Have you ever dyed Easter eggs with natural dyes from Mother Nature? The colors that emerge might surprise you. Coffee grounds will produce a light chocolate color and tea bags a reddish brown. With coffee & tea bags, you put 4 Tbs. of coffee grounds or about 12 tea bags, 1 Tbs. white vinegar & enough water to cover the eggs in a pot and boil for about 15 minutes. I usually cut open the tea bags. The gorgeous copper color came from onion skins and the blue from red cabbage leaves. I used about 3 tablespoons of turmeric and 1 Tbs. vinegar to acheive this sunny golden color and red beets produced a light mauve. To make a mottled looking egg with onion skins, wrap the paper thin skin around the egg, place in a pot with water about 1 inch above the eggs, put a few more skins … [Read more...]
Make a Wire Cloche
The French developed the glass cloche, or bell jar, of solid glass shaped like a dome. It's purpose was to protect garden plants from cold and frost. So, what's the purpose of a wire cloche? Why, whatever you want it to be ! For this project you'll need: chicken wire 12" in height goggles gloves wire snippers needle nose pliers I found a whole roll of chicken wire at a yard sale for just 25 cents..... amazing what you find at yard sales...anyway....you need a piece approx. 22" long. When you cut the wire you'll end up with these ends that you just wrap around the other end to join. Start by making a tube shape & then work on shaping the top, which can be tricky. Some of the wire will have to be cut away to get that shape. Just keep working it & crimping the … [Read more...]
