Fixing broken mini blinds

In our housing community we HAVE to have mini blind on all the windows, and they CAN'T be broken. If they are broken they want you to replace them immediately. Well guess what... I have 3 YOUNG kids. They like to look out their windows, and they can't pull the strings to open the blinds so what do they do? They BEND them. You can only bend mini blinds so much before they break, thus resulting in an almost constant need to replace mini blinds in the house. 

So instead of buying a new set of blinds every 2 weeks, I kept one set of old broken ones and I just replace the slats when needed. Here, let me show you how. 

These are the broken blinds

There are little plastic buttons on the bottom of the blinds 

Use a flat head screw driver, or butter knife to pop out the one on either end. You can leave the one in the middle. 

Now pull out the string that runs through the middle, and untie the knot. If you can't untie the knot cut it as close as you can to the knot and burn the end so it doesn't unravel.

 Pull the string up through the blinds till you get to the top of the broken ones.

 Now pull the broken slats out the side

 Now just slide the new ones in, feed the string back through each slat down to the plastic bar on the bottom.  Tie a slip knot so the NEXT time you have to do this it will save you some time, and shove all the string back in the hole and snap the button back in. 

NOTE: mini blinds are not universal, make sure you get the same kind so the hols line up. Another option is to take the extra slats off the bottom  of the blinds, since they usually extend several inches below the window. 

Reader Photos!

Have you tried one of my projects? Or used some of my tips/advice? Send me a pic of your finished project and I'll post it on my blog. A friend just used my Rapunzel Wig pattern and sent me a pic, she did a GREAT job, and has the most adorable Rapunzel. :)

Mirror Etching/Engraving.

I just did this mirror as a wedding gift for one of my best friends. I told her I wanted to make them a wedding gift and not buy it, but I needed some suggestions. 

I ALSO told her that I like a challenge, so not to be afraid to suggest anything.  She said she loves Tuscan landscapes and off to google image search I went. 

Now before I scare you off with my very detailed etching, let me just say YOU CAN DO THIS! I counted up, and this is only my 10th glass etching project. 2 sets of duplicate projects, a couple that were just writing, and the others were not very detailed at all. 

Finding the right picture is usually the HARDEST part of an etching for me. There is almost never just ONE picture that is exactly what I want. So I have to use elements from several different pictures to get the effect I'm looking for. 

I spend HOURS finding the right ones and deciding how I wanted the finished product to look. 

This time I used these 5 as a template for the finished project.

Once I found the right pictures I had to make them the right size and style. My preference is to use a sketch cause it gives clear lines. To get the sketch look I zoomed in on the pic on the computer to about the size I wanted it for the mirror, placed my white tissue paper over the computer screen and traced the basic image. I had to fill in the gaps and draw a few things on my own to make the proportions right.

Once I got it the way I wanted taped it where I wanted over the mirror, but only taped the top 1/2 in place so I could slip the carbon paper under.

This is carbon paper, or transfer paper. You can get it at any hobby store. I got a package of 3 sheets for $2 or $3 about 6 years ago, and just started on my last sheet for this project. "shiny" side up, dull side down. You can reuse it multiple times. I use it on wood, and glass, but it will transfer to most surfaces. GREAT tool to have!

 When etching glass the MOST important rule to remember is SHADE THE LIGHT. Anything you want white you etch, anything you want "black" you leave unetched. Since I had a VERY large portion of area that I wanted etched I decided to try a new technique. I bought some etching creme

I got a 10 oz jar at the local Hobby Lobby for about $20. Kinda pricey, BUT what they don't tell you is you can SCRAPE IT BACK INTO THE JAR!!! 

So since I only wanted a certain area etched with creme and the rest to actually be hand engraved I took some fabric paint that I had and painted the lines that were drawn on with the carbon paper

 Any lines that crossed over other lines I waited to paint till the first ones dried. other wise you get big smudges

Now once you put the creme on you have to rinse it off, so to avoid rinsing off the carbon transfer of what I wanted engraved I did the engraving first.

I have a set exactly like this that you can get a Harbor Freight for $10. I use the rotary tool and the diamond point tips. . (The only tips I really use look like they have a ball on the end, they give me the cleanest smoothest lines out of all of them, I only used 3 different tips)

Now for that hard part, PERMANENTLY etching the glass. There is no eraser folks, so this first step can be kind of scary. Just close your eyes and JUMP ...ok, actually don't close you eyes, and no jumping with power tools and GLASS. Just be brave and BELIEVE in your self. 

You can see I basically engrave AROUND the transfer lines, then fill in the blank space

 Now I'm ready to use the creme! New experience for me. Since I was covering such a BIG surface it didn't give me a smooth even finish, which happened to be perfect for this project. 

Use in a well ventilated area and always Always ALWAYS use safety protection! In this case rubber gloves and eye protection.

I poured it on a small section and spread it with my finger. Let it sit for 2 mins then rinse off. I had to do this in about 3 different segments. 

NOTE: Do you see the dirty smudges on the mirror? Guess what? They are now PERMANENT dirty smudges. As I was rinsing I got some over spray on the middle of the mirror and didn't realize it, so the creme sat there. When rinsing off your piece RINSE THE ENTIRE THING, even if you didn't put etching creme on it. Then wipe it dry with a clean cloth.

Now I took a plastic scraper and easily scraped the paint lines off  (some small particles of the paint remained and I later had to go over it with a sharp exacto knife to clean it up)

 You can see the difference of detail with the hand engraving and the etching creme. Also an effect I wanted. 

 Now I took the different pieces of my landscape picture, taped them where I wanted them and slid the carbon paper under them to trace it on the glass. The carbon paper doesn't have to be taped down. 

 you can see the transferred image

 Now fill in the white. Again using the proper safety equipment. I highly recommend safety glasses and a facial mask, you don't want to breathe in glass dust. 

 Finished the landscape! YAY! I also went back over some of the creme etched portion to heighten the detail, like the crack in the wall and the wood grain. (But I did that after I took this picture, but you can kind of see it in the picture of it framed) (I know I"m probably the only one who will ever know the difference though :) )

 Now to attach the hardware.

I used hot glue to glue the mirror in the frame, covering every inch for the edge of the mirror, then glues the card board in, this protects the back of the mirror from getting scratched. 

 You want it 1/3 the total height of the mirror down(does that make sense?) The frame was 24 in tall so I put the hooks 8 in from the top. Then I attached the picture wire to the hooks. 

I'm VERY happy with the way it turned out (and so is my friend, which matters more than my opinion) Except for those darn permanent dirty spots :S

Don't ever be afraid to do something that is hard, because you will never know what you can accomplish. You just may surprise your self. And if it doesn't turn out, well I bet you learn a lot that will help you in the future. Win-Win

DIY Rapunzel Yarn wig

      Last year I sold these on Etsy for $50 a piece and made good money in Oct. BUT holy cow, it was a lot of work. And it just ended up being not that fun by the end of it. I ended up making a detailed picture patterns and instructions and tried to sell that, only sold one. So I decided to post it up here for YOU.
      It can get pretty expensive if you buy your costume. If you are like me and don't have a lot of money, but you do have time, you can make a few pieces or props for the costume and make it SUPER awesome.

This wig is relatively simple. It took me about 5-6 hours to make one, but that's cause I crocheted a hat, that was the most time consuming. There are several ways to do it, and hopefully this will help.

Rapunzel Wig 

            The wig can be put together a couple different ways. I have always done a crocheted beanie with the same yarn that I make the strands of hair with. This will hide the hat underneath very well. The hat can also be knitted with the same yarn. With a yarn cap, the hair is tied on.

            You can also start with an already made hat and sew the hair on, either by hand or machine. I will provide instructions for both methods, however since I have never started with a store bought hat, I have not ironed out any kinks that may come your way in going that route.

           

***This pattern does not include a pattern for the actual hat that the hair is attached too, only basic instructions for the hat.***

Materials:

Bright yellow yarn

(2 skeins of 7 oz/ 364 yards)

An accent color of yarn, it can be either lighter or darker. I use a Gold color

(You will only use about 1/3 of a skein the same size as you see in the picture of the accent color)

Flowers

Ribbon

Hot glue gun

Bobbie Pins

For a store bought hat you will ALSO need:

A beanie/ or a ball cap with the bill removed

1 yd Velcro (you only need the hook / or rough side. You will not need the whole yard, but you can usually find it sold by the yard in a small package)

To Start:

If you are crocheting the hat, Start in the center and spiral out adding stitches as you go to expand the hat. Use the bright yellow yarn.

 

The wig will look best if the hat is smooth on top.

 

Next

You will make 11 locks of hair. First cut 11 pieces of bright yellow yarn about 8-10 inches long

You will use these to tie the strands together to make a single lock.

 

  

To make the strands of hair, find something that has a circumference of your desired length that you can wrap the yarn around. I used a 4 ft folding table. Or you can use 2 chairs. Set them as far apart as you want, and wrap the yarn from one to the other.

Start at one end, wrap the accent color around twice, and the bright yellow around 10 times. 

At the opposite end from where you started take one of your pre-cut 8 inch pieces of yarn, slip it under all 12 strands, and tie them all together securely

.

Once it is tied, cut all the strands at the other end, where you started. Now you have one completed lock. Repeat until you have all 11. The strands will not all be even, that is fine. You will trim it all once the wig is completed.

 

For a store bought hat:

Before you can attach the locks you need to sew on the Velcro. This will hold the hair down to the hat and keep it in place. Cut the Velcro into 3 to 4 inch long pieces. Discard the soft side. Sew the strips (the hook side) on the hat in various places. You don’t need to cover the entire surface, sew them on every few inches.

 

The yellow circles is where each lock of hair will be sewn down, the rectangles is about where you need to sew the Velcro strips.

  

Attaching the Locks onto the hat:

Open the lock of hair and lay it across the front of the hat.

The center of the lock of hair will become the part in the wig.

 

For a Crocheted or Knitted hat: Use a crochet hook to pull the center tie through. Tie a knot on the inside of the hat, securing the lock of hair to the top of the beanie. DO NOT cut off the loose ends. Use your hook to weave them through the hat. This ensures that the knot will not come undone. It also leaves the inside looking much cleaner.

Repeat this step with 8 locks of hair going in a straight line from the center of the forehead across the top of the head.

 

For a Store bought hat:

Open the lock of hair and place it across the front of the picture as shown above. Pin the lock to the hat. Once you have all 8 pinned in a straight line up the hat, use a sewing machine to sew down the part in the hair.

For Both Methods:

            Now add the last 3 locks for the crochet and knitted hats, tie them on the same way, only do not open the lock of hair up. Let both sides of the lock hang down across the back of the head.

            For the sewing method, pin the lock on as shown in the diagram, open up the lock so you can see the center tie. Sew over top of the center tie on each individual tie for the last three, moving the strands from other locks as necessary.

 

When all the locks are attached the top of the head should look like this:

 Even out the strands so they cover the hat completely.

Now you are ready to braid the wig. This step is easiest if someone is wearing the wig.

You can skip the braiding and tie the hair together with ribbon every 8 inches or so to keep the length consistent.

Crochet Hat:

Once it is all braided you need to tie the strands of hair to the hat to keep everything in place. Tie it down in several places across the sides, bottom, and back of the head. Once the hair is all secure you can cover your ties by hot gluing the flowers over the top of them.

 

Both Methods:

Use your hot glue gun to glue on the flowers. Put the glue on the actual flower and not the plastic stem, it will melt the plastic.

 Trim the bottom of the hair and now the wig is ready to be worn.

Yarn (about) $4.50

Flowers $3 (or less, depending on where you get your flowers)

Craft Foam Vader Mask (on a pair of sun glasses)

IT's always easier to start with a pattern, so I searched Paper Vader mask, and I found a picture of the print out for a mini Vader mask made out of paper on Google image search. I saved the image to my computer and then zoomed in till it was about the size I wanted and then traced the image onto paper directly from the monitor. 

It's hard to make sense of the random shapes, but this top shape is the cheek bones, and the middle piece between the L shaped ones and the triangle is the out side of the mouth.

So in order to see what I actually needed I cut it out of paper and taped it all together

Turns out I really only needed these pieces. I used black craft foam, and you can manipulate it better than paper, so I changed some of the pattern pieces. Oh I guess I used the L shaped ones and the triangle ones, 

This is just the top piece. I cut the nose piece bigger. To glue it I tapes the gaps shut on the out side, and then on the inside I used hot glue to close the seams

 This is a view of the inside

I forgot to take a picture of the mouth piece separate from the cheek bones, but here they are together

 To make teh concave piece for the nose I heated a small piece of foam and wrapped it around the end of my knife which had a great curve

 The I ended up with this, then I just cut out the rounded piece for the nose

 Now I had to guess for teh rest of the shapes, so I held up paper and marked it to the size I needed then cut it out and placed it on to see if it would work, like this

This is the shape I came up with

Instead if cutting it all the way out I only cut a slit in on the curved part of the line to give a rounded look to the eyebrow part.

 Then I folded the "extra" part under on the line so it was the original shape. I heated it and gave it a round shape on a bowl. 

To heat it just hold it a few inches over a burner on med heat till the foam goes limp, hold it over what you want to mold till it cools. With craft foam it only take s a few seconds

 Then I found a curve going the opposit way to curve it up for the eyebrow-ish part just over his eyes.

 Ah, see. Now you can see what I'm talking about. It worked, so I just cut one of and did it the opposite direction to go over the other eye. (9the eyes are sun glassed, but they are not attached yet, I just needed to see the shape.)

 Now i have both eyes

 Now for the nose

 I placed the mask on a batman mask to help keep the shape stiff cause my 3 year old wouldn't let me hold it on his face (it's not hot, don't worry) :) then I heated the nose and shaped it to the mask

 I used some wire for the tusks. A wire hanger would be just the right size
I cut a few pieces to fill in the gaps on the sides of the mask so I had something to glue the tusks to. 

 then wrap and glue the foam around it, and do the other one facing the opposite direction 

 Position and glue to the mask (you can see the final shape of the base of the mask as well. It doesn't have to be great, the helmet will cover most of it up)

Once I got the tusks on I cut them flush with the back edge of the mask. Then I cut out 6 small circles and glued them on each end to cover up the exposed wire.

 You can see that the mouth does not sit straight, so I cut a piece of wire to go across the bottom of the triangle and glued it on the inside

 Then I made some foam frames to go over the glasses to make it easier to glue in place. I had to use my made for plastic glue 

 I positioned them in and glued the foam to the foam on the inside. now I went to the eyes, remember the slit that I cut in the eye brow piece. I put glue on the bigger piece then laid the triangle piece on top of it to make the cavity for the eyes.

 The triangle piece hung over a bit so I had to trim it up . Then I taped paper to the bottom to figure out the shape for teh bottom piece

This is the final shape, can you see the upside down triangle drawn in the middle?

 I heated this piece and molded it over the card board form to make the bottom triangle of the mask

 To get the cross mesh look I scored it with a nail. An x-acto would have cut to far in. You can also use a black ball point pen. I used the pin to do the out line. It defines the lines a little better. 

 Bottom piece glued on

 To reinforce the glue joints and stiffen the mask a bit I took strips of fabric (I happen to have black) and  mixture of elmers glue and a little bit of water and applied it like paper mache. (about 3:1 glue:water, but I never measure, you just need to thin it enough to make it paint with out leaving big brush strokes)

 Then I used the same glue mixture to paint the out side. This seals the foam, and gives it a plastic look. It also acts as a primer if you want/need to paint. I ended up doing 2 or 3 coats. (let it dry completely between each coat)

 I didn't paint the glue over the lines that I scored in the foam because I wanted the extra depth and texture.

 Last step, a little grey accent on the end of the tusks and in the nose

And I decided not to use the black gloss paint for the mask cause the glue gave it a bit of a gloss.

 COMPLETE MASK AND HELMET!!!

$2.67 for the sun glasses $0.75 for the craft foam

Total cost of mask $3.42

UPDATE: 

Here are just the pieces that I used from the original pattern. Everything else I had to fill in my self. But this is the cheek bones, and mouth part.

Save the image to your computer and print it as large as you can on a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, and it should be about the right size for a child. OR if you need it slightly bigger then zoom in a little and trace it right off the screen. white tissue paper works great for this. Good luck!!!