Monthly Archives: April 2011

Repurposed Planters

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Posted by on in outdoors

If you’ve been to Re-Nest lately you’ve surely noticed all the incredibly creative and cute repurposed planters. Here are some of my favorites I’ve seen thus far:

Image: besserina

Image: CantyShanty

Image: Make Things Go



Image: The Micro Gardener



Of course there are also tons of great decorative pots that would look divine alongside these planters.

Target

Seriously, I wish I had a yard.  Do you have a yard…tell me about your yard. 

What are your planting plans this summer?  Are you going for new herbs and veggies or new planters?  Are you raising chickens? 

Bolefloor

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Posted by on in Design

I found a link to a gorgeous new flooring product called Bolefloor today.  These naturally-curved tongue and groove floorboards are my latest obsession.  The company claims the “are available at a price not considerably more than today’s fine wood flooring.”  Doubtful. 

Regardless of the price, these babies are still going on my Things I’ll Never Have wishlist.  Here are some pictures to look at and lust over for those floor fanatics out there.

 

Anyone else want to rip out their flooring and replace it with these?
Photos courtesy Bolefloor.

Handmade Solar Lights

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Posted by on in green, outdoors

I came across a post this weekend on The Hand Me Down House on how to make solar lights out of mason jars. You may recall that I did a post several weeks ago on this as well (see Mason Jar Lights). Despite the fact that we don’t really have a yard, I still really want to make these.  After looking at the various methods I think I’ve settled on this one.

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 Box of wide mouth mason jars (12 jars for around $8)
Outdoor Mod Podge
Food coloring
Paint brush and paper towels
Solar lights (found at your local hardware store)

Step 1: Pour about a 1/4 cup of Outdoor Mod Podge onto a plastic plate and add 5 – 7 drops (depending on how light or dark you want your color) of food coloring. Note: Hand Me Down House used McCormick’s Neon Food Coloring. Mix together with a paint brush then paint the jars and let sit for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Take a paper towel and crumple it up. Dip it into the Mod Podge mixture and stipple the jar until you get the desired look.  The color will seem bright at first but will mellow after it seals.
Step 3: Once the jars are dry, add the solar lights. Twist off the light fixture leaving the solar top and light. Insert the solar top in the jar and voila, it’s complete!

Step 4 (optional): if you’d like to make it a hanging light you can wrap wire around the lid & hang it.

Here are a few photos of the final product.
Don’t they look great? Since the weather has switched from chilly to tropical here in DC I have a growing urge to do outdoor projects.  After I order some of the outdoor mod podge online I will definitely be making these–even if I don’t have a yard.  So which member of my family wants to test these out after I make them? :)
Have you tried making solar lights yet?
UPDATE: I made these and though they originally looked great, the paint came off after it rained. Booo!
All photos courtesy The Hand Me Down House.