Dried fruit slices and peels are a great way to give your home a country prim look. They are fragrant and can be added to potpourri blends, fixins blends, wreaths, swags. They also make pretty and fragrant gift package decorations. When they are placed around candles, especially bakery candles, they give a nice country prim look.

The picture shown is an orange fixings blend. It combines dried orange slices and orange peels with fragrant spices like cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves. The look and smell is very seasonal and makes a great addition to country prim home decor.

The easiest way to dry fruit slices is to use a dehydrator. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can use the standard oven method.

How to Dry Apple Slices

To dry apple slices using the oven method, core your apples and slice them about 1/4 inch thick. In order to prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown during the process, dip the slices into a solution of 2 cups lemon juice and 3 tablespoons salt. Make sure the slices are well soaked for about 15 minutes. After you remove them, pat them dry with paper towels and place them on cookie sheets and dry for about 6 hours at 150 degrees. Keep the oven door slightly ajar to ensure good air circulation. Turn the slices when they start to curl.

How to Dry Orange Slices

For oranges, slice them about 1/4 inch thick and gently squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible without squeezing and misshaping the slices. Then place the slices on a cookie sheet and dry for about 6 hours at 150 degrees. As with the apples, keep the oven door slighty ajar for air circulation.

Copyright © 2006 - All Rights Reserved by Tina Columbus of TC Fragrance Crafts. Tina is a professional crafter who sells handcrafted fragrant products such as candles, soap, potpourri, and more. Visit her shop online at tcfragrancecrafts.com. .<

Tara Prigge

If you have a stack of magazines that you don’t want any more, recycle them into a funky Recycled Magazine Bowl, like this one, designed by Tara Prigge.

Tara folded each sheet into 1-1/2″ strips, using a glue stick to stick down the outside fold. Then the strips were joined together with clear tape and rolled in a coil that was gradually curled around itself to form a bowl. You can find her photos and instructions here.

Patricia Zapata

Different crafters like different ways of doing things, but who’s to say which is best. There’s a great Magazine Bowl tutorial by Patricia Zapata, with step-by-step photos of her technique, using strips rolled to about 1/2 inch, fastened by hot glue. Although the bowls look wonderful just as they are, Tara is thinking of spray painting one orange to use as a candy bowl for Halloween, or making a set of magazine bowls in assorted sizes.

Esprit Cabane

Esprit Cabane make this Coiled Magazine Basket from one inch vertical strips foiled into thirds. This method sounds a bit more fiddly because you need to paste two strips together with rice glue, or white glue thinned with water, before coating the strip with more glue and rolling it into a coil. However, the effect is very pretty and this project also has step-by-step photos to follow - always a bonus.

I’ve heard that Craftster.org has a good recycled magazine bowl tutorial, although I haven’t seen it, because I can only get dialup internet service in my area, and Craftster pages aren’t very dialup-friendly, taking forever to load. However, you could use their search feature to find it, if download time isn’t an issue for you.

Coiled paper strip stars

Coiled Bracelet

I love the creativity shown in a self-titled Half-Baked Idea on Craftypod.com. Using the basic instructions from Patricia’s tutorial, the author played around with the magazine coils and came up with a colorful bracelet. By fan-folding the paper strips, she also made these wonderful stars; they would lovely hung in a window or from a Christmas tree!

By draping the coiled paper strips over a bowl or other container as you work, you can vary the shape of your creation. Decoupage medium, Mod Podge, paint or spray sealer will provide a protective coating.

If you’re concerned about the chemicals in dryer sheets and dryer balls, here’s a alternative to make yourself; DIY dryer balls that you can make from natural wool yarn. Just toss the dryer balls into the dryer with your laundry and let them bounce around to soften clothes and absorb static cling.

Size:
You can make the dryer balls to any convenient size, but the ones you can buy are about nine inches around. Since the natural wool balls shrink a little prior to felting, you can make them about ten or so inches in circumference to get a finished size similar to the commercial dryer balls.

Supplies:

• Wool Yarn - here’s a great opportunity to recycle your leftover wool or yarn scraps. For the best results, use a yarn that is 100% wool or otherwise is a good felting yarn. Do not use superwash wool. Machine washable yarns aren’t any good for this project! Local stores will carry lots of good, cheap, felting wool yarns.

  The amount of yarn needed depends on the weight and gauge of the yarn used; obviously, chunky yarn will wind faster and you’ll need less. For a dryer ball made of worsted weight wool yarn, you’ll need about 3 ounces.

• Old Pantyhose or a Sock
• Cotton or Acrylic Yarn or String: You can use scraps here, too. This will be used to tie the hose or sock. You don’t want this to felt, so don’t use the wool yarn here.
• Scissors
• Crochet Hook
• Measuring Tape

Step 1: Winding the Core

Begin making the core of the ball by winding a bit of yarn around your fingers.

Once you have a bit done, take it off your fingers, let it close and wrap the yarn around it. This is the beginning of your ball.

Continue wrapping the yarn around and forming a little ball. There is no right or wrong way to do this step, as this will be completely covered up later on.

This picture at right shows a small beginning ball, a ball ready for the first felting and a ball that is ready for the last felting. This should give you an idea of approximate sizes.

Once you have a small ball, break(or cut) the yarn and tuck the end under using the crochet hook. This will keep it from coming loose during felting.

Step 2: Felting the Core

Put your small wool balls into a length of pantyhose or knee-high sock. Tie the hose closed between each ball with a piece of string or non-wool yarn, using a secure knot. This will keep the balls separated during felting.

Toss the wool ball pantyhose caterpillar into your washer with a load of laundry. Hot water will help the felting process. If you have used a hand-dyed yarn, or wool that is not colorfast, be aware that the dye may run.

Once the dryer balls have been washed and dried, cut the strings between the hose and remove them. They should be slightly felted. If you want them felted more, run them through another load.

Step 3: Winding the Dryer Ball

Begin winding more wool yarn onto the ball and continue winding until the ball is the size you want. Tuck the end under using the crochet hook.

Step 4: Final Felting

Once you have your dryer balls the size you would like, put them into the pantyhose again, tie them, and repeat the felting process. The balls don’t have to be completely felted before you can start using them; just slightly felted will do, so they won’t come apart. They will continue to felt and get harder as you use them.

Your natural wool dryer balls are now finished. It is possible they will develop little pill balls with continued use; if so, just remove them with a sweater shaver.

Adapted from Make your Own Wool Dryer Balls by goodmama, inc., licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Weathervanes can be simple constructions or detailed works of art. They are often installed as an outdoor decorating feature, but a weathervane serves a useful function as well - it tells you which way the wind is blowing.

The Franklin Institute has a great series of how-to projects related to weather, including a simple plan to Make Your Own Weathervane. It would be ideal as an individual or group science project, as the basic supplies are easy to obtain - you’ll need a piece of dowelling, discarded ruler, aluminum pie plate, a metal washer and wire, plus some simple tools.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has an even simpler weather vane model to make from cardboard.

Teachers will find the Weather Scope page from CIESE has easy instructions to make a weathervane from readily available materials such as tag board, a pencil, eraser, clay, and a paper plate. Students will also use a compass to determine where north is, so they can track wind direction with their newly completed weathervanes.

For a more decorative touch, kids might like to paint a cardboard or thin wooden weathervane. You’ll find how-to’s and a lesson plan on the Folk Art Weathervane page at KinderArt, including links to some free folk art patterns like this rooster outline.

FamilyFun has instructions to make a Fish Weather Vane, using styrofoam meat trays.

Woodworkers may find this unique Animated Cowboy WeatherVane, from the Woodcrafter.net, an interesting challenge. The detailed plans are free to download as PDF files, but the creator cautions that this woodworking project requires extreme precision and attention to detail.

Shaping a propeller for a weathervane or windmill can be tricky for even experienced woodworkers. But the Woodcrafter also has a free PDF file of explaining how to make different types of propellers, using a protractor, a wood lathe and a band saw or mitre saw. As a bonus, you’ll find lots of other free woodworking plans offered on the same page.

Finally, for the eclectic collector of weathervanes, FineScrollSaw.com has a free PDF file containing directions to make a Novel Electric Weathervane.

~ Weathervane History and Background Information ~

You Need A Weathervane To Tell Which Way The Wind Blows

Weathervanes, or wind vanes, have been used for centuries. Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the weather vane has served a dual purpose. Since the advent of the weathervane, their use has been both decorative and functional. The source of the wind may not have been fully understood, but people of ancient cultures understood how important the wind is a predictor of the weather.

It is no surprise that the simple weathervane became as ornamental as it is practical. Historians believe one of the first weathervanes was part of the Tower of Winds in ancient Greece. The tower was believed to have been constructed around forty B.C. by the astronomer Andronicus.

The Romans constructed many weathervanes from images of the gods. Prior to the advent of recorded scientific observation, there was much superstition around the weather. Through good weather or bad, the gods were often given credit for the prevailing winds.

Ancient seafarers used a simple type of weathervane, in the form of a small piece of cloth fastened to the rigging. This makeshift wind vane came to be known as a telltale and is still used today by sailors.

The weather vane existed in almost every ancient culture. Aside from depictions of various gods, animal themes are common for wind vanes, even today. The use of animal characters usually had a connection to religious beliefs. Artisans have adopted the weathervane as a medium for their craft adding to the decorative qualities of these simple weather tools.

Balance is the key to a properly functioning weathervane, as the weathervane must be able to turn in reaction to the slightest breeze. The center of the weathervane must rest on a center axis and be equally balanced on both sides. A basic design includes a center post with the body of the weathervane resting over it. The center post may come to a sharply tapered point. The body of the weathervane would fit on the post in a way were the weight would be concentrated directly on the point. If the body of the weathervane is not allowed to move freely, its reaction to changes in wind direction and speed will be too slow.

The shape of the weather vane can vary from a simple arrow, to more ornate and decorative figures. Even a large weathervane can be designed in way that optimizes its reaction to the wind. The shape is probably more important than the size. The body of the weathervane must designed in a way that is somewhat aerodynamic. An airplane wing creates lift by generating a positive pressure under the wing surface and a negative pressure on the top. Think of a weathervane as a wing surface turned perpendicular to the ground. The reaction to both positive and negative pressure causes the weather vane to turn.

Farmers and ranchers often relied on the wind to operate water pumps. Anyone who has traveled the American heartland may remember seeing these simple windmills turning. A key to an operating windmill is its ability to rotate with changes in wind direction. These windmills have a tail stock that acts in the same way a weathervane does, helping to point the blades of the windmill in the optimal direction.

For most of us, the need for a windmill has little to do with whether we have a weathervane. In these days of modern meteorology, weather predictions are readily available, often in great detail. These advancements in modern technology have rendered the humble weather vane to a decorative addition to our homes. Like many pieces of Americana, antique weathervanes are collectible. Many diverse themes have been used for the wind vane from the artistic to the humorous. With a rich history and functionality, the humble windmill can add a touch of whimsy and lore to your home.

Author Mike OBrien is a staff writer for the quality online store FineWebStores.com. Shop for Weather Vanes for your home. ]]> http://howtomakedo.net/107/how-to-make-a-weathervane/feed