I have been wanting to make this blog for ages! But I wanted to re-make hangings...so that I can take photos! But it's here now! This will mostly be a visual blog, but I want to go through the materials first.
Outdoor hangings are beautiful decors, bird-reduction devices (although, to be completely honest, birds will do what birds do!) and a way to collect brick-a-bracks to clear out your shelves and storage.
Using found materials around the garden also gives a strong sense of pride - you didn't need to buy (much) materials and used what you find IN the garden FOR the garden.
Let's collect your materials
I gathered sticks, arranged them in a pattern and drilled holes where the string will go through. I also love collecting glass beads of different sizes; I enjoy using these in my hangings. These vary in price, but you can get them at reasonable prices (some are cheap) on Amazon, Ebay, Etsy and your local crafting stores.
{Scroll through and click the photo for a bigger view}
For string options, thicker natural twine or fishing line will do very well. In my photos, you'll se that I also used CDs and tiny bottles. When drilling CDs, btw, I recommend sticking two together if you want both faces to be visible. Then drill holes very slowly to avoid cracking the plastic.
Also, when threading through natural twine, you can use a folded nylon line and use it like a needle.
If it proves difficult to pull, use pliers; it's to help your grip and leverage, so any will do.
I briefly mentioned drilling holes in your sticks and I'll take you through your options - please be careful when you do this.
I used a hand-held and a drop-down drills for these projects.
The hand-held was good for the smaller and thinner sticks as it afforded me total control of the speed of drilling, while the drop-down was good for the bigger, thicker wood.
Of course, if you only have one of these, you can use that as an all-purpose tool. I'll say it again though, be careful and ask for help from someone more experienced if you need to.
Sustainable, environmental decorating
{Click the photo for a bigger view}
Using found and collected materials and creating bespoke craft pieces has a lot of sustainable benefits:
You can make as many changeable decorations because your materials replenish themselves,
Collecting natural materials and re-purposing what you already have reduces your contribution to landfills,
The money you save can go into other crucial expenses or just into your savings,
Personalised and bespoke creations have greater sentimental and emotional value for both the giver and receiver,
It's a great hobby and may even save you from too much screen time,
It's a very meditative activity that helps with stress management, or just as a precious "me-time",
It's also a wonderful activity to share with your family and friends, specially if you start regular collection of materials. You'll probably never run out!
By using natural materials, you can throw the off cuts (of wood and natural fibres) into your garden beds; they'll just naturally decompose.
Take your time in looking through the "how to" photos in this blog and if you tried something else, share it with us on our Facebook page or in the comments below! I'd love to hear your ideas.
Oh, and show me your projects too! I'd love to see what you come up with!
Comments