Spice Racks

This seemed like such a simple idea, but it caused me so many problems!
Anna told me about a project where you cover canvas with cute fabric and turn it into a magnetic spice rack. I ordered tins online and was able to get them for about 50 cents a piece, compared to the 2 dollars you often see in stores.
The problem was finding magnets strong enough. I finally found some at Fred Myer, though it cost $2.50 for 6 magnets and I had to glue one to the bottom of the tin and one to the back of the canvas. (Watch your polarity!)
But I think it turned out cute anyway. I printed some labels for common spices and put them in a bag on the back so the tins could be labeled appropriately.

Record Clocks

I've been playing with different ideas for clocks since this seems like one of the more unique and easy to make gift ideas. All you need is have is a hole and a way to hang it, and you can turn anything into a clock! I've seen CDs, Mac n Cheese boxes, etc.

I decided to do a few record clocks. The record hole is slightly too small to fit even the smallest clock piece I found, so I made it a tiny bit larger with a pair of scissors. I attached it to the record cover with Velcro and sewed picture hooks into the album cover with wire. The only problem I came across is that the record leaned down. So I took a foam block and glued it to the clock piece to help the record stick out level.
Nothing is directly attached to the record, so all you have to do is unscrew the clock piece if you wanted to play it. I don't think I enlarged the hole enough to cause a problem.

Latch Hook

I found a latch hook of a sheep dog that I worked on in high school while cleaning out my craft supplies. I turned it into a pillow for my in-laws since they love sheep dogs. They have a lot of neat designs for latch hooks at Michael's. This is a nice alternative to cross stitch with a sort of similar pointillism look.
Now Meghann has an alternative napping companion. :)

Tea Cups

Anna, Nicole and I saw this idea at a craft fair...oh...a year and a half ago. I have been on the look out for cute tea cups ever since. The tea cups are all thrift store finds. This makes them unique and less expensive, but I was surprised to find they are still pretty pricey - $2 to $7 each with the average around $5.

On a pole in the yard with bird seed:
The pole is made of metal that my dad cut for me. We thought it was copper and would be easy to cut, but it turns out there was a steel center. Yikes! So I need to find an alternative for next time. There is a little copper cap on the bottom so you can take the tea cup off for washing and refilling.

I also modified the design for people without yards. On a hanging chain with a plant:The chain is just a bulk cut from the local hardware store, attached with epoxy and a key ring to hang from. It was hard to center the three chains and get them to stay in place while the epoxy dried. But I'm sure it was easier than cutting those poles!