After I design a card, I usually put it in a basket of samples on my work desk. Then I forget how much I liked it until I’m rifling through the cards, looking for a layout to reuse. So I decided that I need a bulletin board type display area, on which I could easily swap out cards as I design. I don’t want to put holes in my cards, though, with tacks or metal clips, so I wanted to use clothespins.
I bought the largest barnwood open frame I could find (at Hobby Lobby with a 40 percent off coupon) and thought I was done. But then I remembered that I have a whole kit of Martha Stewart Glitter in about 20 colors that has been woefully under-utilized as most of my paper-crafting is done with Stampin’ Up! supplies. I immediately set out to rectify this!
I first covered one side of each clothespin with imitation Sticky Strip, 1/4” wide. I thought it looked better to do two short strips, leaving the spring arm exposed. It really was a quick process. Then I glittered them, four at a time, on scrap paper. After each color, I used the scrap paper to easily funnel the excess glitter back into the container. I used 6 colors of glitter and 24 clothespins…not the smallest I could find, but not regular clothespins, either. I found these at Michael’s in the unfinished wood section, about $3 for 24. They’re not quite 2 inches long.
To finish the frame, I stapled heavy hemp twine across, as tautly as I could get it, and tied each end in a knot around the staple. I dabbed a bit of E6000 on the knots and let it dry overnight.
I have way more glittered clothespins than I need, but wouldn’t they look cute holding a paper gift bag closed? Or a wrapped bouquet of flowers, attaching the card? Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.
This frame is one more aspect of my craft room to be organized. I’m pretty sure I’ll get the whole shebang just as I want it eventually. Most likely the week the movers come to pack us up for our next move. But a girl can dream!
Very clever. Yea, GI Joe might be right about the stretching, but I'm with you--easy to fix. If it does become a problem, how about stapling a bit of chicken wire to the frame? Then you could just hang the frame as normal and use the ribbon as decoration above it. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteSaw a couple of Pins you had for craft room ideas and I thought--gee, bet Mr. Wonderful could make those. Bet if you made him a couple of your wonderful dishes (or cookies ;))you could bribe him into makin' 'em for ya! But you have to come "home" first!!
I'd be more than willing to use cookie bribes! Our plan is to either add another bedroom upstairs on the side by you, shuffle the kids around, and that would leave the huge room the boys use for me...or we're going to build an outbuilding like Bill has. I think I'd rather be in the house, though, if possible. There's a big attic there, so I think we could add some dormers and it would work.
DeleteToo funny--did you know he built Bill's building? But I agree with you; I'd rather stay in the house, too.
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