Wee Wreath with a Twist...

Took a little breather from this project to make one of my favourite-most things: a wreath.

Here's how I did it!

This wreath is made of one small cereal box cut up into twine like I've shown you here, wrapped around a large mason jar many times until you have a mittful...

Then slipped off the mason jar and twisted in and out and wrapped and twisted in and out and wrapped around itself until you have a slightly-bigger-than-donut-sized-wreath...

When done, I gave it a light covering of daffodil yellow paint, and topped it off with a sweet bow.

It will do quite nicely for Easter or the whole of spring even, wouldn't you say?

I will make a place for it in The Wreath Blog collection very soon too, can't forget.

You have a lovely day now. I'm off to chat with my seedlings, weeeee! More on them later...

♥M

Cereal Box Thingy Update

I started this cereal box thingy in March 2011 over HERE. Incredibly, that's almost a year ago now. At the time, I mentioned that it would be a "very very long term" project. Obviously not an exaggeration as I'm nowhere near done. At one point, "the thingy" evolved into THIS. Error in judgement. To tell you the truth, I actually gave up on the whole project for a while after discovering how unworkable it was in that form. It languished in a dark corner for many moons. One night in a fury of frustration I ripped off the base and everything that held it on, and returned it to a less complicated shape, a ball. It has since developed into a cute oblate spheroid. Very much better this way, methinks.

The thingy is made entirely of cereal and cracker boxes, cut into twine and wrapped neverendingly around itself. HERE's how I make the twine, eff-why-eye.

Some cold hard stats: 8 cereal boxes and 28 cracker boxes (we like a little crunch now and then...) have gone into its making thus far. It measures roughly 8 inches (20cm) in diameter and weighs 3-1/8 lbs (1.4 kg).

The Boy has taken to using it as a play-thing. We toss it back and forth betwixt ourselves. I've also found him standing and balancing on it with his little self. I've tried it too. Surprisingly good for the core. Personally I like cradling it in my arms like a wee babe. It has a lovely weight you see. Eventually I'm hoping to grow it into a wondrous footrest. See? Who says I don't have goals. But in the interim, I'm kinda tickled by its unexpected use as medicine/balance/baby ball.

I'm glad I didn't toss it. There's a lot of work wrapped up in this crazy project. Literally.

You have a great day now.

♥M


P.S. Oh ya. A few other things I've made with cereal box twine include THIS and THIS.

Tutorial: Cereal Box Garland

I wonder who first named the garland. To me, the word "Gar-Land" sounds like a fantastical place abounding with schools of shimmering gar fishes and pretty-flowy-hanging-things. It certainly doesn't sound like the pretty-flowy-hanging-thing itself... Language is funny, isn't it?

Oh. But I've digressed.

What I meant to say was: I made a garland. Would you like to see how? As you've no doubt gathered, it's as simple as Simon to make. But, you know, since you're here... Here's what I did!

Tutorial: Cereal Box Garland (aka: Cereal Box Pretty-Flowy-Hanging-Thing)

You will need:

1. a cereal box
2. string
3. toilet roll
4. pair of scissors

Cut your cereal box into twine. Do this by cutting a continuous strip all around the box, turning the box over and over until you get a whole lot of cereal box "twine".

Now take your toilet roll and a piece of string. Place the piece of string along the tube with the cereal box twine laying across it. Like so.

Holding your string in place, wind the twine several times around the toilet roll. Tie a knot around the twine with the string. Make a bow.

Slip the twine loop off the toilet roll.

Repeat many many times. Until you have a sizable garland.

Or several sizable garlands.

Now hang it wherever you wish. Either inside...

Or out!

For a whole collection of me-made garlands, click here and here. And here. And um... here. And again here.

'Twould appear I live in GarLand.

Hee.

Have a glorious day, and I'll see you again on Friday!

Long-Term Experiment of the Cereal Box Kind 2

This is the progress on my long-term cereal box "experiment" after 5 cereal boxes and 9 cracker boxes.

To see how far I've come since the last time (not that far), click here.

Really, we eat that much breakfast cereal and crackers at our house. It is widely known that my body is 68% Cheerios, 20% crackers and the rest, lemonade, with trace amounts of other gunk. Does that mean I am insanely happy yet a tad sour?... Never thought about it until now.

Anyway. Thus far, the "experiment" is 8 inches (20 cm) tall and 5-1/2 inches (~14 cm) in diameter.

Note that I've added a "base" to the ball... Yep, that's a base with a ball on it alright. And no, the thingie has zero to do with that great American sport known as baseball, in case you were wondering.

Now go! Have yourself a super-fine day! I'll be back...

Long Term Experiment of the Cereal Box Kind

This is the very very start of a very very long-term project involving the recycling of many many cereal boxes and cracker boxes into twine to ultimately create something for our home. I won't reveal what it will be yet. I'll leave that to your fertile imagination for now... But here's what I've done so far.

After 1 cereal box, it was a ball measuring ~3-1/2 inches (9 cm) in diameter.

Now after 3 cereal boxes + 1 cracker box it is a ball measuring ~ 5-1/2 inches (14 cm) in diameter.

I'll keep you abreast of my progress, recording numbers of cereal and cracker boxes as I go. And eventually... eventually... I'll disclose its function. Until then, fingers-crossed that it'll all come out as I see it in my brain. It's an experiment, you see... What do you think it'll be?

Oh yes, and to find out how to make cereal box twine, see this little post here.

Going to eat my bowl of cereal now... See you soon ;)

Nest? Basket? I Do Not Know...

Is there a simpler way to ask it?

Is this nest or is it basket?

'Tis true that in its heart eggs rest.

So is it basket or is it nest?

It's made of paper, so you've guessed.

I have re-used again, no jest.

Yet I am flustered, I cannot mask it.

Don't know if this be nest or basket.

I think I may just blow a gasket.

This quest may send me to my casket.

How do I know which name is best?

Nest or basket, basket or nest?

Perhaps it's best to let it rest,

For this has surely left me stressed.

So I will leave YOU one small task:

That is to name my nest slash basket!

Thank you.

(A silly poem by Michele, March 2011)

Alright, here's the thing to make the thing...

Tutorial - Basket? Nest?

You will need:

• Empty cereal box
• Yarn ends
• Scissors
• PVA glue (the white stuff)

1. Using your scissors, cut off the flaps from both top and bottom of the cereal box.

2. Cut your cereal box around and around creating a continuous piece of cardboard "twine". One small basket will require you to cut up at least half the box in this way.

3. Begin coiling the cereal box twine around your finger. Tie it with a piece of yarn so it holds its shape.

4. Continue this coiling and tying process until you've built a flat disc-like object of the desired diameter. This is the bottom of your basket nest.

5. Now build the walls of your nest basket by coiling the cereal box twine around the edges of the disc and building up. Continue using little pieces of yarn to hold the walls in place every now and again until you've built up the walls to the desired height. Trim the yarn ends or tuck them into the basket nest.

6. The handle will require several lengths of cereal box twine. Make them as long or short as you like. Mine were roughly 16 inches (~40cm) long.

7. Twist the lengths together.

8. To keep the lengths twisted, tie the handle at regular intervals with short pieces of yarn. Trim the yarn ends. Now fasten the ends of your handle to the nest by tying them on with pieces of yarn. Nest basket done. Check.

9. Make eggs by balling up some yarn ends and rolling in glue. Let dry. Place in basket. Victory is yours! Your cute "thingie" is complete!

The finished product!

Now have yourself a fabulous day, and I'll see you again soon!

♥M

P.S. Here's a second little paper Easter basket for you!