Pallet & Slate Garden Edging

 

This spring is going to be the last spring that my husband accidentally takes the weed eater to my newly sprouted flowers.  Upon the dawn of summer break, I decided to add distinct edging along my flower gardens.  As stated in a previous post, our church recently replaced the ceiling.  Many board scraps were tossed, but this didn't stop my fellow teachers and Me  from...well...as my principal put it, "dumpster diving."  I didn't know what we were going to use all of those mismatched boards for, but I knew they would serve a purpose somewhere along the road.  I am proud to say that the boards have found a gorgeous place to reside.

    
This project could be done just as easily with reclaimed boards from a pallet.

 

to start off, I sawed each board into lengths of 6 - 9 inches.

 

Next, I drilled 2 holes along the end of each board.  Each hole was about 1/4" wide and 1/2" deep.  It needed to be just wide enough to drop in the head of a screw and glue it into place.  The screws/nails will serve as an anchor in the dirt.  I used A waterproof wood glue to uphold against future rains.

 

While I waited for the glue to dry, I dug a trench along the edge of my flower gardens.  After watering the flowers, the dirt was just right for anchoring the boards into place.  I chose to use a pattern by alternating the boards backward and forward, thus creating a sturdier barrier.

 

My next plan was to use river rock to fill in the remaining trench and to give the border more dimension and contrasting color.  However, I was disappointed to find very few rounded stones at the river.  What I did find was a lot of river buffed slate.  When you are working on a tiny budget, sometimes you just have to roll with it!

    While walking along the river bank, i gathered chunks of slate with my sons.  I have found that sometimes working on a small budget is benefit because I can work family time into my projects and memories are born.  My 4-year-old was thrilled to find a chunk of slate that was a perfect triangle!

 

      Once we arrived home, I jet-sprayed the rocks with a hose.  Once they were dry, I  sealed the rocks with clear spray paint to bring out the color and dimension of the slate. 

 

 

 This also makes the rocks appear darker which is be nice contrast against the light-colored wood.

   

 

 

My 9 year-old thought it looked like a mountain range.  I'll pretend it's my mini-Montana. 😊

To wrap up, the wood and rocks were free, so the only supplies that came out of my wallet were the glue and the nails.  (And now my husband and my flowers are happy.) 😊

Altoid Tin Desk Organization

 

Do you ever have that nagging feeling that you can some how upcycle those nifty little Altoid Tins into something resourceful and practical?  Here are a couple of options I have found to organize my desk and my purse. 

 

Retro Ladder Necklace

Here are the supplies you will need (in addition to a needle nose pliers):

 

 1.) slide the beads on about 8 eye pins, creating an "eye" at the end of each pin.

2.) attach 2 of the pins to the French hooks by reopening one end of the eye.

3.) attach the other 6 to the chain. starting at the bottom and leaving about an inch between each "rung" of the ladder.

 

Painted Bead Jewelry Set

 

I love designing fun jewelry to go with simple outfits for church and school.  Here is a jewelry set I recently made.  The beads were purchased at Hobby Lobby.  They are wooden painted beads and dented my wallet by a mere $1.99/bag.

 

 

Pallet Art

Last summer I launched into a decorating frenzy for my sons as we moved our oldest into his own room.  My oldest is intrigued with dogs, while out little guy was in a monster truck phase.  I posted a request on my local Facebook forums to ask for a pallet that I could harvest boards from.  I found that our Co-op was pleased to be relieved of a pallet or two that was taking up space.  I cut up the boards and glued them together with Elmer's wood glue.  I set them in the hot sun to dry.  Even in 90 degree weather, it took about 24 hours to completely dry.  Next, I applied wood stain and let them set for a couple more hours. Finally, the magic was ready to begin!  I used acrylic paint & Painter's paint pens to design each of the pieces.  For my 8-year-old, I used a dog silhouette with a quote - something that wouldn't be babyish when he's 10 or 12.  For my 3 year-old, I painted a rough-and-tumble MONSTER TRUCK!!!  Each are about 2' x 3'.

 

 

Upcycled Ceiling Tiles

 This past year, our church was blessed with a new wooden ceiling.  Hence, the old cardboard tiles were removed to install the wood.  After making sure there was no threat of asbestos, I rescued enough tiles to serve as perfect square canvases for our "shine" theme.  We painted the background blue. Each child painted a partial sun and added a spiral and dots.  Our theme Bible Verse was also added along the edge of the sun.  Finally, we painted paper using different colors to create a streaky look (think "Eric Carle.") After it dried we cut it into long triangles to make the rays of the sun.  We used the same technique to make the "shine" lettering using yellow, white, and orange colors.  Finally we cut out the letters and glued them on to complete the project.  I love how everyone followed the same directions, but no two look exactly alike. 

 

"Going Once...Going Twice....SOLD!

This past year, our school held an auction.  My class and I created a finger print map of Kansas.  I also included a color key so parents knew which color they used.

    In honor of local ranchers, my husband and I created a mirror using the cattle brands of local ranchers.  I used a wood burner to depict the brands on coin-cut branches.  Finally we used a staple gun to attach a strand of barb wire around the border.

  

Blue Bottle Trellis

A few years ago, my parents celebrated their 40th anniversary.  Using Platinum Bud Light bottles, my husband created a gorgeous blue bottle trellis for their garden.  I love the way it looks when the sun shines through the cobalt glass!

Classroom Chalkboards

This past year, our school theme was "Shine."  My classroom theme was "Camp Learn-A-Lot."  In honor of both themes, I created these Chalkboards:

 

 

Summer Watering

I had an epiphany this spring for watering my potted plants this summer.   I have also found this to be helpful to "buy time" if you plan to be out of town for a few days.  Additionally, I live in a century-old house, which has only one outdoor spigot.  This leaves me with the options of wrestling with a long hose or packing water to my porches, and wilty plants at the end a hot summer day.  So, here is my solution:

1.) Use a plastic bottle and drop a stake inside, making sure at least an inch or two remains above the mouth of the bottle.

2.) If you are in a creative mindset, you can stake it in the grass and spray paint it, so it looks more ornamental among your flowers.

3.) Fill the bottle with water leaving about an inch of air so the water has room to expand as it freezes.

4.) Place the bottle in the freezer until it is frozen solid.  Steak the bottle in a flower pot.  As it gradually melts, the water will drop into the dirt.  

Other Notes:

•It takes about 24 hours for the ice to finish melting.  I have found that because of the gradual pace, my plants are less likely to wilt in the summer heat.

•Because it is such a slow process, you shouldn't have to worry about mold or root rot.  You also have a better idea of how much water your plants are getting.

•Because ice is lighter than water, it is easier to carry and prevents the water from slopping all over. 💦