More Crafts and Cooking

Today we move on to just one 'craft' (if you can call it that). Myself found it fascinating to 'experiment' to see what could be made with just wooden 'spring type' clothes pegs. Am just hoping these are still on sale - they all seem to be plastic these days - although these should still work, but not if used for (hot) pot stands (might melt?).

A warning about using glue - myself found that several hours spent gluing the wood together made me a bit light-headed and in an unpleasant way, so can never understand how 'glue-sniffing' became popular. So when using glue, always work in an airy room, windows open if possible, and for no more than half an hour at a time.

Incidentally, did not discard the springs from the pegs. At the time, just hooked each on onto the next and made a strong chain (used to secure a gate), and the way youngsters dress today, this would probably make a good waist belt.
The thought has just occurred to me that the links might even be able to be fitted together to make a metal pot stand. Is there no end to my creative thoughts?


Beginning with the first - and perhaps simplest - use of the clothes pegs. The springs having been removed to leave two 'strips' of wooden peg. One side of the peg is flat, the other is 'notched'. Also one end of the peg has a long 'point', the other end a small point. So different arrangements can be made.
Glue two flat sides together, and when dry glue the long pointed ends together to make round pot stands (or even place mats). Glue the other ends together will make a five star mug (or pot) stand.
Glued side by side, pointed ends towards the middle, makes a flat square mat. All these can be seen in the first photo.


A 'rocking chair' made from pegs was what got me started. Many readers may have sseen these for sale, usually in craft shops, and someone once bought me one. After a few years suddenly decided to try and make one myself. So using the bought one as a guide, found it easy enough to assemble it bit by bit and glue the parts together.
This then led to me making other 'furniture', starting with a 'normal' chair - the same as the rocker, but without the 'rockers'.


(an additional few words as the edit shows a huge gap has appeared between this pic and the next)




By then had got the bit between my teeth, and the next thing made was 'tw0-seater' seen in this next photograph, and even made a 'three-seater' (seen in a later photograph).

These are very sturdy, and - as you can see in one of the photos, a very good size for a doll of the 'Tressy' or 'Barbie size to sit on. Doll's garden furniture perhaps.
Although left plain, dare say the 'furniture' could be stained, sanded, polished and even painted if you wish. No reason why those flat lollipop sticks or even cocktail sticks could not be incorporated.

Once I get going there is no stopping me, so I then went on to make a table. The candles on top are the type sold to put on birthday cakes, and the candle holders were the tops from Fairy Liquid bottles with the tag bit cut away. The 'bread' was made from baker's clay.
The chair in this photo is slightly different to the others, smaller and with a flat back and seat.
The final two photos show the complete 'collection', and a doll sitting in one of the chairs to show that these could make a very good (and very inexpensive) present for a young girl.












So that 's my 'worth-making' craft for today. More to follow later in the week.