Going Green with Sizzix

I've got a FUN recycling project you can make using your Sizzix products and some recycled items and cheap wooden beads from GoodWill today! When I say cheap -- I mean .98 CENTS for a 24" strand. I think I used 3 strands on this project. That's all I bought -- everything else I already had. Wow. See what you can do when you start using up all those items you buy because you love and then never use. So, let's get started!

Here's what we're going to make today. It's a little wind chime with some sparkly sun-catcher prisms in it. Pretty, don't you think?

Heres what you'll need: 

• Big Shot Machine
• Tim Holtz Movers + Shapers Mini Ticket Set
• Sizzix EcoEtch Die: Deco Motif and India Archway
• Vintaj: Natural Brass Circles, Bird
• Maya Road Brass Butterflies
• Various Colors of Spray Paint
• Faceted Glass Chandelier Beads
• Various colored beads
• Wooden Beads, painted or plain
• Rocks, Shells, Bells, Bottle Caps, Charms, Keys Fishing Lures or whatever you like to hang
• Silver Plate Butter Dish -- Vintage/Recycled
• Tim Holtz Screw Punch
• Tin Sheets
• 20 Pound Fishing Line
• Electric Drill
• A Willing and Helpful Husband -- I asked my husband to help me with drilling the butter dish -- because if there was ANY possible way I could hurt myself doing it I would. Plus, he's a better driller than I am :-D

So, let's get started. 

• Before I did any drilling (I being my Man) on the butter dish I gathered all the items and prepared them for stringing. I spray painted the brass shapes from Vintaj with black or red and let them dry. When they were dry I embossed them with the EcoEtch Die and sanded them with a sanding block to reveal the pattern. Oh, they made me so happy! 

• If they needed a second hole drilled in them I used my Tim Holtz Screw Punch to do that. I love this tool -- it saves my hand punches when I want a hole in some metal. I've ruined so many 1/8" punches by trying to use them to make a hole! 

• I also used the Mini-Ticket Magnetic Movers + Shapers Set and a sheet of tin to create some mini tickets that I could add to my wind chime/sun catcher. If you don't have the pre-made brass bird, butterflies and circles but have dies you could cut your own from any type of metal -- soda cans work great just be CAREFUL when you cut them apart!   

• I used my Big Shot to squash the bottle caps and then drilled a hole in the center of each one. I thought they might sound like a tambourine when it gets really windy!

• When you have all the elements ready you will need to prepare the butter dish. This is where my husband helped me. I marked on all 4 sides of the dish (5 holes on each of the long sides and 2 on the ends) with a marker where I wanted him to drill the holes -- I think he used a 1/8" drill bit. 

• When he was done I sanded down any rough edges with a sanding block. 

• Now I just need to cut a piece of fishing line and start creating the beaded strands. I tried to make them all different -- and different lengths too so they would swing in the wind and create soft, relaxing sounds.

• I cut the fishing line about 30" to 36" long and placed the end piece at the center mark. This would give me 2 pieces of fishing line to tie in a knot to the butter dish.   Then I started stringing the beads, rocks, shells and other items to create my strands. They range in length -- the shortest is about 8" long and the longest one is about 12".

• When each strand was complete I tied it to the butter dish. I did try and hide the knot on the inside. Since I don't know any fancy knots I just tied a 5 or 6 regular knots and pulled them tight, then I trimmed the ends to about 1/2" long.

Doesn't it look awesome? I can't wait to hang it outside and hear the sweet wind chimey sounds on a breezy day! 

 

This project took me a few hours -- but it was totally worth it. I think I'm going to make another one with the other part of the dish.

THANKS for joining me today for this project brought to you by Sizzix! Have a great day and see you next time!