Tool Time Updates

Here are a few updates or changes to some recent Tool Times. Remember the dry erase board tutorial when I added the pom pom to the marker. Well, now I added the eyes!!!


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Too cute..although I do think he's staring at me when I walk by...just kidding.
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Here's a red Valentine version...a small heart cookie cutter in the corner.

Remember the conduit pipe tutorial to hang things on...well, I put it on the back side of my table and added my rolls of freezer paper and iron on fusible web!!

Here's Courtney demonstrating for me. The hook on the left holds the scissors when you need to cut the paper.

Then I couldn't stop...I cut an old curtain rod that I had, because I was out of pipe, and hung that on the short end of my cutting table. I put on a roll of the brown craft paper that I use when I mail packages. When I need the table for wrapping, I just clear the stuff on top and I can put on any gift paper on the rod and I'm all set.

If you are going to do this, you will need a long rod holder. I had 2 silver and 2 black ones left over from old curtain rods. They stick out further to accommodate the width of the rolls.

I still mounted them under the edge of the table. The curtain rod holders have the little screw that you use to tighten into the rod to keep it in place. The rod won't move as you unroll the paper.

Have a great rest of the week,

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~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Take Out

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Take Out...Woo Hoo that means food!

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Do you remember this post...the framed magnetic board? If you haven't seen this one yet, it's a good one. Don't forget...don't buy "sheet metal", it's very expensive. Go to the roofing chimney section in the hardware store for this. It about $5.00 - $7.00 a sheet vs $40.00 and up.


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In that post, I had to cut the 24" x 36" sheet to fit the frame...
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and the piece I am cutting off on the left side below is what I had remaining. It is 4" x 24", so that's what I'm using in this week's TTT. You can definitely use any size piece of metal to fit your needs.


Well, here's where the title of "Take Out" comes in. I save way too much crap...because I am now a Tool Time Tuesday addict, lol. Nothing is out of bounds for a post and it doesn't even have to be from a hardware store. These little puppies below are take out cups from restaurants.
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Yes, I washed them and saved them. I know...I need to be medicated, but look at the potential in them and they are free. Well, you paid for them when you bought the food, but they are free, because normal people throw them away and I (and now you) keep them.
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The large size had duck sauce and the medium had hot mustard, both from Chinese take out. The tiny ones are from McDonald's for the ketchup...don't forget the covers!!



For this project you will also need little magnets found in any craft store.



Here are a few close ups of the sizes of the containers.

The first and only step for the cups is to hot glue the magnet dots onto the bottom of each take out cup. Done!

The next part is to get the magnetic board ready. If you have already made the larger framed piece, you can use the cups with that. You can also cut the metal into different sizes to fit an 8" x 10" frame or an 11" x 14" frame if you want to keep it by your craft area or desk.

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These next few steps are if you are using the scrap pieces or if you are not using it in a frame. The metal can be flimsy and curls up on the ends, so it needs a backing.

Well, how about these little freebies from the paint section. These are paint sticks. Remember this post when I used them in another TTT.

Mark one of them for a hole where the nail will go into if you are hanging it on the wall.

Here's the drilled hole.

You will need to glue the wooden sticks to the back of the metal...hot glue doesn't work on metal, it pops off. I used this and boy does it work. It just takes a while to dry. Any glue for metal will work, just follow the directions on the box.

This is the back after the glue had dried. That stuff spreads out, so if you want the back to look neat, don't put too much.

That's what it looks like dried. Looks gross, but who's going to see it.

It takes a lot of pictures just to say...glue magnets to the back of the cups and glue sticks to the back of the metal, but that's a tutorial for ya!!
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Now the fun part. You can fill those little cups up with anything. How about all your embellishments...beads, buttons and yes those are eye balls. You'll see those in tomorrow's post.

Just hang your metal on the wall and stick the little magnetic cups on. That edge of the metal looks rough from where I cut it, but I sanded it down.

You can also fill it with office supplies...

and use it over your desk.

See it under the frame?

Too cute!!

Easy to grab and find things. The covers are clear so you can see what's inside.

Because I mounted this horizontally and I forgot to put 2 holes in the sticks for the nails, I used my favorite mounting stickers from the 3M Command hooks.

Other places and things to put in the cups:

• inside a kitchen cabinet to hold spices
• use a cookie sheet for the metal and it can sit on your counter on a plate stand and the cups can hold cake decorating sprinkles and colored sugars or spices again
• they can hold all the different sizes of safety pins
• all the different presser feet for your sewing machine
• scrap booking doo dads (this one is for you Sarah B.)
• earrings, rings
• how about stick them to your refrigerator...great for spices again or great for your child's lunch money for school or a little snack cup of M&M's as a reward for a good deed. Just keep them on the refrigerator and they are ready to grab.
• stick them to your file cabinets at work
• how about in your husband's work shop to hold screws and nails
• and the list could go on and on to fit your own needs

Just remember to think outside the box.

One more tip...if you are putting in something heavy, remember to purchase stronger magnets or the weight in the cup will just pull it off the metal.

Have a great Tuesday and stop back tomorrow...I have a couple TTT updates from some previous posts.

~Karen~

Weekend in Boston...

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We spent last weekend in Boston looking at a few colleges. The girls love visiting Boston to do their favorite thing...shop! We've stayed in a few hotels in the Back Bay area over the years, but our favorite is Marriott Copley Place. It is attached to 2 malls with a glass bridge crossing the street so you never have to go outside in the cold winter weather. We drove in this time, but it also has an under the street tunnel from the Amtrak station and the subway system. It's in a great spot and I highly recommend it if you are ever traveling in Boston. The Sheraton and The Westin are also attached to the same malls and are great hotels too. Check all three for the best deals on room rates
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There are so many things to do in Boston, but we love Faneuil Hall Marketplace. It consists of three buildings...2 shopping and the center building is all FOOD from all over the world!!!
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We had a great time in the 2 full days we were there. Here are a few pictures from the trip. The first are just random shots of us out shopping and the last are books I purchased at Barnes and Noble. The Scrap Basket Surprises has so many great pattern I can't wait to try them, The Lost Quilter was in the clearance for $4.98 so I couldn't pass it up and the last book...Blogging for Bliss will definitely help me with this blog. I'll let you know when I get more in depth with them.
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Have a great day
~Karen~

And The Winner is...

The winner is Jenn from Life in Bonetown. Woo Hoo!!!

Wow, there were so many wonderful comments. A big thank you to everyone for their kind words and for sharing their thoughts on what blogging has meant to them. We all have a two things in common...friendship and inspiration and there is a wealth of both of those in this world.

I have a favor to ask you. When there is a give away such as this one (on anyone's blog), go back to the comments section every once in a while and browse through it. Click on their names and discover someone new. Give aways bring out so many people who wouldn't normally comment and you can find some wonderful people in this world. Give it a try...you might make a new friend or be inspired all over again!

Have a great rest of the week,

~Karen~

ps...Jenn, email me your snail mail address and I'll mail out your package.

Tool Time Tuesday...Let's Raise the Roof

Ok, I thought I had been down every aisle of Home Depot...guess not. Roofing! Can you believe it and look at the package. It was SCREAMING to me from the shelf. The label says 5" x 7"...first thing I thought of...frames. Then further down on the label it says Hobbies/Crafts. Do they know we shop here now? I hope not, because they'll raise the prices if they know we love it. This package was $2.38 for 10 (yes 10) pre-cut pieces of aluminum. That's about 24 cents each. Here's what to do with it.


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Find an old frame that is 5" x 7" (and use black marker to color in that chip in the upper right hand corner). Remove the glass.
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All you do is pop in the aluminum piece and you are done. Ok, this is the fastest TTT yet! What is it you say?...

Well, it's a mini dry erase board of course.

Perfect for next to your desk, on your kitchen counter, on the little table in your foyer on the way out the door, in your child's locker at school, wherever you need a little reminder or want to leave a little love note for someone.

Appointment reminders,

Shopping lists...3 essentials for a New England snow storm!! This is a local joke, but when it snows here, the stores sell out of all milk and bread...it's crazy. The last one (fabric) is my essential.

You just need a dry erase marker. If you don't use a dry erase marker...the list you made will be permanent!!

Here's another quick tip that I just came up with after using my index finger as the eraser (don't do that). I had a bunch of black pom poms, so I hot glued one to the end of the dry erase marker to clean the board.

If I put eyes on that thing it could be a Muppet character. Wouldn't it be cute to match the frame, marker and pom pom to the room you are using this in.

I'm also thinking a larger frame with a mat that has a 5" x 7" opening. You could cover the mat in fabric to match your decor. If it wasn't 11:55 pm Monday night I would make one to show you. I'll add that to my Wednesday Day Off "to do" List.

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Have a great Tuesday and go dig through you old frames. Don't forget my give away. If you haven't enter, please leave a comment on the Blogiversary Give Away post below. I'll pick the winner tomorrow (Wednesday)

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Here's an update for the dry erase board

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I've linked this post to CSI's Hardware Store Challenge
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~Karen~