Rusting Items

Rusting Items

This recipe will nicely rust safety pins, jingle bells, or anything else you want to 'age' for your primitive creations.The most important thing to remember about rusting, is that you will want to buy the cheap brand of pins, safety pins, bells..ect that you can find. The more expensive brands have a shellac coating on them that you will have to sand off before rusting. Makes sure they are NOT brass either -brass will not rust.Do this outside away from children and pets.....the fumes are terrible !

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup bleach
1 teaspoon salt

Directions :Combine the ingredients in an old quart jar.Add items you want to rust and cover loosely - place in a safe spot and let set for at least 2 days.Line a tray with a couple of layers of paper towel and remove the items with an old fork from the mixture. place in the sunshine .......the items will begin to rust as they dry. Move them around so that they dry on all sides.Perfectly rusted bells, pins, and any other item you wish to rust.

Caution: do not throw the mixture down the sink- dispose of properly where no animal or child could come in contact with.

Written and submitted by Debbie- Two Old Crows

Building a Terranium

While at my local nursery I wandered inside into the greenhouse where they keep all the indoor plants and found the neatest little rabbit foot's fern that I just couldn't resist . Wondering what I could do I remember a large clear bowl I had at home and decided to make a simple terranium to place on one of my bookcase shelves in the living room. I love terraniums because they take so little care and are so easy and simple to do. Here are the simple directions for what I did to make it.

1. Clean and dry the bowl completely
2. Place some clean rocks in the bottom, then add charcoal ( the charcoal stops mold from growing in this damp environment you create inside the bowl) then just enough potting soil for the plant.
3. Remove the fern from its plastic container and place into the soil.
4. Give just a bit of water and wipe the smudges off the bowl.

Thats all I did - most terraniums have a lid but this one wont so I will have to water more often- just be sure you dont over water !

Written and Submitted by Debbie- Two Old Crows