Here is a little craft that I have been able to use in a variety of fun ways for camping. I came up with the idea when I was teaching and wanted to recognize students in a special way. At school we had an endless supply of discarded CD’s – there just had to be something to do with those wonderful, sturdy, shiny 4 ½” disks! Button lover that I am (see previous post), I discovered that the CD’s would be perfect for BIG BUTTONS to wear or display.
After you are finished with your design, print it. With the 4 ½” “BIG BUTTON” you can usually duplicate your design to put three on a page. I print on heavy-duty card stock, or even on a sheet of glossy photo paper. I also throw a little extra ink on the page by choosing the highest quality print option that is available. Cut the artwork out and glue it to the CD. I use a spray glue for an even and permanent bond that is wrinkle-free. On the back of the button you can stick a self adhesive pin back or a stick-on magnet – purchased at WalMart or craft stores. I have also put a design on each side of the CD and glued a small paperclip between the printed design and the CD to create a small loop to hang the CD from a string. . . hung from the awning they spin and twirl in a breeze.
2 Comments
Who helps me remember everything that needs to be packed for every camping trip? My personal packing valet! Who helps me easily locate every item I need when I’m at the campground? My personal packing valet! Who do I tell Tom to ask when he is trying to find something in the Silvermine? My personal packing valet! What (Who) is this wonderful helper? My Silvermine packing checklist! In creating the Silvermine packing checklist I considered different ways of organizing items and finally decided to list all objects by storage space, especially those items that are permanently stored for the whole camping season. The result is a quick glance at my checklist and I not only know what to make sure is packed – but I know exactly where it should go and where to find it when I need it. In addition, I also wanted to remember separate items needed for special occasions such as cold weather camping or cooking a turkey at the campground! My final requirement was that my list visually reflects supplies that need to be restocked, recharged, or replenished from one trip to the next. So, here is the checklist that I have become so fond of that I refer to it as my personal packing valet! When a camping trip is first planned, I fill out the important details and file it in my camping folder. From that point on, as I make reservations and plans I record notes on the checklist. The day of packing, I whip out the list and refer to all the details to personalize the final packing process for the trip and I double-check the consumable items in red. That means I get to the campground with everything we need for a great get-away – like the turkey fryer and the turkey for Saturday night’s dinner! What to do with all those cute little camping-themed fabrics left over from my Silvermine quilt projects? I’d been feeling a project coming on! Ideally, a project that would share all those lovely little left-overs with other small trailer enthusiasts. This year I will attend Sharon Sigmon’s Blue Ridge TAB rally as a former TAB owner – hugs to SS for welcoming me to the BRR one more time! The TAB will always remain the trailer that introduced me to a love of small-trailer camping, teaching me that less is often more when it comes to camping. Back to those scraps . . .they were just begging to become . . . something! A quick estimation confirmed that there was enough fabric to make 80-some 12” . . . somethings! I just needed to figure out what that something could be. With Sharon’s theme of back-in-the-holler camping and her tantalizing hints of redneck wine glasses – there just had to be some practical purpose for my lovely linens! By gosh – that’s it – linens! More specifically – table linens! Napkins! What campy camper doesn’t deserve a real fabric napkin at a hillbilly potluck dinner? I love it when a sweet little idea remains a simple little project. Having a 12” square quilting ruler and a rotary cutter, whipping out 80 12” napkins was a breeze. For the sake of simplicity they didn’t need to be hemmed – just a quick finishing roll around some plastic ware and bit of yarn to hold it all together. The best part of this project was recruiting grandma to do the wrapping, rolling, and tying. Of the generation that appreciates such things as fabric napkins, she quickly jumped on board and perfected the original idea with tightly wrapped little napkin bundles . . . Thanks Grandma! The finished product -- ready for the Blue Ridge Rally!
|
Archives
October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |