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| PATIO/GARDEN STONES |
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PATIO/GARDEN STONES
by Catherine Pulsifer
Patio/Garden stones is a great project to do with children. Plus, the stones make great additions to your yard or your garden.
They are very simple to make, and you can decorate as you please.
First buy a bag of cement mix (usually costs around $5.00).
Build a form to pore your cement in...we use a wooden form. Make a square or rectangle form by hammering old boards together.
Or you can dig a hole in sand, shape it the way you want your stone to look, and then pour your cement.
Mix up your cement mix and then simply pour it into your form.
Let the cement sit for an hour or so and before it hardens, decorate. Children love to put their hand prints in it. You can also use twigs and mark the year it was made. Or, you can use some favorite rocks or marbles, just stick them in the concrete. You can also use a leaf, press it into the concrete and leave, once it dries the leaf will come out and you will have an impression of a leaf in your stone.
Water the stone a few times so it doesn't dry to fast and crack.
Then let sit for at least 24 - 48 hours.
Then remove the stone from your form, or your sand hole, and you have a home made patio/garden stone!
About the Author:
Catherine Pulsifer is one of the authors of Stress Less Country - a lifestyle change! A journey to a simplified lifestyle - visit the site for a collection of articles, thoughts, quotes, and stories on: simplicity, stress, gardening, recycle & reuse, country crafts, saving money tips, and Atlantic Canada. http://www.stresslesscountry.com
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Note to Webmasters or Ezine Publishers:
Feel free to use this article on your website or in your newsletter. We do ask that the article remains as written and that you show the resource box at the end of each article with a clickable link to http://www.stresslesscountry.com. Thanks
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| Quilting Expensive? |
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by Catherine Pulsifer
I took a course a few years ago on machine quilting. My first quilt was very expensive to do by the time I purchased the material, the batting, and the backing, it ended up costing well over $100.
While I really enjoyed quilting, I thought there must be a less expensive way. Well, I have found ways to make them much cheaper.
My list on less expensive ways to make quilts:
1. I obtain curtain samples that companies are no longer using. I cut them into blocks, they are great! I can usually get the samples for $1.00.
2. Second hand stores often have material that you can buy for less than $2.00. I cut it up into blocks which gives me a wide assortment of colors and textures to choose from.
3. Old clothes that no longer fit or that are woren in the knees or elbows. Cut out the seams, and cut the material into blocks or strips; it works great!!
4. You can bid on ebay auctions for material that is already cut into blocks. You can get some good buys!
5. For the backing I use fleece throws. You can usually obtain these from Walmart or the Dollar Store for under $10.00. I fit my blocks to cover the fleece throw, and then machine quilt the two together.
So now rather than spending $100. for the materials, I rarely spend over $15.00, and I end up with some beautiful quilts!
Starter Tips for Machine Quilting
- start on a simple pattern, blocks 6 x 6. Do not try and attempt complicated patterns for your first quilts, it will only fustrate you. Start simple, and then let your creativity soar!
- do not go out and buy an expensive machine. We use a very simple, inexpensive machine to quilt with, you really do not need all the fancy gadgets
- when machine quilting, always use 100% cotton thread. Most stores have thread identified as "machine quilting thread"
About the Author:
Catherine Pulsifer is one of the authors of Stress Less Country - a lifestyle change! A journey to simplicity and a frugal lifestyle! http://www.stresslesscountry.com
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| ROCK PAINTING |
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ROCK PAINTING
by Catherine Pulsifer
There are tons of rocks on our property. Different sizes and shapes. We started collecting these and started using acrylic paint to paint them.
Our favorite rocks to paint are "lady bugs". They are very simple to do.
You need:
- rocks
- acrylic paint (which usually costs no more than $1.50, one bottle will paint a lot of rocks)
- clear varnish
Steps in painting:
- We first paint the entire rock black.
- We then paint the sides of the rock (in half circles) red or yellow (or whatever color you have)
- Once the sides are dry, we then go back and put a few black circles on the color portion.
- We then paint in some eyes and a smile.
- In addition, we usually write a saying on the bottom, for example, smile, be happy, live life, have fun, etc.
- Once we have completed we put a coat of clear varnish on them to protect them.
Total cost to make is less than $.50 (depending on the size of the rock)
We have found both adults and children love these rocks. Children love to play with them. Adults use them to put in their gardens, or just to have as an ornament.
Let your imagination soar, you can paint literally anything on rocks, from your favorite sayings to pictures.
Let your imagination go with these rocks! Happy Painting!
About the Author:
Catherine Pulsifer is one of the authors of Stress Less Country - a lifestyle change! A journey to a simplified lifestyle - visit the site for a collection of articles, thoughts, quotes, and stories on: simplicity, stress, gardening, recycle & reuse, country crafts, saving money tips, and Atlantic Canada. http://www.stresslesscountry.com
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Note to Webmasters or Ezine Publishers:
Feel free to use this article on your website or in your newsletter. We do ask that the article remains as written and that you show the resource box at the end of each article with a clickable link to http://www.stresslesscountry.com. Thanks,
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