DIY garden markers using popsicle sticks

Do you have the wood burning tool that you got to make that one DIY you saw on Pinterest? Time to dust that the box and use the tool. I have a simple DIY to make for your garden. All you need is popsicle sticks and wood burning tool. Let's see how.

DIY Embroidery Ornaments

When I get a craft tool, I would think that I should get the most use out of it instead of just one or two projects. With that said, I always think about various uses for the wood burning tool I have. I have already shown you around 5 to 6 projects using the tool and I also showed you my first try with the wood burning tool. Today, I have come up with another idea of using embroidery and wood burning together to make DIY embroidery ornaments. Let's see how.

DIY Magnetic Leather pen holder

I shared an idea of how to add a pen holder to any notebook two years ago.I still use the same notebook and also the pen holder for my blog planning. I also have several small notebooks for different tasks which I carry around the house or sometimes to the library and other places. Sometimes  Most of the time, I will sit down to write something only to find out that I missed taking the pen along with the notebook.So I thought I will make a magnetic pen holder which can be carried along with any notebook or binder.

Materials Required :
Leather scraps
Scissors
Wood burning tool (Optional)
2 Neodymium  magnets
Duct tape
Leather glue

Step 1: Cut two leather strips measuring 1.5" X 7.5" and a small strip measuring 2" X 1.5".Round the edges using scissors.

Step 2: To maintain an even rounded edge on both the sides, fold the strip and use binder clips to hold them together and shape the other edge using scissors.

Step 3: This step is totally optional. I felt the leather looked very plain. So, I decided to burn some designs using my wood burning tool. I used the shading point to make small triangle all around the corners of the front leather strip and pen holder piece like I did for men's leather bracelets.You can also make various patterns and designs like I made for these popsicle stick coasters. 

Step 4: Take a small piece of duct tape covering the size of magnets you are using. Glue the magnet to the inside of the inner piece of leather strip as shown below. 

Step 5: Now glue all the pieces together. I used Loctite liquid super glue for this.There are a lot of varieties in Loctite super glue so make sure the packaging says "suitable for leather" before you buy. First, glue the long strips together, work in small sections because the glue will dry quickly.Once that is done, fold the strip in half and center the pen holder piece and glue. Make sure the 2" side should be placed width wise along the strip while gluing. This creates space for your pen. That's it! Your pen holder is now ready!! 

This pen holder is very versatile that it can be used not only for holding the pen but also for holding small papers, bills or coupon inside your notebook or book. 

This is also perfect for binders. 

Hope you like this simple leather project. This pen holder is perfect for planners, notebooks and binders too. So you need not be going to school to make this. This tutorial is suitable for anyone who uses pen and papers ;) You can make this pen holder using any material of your choice.I preferred leather for its looks and durability.

Share what you think about this idea in the comments below.As always I will be happy to hear from you.  Like this idea? Share it with your friends on social media.

Other projects you might like :

DIY Notebook Makeover & How to add pen holder 

DIY Bookends with organizers

Revamped Dollar Store pen holder

DIY Coasters using popsicle sticks - 2 ways (Wood burning & Painting)

I have 2 sets of agate coasters but they are small in size for most of the flat bottom vessels I own. So I thought I need another pair of coasters which are big enough to protect the dining table from the hot dishes. Today I am going to show a simple method to make coasters out of popsicle sticks and also 2 ways to spruce them up.

Materials Used :
Popsicle sticks
E6000
Scissors
Wood burning tool and different points/tips (Optional)
White paint and paint pens(Optional)
Clear Varnish

Step 1: Arrange the popsicle sticks one after the other as shown. I used eight big popsicle sticks for one coasters and two sticks at the back to secure.

Step 2: Cut the rounded edges of the popsicle sticks using scissors. Apply a line of E6000 glue and secure the sticks. I used two sticks one on each side.You can also use one more in the center if desired. Allow it to dry.

 Now your coasters are ready! To spruce them up,  I got two ways. One is to use wood burning tool to add some designs or to paint them and use paint pens to free hand some designs. 

For wood-burning :

Step 3: Use the shading point to create flower-like shapes on the coasters. I like to call them a leaf point as it looks like that. So first, use the leaf point and create/burn a flower with four petals facing all the four directions then fill each gap between with another four petals to create a flower shape. 

Step 4: Use the Texture n Tone point to create diamond print coasters. I like to call them a diamond point as the outer shape looks like it. I used this tip in side ways for one stick and repeated the design and used them in straight ways for the second stick and repeated the same. I used another popsicle stick in the middle at the back while burning the design to give some evenness and stability when pressing the tip to burn. Your coasters are now ready to use. 

If you are using the universal point, here are some design ideas to try. 

For Butterfly design, press the point in an angle towards the left to create a left-wing and towards the right to create a right wing. Use the point straight upwards to create two antenna. 

For a dandelion, use the tip straight upward and keep burning the lines all around to create a circle. Use the tip of the point to create a dots. 

For chevron and triangle, just turn the direction of the burning to the left and right accordingly to create a chevron or triangle. 

Are you new to the wood-burning craft, check these tips & techniques to give you clear understanding of the craft. 

For painting:

Step 3: Use a white acrylic paint or chalky finish paint (I used the leftover from my Bookshelf makeover) to make the coasters white.Allow it to dry. Use paint pens to create your own designs. As mandalas are in trend right now, I just drew my own mandala design using the paint pen. Why paint pens? you may ask. It gives a nice opaque look to the design compared to using a normal sharpie marker. 

Step 4: Seal the coasters with clear varnish to protect the design. Allow it to dry and your coasters are ready to use. 

Hope you like this easy to do coasters. I have linked to the walnut hollow site for better understanding of the point/tips I used for creating the design. This post is however not sponsored.I have the special technique point II  set which has all of these tips and helps in creating a lot of designs for various projects like this bracelets, ornaments, wood sign, etc. I think this is a great project do with kids this summer. There are lot of creative ways to customize these coasters. I am sure you will try these techniques in your own creative way. 

Share what you think about these coasters in the comment below. As always I will be happy to hear from you. If you make these coasters, don't forget to tag me in any of the social media shown above(Top right corner). 

How to make leather bracelet for men

After making the Welcome Sign using Wood burning tool, I was thinking of what else I can do with the wood burning tool.Then I came to know ,It can also be used with leather to burn designs.I experimented with leather bands and was surprised with the results. So, I ended up making these leather bracelets for men. Do you want to make awesome bracelets for you handsome boy friend or if you are guy reading this, do you want to make one for you or your bro? Keep reading to learn how !!

Materials Required :

Leather band - 7 to 8 inches (I got mine at Michael's)

Wood burning tool - Universal nib ,Special nibs(optional)

Waxed cotton cord

E6000

Pen (Optional)

Pliers (Optional)

Step 1: Burn the word on the leather band

 First trim your band to fit your wrist if it is too lengthy for your hand. The band which I had was around 8 inches and so I trimmed it to 7 inch to suit my husband's wrist. I decided to write a word(Such as "Hope",Believe","Fearless","Brave","Cool",etc.Whichever suits you or the man you are making) in the middle and decorate with some designs on each side. But If you don't want any words and just design you can very well jump to the next step.

Write the word you want in the middle, in my case it is "Hope". I used a pen to write the word in the center of the band and turned on the burning tool to heat up. Use Universal point for writing letters. Also you can use the trimmed piece for trial to know how the leather reacts with the wood burning tool. What I observed is, you need to be quick when using the tool on the leather . It was so smooth and it felt like I was using a marker pen for writing on the leather. It burns so quickly compared to wood and so plan ahead before starting the project. Once the tool heated up, burn the word using the tool.

Step 2 : Burning the designs

For the design, I used special nib such as a diamond design with stripes and a tear drop shaped nib. But , if you don't have any particular design nib you can always draw the design using pen and burn it with universal nib.

Using pliers remove the universal nib and change it to diamond shaped nib and allowed it to heat up. Once done, make a trial in the trimmed piece(As shown) to know how long you have press and the angle you have to hold the tool to get the whole design ,etc. Plan the design and burn it on the leather band, I just lined up the diamond design on both side of the word which I burned in the previous step.

For the second design, I used the tip of the tear drop nib to create a triangle shaped design on both the sides of the leather band. 

Step 3 :  Wrapping the ends

• Take 20" length of waxed cotton cord , make a loop at the end of the leather band in such a way that the loop should be formed at the end of the band and the shorter length of the cord is facing towards you(Or towards the other end).Dab a small amount of glue (E6000) for extra security.

• Wrap around the loop using the longer end for eight times. Pass the longer end of the cord into the loop and pull the shorter end of the cord to tighten the loop.Trim the excess at the shorter end and leave the long end of the thread as such.
• Repeat the same on the other end of the leather band.

Step 4 : Making square knot for sliding closure

• Join both the threads from the wrapped ends and lets name it as M (Middle). To make square knot take a thread of length around 15" and make a overhand knot around the M threads. Now you have equal length of threads on the sides of M. Let's name the Left thread as L and the right thread as R.

• Take L and go over the M and under the R.Now take R and go under the M and L in the middle and Over the L as shown and tighten the knot to form the first half of the square knot. Repeat the same step by starting on the R thread first.

• Take R and go over the M and under the L. Now take L and go under the M and R in the middle and Over the R as shown in the picture and tighten the knot to complete the first square knot. Repeat both steps to create a chain of square knot and complete it with a overhand knot. Secure the end with a dab of glue and trim the thread.

• Now make a simple knot at the end of the M threads to prevent the sliding of the threads into the knot and the closure is complete.Voila!! The bracelet is now ready to wear. If you don't want to make the sliding closure by yourself ,get a metal clasp that fits you leather band and glue it at the ends for the closure.

What do you think about this bracelet ?? Will you make one for your man or guy friends or brothers?? What other things have you done with your hands for your husband or any men in your life ?? Share them in the comments below. As always I will be happy to hear from you.