PRIMITIVE NIGHT LIGHT from Metal Food Can

I have been using/recycling these metal/tin food cans for a while now into my crafts.

Usually just by making them into a display can for magnets and such.  Here's a previous pic of how I used one:

                    DIY PRIMITIVE SNOWMAN LID MAGNETS:

The tin can also is great to hold extra stock inside!

But for today's craft, I used the metal/tin food can as the craft. I first had spray painted it black. Then I just punched the can with a nail, to make a shape of a star.

And I took a flat, large screwdriver and hammer and punched out the bottom of the can. Just big enough a hole for the night light bulb to fit through.
 Then I used some E6000 glue and glued in around the base of the can to secure it.

And after it sat and dried for 24 hours it was ready to go. That's it!

Happy Crafting & See ya'll next time,
~Lisa

DIY Primitive GRUBBY Stars

Since I sell tons of stars in my Craft Booth#555,

I often get tired of the same old look.

So I wanted to grubby some of them up for sale.

I started off with a plain metal star. Well, like this one.

I think I used a variety of colors and made a bunch of these, not sure which one was which for the pics:

And next just simply paint on some Mod podge or Elmers Glue as a base coat:

Either is fine:

Then next just simply start sprinkling on some ground cinnamon while the base is wet.

Put a lot on and cover it good.

Shake off the extras and let it sit to dry.

Repeat this process to cover as much of the star as you like.

Sometimes a little looks awesome and sometimes I do a few layers.

Finish up with some craft paint sealer or a finishing coat of mod podge or elmers glue.

It all does about the same and keeps the cinnamon in place from falling all over the place.

And that is that!
Easy and cute!

These are for sale in my Craft Booth #555

for $3.99

Thank Ya'll!

Cinnamon Salt Dough Stars

I make these around Christmas time for my Booth#555 at the Peddlers Mall. They are a steady seller. Especially at Christmas time because they are adorned with the yummy smell of cinnamon!

Here's how I make them. I start out by making up a batch of salt dough.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• ½ cup water (sometimes you add a bit more)
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil (this makes it a little more flexible, and is optional)

I mix it all up in a bowl, adding a bit more of water, if needed. It should be firm but still good and flexible.
Knead it for a bit and get it all mixed good. If you want colored dough, you could easily add food coloring or something natural like coffee or tea. I prefer it plain for most uses.

I then knead it out into a big ole baking sheet. Then use my star cookie cutter to make the shapes. And then here's where I add a little extra. I take a small star stencil and press it into the center of the star. It just adds a lil extra touch and makes it cuter. And it's totally optional!

And this is what a few of them looks like, notice the star stencil at the top:

and here's a closer pic of the star, after I pressed down on the stencil, just a tad bit. And repeated it on every other one, if you want.

Next, it's time to do the dusting of cinnamon to make them totally smell yummy! I just spread them all out on the old baking sheet and sprinkle with some cinnamon sugar. I press the granules down into the salt dough very easily to make it adhere, but not hard enough to misshape the star.

Then I stick them in the preheated oven at 300* for about 45 minutes. Sometimes more, sometimes less. It mostly depends on the thickness of the salt dough. The just take them out and let them cool, then package as desired.


UPDATE: Sometimes, but not always, I take it a step farther. After allowing them to dry from baking, I dip them down into some scented, melted wax with an old fork, one by one. In the pic below, I had scented my wax with apple cinnamon. Then set aside to dry on wax paper. And here's what it looks like:

The wax just makes them appear way smoother, kinda like a wax tart. I love it! Yet, if you opt out of dipping them in wax, you get a more grungy, prim look! Oh, I just can't decide which way I like best. lol.

Here's another look at them UNDIPPED of wax, just with the cinnamon sugar finish:

And here's a closeup of a few of them dipped in the wax:

Ah, I think my favorite is the dipped in wax finish!

When they are all finished, I package 5 of them in a cellophane treat bag, from Walmart. And add a string of homespun fabric as a tie. Sometimes I will also add a stick or two of cinnamon to the bag. It makes for an almost instant bowl filler. I then price them for $3.95 and put them in my Booth#555 at the Peddlers Mall

Have you ever made anything from salt dough before?

You may also like:

Salt Dough Buttons

PRIMITIVE Peg Board with Stars

  This cute peg board with railroad nails is done in flat black and Eggnog Yellow Stars.

PRIMITIVE PEG BOARD WITH STARS

Here's a cute board I'm making to use as a wall hanger. I'm gonna call it a peg board, for lack of a better term. It wont actually have pegs, but old, rough, flat nails in the middle of the stars to use as hangers. It'd be cute in a hallway with cute ornies on it.

Okay, so here's the plain, pine board I started with below. I bought it at Lowe's in about a 6' piece.

Then I painted the first one a first coat of burgundy in the Folk Art brand paint. I used a "rag method," which is so much easier and faster for base coats. The second one I used flat black. Just take an old cloth and rub it in the wood. This works great for me, on the plain pine wood because it soaks up the first coat so fast. And with the rag, it really helps get the pain on thick.

Then I let the burgundy dry and added a top coat of flat black Folk Art paint. 

(the second one, I just did one coat of flat black though)

Then I used a star stencil and some Delta stencil paint (pic below of type I use) 

and stenciled on the cute primitive stars. This is where I will place my old nails. Right in the middle of the stars to make hangers.

And then I gave a fast, edging sand job to all the sides and a light sand to the front. Just to age it's look a bit. I like to sand just hard enough that it allows a bit of the burgundy to show. It looks great with the flat black. Great primitive colors if you ask me together.

Oh, i added two saw tooth hangers on the back, one at each end. Two because I want it strong, as I'll be hanging stuff on it in my booth until it sales.

Here is the one finished I did in flat black and Eggnog Yellow Stars:

Sold this in my Peddlers Mall Booth

$9.99 Thank you!

I also have smaller ones in my ebay shop from time to time.

Happy Crafting ya'll,

~Lisa

TOBACCO STICK STAR | DOOR WREATH

Here is my Tobacco Stick Star

I used some of the old tobacco sticks I had laying around.
 I had my husband nail them with a nail gun in the shape of stars.  

The basic star pattern, laid out on the ground. 

Here they are in full size, laid out. For this door star I had to cut the full size sticks down.

For decoration, I added a handmade bow and glued on some gold beads and here you have it.

But after looking at it with the beads, I really prefer it plain with some homespun ribbon instead of the fancy, gold bow.

It's for sale in my Peddlers Mall Booth #555

Price: $9.99 Sold 
THANK YOU!



Here are a few more tobacco stick stars that I made without anything fancy:

I just dry brushed on some red paint to the edges and added a grapevine wreath to the center

This is one plain before I did any painting or decorations. I sell them like this also. They are great hanging on barns and sheds.

Here is a larger tobacco stick star that I had him nail together so I could stick it around behind my flowers for interest. 

For those of you that don't know what a tobacco stick is. It is actual sticks that are sharpened to a point on each end. 

They were used when growing fields of tobacco. 
And after the cutting of the tobacco in the fields, the sticks (along with spears on the ends) would be shoved through the stalks of the tobacco, one by one, until the sticks were full of tobacco, and then that is how the tobacco was hung in the barns to cure.

Anyways, I cut the ends of each stick (because they are pretty long) and shortened them to make a small enough star for my door. 

DIY PRIMITIVE TIME OUT CHAIR

PRIMITIVE TIME OUT CHAIR

This chair was originally bright blue with rabbits and black/white checker pattern all on it. It was shew, ugly to say the least.

This color. This isn't the chair, but I bought a few things that day that were all the same theme.

I decided to make it into a “time out” children’s chair. Since it is just the right size. I once saw one of the “time out” chairs at a flea market in South Carolina and I loved the theme.

I don’t have kids however, so I don’t feel guilty to make one. lol.

I don't hardly ever find anything that I believe would look right with a willow tree on, but I decided to give this a shot, since the back is so high.

I just free handed one. But I'm sure there are tons of stencils on eBay if you don't want to try it.

And then while that dried, I used a large star stencil I had, and some Delta stencil paint and made the seat bottom design:

I also used a makeup sponge with some of the same color as the star, to rub on the edges of the chair. I think it gives it a little bit of a worn look and not so freshly painted.


I’m not loving this, but I do think it looks cute.

Since it's large and I don't want to ship from my online store, It’s being put up for sale in my Peddlers Mall booth.

For Sale in my BOOTH#555

Price: $24.99 Sold

Thank You!

PRIMITIVE SNOWMAN STARS

I picked up these cute little plain metal stars at the local sale.
And I decided to put some primitive looking snowmen on them.

Just kind of free hand them.

 And I took a little piece of crafters wire and simply tied on a hanger.

I love replacing the "coal buttons" with star buttons.
 I think it just makes it look more primitive.

These are for sale in my Peddlers Mall Booth #555.

Price: $2.99 each SOLD
THANK YOU!

PRIMITIVE CUBBY WALL SHELF

I picked this shelf up at the Preston Court Days in Preston, KY, for $5.00.

 It was an old, ugly 1980's blue!

I knew right off what I wanted it to look like.

And sadly I didn't even think to take a before picture before I started painting.

I hate when I do that! But it happens.

I painted it a flat black and made some fake scuffs using a yellow stencil paint.
If you don't have any, some good old sand paper will also do the trick.  It just takes a bit longer.

Then I put a stencil saying on the top for more detail.
 It says, "Primitives, Blessings from our Past"

I love it!  And btw, it is way heavier and larger than it appears!

Price: $29.99 SOLD in my Booth#555.
THANK YOU!