These
Sticks & Stones projects were inspired by a book by that name, part of a new series of books from Lorenz called New Crafts. Although the projects demonstrated were not directly from the book, they were sparked by it.
I used stones gathered along the shores of Lake Michigan, but almost any large body of water, including rivers, streams, small lakes and ponds, may serve as a source for unique stones. Should you need to purchase stones, visit your local nursery or aquarium supply store. Even some toy stores have them available.
Stone-Covered Birdhouse
Materials
small wooden bird house*
many small pebbles
twigs to outline the roof and base
roof material - broom straws, raffia, etc.
1" length of 1/4"dowel for perch
glue - cool glue, hot glue, or super glue
acrylic paint
*Note: Although the house may be painted any desired color in case any of the wood shows through the pebbles, but this step is optional.
Steps:
- Glue many tiny black stones around the opening to outline it.
- Paint the dowel the desired color and glue it to house about 1/2 inch below the opening.
- Starting at the opening, glue small pebbles one at a time to the front of the house until the entire front is covered. Repeat the process one side at a time until the entire house is covered.
- Glue twigs around base of the house and along the front and back edges of the roof.
- Cover the roof with whatever material provides the desired effect. Cut-up broom straws, raffia, shredded rafia, etc., are some options that can simply be glued in place.
After everything is glued in place, glue two small twigs or one larger one down the center of the roof to cover all rough ends.
Box Tops, Drawer Pulls and Door Stops
Another project in the Sticks & Stones book showed three large stacked stones used as door stops. I used the idea but in a much smaller way, stacking small stones and using them as drawer pulls and as decorative tops on covered boxes. In all cases, the natural color of the stones was enhanced by rubbing them with beeswax finish applied with a soft rag. For applying the finish to many small stones and pebbles at a time, place the stones in a plastic bag, add a few drops of the beeswax finish, then roll them around in your hands until all of the stones are coated. Larger stones can be covered with an acrylic finish if preferred.
In addition to stacking the stones, some were surrounded by tiny pebbles. On one of the drawer pulls, a single flat-topped stone was decorated with several tiny pebbles glued to the top surface. Many variations are possible depending on the size, shape, and color of the stones you have selected.
Note: In all cases, the stones were held together with contact cement (not rubber cement) which is available in hardware stores. Follow the application directions on the container.
Box tops
Materials
paper mache boxes
foam board
tissue paper
polymer medium, Mod Podge, or white glue thinned with water
small stones, pebbles
contact cement
Ideas:
- The boxes were made of paper mache. Because the tops usually have a slight unevenness in their top surface, I covered the box top with a piece of foam board trimmed to fit and glued to hold.
- One box was covered with red and green plaid tissue paper to complement the red and green in the stones that were used.
- Polymer medium, Mod Podge or white glue thinned with water can be used to apply the tissue. A second box was painted with sand paint and topped with stacked stones (figure A) surrounded by a few twigs.
Drawer pulls
Materials:
wooden drawer pulls or small blocks of wood screws
small stones, pebbles
sanding block, commercial emery board, or Dremel sanding tool
contact cement
Steps
1. The main difference between the box tops and the drawer pulls is that the stones were not stacked as high on the latter, and they had to be attached to something before they were screwed to a drawer or door.
2. Almost all stones have a convex surface, as do most wooden drawer pulls. To make the two fit together, it is necessary to sand the top surface of the drawer pull to make it slightly concave before gluing it to the stone (figure B). If a wooden cube is used instead of a drawer pull, it is also necessary to do a bit of sanding before attaching the stone (even though in this case the surface will be flat and not convex).
Painted stone door stop
Materials
larger assorted stones
desired painting tools such as a small brush, Grumbacher craft pen, or rubber stamps
paint or ink
Steps:
Larger stones can be painted, stamped or inked to look old or just interesting. A fine, white-lined design on a dark stone can make it appear fossilized--almost. White paint and a small brush can be used, or draw designs on light colored stones with a Grumbacher craft pen. Even easier is to rubber stamp a stone.
Further crafting ease is possible by using a stamp kit, such as the Native Indian Rock Art kit currently on the market. In this case, the rock art refers to the designs found carved on rocks by Indians throughout the world. The art has been translated onto the rubber stamps in this kit and are great for stamping on stones, thereby bringing the designs full circle. The kit includes 24 stamps, a stamp pad and activity book, as well as note cards and envelopes.
Resources Minwax Paste
The Thompson Minwax Company
Website:
www.minwax.com
Native American Rock Art Kit: A Petroglyph Stamp Kit For All Ages
by Judith Dupre (ISBN: 0811816117)
Click
here to order this title.
Chronicle Books
Toll-free: 800-722-6657
Website:
www.chroniclebooks.com
Cool Gloo glue gun and cartridges - Bond
Bond Adhesives Co.
Newark, NJ
US
Phone: 973-824-8100
Toll Free Phone: 800-879-0527
Mod Podge adhesive/sealer (Model #: CS11201- Gloss, CS11301- Matte)
Mod Podge can be used as a glue and a sealant. It is an all-in-one sealer glue and finish--gloss and matte finish. Sizes range from four ounces to one gallon.
Plaid Enterprises Inc.
Website:
www.plaidonline.com
specialty papers, decorating supplies
Loose Ends LLC
Website:
www.looseends.com
pens - Grumbacher
Available in stores that carry arts and crafts supplies.
Sanford
Website:
www.sanford.com
Sticks & Stones
by Mary Maguire (ISBN: 1859676162)
Click
here to order this title.
Contact: NBN - National Book Network: 800-462-6420 to order books or NBN's Web site: www.nbnbooks.com
Anness Publishing
Website:
www.annesspublishing.com Also in this Episode
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