How to Tie a Bow Tie From a Standard Neck Tie

How to turn a cigar box into a case for glasses

One man shows how to transform a wooden cigar box into a handsome case to hold glasses. He found this large box; it fits 2 pairs of glasses.

Tools and materials

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Wood cigar box
• Wood stain
• Painter’s tape
• Spray varnish
• Sandpaper
• Ruler
• Leather or other fabric
• Box knife
• Heavy-duty scissors
• Clamps
• Hot glue gun
• Paint scraper
• Saw or band saw
• Lath-size strip of wood
• Cooper foil (optional)

Step 1: Stain & varnish

Since cigar boxes are usually made from cheap splintery wood, you will want to bind the fibers together first using stain and varnish. In a well-ventalited area, stain the wood and then spray the box with varnish. After the box is dry, sand the wood using fine-grit sandpaper.

Depending on the box, sometimes even 
varnishing and sanding will not give a satisfactorily smooth surface. The best solution then is to upholster the box.

Step 2: Prepare upholstery

Next, measure the dimensions of the box’s interior and cut the leather or upholstery fabric to size. (Remember to leave room for the lid.) Cut out squares from each corner of the fabric, to fit the inside corners of the box.

Before gluing, spend time making sure the material fits well. It’s harder to cut material after it’s glued down. Use the paint scraper to fit the corners snugly.

Step 3: Position, clamp & glue upholstery

Start at the front. You want this first section to be glued as straight as possible. By clamping the top of the material in place you can glue the material just below the clamps on the front side panel. This will ensure that your upholstery will fit correctly.

After you apply the glue, act quickly to press the upholstery into place. Using your scraper, begin by forming the area not clamped first.

Then, one at a time, add a flat piece of appropriately sized metal plate (I used vertical blind weights) to each clamp to form the material to box’s side panel.

When the glue has set, finish the top edge of the front side panel. Use your scraper to lift the top edge when applying your hot glue. After applying the glue, use your scraper to press down the upholstery.

This is a good time to re-check the fit of the upholstery to make sure of clearance for the lid.

Continue with the sides and then the back panels.

Step 4: Add the divider

I wanted to make room for two sets of glasses in my box, so I added a wooden divider made of 1 1/2″x 5/16″ lath. I chose wood because it can tolerate the heat of the glue gun and its porous surface absorbs the glue.

I measured the width and depth of the box and trimmed the lath. I cut the height lower than the box height, to leave room for the box lid. I made the width slightly smaller than the box interior width, to leave room for the upholstery.

After cutting the lath, I sanded it. Then I trimmed the upholstery to fit around the lath, allowing for overlap on the ends and bottom of the divider. This will give it a finished look.

Insert the finished divider into the box diagonally, and gently push it into place. It should remain in position without glue. I placed the divider in the middle of the box, but if I want I can reposition it differently.

Here’s the finished piece.

Tips

• As an extra nice touch, you can add foil trim (e.g. copper, brass, aluminum) to the top edges of the inside of the box. Cut the appropriate lengths of foil and fold over the sharp edges. Then fold the strips along the center lengthwise. Fit and glue the foil to the edges of the upholstery. When you glue the upholstery to the side panels of the box, add some glue to the back of the foil as well.
• Plan and practice with what you are gluing. You need to work fast with hot glue.If you make a mistake, act quickly and use your scraper to remove unwanted glue.
• Try to avoid putting too much glue into corners. Corners get glue from two or three different directions. Too much glue may leave an unwanted contour.
• Hot glue will burn skin. Always use tools (e.g. scraper) to touch or manipulate materials that are in contact with hot glue.

cross posted from Creative Upcycling

Repurposed Upside Down Tomato Planter

In honor of Earth Day, here is a great garden repurpose…

Upside down planting is a great way to make use of vertical space. The thing this video doesn’t address is making sure that your bucket is anchored well. All of that soil and water is heavy, and you don’t want the planter to fall! It’s also a good idea to place a towel or another bucket under the planter when you water, if you’re hanging this on a porch or deck. You don’t want the water runoff from the planter to damage the wood!

You can snag a bucket from a Goodwill or a restaurant you frequent!

Tomatoes aren’t the only plants that you can grow upside down. Pretty much any vine will work. I’ve seen folks successfully grow cucumbers and strawberries upside down.

Ultra-cool Retro Book Lamp

1. light fixture – the old fashioned, bare bulb style.
2. pancake electrical box (also called “Round Ceiling Pan”)
3. lamp cord with switch on cord
4. 6 inch threaded rod (from lamp section)
5. 2 inch wood screws (several)
6. Books from Goodwill

Tools:

• Dremel with a 1/4 inch router bit (or a box knife)
• Hammer
• Hacksaw
• Drill
• 1/2 inch drill bit
• Screw driver bit
• Wire strippers
• Phillips head screw driver
• Pencil

First, you’ll need to put the books together. Stack them up in the order you would like, then open the top cover and screw through the pages to connect the top 2 books, one on each end (technically the top and bottom of the page.)

Next, flip over the entire stack, and put screws in from the bottom on each end.

With your book stack right side up, trace the pancake box exactly where you want the fixture.  Use the Dremel to cut into the top book to make room for the electrical box. The bit will sink right into the cover, making a hole to work from. I made many shallow passes around the circumference of the circle, going deeper and deeper with each pass. Eventually, opening the cover to get the hole deep enough so the box would sit in the hole and be flush with the top of the book.  Position the box so that the hole is away from the spines.

Drill through the hole in the electrical box at an angle through the books. You want the hole to come out through the side of the books, not actually through the bottom of the books. Make sure to press down hard on the stack of books to keep the pages from buckling.  Use a hammer to tap it through the hole.

You want to get the lamp rod through the books, so that it’s even with the electrical box. Screw the box down. Cut off the excess with a hacksaw.

Take the cord, and strip 1/2 inch or so off the ends of the cord. Twist the wires that are now exposed so that they make a good connection. Feed the cord through the rod in the book, from the bottom up into the electrical box.

Wrap the wires around the screws on the bottom of the light fixture, then secure them.  Use the screws on the edge of the electrical box to attach the light fixture to the base.

A vintage style Edison bulb to makes it ultra-cool.  I made two of these for the bedroom.

Electricity Free iPhone speaker

When I am cooking dinner or sitting on the porch and I want to hear some music or a podcast without the nuisance of headphones, I listen to the little iPhone speakers.  I’ve seen a rash of power sucking bluetooth speakers or exotic wood non-electricity speakers, but I don’t have enough of a need to spend the money.  I decided to build a simple one with materials from Goodwill.  I bought a few miscellaneous slats of wood and a piece of some broken up toy from the Goodwill Outlet store.  By the pound, it cost me $.94.

I cut the 2″ x 1/2″ slats into 3 ea strips – 7″, 4″ & 2″ and glued them together with the shortest one in the middle.  This is the stand.

With the 7″ piece on the bottom, you can put most any bowl into the groove (I used a clear bowl like piece of plastic from a toy because it looked retro) and it will stand on end.

Put your iphone into the bowl which will act like a megaphone and increase sound level considerably.

Will it make the fidelity better? No, but if you wanted high fidelity, you wouldn’t be listening to music on your phone.  Enjoy this quick and easy project to impress your friends with!

Three Ideas for Reusing Old T-Shirts

There’s nothing like an old T-shirt; it’s cozy, comfortable and familiar. But what can you do with T-shirts that are becoming a little worn out or kind of stained? Here are three ideas that can transform your old T-shirt into something new.

If you’re not willing to sacrifice one of your own, head to your local Goodwill® store where you can find hundreds of sizes and colors. With more than 79 million annual donors in the United States and Canada, you’re bound to find something. Plus, Goodwill’s employment programs promote independence and dignity for people who need support to provide for themselves and their families, so your hard-earned cash will be going to a good cause!

 

T-Shirt Shrug

This project is a great way to turn your old, casual T-shirt into something a little more stylish. With a little sewing and some ribbon, you’ll turn a T-shirt into something you could wear to the office.

I found this great T-shirt at my local Goodwill, and I immediately loved the bird graphic, and the color scheme. Since the bird was on the front of the shirt, and I didn’t want to lose this detail, I decided to flip the T-shirt over, so the bird would be on the back of my shrug.

 

To make the shrug, cut a slit up the center of the shirt, and remove the collar. Turn the shirt inside out and pin the cut areas (up the center and around the collar).

 

Sew the pinned areas being careful not to close up the seam because a ribbon will have to run through the entire seam. Cut a length of ribbon that is long enough to run the entire seam (plus a little extra for tying), attach a safety pin to the end, and thread it through.

Pull the ribbon to gather the T-shirt fabric which will form the shrug. I’m so happy I was able to save the bird graphic on the back!

 

T-Shirt as Art

It’s so easy to find T-shirts at Goodwill with great graphics, but they don’t always fit. No need to pass that shirt by; just turn it into art.

This T-shirt has a really interesting design, and thought it would be perfect for a little girl’s room.

When purchasing a frame, make sure you measure the design area so you buy the right size. Also, make sure the frame is thick enough to accommodate the mounted fabric.

Once you know the size of the frame, cut a piece of 3/16″ thick foam core to fit. I’m using acid free foam core because it’s what I had on hand. However, the acid free stuff can be significantly more expensive than regular foam core which is totally acceptable to use.

 

Place the foam core over the T-shirt graphic, and trace about an inch away using a permanent marker. Cut out the traced area. Using small sewing pins, pin the fabric to the side of the foam core. It’s best to pin the center of each side first, stretching the fabric a little tight, and alternating sides as you go. This will eliminate wrinkles, and keep the fabric nice and straight.

Insert the pinned fabric and foam core into the frame, and hang or display anywhere.

 

T-Shirt Pillow

This project is so easy. Simply, cut the area of the T-shirt you want to keep in a square or rectangle. Cut the same size square or rectangle from the back of the shirt. Sew the squares inside out, leaving space for your hand to fit through. Turn the pillow back, so the outside is on the outside. Stuff with poly-fill, and hand sew the open end.

 

Cross posted from goodwill

Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint!

There is no better item for purposeful decoration than something painted with chalkboard paint. There is way to make your own with a color of your choosing! Here’s how…

Supplies:

1. 1/2 cup acrylic paint (choose any color you like, or mix colors together to make the perfect shade!)
2. 1 tablespoon unsanded grout (this can be purchased at most hardware/home improvement stores)
3. mixing cup or bowl
4. spoon
5. paint brush
6. object or board you plan to paint on.

 

1. Measure out your paint and grout. The unsanded grout is a fine powder so be sure to work in a well ventilated area.

2. Stir the grout into the paint until no lumps remain. 3. Paint your surface with your new custom chalkboard paint! The paint will begin to harden once it is mixed, so only mix what you need at one time as it won’t store as well as other paints.

Once your chalkboard has fully dried be sure to slate the surface before using it for the first time. To slate a chalkboard lightly rub chalk along the surface and then lightly rub it off.

Bicycles Made From Old Cars

This is an amazing way to repurpose old vehicles into new!

 

Recycled T-shirt Tote Bag

There’s a really nice feeling that comes along with bringing in your own bags to the store with you. You walk in knowing that you’re doing your part to help the world! Did you know… Plastic shopping bags are typically used less than 30 minutes and only 1 % are recycled. The average American adult uses approximately 288 bags a year, or 22,000* in an average lifetime? Recycled Tote Bag Shirts… You get to use that funky old shirt sitting on the bottom of your drawer and re-work it back into your life! Love this idea!

 

It’s easy to do! All you’ll need is an old cotton t-shirt, some sewing pins and thread, scissors- and you’re halfway there!

Cut off the sleeves and neck line t create your handles.

Pin and sew the bottom portion up.

Now you can shop in style and help the earth!

FULL INSTRUCTIONS HERE

Magnet on a Hammer – Don’t Hold Nails In Your Mouth Ever Again!

Have you ever been in the middle of hanging a picture and thought, “what if I fall off of this stool and swallow these nails in my mouth?”  No more!  A good solution to not having to worry about which doctor to visit  is to take a good strong magnet and hot glue it to the bottom of your hammer. Stick your nails to the bottom and grab one as necessary when working on your project.