How to Make Mason Jar Chimes

[pinit]Tutorial DIY Chimes from Mason Jar @savedbyloves upcycle repurpose[pinit]

It was only a matter of time before I tried out my bottle cutter on a mason jar.  Today I am sharing how I pulled off this mason jar to wind chimes upcycle, just in time for spring and outdoor decor.  This project is a great stash buster for those beads and charms you’ve been stockpiling.  There will be some cutting and drilling of glass, but don’t fear, you can do this!

Mason Jar Upcycle Repurpose

SUPPLIES:

Mason Jar with lid

2 eye screws

piece of scrap wood about 1/2 inch thick and smaller than lid

fishing line or other clear string

scissors

beads, chain, charms and connectors of your choice

Bottle cutter (Creator’s Cutter used in this tutorial)

Butane micro torch or candle and lighter

Dremel or other Rotary tool – I used Beads Landing Rotary Tool

measuring tape

Shallow container with cold water for drilling your jar (this will make sense later)

Bucket of cold water deep enough to submerge jar

Protective mask and goggles

E6000

Diamond Drill Bit for drilling glass

Diamond Bits for glass; I used a bit from this set

Permanent marker

Medium Grit Sand Paper

Glass beads or wine bottle rings (see my Wine Bottle Rings tutorial)

TUTORIAL:

How to Cut a Mason Jar Web

I place the mason jar on the cutter (My wine bottle cutting tutorial has a video on using this specific cutter).

Mason Jar Upcycle

Mark the jar so you know when you have made a complete rotation.

Mason Jar Upcycle Mason Jar Crafts

Once the score line is made, it is time to apply heat/cold to it.  I like to do this with a butane micro torch while rotating the bottle on the cutter jig.  I have moved the blade out of the way and am just using the cutter jig to hold the bottle and give me a way to rotate it easily with one hand while holding the torch with the other.

If you are using a torch, one minute is plenty of time for applying heat.  Sometimes this is enough to break the score line.  If not, submerge jar into cold water, covering score line.  That is all it took for me on this mason jar.  If yours doesn’t separate, repeat the heat/cold until it does.

If you are using a candle, watch the video linked above for instructions.

How to make Mason Jar Decor Chimes

 This is what my break looked like.  Not bad!  Now it is time to sand and smooth the edges.

Mason Jar Upcycle 4

Sand lightly with medium grit paper.  Get the inner and outer edges of the break.  This is pretty quick.

You will notice after a minute or 2 of sanding that the edge is smooth to the touch and won’t cut you.

Mason Jar Craft Idea

I measured the diameter of my jar and it was 12 inches.  I marked every 3 inches for drilling a hole.  This gave me 4 holes evenly spaced around the jar for stringing beads and charms.

How to drill a hole in mason jars

Before drilling, put on eye gear and mask!!

Place jar in shallow container of cold water.  I use a square baking tin.

To begin drilling, come in at an angle to start an indentation.

How to drill a hole in glass

Once the indentation is started, move drill to 90°.  Every 30 or so seconds, stop drilling and rotate jar so that hole gets rinsed out and glass where your were drilling gets cooled.  This prevents the glass from breaking due to high heat.  Continue until you have drilled all the way through.

Do this at each mark around the jar.

Use fishing line or beading string to string various beads, charms, found objects and chain to your liking in each hole.

how to upcycle a mason jar

I wanted to use the old lid that was on this jar in the design, so I needed to have a way to hang the chimes by it.  I used a hammer and small nail to make a hold in the top center.

Mason jar crafts

Next I screwed in the eye screw as pictured.

how to make mason jar chimes

I screwed into the wooden disk and screwed the remaining eye pin to the other side as shown.  I later added E6000 to the wooden disk on the side that contacts the jar lid for added strength.  It gets pretty gusty around here in the spring!

I cut a length of fishing line to the eye screw and tied the other end to a wine bottle ring, tied another ring to that one, and another ring to that one for a total of 3 hanging down from the middle of the jar.

DIY Chimes from Mason Jar

To finish, put the lid on the jar and add chain to the eye screw on top for hanging.  Hang and enjoy!

For more mason jar crafts, visit our Collection of 75+ Mason Jar Projects

For more DIY Chimes, visit our 20+ DIY Chimes post!

20 DIY Wind Chimes @savedbyloves outdoordecor

Watercolor Easter Eggs

Hi everyone! It is Vidya from†Whats Ur Home Story, a home decor/DIY†blog where I share how our family of 4 is turning a cookie cutter into†a unique and interesting home that tells our story.

Has the weather gods been nice to you? We are covered in a foot of snow but that is not stopping me from getting started on Easter crafts. Over the weekend my kiddos and I made these pretty watercolor Easter eggs.

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Make gorgeous watercolor Easter eggs in a snap @savedbyloves

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They are super easy to make and as I mentioned a perfect craft to get the kids involved. My 8 yr old made the blue ombre one all by herself. All you need are blown out eggs and watercolors. Do keep in mind that†watercolors have chemicals and are not safe to use on eggs that you plan on consuming.

watercolor eggs tutorial

You simply cannot go wrong with these. Here are more that we made;

painted easter eggs, Watercolor Easter Eggs

Tutorial

Blue Ombre Egg – Wait till each layer is dry before you paint the next color.

Orange Ombre Egg – Prop the egg on a skewer and add the horizontal bands before the paint colors dry. Use only very little water on your brush.

Pink Plain Ombre Egg – I just dribbled the paint onto different sides of the egg and let the paints do their thing while propping it on a skewer.

painted easter eggs, Watercolor Easter Eggs, how to make watercolor easter eggs

Purple & Gold Egg – Soak a slightly wet paper towel in paint and dab it onto the egg. When dry, paint with gold paint.

Pink Scroll Egg – Same method as the plain pink ombre egg. I just added the scroll with gold craft paint when the water color was dry.

painted easter eggs, Watercolor Easter Eggs, how to make watercolor easter eggs, Watercolor easter eggs tutorial

Seal your masterpiece with Mod Podge when done.

Wasn’t that as easy as pie? Have you already started your Easter prep? Happy Easter!

For more easy DIY ideas stop by†Whats Ur Home Story†or follow me via†Facebook,†Pinterest,†Twitter,†G+,†Instagram.

Want more? Check out our 75+ Easter DIY Ideas:

Easter Craft Ideas

20 DIY Wind Chimes to Make

[pinit]20 DIY Wind Chimes @savedbyloves outdoordecor[pinit]

Spring is here and it time to get busy on your DIY outdoor decor.  Today I am sharing 20 great DIY wind chime ideas you can make.  We are busy making our own as we speak!  If you have made wind chimes you are proud of, send us a photo so we can include you.  Enjoy!


DIY Party Pom Poms

Hey lovelies! It’s Barbara from Chase the Star and in case you don’t know, I love simple and cheap projects! We recently celebrated my son’s birthday with a fun, yet very ‘DIY’ party at our house. One of the easiest decorations I made was party poms, we skipped the balloons and went with poms throughout and they were a hit!

DIY Party Poms

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DIY Party Poms via Chase the Star for Saved By Love Creations #party #handmade #birthdayparty

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Sure you can buy party poms at the store, but they are not budget friendly! For a fraction of the cost and just a few minutes you can make your own party poms!

Want to liven up your next party? Here’s how to DIY Party Poms:

Materials:

Pack of gift tissue

Pipe Cleaner

Scissors

Make Your Own Party Pom! via Chase the Star for Saved By Love Creations #party #handmade #birthdayparty

Directions:

Step 1:

Lay the tissue on a flat surface, and smooth the sheets out. Start folding the tissue accordion style from the short side of the batch, until the entire pack is folded.

IMG_4095

Step 2: Tightly wrap the pipe cleaner around the center.

Step 3: Snip the ends of the folded tissue in either a rounded or pointed shape (you can get really creative here!)

Party Poms via Chase the Star for Saved By Love Creations

Step 4: Peel each tissue back towards the center, until you have the shape you like!

DIY POM

Repeat, repeat, repeat! You can make these larger or smaller by adjusting the amount of tissue sheets you use. I also love the look of these to decorate a fun space in the house like a kid’s room or nursery, playroom, or a modern living room!

Our son thought these were ‘way cool’, and so do I!

What do you think? Would you substitute balloons for DIY Party Poms?

Stop by and see the rest of the party and even more DIY projects, crafts, and recipes at Chase the Star! Don’t forget to follow Chase the Star on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram!

See you next time!

New Signature

Make a Burlap Spring Wreath

Hi everyone! It’s Laura again from Inspiration for Moms.
Today is a beautiful day in Colorado.
The sun is out, the windows are open and the birds are chirping.
Spring is in the air!
So I though it would be the perfect time to make a Spring wreath for my front door.

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DIY Spring Wreath with Burlap @savedbyloves

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First you will need your choice of burlap and a floral wire wreath.
I was going to pick a green color but my son suggested the teal blue.
I think he has a good eye! 🙂
DIY Spring Wreath - Supplies
If you are intimated by those fancy looking burlap wreaths, don’t be!
I’m hear to tell you there as easy as a simple tuck and fluff!
The first step is to tie your burlap around a middle cross wire.
Then it’s time for step two, gently tuck the burlap
from behind the wreath and push it through the wire spacing to make a loop shape.
Work your way through all three rows.
DIY Spring Wreath - Step-by-Step
Now it’s time for step number three, fluff those loops.
Sounds really technical right?! 🙂
Once you have fluffed, continue on until you get to the next middle wire.
I try to pack as many loops in between the middle dividers
to make the burlap really secure which is step number four.
Continue your way around the wreath until completely covered.
Now it’s time to make the Spring banner.
I already had six burlap triangles but these can be found at most craft stores.
I wanted to add some chalkboard triangles for a little contrast.
I took some chalkboard tags from a previous craft project and cut them into triangles.
DIY Spring Wreath - Chalkboard Tags
I then hot glued my chalkboard cut outs onto the burlap triangles.
I added some white stickers to spell “Spring” and then hot glued
the banner together on some twine.
I had a burlap flower leftover from a previous project and thought
it would be a perfect accessory for this wreath.
You can never have too much burlap! 🙂
Now that my door is ready for Spring maybe the weather will cooperate too.
Hey there is only 9 more days until it’s officially Spring. Then it has to get warmer, right?!
Thanks for hanging out with me today and I can’t wait to see you again next month!
  Until then we can stay in touch by visiting Inspiration for Moms,

Want more?  Check out 50+ Burlap Crafts and Decor Ideas!

Burlap DIY Decor

How I Cut Wine Bottles for Perfect Rings

[pinit]How to Cut Wine Bottle Rings for #recycledbottleart #winebottlecrafts @savedbyloves[pinit]

I am cutting the heck out of wine and beer bottles these days as I create recycled bottle art.  There are several ways to approach this task.  You can score the bottle with one of the many bottle cutting jigs available, or you can go the tile saw route.  Today I am going to show you the best wine bottle cutter I have found, and how I  separate the glass cleanly after making the score line.  You will learn the best way to cut a wine bottle, as well as how I make the rings, then fuse them in my kiln to get the smooth “donut” like the one I made for the pictured necklace.

How to make jewelry from wine bottles

Best wine bottle cutter

Creator’s Bottle Cutter

This is the cutter I use.  I love it.  I have tried several, and this one gives me the best score line with the least hassle.

PROS:  It is easy to get an even score line all the way around the bottle since the bottle is supported well and you have both hands free to rotate it.  It is great for cutting several rings of the same height from a bottle because you can easily adjust the blade location an even amount using the ruler on the blade guide.

CONS:  I wish I could cut the bottle neck with this cutter, but sadly, I can’t.  The blade doesn’t reach high enough for that.

This video from Delphi Glass shows you how easy it is to cut with the Creator’s Bottle Cutter.  After making the score line, the video shows heat applied to the score line with a candle.  I started out that way, but then found a quicker way that produces very clean breaks.

Wine Bottle Ring Before Fusing
First make all of the score lines for getting several rings from one bottle.  I like to make my rings 0.5-0.75 inches tall, so I just move the blade that distance for each line.

Best Wine Bottle Cutter

Once the score lines are made, I put the bottle back on the roller and heat the bottom score line.  I hold the torch in my right hand and spin the bottle on the rollers with my left hand on the neck of the bottle.  It is important to keep the bottle moving because applying the torch in one spot for very long will cause the glass to splinter  and shatter.

Sometimes a few rotations with the torch on the score line will be enough to separate the glass.  After 30 seconds of heat if the glass is still intact, I submerge in a bucket of cold water and that does it.  Now the bottom is off of the bottle and I move on to the next score line.  When it breaks, I have my first ring.

Glass fusing kiln

To get the smooth, flat ring shown in the beer bottle necklace, I put my rings in my kiln (I have a Paragon Fusion 14) and run to full fuse.  You could do these one at a time in your a microwave kiln.  That is how I started!

I showed you my first microwave kiln project here:

How to make dichroic glass with microwave kiln

50+ Awesome Upcycled Lamps and Chandeliers to Make

[pinit]50 Plus Best DIY Upcycle Lamps and Chandeliers to make @savedbyloves[pinit]

Today I am shedding some light on how to upcycle your junk into super sweet recycled lighting.  From cameras to books to whisks and more, you will see lamps and chandeliers being made from all sorts of unlikely objects.  If you have a DIY lamp project made from recycled materials that you would like to share, email me or comment below!  Enjoy, and keep shining.


Sea Glass Jewelry; How to Drill Holes in Sea Glass

[pinit]How to Drill Holes in Sea Glass @savedbyloves[pinit]

I have been playing with sea glass that I bought in Florida a couple of years back, and I finally had some success with drilling holes for jewelry.  I had to break several pieces with my Dremel before getting the hang of it.  You don’t have to have a drill press to do this.  I actually find it easier to hold the drill in my hand so I can feel the pressure I am exerting.

Sea Glass Pendant DIY

This video from Marc Horne describes the technique I used for my pieces pictured.

 

To wire wrap your pieces like I did, visit this DIY Dichroic Fused Glass Pendant I shared with you previously.

How to Drill Holes in Sea Glass

Do you make sea glass jewelry?  What is your preferred drilling method?

Over 50 Popcorn Treats to Make

[pinit]50 Plus Best Popcorn Recipes @savedbyloves[pinit]

Popcorn… yum!  This house consumes it’s share of this versatile treat, that is for sure.  Did you know popcorn has only 33 calories per cup?  Well, not when you combine it with things like chocolate, peanut butter and caramel, but it is healthier than other things you might combine with these ingredients!  Here are 50+ tasty popcorn recipes to try.  Enjoy!


Delicious Spinach Meat Lasagna Recipe

[pinit]Lasagna Recipe @savedbyloves[pinit]

Do you love lasagna as much as I do?  It is a personal favorite, especially when I can eat it without guilt.  Today I am sharing my recipe for a protein, vitamin packed spinach and ground sirloin lasagna.  I use cottage cheese in place of half of the ricotta cheese to cut back on fat, with no compromise in taste!

Best Lasagna Recipes

INGREDIENTS:

12 lasagna noodles

1 pound lean ground sirloin or ground turkey

2 minced garlic cloves

24 ounces marinara sauce

16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups cottage cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Boil lasagna noodles per instructions.  While they are boiling, cook and crumble ground meat in large skillet.  Pour off grease.

Add garlic to meat and cook 2 more minutes.

Add marinara to meat, stir and remove from heat.

Strain spinach and remove excess water.

Combine cottage cheese, ricotta, spinach, 1 cup of mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in mixing bowl.

Spread a thin layer of sauce with meat on bottom of 9×13 inch baking dish.

Place 3 cooked lasagna noodles over sauce.

Spread 1/3 of cheese mixture over noodles and spoon 3/4 cup of sauce over the cheese.

Repeat these layers, topping final layer of noodles with remaining sauce and remaining cup of mozzarella.

Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 45 minutes.  Enjoy!

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