New twist on the wine bottles I recently wrapped with rope...

Added flowers (brads from office supply section) to the rope-wrapped wine bottle I have done...this really finishes them off! And on the first one I also added a bee! Cute for bud vases...

New "Park Your Purses While You Paint" contraption for studio

Old mirror frame from dresser, corkboard in middle covered with fabric (courtesy of my friend Laura) which we will hang customer pics, etc on; added hooks for purses to make this a functional and cool piece. It's really large...as are mine and Teresa's purses!

My first pallet project!!!

Used a pallet which our canvas shipment was delivered on. Pulling the boards off the front was the hardest part of this project, which took about an hour...really need to use a crowbar, but all I had was a hammer. Will post step by step directions later. Many thanks to Teresa Dixon who helped me do this! Without her, I would probably have had an emergency room visit. Or two. :-) 

Classier take on the gumball machine candy jar...

Small pot on sale at Kroger for $2.99, two terra cotta lids painted black, one small knob. Less than $10 with candy! Just a little nicer than using the terra cotta pot for the bottom...would make a nice gift for a friend or co-worker! 

Storage for odds and ends on stage at studio

Helps to clear up clutter on stage...buckets hold brushes, puff paint, etc. Towel bar, S hooks, and small buckets from Home Depot or Lowe's. Fifteen minute project. 

Variation on a theme...

Old vase (cheap glass), sisal rope purchased from Lowe's or Home Deopt. Start at bottom on this one, wrap tightly. Hot glue beginning and end of process. Ten minute project, approx $3.00.

"Find it" game - in a wine bottle, of course :-)

Find the 15 items hidden in the bottle and win a free class! Still recycling wine bottles left by our students...used beans instead of rice, and hid small items (buttons, batteries, nails, etc) inside. Fun game!!!

More wine bottle re-purposing...this time with rope

Wine bottle left at studio by customer covered with multi-purpose poly-rope (less than $3 at Lowe's, lots of colors to choose from). I chose the blue and pink but there are a lot of great colors. Use hot glue gun at beginning - around 1/2 to 1 inch long stream is enough) and  same at end. I suggest starting at top, much easier that way. Wrap tightly. The rope comes in 50 foot package...it took EXACTLY 50 feet on each bottle (as I said, wrap tightly). Fun project that takes 5 minutes.

Another wine bottle re-purposing project...

Write on wine bottle (or other object) with glue gun, let dry. Spray paint. Voila! A cool base with a message of your choice. And yes, a lot of my projetcs involve wine bottles...a lot get left behind at our studio, I am not drinking them all :-)

Hanging wine bottle vase

2x4 (left over from construction on our private party room at Sips n Strokes), wine bottle (left by customers at Sips n Strokes), leftover paint (from customer palettes)...only non-recycled items were a hose clamp (79 cents) and two hex screws (32 cents each). Oh and one screw to attach hose clamp to 2x4, which was in tool bucket. Note: 2x4 was necessary to brace the bottle since bottom is so much larger than top.

Terra cotta pot, two saucers and dollar store bowl becomes cute gumball machine!

By the way, this is not my original idea...I saw it on several different craft web sites, and am not sure who to credit with the idea since I did not know who had it first! But I did want to make clear it wasn't me...

Thrift store kerosene lantern repurposed as terrarium...