Give a personalized clock for Christmas

Very easy to do. Take a clock (the one I used is "TAJMA" clock from IKEA) and basically you use the clock as a frame! Remove the clear plastic cover by releasing the tabs on the back of the clock, carefully remove the hands, take off the clock face. Then I printed this logo on some glossy photo paper, used the old face as a template, trace the circle size on your picture, cut carefully, punched a small hole in the center, put my pic in and put the hands back on and put the cover back on. This clock is for the coffee shop I frequent every morning. A cool Christmas gift or any time gift... my car club even had me make some up for Car Show awards one year! The winners got a picture of their car on the clock! If you are like me you have some of these plastic bodied clocks lying around- so here is a re-use/recycle for you. too!

Make a Bar Table out of a Stop Sign

I was trying to think of an idea for some plumbing pipe... and I was going to do a table with a tray and do mosaic tile... but then I was looking around the garage and it came to me! A stop sign! So I simply mounted it to a piece of plywood and mounted that to a flange fitting
and mounted that to the pole- I have a bar height table for the porch! Now if you do this remember to get your stop sign legally- they do sell them. Don't take one of the corner of the street! Bad Junkers! Of course I need to fo the bar stools next Hmmm.... there are some "road closed signs down the street! (Okay I won't do that)

Rolling BBQ! How to make a BBQ out of an old Wheel

Ever wonder what to do with those old truck wheels? You know the ones sitting in your yard? Well here is one thing I made- A bbq! Here are the steps:

Find an old pick up wheel (I got mine on Free-Cycle), Pick up a package of Ikea Capita legs- the 8" legs would have been better ( I had the 6" legs sitting around). Then take the leg mounts and put them on the deep side of the truck wheel, screw the legs through the other side, pick up agrill top (mine is for a weber grill- 18") or take one off an old bbq, Use some hardware cloth (fencing) Inside the deep end for an ash catcher. And you are done! Happy BBQ'ing!

Note: You might want to add some small C-Clamps to keep the grill centered orwhat I did is put some nuts and bolts through the top of the grill to act as a stopper!

Home "Tweet" Home

Well never say I don't follow through! On Junk Market Style, I had put up a couple of pics of planters I made from License plates, and threatened to make a birdhouse- here it is, One birdhouse made from three license plates- I bought a metal bender and used some pop rivets to attach the pieces together

A new Chair - from the dumpster

I found this chair next to a dumpster- I wish I had taken a before pic so you could see how ugly the orange naugahyde was- normally I don't mind naugahyde but really it was fugly.

Anyway a remnant of upholstery cloth, staples and some new upholstery tacks and it is as good as new!

How to ReUse Clamshell Containers to start seeds!

Photo by My Urban Garden

I enjoy the Patio Farmers Guild website and blog. Written by an intelligent Patio Farmer, she shows how to grow things in containers on her Patio (thus the name). Anyway, I toured her website and joined the guild immediately, Since I basically do the same here. Well today I looked at the Guild website, and there was an article submitted by My Urban Garden, a Patio Farmer Guild member, on how she re-uses plastic clamshells to start plants- Now I am not saying go out to Trader Joes and O-D on berries in plastic clamshells, But I am saying That if you have some this is a good re-use for them. I am going to try it tonight when I get home!

Planter made from junk

I made a planter out of two old license plates. I like the look:
My cars will live on in one form or another!

One More Planter from Found Stuff

Cilantro in a container made from a plumbing part

Planters from found stuff- Part III

I took two of the most hideous lamps ever, took them apart, reassembled and made two planters
for patio tomatoes

Before

After

How to replace torn window screens

I replaced all my torn window screens. My grandma taught me how when I was young. It is very easy to do and saves $$$ on buying replacement screens. Here is a video on how to replace window screens:

Planters from found stuff part II

This potato basket makes a great planter for my coral belles and a hosta to grow in. JUst lined it with a coco-fibre mat and filled with potting soil and the plants!

Planters from found stuff part 1

This planter is made out of a coffee Carafe, with a stainless steel bottom so I was able to drill some drain holes. As you see it creates"Ambiance" out on the deck with my morning coffee.

How CVG Makes his own Topsy Turvy planters

CVG's topsy turvey planter





My friend, Cheap Vegetable Gardner makes some amazing things on the cheap. In this post he shows how to make your own upside down tomato planters out of a 2 litre soda bottle. It's great to have such smart, creative friends!




UPDATE: My upside down tomato planters:

Yet another Mint Tin Project

I love this altoids Mint tin I bought years ago- Nice to finally have a use for it. I put a clock works in it that fit just right- now it is a clock for my bathroom!

How to repurpose an oil lamp

I made an electric lamp out of an old oil lamp I bought a few years ago.

I bought a swag lamp kit and ran it down through the arm of the oil lamp and put the scket where the wick should be

Domo Arigato Mr Roboto

Everneed a helping hand in the kitchen, Well make a robot. This is Mr. Roboto. He is made from a Trader Joe's mint tin. And some bolts and nuts, a couple of unistrut clamps and a toy airplane for flashing eyes. And his job is to hold recipe cards.

HOW TO MAKE A MINT TIN FRAME

First you need a mint tin- this one held some green tea mints from Trader Joe's- I peeled the stickers off - then wiped down with WD-40 to remove the glue. The cool thing about this tin is there is a plastic window already built in it- so place a picture in the window (hint if you print a pic on regular paper your can make faint lines by rubbing the back side againts the "frame" of the window then cut and edge the picturec in the window. I put a magnet on the back to put it on the fridge.

Trash To Treasure- How to make your own Solig Lanterns

I was in Ikea yesterday- they had their summer stuff out- I walked by some neat little battery powered lanterns- The Solig Lantern , which looked like my mom's old tupperware tumblers with a light in them. Well when I got home from work, I got my creative freak on. I made two versions- 1 in the lantern holders I previously got from Ikea as-is, 1 without. For the lantern I used a Crystal Light container. These are a problem for me- I cant drink regular OJ in the morning (due to the diabetes) and I love OJ so I have to drink this powdered "Tang" rip-off unless I juice my own. But what to do with the packaging? It is #5 Poly Propylene, the only place I know that recycles it is Whole Foods of which there is not one near me, or i can send them in to Recycline- Both part of their Take 5 program-I looked at the tubes of #5PP and thought those look just like the solig lanterns. So I took a battery powered tea light put one input the lid back on and POW- a Solig lantern! I love the muted look the tea light gives. For the ones with no fancy lantern holder I will take some hefty wire (probably an old coat hanger) and make a hanger for them- just drill through the top, add a loop made from a hanger and done! Note the one in the holder loses it's #5PP Lid- I will take that and make a fridge magnet photo frame. I get a neat lantern for the porch, get a re-use on the #5PP Containers and didn't have to buy a thing- I have the tea lights (available at Michael's and JoAnn's- I got a pack of 28 at costco with 56 extra batteries for like $8)I Certainly have the wire hangers (one of my favorate things to make tools and such out of)! So the way I look at it I got my "Solig Lanterns" for nothing

Battery Powered Tea lights are so cool

Ikea's Solig Lanterns

ReUsing Golf clubs in the garden

Another great Idea from The Salvage Studio:

I finally found a good use for Golf Clubs- Growing tripods for Sweet peas. Very simple to make- just take three golf clubs put together and wrap with wire. Very cool. Don't have any clubs at home? they are just a couple of dollars at the thrift stores!

How to make tin can Luminarias

This is so easy- Take an ordinary tin can (this one was stewed tomatoes),Clean it, draw a design on it, punch holes for the design, or use a drill with a small bit (a nail and hammer works as well-find a small log or something round to put the can on so you have a hard substance to pound on) Or fill can with water and put in freezer for a day or so so you will have a hard substance to make holes in can- the can will then not collapse!)

Add a tea light, turn out the lights and you have a luminaria made from a tin can!

This is great for lighting the walkway or patio. Or try making some for Halloween or Christmas!