Handmade Holidays, Part 3

The Big Kid

My oldest son is 14. He is into gunsmithing, art, electric guitar, and whatever else strikes his fancy. We bought him a new guitar for his 14th birthday. Just the guitar, some picks, and an amp. No case, stand, or strap. So my thoughts are now running toward supplementing the guitar, because I simply cannot make a gun at home. :P

Picks are not expensive. They run around .50 for something cheap or up to $3 for something more elaborate. FYI, I also do not know that much about guitars, just what I've experienced, so don't judge me there. However, I find that running to the music store every couple of months to get new picks has gotten tiresome. They get lost, stolen (can you believe that?) or the puppy puts a few sharp tooth holes in the ones left laying. He also REALLY needed the stand because he has no place to store his guitar. I have been told that a strap is also very useful and saves on shoulder strain.

So we'll start with the picks. Unfortunately, all I could find about duct tape picks was how to wrap a purchased pick in duct tape. Kind of defeated my purpose. But I did find some really great ideas on how to make picks from credit cards, old gift cards, CDs, DVDs, and anything else flat, plastic, and cut-able.

Cards:



DVDs:


Now I don't recommend going out to buy a pack of DVDs or CDs, but if you have any lying around that are scratched or broken, this is a great way to recycle them and find another useful purpose. It would take just a few minutes and you could have quite a few that you're not too worried about losing!

The second project is a guitar stand. There are a few different ways of doing this, but my favorite actually puts my minimal wood-working skills to the test. I found one good video, which I don't have the fancy wood working machines for, but I think I could do a fair job with a drill and some other hand tools.



Last but not least, I needed to find something for the strap. Straps run about $11 and up, so not too terribly expensive, but again, multiply that times 5 kids and we need to cut some costs somewhere! So I had 4 possible choices. 1. Knit it (takes too long and looks weird on a guy) 2. sew it (have about 3 projects already on the machine) 3. make a knotted guitar bar with rope (rope is expensive, need a lot, and takes too long) 4. duct tape! (guess which I chose?)



Well, I hope I have given you a few ideas today and maybe some new uses for duct tape. Yes, my family will probably receive a lot of duct tape gifts, but you gotta admit, they're pretty cool! And it's the thought that counts, right? :)

Spring Break is over - but not at Artfire

Well, we made it through spring break. I traded my sister three girls for her two boys. So yesterday I had four boys here at the house and she had five girls at hers. The played dress up and watched princess movies. The boys? We had pizza for dinner and watched tv. I was sitting in the living room tatting when they woke up the next morning. I hear their little voices start talking about the dinosaur pictures on my sons' bedroom wall.  I smile at the cuteness. Then I hear the conversation turn from dinosaurs to farts. Had to roll my eyes at that point. I knew I was in a house full of boys! So we ended spring break on a really cool note. Here are some Artfire items to help you end YOUR spring break.
MoonofGlass

Can't you just see this vase with a bunch of wild flowers in it? I mean the hand-picked kind your kids can't resist plucking from the ground and handing to their queen mother. Usually dandelions and small weed-like flowers that no one else wants, but is a perfect gift for mommy. This is certainly above weed status, but would hold all that love just perfectly!










LynetteSadowyStudios

These are some of the most exquisite hand-painted wine glasses I've ever seen. They have beautiful white roses and the words "live, love, laugh" on them. My husband and I will celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks. These would be such a beautiful addition to our celebration!










Mygabbysattic

Now that spring break is over, get out this beautiful cupcake stand, whip up a batch of ooey, gooey, cupcakes, frost them with some decadent frosting, put them on this plate, and enjoy all for yourself! Ah, yes, heaven. The best part - upcycled glass. The dome is so that you can cover them and admire them whilst you eat the others. ;-)










RusticWonders

A perfect display for all those breakable fairy and miniature collectibles we all have. Maybe it would even provide a buffer zone so they don't get knocked off the shelf! These beautiful wooden mushrooms would make a fabulous addition to your fantasy collection.











ParadisePotpourri

Chocolate AND coffee in one wondrous collection of scented yum! Scent makes such an impact on our lives. I would think that just this combination would make for an eye-opening morning and a dreamy day.












greggsgoodies

And summer is coming. That wondrous time of the year when kids are out of school for months at a time. Hang this picture in your den to remind yourself that there ARE idyllic moments that we will never forget. Moments that will live on in our memories - even after all the "things" have disappeared. We won't remember the broken television (maybe) or grandma's antique vase that was smashed into 5 kabillion pieces (most likely). Like a photo, the good stuff will live on and we will appreciate the grandkids.