Reuse ~ Repurpose: Week 7

Today's subject for reusing or repurposing is the old tea cup. I just luuuuv old tea cups! I have several stashed away in California that I didn't bring with me because of their delicate nature. I love using them for drinking out of, but after a few too many fixed cracks, there comes a time when some must be retired. So what about these ideas?

Image from thepeartree

At thepeartree, you can find a "how to" for making this lovely candle in a tea cup. A few of these on your table would make the perfect setting for a girlie get-together!

Image from HGTV

Alternately, you could put sweet little plants in your tea cups, like they show at Elizabethannedesigns. And if your tea cups and saucers are abundant, and no longer that usable, you could tackle a really cool project like a mosaic backsplash in  your kitchen! HGTV shows you how, here. I wanted to have my own examples for you, but strangely, the people in this town don't give up their teacups easily! I've been to a few second-hand stores, and haven't found many cool tea cups. I prefer the older, delicate and sweet tea cups, which remind me of a gentler age. 


Another cool idea is to turn the cup into a nightlight. On Etsy, Micah7 has some lovely ones!

You can find this violet light in Micah7's shop

Another lovely lighting idea found on SevenEight is this tea cup chandelier. You know how I love interesting lighting? Well this is really cool...

Made by Domestic Construction

However you choose to use your tea cups, old or new, don't they just remind you of simpler times? An age when people actually visited each other just to have tea together... when the lady of the house would get out her fine china, brew some delicious tea, make a few pastries or run out to the bakery for some, and set some flowers on the table, just for a visit with her friends. Very gracious and very welcoming. I love the sentiment that our friends are worth the time and effort. I don't think that we should let that go in these more modern and fast-paced times, do you?


What kinds of things do you do for your friends when they visit?

Reuse ~ Repurpose: Week 5

Finished Chandy for the bare bulb

This week's reuse/repurpose idea is a Found Glass & Crystal Chandelier. Do you have any bare bulb lamps in your home? I have this one in the hallway that we could never find the right sized cover for, as it's quite an old fixture, and we didn't want to do a completely new re-wiring job on it. I've wanted to do something interesting with it since moving in!

So... I had collected a bunch of heavy pieces of glass from the river that runs through town, over summer. I wasn't sure how I was going to use it, but I felt like it was a good thing, as I was picking up this junk out of the riverbanks, where it was possible that people or animals could get hurt. The interesting aspect of the glass was that the pieces were obviously very old, and some had become iridescent with a mineral patina. Also, you could make out words or letters on some of the bits, and with the odd shaped facets on some, well, I knew I'd figure out some way of using them!

To start, you need some wire, both for the base of the structure, and also to string together your glass. I used craft wire for the base, which I think is around 14 gauge.

I created this using the diameter of the throat of the bare bulb.

 Then you need the wire for stringing, and I used a 24 gauge craft wire, though I had all kinds of lighter gauge copper wire. The lighter gauge will be good for a lot of projects, but I felt the heavier, yet pliable, 24 gauge was perfect.

 I started by cutting a piece of the heavy gauge craft wire and making a sort of bracelet to go around the base of the bare bulb fixture that I wanted to make the chandelier for. Then I created the hook and loop using a pair of pliers.

 Next, I cut a length of the 24 ga. wire, and started to wrap a piece of the glass that I had gathered for the project. Be careful of your fingers, as this type of glass has sharp edges. However, if you use beach glass, you won't have to worry! I also used some crystal drops that I had found at yard sales and vintage stores throughout the years, to add some more standard-looking appeal to the piece.

Found glass bits & pieces

Starting a section of the drops

Wind however it feels best

 I made sure that each piece of glass was securely fastened by winding the wire around in different directions. I added curls of wire, here and there, where I wanted some more whimsy.

 I made about five or six drops that I hung from the supporting bracelet piece, and hung them on, spacing them around equally. At this point, the top looked a bit bare, so I made some strings of beads, glass, faceted crystals to loop fancifully around the top until it was as full looking as I wanted.

The nice thing about making your own "chandelier" to cover a bulb is that you can go as crazy as you want. Be sure to use materials that are safe getting heated next to a bulb. The bulbs I have are all eco-bulbs, and low-wattage, but you still need to consider this. Safety first!! I hope you've enjoyed this little project, and consider saving broken cut-glass bowls (safely) for goofy projects like this one! You could also just make a glass mobile or light-catcher for your backyard or anywhere you want to add some glittery, sparkly whimsy!