Category: Fun

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Making Bead Sun Catchers

So, these Bead Sun Catchers turned out way better than I expected.

Pony beads used for project.
I got these beads from Hobby Lobby. They had glitter in them that looked great when they melted.

I these sun catchers on Pinterest several times and thought it looked like something Zoey would enjoy. She loves bright pretty colors and being crafty.

So I got the beads some time ago, thinking we would get to this pretty quickly. That was probably 2 months ago.

This weekend I had both grandkids and one of the cousins over to spend the weekend. It seemed like the perfect time.

I told the girls about the bead sun catchers and pulled out the bag of beads. Showed them the muffin tin I planned to use and told them to create whatever design they liked. They were thrilled.

Then I remembered some aluminum pans I had in the cabinet. You know the kind you buy 3 or 4 in a pack that can be thrown away after you use them? I had 8 inch square pans. But they have several different shapes and sizes to choose from.

Girls designing their bead sun catchers.
Working hard at their designs.
Creating more sun catchers.
Creating more sun catchers.

The girls had a ton of fun creating and re-creating. They mixed the beads and then separated them and then mixed them again.

They made designs and then dumped them then made new designs, until they finally came up with something they liked.

Once they had the first batch done, they had a better idea of what they would look like. Then it became easier for them to come up with new designs.

Heating the sun catchers outside instead of in the oven was a better idea.

When I got ready to melt the beads for the sun catchers I used the gas grill. I’d read in a few articles of people using the oven inside and it turning out bad. I decided I didn’t want to try that.

Completed sun catchers.
As you can see, we don’t even have to make a hole to hang them with in a few of them.

I tried to find what temp they needed to “cook” at looking at different websites to find a temp. I couldn’t find anything.

So I faked it and started at 450F. One article I read said it took about 10 minutes. At 450F it took about 30 min. I figured I was doing it wrong so for the second batch I let the grill get to 550F.

That worked much better. It still took longer than 10 minutes, but was still much faster.

Once they’re melted, just set them to the side to cool. I was worried about getting them out of the pan, but didn’t need to be. They popped out real easy.

There are a few things to remember next time.

I did discover, however, that while all the scalloped edges of the pan were a cool part of the design, the writing on the bottom of the pan also transferred. Not the cool design I was hoping for. I’ll have to figure a way to make that not show up.

Square pan sun catcher.
Here’s the square sun catcher. Can you see the writing in the center?

If you can think of a way to get rid of the raised writing in the bottom of those pans, please let me know in the comments. I haven’t been able to figure that out yet.

Some of them melted smooth and a few didn’t. The ones that still had a little texture from the lump of the bead looked really cool I thought.

But those all came out of the same batch, so I’m not sure what the difference was so we can recreate the effect. Next time I’ll try and pay more attention to that to figure it out.

Give this one a try when you get a chance. I guarantee your kids or grandkids will enjoy it. Share your creations here and post your pictures in the comments. I’d love to see them.

Until next time-

Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey

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Why Do I DIY

I know people ask why should I DIY?  It’s so much easier to just go to the store.   There are more and more organic choices all the time and there’s so many more farms these days where you can buy fresh garden vegetables and even meats, milk and eggs.

So, why do I DIY?

Farm fresh milk.

In my opinion, there are a ton of reasons to DIY, but here are my top 10 reasons to DIY.

1. Taste!!  Nothing taste better than homemade.  You can use fresher ingredients and it’s not set on a truck for days or weeks on end going from factory to the store shelf.

2. Knowing what’s in my food, lotions and cleaners makes me feel better about eating or using them.  Have you ever read some of those labels?  You can’t even pronounce most of it.   When I make these things myself, I know every ingredient that’s in it and I never have to wonder what those unpronounceables are.

Know where your ingredients come from.

3. I can adjust a DIY recipe to suit me and my family perfectly.  Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error, but I can adjust foods, body products and cleaners to suit my own tastes, smells and needs.  I can personalize anything.

4. There’s no unnecessary chemicals, preservatives, or coloring in your DIY stuff. I hate all the extra stuff they put in the stuff you buy.

5. When I attempt a new DIY, I’m learning something new.  I love learning new things, it just feels good.

6. Some DIY skills I’m learning are becoming lost or forgotten skills in our new modern world.  I like the idea of keeping these skills alive to teach to my grandkids.  You never know, someday some of these may come in handy again.

Dandelions from my yard for dandelion jelly.

7. You get to choose where your ingredients come from.  While they don’t always have to be organic, you still want to know where they come from.  You can research the companies you buy from or maybe you can source them locally, near where you live. 

In any case, whatever you are making, you have the choice from where you would like to purchase the ingredients to make whatever it is you are making.

8. When I make a new food item like butter or sauerkraut or breads, I always have such a sense of accomplishment.  I figured it out, I was able to do it and it tasted good.  I like that feeling.

Yummy homemade butter.

9. When I make something, whatever that might be, I tend to appreciate it a bit more.  I know the work and thought that’s gone into it. 

Likewise, if I know someone else has put that same kind of work and thought into a product that I buy locally, I will appreciate that product just a little more than something I would pick off the shelf at a grocery store.

10. Last but not least, every time I make something new, I build a bit more confidence in what I can do.  Even if a project doesn’t work exactly as I wanted it to, I learned from it and will try again.  The next time I’m one step closer to where I want to be. 

It was Thomas Edison that said something like, “I didn’t fail, I just found 10,000 ways it didn’t work.”  I don’t know if I have that kind of patience, but I agree with his sentiment.  You got to try or you’ll not get anywhere.

My granddaughter’s beautiful corn dolly.

When I DIY, Making Mistakes Means Learning Lessons

I told my grand daughter when she was very young and just learning to color and draw pictures, that I didn’t like perfect.  The imperfections of what we do is what makes them unique to us.  That’s what makes them special.  She remembers that, and to this day will remind me of that if a project we make doesn’t come out just right.  Because her imperfections are perfect for some, especially me.

I know sometimes it’s easier to go to the store and just buy the things I like to make and post about here.  And sometimes I do that, but when I have the chance and the supplies to make what I need, I will try every time to make it.  But if I can’t then that’s okay too.

In my opinion, if you can do it yourself, know what’s in it or how it’s built and potentially make it to your particular liking, then why not?

Why do you DIY?  I’d love to hear what makes you want to make it yourself instead of buying at the store.   Let me know in the comments below, what you’re working on.

Thanks for dropping by. 

Until next time – Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey