Material & Tools

• razor blade
• branches
• zip ties
• Ul light bulbs
• Ul electrical wire
• EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive
• safety glasses
• pencil
• Forstner bit
• drill
• hand saw

Step 1: Arrange & Secure Branches

Search your yard for branches or purchase them from a local crafts store. The number of branches you need depends on the size of chandelier you want.  Remove the greenery and pull off any loose bark,  then weave the branches together until you achieve the desired look. Secure your design with zip ties.

Tip:  If you are hanging the chandelier above a table, place the branches on the table when weaving so it will match the table.  This will also help ensure that the bottom is flat when hung.

Step 2: Electrical Wires

Choose a few thicker branches to hold the UL light bulbs and wires. Cut each branch down to size and, using a forsner bit, notch an opening in the top. Then slice a small opening down the length of each branch. Attach UL electrical wires to a UL-approved socket and place a socket in each opening, feeding the wire down through the branch. Screw a bulb in each socket.

Step 3: Bulbs

Fill openings with EcoGlue Premium Wood, place the UL electrical wires on top and secure with zip ties. Once the glue is dry, remove the zip ties. Finish your project by filling in any bare spots with more branches.

Craft:

Great tutorial on how to make fabric flowers from Simply Vintage Girl.

Dollar Store Crafts show us how to make a doily monogrammed tote bag.

DIY:

Bring the outdoors in with this gorgeous DIY 3D wall art.  Spotted at Curbly.

Also from Curbly, 2 easy DIY kitchen cabinet organizers.

Poppies at Play takes a lampshade and refashions it into industrial art using E6000!

We love this salvaged wood inspiration board featured on Design Sponge.

A couple things from Charles and Hudson this week – boost your home’s value with these DIY projects and help your low basement ceilings see the light.

DIY fence building tips from Home Fixated.

Fire safety tips for your kitchen from Danny Lipford.

Craft:

We love this magnetic map board from Apartment Therapy.

Five crafty things to do with clothespins from Crafting a Green World.

Blue Cricket Design made this cute copper frog ball with E6000!

Paint your clothes for one of a kind outfits. Great idea from Dollar Store Crafts!

DIY:

Design Sponge shares how to make a cup holder coffee table.

Lots from Charles and Hudson this week! Update your window coverings with a DIY valance, create bathroom bliss with a converted dresser, top 3 DIY repair jobs to do before autumn and crown molding is easier than you think!

Interesting look at the start of green homes from Old House Web.

If this is your first time tackling a project like this, we recommend asking a friend to help you.  You’ll appreciate the extra hand as well as the company as this can take several hours.

Materials & Tools:

• Level
• Clamps
• Belt sander
• Caulk gun
• Rubber mallet
• Shims
• Saw horses
• EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive
• Safety glasses
• Manufactured countertop
• Drawing compass
• Miter clamp kit
• Silicone caulk
• Carpenter pencil

Tips before getting started:

When you measure for your countertop, be sure to include the counter overhang, which is usually between 3/4″ – 1″ in front and on open ends.

The point where two counters meet in a corner must be square. Make a mark 3′  from the corner on one wall and 4′  from the corner on the other wall. If the distance between marks isn’t 5′, consider having a professional make and install a custom counter.

Make all measurements twice for accuracy.

Note: You can custom make your own countertop, or you can select a stock countertop from a home improvement center. Many color and pattern combinations are available.

Safety:

Shut off power at the breaker box for any electrical appliances under the countertop. Then shut off the water supply at the valves under the countertop.

Double-check to ensure your sawhorses are level and stable before placing the countertop on them.

Step 1: Set and Level the Countertop

• Set and clamp the countertop in place.
• Shim as needed to make it level.
• Check for gaps between the backsplash and the wall. If the gaps are narrow, fill them in with caulk and proceed to step four. If the gaps are large, follow steps two and three below.

Step 2: Mark Backsplash with Compass

• Set a drawing compass to the span of the largest gap between the backsplash and the wall.
• Set the compass point next to the wall and the marker on the backsplash.
• Pull the compass along the wall to mark what will need to be removed on the backsplash.

Step 3: Remove Countertop and Clamp to Sawhorses

• Remove the countertop and clamp it in place on sawhorses.
• Use a belt sander to sand the backsplash to the line drawn with the compass.
• Place the countertop on the cabinet and ensure the backsplash is flush against the wall.

Step 4: Glue Edges Together

• Where two pieces of the cabinet meet, glue them together with the glue from a miter-clamp kit. If the kit has no glue, apply a thin bead of silicone caulk to the edges of both pieces.
• Apply EcoGlue Premium Wood Adhesive to the rest of the edges and press together.

Step 5: Tighten Miter Clamps

• Make sure the entire surface is flush at the seam along the front edge of the counter.
• Tighten the nearest miter clamp and wipe away any excess glue.
• Stand behind the backsplash and push the countertop up and down as needed to make the seam flush along the back of the counter.
• Tighten the miter clamp nearest the backsplash.

Step 6: Level the Countertop

• If one side of the seam is higher than the other, protect the surface with a piece of wood and tap the countertop with a rubber mallet.
• When the seam is level, tighten the remaining miter clamps.

Step 7: Fasten the Countertop to the Cabinet

Note: Check the length of every screw carefully before driving it into the countertop.

• If the cabinet has a top surface, fasten the countertop by screwing up through the bottom of the cabinet top into the countertop. If the cabinets have no tops, screw through the front rail and any blocks built into the cabinet.
• Seal the seam between the backsplash and the wall with silicone caulk that matches the color of the countertop.
• Your countertop installation is complete!

Craft:

Dollar Store Crafts shares how to make a pendant lamp out of placemats.

A new craft great for the kids  from Crafting a Green World – balancing butterfly mobile using recycled paper. Also from CAGW, don’t miss 10 crafty things to do with old sweaters.

Fun printable coloring pages perfect for a quiet afternoon from Make and Takes.

DIY:

Love these DIY rustic log shelves from Design Sponge.

Ready Made shows us how to make an upcycled chalkboard table.  Try using EcoGlue Premium Wood adhesive for this project!

How to build an adirondack chair for your yard from Danny Lipford.

Great info from Charles and Hudson on hardwood floor installation.

Home Fixated suggests dividing an open space with a pony wall.

How to fix a sticking door from This Old House.

Pounded Thumb’s roundup of the top 100 DIY videos.

If this sounds like a project for you, pick up some E-6000 at a Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Jo-Ann’s or Hancock Fabrics near you or buy online with code E6BGTW for buy-one-get-one free (2 oz. E-6000 Craft, limit 3).  If you haven’t checked out Mark’s newest book, Big Ass Book of Crafts, head on over to his blog and enter his book giveaway.

***

Yes, we’ve all seen mosaic before, but I love this twist on what to use for it.  When I was making this I kept having to run back to the craft store to pick up more mirrors so be warned!  Figure out your space and about how many you’ll be needing before you head out.  The other great thing about this table….You can see up your nose while you’re eating!  Enjoy.

YOU’LL NEED:

• Enough round mirrors to cover your table top.  Michaels Arts and Craft Stores has a very nice assortment of round mirrors at a very good price.
• E-6000 or Household GOOP Adhesive
• Krylon 18K Premium Gold Plate Metallic paint.  (I have tried many gold paints, Krylon makes the best Metallic paints hands down)
• Bathroom tile grout
• Sandpaper
• Spackle Knife
• Sponge
• Bucket of Cold Water
• A table that you want to cover.  Mine was a 30” diameter table top and it took about 800 round mirror tiles that ranged in size from 3/8” to 1”.  HINT:  Check out 2^nd hand stores and furniture outlets for simple, inexpensive tables that you can use for these projects.

HERE’S HOW:

STEP 1:  Sand your table top surface.  This will make a nice rough surface which will make your glue stick much better.

STEP 2:  Glue on your tile mirrors with the GOOP Craft glue.  Do it randomly making sure to leave just about 1/8” inch in between each round tile.

STEP 3:  Once the tiles are dry (I like to leave things overnight) spread your grout with your spackle knife making sure to get grout in between each tile.  Get in on there anyway you can!

STEP 4: Wet your sponge with cold water, ring it out and smooth the grout in between the tiles while at the same time wiping off the mirrors.

NOTE:  Your mirrors will have a grout residue but don’t worry about that, you can clean them off when the grout is dry.  Also, don’t worry if you don’t get grout in every spot right  away, you can always go over it a second time to get the spots you missed.

STEP 5:  Let grout dry.

STEP 6:  Tape off the top of the table and spray paint your base.  You can choose any color that you like, I used gold on this table.

Craft:

Dollar Store Crafts show us how to turn a tank top into an adorable tote.

Love this idea for a plant stand from Design Sponge.

DIY:

It’s not too early to be thinking about school supplies.  Check out this list of DIY school supplies from Crafting a Greener World.

Great idea for a smaller kitchen! DIY back of the door spice rack from Curbly.

This game is so fun! How to build a ladder golf game set This Old House.

Amazing DIY bathroom transformation at Apartment Therapy.

Brick repair 101 from Charles and Hudson.

How to make windows more energy efficient form Danny Lipford.

Advice and ideas for crown molding and other DIY trim upgrades from This Old House.

New on the Matter Network – green framing offers more sustainable homes.

A concrete square constructed in place is capped off with sandstone tiles then filled with gravel, a large metal fire bowl and decorative river rocks.

Natural stone is stood on end to outline this sunken fire ring.

Concrete pavers normally used for retaining walls can easily be stacked and filled with sand to make a small fire ring.

This fireplace was made by stacking rectangle pavers in a staggered pattern one small section at a time, then each section was lined and mortared with two rows of fire bricks standing up on end.

For even more inspiration check out these amazing outdoor fireplaces and fire pits.

Craft:

How Joyful shows us how to make our own camera cover.

How to make gift bags from newspaper from How About Orange.

Dollar Store Crafts made these cute garden lights out of cupcake liners!

A roundup of summer craft camps.

DIY:

These mirrored planter boxes from Design Sponge are perfect for a window sill or table top.

DIY and save money – great tips from Home Construction Improvement.

Outdoor rooms are perfect for summer. Here are some ideas for inspiration from Danny Lipford.

28 tips that save time and money from the readers of This Old House.

The folks at Charles and Hudson want to know how you live through a remodel.

VideoJug offers a huge selection of instructional videos to help you, as they put it, get good at life.  The YouTube channel features a selection of their videos covering topics like how to stop squeaky hinges and how to tile a wall.  For even more videos you can visit the main site.

Ron Hazelton is the host of ‘Ron Hazelton’s House Calls’ and specializes in basic home improvement projects.  He demonstrates things like how to remove wallpaper, how to remove and replace tile grout and how to replace damaged molding.

Tim Carter is the host of Ask the Builder, DIY video tutorials that focus on projects to help you save money and time.  Carter offers general overviews of products and processes like roof moss and stump removal.

HomeAdditionPlus offers helpful video tutorials on DIY, home improvement and home remodeling tips and information. Host Mark Donavan’s quick and concise approach may be best for those looking for a project overview as opposed to an in-depth step by step instructional.

eHow Home offers advice on decor, soft furnishings, troubleshooting problems around the home, and cleaning tips.