Projects

DIY Marble Epoxy Pumpkin Chargers

November 25, 2020 by Cara Leave a Comment

Hey there! It has been so hard to get into fall and winter crafty projects since it has been nothing but HOT here! Lol! I want some COLD weather already!! If you are having cold weather, send me some, pretty please!! No matter the weather, the days don’t stop so I still have to force myself into projects like these beautiful DIY marble epoxy pumpkin chargers!

Aren’t they the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?! 😜

Well let me tell you, I need someone to come take the epoxy away from me! Lol! I am making ALL the marble epoxy projects this week! And hexagons, someone come take the 30-degree marker off my saw to keep me from making any more hexagon projects! 😂😂

See the hexagon napkin rings in the photos?!

They are so inexpensive, easy to make, and can go with ANY table setting you create!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you saw a year or so ago, I shared making a marble epoxy countertop pour that I was INTRIGUED by! I have been wanting to create faux marble epoxy projects of all kinds ever since, and in the last few days, I have fulfilled this desire! 😅 Wanna see all the marble epoxy projects?

DIY Marble Epoxy Hexagon Chargers (coming soon)

DIY Marble Epoxy Hexagon Coasters (coming soon)

DIY Marble Epoxy Hexagon Napkin Rings (coming soon)

I LOVE all the marble epoxy and would be happy to receive any of these projects as a gift! Not only is it a handmade gift, but it looks REALLY good too! And marble is so expensive that this is a WONDERFUL alternative! From hostess gifts to actual Christmas gifts, you will want to grab a couple of bottles of epoxy resin and get busy!!😍

Could you imagine an ornament just like this for a Christmas table setting, they could be red and green marble, or solid red and solid green…the ideas just run amuck in my mind!! SO. MANY. IDEAS.😂🤓

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Okay back to the tutorial for the DIY marble epoxy pumpkin chargers! Here’s the PUMPKIN PATTERN if you want to cut your own! But you could also make squares, circles, hexagons (as I did), or any other shape you can cut! Dream up something amazing, just make sure to share it with me!😊 I LOVE seeing your ideas and projects!

Materials for DIY Marble Epoxy Pumpkin Chargers:

-3/4″x4’x4′ project panel plywood (easily makes 9-10 pumpkin chargers)

–scroll saw or jigsaw

–epoxy resin – this is the one I used, this is a great deal on Amazon as I paid the same at Hobby Lobby but had to pay an additional 12 dollars for the mixing measure cups! Also if you want to make more than 6 you can buy 2 sets, but I think I would just order a larger set, you can get 2 gallons for 70 bucks…you know how many epoxy pours you can do with that?!😍

–white matte acrylic paint (or whatever color you want as your base color)

–gray spray paint (or whatever color you want to accent with)

-paper plate

-paintbrush – cheap…does NOT need to be quality, the cheaper the better so you can trash it when done!

–lighter or torch

-plastic drop cloth (I used an outdoor trash bag)

Making DIY Marble Epoxy Pumpkin Chargers

Cutting the Pumpkin Shape out of Plywood

I used plywood simply because I had a lot of smaller pieces that were scrap, and the pumpkin pattern is about 14″x14″ so there isn’t any off the shelf lumber that will accommodate the pattern!

You will need to print the pumpkin as a poster, this will tile the pumpkin on multiple pages so that it will be the correct size! If you haven’t downloaded the pattern yet, here it is! PUMPKIN CHARGER PATTERN

You will then tape the pumpkin pages together.

Using painter’s tape, cover the plywood where the pumpkin pattern is going to be placed. Then spray the back of the pumpkin pattern with adhesive, and stick it to the painter’s tape! This keeps the plywood from becoming sticky from the pattern!

Using a scroll saw or jigsaw, cut out the pumpkin shape!

Sand the edges to make it smooth, also try and lightly round over the edges of the pumpkin to help the epoxy flow over the edge!

Paint your pumpkin edges or the whole thing, whatever color you plan on pouring over your pumpkin. I painted mine white because I was pouring white over it! Make sure you paint the edges well if you don’t want to see the plywood through the epoxy! Lol! Again, just ask me how I know?!😬

Setting Up to Pour Epoxy

You will need to set up your space to keep from making a huge mess! I used a contractor bag instead of a drop cloth, because crazy as it is, the epoxy comes straight off and I can still use the bag! Lol!

Set scrap boards or anything really to create a dam to keep the epoxy from running off the table. Place them under the drop cloth or trash bag!

Set your pumpkin up on something, I used painter’s triangles for some and also just quart paint cans…they both work great! You just want the epoxy to be able to run off the edges, if you don’t lift it up, it will dry looking like your pumpkin melted 😂 and that is not the look we are going for!

Pouring the Marble Epoxy Over the Pumpkin

Mix the epoxy just as the directions tell you, usually a 1:1 ratio…basically, however much you pour of part A, you match with part B, it’s pretty simple! For each pumpkin it will take 5 oz. so you will mix 2 1/2″ ounces of A and 2 1/2″ ounces of B. If you are doing all your pumpkins at once, you can use a measuring bucket instead of the little cups and mix enough for all of them at once!

Add the acrylic paint to your mixed epoxy resin and stir the paint until it’s all white or whatever color you are going for. Then…drumroll, please…POUR THE EPOXY!!

It is sooooo satisfying!! Start in the middle and only pour a little, so you can see how fast…or slow it flows. Depending on the speed, you may want to pour around the edges, but no matter where you pour it, you can use a popsicle stick to spread it around, or a gloved hand, paintbrush, etc.

Once the pumpkin is covered with epoxy and flowing over the edges, rub around the edges making sure to cover all of it. You will notice it drips in certain areas but not others, that is why you rub around the edge to make sure it flows over everywhere and covers.

Creating the Marble Veins in the Epoxy

Next, you will spray a little spray paint onto the paper plate and use your paintbrush to create the marbling in the epoxy. This will take just messing with it to find the pattern you like most. Marble comes in so many variations, you really can’t mess it up!

I just keep working the gray and adding more streaks where I want them!

You have about 15 minutes to play with the marble veins and then you risk divets in the finish. Don’t overthink it! And what you see when you walk away, will not be the exact finished project, the paint will settle and lighten slightly!

Lightly run a torch or lighter (torch works best) over the top of the epoxy after you have it how you like it just to get out any air bubbles! Don’t get too close with a torch or stay in one spot too long or it will create a bunch of tiny air bubbles where it pretty much boils the epoxy! Lol!

Let it sit overnight and in the morning, come check your masterpiece! Make sure you keep your pets away from the area and ask the bugs to stay away as they can ruin a project real quick! Oy!

Finishing the Marble Epoxy Pumpkins

There will be drips on the bottom of the pumpkins, you can sand them off or just leave them as I did! They weren’t noticeable so I left them, if I were giving them as a gift I would probably try to wipe the bottom at the hour mark to try to keep from creating them, or sand them off…but I am not worried about them for me!

Last, I covered my pumpkin and used painter’s tape to tape off the stem, then spray painted it gold just to give it that little touch to match the other gold in my table setting!

And they are DONE! Set the table, break out the fine china…it looks like you have MARBLE PLATE CHARGERS…you FANCY!!!😉

The ideas are absolutely ENDLESS when it comes to what you can make with the marble epoxy!! I mean, I could marble epoxy EVERYTHING…and I just might if someone doesn’t take it away from me!😂😂

What ideas do you have for DIY marble epoxy projects? Let me know in the comments below! Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Thanks for stopping by!

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DIY Hinges Made From Dowel and Pipe

November 22, 2020 by Cara Leave a Comment

So you built the DIY TV Stand and now you want to add the doors, here’s where I show you how to take an oak dowel rod and a little copper pipe and turn them into DIY hinges for your media cabinet!

I even have a video for you guys to go along with this post…but I have to admit, it is not the best! 😅 I am still working on figuring out a way to make videos without having someone stand behind the camera…and it’s not easy! I get working and get into my own little world and forget that I am needing to show every little step, and before I know it, I’m done and the video caught very little of what I did! Lol! It should be posted here tomorrow!

Materials for DIY hinges:

**Note Amazon links below are affiliate links! Affiliate links show that you came from my website and pays me a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase after clicking an Amazon link! I appreciate it any time you make purchases from a link of mine! It makes me do a happy dance!😉

-1 – 1/2″ x 4ft oak dowel rod (you definitely want oak or hardwood, not pine)

-1 –1/2″ x 2ft copper pipe

-1 – 5/8″ pine dowel rod – shortest length you can find, it’s only for capping off the top.

-1 – spare dowel rod, smaller than 1/2″ to use to measure the depth of holes, you won’t cut this one, it’s only to measure!

–1/2″ Forstner bit

–5/8″ Forstner bit

–epoxy

–drill

-saw

–pipe cutter

–square

CUT LIST:

There really isn’t a set cut list because, on your dowel rods, you will have to measure how deep you drill your holes into the cabinet and into the doors, plus 1/8″ to get your measurements! This will vary trust me, some were only 2 1/8″ and others were 3 1/4″! LOL! I was a little more heavy-handed with the drill bit on some more than others!😳

With the pipe it is the same, you will have to cut your pipe based on the depth of holes drilled into the cabinet!

Making Your DIY Hinges from Dowel and Pipe

Drill holes in the bottom of the media cabinet

Drill 4 – 5/8″ holes along the bottom 2×4 of the media cabinet. Mark 1 1/4″ from the leg (2×4 @ 34 1/2″ board) and 3/4″ from the front of the 2×4, place an X. You will drill right smack in the center of the X! Go about an inch or so deep.

*When it is zoomed in to see the spacing of the hole, you can’t really see where the hole is on the cabinet so as you scroll the next three photos, it’s just zooming out!

Cut Pipe to Fit in Holes

After drilling all four holes along the bottom, use the copper pipe and stick it in each hole to mark where to cut the pipe! Each of mine was different measurements! Lol! Using the pipe cutter, cut your pipe to size.

Don’t mind that I had to take screenshots from my phone! Lol!

Epoxy Pipe in Place

Using a fast dry epoxy that mixes itself, I lightly smeared it on the inside of the hole and stuck the pipe in the hole to set. I also added a small amount to the very bottom of the hole to create a hard surface for the dowel rod to rotate on, since pine is a softwood, I didn’t want the dowel to wear it down with every turn and then the door sink down the 1/8″ that we have spaced to hold it up and rub on the bottom!

I didn’t plan on it, but I ended up letting the epoxy sit overnight to make sure it was hardened in the bottom of the hole and I am glad I did, you don’t want your dowel stuck in the epoxy if it happens to not be dry all the way!😆 Granted, I used the epoxy at like 9 pm, so it was only 12 hours or so, not 24!

Drill Holes in the Bottom of the Doors

After the bottom pipe is set, you have to drill holes in the bottom of the doors. Measure your bottom holes again, we know the holes were SUPPOSED to be at 1 1/4″ and 3/4″ but sometimes the actual holes are a little off…oh that only happens to me?! Skip this step if that doesn’t happen to you as well! 😂🤔

Measure to make sure where your holes ended up, and from the 1 1/4″ measurement, subtract 3/16″. This will give you a 3/16″ gap for the door to swing.

If you only do 1/8″ on the spacing here, the door will rub, it still works, but rubs! Ask me how I know! Oy! Yes, the first door that I did at 1/8″ rubs, so I moved the others the extra 1/16″ and it worked perfectly!

Let’s say your measurement that was supposed to be 1 1/4″ was actually drilled at 1 3/16″ inches to center, you will mark to drill the hole in your door at 1″, and 3/4″. Drill the hole in the door with a 1/2″ drill bit…NOT THE 5/8″ DRILL BIT. Why do I stress this in all caps? You guessed it, I drilled my first door with the 5/8″ drill bit that was already in my drill…LIKE AN IDIOT!!😂😂🙈 Nothing that a little epoxy and toothpicks couldn’t fix but save yourself the trouble, grab the 1/2″ drill bit!!!😅

Measure to Cut Dowel Rod for Bottom Doors

Okay, now you will use the small dowel rod again and stick it into the bottom hole in the cabinet, measure. Add 1/8″ to that measurement. Stick the small dowel rod into the door and mark the dowel, measure that…and add the number you had from the cabinet and 1/8″ to this number. This will be the measurement for your 1/2″ oak dowel rod that will be glued inside that door.

So let’s say your hole in the cabinet is 1″, plus the 1/8″ = 1 1/8″ then let’s say the depth of the hole in the door measures 1 1/4″, your total size to cut your dowel rod for that door is 2 3/8″ long.

Once it’s cut, you can glue it in the door and test it. You will have to pound it into the hole with a hammer and a scrap wood block. I cut mine a hair on the long side just in case, you can easily cut it down while it’s in the door but it’s a lot harder to pull it out and cut a new one.

Check the spacing, you are looking at the spacing between the top of the door and the cabinet and the bottom of the door and the cabinet. You are also checking the space on the left or right of the door (whichever is the hinge side) making sure it isn’t too close or too far away from the cabinet leg.

If all the spacing looks good, you will want to drill the holes in the top of the cabinet.

Drilling the Holes in the Top of the Media Cabinet

You will want to mark the holes on the top the same as the bottom, the only problem is, the top doesn’t have a 2×4 on its side, you are drilling through the face of the 2×4. Luckily, using a square you can manage to mark it the same as the bottom.

Make sure and use a scrap piece of wood clamped to the top of the cabinet to keep from having rough holes on the top of the cabinet.

Drill the holes!

I had to use an extender only because my shelf was in the drill’s way, if you have already notched the shelf as it is shown in the media cabinet plans, you shouldn’t need an extender!

Epoxy Pipe in Top of Media Cabinet

Once the top cabinet holes are drilled, you can epoxy the pipe in the top holes just as you did in the bottom. You know the holes are drilled 1 1/2″ deep but you will want the pipe set down a 1/4″ or so so that you can cap the hole with a 5/8″ dowel and not see any of the pipe or hole! So cut 4 pipe pieces at 1 1/4″ and epoxy in place!

Drilling the Holes in the Top of the Doors

Allow the epoxy to set. Then place the doors back in place, line them up and drill through the top of the cabinet into the door with your 1/2″ drill bit. Drilling the door holes this way helps ensure the holes are lined up!

Measuring to Cut Dowel Rods for Top Doors

Using a long dowel rod not cut to size yet, you can check the door and see how it’s going to look!

Now using the small dowel rod, measure how deep you drilled the holes into the top of your doors, add 1/8″ and add 1 1/4″ to that measurement!

Let’s say you drilled into your door 1 1/8″, add 1/8″ to that = 1 1/4″ then add + 1 1/4″ = 2 1/2″, you would cut your 1/2″ oak dowel at 2 1/2″ and glue it into place from the top of the cabinet! You will have to hammer it into place using another piece of the dowel so that you can hammer it into the hole…if that makes sense!

Cover the Holes in the Top of the Media Cabinet

Once you have hammered the dowel rods into place in the top, you will cut 1/4″ pieces of 5/8″ pine dowels to cover the holes in the top. Make sure and use wood glue, but don’t gob it on, keep it minimal so it doesn’t squeeze out on top! Stain the dowel! BOOM!! You just made your OWN hinges from dowels and pipe!! How cool is that?! I was pretty proud, and you have every right to be as well!😉😊

Open and close those doors…open and close, open and close…you did that…you did that!! 💃Woohoo! Now sit back and enjoy that fact that YOU built a media cabinet to hide all the ugly stuff! Haha!!

Let me know if you have any questions or comments below! I appreciate you stopping by!

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DIY Ziploc Bag Storage Organizer

March 25, 2019 by Cara 6 Comments

Hey there everyone! I am back this week with my fellow blogger friends to bring you all the organizational DIYs your heart could possibly desire! You have to take a look at the links provided below…there are some really great ideas to organize yourself! Lol! I am coming in with a super simple, EASY is the name but problem solving is the game, diy ziploc baggie storage organizer idea!

Do you ever have the problem of the boxes of baggies ending up on the floor of your pantry? I do, it seems like every time I grab a bag, the box goes flying or I’m flicking the box around trying to get it to let go of my bag! Not any more! A few scrap pieces of 1/2″ plywood…BOOM, problem solved!

Now, I found out during this project that I am not a scroll saw artist! LOL! My scrolling skills need some major work, but dang this little crafty build sure helped me solve a major problem! I whipped up all three of these in a matter of about an hour and a half! Worth every minute of that 90 minutes to have this problem solved! Maybe I am the only one annoyed daily with my ziploc bags jumping off the shelf, but I can’t possibly be the ONLY one, can I? ???? (Note – when I use the term ziploc bag, I am referring to the type of plastic bags, I am not sure why but I call all of them Ziploc bags even though some may be Hefty, some might be generic, etc.)

Originally I wanted to do an one piece organizer that held all of the bags in one shelf type thing, but as I worked on it, this was way easier so that you can make as many or as few as you need!

Anyway, why keep chit chatting when you could already have a couple of these babies built!???? I built two different sizes to accompany gallon size bags, and then the sandwich bags and quart size bags were ultimately the same size. I realized in looking at all the gazillion box sizes at Walmart, that it really only changed size when you bought more of a select size! I bought the medium/large size boxes in the three sizes because if you build them, you can always have a smaller size in a box with extra room but you can’t really work it the other way! Lol!

These really are too easy for a printable version of ‘plans’ so I will just walk you through step by step and you should be able to easily whip them up in a jiffy!

* NOTE: Links below may be affiliate links! Affiliate links are links that allow me to make a small commission off of your purchase at no extra cost to you! I also provide links that are helpful but not affiliate links as well! If you happen to make a purchase from one of my links, I appreciate it!

Materials:

1 – 2×4 project panel (this will make 6 boxes)
various size ziploc bags
wood glue
saw
brad nailer
3/4″ brad nails
screws to attach boxes to wall
scroll or jig saw
drill
drill bit

Cut List:

Gallon Size:

1 – 1/2″ piece cut down to 12 1/2″ x 6″ (front)

2 – 1/2″ piece @ 6″ x 4″ (sides)

1 – 1/2″ piece @ 11 1/2″ x 4″ (bottom)

2 – 1/2″ pieces @ 11 1/2″ x 2″ beveled at 45 degrees off square along one whole edge to create a french cleat to hang

Quart and Sandwich Size:

1 – 1/2″ piece cut down to 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ (front)

2 – 1/2″ pieces @ 5 1/2″ x 4″(sides)

1 – 1/2″ piece @ 7 1/2″ x 4″ (bottom)

2 – 1/2″ pieces @ 7 1/2″ x 2″ beveled 45 degrees off square along one whole edge to create a french cleat to hang

I can’t wait to create more of them for my trash bags and so many other items! The ideas just keep coming and I can’t build the stuff fast enough! Lol!

Step 1

To get started I just cut down all my pieces for one box.

Step 2

I hand sketched an oval, or something like that shape…maybe eye ball shaped!???? And drilled a hole to start the scroll saw or jig saw blade.

Step 3

I cut the shape, whatever you want to call it, out with the scroll saw to make the space to grab the bag!

Step 4

Add a little glue to the sides and set the front that you just cut onto them and brad nail them in place. The front should be flush with the edges.

Step 5

Add glue to the bottom and brad nail it as well. This is where I found out after I finished my boxes that my photographer had quit????…so sketchup pics will have to do!

Step 6

Add the back, top part of the cleat. Make sure you face it to where it will set inside the one attached to the wall later…place the longer edge towards the back! Glue and brad nail it as well.

Step 7

Screw the other beveled piece onto the wall. Make sure it is facing where the box can hang on it…place the longest edge to the front.

And yeah, it’s ready for bags and a close up! Dang! That was soooo easy, right?! You betcha! Now repeat it as many times as you want based off of how many different kinds of bags you buy!

Paint them, stain them, leave them natural…finish them in any means you would like! And if you want to label them but you are like I am and don’t have a cricut or similar machine, just print out the words in a font you love, mirror image them before printing.

Flip them over onto the spot you want the word and rub over it with a pencil!

Remove the paper and wowza! That was easier than using a cricut!

Hang them up and enjoy…now I am going to finish cleaning out the pantry!???? Wish me luck!

Now make sure and go check out the other FABULOUS ladies who created a organizational project today as well! And have a wonderful Monday!

Hazel and Gold Designs

See you soon!

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DIY Cup Dispenser

February 17, 2019 by Cara Leave a Comment

Hey there! Are you squeezing in some shop time this Sunday afternoon? If you aren’t already covered in sawdust, then I have the perfect project to get you out in the shop! Check out this cute DIY cup dispenser I have to share with you today! I threw this together after seeing my Grandpa make one for his cups, I added a decorative touch to mine and couldn’t be happier to share it with you all!

We use a lot of plastic cups around here when we are using the 5 gallon jug of water, even though it is slightly wasteful, it is less wasteful than water bottles because we will use the same cup all day instead of 10 bottles in one day! Okay, I am the only one who actually drinks that many bottles in a day, but it still saves 3-5 for the other members of my family! And let’s be honest, I still haven’t even unpacked my glasses from the kitchen renovation! Lol! Yep, I bought all new ones, and they are still boxed up in the pantry…I’m not sure I want to take them out and actually use them! ????

This helps corral the cups that seem to fall all over the floor in the pantry, I’m not sure how that happens but I end up wasting so many that when I saw this at my Grandpa’s house, I had to copy him! Lol! And now you can copy him too! You didn’t even know you needed this in your life, right?! But now you feel like you need it…I know! ????

It can hold a variety of cups such as 20 oz. styrofoam cups, 18 oz. solo cups or 16 oz. coffee cups!

How perfect is that?! Best thing I’ve seen in a while! Lol!

You want to build one for yourself? Here we go!

Materials for DIY Cup Dispenser

-1 – 2×2 1/2″ project panel

-2 – 1/4″x1 1/8″ x 1 1/8″ lattice strips

-4 – tiny screw eyes (not sure exact size, they came in a picture hanging kit and were the smallest ones I saw at Walmart)

-4 – rubber bands

-wood glue

-saw

-painter’s tape

-kreg jig

-1″ pocket hole screws

CUT LIST:

-1 – 1/2″ piece cut at 5 1/8″ x 24″

-2 – 1/2″ pieces cut at 4 3/4″ x 24″

-2 – 1/2″ pieces cut at 2″ x 4 1/8″ Beveled opposite of each other on one long end – see step 2

-1 – 1/2″ piece cut at 2″ x 4 1/8″

Building the DIY Cup Dispenser

This is a fun little afternoon project that is not only functional but actually easy to throw together without the stress of a large furniture piece or using hardwood! Lol! Can you tell that I recently completed a project that threw my stress level through the roof and for no reason other than it wasn’t for me, it was for someone else and my OCD goes into overdrive when I am building for someone else!???? That is why I always tell people that I will help them build something, but I do not want to be responsible for building for someone else! Silly…maybe so, but that’s how I feel about it! ???? Enough about me, let’s get building!

**Just a note, you do not have to miter any of the pieces if you are making it with trim like I did. I was not originally going to put the trim, I was going to leave it plain (like the picture below) so I mitered everything, but after building it too large and cutting it down too small, and having to rebuild it, I wouldn’t have had to miter it! So if you want options miter everything, if you don’t care to have options (you know you want to add the trim) you can make straight cuts, just make sure to take off 1/2″ on each side board!