FanningSparks – Page 45 – A DIY and lifestyle blog authored by Peg Frizzell.

Strawberry Tower Planter – DIY Tutorial

Some time ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Kingsbrae Garden in beautiful St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick. Kingsbrae Garden (see More Info below) is 27 acres of award-winning art and natural beauty. While admiring the sculpture sprinkled throughout the garden, an unusual planter caught my eye. The pyramid-shaped tower was planted with strawberries. It seemed like the perfect combination of practical purpose and visual interest. I took a few photos and filed the idea away for future reference.

Meanwhile, back home in Georgia, we decided to try growing our own berries. We added a new garden bed and planted several fruit plants including blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. That was last spring. This spring, when the strawberries were threatening to take over the entire bed, I remembered the Kingsbrae Garden strawberry tower.
After looking for plans online and not finding any to my liking, I decided to incorporate the best aspects of the various options and design my own. I started with a few sketches, kluged together a paper prototype and researched the materials available. Cedar fence pickets, in 6 foot lengths of 1” x 6”, seemed like a good option because of their convenient size and availability at the local home improvement store. Plus cedar is reported to be a good, long-lasting alternative to treated lumber. Eventually my plan came together and my new Strawberry Tower Planter was in place. Here’s how it looked a few days after transplanting the strawberry plants.

This Strawberry Tower Planter has 6 tiers, each made of a rectangular frame. The rectangular frames have trapezoid shaped ends and long sloped sides. The sides form a series of troughs of sorts. The rectangular frames are staggered in size such that each one can sit neatly on the one below. The structure can sit directly on the ground or on concrete blocks as shown. My overall structure, including the concrete blocks around the base, measures 47” wide x 63” long x 41” tall. The planter provides approximately 13½ square feet of growing surface.

I consider this to be a beginner woodworking project. No special tools, only a jigsaw and a drill, are needed. The construction could be a little tricky but I’ve provided detailed step-by-step instructions in the tutorial that follows. Why not give it a try? It’s the perfect opportunity to start your own strawberry “patch” and just think—strawberries! Sweet, juicy strawberries fresh from your own garden!
Strawberry Tower Planter DIY Tutorial
I’ve adopted a few terms to make the instructions as clear as possible—they are illustrated in the graphic below. I’ll refer to the end support pieces as the “Trapezoid End Pieces” and the long slanted sides as the “Sloped Side Pieces”. Please note the orientation of the Trapezoid End Pieces—the long edge is at the bottom with 60⁰ angles at each end. The sizes of the Trapezoid End Pieces and the Sloped Side Pieces for each of the 6 tiers are also shown.

Supplies Needed
. Template: Download the Strawberry Tower Planter – Complimentary Download to print the templates.
. Paper to print the templates.
. Cedar Dog Ear Fence Pickets: TWELVE 1” x 6” x 6’ (actual size is 19/32” x 5½” x 6’). I recommend buying 12 pickets, which strictly speaking is 2 more than needed, to allow for working around flaws. As noted earlier, I selected cedar fence pickets because they are a convenient size, are readily available at the local home improvement store, and offer a great alternative to treated lumber.
. Painter’s Tape
. Screws: 64 #6 1 ¼“ wood screws
. Nails: 80 1″ nails
. Screw Eyes: TWO 1” long with eye slightly larger than ½”
. Rebar: TWO ½” x 4’ pieces
Please Note: The completed Strawberry Tower Planter is quite stable when filled with soil but it is not designed as a play structure. You may wish to install additional screw eyes and insert additional rebar for increased stability.
. Soil and Strawberry Plants (of your choice).
Equipment and Tools Needed
. Printer
. Tape Measure
. Jigsaw (or saw of your choice)
. Clamps
. Hammer
. Pencil
. Drill with 3/32“ bit and 3/16“ bit
. Screwdriver
. Level
. Sledge Hammer (or heavy hammer of your choice)
. Shovel and Equipment (of your choice) to add Soil to the planter and to plant the Strawberry Plants.
Step 1. Print Templates Download the Strawberry Tower Planter – Complimentary Download to print the templates. Take care to ensure the scale is accurate on your printed version. See specifics in the download document.
Step 2. Cut Straight Parts Cut parts from the cedar fence pickets. Please note fence pickets are rough lumber and will likely have warping, knots or other flaws that you’ll want to work around. I found it easiest to start by cutting the longest parts from the best fence pickets and then working my way down to the shortest parts.
Use jigsaw (or saw of your choice) to cut off the dog ear tips from the fence pickets. Then cut the following:
… For the TWELVE Trapezoid End Pieces, cut: TWO 15”, TWO 19”, TWO 23”, TWO 27”, TWO 31”, TWO 35”.
… Cut TWELVE Sloped Side Pieces: TWO 11½“, TWO 17½“, TWO 23½“, TWO 29½“, TWO 35½“, TWO 41½“.
♦ TIP: Use painter’s tape to label each part with the cut length.

Step 3 Cut Angled Ends Use Template A to mark 60⁰ angles on both ends of all Trapezoid End Pieces. Ensure the angles are placed so only the top edge of the Trapezoid End Piece is trimmed. The top edge will become 6⅓” shorter than the bottom edge. Use jigsaw (or saw of your choice) to cut the angled ends.

♦ TIP: Since my jigsaw cannot be set for angled cuts, I created a jig to help me cut all the angles consistently. The trick to making this jig is to allow for the distance between the jigsaw’s edge and the jigsaw’s cutting blade. To use the jig, I simply slid each fence picket under the jig and guided the jigsaw along the precut angled edge.

Set aside the angled corners you remove from the Trapezoid End Pieces.
Step 4. Add Supports The triangular pieces, cut from the Trapezoid End Pieces in the previous step, will be nailed to the Trapezoid End Pieces and used as supports for the Sloped Side Pieces. Use Template B to determine where the supports should be placed. Align the template with the bottom edge and angled edge of a Trapezoid End Piece. Then mark along the third side. Flip over Template B and mark the other end of the Trapezoid End Piece.

Place the triangular support piece on top of the Trapezoid End Piece with the point at the bottom and the angled edge aligned with the marks (as shown in photo above). Nail in place. Repeat at other end of Trapezoid End Piece. Repeat for all Trapezoid End Pieces.
Step 5. Construct Tiers The Strawberry Tower Planter has 6 tiers each made of a rectangular frame with trapezoid-shaped ends and long sloped sides. Every tier is made in the same way but to different dimensions. The below photo shows how the Tower Planter will look after the tiers are constructed and stacked.

Begin with Tier 6 which is the smallest rectangular frame. Select the TWO 15” Trapezoid End Pieces and the TWO 11 ½“ Sloped Side Pieces. The Sloped Sides will be screwed into the Trapezoid End Pieces. Position one of the 15” Trapezoid End Pieces on your work surface with the supports facing up. Use Template B to determine where the screws should be placed. Position Template B in the same way as in Step 4 (ie aligned with the bottom and angled edges). Mark the locations for the two screws on the Trapezoid End Piece. Flip over Template B and mark the other end of the Trapezoid End Piece. Drill pilot holes with 3/32” bit at the 4 spots as marked.

Repeat these steps, marking and drilling 4 holes, in the second 15” Trapezoid End Piece.
Select one of the 11½” Sloped Side Pieces. Hold it vertically at a 90⁰ angle. It can be helpful to prop and/or clamp the piece against a work bench or other vertical surface. Select one of the 15” Trapezoid End Pieces and hold it over the standing Sloped Side Piece with the bottom edge closest to you. Push the Sloped Side Piece snuggly against the angled support under the Trapezoid End Piece. Align the top edge of the Trapezoid End Piece with the top edge of the Sloped Side Piece. Hold firmly with one hand while drilling through one of the pilot holes to extend it into the end grain of Sloped Side Piece. Screw the two pieces together with a #6 1¼” wood screw. Repeat for the other pilot hole and screw.

Insert the second 11½” Sloped Side Piece vertically under the Trapezoid End Piece. Repeat the process of aligning the parts, extending the pilot holes and screwing the pieces together. With one end attached, the rectangular frame should look like this.

Flip the frame over so the attached Trapezoid End Piece is sitting on the work surface. Place the second 15” Trapezoid End Piece on top of the structure. Repeat the process for this end.
Repeat for each tier. For good measure, you may wish to add a third screw on the larger tiers.
Step 6 – Add Screw Eyes To add stability to the structure, a set of screw eyes will be added to Tier 3 and a piece of 4’ rebar will be slipped into these screw eyes when the planter is set up.
Cut FOUR 6” pieces from the cedar fence picket scraps. Select two of the 6” pieces. Lay one on top of the other and align the edges. Attach the two pieces with nails. Repeat with the two remaining 6″ pieces.
Place Tier 3 on your work surface. Find and mark the center on the inside face of the Trapezoid End Piece. Align the double-layered support with the center mark of the Trapezoid End Piece. On the outside face of the Trapezoid End Piece, drill 4 pilot holes and then screw the parts together. Repeat on the other Trapezoid End Piece.
To insert the screw eye on the inside face, measure and mark about 1” down from the top edge at the center of the Trapezoid End Piece. Drill pilot hole with 3/16” bit. Screw in screw eye. Repeat at other end with the second screw eye. It should look like this.

Step 7 Setup the Planter After the 6 tiers are constructed, it’s time to setup the Strawberry Tower Planter in your garden. It can be set directly on the ground or on a built-up bed. I chose to place mine on a raised bed which I’d built from concrete blocks. In either case, prepare the foundation appropriately and ensure the surface is level.

Put Tier 1, the largest one, in place and fill with soil. There’s no shortage of online advice about what type of soil is best for raised beds. I chose to use amended soil, called “Morgan Mix”, which we purchase from our local garden center in bulk (Thank you Morgan Outdoors!). It’s the same soil we used last year to get the strawberries established and we’re very pleased with the results. After filling your first tier, place the second tier on top centering it carefully. Fill Tier 2 with soil.

Place Tier 3, the one with the screw eyes, on top of Tier 2 and center it carefully. Partially fill this tier with soil. Insert the 4’ pieces of rebar through the screw eyes.

Use a sledge hammer (or heavy hammer of your choice) to pound the rebar into the ground. Finish adding soil to Tier 3. Then add and fill the other three tiers.

Step 8 Plant Strawberries Now, it’s time to plant your strawberries! Start at the top and carefully set strawberry plants into the soil. Be sure to plant on all four sides of each tier. Take care to plant your strawberries at the correct depth—see More Info for a suggested online reference on this point.

And there you have it! An attractive new structure in your garden…

… ready to house and nurture your very own strawberry crop!

More Info

You can download the Strawberry Tower Planter – Complimentary Download to print the templates.
Please share this image or pin for future reference.

To get specifics on how to plant your strawberries or to learn more about growing strawberries, check out the Bonnie Plants > Growing Strawberries resource. Our strawberry plants, including a Quinalt, Allstar and Ozark Beauty variety, are all from Bonnie Plants.
Check out the Kingsbrae Garden website to learn more about these beautiful gardens in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada.
If you’re located near Madison, Georgia, USA you may want to check out Morgan Outdoors. We’ve been very pleased with their products and service.
You may also like these FanningSparks’ DIY projects for your garden and yard:
. Pyramid Trellis
. Bluebird-Approved Birdhouse
. AirBee-n-Bee House
. Zinnias Rock! And More Cutting Garden Tips.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Botanical and display gardens are a great source of inspiration.
2. A Strawberry Tower Planter can be made with inexpensive materials, common tools and basic woodworking skills.
3. Consider making a Strawberry Tower Planter for your own garden.

How Tos Make

From Idea to I Made It! In 10 Steps

It may seem counterintuitive to suggest that creative endeavors follow a formula. But, it seems to me, they actually do. Creating handmade works of art typically involves a series of steps. The steps follow a logical sequence but are rarely executed in rigid, exact order. The creative process is a twisty, winding road. That’s the beauty of creating—you’re dreaming, mulling, experimenting, considering, refining, learning, discovering and a hundred other activities that are circular and fluid.
Today, I’d like to share my take on the steps to create something uniquely handmade. Here are FanningSparks’ 10 steps From Idea to I Made It!

Before I dive in, however, I’d like to point out that you don’t necessarily have to complete all the steps yourself. Many of the DIY tutorials available online, including those I share here on this blog, jumpstart the process by doing some of the upfront steps for you. And there’s nothing wrong with that—in fact, I encourage you to take advantage of these resources because the more you make, the more you can make! The more you experience for yourself, the more you can imagine, create and make on your own. At least, that’s been my experience.
STEP 1 – Ideate
It all starts with an idea. Inspiration can come from anywhere. There are countless sources online. But real life inspiration is richer and deeper. Nature is widely recognized as the ultimate source of inspiration. Travelling and visiting unfamiliar destinations is another rich source of inspiration. Scouting for ideas in museums, art galleries and design shops is one of my favorite activities.
Recording all these creative possibilities is the trick to being able to draw upon them later. Gather samples, take photos, jot notes, save references and create pins to help you remember all these lovely ideas. When it comes to original works of art, please respect the work of others and view it to inspire not replicate.
Organize your ideas for future reference. This could be via online photo albums, folders, Pinterest boards, or saved favorites. It could be a real life bulletin board or display. Don’t forget about the projects you have in flight or have already completed. The goal is to surround yourself with inspiration. This is a peek at the inspirational items I have displayed in a corner of my studio.

With inspiration in your line of sight and at your fingertips, give yourself time to mull over the possibilities. Let your imagination roam. Pick out favorites. Match ideas to needs, functions, events and interests. Give your ideas time to percolate.
STEP 2 – Envision
As you start to narrow down the options and zero in on a specific direction, flesh out the concept. Imagine the possibilities. Consider the materials that could be used. Think about the techniques that could be applied. Create sketches, build models, mockup samples and take photos. Play with physical materials and/or experiment digitally. Conduct research. Go back to your inspiration resources. Add depth and enrich your vision. This is definitely an iterative step. Enjoy the experience of imagining and reimagining how this creative endeavor could unfold.
The below photo shows the envisioning stage of a mandala-inspired oval mirror frame I designed and made in mosaic glass. You can see the results in the post My Mandala-Inspired Oval Design.

STEP 3 – Design
At some point, your concept will become more concrete and it’s time to design the desired outcome. The level of design detail can vary greatly. Someone experienced with the targeted materials and techniques might proceed with only a rough sketch in their head. While someone with less experience might prepare a life-size mockup. Either way, give yourself time to experiment and play with options.
It’s not unusual to go back to the Ideate or Envision Steps. As ideas mature, they may need to be reworked or reconsidered. Feel free to bounce around between steps.
I like to gather together inspiration items, photos, sample materials and color options to inform and inspire my design. I was working on the design for a Diamonds and Beads Wooden Wreath in the photo below.

STEP 4 – Plan
The next step is to plan how you will achieve the desired outcome. What materials and supplies will you use? Will you need wood, paper, fabric, yarn, glass, paint, dye, etc? In what format and type? In what color(s)? In what size and quantity?
What equipment or tools will you use? What steps and actions will be needed to execute your design? It’s not necessary to build a detailed workplan with task dependencies but it’s helpful to define enough detail to support the next steps.
Some research may be needed at this stage to determine what’s even possible. There’s no point in planning an elaborate set of hand-thrown clay dinnerware without figuring out how to get access to a pottery kiln. Nor would you want to plan an outdoor structure with materials that can’t withstand the weather. Research might also reveal some new materials or techniques that you could leverage.
Once again, the process is not linear and you could find yourself going back to the previous steps or jumping ahead to subsequent steps from here. For instance, checking the materials you already have on hand might influence the plan. This was my experience when I was planning a Pair of Mosaic Mirrors for our master bathroom.

STEP 5 – Source
Using the details compiled during the previous Plan Step, find, gather, borrow, order, buy and/or rent what you need to complete the project. You may want to start by shopping at home. Do you have anything already available that can be used? Do you have anything that can be reused or repurposed? Could you adjust your design and/or plan to incorporate materials you already have on hand? You might also consider sourcing materials from thrift stores or vintage shops.
One of my favorite projects started with an old entertainment center I sourced from a thrift store. I was able to repurpose it into the Ultimate Maker’s Cabinet.

Don’t forget to source equipment and tools as well as supplies and materials. Ensure you have the appropriate type and size of accessories such as sewing needles, paint brushes, modelling tools, glass cutters, drill bits, saw blades, sandpaper, and so on.
If you decide to purchase in person or order online, take time to research your options. You may discover specialty suppliers or new products along the way.
The below photo shows the supplies and materials needed to create a Personalized Fabric-Covered Journal.

STEP 6 – Setup
Take a little time to plan for and setup your work environment. Do you need to protect surfaces with drop cloths? Do you need additional task lighting? Do you need a large flat surface to work on? Do you need to plug in and set up equipment? Do you need ventilation and fresh air? It’s impossible to outline all the various working environments that might be needed. But some things will be common to all—safety and comfort. Please be sure to take appropriate safety precautions such as wearing safety glasses, hearing protection, respiratory masks, gloves and so on. You’ll also want to ensure your working surface is at a convenient height and any seating is comfortable.
Another factor to consider is how long you’ll need the setup. Is it a one-time activity? Will the working area be temporary? Or will the activity stretch over time requiring the working area for an extended period of time? In the below photo, I setup a temporary area in my kitchen to Experiment with Fabric Dyes.

STEP 7 – Prepare Components
After you’ve finalized your design, mapped out your plan, gathered your materials, supplies, equipment and tools, and setup your work area, it’s finally time to actually start making. Hurray!
Often the first step is to prepare the parts needed for the project. This will likely involve measuring and marking your materials. It may involve cutting. It may involve tracing patterns or designs. It could be dyeing materials. Or it could even be pressing flowers to be used later. There are an endless number of ways this step could play out. I’m cutting diamond shapes from stained glass in preparation for making Turkish Mosaic Candle Holders in the photo below.

STEP 8 – Assemble
In this step, you start to pull components together. Sometimes, there’s experimentation involved as you seek the most pleasing arrangement or you make final selections for embellishments. The 3 steps—Prepare Components, Assemble and Construct—are closely related. It’s not unusual to bounce back and forth between the steps, skip a step, or to iterate through the steps multiple times.
In the below photo, I’m assembling pressed flowers into a pleasing arrangement for my Pressed Flower Girls Wall Art.

STEP 9 – Construct
At this stage the arranged components become permanent. A variety of techniques can be used to construct or build the final product. Fabric can be sewn. Yarn can be knit. Wood can be nailed. Clay can be molded. Mosaic tiles can be glued. And so on.
It’s a good idea to “dry fit” some projects meaning fit all the pieces together to check for fit before attaching permanently. I’m dry fitting my Bluebird-Approved Birdhouse in the photo below.

If something doesn’t fit or isn’t as expected, it may be necessary to go back to the previous steps to adjust the components or modify the assembly. It’s also possible to go all the way back to the Envision or Design steps at this stage—remember the creative process is a twisty, winding road!
STEP 10 – Finish
After your work of art is constructed, it’s time for finishing touches. This could involve sanding and smoothing. It could involve grouting. It could involve painting. It could involve sealing or protecting the work. It could involve glazing and final firing. It could involve adding final embellishments such as beads and accents. It could involve pressing. Regardless of the materials or techniques, it’s important to take your time with finishing. Attention to detail at this stage can make the difference between handmade and homemade!
Finishing could also involve installing your work of art. For instance, hanging art on the wall or mounting a birdhouse. It could be wrapping your work of art to give as a gift. Or it could be putting it into service as I did below with my new Kindred Spirits Tote Bag.

I Made It!
This brings us to the final stage in the process—enjoying the fruits of your labor! Hopefully, you’re pleased and satisfied with the results, you’ve learned something new and, most importantly, you’ve enjoyed the creative process itself. I trust the 10 steps I’ve outlined will give you the confidence to take on more and different creative endeavors. Enjoy the wonder of creating and the art of making!

More Info

Please pin this image to share or save for future reference.

For a variety of ideas and inspiration, check out the DIY Tutorials and How To posts available here on the FanningSparks’ blog or the inspiration boards on the FanningSparks’ Pinterest site.

Today’s Takeaways

1. The creative process is a twisty, winding road.
2. The more you make, the more you can make.
3. Consider following today’s 10 steps From Idea to I Made It! for your next creative endeavor.

Gardening Make Nature Photos Wildlife

The Color Yellow

Today’s post is brought to you by the color yellow. Yellow has a reputation for cheerfulness and optimism—so it’s the perfect time of year to honor this upbeat color. Yellow is everywhere—yellow forsythia, yellow daffodils, yellow tulips… Yay! Spring has arrived!

Yellow made a fine showing at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia when I visited recently.

Swathes of daffodils take me back to the unforgettable flower fields in Lisse Netherlands.

The yellow fields of brilliant rapeseed in the Germany countryside are also unforgettable.

Closer to home, the fields of yellow rocket around the John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown North Carolina are breathtaking.

It’s tempting to categorize yellow as a spring color but this cheerful color appears year-round. Daylilies, roses, sunflowers, and irises, for instance, showcase the many colors of yellow in the summer.
In the fall, yellow joins red to mark the turn of the season as the leaves turn.
But yellow isn’t only for flowers and plants. Mother Nature also uses yellow, although sparingly, on wildlife. Here are two examples of beautiful yellow birds—the American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) and the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea).

And here are two examples of gorgeous yellow butterflies—the Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus).

Yellow, along with red and blue, are the foundation of the traditional color wheel—add red and you have orange—add blue and you have green. It’s a powerful color with a world of possibilities.
Speaking of color wheels, have you heard of the Martian Colour Wheel? It’s an alternative to the traditional color wheel. It has a lot more colors—120 to be exact. Its foundation is 24 evenly spaced and fully adjusted hues. This color wheel, as Warren Mars its creator explains, “keeps the full brightness of all the hue exemplars in order to match the richness of colour available on our RGB screens. There are also 2 dark shades for each hue and two light tints. The result is 120 colours that cover most the gamut available on a computer screen and most colours that you can see in the real world. … The Martian Colour Wheel also NAMES every colour with a simple, recognisable, real world example!”
Here’s the yellow section from both color wheels.
A post about a specific color would not be complete without addressing the meaning of that color. According to Jacob Olesen, a world-renowned color expert who authors the website Color Meanings, “Colors play an exceptionally prominent role in our lives. They influence our thinking, inspire our decision-making, and impact our moods.” He describes yellow as “the color of happiness and optimism. Yellow is a cheerful and energetic color that brings fun and joy to the world. It makes learning easier as it affects the logical part of the brain, stimulating mentality and perception. It inspires thought and curiosity and boosts enthusiasm and confidence.”
The below vibrant yellow building, which I spotted in a popular area of Aveiro Portugal, is certainly cheerful and energetic. And judging from the number of people I saw posing for selfies in front of it, it definitely brings fun and joy to the world!

My relationship with the color yellow isn’t nearly that dramatic. I did opt to paint the walls of our previous kitchen yellow. It was bright and cheerful but, in hindsight, the yellow may have been a little too saturated.
Nowadays, I use yellow a little more carefully. Yellow, along with magenta and moss green, are the foundation of my outdoor décor. Here’s the color scheme on our curvy café chairs.
The color scheme is repeated in the pyramid trellises I made for our flower garden. There are, by the way, step-by-step instructions to make these tuteurs here on the blog at DIY Pyramid Trellis Tutorial.

I also like to use yellow in my photography—especially as an accent color to call attention to DIY projects and photo props.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into the color yellow. It was such fun putting this post together that it may become a recurring theme.

More Info

Enjoy more springtime stories and photos in the posts:
. Charleston’s Glorious Window Boxes
. Spring Into a Garden Tour
. A Virtual Visit to Lisse
. Virtual Hanami Around Aizu
. A Virtual Stroll in Ticehurst
You may also enjoy the post Following the Yellow Arrows which features my adventure walking the Camino in Portugal.
More information about the traditional color wheel is available on The Color Wheel Company website.
Learn about the Martian Colour Wheel on the Warren Mars website.
Check out Jacob Olesen’s website Color Meanings for more insights into the power and symbolism of color.

Today’s Takeaways

1. “Colors play an exceptionally prominent role in our lives. They influence our thinking, inspire our decision-making, and impact our moods.” Jacob Olesen
2. Try focusing on a specific color and notice how it seems to appear everywhere.
3. Consider a color-themed photography challenge by taking photos of a variety of subjects in the selected color.

Fiber How Tos Make Other Media

Experimenting with Fabric Dye

Have you ever found yourself looking for fabric, felt, yarn, string or wood beads in a very specific color? I recently took on a project that required all of those materials in 3 different colors. Knowing it would be near impossible to purchase all the finished materials in the desired colors, I decided to try dyeing my own. I selected Rit All-Purpose Dyes for the challenge. These dyes have been trending on DIY blogs and Instagram with impressive results. So the great dyeing experiment began!
I’ve had a little experience with natural dyes (see More Info below) so the technique was familiar. The generous guidance provided on the Rit website gave me the confidence to proceed. I started by looking for the desired colors. It is, of course, very difficult to match colors online. But I got a good start by using online samples of my target colors and comparing them to the Rit color recipe samples.

Choosing the dye colors is only one factor to consider. I learned there are several major variables that can impact the final outcome including: the amount of dye used, the length of time in the dyebath and the type of fabric/materials being dyed. There are also minor variables such as water temperature, adding salt and original color of materials. To get a feel for how each major variable would impact my results, I started by dyeing some swatches to set a baseline.

Concentration of Dye Bath
A dyebath is created by mixing dye into hot water (ie 140⁰F). The ratio of dye to water is an important consideration. According to the directions on the Rit liquid dye package: “For every pound of dry fabric (i.e. 2 adult large t-shirts), use ½ bottle (4 ozs.) of dye with 3 gallons of the hottest water safe for fabric.” So the recommended ratio is 4 oz dye:3 gallons water. Since I only needed to dye swatches, I decided to start with a smaller dyebath and a lighter concentration of dye. I used 100% cotton cheesecloth for my first batch of swatches. For the base colors which are used directly from the bottle, I used 1 Tablespoon dye:12 cups water. This is about half the recommended concentration. Then I dusted off my math skills to convert the color formulas for the mixed colors. I jotted down my scaled down recipes and set up the laboratory!
It’s a good idea to test your dyebath with a folded piece of paper towel before immersing your fabric/materials. This provides an opportunity to check that the color is as expected and to adjust if necessary.

Another step that worked well for me was to prepare labels in advance. I simply printed the names of the various colors to be tested on strips of paper. Then I used clothespins to clip the labels to the swatches. This helped me keep track of which color was which as the swatches moved from the dyebaths to the drying rack to the finished pile.

Duration in Dye Bath
When it comes to timing, Rit indicates “Item can remain in dyebath from 10 minutes up to one hour.” I was careful to treat all my swatches in the same way so I could compare the different colors. After putting the swatch in the dyebath, I stirred constantly for 10 minutes and then stirred occasionally for another 20 minutes. Then I removed the swatch and rinsed it in cold water. Here’s how they turned out.

Later I played around with an ombré effect to see how the length of time in the dyebath would impact the results. It’s quite easy to get pretty ombré results—just dip the item into the dyebath, bottom first, and lift it out gradually. The colors at the bottoms of the tassels, shown below, are darker because they were in the dyebath longer.

Type of Materials Being Dyed
I had a lot of fun dyeing different materials. I tried cotton fabric, wool felt, wool/rayon felt blend, polyester felt, wool yarn, cotton tape, cotton string, crochet cotton, lace, driftwood, wooden beads, birch bark and basket reed.

I even tried handmade paper. The trick with dyeing paper is to work fast. It worked best when I just dipped the paper into the dyebath and then laid it flat to dry. Here’s how the dyed paper turned out.

It’s amazing how much the final color can vary between materials. All of the below items were dyed in the same Cockatoo dyebath for the same duration. The color of the cotton materials is noticeably more saturated than the color of the wool materials. But there’s also significant variation between cotton materials such as the cheesecloth and the cotton fabric. The white section at top left, a piece of what turned out to be polyester felt, didn’t accept the dye at all. A different product, Rit DyeMore for Synthetics, should be used for fabrics made of synthetic fibers such as polyester, acrylic, and acetate.

One lesson I learned the hard way is to properly prepare yarn, cord or string for dyeing.
♦TIP: Secure strands of fiber with figure 8 ties before putting it in the dyebath. This prevents the strands from getting knotted into a tangled mess.

The Rit instructions state “Wet the fabric, squeeze out any excess water and add it to the dyebath.” Hard materials such as driftwood, wooden beads and basket reed require a slightly different approach.
♦ TIP: Pre-soak natural materials, such as driftwood, wooden beads and basket reed, in water. Immerse the items in the dyebath and stir for 10 minutes pushing down any that float to the top. After 10 minutes, I covered the items with a piece of scrap material to keep them submerged in the dyebath.

After studying my swatches, I determined that 2 of the colors I tried, Aquamarine and Spectrum Blue, provided a good match with my target colors. Aquamarine is a Rit base color and Spectrum Blue is made with a Rit formula. None of the greens I tried, however, matched the light spring green I had in mind.

After a few more tests I created a formula that worked. I call it My Spring Glow.

So here’s the winning combination shown with the dye recipes, concentration and duration.

Here’s how the dyed materials looked in the final project. Regular readers may recognize this elaborate flatlay from my last post FanningSparks Turns 3!

More Info

You can learn more about Rit dyes on their website.
You may be interested in these two posts which discuss natural dyes: Natural Dye Making and Sheep to Shawl.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Dyeing your own fabric, or other materials, allows you to create any color you can imagine.
2. There are several variables that impact the dyeing process including the amount of dye used, the length of time in the dyebath and the type of fabric/materials being dyed.
3. Be prepared to experiment when doing your own dyeing.

About General

FanningSparks Turns 3!

FanningSparks is celebrating a birthday this week—the blog turns 3! It’s the perfect time to stop and say Thank You! Thank you for following along with my blogging adventure. Thank you for taking the time to read the stories and look at the photos. Thank you for your words of encouragement, kind comments, generous likes and shares. I sincerely appreciate your support. To mark this special milestone, I created this elaborate flat lay featuring a variety of projects.

For today’s post, I’d like to take a step back and share some of the blog’s accomplishments from the last 3 years. There are 3 sections in this post: FanningSparks Blog, FanningSparks Social Media Platforms and FanningSparks Recognition and Feedback.
Stories and photos are published on the blog, at www.FanningSparks.com, every Tuesday. This post marks the 159^th time I’ve hit the publish button. Readers sometimes ask if I’m worried about running out of things to post about. Surprisingly, I’m not— I keep a running list of ideas that has far more topics than I could ever address. This endless list of things to see, to learn, to try and to share is what keeps me energized and the blog in motion.
The blog’s audience continues to grow. Over 21,500 people have visited the blog since its launch and the growth trend is positive: Year 1 -> 3,000; Year 2 -> 6,000; Year 3 -> 12,000. Below is a trend chart from Google Analytics that shows the number of active users (ie visitors to FanningSparks) over the last 3 years. As indicated, the 3 trend lines represent the average number of visitors in 1 day (77 daily), 7 days (449 weekly) and 30 days (1,600 monthly).

Google Analytics also calculates which posts are the most popular. Shown below are photos from the top 10 FanningSparks’ posts since the beginning of the blog. Long-time readers may recognize some of these from last year. The post titles are linked below the photo.
1. DIY Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder Tutorial
2. Flat-Plane Carving with Harley
3. Getting Started with Woodcarving
4. Artisan Transforms Quahog Shells
5. Our Pony Wall and Banquette Combo
6. DIY Pyramid Trellis Tutorial
7. A School for Makers
8. DIY Bluebird-Approved Birdhouse Tutorial
9. Pair of Mosaic Mirrors Completed
10. DIY Woven Statement Necklace Tutorial
Interestingly, the DIY tutorial post for a Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder shot to the top after being picked up by a couple of aggregator blogs. When The Spruce Crafts blog mentioned FanningSparks in their April 20, 2020 post 10 Mosaic Ideas to Try at Home, I noticed an immediate increase in the number of viewers. Here’s the coverage from that post.

The FanningSparks presence on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Bloglovin’ continues to be well received. Surprisingly, Pinterest is the channel with the most action. I’ve created over 3,600 pins (ie saved photos) and I’m thrilled to have 268 people following my Pinterest boards. It took a while to create this momentum but the amount of exposure Pinterest now provides to the FanningSparks blog is astonishing! In the last 90 days, Pinterest has shared FanningSparks’ pins over 1 Million times showing them to over 872,000 Pinterest visitors. This has resulted in over 27,000 engagements (meaning clicks, saves or shares)—27,000 engagements in only 90 days! Amazing! This represents twice as many Pinterest engagements as last year.
Here are the most popular FanningSparks’ pins from the last 90 days. There’s a noticeable correlation to the top posts especially for the DIY tutorials. The posts that originated these pins are linked below the photos.

1. Lucet Cordmaking – DIY Tutorial
2. Our Pony Wall and Banquette Combo
3. Getting Started with Woodcarving
4. Hello Marvelous Photo Embroidery
5. DIY Bluebird-Approved Birdhouse Tutorial
6. Camellia Road Trip
7. Spring Into a Garden Tour
8. DIY Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder Tutorial
There are a number of ways to follow along with FanningSparks: Instagram, Facebook, Bloglovin’ and email subscription. I announce my weekly posts via each platform so readers can stay up to date via their preferred channel. Each platform has a healthy number of followers. Instagram → 123 followers. Facebook → 62 followers. Bloglovin’ → 85 followers. Email Subscription → 56 followers.
Some visitors find their way to FanningSparks via a general web search. Google’s Search Console explains which queries (ie terms in the search box) were used. For instance, the top performing queries in Feb 2021 were:
. “flat plane carving”
. “flat plane carving knife”
. “what is flat plane carving”.
While the top growing queries compared to the previous month were:
. “DIY Turkish lamp”
. “Quahog shell”
. “Scandinavian flat plane carving”.
It’s amazing to me to see results like those shown below—second hit of 3,160,000 results! You may notice Harley Refsal, the flat-plane carving expert I rave about in my post, is featured prominently on this page.

Statistics and analytics are all well and good but hearing from readers directly is better. FanningSparks got some great exposure this last year.
In Aug 2020, FanningSparks made an appearance in the Neighbor Spotlight in our Homeowners Association e-Newsletter. It was an honor to be featured in this neighborhood publication. (Thanks again Mary!)
More recently, I had the privilege to share the FanningSparks story with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Picture This! special interest group. I joined this local photography club just before the 2020 lockdown and we’ve been meeting virtually every month. Fellow members wanted to know how a blog could be used to gain exposure for one’s photography. My presentation was well received. (Thanks again Gary!)

Early last year, I received a request for citation from Atlanta-based ceramic artist Keok Lim. I had the pleasure of seeing her work at the Georgia Pottery Invitational Perspectives shows and posted about it on the blog. I’m thrilled these posts are now quoted on Keok Lim Ceramics’ website Press page. (Thank you Keok!).

It’s always a pleasure to hear from an artist I mention on the blog. Jeffrey Waller, a local intarsia artist I featured in the post Intarsia: Mosaic of Wood, sent me a delightful email. He said it warms his heart to know that something he has created from an idea in his mind “brings a smile, joy, excitement, and sheer amazement to the viewers. I thank you again for your wonderful words and exposure of and about this little ole country boy here in Georgia.” (Thank you Jeffrey!)
Knowing others are making the projects I share on the blog makes all the effort worthwhile. I’m so appreciative of a regular follower who let me know she’d followed my Fern & Flower Press tutorial to make one for her daughter as a Christmas gift. She sent a photo with this note “Thank you for the inspiration (and directions) for the most popular Xmas gift this year.” (Thank you Robin!)

Thanks again for your support and encouragement of FanningSparks!
Cheers,

Fiber Make Repurpose Tutorials

Teacup Pincushion – DIY Tutorial

Do you have a cherished teacup set languishing in the back of your china cabinet? The kind you picture at an old-timey tea party? There’s not much call for tea parties any more but that pretty little cup and saucer need not be forgotten. Perhaps it’s time to repurpose it and give it a new lease on life. How about turning that neglected china cup and saucer into a handy little pincushion? Here’s my favorite teacup set repurposed as a pincushion.
In today’s post, I share step-by-step instructions to make your own teacup pincushion. The approach and technique used are similar to those from my last DIY tutorial post, Vintage Bangle to Keepsake Box. Felt is used to make a stuffed pad for the pincushion which is lavishly embellished with felt flowers and leaves. The pincushion pad is adhered inside the rim of the teacup.
Start by examining the pattern on your teacup and saucer—many have beautiful flowers or stunning floral arrangements. Let this pattern be your inspiration. Which flowers are used? What are the forms and colors? Here are a few examples.
Colorful felt flowers are the key to this project but buying felt in the desired colors can be a little tricky. The best way, of course, is to shop in person where you can hold the teacup up against the felt. But that’s not possible when shopping online. I’ve found using a photo of the item I’m trying to match is a good way to select colors online. Shoot the photo against a white background in bright, clear, natural light. Then view your photo beside the vendor’s colors. It’s helpful to take snippets of the color samples and drop them directly onto your photo. This method isn’t foolproof but the side-by-side comparison is a good indicator of which colors will work best. And it’s much better than holding a teacup up to your computer monitor! The below photo shows a few color samples from Prairie Point Junction’s wool blend felt (see More Info below).

I selected a few options and ordered them in ⅓ yard cuts. The wool blend felt is available in 36” wide yardage so ⅓ yard yields a generous 12” x 36” piece. This project doesn’t require much felt so it’s possible to order a few different colors at a reasonable cost.
In the end, I selected 2 greens (Grassy Meadow and Shady Grove), 2 blues (Bluer Than Blue and Periwinkle), 2 pinks (Fuchsia and Pink Violet) and 1 white (Antique White) to make flowers in an open rose form, a daisy form and a hydrangea form. Alternatively, you may wish to make one of the flower forms (ie a closed rose form, an apple blossom form or a dogwood flower form) that I shared in my previous post Vintage Bangle to Keepsake Box – DIY Tutorial.
Supplies Needed
. Teacup and Saucer
. Template – Download Felt Flowers for Teacup Pincushion – Complimentary Download to print the patterns for the felt flowers.
. Felt – Wool blend felt in the colors of your choice. I used approximately 12” x 6” in white for the pincushion pad; 4” x 8” in pinks for the open rose form; 3” x 1½” in blues for the hydrangea form; 4” x 1” in blue for the daisy form; 1” x 3” in greens for the leaves; ½” x 3” in yellow for the stamen.
. Freezer Paper
. Thread – To match the felt for your pincushion pad and flowers.
. Filling – Polyester fiberfill or other material to stuff the pincushion.
. Embroidery Floss – Pink (or your choice of color) to wrap the pincushion pad and green for the leaves.
. Hulled Millet (Dried Beans or Rice) – Approximately ½ cup to add weight to the teacup.
Equipment and Tools Needed
. Printer
. Iron
. Pencil
. Fabric Marker or Chalk
. Pins
. Scissors
. Scissors – Sharp, short-bladed scissors, such as embroidery or applique scissors, are ideal.
. Sewing Machine
. Needles – 1 needle for thread; 1 needle for embroidery floss; 1 extra-long embroidery needle; 1 large-eyed needle such as a darning needle.
. Stick – A small, round stick or dowel to hold the felt stamen.
. Hot Glue Gun
Step 1 Cut Pincushion Pad Parts Place the teacup upside down on a piece of freezer paper (shiny side down). Trace around the outside rim. Add ½“ to the circumference of this circle. Cut out the circle leaving a narrow border outside the cutting lines. Use the iron to press the freezer paper pattern (shiny side down) onto the felt you’ve selected for the pincushion pad. Cut out the felt circle with sharp, short-bladed scissors. Take care to cut precisely.

Remove the freezer paper pattern. Repeat for a second felt circle using the same color. After removing the freezer paper pattern, find the center of the circle. Transfer the center mark to the wrong sides of both of the felt circles. Select one of the circles to be the bottom. Draw a 2-3” line through the center mark. Cut on this line to create a slit in the bottom circle.
Step 2 Construct Pincushion Pad Lay the felt circles for the pincushion pad on top of each other with right sides facing. Align the edges and pin. Use the sewing machine to sew a ⅛“ seam around the entire circle.
Gently turn the felt circle inside out through the slit. Push out seam by running finger along the inside of the seam. Press. Stuff pincushion pad with polyester fiberfill or other material. Ensure outside edge is stuffed evenly. Take care not to overstuff—the seams should not be strained. Use matching thread and whipstitch (or stitch of your choice) to close the back slit.
Choose embroidery floss to divide the pincushion pad into petals—the color can match or contrast as you wish. Wrap the 6-strand floss around the pincushion pad 3 times to measure the length needed. Mine was 32” long. Cut and thread the floss onto a long embroidery needle. Insert a pin near the center point on the bottom and wrap the floss tail around this pin to anchor it. Insert the needle at the center point on the bottom of the pad, pull it up through the pad and exit at the center point on the top. Wrap the floss around the outside of the pad and return the needle to the center point on the bottom.

Pull the floss snug—this creates the indented points for the “petal” look. Pull needle through pad to top again. Repeat 5 times spacing out evenly around the circle into 6 petals. Check the fit of the pincushion pad in the teacup—it should sit snuggly in the rim. If needed, tighten or loosen the floss to adjust fit. Finish with a small stitch on the top and return the needle to the back. Knot the ends of the floss securely.

Step 3 Cut Flower Parts Download Felt Flowers for Teacup Pincushion – Complimentary Download to print the patterns for the felt flowers and leaves. Alternatively, you may wish to make one of the flower forms (ie a closed rose form, an apple blossom form and a dogwood flower form) that I shared in the Felt Flowers for Bangle Keepsake Box – Complimentary Download in my previous post Vintage Bangle to Keepsake Box – DIY Tutorial.
Cut a sheet of freezer paper to the size of a sheet of printer paper (ie 8 ½“ x 11“) and put it into the printer tray with the shiny side down. Print the template onto the freezer paper. Since not all printers work the same, please adjust this technique to the specifics of your own printer. Once you have your design printed on the freezer paper, cut out the individual patterns leaving a small border outside the cutting lines. Match up the pattern pieces with your felt colors.
Place a piece of felt on your ironing surface and lay the freezer paper pattern on top of it with the shiny side down. Use your iron to press the freezer paper pattern into place—a few seconds is all that’s needed. Take care to use the heat setting appropriate for your felt. Cut out the pattern piece (freezer paper and felt) using sharp, short-bladed scissors for precision. Then simply pull the freezer paper off the felt. Repeat with all felt pieces.
Cut the following:
. TWO #1 Open Rose Form Rolled Spiral Flower in pink. I cut one from Fuchsia and one from Pink Violet.
. ONE large #2 Hydrangea Form 3-Pointed Petals Flower in dark blue. I cut mine from Bluer Than Blue.
. ONE small #2 Hydrangea Form 3-Pointed Petals Flower in medium blue. I cut mine from Periwinkle.
. ONE stamen for #2 Hydrangea Form 3-Pointed Petals Flower in vibrant yellow. I cut mine from some scrap felt which I had on hand.
. ONE #3 Daisy Form Row of Petals Flower in medium blue. I cut mine from Periwinkle.
. ONE stamen for #3 Daisy Form Row of Petals Flower in vibrant yellow. I cut mine from some scrap felt which I had on hand.
. TWO #4 Leaves in green. I cut one from Grassy Meadow and one from Shady Grove.

Step 4 Sew #1 Open Rose Form Rolled Spiral Flower Align the two open rose spirals with the lighter color on top. Thread sewing needle with matching thread. (Note: I’m using black thread for visibility in the photo below.) Start at the center of the spiral taking 2 small stitches to connect the two pieces of felt. Take 4 small running stitches along the inside edge of the spiral. Stop stitching to gather this section. Pull the end of thread bunching the felt together. Take 2 small stitches over the edge to lock in the gathers. Repeat this process, stopping every 5-7 stitches to gather and lock, until you reach the end of the spiral. Turn stitched spiral over with the light color on the top. Position the gathered spirals into a pleasing arrangement. Turn flower over and lock in the arrangement with a few stitches hidden on the bottom.

Step 5 Sew #2 Hydrangea Form 3-Pointed Petals Flower Lay the small hydrangea form on top of the large one staggering the points of the petals. Thread sewing needle with matching thread. (Note: I’m using white thread for visibility in the photo below.) Take 2 small stitches to connect the two pieces of felt. Pull stamen through a large-eyed needle such as a darning needle. Pull the needle and felt, from the back to the front, through the center of the flower. Pull gently but firmly. Loop felt stamen over a small stick to prevent it from pulling out. Pull the needle and felt, from the front to the back, through the same opening in the center of the flower. Turn flower over and trim the ends of the stamen to hide them. Lock the stamen in place with a few stitches hidden on the bottom.

Step 6 Sew #3 Daisy Form Row of Petals Flower Thread sewing needle with matching thread. (Note: I’m using white thread for visibility in the photo below.) Leaving a long tail of thread, sew a row of small running stitches along the bottom straight edge of the flower. Leave a long tail of thread at the end. Grasp ends of thread and pull together to gather felt. Pull snuggly and knot securely. Pull stamen through a large-eyed needle such as a darning needle. Pull the needle and felt, from the back to the front, through the center of the flower. Pull gently but firmly. Loop felt stamen over a small stick to prevent it from pulling out. Pull the needle and felt, from the front to the back, through the same opening in the center of the flower. Turn flower over and trim the ends of the stamen to hide them. Lock the stamen in place with a few stitches hidden on the bottom.

Step 7 Make the Leaves Use 2-strands of contrasting embroidery floss to stitch a decorative vein down the center of each leaf. Fold leaf in half. Take 2-3 small whipstitches along the base of the leaf near the folded center. This creates a slight tuck at the base of the leaf.

Step 8 Embellish the Pincushion Pad Position the flowers and leaves in a pleasing arrangement on the pincushion pad. Use needle with matching thread to attach each element. Work under the elements. Make small stitches taking care to keep them hidden. Alternatively, you may choose to glue the elements in place.

Step 9 Assemble Pincushion A teacup can be a little unstable when seated on a saucer. Since working with a wobbly pincushion would be less than ideal, I decided to try a couple of tweaks to stabilize it. First, I added weight to the bottom of the teacup by filling it with hulled millet. I used millet because I had some left over from another project. You could use dried beans or rice instead.

Then I used a hot glue gun to create a bead of glue around the cup just below the rim. I pressed the pincushion pad into the glue to secure the pincushion and seal the millet. The final step is to glue the bottom of the teacup to the saucer. I chose to do this for added stability but it’s optional.
And there you have it—your new teacup pincushion!

More Info

You can download the project template here: Felt Flowers for Teacup Pincushion – Complimentary Download.
Please pin this image to share or save for future reference.

I purchased my wool blend felt online from Prairie Point Junction which is the home of Wool Felt Central. They offer a wide selection of colors in a wool and rayon blend. I’m pleased with the quality of this felt; the colors are vibrant and the felt is easy to work with. My order was filled and shipped on the same day I placed it. The folks at Prairie Point Junction thoughtfully packed my felt in the same sequence as the order form so I could easily identify my colors. Prairie Point Junction is located in Nebraska, USA and their website shows shipping information for the USA. If you’re not located in the USA, you may want to check if they ship to your location. Alternatively, I suggest checking Etsy for wool blend felt. There are several well-established vendors showing thousands of positive reviews.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider incorporating cherished treasures into everyday use.
2. Wool blend felt, which is available in a rainbow of colors, can be made into an endless variety of forms.
3. Consider turning a neglected china cup and saucer into a handy little pincushion.

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