Homemade paper scrolls of The Gettysburg Address

Since becoming cubmaster of my son's cub scout pack, I have tried to find ways to reward the scouts for stepping up and doing things that perhaps other kids wouldn't do.   Recently we chartered a bus to Washington DC for the cub scouts and their families.  One of the activities I planned out for the scouts was to have scout volunteers read part of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial of course.  Each scout had to willingly accept the role of public speaking albeit I believe a few were pushed by their parents (which is good).  As a reward I made the scrolls you see below. 

I made the paper out of a cotton and linen blend similar to our paper currency, and to a few pieces I added in some cattail fiber.  I used the cotton and linen blend not only because it looks and feels cool, but also because paper was primarily made out of cotton and linen in the U.S. until around the 1880's when the paper industry started using more wood pulp.  This adds a touch of historical accuracy to the Gettysburg Address scroll that I made for the kids.  It also means that this paper should last quite a bit longer than your average newsprint or even office paper.  If these scrolls are taken care of, they should be around long into these kids' adult lives and possibly beyond. 

Finding a place willing to print on homemade paper was another challenge in itself.  My HP printer would not accept a 7.25" x 18" piece of paper, so I was forced to find alternate means.  I first tried Kinkos, to no avail.  I called a local printer....nothing.  Finally I stopped in a different local print shop with my paper, explained the project and what it was for.  The print shop owner hesitated, looked at my paper and agreed.  In the end he even gave me a really great deal.  So now I want to shamelessly promote Spahr-Evans Printers.  They did a great job.  Click on their link.

I hot glued 3/8" and 1/4" wooden dowels to the ends of the paper and used jute twine for the hanging as well as to tie the scroll together for giving to the scouts.  This is a really neat addition.   



Hope you like the project.  I made a couple of extra copies, and if I can force myself to part with them I may post them on Etsy. We'll see, because I have grown quite attached to them. 

Comments are always welcome.

Homemade Paper

This could be a lengthy blog post because there is so much information to pass along.  I could go on about the paper making process, but there are literally dozens of other websites that do a much better job than I ever could explaining how it is done.  Perhaps one day I’ll do a video, but for now I’ll just give my insights about an extremely cool hobby.   I’ll also post links to a few of the resources I used to get started.

I have made paper from a wide variety of resources.  There are two main categories of material used for paper; raw and previously processed.   This is pretty much the same as using either raw material or recycled material.  I’ll list them below:

Recycled material:

Old paper:  This is probably the easiest material to obtain and also the material easiest to work with while making paper since it takes very little additional effort to make old paper into handmade paper.   Most paper is made from wood pulp.  Wood pulp paper has a lot of draw backs such as short fiber length and poor fiber quality.  This in turn leads to a relatively short life span for wood pulp paper.   Look at old newspapers or books and you will see how brittle the pages are.  Paper made from linen or cotton will hold up for hundreds of years, wood pulp paper starts deteriorating after 10 years or so.   

Cotton cloth:  Using cotton rags to make paper is a very interesting way to recycle that old T-shirt that is still sitting in your closet from back in high school, or perhaps those holey denim jeans that you are hanging onto to wear after you lose weight.    

In order to reduce the fabric fiber into paper fiber, the fabric must be separated into individual fiber components. The traditional way to process fabric back to fiber suitable for paper was with a machine called a Hollander beater.  Basically the cloth is pulverized repeatedly until it has the consistency of paper mache. 

Hollander beaters cost upwards of $2,000 on the cheap side, so I had to find another way.  What else pulverizes anything that enters it?   A Vitamix blender!   This is worthy of its own blog post so once I have the post up - click here - to see the process and results.  The bottom line is that it works quite well.

Denim from Mackenson's blue jeans.  Nearly completely pulped on the left.

Linen Cloth:  I used linen rags acquired cheaply at a local thrift store.  The process is the same as for cotton

Silk:  I also found some inexpensive old silk clothing articles at the local thrift store. Once again I use the same process as for any other fabric.

Burlap/Sisal, Jute and Hemp fabric:   I haven’t tried these yet, but the process will be the same as other cloth. 

Raw fiber materials:  Pretty much any plant fiber can be used to make paper.  The trick is to find plants with long enough quality fiber to be able to extract it manually, chemically or mechanically without losing it.  There are hundreds of potential plants to use.  I list the ones I have used.  I’ll write another blog post describing the process, it is somewhat entailed. 

Iris leaves:  For those who grow iris plants you know that every year in the fall the outside leaves turn white or tan and die.  Have you ever noticed how thick and strong the leaves are?  This was the first material I used to make paper, and an excellent source of fiber.  It makes a dark tan to light brown paper if using dead iris leaves.

Cattail leaves:  I’ve heard of people using the cattail fluff as well.  It would be an interesting experiment to try.  This is the highest quality paper I have made.  It is very smooth, very strong and works in an ink-jet printer.

Morning Glory Vines:   This one did not work out as well as I had hoped.  Likely it didn’t work as well because I did not process it enough.  However, it still produced a paper that looked pretty cool and good for wrapping things (like x-mas presents) to give them a natural look.

Dogbane Hemp:   This is very similar to milkweed (see below).  Use the bast fiber (bark) of the dogbane hemp plant.  There are challenges when using bast fiber of broadleaf type plants over the leaf fiber of grasses (like Iris and cattail).  The main difference is that fiber yield is lower, and separating the bast from the stem is time consuming.  There is also considerably more foreign material left over after processing.  The benefits are that the fibers are MUCH stronger than the other fibers mentioned before.

Milkweed:  As far as paper is concerned, it is very similar to dogbane hemp. I used the bast fiber.   Any reason to use milkweed is a good reason. One of my goals is to one day grow at least some milkweed commercially for fiber purposes while helping the monarch butterfly.    As you may know the milkweed also has the silky material that is fluffy.  I have yet to try to turn this material into paper, but the day is coming.  Coincidentally, dogbane hemp also has silky material in it’s seed pods.

Birch Polypore mushroom:  We are mushroom fanatics, and I received a birch polypore mushroom from a co-worker.  I regularly get random mushrooms given to me by co-workers who know I enjoy collecting edible mushrooms.  Unfortunately the Birch Polypore is unpalatable (though technically not poisonous).  Thinking back to my biology 101 days, I got to thinking about fungi.  I found a couple of people who had turned other polypore mushrooms into paper, so gave it a go.  It is possible to turn a birch polypore into paper.  However, the fiber length is fairly short meaning the paper is more delicate than other papers I have made.   Also, the mushroom pulp is very sticky, and this makes the process of couching (see other post) more difficult.

A few other plants I plan on using:  Pineapple (as soon as I collect enough tops),  Hops vine, snow on the mountain (I have some collected), nettle, and  lilly leaves.  I’d also like to try a few other types of mushrooms.   

A list of resources that I used and got me started.

Wiki-How;  Gives the basics

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Paper

Mother Earth News:  Also fairly basic

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/making-paper-zmaz93djzraw.aspx

Video from epicfantasy:  This guy has a lot of really cool stuff and a neat haircut!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyr24PgpDDs

More advanced, but very useful for turning raw material into fiber

http://www.papermakingresources.com/pdf/BlenderTable.pdf

A quick google search will lead you to a lot of resources. 

The bottle lamp

More recycled / upcycled gear that we are making.   The latest is a lamp to be given to Mother-in Law for a birthday present.  We had already given her a Jameson tumbler for her er uh....medicine a couple of x-masses ago.  This lamp should compliment her collection.    I have wanted to try making bottle lamps for a while after getting the idea from a co-worker (Thanks Tony).    The trick is using a diamond bit designed specifically for glass to drill a hole at the bottom of the bottle.   I purchased a set of diamond bits on Amazon.com, and so far they are working well.   I used the Neiko Heavy Duty 5-Piece Diamond Dust Hole Saw with pretty good initial success.

Process: (Wear protective eyeware;  I wore a face shield).

1.  Fill bottle with water.  This helps prevent any chip-outs when the bit nears coming through to the inside of the bottle.

2.  Drill slow and steady at point on bottom of bottle where cord will enter.  I did this in the kitchen sink with a very small trickle of water flowing onto the cutting point of the glass. 

*  The first bottle I tried I broke because I applied far to much pressure on the bit.  But by letting the drill bit do the work, my next two bottles were successful.

3.  String wire /cord though the drilled hole to the top/neck of the bottle.

4.  Drill hole through bottle lid or cork.  I used regular multipurpose drill bits for this part.    Ultimately the hole diameter was 3/8", but to keep the cork/lid from being destroyed I used a series of progressively larger bits and worked up to the 3/8".  This was large enough for the lamp "pipe" to fit through the lid.

5.  Wiring and tightening the socket to (or through) the lid is fairly self-explanatory and intuitive.  

6.  I filled the hole at the bottom with a dab of silicone to hold the cord in place.  This is probably not necessary and the hole is smooth (no sharp edges), but it adds a little extra professional feel to the lamp.

I made two lamps.  The first lamp was made with a Westinghouse lamp kit purchased from Home Depot.  The second lamp I used the "guts" from a lamp Mackenson has broke some time ago.  Both with equally good results.  

Now to find some decent lampshades, and I think they will look pretty nice.

Upcycled glasses (a use for bud light platinum)

As many of you know we are firm believers in reusing everything possible.  About a year ago I got the idea of turning old bottles into drinking glasses.  It turns out I was not alone in this endeavor.   After watching a few you tube videos and some other google searching, I found several different methods for turning bottles into glasses.  Some methods were more practical than others.  My materials are simple and as follows:

A bottle
Butane micro torch
glass cutter (for scoring the glass)
my kids' cheapo potters wheel ( or another spinny thing - like a lazy susan spice rack)
My dremel for sanding down any sharp edges.

Step 1:  Determine where you want to cut on the bottle.   This will determine how tall your glass will be.  For smaller bottles  (12 oz) I usually aim for the upper most part of the bottle before it narrows for the neck.  For wine bottles I go for a comfortable size / grip.  For liquor bottles I go for style / looks.  How much of the Grey Goose design do I want left after I cut the top.

Step 2:  Mark the glass.  I normally use a sharpie.  While the bottle is spinning, I hold the sharpie in place to draw an even circle around the bottle.

Step 3:  Score the glass along the line you just drew with your glass cutter.  A light scratch will do just fine.  You only need to weaken the glass slightly.

Step 4:  While the glass is spinning, hold your (lit) butane micro-torch along the scored line.  The tip of the blue flame is the hottest and is fairly easy to hold in place.   After a couple of minutes you will hear and see the glass crack along the same plane as you were holding the flame.  It is truly amazing how even the break usually is.

Step 5:  Remove the top and use your dremel to sand of the inside and outside edge of the break.  I've used a stone attachment and a sand paper wheel attachment with fairly equal results.    When done the new surface will looked like frosted or brushed glass.  This is the lip of the new drinking glass, so make sure there are no rough or sharp edges.

Step 5 (alternate):   I have heard (and have seen on youtube) that you can also melt the top of the new surface with a propane torch.  I saw this on a video, but when I tried, I didn't get the same results.  My guess is that my propane torch did not heat the glass enough to smooth the edges.   However,  the result of this method, when successfully done, should produce a nice clean polished edge rather than the frosted look you get with the dremel.  I'm going to experiment with this more in the future.

 My kids love these glasses and try to snag one of these for themselves when they set the table.   Corona bottles as well as the IBC root beer or Sioux City Sarsaparilla bottles all look great when complete.  Bud Light Platinum may taste horrible, but the light blue bottles make a really cool tumbler glass.  My mother in-law has been using a Jameson converted glass for her.......medicine....since last Christmas.

We are opening up some of our glasses for sale on Etsy, and when they are posted I'll attach a link:
In the meantime take a look at some of the pictures of the bottles we have turned into part of our dinner setting.

These will be for sale on Etsy.  Click here for a link to Etsy.

That Grey Goose, Will get you loose.

What was a green wine bottle next to an IBC root beer bottle are now used at the table regularly.

   I want to give a huge shout out to all the folks in the office who have brought me their bottles over the past year.   Thanks to Gary, Michelle, John, and everyone else.

Cub Scout Awards

For those who didn't know, I accepted the position of cubmaster for a local cub scout troop last fall.   I would like to believe that I have made a significant positive contribution.  In reality, I know I have .  It is an extremely busy volunteer position, and one of the things I have attempted to do is give the scouts a little more recognition for their accomplishments.   I recently made these very basic plaques for three of our outstanding scouts.   These three went above and beyond during our annual fundraiser and left the other 40 or so scouts in the dust.  I am proud to say that my son was one of the three (actually he was #1).  Our pack does things a little differently than many packs do.  Instead of popcorn sales our scouts sell pot pies and frozen dinners made by a local outlet.   The scouts were tasked with selling a minimum of 20 pot pies / meals.  The three scouts I made the plaques for sold near or well over 100 pies (Mackenson sold 183).  I believe that recognition is one of the biggest motivators there is for people and especially for these young people.   I'm giving these out at our annual Blue and Gold Banquet later in February.  Needless to say I'm proud of my scouts.

We are on Etsy

As is evident by our lifestyle we make A LOT of different crafty type items.  Mackenson with his paracord bracelets, Sara with soap and beauty supplies, Joe with woodwork stuff, homemade paper, glasses from bottles and a multitude of other stuff.   All of our homemade items will eventually have posts for them, but today is Marie's turn to be in the spotlight.

Marie has taken up knitting as one of her hobbies, and one that we feel she could make a little side cash on.  Let's face it as the older the kids get, the more they want to spend money.  So far she has made 2 scarfs that are sale worthy and a few other projects that are still great for use around the house or by herself.

Since we are beginning to accumulate our home made crafts, and we have been advised by our friends on several occasions, we started our etsy account.  Stay tuned for more items, but our 1st two are now listed thanks to Marie.

See the pictures here,  and our shameless promotion of her wares in the links below.

Arm knitted infinity scarf

Nice lavender colored scarf 38" X 7"

Here are the etsy links.
Infinity scarf
Knitted Scarf


As always wishing all of our friends well in cyberland.

Survival Bracelet: Update

Mackenson's 1st two sales

If you read our blog a few days ago you know that Mackenson has started a new endeavor making and selling 550 paracord survival bracelets.  If you have not read it yet click here.

So far he has sold three and has pending orders for four more.

Not only is he making and selling these bracelets all on his own accord, he is also increasing his dexterity, reinforcing his money counting skills, keeping a ledger book that also allows for addition and subtraction (with decimals), writing a note and a receipt that accompanies each bracelet, and lastly developing brainstorming strategies to sell more.  There are probably other lessons in this as well. 

We are proud of him for coming up with this himself, doing 95% of the work and financing himself (we only double check everything is OK such as postage etc.).  If you are interested, his current price is $5 plus actual shipping.  Send us a note.

Survival Bracelets from 550 paracord : Entrepreneurial opportunity for an 8 year old

Last year Mackenson and I went on our annual cub scout camping trip.  One of the activities that the boys learned was how to tie survival bracelets out of parachute cord also known as 550 cord.  The cord has a very high tensile strength and as such has a great many uses while camping, hiking, adventuring or any other outdoor-type activity.

The survival bracelet allows a person to carry approximately 10-20 foot of cord while still looking quite stylish.  Mackenson made several of these for gifts and came up with the idea of selling them.  When we have seen them at the outdoor stores and sporting goods sections they are priced anywhere from $5 on up to $20, so why not?

Mackenson is starting on this endeavor. We are wishing him the best of luck and will aid him in the marketing. 

Additionally we are using this entrepreneurial adventure to teach and reinforce some basic math, the concepts of basic account keeping (debits and credits) and some basic marketing strategies.

If by chance you are considering investing in this unique opportunity please let us know.  :)    Also stay tuned for updates.   We are pretty sure there will be many.

There has been an update since this posting to see it click here.

The Irish Whistle

This is the sweetheart whistle made from african blackwood with amazing sound quality.

Whistles on the top and recorders on the bottom.

For those of you who don't know I have been playing the tin whistle for a few years now.  The whistle goes by several different names including the Irish Whistle, the Penny Whistle, the tin whistle and just the whistle in D.  All the names are synonymous.  I bought my first penny whistle when Sara and I visited Dublin in 2006.  The notes of the D penny whistle are quite similar to the recorder as well as the alto saxophone both of which I have some experience (albeit limited experience) playing.  I really did not play it very much until I was deployed to Iraq in 2011 and since then have practiced to the point where I consider myself proficient but not yet ready to take my musical ability on the road.  I have purchased several and made a few myself since my first purchase in Dublin in 2006.  Each has its own qualities and sound.  There are several keys of the whistle but all can be played the same.  Irish whistles range in price from a few dollars on up.  My most expensive (and my favorite) is made by a company in Connecticut called Sweetheart Flutes.  It is made from african blackwood and has an amazing sound quality.  I'll include some pictures as well as a video.  For anyone interested in picking up this instrument send me a message.
 

How to (more) Safely Keep Earbuds in a Gym Bag

Toilet Paper Tubes and Socks to Hold Earbuds

I recently joined a gym.  Last year I made a great effort to become more physically fit by eating more wisely and exercising regularly.  I started by walking with our dog, Anabaena, and using the elliptical machine we have in our home while counting calories like a mad woman.  While that did work quite well, I felt it was time to switch my routine up a bit.  I wanted a variety of cardio workout options and running isn't really my favorite thing to do.  Especially since every time I have tried, I have felt compelled to bring Anabaena.  She pulled me down the street in her enthusiasm with the increased pace I was setting for her.  So, I found a local gym that wasn't overly fancy (i.e. not expensive) and joined.  I'm as pleased as punch.  Anabaena stays home and takes a nap.  That's after our daily walk together. 

A Messy Gym Bag

One of the adjustments from working out at home to at a gym is having a gym bag.  I throw all the stuff in there I think I might need before, during, and after my workout and head out the door with it all rolling around together.  When I get to the gym and open my bag I see my earbuds in a messy wad surrounded by a water bottle, banana, sweatband, socks, deodorant, moisturizer and a padlock.  I have to be careful not to tug to hard and break the wires when I pull them out.  Hmm...that could be better.

Materials Needed

To keep them from getting mangled, crushed, and dirty, I wanted a pouch to hold my earbuds separate from the other things in my bag.  Toilet paper tubes make great pouches.  You just have to close the ends somehow to keep everything in.  Ankle socks fit over the toilet paper tubes and can tuck in quickly and securely.  Here's how I made my earbud and mp3 pouches to toss into my gym bag.

It is as simple as tucking the earbuds into one end of the tube while holding your hand over the other (or put the tube in the sock first and roll the sock down to access the tube opening).  Put the tube in the sock and tuck the excess sock into the tube.  Bonus that my socks look like sneakers!  They were a birthday gift from my best friend, Beth.  Thanks, Beth!

"Victory" by Trampled by Turtles

      

Mr. Brown can Brew can You?

My primary fermentation
(6 gallon conical fermenter)

A 6 gallon glass carboy
used for secondary fermentation

I think everyone has the ability to brew a fine ale, even Dr. Seuss.  About two years ago I took up the hobby of home-brewing.  I had been interested for years but became inspired after meeting a coworker's husband who had been doing it for a while (Thanks Jason).  After “assisting” him with a batch I got the feel of it and tried my own.  In actuality, I sat around drinking beer while watching him scramble around the kitchen with his brewing equipment.  The process is incredibly simple and takes only a couple of hours of your time.  The initial investment into equipment can be as small as a 5 gallon bucket with lid, simple plastic tubing, a large kitchen pot and refillable bottles, though most people will quickly upgrade after starting.  There are hundreds of little things you can do to improve your brew along with a plethora of ingredient additives to make your brew unique.  There are different yeasts, grains, hop varieties and malt extracts that can be used in various combinations.  The possibilities are nearly limitless.  If however, you are slightly less adventurous, there are pre-made kits and recipes at nearly every homebrew supply store.  I normally work from a kit, though I do sometimes venture out on an experiment or two.

There are numerous websites and books about home brewing and rather than bore you with details, here is a link for the basics written far better than I ever could (see link).  Most brewing kits have step-by-step instructions and every home brew supply store that I have ever been to has always been helpful with any questions I have had.

I’ll include some pictures of my brewing equipment.  Stay tuned for reviews of my upcoming pumpkin brew That we just bottled.

Me bottling beer and reusing a Corona bottle

My capper. Works excellent.

The Loom

Current project

One of the things we acquired at the recent Mother Earth News Fair we attended in September was a loom made by Lost Pond Looms.  The loom is a wonderful simple tool that takes very little skill and has a high reward.  I love hand woven wares and have a mild fascination with the process of weaving for quite a while.  I went out of my way to purchase several hand-woven Persian rugs during the time I spent in Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq.  Another favorite is a hand woven wool rug / tapestry with a southwest theme I picked up in New Mexico.  Though no one in the family is ready to begin an epic project of a fine silk carpet, we are making some really nice small pieces.  We are starting with woven dish towels and bags.  The results are very nice, very versatile, very usable and aesthetically pleasing.

Our 1st project.  We are using this beauty as a dish rag.

None of us may ever become master weavers, but as far as making something that we all like I think the new loom is a very useful tool that anyone can use.

The Loom.

Woodturning Projects.

I purchased a small inexpensive wood lathe a few months back from Harbor Freight and started toying with it.  As it "turns" out wood turning is a quite enjoyable hobby.  I have spent hours on the lathe letting my creativity be my guide.  It is also relatively inexpensive.  So far I have made several canisters a few wooden toy tops, a bowl, a honey dipper, a spindle for a loom and a mug.  The best part is I have not paid for a single piece of wood.  All of the articles have been turned from tree branches and pieces of wood I have found along the side of the road or in brush piles.  All of my expenses have came from tools and the lathe.  I'll post a few pictures of what I have done so far as well as lessons learned.  I'm sure there will be more to follow.  Many of the pieces are not quite finished yet, and if you look close, you will see that the toy top on the left is split.  Nonetheless it is becoming a nice creative outlet and a hobby that I will continue.


Lessons:
#1  Wear eye protection and preferably full face protection:  I always follow this rule when wood-working but it is especially important when you are cutting into a piece of wood turning at up to 2400 RPMs.  Wood tends to splinter and sometimes doesn't appreciate staying on the lathe while you are gouging into it.  I have had entire projects come flying off of the lathe at high rates of speed not to mention splinters of wood.  After many hours I still have not seriously injured myself and will strive to keep it that way.

#2  Keep your tools sharp:  This is challenging for me as I have not quite mastered sharpening lathe tools on my bench grinder.  I just bought a finer stone and hope that works.

#3  Not all wood is created equal, especially green wood:  I have had wood from what I think is a hackberry be quite wet and heavy as well as quite difficult to cut into.  I have had wood that will develop cracks all the way through overnight completely ruining my hard work. I have had wood that the experts on-line say will crack and split, but seems to have completely dried out without doing so.

#4  There is a lot of sawdust:  This itself is not a problem.  The problem is that I tend to be completely covered in sawdust when I am at the lathe.  There is some minor discussion between the adults in the house when sawdust finds its way into the kitchen, living room or bed....
  

Grandma's Furniture part 2

During sanding pahse

If you read the first post about the furniture I inherited you knew that I had stripped, sanded, re-stained, and refinished a moderate sized dresser that I had inherited from my late grandmother. (see Grandma's Furniture)  It was part of a bedroom set that also included a full size bed as well as the following piece.

Door and Drawers after sanding

The second part of that bedroom set was finally completed last week and it also turned out quite well.  It is a smaller dresser of which I was repeatedly informed of its proper name - a "commode".  I was quite confused to this terminology, as I had always thought of a "commode" as a fancy french word for toilet.  It turns out it is a little of both.  According to definition a commode is a piece of 18th-19th century bedroom furniture where the chamber pot was kept. (see wikipedia reference)  Evidently out of sight out of mind and as long as one had some rosemary to cover the smell....no harm no foul.  However, we will probably not use it as a "commode" since we have a full bath adjoining the bedroom.  So from this point on it will be officially known as a small dresser.  At any rate, it is a very nice family heirloom as well as a once again beautiful piece of oak furniture.  Thanks grandma.

The finished "commode" now proudly sits in our bedroom.

Rainbow Loom - Those darn rubber band bracelets

Maries used a butterfly case to store her bands.  Loom at top.

I've posted on facebook a couple of times wondering when this fad of rubber band bracelets took hold of our youth.  Like most kid fads it seems to have just simply appeared out of nowhere.  As far as kid fads go, this one is parent approved as far as I am concerned.  The rubber band bracelet phenomena is a crazy low tech, low marketing budget success story from the perspective of the company Rainbow Loom.  Marie used her birthday money to buy her loom at Michaels, but from my understanding nearly all of the hobby stores have them including Hobby Lobby and A.C. Moore.  Since her purchase she has made countless bracelets for herself, her friends and a few for her family.  As parents we love it.  It is not your typical consumerist fad where you have to buy more and more plastic flotsam made in China or trading cards with annoying made up animal species to keep up with the next kid.  Instead the kids buy a loom and some colorful rubber bands and CREATE.  The artistry is quite amazing considering 7-12 year old kids are the primary ones creating these bracelets.  Kids are using their hands, developing dexterity, using creativity and focusing on a single task for more than 5 minutes.  Something that we feel has been nearly lost with this new generation.  It is amazing as far as I am concerned.  It is targeted towards girls, but from the reports I have heard quite a few boys are into it as well.  I have been wearing one Marie made for me for well over a week.  This new found kid hobby also fits well into our lifestyle of crafty type folks.  Unfortunately, I foresee some issues mounting in the public schools in the near future.  Incidents of kids shooting each other with rubber bands, making bracelets too tight and losing circulation in their hands, choking hazards, etc.  BUT in the meantime the fad is in full force in the Philadelphia area and for those parents who are seeking a creative outlet for their children it should be a consideration.  Like I said, I am amazed at how viral this this has become as a kid hobby.  For anyone interested in the history of the Rainbow Loom or it's creator here is a link from the New York Times.

Grandma's Furniture

Hello once again.  It has been a while since the Eggers were active on the blog.  We had a very busy summer and school has started once again.  Our latest project is restoring some wonderful oak furniture passed on to us by our late grandmother who had reportedly received it from her aunt.  If my math is correct that means these pieces have been in the family for 5 generations and our kids would be the 6th (assuming we pass it to them).  The pieces (a complete bedroom set) include a dresser, a smaller dresser / nightstand and a bed-frame with headboard and foot board.  I spent the 4 day Labor Day weekend driving from Pennsylvania to Minnesota to pick up a U-haul trailer and load these forgotten treasures and then drive back.  All of it was in fair to poor shape upon receipt....but with some elbow grease and determination it is slowly being restored to look nearly new.  So far we have completed the large dresser.  The process was as follows:

This is the start.  Notice the scuffs 

and the peeling varnish

1.  Remove all of the old hardware.
2.  Remove decorative beading to refinish separately.
3.  Strip off all of the old varnish with chemical stripper.
4.  Sanding -lots of sanding - to remove all of the scuffs and old stain
5.  More sanding.
6.  Still more sanding.
7.  Did I mention that we had to sand.
8.  Re-staining  with a light cherry.
9.  Two coats of shellac varnish.
10.  Replace the hardware with new.

All sanded and ready to stain

peeling varnish and water marks

Center drawer stained...notice the contrast

This piece is going in Marie's room at least initially.  She seems very pleased so far.

I think the results are nice.  As you can see from the pictures it looks nearly brand new and is well worth the effort.  A family heirloom that will hopefully last for 6 more generations.





The next piece will be the smaller dresser / nightstand followed by the bed so stay tuned and keep reading.  Also on the agenda are 4 wooden chairs to refinish also acquired from my late grandmother.