Our Crafty Home

The Twisted Metal Chandelier

ourcraftyhome — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:15:54 +0000

As I look up to this week’s project, I realize that I’m always learning something new with each new item. This week was no exception. I learned volumes.

We have a small room off of the kitchen which has just been converted into an office that would also serve us as a craft room. We found a couple of very modern and sleek tables that work great for both a desk and a work space. We also added boards, shelves, and put some of our favorite projects around the room for inspiration. The only thing we needed to finish the room was a fun crafty light for the space. It needs to be cool, modern and fabulous! (Foreshadow…)

We found a cool plastic chandelier at IKEA, but we wanted it to look distinct. Alberto had the idea of using decorative radiator covers instead of the plastic pieces that came with the kit. (We really do love our radiator covers!) I thought, “Cool”!

All we needed was a couple of large panels of decorative radiator covers. This seemed like a throw away project. What could be more simple? Trace the two patterns on the metal, cut them and assemble. EASY!!! I’d be done with this in about an hour. Sweet!

Learning Moment 1: Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.

We got home and I started tracing the patterns on the metal sheets. I didn’t want to use permanent marker because I didn’t want the lines to remain on the metal after I’d cut it out, so I used a regular marker.

Learning Moment 2: Guess what? A regular marker rubs off so you can’t see the curvy pattern. Who knew? That’s okay. I just had to be careful. So I put the template on the metal and started tracing.

Learning Moment 3: There are A LOT of holes in these radiator covers…A LOT!

Fine. I’ll just be careful as I’m drawing the pattern. Careful becomes tedious quickly. By the time I was finished, I’d been holding the pattern “perfectly” in place (meanwhile my arm was shaking from the stress), and it only took 5 minutes. I’m still optimistic though, 1 down, 11 more to go…

The tracing does get easier, and after 30 minutes I start cutting the patterns out using metal sheers.

Learning Moment 4: The sheers don’t do corners quite as well as scissors on paper. Could it be that I’m cutting metal, and not paper?

Whatever. I continue cutting carefully while doing the best not to rub off the pattern lines I made with the marker. This is very hard.

Once I finished cutting one side, I realized that I could hold on to that side with my other hand while cutting the other side. Perfect! That will make it much easier. So I grab the cut side of the metal, and immediately scream from the agony of the sharp metal edges plunging into my skin.

Learning Moment 5: Cut metal is sharp! More care is needed, obviously. But I don’t have a choice; I’m now committed to finishing what I’ve started! I continue (vaguely) tracing the pattern and (painstakingly) cutting out the templates. (12 times . . . 12 TIMES!)

I looked up and Alberto is playing on Pinterest. I need a cocktail!

Yeah! After two hours, I’ve finished all twelve of the cutouts, and I’ve only been forced to don one bandaid! (This is a miracle) I just need to put it together. I start assembling the light with the IKEA instructions, only using my new pieces. This is going to be a piece of cake! (Guess I should’ve listened to Learning Moment 1.) I add the first two pieces, and they look amazing. I start adding the third, and . . .

Learning Moment 6: I realize that metal doesn’t bend (and recover) like plastic. I’m forcing the pieces together with my bare hands with razor sharp metal. I might as well be thumb-wrestling Edward Scissorhands!

Learning Moment 7: Finally, after a few cuts I think about putting on garden gloves. (Why didn’t I think about this before?) Putting it together may not have been any easier, but at least I wouldn’t need a blood transfusion.

I keep pushing, bending, shaping, styling and forcing everything in place. I put the last piece in place, and I was done! Yay for me! I showed Alberto, and in a very supportive voice he said, “It’s lopsided.” AHHHHHHHHH!!!! So I bent and pushed and shaped and styled and forced it as best that I could, but it remains misshapen, and it’s kind of not very attractive. I spent most of the day working on it and I told Alberto that it will be our chandelier. He finally acquiesced and went back to Pinterest.

Learning Moment 8: Pinterest is a good diversion. . .

Now we have a very unique chandelier in our new crafty office. For all the work I put in it alone, I will treasure it forever (or at least until I’m able to use my hands again).

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Spicy Mango Carrot Margarita

ourcraftyhome — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:07:34 +0000

We’re already planning for the spring season at Our Crafty Home. In addition to several new garden projects, we’re also planning a few Easter crafts. One of our ideas actually involved a wreath made out of real carrots…who knows if we’ll do it (we really don’t want those pesky squirrels to make off with it!), but just thinking about this wreath made us crave carrots. Instead of heading to the fridge and snacking on a few carrots, we decided to get carrot juice and make one of our favorite cocktails…a margarita! We found a delicious blend from Ralph & Charlie’s made with mango juice, which only added more goodness to the drink. To give it a kick (in addition to the generous amount of Corzo tequila), we added ALOT of cayenne pepper. Here’s the recipe:

Makes 2 cocktails

4oz of Corzo tequila
2 oz of Cointreau
2 oz of Ralph & Charlie’s Mango Carrot juice
2 tbsp of lime juice
Cayenne pepper
Limes for garnish

Fill a shaker with ice and pour in the Corzo, Cointreau, cayenne, and the lime and mango carrot juice. Shake well, serve in cocktail glasses and garnish with the limes. We made our drink very spicy and it’s delicious! Now, back to our projects this week!

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Glass Tile House Numbers

ourcraftyhome — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:34:22 +0000

Alberto and I had the house painted a few years ago, so before painting began we had to remove our house numbers. Unfortunately, we lost them and never got to replace them. After years of searching, we decided to take matters into our own hands and headed to Home Depot to see if they had the right kind of glass tile to make new numbers. We immediately came across the perfect tiles, a coppery brown and a really great ivory. All that was left to do was draw them out and grout them…they came out very pretty and so unique that they definitely enhance our porch!

Here’s what we used to make the house numbers:

Ivory glass tiles and brown glass tiles
Mortar
Linen grout
8 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ piece of plywood
Small amount of brown paint

This is what we needed to put it together:

Box cutter
Spatula
Scissors
2 screws and a piece of wire

Let’s Make Tile House Numbers!

Decide the dimensions of the numbers. We chose to make the number 6 tiles high by 3 tiles wide.
Next, cut the numbers out of the brown glass tile sheet ensuring that the numbers remain intact. Also cut out four corners 3 tiles by 3 tiles.

Cut the ivory tile so that it measure 10 tiles by 10 tiles and place the numbers on them two rows in and up from the edges.
Using the brown numbers as a template, use the box cutter to cut the numbers out of the cream tiles underneath. Also cut out the corners.
To glue the tiles, spread 1/8-inch mortar with the spatula over the plywood and press the ivory tiles in place. Next place the brown tiles inside the appropriate areas. Once the mortar is dry, grout the tile and set aside.

Cocktail Break!

I love it when you need to let something dry because that gives us time for the cocktail break! Alberto’s wanted to create a cocktail around our Downton Abbey day (as we’ve come to call our Sundays), but he hasn’t found anything quite right. Well, until this weekend. He found a drink that was created around the time of the Downton Abbey setting called the White Lady. However we’ve dubbed it the Downton Lady! It’s delicious, and it’s perfect for watching the show. Here is the recipe!

Wipe It Down and Finish!

With a damp cloth or sponge, wipe down the tile to remove the excess grout.
Next, paint the edges of the plywood brown so that they recede into the background.
To hang the number, just place two screws on the back of the plywood about 1 1/2″ on either side of the upper center of the plywood and wrap a piece of wire between the screws.

Now we just need to hang the tiled numbers on the front of our house. They look great, and this was a very simple project. I’m glad we waited to make these numbers because I think these are more our style than anything out there. Try them too!

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Downton Lady

ourcraftyhome — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:19:28 +0000

Who isn’t addicted to Downton Abbey? We have been searching for an appropriate cocktail that is reflective of the time, but we realized that most cocktails did not really come of age until the American prohibition (talk about being crafty!) However, we recently came across a gin and Cointreau cocktail that was invented in London around the time of the Great War. It was too perfect to pass up and we’re renaming it the Downton Lady, and making it for tonight’s episode (and probably for next week’s Season 2 finale too!) Here’s the recipe:

Makes 2 cocktails

6 oz of Hendrick’s gin
3 oz of Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
1 1/2 oz of lemon juice
Lemon twist for garnish

We made the cocktail in an old-fashioned way…by filling a cocktail pitcher with ice, pouring the ingredients and stirring well. Serving the drinks in cocktail glasses is perfect and elegant, just like the Abbey. Enjoy!

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Coca-Cola T-Shirt Serving Tray

ourcraftyhome — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:30:46 +0000

Everyone has a favorite piece of old clothing that they just can’t bare to part with. I adopted one of Alberto’s. His navy Coca-Cola t-shirt was my favorite because it was so comfy. It had been worn for so long that it was all soft and light. But after so many years, the holes were getting a little large, and I couldn’t repair it because the thread would only rip more of the fabric. When the hole under one of the arms became so large that it exposed most of my side, Alberto had enough. He wouldn’t allow me to wear it any longer, but I still couldn’t part with it. Then this weekend, we were planning to make a tray using some of the old fabric from past projects, and then I got this great idea . . . why not use the t-shirt?! We could preserve it for memories sake, and turn it into something useful and fun. It turned out great!

Here’s what we used to make a tray:

6-foot of 1″ x 3″
1/4-inch plywood cut to 12 1/2-inches by 18 1/2-inches
Old t-shirt (or your favorite fabric!)
Blue gloss spray paint
Resin and hardener
Two silver handles

This is what we needed to put it together:

Saw, drill, and router
Nail gun (or hammer and nails)
Sander and sandpaper
Screwdriver

Let’s make a T-Shirt Tray!

Start by clamping the 1×3 piece of wood to a bench, and route a trench the length of the board 3/8-inch deep about 3/8-inch from one side.
Next, cut one end of the 1×3 at a 45 degree angle. The cut should angle into the trench.
Now, measure 12 inches from the inside of the board, and cut another 45 degree angle flaring out from the trench. (We measured the t-shirt and realized that we only had 12″ x 18″ of usable fabric, therefore the inside of the tray will be 12″x18″.)
Using the board that you just cut as a template, cut another piece to match.
Next cut two 1×3′s so that the inside measures 18 inches and sand the pieces of wood until they’re smooth.

To fit the handles, measure the handles, and drill the holes on the 12″ pieces.
Next, nail a 12″ piece to the end of an 18″ piece. Be sure the trench lines up on both pieces. Then, nail the other 12″ piece to the other end of the 18″ piece. Unless you had the plywood pre-cut, cut the plywood to 12 1/2″ by 18 1/2″.
Paint the inside and top of the 1×3′s and plywood. Add several coats.

Right to Assemble!

Once the plywood is dry, spray the painted side with fabric adhesive.
Next, center the t-shirt over the plywood, and smooth it down. Cut the excess t-shirt away from the plywood leaving about 1/4-inch of fabric hanging over the side.
Slide the plywood with the t-shirt into the groove of the frame.
Taking the last 18″ piece, place it over the end and nail in place.
Place the tray face down, and nail the plywood to the 1×3′s. This will help the tray hold its shape. While the tray is still upside down, paint the outside and bottom of the tray. Apply several coats.

Once the paint is dry, place the tray on wax paper, and pour the resin and hardener over the top. Be sure to apply evenly, and you’ll need several applications to add the thickness.

Cocktail Break!

Well it takes several hours for the resin to get hard, so we have plenty of time for a cocktail break! We did everything we could on Saturday so that all we’d have to do on Sunday is apply the resin so we could watch the Super Bowl (Congrats to the Giants!). Just to be clear, Alberto loves to watch the game while I like the commercials and half time. For whatever reason, Alberto was craving a Key Lime Pie. (He has a massive sweet tooth.) When we ran across the Yoplait Key Lime Pie yogurt, he suddenly realized that he could make (into a cocktail) his pie and drink it too! The result is a delicious Key Lime Pie Margarita! I love drinking my dessert!

Handle with Care!

Once the resin is dry, attach the handles to the sides.

I’m so glad that we got to keep one of our favorite t-shirts. It may not be wearable, but it will bring a smile every time we use it, and a very unusual story for our guest to hear!

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Key Lime Pie Margarita

ourcraftyhome — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:27:12 +0000

It’s the day before the NEW JERSEY Giants play on Super Bowl XLVI and we’re trying to finish up this week’s project today so that we don’t miss a single second of the game tomorrow. We were craving something sweet and tart, so we decided to do a very unusual experiment with our cocktail this week…use yogurt instead of one of the traditional mixers. We were a little afraid because we didn’t know how the yogurt would hold up to the tequila, but the flavor that we picked was perfect. The drink was every bit as delicious as a real Key Lime Pie, but also very light and smooth. Here’s the recipe:

Makes 2 cocktails

6 oz Jose Cuervo Tequila Silver
6 oz Yoplait Key Lime Pie yogurt
2 oz of Triple Sec
Limes slices and whipped cream for garnish

Pour the tequila, triple sec and yogurt into an empty shaker and shake well. Pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with the lime and whipped cream. This cocktail is amazing…and it has less calories that a real slice of pie (but with the right kind of kick!). Here’s to the NJ Giants…LET’S GO BIG BLUE!

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Valentine’s Day Wreath

ourcraftyhome — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:05:09 +0000

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and it’s the perfect excuse to sate our wreath-making obsession! We haven’t had a wreath since the holidays, so we were already itching to have another one for the house. Alberto has been wanting to do a project with some leftover sisal rope and this wreath seemed perfect to try it. All we did was wrap the wreath in rope, paint it pink, add a little sash, satin, and bling…and voila! An over-the-top wreath for Valentine’s Day that is perfect to inspire a little love in the air! (and which will hopefully live on as a picture frame too!)

Here’s what we used to make the wreath:

Styrofoam wreath
40-feet of sisal rope
Rose satin rope
Frame decor
Candy pink and watermelon-color spray paint (or whatever two shades of pink you prefer)
Glue E600 (for rhinestones)
Wooden letters, heart and rose rhinestones

This is what we needed to put it together:

Glue gun
Toothpicks
Needle-nose pliers

Let’s make a Valentine’s Day Wreath!

Glue one end of the rope to the back of the wreath and start wrapping the rope around the wreath keeping it tight.
At every few wraps, dab a little glue to the rope to hold it in place (preferably in the back side of the wreath. The rope should be very tight in the center. Don’t worry if there are small gaps around the outside.
Continue wrapping the rope around the wreath until you get back to the starting point. Cut the rope, and glue the ends together.

Paint the rope wreath and letters Candy pink, and paint the picture frame and heart in Watermelon. Use several coats, making sure to cover the front and the back well.

Cocktail Break!

Alberto has been craving a gin martini lately, but because the weather has been so warm this winter he also wanted something a little more fruity. He decided to add a little fruit juice to the mix and made a Cucumber Pear Martini! It’s delicious and very light. I think we need to have this recipe on hand for our next brunch party!

Pink Makes the Girls Wink!

Once the paint is dry, glue one end of the satin rope to the back of the wreath, and wrap it around every third rope loop. And just like the sisal, glue then ends together once the satin is completely around the wreath.
Next, start gluing the rhinestones onto the letters and the heart by placing the E600 glue on the back and positioning with a toothpick. Also glue some of rhinestones around the frame edge and randomly on the wreath. Use as many as you want!

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Cucumber Pear Martini

ourcraftyhome — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:37:56 +0000

It’s been a very warm winter here in the Northeast. The last couple of days have been sunny, unseasonably mild and the air was giving off just a hint of spring…what a tease! This weekend we couldn’t resist making a drink that would remind us of the warmer weather. We decided to doctor the traditional gin martini to have just a hint of refreshing fruit flavor, without any of the sweetness. The result is a beautiful, refreshing, but also very grown-up martini that warms up the tummy for the season but reminds us that spring is only eight weeks away! Here’s the recipe:

Makes two cocktails

6 oz of Hendrink’s Gin
3 oz of pear nectar
3 oz sparkling cucumber water
Slices of pear and cucumber for garnish

Fill a shaker with ice and pour in the gin, pear nectar and cucumber water. Shake well, serve in cocktail glasses and garnish with the pear and cucumber slices. This drink is the perfect alternative to a Bellini, a Mimosa, or a Bloody Mary…it’s already our favorite for brunch on Sundays! Cheers!

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Bamboo Rug Headboard

ourcraftyhome — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:07:47 +0000

It feels like we’ve been searching for a headboard for a very, very long time. We have never found anything that we liked, wanted, or was affordable. The perfect choice was, literally, under our feet. Alberto realized that an old bamboo rug would be the perfect material to make the headboard! It’s a beautiful rug, but we no longer had a place for it in the house.

Making the board was actually really very easy. We just needed to cut out the rug, attach it to plywood, and frame it with 1″x 2″s. We also decided to hang it on the wall instead of attaching it to the bed. It turned out even better than we thought it would! We added a few framed prints above the headboard to finish off the look, and now the bedroom is finally coming together!

Here’s what we used to make the headboard:

Four, six-foot long 1″x 2″s
An old bamboo rug — or any rug that you have.
One 3′x 5′ piece of plywood (Home Depot cut it to size for us.)
Black gloss spray paint

This is what we needed to put it together:

Box cutter
Jig saw
Router
Miter saw
Nail gun (or hammer and nails)
Staple gun
Screwdriver and screws

Let’s Make a Headboard!

Start by cutting the rug to size. In our case, we’re making a 3′x5′ headboard, so we’re cutting the length to be 5 1/2′ wide. We wanted the bamboo slats to be vertical on the headboard, so that determined which way we did the cuts.
Next, on a set of sawhorses, place the rug face down and place the plywood on top of the rug so that the 5-foot length spreads across the rug and fold the ends over the plywood. Fold under the plywood and staple it a couple times to secure the rug to the plywood.

Now to make the cuts to the width of 3 feet, use a jig saw, cut the top and bottom of the rug. Use the plywood as a guide.
Turn the rug over and staple the edges to hold it in place. Make sure that the staple is no more than and 1/8-inch from the edge so that the frame will cover it. Set it aside.

Cut two of the 1″x 2″ into 3′ 6″ long and save the scraps for later. We’ll use these to frame the sides of the headboard and the scraps to hang the headboard.
Using the router, cut the 1×2′s used for framing (the two 6′ and the two 3 1/2′) so that they have a 1/4-inch lip.
Paint the routed 1″x2″ strips and let them dry.

It’s all in the details!

Take one of the routed 3 1/2′ pieces and cut a 45-degree angle on one end. Be sure that the angles cut out from the lip. You want the lip to be the shortest side so that it slightly covers the edges of the rug.
Next, measure one of the shorter sides of the rug, and mark the 1″x 2″ measuring from the inside of the routed edge.
Cut the 1×2 ensuring that the lip is the shortest side and nail it in in place. Repeat these steps around the headboard. Take all measurements from the preceding 1″ x 2″ edge to the opposite corner.
Once you’ve finished framing, touch up any corners with paint as needed.
Now, take the leftover 1″ x 2″ and cut them into eight 3″ pieces. We’ll use these to attach the headboard to the wall.

Cocktail Break!

Alberto’s been on a bit of a Mexican kick for the past couple of weekends and made his amazing and easy Guacamole. We normally have guacamole every month or so, but he’s made it twice in the last two weekends! So naturally he decided to make a margarita to go along with it. This weekend’s cocktail, the Pink Grapefruit Margarita, is a little too delicious. It’s sweet with just a touch of tartness!

Hang It Up!

Decide where you want the headboard to hang, and place a mark in the middle of the wall.
To attach the board, start by placing one of the 1″x2″ on the back of the headboard n the top left corner, and screw into place on the wall. Do the same thing for the other side. Attach two more 1″x 2″ pieces in the bottom two corners about 2 1/2″ from the bottom of where you want the top headboard to be on the wall.
Next, measure 2 x 6″ on either side of the mark. These will define the outside edges of the 1×2′s that will be attached to the wall. Place a 1″x 2″ piece 2-inches below the height that you want the headboard, and screw into place. Make sure the outside edge of the 1×2 is inside the mark that you made earlier. Repeat on the other side of the middle mark.
Put the headboard in place by setting the 1″x 2″ on the headboard on top of the 1×2′s on the wall.
While the headboard is in place, make a mark on the wall below the bottom 1″x 2″ on the headboard. This will mark where the second set of supports will be.
Remove the headboard and attach the last set of 1″x 2″s to the wall. Put the headboard back in place, and screw the 1×2′s together to secure the headboard to the wall.

This has completely changed the room…it’s the perfect complement to the bedding and it adds to the character of the room!

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Pink Grapefruit Margarita

ourcraftyhome — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:02:21 +0000

We’re crazy about margaritas and after the Manhattan, they are probably our favorite drink nowadays. They are perfect for the football playoff season (go Giants!) and go very well with any type of food. To save on the calories we use the Light variety of juice from Ocean Spray. Here’s how you can make it too:

Makes 2 cocktails

3 oz of Jose Cuervo Silver tequila
3 oz of Ocean Spray Light Ruby Red Grapefruit juice
2 oz of Cointreau Triple Sec
Pink grapefruit slices and cherries for garnish

Add the tequila, juice and Cointreau into a shaker with ice and shake well. Serve over ice and garnish with the grapefruit slices and cherries. Now, we’re ready for some football (with a big PINK drink)!

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