Lazy Girl Crafts

Turn a special bottle into something practical!

2012 marks my second year with Sisters on the Fly. I’ve connected with some great women via email–fun folks I hope to camp with soon. Most recently, I participated in the not-so-secret-Santa Sister Swap/virtual Meet & Greet where I was paired with Frances, SOTF #2254, from Portland, Oregon. Part of the fun involved swapping a gift (ideally something homemade) with each other around the holidays.

Frances’s super cute 2005 Bambi Airstream

I loved the idea of swapping handmade gifts–until I discovered my crafting skills are pretty rusty. I turned to the Web for inspiration, amazed at what talented people are not only creating, but also blogging about. Ultimately, I realized I’m pretty lazy when it comes to crafting. I ended up sending Frances pottery that Aunt Lou Raye made (thinking I’d be crafty by association) and cayenne peppers I had grown, dried, crushed, and jarred.

Habaneros, zinnias, and basil from my garden. At least I can grow things.

It would be nice to be a crafty chica–like Dottie Angel or the North Carolina Handmaidens of The Handmade Market. So I decided I will tap into my crafty side more often–starting today.

These NC artists and designers make handcrafted treats for the body, home, and garden.

Jane T. gave me an awesome “Happy Camper” Chard for Christmas. It was too cute to recycle, so it seemed like the perfect thing to repurpose into some homemade goodness. And luckily for me, it made not one, but two, campy items!

Stock your camper’s winerack with a few of these cuties!

If you think you might like lazy girl crafts too, here are two things you can make with minimal cost and effort. First, you’ll need these materials:

I like the idea of buying local–and what’s more local than something made at your dining room table?

• 1 empty, clean wine bottle with a screw cap
• Superglue
• 3 ceramic magnetic discs (I used 3/4 inch diameter)
• 1 wine bottle wick
• High-quality lamp oil
• Kitchen funnel
• 1 full wine bottle
• 1 wine glass

Instructions for Lazy Girl Craft #1: Refrigerator Magnet

Total cost: around 50 cents. Assembly time: less than two minutes.

1. Pour a glass of wine.
2. Wash and dry bottle cap. Remove the paper insert that lines the cap.
   

   Make sure you remove the cap liner or the magnets will stick to it instead of your cute cap.

3. Dab a small amount of superglue in the center of the cap.
4. Stack 3 magnets and place in the superglue.
5. Press for 30 seconds and let dry overnight.
6. Stick magnet on fridge to hold photo of cute relatives.

And now I have a Happy Camper magnet!

Whew! All that work has probably made you thirsty, so pour another glass of wine and take a well-earned break.

Wine caps make pretty fun monogram magnets, like this “P” that my sister made for me last year.

Now you’re ready for Lazy Girl Craft #2: Wine Bottle Oil Lamp

Total cost: $8.50 ($6 for oil; 2.50 for bottle wick)

1. Refill your wine glass. Set aside.
2. Pour lamp oil into bottle (fill nearly full for best flame).
3. Insert wick in bottle and let soak for 30 minutes (good thing you set aside a glass of wine).
4. Light your oil lamp, sit back and relax in its glow. (Pouring yourself another glass of wine is recommended but not required).

Cody is enjoying the ambiance created by my new Happy Camper oil lamp.

Lazy Girl Crafts will try something a little more sophisticated next time. Baby steps…