Monday, January 30, 2012

Sphere Not!

Has anyone noticed the sphere madness in home decor lately?



I have and I like it!  Don't you?  I mean we've been filling bowls with balls for years right but these guys are more interesting and don't need a vessel.  They can stand on their own.  

You can go look for yourself at West Elm.
 The large one is $29  and small $16.  That won't break the bank but......

 in true cheapskate fashion I didn't want to pay that.  I would rather save my pennies and buy some other awesome stuff from there that I can't make on my own.

You wanna see how I made mine?  
Teehee I love this stuff!

Enter:

 4 embroidery hoops

 Forgive the bad bad blurry shot but the 6 " hoops were $.99


and well you can see the 8" were $1.19

I took apart each hoop and started playing with the 4 small pieces (there are two pieces per hoop if you have never played with these guys before).  I placed them inside one another and moved them around until they looked like this.


I wanted to make sure I could get them to look right before I messed with staining them.

My original thought was that after I stained them I would just attempt to hot glue them together.
 I decided I would line up and interlock the two tightening thingies to hold them together fairly well and then glue them together.



 Then I slapped on some gray wood stain with a sponge brush(this is really porous and thin wood so it soaks it up quick).  I wanted a little rustic look so I literally slapped it on. Then I ended up moving them around from place to place in the house and the garage for two weeks until I found time to play again but seriously this is a super quick project if your not me;)

Since I had two weeks to think about how I wanted to keep these balls together I decided to steer clear of the hot glue idea and tack them together instead.  Literally!


Seriously this wood is so soft that the thumb tacks went in really easy.  No they don't go all the way through two layers of hoop but they do hold it together just fine!  Woohoo...no messy stringy hot glue!


I originally thought I would buy these and take off the tightening thingies but I don't mind how they look with them(I stained over the metal too so they don't stand out as much).  I think if you have ever stuck with me enough to read any of my posts you know by now that I am a sloppy, messy, or even a half *** crafter.  You will find no attempt at perfection in any project at this house.  We are just typically excited to get r done!

 

Don't laugh at me...I did move these to three different places to photograph them;)  I never feel like I can get a pretty shot in this rent house because often the back drop includes apple wallpaper, peeling linoleum or 80's shutters;)





So there ya have it!  Mine aren't as large as the ones linked to above but I like them just as much and for about 6 bucks (we already had the stain and brush) I actually LOVE them!
Photobucket

linking to the fabulous parties at:
Beneath My Heart
The Shabby Nest
Remodelaholic
Chic on A Shoestring 
Uncommon Designs
Thrifty Decor Chick
Tatertots and Jello
The Shabby Nest
Stuff and Nonsense
House of Hepworths
Fireflies and Jellybeans
A Turtles Life for Me
Blue Cricket Design
Hope Studios
DIY by Design
Todays Creative Blog
Savvy Southern Style
Home Stories A to Z
Tip Junkie
Between Naps on The Porch
C.R.A.F.T
Under The Table and Dreaming
Flamingo Toes
Stuff and Nonsense
At the Picket Fence
Be Different Act Normal
Funky Junk Interiors
I Heart Naptime
Designer Garden


58 comments:

At The Picket Fence said... Best Blogger Tips

Amazing!! How creative and clever to come up with this and I have a feeling we will be seeing these all over blogland now. :-) Love the title of your post too...lol! Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Inspiration Friday this week~
Vanessa

Brandye said... Best Blogger Tips

That is greatness! Apparently, we both had embroidery hoops on the brain! LOL! Very clever!!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

This is awesome! I'm loving the sphere look but there's no way I'm paying $20-$30 each for them- thanks for the tutorial- I'll just make some too!

I'm hosting a linky party, the theme is all time favorite post- would love it if you joined in!
-Melissa
www.SerendipityandSpice.blogspot.com

Crafty Mischief said... Best Blogger Tips

Your spheres look great! I like your's even better than the picture! Thanks for sharing! :)

the cape on the corner said... Best Blogger Tips

oh my gosh, those are great. you'd never know they were a diy project!

Lori said... Best Blogger Tips

Awesome vignette. Love the spheres...and so easy to make. I'm following, so stop by and follow so we can keep in touch. Lori

The Hell on Heels Housewife said... Best Blogger Tips

love the spheres...great idea! Love that you call yourself a half*** crafter LOL. i think i may fall into that catagory as well. I like only projects that are DONE in one day or less! Will continue to follow!
Maggie @ TheHellonHeelsHousewife.blogspot.com

aurelledesigns said... Best Blogger Tips

I LOVE this!! This is SO my next project! Thanks for the inspiration!

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips

This is AH-Mazing! I'm so going to do this for my next project!

Thanks for sharing!!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

That is a great looking craft! How clever are you?

Karah @ thespacebetweenblog said... Best Blogger Tips

This project is awesome! I totally thought they were metal!! It would be super cool if would come by today to enter my giveaway for a $50 Lowe's gift card and to link up to my very first party! http://thespacebetweenblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/imagine-the-impossibilities-link-party-1/
Karah @ thespacebetweenblog

Crazy Wonderful said... Best Blogger Tips

How awesome is this! I'm pinning this for sure :) Especially love the savings!

mapleleavessycamoretrees said... Best Blogger Tips

Awesome project--never would have thought they were made from embroidery hoops! Great job:)

Mindy @ Heart Maine Home said... Best Blogger Tips

Such a fantastic idea! I love these!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

Love these. Love the price too. Saw you on Blue Cricket Designs.

Revi said... Best Blogger Tips

I am so impressed! These are great looking. Clever Texas girl!
Another Texan,
-Revi

Cassidy said... Best Blogger Tips

Such a great idea! Super modern. LOVE it!

http://fitcraftystylishandhappy.blogspot.com/

Andrea @ Life Love Larson said... Best Blogger Tips

I need some bulky items for my new bookshelves and these will be perfect! Great idea-thanks for sharing!

www.lifelovelarson.blogspot.com

Amy of While Wearing Heels said... Best Blogger Tips

Genius. Great idea, beautifully executed. Truly inspiring.

Cristina Garay said... Best Blogger Tips

Oh! I love this! I'm your newest follower! Those are the projects I like to see.. easy, cheap and, look wonderful!

Ann @ makethebestofthings said... Best Blogger Tips

Wonderfulness! I love decor balls and your project is a perfect contrast. So cool and clever!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

These are so awesome! Fabulous job!

domestiCate said... Best Blogger Tips

Genius idea! The hardware took the stain on well. I love the way it looks...industrial. Well done! I'm stopping by from At the Picket Fence.

DreamTree said... Best Blogger Tips

Awesome! I just saw these spheres online and immediately starting thinking about DIY'ing them with embroidery hoops...and here you are with the embroidery hoop idea too! Thanks for posting this - now I'm sure I can make them work! :)

Lindsey said... Best Blogger Tips

So creative! :)

Visiting from: http://www.toddlindsey.com

Christina said... Best Blogger Tips

these look GREAT! I love the color you chose too!

I featured this on my blog today:

http://christinasadventures.com/2012/02/sunday-features-57-58.html

And I pinned it too! :)

http://pinterest.com/christinasadven/20-below-features/

Jessica said... Best Blogger Tips

Thanks so much ladies! I really appreciate all the sweet comments! I think we all love a good cheap project!

Christina at I Gotta Create! said... Best Blogger Tips

I LOVE these! Simple, yet so 'architectural'! I'm pinning 'em!
<3 Christina

Deborah@Green Willow Pond said... Best Blogger Tips

These are just awesome! They really look like metal. Love them. Pinned them.

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

I seriously love these! I think they'll be the next big rage! Thanks so much for sharing and I just featured you! http://www.aturtleslifeforme.com/2012/02/sunday-spotlight.html

Oh, boy. Oh, joy! said... Best Blogger Tips

I LOVE these. So smart, so stylish!

Ashley H said... Best Blogger Tips

These look awesome! Great idea. I was just thinking of ideas for embroidery hoops last night. So you just stained them? I'm thinking about spray painting them...

Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage said... Best Blogger Tips

Wow, these turned out so great!! I hope to try to make some!

Sarah said... Best Blogger Tips

This turned out great!
Sarah
www.budgetfriendlydecorating.com

Bonnie and Trish @ Uncommon Designs said... Best Blogger Tips

This is stunning!! You are sooooo clever and creative!! We would LOVE for you to link up to our Uncommonly Yours link party!

www.uncommondesignsonline.com

Tisha Clapp said... Best Blogger Tips

I'm a get r done crafter too, so this project really spoke to me. Such a clever idea to use hoops! I'd love it if you'd share this at my Show & Tell party, going on now @ the Delectable Home.

Jen said... Best Blogger Tips

Those are AWESOME!! That was really clever! I am going to pin this and definatley give it a try! Thanks for sharing!

Rita said... Best Blogger Tips

Started following you from the Blog Hop! Follow me back!!

justfoursistersblog@blogspot.com

Thanks,

Rita

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

Love these! What a great idea.

thistlewoodfarm said... Best Blogger Tips

I love this idea and I just pinned them. Brilliant.....so easy and fabulous all at the same time (my favorite combination).

blessings,
karianne

SJ @ Homemaker On A Dime said... Best Blogger Tips

Hi! I pinned this on Pinterest, posted on fb, and featured at Creative DIYers Club. Please feel free to grab the feature button :)

Sharon @ mrshinesclass said... Best Blogger Tips

I am very impressed with your creativity and ingenuity. Your feature at Fridays Unfolded is well deserved. The spheres look great!

I'm a new follower.

Sharon @ mrs. hines class

Molly said... Best Blogger Tips

I don't know....this is perhaps just the COOLEST craft idea I've seen all year. And here I thought I'd have to try to figure out how in the world to make those out of those strips of metal with the holes without looking dorky and homemade. LOL! This is WAY better...yay and thank you so much!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

Wow - I LOVE these! I will definitely be making them soon. And I really like leaving the hardware on them -- it adds sort of an industrial look. Thanks for posting :)

Dee ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️ said... Best Blogger Tips

Your spheres are wonderful and so creative!!!

Dee

LeAnn said... Best Blogger Tips

AWESOME IDEA - I love that you decided to find a way to make them yourself. I think I may have to give it a try. I myself am also a half*** crafter - lol.

Thanks for sharing

Linh C. said... Best Blogger Tips

Really cool project! I thought your first picture was what you were trying to DIY. I have a bunch of embroidery hoops that I got from an estate sale, and this is a great way to use some of them. Thanks for sharing!

An Oasis in the Desert said... Best Blogger Tips

This is brilliant! You are so clever to have come up with this! I'm a new follower & also following on Pinterest.
CAS

kristilpow said... Best Blogger Tips

Grand idea! Not generally a maker/lover of thinkgs to dust : ), but will do these!Especially LOVE the tacks...they give it the steampunk uuumpf that's so popular, never mind the fact they help hold it together.

Sharon said... Best Blogger Tips

Love this!
I will be trying this very soon!
Thanks for the idea!

Holly Lefevre said... Best Blogger Tips

Brilliant! I have a ton of embroidery hoops - now I know what I am doing with them.

Amy said... Best Blogger Tips

This is a wonderful idea! I was just eyeing some spheres at the home store and thought to myself that I knew I could make them. lol I never even thought about embroidery hoops and I'm a stitcher!! Thank you for sharing!

Erika said... Best Blogger Tips

These are absolutely genius!!! Thanks for sharing. I am totally gonna try this out!

Monica said... Best Blogger Tips

I like them a lot! I'm going for a beachy feel in the house. I'm thinking I could bleach the wood. I've been wanting to bleach something that wasn't big, like a piece of furniture. I'm going to give them a try. ;)

Carolyn @ Our Gilded Abode said... Best Blogger Tips

These are wonderful and so unique! Can't wait to buy some hoops and give them a try. :)

Patty said... Best Blogger Tips

I have been pining to make these. I am getting closer to doing it! Yours look awesome - just like the West Elm ones! Thanks for the tutorial!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

this is really great. I love west elm but tend to make similar designs for half the cost.

Brooke said... Best Blogger Tips

This is so awesome!! I just bought 6 embroidery hoops today so that I can teach some girls at my church how to embroider. They are like eight years old so lessons won't last more than a couple weeks...and I was wondering what I was going to do with all the hoops after that. Now I'm not wondering- I'm making one of these! :D