DIY Mirror Garland Lights

DIY Recycled Christmas Lights and Mirror Garland Décor

Materials You Will Need:

•        Curtain Rod
•           Christmas Lights
•           Mirror Garland
•           Duct Tape
•           Hooks

Step 1:

         Balance the curtain rod on the backs of two chairs while you work on the project. Duct tape the edges down so that the rod wont move as your as decorating it.

Step 2:

         Start by wrapping the lights around the curtain rod. You can hang the lights at whatever lengths you would prefer, however we recommend hanging them at various lengths to give it some variety.  Take small pieces of duct tape to tape the lights down to the rod so that they will not move.

Step 3:

         Next, wrap the mirror garland around the pole. Again, you can make them whatever lengths you like, but we recommend varying the lengths. Duct tape the mirror garland down to the rod to hold it in place.

Step 4:

         Hang the hooks on the wall where you want your decoration going. Hang up the curtain rod, plug in the lights, and enjoy your new funky wall art!

DIY String Lanterns

DIY String Lanterns

 Materials You Will Need:

•         Yarn
•         Glue
•         Corn Starch
•         Warm Water
•         Balloons
•         Dental Floss/ Fishing Line
•         Clear Fast Drying Spray Paint
•         Cooking Spray Oil or Vaseline

Step 1:

         Mix ½ cup of warm water with ½ cup of corn starch and 6 oz. of glue. Stir in a bowl.

Step 2:

         Blow up the balloons into different sizes. Tie either the dental floss or fishing line at the end of the balloon. Cover the balloon in cooking spray oil. (Or Vaseline)

Step 3:

      Start an assembly line with a partner. Have one person dip the yarn into the glue mixture as the other one wraps it around the balloons. Start by wrapping the string vertically first and then horizontally. For a seamless effect, tuck the edges of the yarn underneath other strands. Try to keep the string tight.

Step 4:

         Once you have wrapped all of the balloons up, and have them hanging to dry, let them dry overnight, or for 24 hours.

Step 5:

         Pop the balloons. Spray the string lanterns with the clear spray paint, and hang from the ceiling. Et Voila!

DIY Recycled CD Cases into Wall Art

DIY Recycled CD Cases: Wall Art

Materials You Will Need:

•          20 Clear CD cases
•          Computer
•          Photoshop
•          A favorite Photo
•          Scissors

Step 1:

         Open up your favorite photo in Photoshop. Make sure the picture you choose is high-resolution, otherwise your picture will turn out grainy and blurry. Resize the picture to 26½" x 18¼". Using a selection tool, divide the image into twenty 5 3/8" x 4 5/8" squares, then digitally cut and paste each square into a separate 5 3/8" x 4 5/8" file.

Step 2:

         Print out each document onto 5" x 7" photo paper. Trim off any white space.

Step 3:

         Slide each square picture into a CD case. Line them all in order, forming your picture once again.

Step 4:

         Hang on the wall in any way you want. Enjoy your new wall décor! J

DIY 4th of July

DIY 4^th of July

Materials you will need:

•         1 glass bottle
•          Frosting spray
•          Letter/number stencils
•          Red, white, and blue colored sand
•          Sticker/sparklers/decorations

Step 1:

Fill the bottle with the colored sand. You can do any pattern you wish. You can use a rolled up newspaper to help funnel the sand into the bottle without creating a mess.

 Step 2: 

Stick the letter/number stencils onto the bottle. You can spell out whatever you would like. We chose to spell out “4^th of July” “2012”.

Step 3:

Frost the outside of the bottle. Let dry.

 Step 4:

Peel off the stencils.

 

 

Step 5:

Decorate the outside of the bottle however you please. We chose to do glittery star stickers and sparkler toothpicks.  Keep in mind, you can do this for basically any holiday. 

Get creative with it!

DIY Recycled Glass Bottles

DIY Recycled Glass Bottles

What you will need:

•         Glass Bottles
•         Raffia String (different colors)
•      Strong Spray Adhesive 

   Step 1:

   Make sure your glass bottles are sticker-free. If they are not, you can remove the stickers by soaking the bottles in warm soapy water for a few minutes.

Step 2:

Start at the bottom of the bottle. Spray some of the adhesive on the area of the bottle that you are wrapping. Begin wrapping string around the bottle as tightly as you can. When you get to the neck of the bottle, use extra adhesive to help hold the string in place.

   Step 3:

  Let the glue dry over night, and Voila! You have a beautifully recycled bottle perfect for decorating any home!

DIY Solar Powered Light Jar

DIY Solar Powered Light Jar

-Portfolio Solar Black Path Light

- Hermetic, flip-top canning jar

- Frosting glass spray

Step 1:

First, you will need to frost the glass jar. Follow the directions on the back of the spray can. Make sure to do this outside. Also, do NOT frost the top of the jar. You will need this to be clear for the solar panel. To avoid frosting the top of the jar, you can wrap a plastic bag around it and tie it off with a twist tie, like we did. 

Step 2:

Spray the frost onto the outside of the jar. Let dry.

Step 3:

Make sure to spray the bottom of the jar, once the first coat is dry.

Step 4:

Pull the top off of the path light. (Just the solar panel part.) Take the battery out, to be safe while working on cutting everything out. You will need to unscrew the back off of the solar panel. If you do not have a screwdriver small enough, you can improvise and use a knife like we did. Just be careful.

Step 5:

Cut the plastic around the solar panel. You may need to use pliers to bend the metal back. Try to remove as much plastic as possible. You just want the solar panel. 

WARNING: METAL CAN BE SHARP!!

Step 6: 

Cut the excess plastic around the battery and wires. Cut as much off as you can, you want it to be able to fit inside the jar lid.

This is what you  should have left:

Step 7:

Put the battery back in the solar panel. Tape the two pieces of solar panel together as securely as possible. (You may also use glue.)

Step 8:

Tape the solar panel into the top of the jar.

Step 9:

Close the lid of the jar. Let sit in the sun to charge.

Step 10:

Watch your creation GLOW! (You can also do colors by placing colored plastic over the LED light inside!)