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DIY tutorials

Tea light Candle Holder- Cement Project Number 2

by ''admin'' November 11, 2019

Here’s a great little project that combines two crafts I love- cement casting and glass cutting.

You will need:

A glass bottle- I used a blue wine bottle. Follow my instructions for cutting glass here.
Cement. Follow my instructions for making it here.
Round plastic container- make sure the diameter of the container is a bit larger than the diameter of the glass bottle.
Cork/floor protectors or padding to add to bottom part of cement part when ready.
Sandpaper (Optional)
Glue Gun
Tea light

First, I split a blue wine glass into two pieces (follow the example from the previous tutorial).

Next, I cast cement in a round disposable plastic container- I used the same container featured in this tutorial – just follow the instructions, skipping the part where you add the brass. Don’t forget to oil the plastic container before adding the cement!

Here’s what it looks like when ready and removed from the plastic:

You can use sandpaper to refine the edges/ create a smoother texture if you like, I actually just like leaving at is. If you do use sandpaper, remove any residue with a soft cloth (don’t forget to throw out in the garbage and not rinse in the sink as it will clog it).

If you want to make sure the cement doesn’t scratch your furniture, you can cut out a round layer of cork or add floor protectors to the bottom of the cement holder with a glue gun.

Here’s what the finished product looks like-

I think it’s lovely! what do you think?

November 11, 2019 0 comments

DIY tutorials

Incense Holder- Cement Project Number 1

by ''admin'' November 4, 2019

Ok, so I really love cement crafts. Cement has an industrial feel that’s very modern, and is super versatile. There are so many great ideas on Pinterest for using cement- from planters to coasters to tables and more. So, after purchasing a bag at cement at our local home improvement retail store, I decided I’ll start experimenting.

Let’s talk first about making the cement paste. Here’s the equipment you’ll need:

Cement. I like working with grey cement, but there’s also white cement readily available in most stores.
Water.
Pair of disposable gloves.
Respiratory mask.
Protective goggles
Plastic or metal spatula for mixing the concrete mix.
Optional- disposable spoon (also for mixing)

First, I spread large plastic bags on the floor/table to keep my workspace clean. Anything that comes in contact with the cement (including wipes, rags, etc.) needs to be thrown out in garbage bags. Don’t try and rinse anything you use when making cement crafts in your sink- the cement will solidify and clog it! It’s very important you use gloves, eye goggles and a respiratory mask when working with cement, as you’re exposed to dust containing small cement particles, which you don’t want to accumulate in your eyes and lungs.

To make the cement mix, you need to follow the instruction on the cement bag. I like adding water gradually to create a pudding like consistency.

Here’s what the cement looks like when I first start adding water gradually

I don’t usually add sand for small household items I make (I haven’t found it necessary), but again it all depends on the manufacture’s recommendations. If you add too much water and the cement turns to liquid, just re-add more cement until you reach the correct consistency.

Here’s what the cement looks like when it’s ready- pudding like consistency

When the mix is ready, try to work quickly as it tends to solidify (although complete solidification will take 24-48 hours).

Ok, thing you got the hang of things?

Here is the first project I’d like to share with you:

DIY Cement Incense Holder

You will need:

Brass pipe adaptor- I bought one for a couple of dollars at the local hardware store.
Cement.
Round plastic container- any container will do. Be creative! You can choose any shape or size you like.
Oil or petroleum jelly- for oiling the plastic container.
Glue gun+ one glue stick.
Sandpaper.
Optional – blue tack.

If you’re not sure what a brass pipe adaptor looks like, here’s an example-

Here’s what a brass pipe adaptor looks like…there are lots of different sizes, choose one high and wide enough for placing incense sticks inside.

First, prepare the cement (instruction at the beginning of the post).

Using a hot glue gun, glue closed the narrower side of the pipe adaptor- so that it’s sealed and won’t allow cement to leak through.

Glue sealing one side of the brass pipe adaptor

Next, spread either oil (any cooking oil will do) or petroleum jelly in the plastic container of your choice, and add cement paste to the container until a 1-2 cm/0.5 inch layer is created. Place the pipe adaptor in the cement filled container with the glued part downwards – either position it on the side or in the center of the container.

Plastic container with cement and brass pipe adaptor

24 to 48 hours later, remove the cement holder you created from the plastic container (it should slip out easily).

Take a small piece of sandpaper and sand the cement, careful not to sand the brass (as it may scratch it).

To make sure your holder doesn’t scratch or damage household furniture, you can glue some cork (cut from a cork sheet, found at local craft stores/dollar stores) or stick a few floor protecters on the bottom side of the holder.

And that’s it! If you’d like better control of the direction of the incense sticks, just add a bit of blu tack at the bottom of the pipe adaptor (where the hot glue was placed originally).

Have a go and let me know how it went…(:

November 4, 2019 0 comments

DIY tutorials

AliExpress Shopping Tips

by ''admin'' October 26, 2019

As far as online shopping goes, AliExpress has been a game changer. There’s nothing you can’t find on this online mega-store, which offers merchandise from sellers all over China. Over the last five or six years, I’ve ordered a lot of different products from this online platform, with varying degrees of success. At first, I tried ordering apparel items, but a few dresses, shawls and T-shirt’s later, realized it was hard to tell from the online images the quality and fitting of the actual piece when it arrived. And although AliExpress does offer a return policy, By the time you pay for the return of your package to China (return shipping costs are not included in the return policy, at least from Israel), you end up paying more than the item’s original cost. I later tried ordering electronics (USB cables, electronic adaptors, home decor (felt like hit or miss, some products we’re lovely and some were awful and cheaply made) and kitchen gadgets with varying degrees of success. Over time, I developed a systematic method for purchasing items on the site, and today most of the items I purchase (I buy nearly all my craft supplies on Ali) end up being pretty spot on, with very few surprises and disappointments. Therefore, I’d like to share a few tips that will help improve your overall shopping experience.

Tip number 1: New to shopping on AliExpress? You should read this.

Before purchasing anything on www.aliexpress.com, read the following guide published on the AliExpress blog https://alixblog.com/en/guide-aliexpress/. The information here is great for beginner shoppers! There’s also a Best AliExpress Sellers Guide that you may find useful.

Tip number 2: Hunting for a particular item? Overwhelmed by all the options on site? Here’s what I learnt about changing the AliExpress platform search filters.

Let’s say you’re looking to purchase a USB drive. If you search on AliExpress for USB drive, they’ll be endless options to choose from. What I like to do, is change the default filter option on the left side of the screen from “Best Match” to “Orders” and tick the “4 and up” stars option.

If you’re wondering why it’s important to choose these filter options, the reason is that the sale volume reflects the “attractiveness” of an item and its seller. When I first started purchasing items on AliExpress, I usually sorted the item list with the “Price” filter, choosing to purchase the least expensive item. After a while I realized this wasn’t a good method, because sellers who don’t have a large sales volume will often offer a slightly lower price on an item, but may take forever to deliver it (one of the seller’s didn’t even have the item in the inventory) or cause difficulties when wanting to return it. The bottom line is that the more customers ordered a certain item and gave it a 4+ review, the higher the chance that it will be a quality product that you’ll enjoy. Peer reviews are very important and informative on this platform, especially when reviewers add photographs of the purchased items. You’re better off paying $2-$3 dollars more, for the peace of mind that the product will meet its online description.

Decided on an item you like? Great. Just don’t forget to take a peek at the customer’s satisfaction from the store before you order. All you need to do is hover your mouse above the name of the store on the product page, and you’ll be able to see the seller ratings, plus how long the store has been opened on AliExpress. As a rule of thumb, I’d try and buy only from stores with a 4.5+ seller rating, which has been open for at least 6 months.

Chose this product? Have a look at the store review before purchasing

Tip number 3: Choosing the right shipping method for your needs.

When I first started ordering items from AliExpress, I wasn’t very selective in choosing a shipping method. I usually just went with the default option offered by the seller. All this changed when I discovered the option of epacket.

ePacket delivery is a shipping option offered by merchants in China and Hong Kong. It’s an agreement between the US Postal Service (USPS) and Hong Kong Post, allowing for faster delivery of products coming from China and Hong Kong to a number of different countries. You can use ePacket to send small packages weighing up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs) and a total value of $400. Some sellers offer ePacket delivery for free, but even when it’s not, you’ll be paying up to $3-$4 dollars more for a significantly faster delivery experience (here in Israel, some packages arrive within one week!). The longest I’ve had to wait for an ePacket to arrive has been about two weeks. It’s a great way to order from China, without having to wait 4-6 weeks for your packet to arrive with the traditional delivery options (such as China Post Registered Air Mail, China Post Ordinary Small Packet Plus, etc). ePacket packages can be tracked here.

I hope my experience’s help you with your future purchases…Happy shopping!

October 26, 2019 0 comments

DIY tutorials

Cutting Glass Bottles at Home- a Tutorial

by ''admin'' October 10, 2019

So, for a while now I’ve wanted to learn how to cut glass bottles at home. There are so many great project ideas you can make with repurposed glass bottles- from candle containers to planters to hanging lanterns, there are endless possibilities and examples on the web. I ran a search on pinterest, youtube and google on how to cut glass at home, with the leading and simplest method I found was to use a string with alcohol or acetone (you can see an example on youtube here). I decided to give it a try, but 3-4 bottles later I realized this method wasn’t for me. Not only did it feel incredibly hazardous, it also resulted in an uneven cut around the edges of the final product. I mentioned this to a friend of mine, who said he’d seen inexpensive small bottle cutting machines you can purchase online. After debating between two different models (one stationary and the other one mobile) I decided to go with the stationary one (it just felt safer to use). You can have a look at the model I purchased here. I bought mine on AliExpress because that was the least expensive option with shipping to Israel (around $15, a true bargain), but you can get similar ones in the US on amazon.

I started by watching an online demonstration on AliExpress of how to use the bottle cutter. The idea is to rotate the glass versus a tiny cutting blade, thus marking a thin circular line around the bottle. This line is what helps break the glass evenly later on, by creating a weak spot in the bottle that will crack when exposed intermittently to hot water (causing glass expansion) and then cold water (causing glass contraction).

Ready? here we go.

What you’ll need:

A glass cutting machine.
Any glass bottle you have around- I used an empty wine bottle. If you’re not planning on keeping the label, I advice you remove it NOW as it will get harder later and can affect the way the blade scores the glass. I find that the best method is to let the bottle soak in warm soapy water for about 30 minutes, and then scrub the label with a stainless-steel metal scrub.
Gloves and Eye protection. Very Important! Don’t skip on getting these. I like using thick water-resistant kitchen gloves, since when I tried using cut-resistant gloves they became water-soaked and soggy when I poured the hot/cold water on the bottle (explained later in this tutorial).
A kettle with boiling hot water.
A container with really cold water. I personally like adding ice to mine.

Step 1: Place the bottle in the glass cutting machine. The point where the glass will be cut can be adjusted using two little knobs. I like to place the machine on top of aluminum or plastic wrap, where I later place all the rest of the equipment I use while cutting glass in the kitchen- just to be on the safe side as you don’t want small chips of glass floating around your counter top.

It’s important to use at least moderate pressure when pressing the glass versus the tiny blade, or it won’t mark the glass. I learnt that you need to hear a light scratching sound to know it’s working. You also don’t want to repeat the same point twice- that will create an uneven line and there’s a good chance the glass won’t break symmetrically. It helps to mark the glass with a permanent marker, so you know at what point you started rotating it.

Step 2: After you made sure the bottle was marked in a full circle, add two rubber bands (If your kit doesn’t come with them or if you happen to lose them, you can always use plain elastic hair bands as a replacement) above and below the score line. The rubber bands help concentrate the water (and energy) around the line.

Step 3: Heat about 2 liters (70 Oz), or 10 cups of water in a kettle, and go ahead and fill an additional container with about half that amount of cold water. I like adding ice to make sure the water is REALLY cold.

Step 4: Fill a large plastic container about half way with regular tap water and place in your sink. The water will soften the fall of the glass when it cracks (safety first people).

Step 5: While holding the bottle above the plastic container with your non dominant hand (I let mine sort of lean on the container for support, keeping it parallel to the water), pour the boiling water with your dominant hand on the scoring mark between the two bands while rotating the bottle constantly. I do this for about 40 seconds to one minute, or until I finished most of my hot water. Then quickly (without moving the bottle) take the cold water container and pour the water on the same spot, again rotating the bottle for another 20-30 seconds. If you’re not sure about the whole process, take a look again at the link I posted above. At this point the bottle usually comes apart, but if it doesn’t, put down the cold water, re-apply hot water to the score line- and that usually does it.

Step 6: Take some gentle sandpaper, and sand down the edges of the glass. I do this above the plastic container filled with water in the sink, and then spill the water out when I’m finished.

Here’s a tip for you- My friend Nadav suggested taking small spare blocks of wood from previous projects, wrapping the sandpaper around them with tape and then sanding the glass. It’s easier and safer.

And that’s it! Now you can take your newly crafted glass and be creative!

I’ll be uploading a few ideas soon.

October 10, 2019 0 comments

DIY tutorials

How to Make Your Own Flower Arrangements at Home- a Tutorial

by ''admin'' October 10, 2019

So, you know how sometimes you see really beautiful flowers in the local farmer’s market or supermarket, but you don’t know how to combine them together to make a gorgeous bouquet like the florists do? For a long time, I was wondering how florists knew how to integrate flowers to create eye catching floral arrangements. I used to watch them combine the flowers I chose at the local nursery, but had a hard time recreating similar arrangements on my own at home. Then about a week ago, I saw a florist at a local market here in Israel (Carmel market) use a large clear vase (instead of laying the flowers on the table) to create a flower arrangement working her way from the outside inwards. When trying the method at home, I realized it’s the easiest and friendliest flower arrangement method I’ve seen for non-professionals such as myself.

Here’s what you’ll need:

(BTW, if you’re not sure you know what the following flowers look like, just run the name in the pinterest search tab online)

One pack of “centerpiece” flowers. Centerpiece flowers are the dominant element in your arrangement, so I like choosing a relatively large/impressive flower such as lilies and Gladiolus. In this tutorial I chose Lilies.
One-two “Filler” flower packs. Here I like choosing at least one pack of small, unassuming flowers. In this tutorial I chose white Yarrow and yellow Solidago, but any small flower will do.
Green leaves of your choice. I like Eucalyptus leaves, Israeli Ruscus, and Leatherleaf Fern. In this tutorial, I chose Israeli Ruscus.

Optional- one pack of medium sized flowers, such as Lisianthus or Snapdragon. I didn’t add them in this tutorial, but they’ll definitely add color and texture.

First, lay your flower packs on your kitchen table.

flower's used in flower arrangement tutorial

Step 1: Choose one of the lead flowers and place it in the vase. If it’s too long, cut it so sits in the vase without tipping over.

Now use this flower’s height as a reference for cutting all the rest of the flowers and greens. Remove any extra leaves on the flowers/greens that are below the top of the vase (you don’t want them sitting and decaying from the exposure to water).

Divide your greens into two piles. I had about 10 leaves, so I placed 5 leaves the vase like this (uneven numbers work best here).

Step 2: Take your filler flowers, and place one filler flower between each two green leaves.

Step 3: I had two different colors of filler flowers (white and yellow), so I added a second round of yellow filler flowers in between every two white filler flowers. Remember- we’re working from the outside inwards, so place them closer to the center of the vase.

Step 4: Now add your centerpiece flowers between each two yellow flowers.

You’ve completed round 1! If you have more flowers and greens, repeat steps 1-4, working from the outside inwards. For example- I had 5 greens I used in the beginning, and was left with 5 additional greens, so I started the process again adding greens right after adding the centerpiece flowers. It’s a good idea to have a few extra greens to add randomly across the arrangement at the end.

Here’s the final result:

I love how this flower arrangement turned out, and it was super intuitive and easy to assemble.

I’ve seen a lot of people add bleach or sugar to their flowers, supposedly to keep them alive longer. Neither method has worked for me in the past. I find that the best is simply to replace the water in the vase every day, and after 2-3 days I also like trimming the ends a bit diagonally.

I hope you find this tutorial helpful!

October 10, 2019 0 comments

DIY tutorials

IKEA Snudda Lazy Susan and Marius Hack

by ''admin'' October 4, 2019

I was looking for a large round side table to put our garden’s water tank on, but most tables I found were either too bulky or expensive. So I thought I’d improvise, and decided the best would be to use the Ikea Snudda lazy susan as a table top, since is was the perfect diameter for the tank (15 inch, or 39 cm).

What you’ll need:

Snudda lazy susan from Ikea
Marius Stool from Ikea– you’ll need the two stool legs without the platic seat.
a plier or socket wrench
a drill and screwdriver
Four screws

First, remove the two pieces of the Snudda apart. You can either do this with a plier or a socket wrench. Here’s the Snudda top on the left, with the two Marius legs on the right.

Next, Attach the two Marius legs together according to the Ikea instruction leaflet.

Now center the Marius legs above the Snudda, and mark where you’d like to attach the legs on the Snudda with a pencil- It’s easiest to use one with a long tip like this one through each of the four holes on the Marius legs.

Use a drill to drill four holes where the marking’s are. The holes are only meant to help you screw the legs to the table top, so remember to use a small drill bit (definitely smaller than the screws) and to avoid drilling more than halfway the wood).

Finally, choose four screws that are at least 30% longer than the screws that came with the original Marius stool. I used Ikea ones. Just make sure they’re not too long, otherwise they’ll poke through the wood on the table top.

And that’s it! easy ha?

I’m super happy with how this turned out, and now our water tank has a perfect spot on our balcony…

Now it’s your turn! let me know how your’s turned out…

October 4, 2019 0 comments