Hot Glue Archives - Pretty Handy Girl

arts and craft, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, Hot Glue

Easy Glittered Pinecone Door Hanger

how to make a glittered pine cone door hanger

Easy Glittered Pinecone Door Hanger

Hello, Pretty Handy Girl readers! Can you believe we are already one week into November! It is almost time to break out the Christmas decor, so I’m sharing a fun and easy craft to kick off your holiday decorating!

My favorite thing about Christmas is that I can decorate with lots of sparkle! I had a simple DIY wreath on my door last year but this year I wanted to do something a little different. I created this colorful glittered pine cone door hanger which has a tiny surprise hidden inside!

Ready to make your own Easy Glittered Pinecone Door Hanger? Let’s get sparkly.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

If you’re like me, you may have all the materials on hand – like the pine cones collected over various hikes, mason jar lids leftover from my desk organizer project and I always have glitter in my craft arsenal. Basically, this project could be free to make!

Instructions:

Before you start, be sure to clean your pine cones to get rid of all the bugs that might be lingering in them. I followed this tutorial.

Step 1 – Start by glittering the pine cones. The easiest way is to paint a bit of mod podge on the edges and sprinkle glitter over it. I have a short video showing how easy it is to do this!

Step 2 – Attach the glittered pine cones around the mason jar lid using hot glue.

Step 3 – Before adding the last pine cone, attach a bell to the mason jar lid using floral wire. Simply thread the floral wire through the bell and wrap it around the rim of the lid.

Step 4 – Finish the door hanger by adding one pine cone in the middle to cover up the rim and bell. Add a ribbon to hang it on your door.

Did you guess what the surprise was? The door hanger jingles every time the door moves! Isn’t it a beautiful sparkly way to greet visitors?!

What do you have on your door for the holidays?

~ View more of Anika’s DIY Tutorials ~

If you are looking for more pine cone project inspiration, I think you will love this DIY Pine Cone Garland!

November 8, 2017/3 Comments/by Anika Gandhi

Vintage Map Lampshade | Pretty Handy Girl

Do you want to update a plain vanilla lamp shade? Do you have a vacation you want to remember? You can do both with this vintage map lampshade!

The process to create a Vintage Map Lampshade is easy, especially if your lamp shade is close to a perfect cylinder. But, what do you do when you have a cone shaped shade? The instructions are a little more complicated, but I can show you how.

Pull up a seat and I’ll show you how to create a cool decorated lampshade. (Keep in mind you don’t have to use maps. You could use wallpaper, fabric, a poster, or anything you want!) Let’s do this.

During a trip to my local thrift store, I discovered an old atlas and knew I could use it for oodles of projects. As I walked out of the store a flood of ideas came to me. One of them was to make a Vintage Map Lampshade.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

To add a vintage glaze you will also need:

Paint brush
Mod podge
Cocoa acrylic paint
Cup to stir paint in
Stirring stick or palette knife

Instructions:

Start by selecting the maps or paper you want to use. Carefully cut them out along the spine using a fresh x-acto blade — don’t let your blade get dull. (I use a new one for each project. Your cuts are much cleaner when working with a fresh blade.)

Set your pages aside for now.

To make a template for your shade, roll out a large piece of craft paper. Lay your lampshade on the craft paper. Start at the vertical seam on the shade (to give you a visual of where to start and stop) and set your pencil along the bottom edge of the lampshade.

Gently roll the shade on the paper and mark along the bottom edge of the shade.

When you reach the end, reverse your shade and draw along the top edge. At the end, add an inch or two for overlap. Cut along the outlines to create your lampshade template.

Tape the template onto your lamp shade using the low tack tape. Make sure it fits snugly.

Trim any excess from the edge of your template. Should you choose, trim excess to allow room for the grosgrain ribbon.

Make sure your template fits perfectly before you proceed.

Lay out your craft paper template on top of the map pages. Make any adjustments to the page layout.

Tape your map pages together using clear packing tape on the inside only.

Trace the template on top of the map pages.

Cut out the shape along the pencil line.

Wrap the lampshade with your cut out map pages. Clip the edges with clothes pins.

Working in small 8″ sections, brush rubber cement onto the map and the lamp shade. Wait a minute or two for the glues to dry. Then press them together. This is the best way to get maximum adhesion when using regular rubber cement. It creates a stronger bond than just one coat applied and joined while it is still wet. Alternatively you could use spray adhesive (especially if you are using fabric.)

Continue by gluing another section until you reach the end. To finish the seams on the outside, brush some rubber cement under the seams where your maps overlap. Press and hold them down until the glue dries.

Add a Vintage Aged Glaze:

Time to give your maps a vintage aged look! Pour 2 parts mod podge into an empty cup. Add about 1 part cocoa paint. Mix them together. Test some of the glaze on a scrap piece of paper. If you like the glaze color, start brushing it onto the lamp shade. Be careful not to use too much of the glaze or the paper will start to wrinkle. (If it does, no worries, some of the wrinkles will come out when it dries. Any remaining wrinkles make it look old.)

Let the glaze dry.

Cut two strips of grosgrain ribbon the circumference of your lamp shade plus an inch for overlap.

Hot glue the ribbon onto the top and bottom edges of your lamp shade. (Please, please, protect your fingers, read my hot glue gun safety post before working with hot glue!)

Put your lampshade on your favorite lamp.

Admire your unique lamp shade that brings back fond memories of a special trip.

If you make one of these, what map would be on your’s? Your home state? The place you were born? Where your family’s heritage resides? Or something completely different? I would love to hear your ideas.

Did you like this tutorial? Want to learn how to revamp another lamp shade with paint chips!

The result are a beautiful ombré lamp that is fun and colorful.

March 17, 2017/75 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It, Decor Adventures, Electrical, Hot Glue, light fixture, nailgun

Make Your Own Light Fixture

Hello, it’s Jessica here from Decor Adventures. This month I have what came out to be one of my favorite projects to date. It’s how to make your own light fixture using just wood trim and wax paper, and I promise it will look great in any room in your house.

Everyone loves Pinterest for inspiration and ideas, and I’m no exception. I was looking through my pins the other day and saw this one of a stunning (and I’m sure expensive) light fixture. I instantly thought how easy it would be to DIY that light and set out getting my supplies ready.

Materials:
(contains affiliate links)

For Wood Frame

3/4″ x 1/2″ pine wood
Hand saw or Miter saw (or have it cut at the home improvement store)
9166 CORNER CLAMP
Nail gun and air compressor and nails
Spray paint
Old lamp shade or washer top of wire lamp shade frame
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Gorilla tape
Lampshade Pendant Kit

For Capiz Shells

Wax paper
Iron
Circle Punch
Sewing machine and thread
Scissors

Instructions

For this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make and attach the black wood frame to a light pendant kit after you make and put on the faux (wax paper) capiz shells. For a step-by-step of how to make the shells, see my post on how to make a wax paper capiz shell chandelier and follow the instructions on how to iron together the wax paper and sew them together.

How to make the wood “frame” for your light fixture:

Cut your 3/4″ pine trim into 12 pieces. Eight of them will be the same (shorter) length and 4 of them will be the same (longer) length. My pieces are 9 1/2″ and 14 1/2″. Make sure your 8 smaller pieces are the exact same length and same goes for your longer ones. If they aren’t, your 3-D frame will not fit together perfectly.

To assemble your boxes perfect for easier nailing, use a miter corner clamp. These are available at the home improvement store for about $25 and can be used for a lot of different projects. Insert two of your smaller pieces into each side of the clamp, making sure the ends line up.

Using your nail gun, nail into the wood to secure a corner.

Hang Art Without a Frame

One way to change the look of a space is to hang up new art. With so many attractive options for your walls, it’s easy to do. Posters, photos, wallpaper and other memorable art can look great, even without a frame. Having art framed professionally can get expensive. Even store bought frames can break your budget. But I have an easier way to hang art without a frame, and it will cost you less than $10.

These maps of Paris and Rome came from a local art supply store for only $5 each. Since they had been sitting in my closet for a while, I thought they would be perfect for this project and give new life to the living room. Each poster will have two pieces of trim, one along the top and one along the bottom.

Materials:

Poster
3/4″ wood
Drill and 1/16 drill bit
Small cup hooks
Small loop chain
Wire cutters
Gorilla tape
Paint and paint brush (optional)

Hang Stockings Without a Mantel

Hello, it’s Jessica here from Decor Adventures, back this month with a simple solution for holiday decorating. These days we see all kinds of lovely homes with Christmas stockings hung beautifully from the mantel or staircase. But what if you don’t have either in your home? I’ve come up with an easy way to display stockings that you can put together in less than an hour. Here is how to hang stockings without a mantel – frame them!

Materials:

Large empty picture frame
Foam board
Fabric
Chicken wire
Wire snips or sharp scissors
Gloves
Paint (optional)
S-hooks
Glazier’s points and tool (or a wide flat head screwdriver)
S hooks
Stockings

Instructions:

1. For this project you’ll use a large empty picture frame that doesn’t have glass. You can find them at thrift stores, craft stores, or just reuse one of your own. You can paint or stain the frame to your liking, but that is optional depending on your style.

2. Cut a piece of chicken wire one inch larger on all sides than the inside of your frame where the glass would rest. Make sure to wear gloves for this part as the wire can be sharp. Most chicken wire comes with natural lines where the wire is twisted. You can use those as your edges. If you want to spray paint the wire to blend in, that would create a nice look too.

3. Place the frame front side face down on a table and insert the wire into the back of the frame. Set that aside for the moment. Read more

December 3, 2014/by Decor Adventures