free from glue and dust.

Cut the paper so that the word will fit in the jar and place it in the inside of the jar, masking tape it in the right spot. Now using your hot glue gun write the word on the jar.

For the jar with the heart, cut out a heart and stick it to the masking tape. Then cut the masking tape so that it is about 1mm bigger, so that it will stick to your jar (it's easier to peel off than if the heart was sticky all the way through).  Then at the top and the bottom make dots with the glue gun.

When the glue is dry, spray the jars with spray paint, keeping the spray can at least 20cm away so that you get a even spread of paint on the jar. If you don't want with spray paint to make a fine spray inside your jar, you can fill the jar with newspaper.

After about 2 min, remove the masking tape hearts then allow the paint to dry.

Add a ribbon to the top of the jar, put a tea light candle in and there you have a beautiful jar for a candle.

You can use these for a function and write happy birthday, or happy ever after, or names on the jars. Even using the bigger jars and write table numbers/names on, the possibilities are endless... share your creative ideas on what to put on these jars with us!

mosaic potholder

This project is loads of fun and it looks lovely when done.  I made this one for my sister for the kitchen tea, as this was the design that was used on everything at their wedding.

What you need:
tiles (mosaic tiles and/or ordinary bathroom tile)
a round supawood shape
tile cutter
quick dry wood glue
paint brush
white tile grout

You need to first decide om a design for your mosaic board, draw the design on your supawood board with a pencil.  Once you have a design on your board, you need to decide what colours and tiles you want to use in what areas.

Use a tile cutter to cut the tiles into pieces. Arrange on the design sticking them on with wood glue, using a paint brush to spread the glue evenly.  Continue till the whole board is filled with tiles, then leave to dry.

Mix tile grout in a plastic container, adding a little bit of water at a time, until the mixture resembles toothpaste. Use a teaspoon to spread the grout thick over the entire surface.

I like to use my fingers to work the grout in between all the pieces and on the edges, then wipe off any excess with your hands.  Make sure you don't remove the grout between the pieces.

Clean further with a damp cloth.

Leave overnight for the grout to set, then clean with window cleaner.

There you go... you have a mosaic potholder.

pretty tile fridge magnets

You can use family photo's, or a theme that goes with your kitchen decor. It's also a cute gift :-)

Seen that it's the month of love,  I've chosen hearts.

What you need:
pictures you want to use for the magnets
glass mosaic tiles
small magnets (one for each tile)
polymer coating
superglue
modge podge
paint brush
cutting knife
ice-cream sticks

To start off you need to cut a square out of the piece of off-cut cardboard the same size as the tile. 

You are then going to use this window that you have cut, to see what part of the picture you want on your tile. Using the pencil mark the picture and cut it out.

Paint the picture with modge podge on both sides to seal the picture.  Then paint the tile with the modge podge, and put the picture on the tile and paint over the picture. Allow to dry and paint another layer of modge podge.  Repeat this with all the pictures.

Prepare the coating (reading the instruction of the manufacturer), I used Pratliglo by Pratley. 

Mix enough to cover all the tiles that you have made.  Using a ice-cream stick, drip a bit of the coating on the tile.  Be careful of putting to much on the tile, as it has to spread to the edges without pouring over.  

Put the stick slowly to the corners, so that the whole tile is covered with coating.  Put aside, and allow to dry completely.  When dry, turn around and stick a magnet to the back of the tile, and allow to dry.

flowers in a frame

This is a very nice idea for a bathroom or a entrance hall where you don't have space to put a vase with flowers, and a perfect way to use your old frame that has been lying around your house!

What you need:
old frame
chicken wire (cut to fit the size of your frame)
10 small nails
a hammer

4 test tubes (your local florist should stock them) or small vases with a lip - make sure the test tubes has a lip as you get some that is straight at the top and will slip through.
4 x 30cm ribbon

You start by attaching the chicken wire to the frame, with the nails and the hammer.

Measure the first few spots and put the nails in half way so that it's easy to hook the wire over it - it needs to be pulled tight. Once you have it in position hit the nails in all the way and add the rest.

Now the hard work is done!

Next, thread the ribbon through the wire where you want to attach the test tubes, and tie a bow, or just a knot around the tube.

Fill the test tubes with water, add the flowers and hang on your wall.

If you want to add a note use a mini peg and stick it to the wire.

voila...

candle in a bottle

Ain't these sweet?

I saw them in an interior shop while I was on holiday and thought, as soon as I get home I'm going to make them! Here they are...
I love using hearts because I'm a heart kind-of-girl. If you're not one, you can use any other shape, or initials, or cut out a word!

What you need:
2 sheets of reading book paper
scissors
an old clean glass bottle
glue
rope or ribbon depending on the size of the neck of the bottle... about 50cm's

Take the page and measure on the bottle what the size of the paper should be. The circumference of the bottle will be wider on the outside than the inside, but measure it to get an idea.

You will have to stick the sheets together, but to start off first stick the one side together and make sure that it is cut straight. Then and cut off the wrinkled edges.

Now measure approximately where you want to cut the hearts or shapes. Lightly fold the paper and cut out your shape.

Before you put the paper in the bottle, glue the one end of the paper, put it in the bottle and spread the paper inside the bottle. Then stick the other end of the paper to the bottle. Almost done.

Now to just finish off the project tie a ribbon or piece of rope around the neck of the bottle, and place a tea-light candle in the bottle.

They are beautiful for the middle of your table or to put a few of them on your windowsill and light them for a pretty picture in the evenings.

Happy crafting and enjoy your pretty candle holders.