Title: Going for the ‘A’ : Adventures in Pinterest DIY by Kyra Jacobs
Anyone else have young teens out there? For us, a recent “how to reuse common household items” turned into a trip down Pinterest lane. Now, I may be nuts, but I’d held out on venturing into the Land ‘O Pin for a long time, knowing it’d be a rabbit hole I might wander down and from which never return. But between haircut ideas and hero example searches (now there’s a path I could totally lose myself on) I eventually caved. And that site proved valuable for this project.
Of course, pretty much everything on Pinterest 1) looks amazing, and 2) looks simple enough a five-year-old could do it. Yeah, we’ll come back to that…. Anyway, after many no’s, my oldest finally found one he liked–probably less for the result and more for the use of the common item: 2-liter bottle flower vases.
An excuse for Mom to buy Dr. Pepper AND spray paint? Yes please.
So below I thought I’d share our experience with this DIY adventure.
Supplies needed:
- 1 empty 2-liter bottle
- 2 old CD’s
- 1 can of spray paint
- 1 well-ventilated area for doing the painting
- 1 form of gooey adhesive (we used hot glue, I recommend something more…permanent)
Step 1: Consume pop (yep, we’re northerners here) and wash bottle.
Pinterest result: a sparkling clean, empty 2-liter
Our result: lots of burbs and giggles, and a clean bottle
Step 2: Remove the label.
Pinterest result: a sparkling clean, unblemished bottle.
Our result: You’re kidding, right? Whoever made the glue for this stuff must have been paid a premium to make sure PepsiCo labels didn’t come off. Ever. After peeling and scrubbing and peeling (and mentally cursing a lot) we removed all of the label and hoped the spray paint would hide the remaining stubborn-ass glue.
Step 3: Cut the 2-liter in half, resulting in the main part of 2 vases.
Pinterest result: 2, same-sized pieces, each with a perfect cut, scalloped design.
Our result: This looks like the middle. *cuts* Huh. *cuts some more* Still not right. *tries to get fancier with the edges, vase is shrinking fast* Uh, you think this is close enough for an ‘A’? Yeah, me too.
Step 4: Affix each half to one CD (which will serve as the base).
Pinterest result: 2 vases, each securely-fastened to a CD.
Our result: 2 vases, each stuck to their own CD with strands of hot glue stuck to darn near everything in site.
Step 5: Paint the vases.
Pinterest result: 2 professional-looking vases.
Our result: Mommy’s painting, you’re going to bed. *shakes can as son shrugs and heads to his room* This should be fun, right? *sprays* Wow, does it stink in here. *sprays some more, coughing* Oh man, I forgot to open the garage door. *opens door a crack, sprays some more* Woowee I should do this more often! *sprays until looks as evenly coated as it can after inhaling a few too many paint fumes* Perfection!
Final result:
Pinterest:
Ours:
Oh yeah, nailed it…until the next morning, when the top half unglued itself from the CD. Lol
In the end, he got an ‘A’ and I found myself with 2 new, very thin, very lightweight vases. Useful? Eh, not really. But was it worth it for some extra mother-son time?
Absolutely.
Anyone else have some fun and easy family DIY projects? Tell me about it below and send pictures if you can!
Kyra
Don’t miss Her Unexpected Detour by Kyra Jacobs, on sale for only 99¢ for a limited time!
Sometimes it’s not the destination, but the detour…
Kayla has the perfect strategy for a broken heart: work, work, and more work. Then a storm sends her car skidding off the road, stranding her in Mount Pleasant. Fortunately, rescue comes in the form of the incredibly handsome but gruff Brent Masterson. And he’s hot enough to tempt Kayla into doing something she never thought she could do…
Brent Masterson swore he would never give into the fierce attraction that’s been sizzling between him and Kayla since they first met. He has his own demons, and he won’t risk his heart again. Not even for someone as gorgeous and amazing as Kayla. So…how exactly did he end up in Kayla’s bed last night?
But sometimes all it takes is an ice storm to show two broken hearts the way home…
Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who writes of love, humor and mystery in the Midwest and beyond. Her romance novels range from sweet contemporaries to urban suspense, and paranormal/fantasy to YA. No matter the setting, Kyra employs both humor and chaos to help her characters find inspiration and/or redemption on their way to happily ever after. When the Hoosier native isn’t pounding out scenes for her next book, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or spending quality time with her sports-loving family. Kyra also loves to read, tries to golf, and is an avid college football fan. Be sure to stop by her website www.KyraJacobs.wordpress.com to learn more about her novels and for links to connect with her on social media.
About Author
Not much of a DYI person, however, I am an expert thrift store shopper! And let me say that you would be amazed at what lovely things are out there!!