Recycled Bottle

Recycle soap/shampoo bottles to hold electronic devices while they charge.

1. Cut the bottle to the shape you want. I used scissors and an exacto knife. I really liked this shampoo bottle especially because the label peels off in one nice piece (huge plus!!) and it cut like buttah. I used patterned stationary paper to decorate it. You can buy it by the piece (about 50 cents) at most craft stores. Cut your paper to fit where you want it. I did a rough trace and then just trimmed away until I had the shape I wanted.

2. Mod Podge the back of your stationary paper onto bottle.

3. Trim away any excess or overhanging paper.

4. I added 3 coats of Mod Podge over the top of the paper to protect it.

If you don't feel comfortable having the plug or USB device support the weight of the devise, this idea also works well as cord control and storage with it sitting on a counter.

 

The excess cord stays curled inside the bottom of bottle.

From this...                                                           to this.

Especially great when traveling!

These were two other re-purposed bottles by Inhabitat and Make It and Love It (she decorated hers with fabric).

Click on image to go to link.

I found that my plugs were so bulky that they blocked the opening of the pouch where my phone rests, so mine is attached at the USB port. I experimented with a few different types of bottles until I found the right size.

Now...just try shopping for shampoo without seeing it's hidden potential as a phone holder!

Friday's Photo

Project 52

Self Portrait

Image is my reflection in a mirror and edited using Adjustable Threshold on Picnik.  

So sad they are closing! I have had so much fun with all their user friendly photo edits. I will really miss it!!

**After Publish Edit**
Yes, self-portraits are terribly awkward. Especially when posing for a self-timer. I wasn't crazy about any that I took and had all the excuses that Darcy brought up. But this is a challenge after all and we're going to be spending the year together so you might as well know what I look like...in front of a camera.

Okay! Glad that's over! On to next week's SHADOWS!
Phew

Thanks for visiting and happy Friday!

A Valentine Garland

This is a simple heart garland that I made using two pieces of felt. Cost = 50 cents!!!

I sewed mine, but I bet you could hot glue it or use fusible tape.

1. Cut felt rectangles in half, lengthwise.

2. Fold one strip in half (lengthwise) and sew ends together.

3. Turn tube inside-out so that the seam you just made is inside the tube.

4. Make another seam along the opposite side of your first seam. The purpose of this seam is to pinch the fabric together. This is the bottom of your heart.

TaDaaa!!!! See the heart?

Cut into strips approximately 1 inch wide.

I came up with 55 hearts from the two pieces of felt.

They could also be strung vertically. 

Sooo cute and much healthier than chocolates!!

Friday's Photo

The topic for this week was, I Dream A Dream. I  kinda got stuck. There are so many ways to interpret this theme. I ended up with these photos of my son reading. Reading a good book is like dreaming. It pulls you in and takes you away. And for a child there's something extra exciting about reading late into the night, after your bedtime, with a flashlight-so you don't get caught.

I couldn't decide which one to pick.

??
Happy Friday!!

Valentine Cupcakes

I came across this fabulous idea on Pinterest and decided to see how it worked "in real life." 

A heart cupcake.

All you need are some marbles, but a ball of aluminum foil would work just as well.

That's it!
  I made the hearts from blueberry muffins. Not very valentiney, but I was making some anyway and wanted to see how they would turn out. My only complaint is that the bottom is round and not very heart shaped, but decorating the top with a colored sugar heart (or frosting...but not on a blueberry muffin. Ewwww. OR maybe not eww?? Hmmmm...?) helped to make the heart shape stand out. Also don't fill the baking cups too high with  batter because if it rises too high over the cups, they will fill in at the gap and look more like a blob than a heart.

Isn't that fun?! And easy!