52 Projects is an adventure in discovery. Every week, for 52 weeks, do something. Something you’ve never done before. Something you’ve always wanted to do. Something that scares you. Something that inspires you. Something that inspires others. Something that tickles your fancy. Something that caught your eye. Something that just popped into your head. It can be big. It can be small. It can be whatever you want it to be. Find out how doing something can lead you to discover things about yourself, your world, your God. Then, come here on Sundays and share it with others. I'll write about mine here, you write about yours on your blog, then use the tool in my post to link to your something. Please feel free to jump in and participate anytime throughout the year!

Jane


Sunday, May 23, 2010

Week 18: Garden Candy

My project this week is really two-fold: a whimsical wind chime made out of old forks and a mason jar lid and a tin dragonfly to adorn the potted plants. Together though, these things make for lovely garden eye candy.

I've been in love with wind chimes of all kinds for as long as I can remember. I suppose I've known about wind chimes crafted out of old silverware for years but I was really inspired when I passed a house on my power walks for the past two weeks that has the most funky spoon wind chime hanging from an old wooden ruler on the front porch.

For the wind chime, I gathered together an old mason jar lid, five vintage forks that I've had for years, a strip of glittering emerald green rhinestones and oodles and oodles of beads. Lucky for me, and no surprise really, that I have boxes and bins of seed beads that I've collected over the years.



To get the project started I had Breen drill holes in each fork and in the mason jar lid. I decided that my wind chime would be even more eye catching if I beaded each string attached to the forks with metallic silver seed beads and blue crystal accents. In terms of stringing material, I ended up using a very durable beading thread that I had on hand. Perhaps when I make another I'll try fishing line. I started one fork and had to pack up the other four plus all my supplies to take on the road to Breen's triathlon in the mountains.

Lucky for me (but not so lucky for Breen) it rained all morning during the race which gave me time to sit in the car during parts of the race and finish the other forks.

I then attached them all to the mason jar lid.

On the lid I glued the strip of green rhinestones around it.

I'm so happy with my new set of wind chimes and they make me smile every time I glance at them near the plants on the front porch. I can't wait for a nice windy night when I can lay in bed and hear the happy clanging of the forks.

Now for the dragonfly. A few weeks ago I had already worked with recycling aluminum cans when I made flower pins. This week I cut dragonfly shapes out of the soda cans and used E6000 epoxy to attach them to a cut piece of shirt hanger. Just poke them in a plant!


What did you learn this week?

9 comments:

  1. I love to see how excited you get baby. Those wind chimes will be music to my ears when the wind blows on our porch

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  2. That is definitely an unique wind chimes. I love your bead collection :)

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  3. wow those are very crafty and clever pieces you made this week. i really like them. i love wind chimes too. i take my crafts or whatever for those car trips and tracks meets/wrestling matches too...it's the perfect time to fill in time and catch up on things you want to get done! Guess we have to go to Breen's blog to see if he won ;)

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  4. So clever and crafty! I love windchimes too. Perfect for the windy weather we have here in Chicago.

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  5. ~l♥ve the sound of windchimes too and a clever crafty way to upcycle vintage silverwear...wonderful project and i think would be fun for small ones as well! warm wishes and brightest blessings~

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  6. so pretty! I love the blue beads!

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  7. I'm back! Yea! Looking forward to catching up with everyone and their projects.

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  8. They are such happy projects. I'm smiling at both of them! I have a wind chime with forks also. A gift many many years ago from a crafty friend.

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  9. Wow, these are both terrific (as per usual) and I LOVED getting a glimpse of those beautiful, organized beads.

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