Use Proxxon Tools to Create a Rustic Patriotic Hanger

With Memorial Day coming up and Fourth of July here in no time, you can be ready with this rustic patriotic hanger. It's easy to make, and it is a good project for using up scraps

Supplies I Used:

• 8" x 12" piece of ½" or ¾" wood (I used a pieces of ¾" plywood)
• 3" x 7" piece of 1/8" craft plywood
• 4' wire
• 2 eye screws
• Quick drying white glue
• FolkArt Ultra Dyes by Plaid Enterprises (blue and red)
• FolkArt Acrylic Paint by Plaid Enterprises (white)

Proxxon Tools I Used:

• Table Saw FET
• Scroll Saw DSH/E
• Professional Rotary Tool IBS/E with Drill Stand MB 200
• Delta Sander OZI/E

Instructions for Making the Hanger:

1. Mark the 8" x 12" piece of wood using the following dimensions. 
   
    
2. Use the Table Saw FET to cut these pieces. Adjust the blade height according to the thickness of your wood. The blade should be just a bit higher than the wood to ensure the saw cuts all the way through the wood.
   


3. Using the Professional Rotary Tool mounted on the drill stand, drill holes as indicated on the diagram in Step 1. The holes in the red and white pieces are centered and ¼" from the top of the piece. The center hole in the blue piece is at 3½" and the holes on the right and left are 1¼" from each end. Two additional holes are drilled in the top of the blue piece 1½" from each end for the eye screws.
   
   

   
   
   
4. Using the Scroll Saw DSH/E, cut the three stars.
   
   
   
5. Use the Delta Sander to smooth any rough edges.
   


6. Paint the blue and red pieces using FolkArt Ultra Dyes and the stars and white piece using white Folkart Acrylic Paint that has been thinned with water.
   


7. Finish with a coat of Ultra Dye Varnish.
   


8. Glue the stars in place. 


9. Cut three 12" pieces of wire to attach the red and white pieces to the blue piece. Insert an end of wire through the front of each piece, and twist the ends together on the back. Trim excess wire. 


10. Insert screw eyes in the top of the blue piece, and thread a length of wire through them for hanging.

Now you're ready to decorate for our patriotic holidays.

I Love You A Latte

Hello friends. Larissa here with you today. There is something about chalkboard signs that I love. Then you throw in a verse on Coffee and it makes it even better. Today I cut a piece of wood for a chalkboard sign for my coffee bar.

I used:

Proxxon Tools Scroll Saw DSH/E 

A scrap piece of plywood

Chalkboard Paint

Various Colors of Acrylic paint
Paint Brushes

I used the Scroll Saw to cut a circle type edge on the corners of the piece of plywood. I did not draw it out I just eyeballed it. Which you will see my eyes must have been off a little. :) 

I painted 2 coats of black chalk paint on the wood. 

I let it dry completely which actually took about 20 to 30 minutes. I then did the lettering and finished off with painting the coffee cups. 

I let it dry completely a few hours and then added it to my coffee bar. 

Let me tell you. This was so easy and I am really loving this Scroll Saw. I did use paint on this board but you could very well use chalk pens and change the saying on it regularly.

I hope you enjoyed my post today.
Have a wonderful day friends.

Larissa Pittman Muffins and Lace 

What's Spring without a birdhouse made with Proxxon Tools?

For my project I've made a gourd birdhouse using some of my Proxxon Tools ! I am not in the habit of making birdhouses out of gourds because I feel there are so many other things that I can use my gourds on. However, I recently moved and felt like I should make a gourd birdhouse and put it in the backyard of the house.

Items Needed In This Project: 

Proxxon Gourd Saw
Proxxon Drill
1 Birdhouse (or bottle) gourd
Brown or Tan Ink
Acrylic Paints
Dowel
Wire

This gourd birdhouse was very easy to make and even a novice can do it.

These are the tools needed.

I started out by drilling a hole in the front of the gourd toward the bottom. I tried to pick a spot where the gourd started to curve under so that water wouldn't run directly into the gourd when it rained. I then shook what seeds and insides wanted to fall out right away and left the rest for the birds to use in their nest making.

I also drained holes into the bottom of the gourd so that water would drain out in case water did get into the gourd. I also drew a type of pattern of flowers around the gourd to paint later.

The next thing I did was to use the ink on my gourd to help give it a more uniform look. I then took out my paints and painted the flowers. Once this was done I drilled two holes in the top of the gourd  and put my dowel through and wired up a hanger. All done!

Except you must put several coats of sealer on the outside of the gourd to keep it from ruining your first year having it in your garden.

See, you know this is something you could do! Especially with the Proxxon Tiny Tools and your imagination!!!

Barbara

Decorative Plant Stand

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here today with a fun decorative plant stand that could also be used as a stool.

I found this wood stand and began by using the Proxxon Delta Sander to sand down the edges. 

Next I painted the stand with Plaid Milk Paint in Jamestown Blue (on the top) and Meeting House Blue (on the base).

Once dry, I re-sanded and re-painted the stand. 

I wanted to decorate the top so I cut a heart from a sheet of Smoothfoam using the Proxxon Hot Wire Cutter.

Painting the heart with Plaid Coastal Texture Paint in Sand Dollar, I used the heart as a stamp and stamped a heart in each corner.  I also painted Sand Dollar within the hearts of the base.

I love the different hearts achieved with the texture paint.

What do you think?

Using the Thermocut to Make a Self-watering Planter from a Water Bottle

With Easter and Mother's Day right around the corner, this self-watering planter makes a great gift. And, since it recycles a plastic water bottle, it helps keep trash out of landfills—a gift to our environment.

Supplies and Equipemnt for the Self-watering Planter

• Plastic water bottle with a tapered neck
• 10" length of cotton kitchen twine
• FolkArt Painted Finishes by Plaid Enterprises
• Hot glue and glue gun
• Proxxon Thermocut
• Ribbons and tulle for the bow. (See the full tutorial on making the bow on the Bowdabra blog.)

Instructions for Making the Planter

1. Cut the neck from the water bottle.

1. Cut the cap from the water bottle.

1. Paint both sections with your choice of FolkArt Painted Finishes. It comes in rust, moss, concrete, and barnwood. I selected the Concrete Painted Finishes.
   
2. When the paint is dry, use low temp hot glue to attach the kitchen twine to the inside of the neck section. This will serve as a wick to draw water from the lower reservoir section to the plant in the upper section.
   
3. Add a bow to the bottom (water reservoir) section of the planter. (See the full tutorial on making the bow on the Bowdabra blog.)
   
4. Plant herbs or flowers in the top (neck) section of the bottle. 
5. Fill the bottom with water and place the top section into the bottom.

A Beautiful Trinket Box made with Proxxon Tools

I recently decided to use my Proxxon Tools to create a really beautiful trinket box. I also used some Plaid Color Shift  Aqua to give it a tremendous pop of color. The pictures that I have here cannot even begin to show you just how beautiful the Plaid Color Shift really is.

The items used in this project were: 

Proxxon Gourd Saw
Plaid Color Shift Aqua
paint brush
Plaid Mod Podge
Napkin
Two embellishments
Tools to clean the inside of the gourd

I started out by cutting a line out around the gourd with a small cut out piece that would help someone find the front easily.

This is what the nasty inside looked like once it was opened up. Once I opened the gourd I had to clean out all of that yuckiness inside which was actually a bit easier than usual. When I had the inside cleaned out well, I then painted the inside of the gourd with plain white acrylic paint. Once that was dry I decopauged  some pretty butterfly print napkin on the inside which turned out like this:

Isn't that a pretty napkin? I then got out my gorgeous Plaid Color Shift Aqua and painted both the top and bottom of the gourd, not leaving out the edge of the gourd that touched when closed. This color is just really awesome and taking a picture of it doesn't begin to do it justice to the light playing off of it.

Once this paint was dry I then attached a knob for a handle and an embellishment on the cut out piece so that it looked like the front of the gourd. With the lid on it looked amazing! I think you could add some more embellishments to this piece but you wouldn't be able to see all of that glorious Plaid Color Shift paint that is on it.

I can see someone putting their trinkets inside this gourd "box". I'm here to tell you that I enjoy my Proxxon Tools and am so happy that I got to try out the Plaid Color Shift Paint.

Please let me know what you thought of this project.

Barbara

Home Wall Hanging

Hi everyone Steph Ackerman here and since we still don't have any signs of Sping, I thought I'd create a new sign to hang in my studio.

Supplies:

Proxxon Tools:  Delta Sander, Hotwire Cutter

Smoothfoam - Foam Sheet

Plaid FolkArt Brushed Metal Paint - Black, Brushed Gold

Plaid FolkArt Coastal Texture Paint - Sand Dollar, High Tide, Sea Mist

Plaid FolkArt Color Shift Acrylic Paint - Green Flash, Purple Flash

Unity Stamp Co. - At Ground Level, Little Haven

Makin'sⓇ Clay 

Robin's Nest Dew Drops

I began by sanding the wood panel with the Delta Sander, my go to sander. 

Next I painted the panel with 2 colors of the new FolkArt Coastal Texture Paints - Sea Mist and High Tide, blending them where they met.   The paste-like texture created a nice effect on the wood panel.

To simulate clouds I used FolkArt Coastal Texture Paint in Sand Dollar - dabbing it randomly on the panel.

I wanted to add a house to the panel so I traced one onto a panel of Smoothfoam.

 Using the Hotwire Cutter, I quickly and easily cut out the house.

Next, I stamped a house on the Smoothfoam panel with black ink.  I then used the Hotwire Cutter to cut more precisely around the stamped house.   The Hotwire Cutter does an amazing job!

I used Plaid FolkArt Brushed Metal paints in Brushed Gold and Black to paint the Smoothfoam house.

I stamped a tree on the wood panel, then added color using FolkArt Color Shift Paint in Green Flash.  I added additional color to the house with Purple Flash then adhered the house to the sign. 

Using Makin'sⓇ Clay, I created flowers.  After stamping green stems on the panel, I placed the flowers on top.  Dew drops were added to the flower centers.  Finally, I die cut a butterfly from Makin'sⓇ Clay and placed it on the tree.

I die cut the numbers and added them to the panel.

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by.

Steph

~Its Your Destiny~ Designing with Copper Disks and Proxxon Tools by Sherri Welser

~Its Your Destiny~ 

Designing with Copper Disks

In this new Design Team project for Proxxon Tools create these beautiful copper disks to add to any jewelry piece! I love to mix metals and had these 2 empty bangles that I had added verdigris patina to but didn't add anything else yet. I had a sheet of copper metal and decided to use my disk cutter to cut the round disks out and the Proxxon Drill Press ( TBM 115) to drill the holes for the jump rings. So lets have some fun making these unique copper disks!

~Supplies~ 

Proxxon Drill Press TBM 115

drill bits for the size of the hole you are wanting

Disc cutter for the circles

Copper sheet~24 gauge

Sizzix Big Kick for metal embossing

Embossing folders

Rust Patina

sand paper

jump rings ( 6 mm) approx 10-12

Assorted jewelry pieces, crystals,inspirational word charms,unique charms etc

Bangle of your choice to add the jewelry items  onto

1)Start by using the disc cutter to cut your copper disks. Lightly sand the sides smooth.

2) Using your embossing folder place the metal disc in the folder and roll through the Big kick.  

3) Apply the Rust Paste  to the discs and let dry

4)Using the Drill press drill small holes at the top of each disc and some at the bottom for added interest.

This rust paste is a very unique way to add rusty texture to the copper.

4) Add the jump rings to your jewelry charms and copper discs and attach to the bangle. If you have added an extra hole at the bottom of a disc then at this time add the jump ring and the crystal.

This is such a fun creative process to add something special to a plain ole' copper disc!

Have fun!