Rack-n-Roll Dispenser

Rack-n-Roll Craft Room Dispenser

Rack-n-Roll Dispenser

My Victorian-inspired Rack-n-Roll dispenser

I know, it’s been a while since I posted anything. I’ve been busy!! I’ll try to do better.

I needed a few small wall shelves for my craft room. I found some very cheap ($5/each) used wooden shelves to recycle into what I wanted. I quickly changed my mind after I got them home. I could use a wall-mounted dispenser more than shelves. Something that could hold all the supplies I use that came on a roll, like various tapes, wax paper, plastic wrap, foil, etc. This is what I came up with. I hope you like it.

old shelves

old used shelves

The shelves were very heavy for their size and made from a wood composite material…not sure what considering the age of them.

cut up and basic assembly

basic assembly

decorative moldings

Experimenting with IOD decorative moldings

altered yardsticks

Altered yardsticks for cross members.

I recycled the metal cutter strips from the boxes all the rolls came in.

Chalk Paint

Chalk Paint, wow what a great invention!

I love chalk paint. It covers almost any surface, no priming of raw wood, and it can be finished with a clear coat of Polycrylic or wax.

black wax

Homemade black wax

Check YouTube for DIY videos on how to make your own soft clear finishing wax (beeswax pellets + baby oil) and how to tint the wax with any unique color you may need.

Rack-n-Roll ready

Rack-n-Roll ready

The Rack turned out even prettier than I imagined!

Bill rolls

Big rolls

A friend discovered my unfinished Rack-n-Roll on the workbench and wanted it. I finished the Rack in the manner requested (with black wax).  I now need to make another for myself maybe with more racks! Good thing I made a pattern, huh.

YES, I made it myself: Constructing Molds

OJ House

The OJ House still curing.

At my last selling event, once again, someone asked: “Did you really make that yourself, by hand? Well, how did you do that?” Sometimes folks don’t believe that I DO actually create the papercrete items I sell, from the design, the molds, to the painting and finishing of each piece. This post will be a step-by-step breakdown of a custom miniature house to show the amount of work involved in just creating the molds.Continue reading

Experimenting With Cement Soaked Cloth

Draped Vase curing

Draped Vase shown while still curing. Papercrete was added later to the inside and outside of the base for better support and balance.

I’m having way too much fun with cement-soaked towels to work on anything else at the moment. I’ve made draped vases, miniature fairy houses, funky steampunk looking flowers, and have a few more ideas I want to try before I work this obsession out of my system. So, I thought I’d share some of what I’ve learned while experimenting.Continue reading

Almost Finished

Papercrete Fairy’s Castle Cottage Almost Finished

Dormers Installed

Old asphalt roof shingles can be cut, etched with designs, and then reused as shingles once more.

The Fairy’s Castle Cottage was one of the first batch of papercrete fairy houses for this season (2014). Creating the molds, forming the papercrete, waiting for the ‘crete to cure, and dry, are only a small part of the fairy house building process. Like building an actual house, the finish work takes the longest.Continue reading

Catching Up . . .

Papercrete Dew Drop Fairy House

Baby Box became “Dew Drop”. After painting, she was embellished with aluminum soda can cutouts for window frames and round leaves for the potted tree. A pull-tab, screen, and wires form the front door. A plastic end cap was cut down to create a pot for the twisted scrap wire tree, and crushed lava rock dust was added for the pot mulch.

I’ve had the flu and been out of commission the last few weeks, so I’m taking a day to catch up the Blog with the papercrete fairy house projects.  Some of the fairy houses were pretty cut-n-dry to develop. They were hand formed over disposable food containers, un-molded after set, dried, painted, and embellished.Continue reading

Fairy house molds for papercrete

Gettin’ Ready . . .

Fairy House Molds

Fairy House Molds

I’m gearing up for a big papercrete house and pot-making session! Cross your fingers that I can get these molds out of the houses once the ‘crete has set. I’ll be posting pics of the process as I go.