WOOD MADE CANDLE BOX

This nice wood box with opaque windows for a votive candle also has a lift up platform for lighting the candle.

Materials:

4 sides 1/2" x 5" x 6" of Philippine Mahogany Plywood

1 top 1/2" x 5" x 5" of Philippine Mahogany Plywood

1 candle platform 1/2" x 3 7/8" x 3 7/8" of PMP

1 bottom 1/2" x 6" x 6" PMP

1 dowel 1/2" x 6 5/8"

1 wooden ball 1" dia.

4 window panels 1/16" Plexiglas 3 1/2" x 5 1/2"

4 wallboard screws 1" long

Craft sticker for the panels

Thin strips of double stick carpet tape

Craft paints, wood glue, and wood finish

Tools:

Table saw, 3" hole saw, drill & bits, 2 large rubber bands or clamps, 2" forester bit(or spade bit), router, and screw driver.

Steps:

1. Cut the top, bottom, sides, and platform from PMP as seen on drawing below.

2. Router out 1/8" deep and 3 1/2" wide notch in the inside of sides as in drawing.

3. Cut dowel and Plexiglas panels.

4. Drill holes in PMP and wooden ball as on drawing.

5. Sand all the PMP pieces.

6. Glue the 4 sides together with angled to angled edges forming the box, clamp with rubber bands or clamps( make sure to leave angled top edges to receive the top).

7. Glue the top into the angled edges of the sides and place a weight on top to clamp.

8. Glue dowel into the hole in platform piece.

9. Sand and finish all the PMP pieces, dowel and ball.

10. Place Plexiglas panel into notch and lightly mark the round window shape on outside of Plexiglas, remove and apply craft stickers on outside of panel within the circle(remove line with damp cloth).

11. Paint the back side of panel with watered down craft paint, I used a blue and white swirl mix with wet brush for 2 panels and green & white for 2 panels(experiment on scraps to get right opaque look)

12. Attach panels inside box with strips of double stick carpet tape.

13. Place the assembled box over the platform & dowel assembly, allowing the the dowel to stick up through the 1/2" hole in the top.

14. Turn the box bottom side up(place on 2 boards so dowel is free) and place the bottom onto the box, drill pilot holes and countersink, attach with wall board screws, put felt pads over screws.

15. Turn box upright and glue wooden ball onto dowel, allow glue to dry.

16. lift candle platform to the top of the box with the ball on the top, set candle in 2" recess and light(see photo below), lower candle into box, watch your new wood made candle box.

CROCHETED FLOWERS

The pink circle in the foreground is what the flower looks like before you roll it. These can be used as hair clips, & decorative pins, or make a floral arrangement, attach flower to floral wire make a dozen.
Materials:

Yarn or Crochet Cotton

Tools:

Crochet hook, The size of the yarn, cotton and hook is determined by the size of the flower you want to make.

Directions:

Ch 35

Row1: sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across.
Row2: ch3, dc ch2 dc in first st. ch1, skp 2 sc * (2dc ch2 1dc) in next st. ch.1 repeat from * across. Row3: ch3, 7dc in first ch2 space. slp. st. in ch1 space. * 8dc in ch2 space, sl st in next ch1 sp. Repeat from * across ending with 8dc in last ch2 space.
Leave about 7” end for sewing fasten off.

NOTE: If you roll this strip up with the right side facing you it will look like a rose. See the pink, blue, and rose colored ones.
If you roll it up with the wrong side facing you with white yarn it will look like a gardenia see above.

INDIAN CORN CANDLE HOLDER

Here is a simple, but attractive center piece/candle made with an ear of Indian Corn.
Materials:
1 ear of dried Indian Corn
1 6” plywood disc from Walmart Craft Department
1 top section of a water or soda bottle 1 autumn colored candle
1 bouquet of plastic autumn leaves Modeling dough black and orange
Wood stain and finish
2 part epoxy and hot glue
Tools:
Saw, sand paper, hot glue gun, and brush
Steps:
1. Sand, stain and finish 6” wood disc for base (apply 2 or 3 coats of finish).
2. Cut the bottom and top of the ear of corn off so that you have 2 square flat ends.
3. Cut the top of a water or soda bottle off just below the flange that is below the threaded part of the bottle, and sand until bottom of flange is smooth and flat.
4. Using 2 part epoxy, attach the larger end of the corn to the center of the 6” wood disc.
5. Attach the flange section of bottle to the small end of the corn with 2 part epoxy, making sure to center and keep perpendicular to the wood base (try placing the candle into bottle piece to keep perpendicular).
6. Form a flat piece of orange modeling dough about 1/8” thick and wide enough to cover the treads on bottle piece. Apply the dough to the threaded piece and smooth in place as in photo above.
7. Form a piece of black dough to apply to the top of the corn and over the flange of the bottle piece as in photo above.
8. Allow the dough to set a day to harden and cover the whole center piece with finish if desired.
9. Remove individual leaves from bouquet and hot glue to base around the bottom of corn as in photo above.
10. Insert candle into open end of bottle piece and display for autumn accent.

HALLOWEEN DECORATION

This is a simple way to make some Halloween Creatures.
Materials:
1 empty gallon water jug
1 black permanent marker
1 or 2 battery tea candles
½ yard of black material or 1 over the head mask
Tools:
Scissors or knife and hot glue gun
Steps:
Cut the top off 1 gallon water jug, and cut small opening in side of jug on handle side as in first photo above.
For the middle photo design draw face on sides of jug opposite the handle as in second photo above.
Cover the opposite sides from the face with the black material, leaving a flap where the hole was cut in the jug for the tea candles to be inserted.
Another option is to buy a over the head mask and place it over the jug as in the third photo above.
Turn on the tea candles and insert in the hole at back of jug and display at night.

DOUBLE POINTED KNITTING NEEDLE HOLDER

DP Needle Holder is a handy way to store your double point needles.
Materials: 1” wide decorative ribbon, ¾” wide elastic (I prefer black), iron on mending tape any size will do.
Directions: Cut two pieces of ribbon wide enough to cover tips of needles about 2 ¼”. Cut elastic 5 ½” long, cut two pieces of iron on tape the same size as the ribbon. Lay ribbon face down place elastic on top of ribbon centered half way up, lay iron on tape on top press with hot dry iron. Do the same with the opposite end. Fold ribbon in half and whip stitch seems on top and side. Leave bottom open for the needles. NOTE: typically dp needles are 7” long. If you have any that are longer or shorter cut the elastic about 1 to 1 ½” shorter than the needle.