John's Project: Antique Wheel Light

Sometimes it is funny how things work out.  John had been looking for an old wheel to make into a light fixture for a few weeks, however eBay + shipping was not quite going to fit into our budget.  One Saturday we went yard sale shopping and he happened to find this 1930's Ford wheel.  The owner had already sold the other 4 for a pretty penny, but he found this one afterward and was looking to get rid of it for the bargain price of $5!!  [I didn't get a before photo, but it was covered in rust.]

To remove the rust, John soaked the wheel in 'Evapo-rust' (found at a harware store) for a few hours.  He then sealed it with some spray clear coat to prevent any future rust.   

He found a round light fixture ($10 at Home Depot) that fit perfectly into the middle of the wheel and secured it with some angle aluminum.

Finally, he cut a piece of textured plastic board to fit the inside of the wheel which diffuses the light slightly and gives a great finishing touch!

Voila!  A beautiful antique wheel repurposed into a creative lighting fixture.  It now rests (bolted!) on our bedroom plant ledge. 

Magnetic Stand, last year's Christmas project

Last December John and I spent a week making 12 of these nifty little guys to give as gifts to family and friends. 

Aren't they cute?   

We followed the tutorial here on Shanty2Chic, which has become one of my favorite crafting blogs.  We followed pretty much EXACTLY what she did and found everything to be fairly easy except the part where you cut the roofing tin... which was a little more involved than just measuring and cutting.  (Check out the tutorial to see what I mean.) 

I sent many of them out with a recipe card attached so you could use it in your kitchen as a recipe holder, but I have been using ours as a photo display. 

One of my friends attached a monogram letter to the center and has it displayed in her living area, and another has used it to display some inspiration she found in a magazine.  So many GREAT ideas!   

A friend and I made another similar project from the Shanty2Chic blog, which I will be sharing another day. 

iLoveToCreate: Tote Bag Revamp

I received this little tote bag as a promotional gift, and while I do use Bic razors, I thought that the bag could use a little DAZZLE.  Plus, it was a perfect opportunity to try out a few iLoveToCreate products I had gotten.

I gathered some supplies: a pair of tweezers, a Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool, and some Tulip Glam It Up! Iron On Crystals. 

This was the first time I tried using the Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool, and I was so impressed with how well it worked!  Just lay the crystals out where you would like them to go.  (Using tweezers makes this very easy)

Turn on the Heat Setting tool and press the button.  Place the tip of the tool on the top of the crystal and hold it there about 5 seconds for small jewels and 20 seconds for the larger jewels. There is no need to press the tool down hard or anything, it might cause the crystal to move.

Look!  The jewels are set perfectly.  In fact, I tried picking at them a bit and they did not budge AT ALL!!

Next, I found a Tulip Express Yourself Iron On Applique that fit over the top of the logo I wanted to cover.  I lucked out in that it matched the colors of the bag!!  These are super easy to use as well...

...simply lay a thin piece of fabric over the applique and iron on for about 30 seconds or so. 

Here is the final product... a bag with much more pizzaz!  Perfect for a swim towel, some goggles, and a change of clothes for an afternoon at the pool!!