I loved the idea sent in by Stacy Chandler of Troy, Mich. Curtains from paper clips! The idea is wacky but the effect is most interesting. Stacy used the standard sized, silver colored paper clips and covered an entire 36-inch window for $5 (
figure A). She said the same sized covering using the colored clips would cost $15 (
figure B). The curtains were made by simply stringing paper clips together then hanging them from a curtain rod. In the picture it appeared as though Stacy had hung the strands from metal hooks hung over the rod. What a kick. What a conversation starter.
Linda Rayco of Hollywood, Calif., sent in a most attractive container filled with bath salts topped with wires and beads and a rather exotic looking stopper (figure C). Turns out the container was a juice container, the bath salts were nothing more than Epson salts with a bit of food coloring and a few drops of essential oils added and the fancy bottle trimmings were craft store jewels embedded in a handmade polymer clay top. Wire wrapped around the neck of the bottle covered any ridges and the effect was further enhanced by layering salts colored yellow and orange. Linda and her 10-year-old daughter enjoy making such bottles of bath salts as gifts.
It was during a chat on hgtv.com that Marla typed in to say that she slices pieces from her polymer canes and glues them to the bottom of those small glass stones that are seen everywhere these day (figure D). Not only do these make clever refrigerator magnets, but it is a good way to keep track of the canes you've made. And by the way, since that chat and since the show I saw some of those glass stones in a bead store. Someone had simply cut out small pictures and glued them to the underside of the stones as we did on a past show, put a magnet piece on the back and they were priced at $6 each!
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