making: garden toadstools

Today I am embarking on a new journey that I'm calling

making...

Specifically...making things with the mountain of craft supplies that I have accumulated over the years.  (some from a business I owned over a decade ago!)  Amazing scores at Thrift Stores has filled my cupboards with almost every kind of supply you can dream of and it's now time to use it up!

So my goal is to turn most of these supplies into

something pretty, something useful, or something for someone else to enjoy!

Please join me in the first steps of this (possibly lengthy) journey...

 Supplies:

(for 1 small toadstool)

6" x 3/16" dowel

1" split ball

1" oval bead with 3/16" hole

glue (wood glue or Weldbond)

red and white acrylic paint

paint brushes

drill with a 3/16" drill bit

a small vice

(for 1 large toadstool)

6" x 3/16" dowel

2" split ball

1 1/8"W x 1 1/4"H candle cup

red and white acrylic paint

 

Step 1:  paint the split ball red and the bead white

Step 2:  when the paint is dry, paint white spots on the toadstool cap

Step 3:  when the paint is dry, put the toadstool cap upside in a vice and drill a 3/16" hole in the centre about 1/4" deep.

 Step 4:  slide the bead onto the dowel (redrill hole if it doesn't slide easily) and glue the toadstool cap and stem into place.  Let dry.

For the large toadstool...

 Follow Steps: 1-3 but using the larger supplies

Step 4:  drill a 3/16" hole through the bottom of the candle cup

 Step 5:  slide the cup onto the dowel and glue the toadstool cap to the stem.  Let dry.

 Final Step:  if you are going to use your toadstools outdoors, you may choose to polish with a beeswax finish to protect from outdoor weather conditions.

Caution:  you may find that these toadstools have a tendency to multiply if your children see you making them!  They are a very satisfying craft project for children over the age of 4.

 (with supervision and drilling done by an adult of course!) 

To see all of the other projects that I tackle as I clear out my cupboards, you can subscribe to madebyjoey by using the buttons on the top of the right sidebar.

Thanks for stopping by,

~ joey ~

ps.  this new desire to finally clear out the old supplies was sparked in part by Maya's post and the book "Throw out fifty things".

Shared with:
Made in a Day - Made U Look
  The Magic Onions - Friday's Nature Table
  Natural Suburbia - Creative Friday
Frontier Dreams - Keep Calm Craft On
 Like Mama~Like Daughter - Eco Kids Tuesday
 A to Zebra Celebrations