Primitive Button Jars

I buy clear glass salt and pepper jars all throughout the year. And well, any jar about that size with a lid. I even buy some larger jars from time to time to just hold my lose buttons until I need them. Like the large canning, glass jar in the back, right side of the pic below.

Sometime around fall, I start making my button jars to sale in my Booth #555 at the Peddlers Mall. I'm not sure why I wait till then, but it just seems to happen each year. Or maybe because it's right after yard sale season around here, and I've had time to collect a bunch.

And sometimes I even find them super cheap, marked down to fifty cents per set. And I'll grab a  few. But they usually have the bright shiny stainless looking caps. And for that I add some Delta Stencil Paint with a sponge. It sets up good after a few days and doesn't tend to rub off. Looks like this after it's on, (but not dry yet.)

These are not great money makers, but they are steady sellers. And they offer an inexpensive item for your booth that anyone walking by would be able to afford. Most of these, unless they are older more hard to find jars, I try to keep them priced at only a $1.99 each. And when I've rounded up the salt and pepper shakers from yard sales all summer, usually along with tons of buttons from auctions and estate sales, I only have a few pennies and time in each.

Here's some more I had just painted:

And here's one of my favorite old rusty topped ones. The top was originally rusty, so I just had to add a pale yellow star and some homespun, along with the buttons.

As you see, there's nothing hard at all about making these cute empty jars into button holders. They are a great item to just "tuck" into that spot where nothing else seems to look right. And they'd look awesome sitting beside an old sewing machine with items such as bobbins and pin holders and maybe a hand sewn doll!

Happy Crafting Ya'll!

Halloween Ghost Night Lights with Silicone Bulbs

 

I had fun making these Halloween Night Lights the other night, so thought I'd share them today.

If you aren't familiar with the Grubby bulb silicone recipe,   

I have it listed here with full details, 

within this blog.

But for the quick version, I took some clear silicone (the higher priced one, not the white caulk kind) and mixed in some cinnamon spice in a throw away bowl.

Just mix it until it's a nice smooth brown color. No real recipe here. Just play around with it. It should look something like this:

Then I took the little candles, one by one, and hand dipped each flame. I just stuck it in, twirled it once and pulled it straight out, in an upward motion. Kinda fast, so that it gives a nice tip to the flame.

After letting dry for a while, outside, hanging by a string they were ready to fix up.

I took some black craft paint and just dotted on the eyes and mouth. And painted the base.
On a few of the bases, I grubbied them up by first painting on Elmers glue and then sprinkling on cinnamon and letting it dry. It give it a good grubby texture. Then I painted over it all black.

And tied on a strip of homespun fabric and attached an orange button.

 Notice the light on the right has the grubby texture on the base and the
one on the left is just painted black.

 I think I like the grubbied up base more. What about you?

That was it!

They would be a great addition to the Halloween theme around your home. The soft glow when turned on adds a perfect spooky touch.

And remember, without adding the faces, these would make great, everyday primitive night lights also!

Price: only $3.59 each

in my Booth#555 and available in my CraftBooth555 on eBay

Here they are in a black candle box getting all ready for sale:

 Just ignore the mess around it, this is in my craft room.

I made a sign to stand up in the tray, after an idea from Maggie over at EyeballsbydayCraftsbynight.

 It just says a little bit about how I made them and that they are a handmade item and such.

I cut it out of a regular piece of computer paper and glued it to a wooden finial I had. It made a great base. And I can easily change it out.  I think the little signs grab a lot of attention.

And if you look close to the left in the tray, you can see some little snowman silicone bulbs I also gave a try:

I just added more cinnamon to the silicone bulb mix and painted on a snowman face.

Check out:

 GRUBBY SILICONE BULB RECIPE

Please be careful when working with anything that will come in contact with electric.


 Happy Crafting Ya'll!
See ya' next time!
~Lisa

Button Collector

I am a button collector!

I save buttons from everything.  And they look great sitting on a shelf, in an old bottle with a bit of homespun tied at the top.

In my booth you can find "button mixin' packages." They would be great for crafts or to start your button collection.

Do you collect buttons?

Salt Dough Button Ornaments | Recipe

This is my first try with making salt dough anything. So I thought I'd try to make some old looking buttons. Then I thought, hum, bet these would look cute on my primitive tree as little ornaments, or "ornies" as we call them around here. They really add a primitive touch, that's for sure.

Here's a few more pics of my go at it:

If you need my recipe to make Salt Dough, here's a link to my Cinnamon Salt Dough Stars.