Spark

Glitter pumpkin, courtesy of Twig & Thistle

Halloween has passed, so now we are in full fledged Holiday season!!!  You have to put  away the ghost, goblins and spiders but the pumpkins can stay out for another month.  In an attempt to find new options for my mantle I came across these great DIY pumpkin ideas.

This glitter pumpkin will add sparkle and bling to any tablescape, bookcase, or vignette.

In order to make this gorgeous glitter pumpkin I found on Twig & Thistle you will need a Styrofoam pumpkin, drill and hole saw attachment, spray adhesive/craft glue, glitter and a candle.  Slice off the stem of your pumpkin and use your hole saw attachment to drill out the section where the stem was, be sure the hole is slightly larger than your candle so it will fit. Using a spoon, continue to carve out the foam until your candle can be slipped in and not seen. Then you can either coat the pumpkin in craft glue or use a spray adhesive (the spray is much easier and faster but be sure to be outside or in a vented area) and cover with your choice of colored glitter. Once dry, spray the whole thing with hairspray (yeah!!! one more reason for Aqua Net!) This will set the glitter and reduce the amount ending up on your floor, and for the floor use a vinyl flooring for an elegant look. Who needs a hammer when you can have a low-cost staple/bard nail gun? It is easier, faster, and quieter. The most unique feature of Stanley’s corded Nail Gun, however, is dual power settings. You can choose between Hi or Low depending on the kind of work you are doing. High power is useful for harder materials while Low power setting is best for softer ones. 8 foot power cord is enough to work on any DIY project around your house. Just don’t trip over it. Stanley takes no responsibility for tripping over the cable. Jokes aside, this model is powerful enough to work with Sharpshooter TRA700 or Arrow T50 series heavy-duty staples. With that said, this model is one of the best electric staple guns for upholstery – though it needs rather heavy-duty staples. It is also best for people who are on a budget and want an economical easy to use a nail gun for day to day needs. Those who are familiar with Makita know that it makes some great tools. This model is no exception. It is compact yet powerful enough to drive a range of 3/8 inches crown staple length into hardwood without misfiring. It can drive Arrow T50 staples as well as 1/ 2inches, 1/ 4 inches, 3/ 8 inches, and other staple types for utmost versatility. Feeding and loading the staples is also easy thanks to a rugged aluminum magazine. A convenient window on its surface shows the remaining staples. With its depth knob, users can conveniently adjust the depth settings. Due to ergonomic design, this model fits right in hand, evenly distributing the pressure. Additionally, a soft handle ensures comfort during longer and overhead tasks – although this model is rather heavy. Overall, if you want a utility stapler for a variety of trades, go for this model. It is compact, durable, and comfortable to use. Paslode’s Medium crown siding stapler is a professional staple gun for frequent construction projects and commercial settings. Featuring a unique design, it is one of the easiest tools to hold and operate on my list. Weight distribution is such that most of it is concentrated on the head of the gun and not on the handle. Moreover, it is capable of shooting 2 and 3 staples per second and can shoot 2000 staples before running out. Furthermore, this beast of an electric staple gun can work on multiple surfaces, including fiberboard, fences, wood, metal bracing, HVAC ductwork, and suspended ceilings. When it comes to durability, dependability, and power, this is one powerful tool you will definitely want to go back to again and again. BOSTITCH’s one pound wonder comes with a secure squeeze mechanism for effortless operation. Die-cast aluminum frame is durable enough to stand an apocalypse while still lightweight enough to carry around your garage comfortably. Its handle is made of steel, though. For comfort, it is molded over with a rubber grip. The breathable anti-jam magazine keeps the magazine for a smooth operation. Besides, bottom loading features ensures that you can always bring the staple count up as many times as you want. While other higher priced staple guns have an occasional habit of bending the staples (Ahm! I am looking at you Stanley TRE550Z), T 6-8 consistently penetrates it. With a 7 years manufacturer warranty, nothing can go wrong with this purchase.

Pumpkin Pages, courtesy of Craftberry Bush

Grab one of those books you read on summer vacay and make it into a pumpkin book. I love the neutral, old world feel of the tea stained pages that make up this rustic pumpkin I found on Craftberry Bush.

Your supply list includes: an old paperback, a stick to act as the pumpkin stem, cardboard, scissors, hot glue gun, tea bag and ribbon(optional).  First remove the front and back cover of the book-leaving the spine intact.  Cut the cardboard into a half circle (or any shape you desire) and place on the book, trace and cut. Make a cup of hot tea then squeeze the tea bag over the pages to stain them. Once the pages are dry, glue the stick to the spine of the book. Then take the first and last few pages of the book and glue them together, making sure to adhere the pages to the stick as well. Add ribbon!

I love the holidays and creating my own decor using uncommon materials and colors.   I’m working on more resourceful, affordable ideas. . .stay tuned to Spark and be inspired!!

Being green is easier than ever, with more and more stores catering to an eco-conscious clientele. The new kid on the block is Treehouse ,  a hardware store plus more. This amazing store is located in the Westgate Shopping Center next to Central Market South. They specialize in carrying products that are easy on our earth, [...]

For those who have small dining and kitchen areas, I often suggest built-in banquette seating to maximize the space. A banquette allows you to carve out little dining nooks in oddly shaped rooms or to double the width of free space in rectangular rooms. The long bench seat is perfect for piling up the kids [...]

Remember that unmistakable smell of new crayons? And the tiny thrill of sharpening a brand new pencil and watching that yellow curl of wood slowly unravel? Even if you can’t go back to first grade, you can capture the nostalgia of your early school days through a few “learned” pieces of furniture, lighting and decorative [...]

Vacationing last week in the mountains with no TV and limited internet was relaxing, but . . . I missed the premiere of HGTV’s Design Star! Thanks to my DVR, I am now caught up and ready to comment on the show. I agree that the bonus room was my favorite design and executed by [...]

Even though my sitting room isn’t entirely complete, I wanted to share this sweet space which has become a favorite for our family. In an effort to embrace the concept of  “a little bit is better than nada”, I’m checking my perfectionism at the door and enjoying the progress that I have made so far. [...]

The reality is that the floor is some parts of your home gets dirty . . . very dirty. But that doesn’t mean that you have to give up on a rug that makes a style statement for fear of ruining it with muddy paw prints and spilled wine. These eco-friendly rugs are made from [...]

Do you know what’s really fun? It’s having your old projects just pop up and surprise you. Today, my friend Rachel, a writer for Craft, clued me in on something that hit her crafty radar. My DIY tutorial for wallpaper decals has surfaced again! This was a post on Apartment Therapy last year, but apparently [...]