{DIY} Copper Magazine Sling

If it's not plants that we are obsessed about, then it's copper. Copper is such a wonderful material to work with. So easy and you can build just about anything with it.

Materials
8x 90 degree elbows
2 x 5ft copper tubing (this is enough to make all of your cuttings) 3/4in thickness
Copper cutter
1 yard of fabric
Heat and Bond hem tape (Joann's Fabrics $2.99)
Iron

Directions for Fabric Sling
1. Take your 1 yard of fabric and fold it the long way (like a hot dog) and iron it so that it is as even as possible without any wrinkles, creating a nice crease. **it should have been already folded on the bolt this way at the fabric store
2. Cut the yard in half  along the crease that you just ironed over. You should have 2 pieces that are 36 inches in length
3. Take 1 of the pieces of fabric and lay it flat onto your ironing board
4. Using a ruler iron down a temporary hem. This will make it easier to fit the tape underneath. Do this the entire length of the fabric.

5. Rip off a piece of the heat and bond hem tape, long enough for the entire length of the fabric and gently insert it into the creased hem

6. Iron down hem about 3 seconds or until fabric is fused together. You will repeat this step on the other side of the fabric, as well as for the other piece of fabric.
7. Both fabric pieces should look like this once hemmed:

8. Once you have that completed you are going to fuse the two pieces together with the heat and bond tape. Take note that you want the pretty side of the fabric to be facing outward on both sides. For this, rip off a piece of tape 36 inches long and place on top of your hem and sandwich that tape in with your other piece of fabric. Do this for all 4 sides.

9. Lastly you are going to create a flap for your copper to fit through. Decide how long you want the flap to come down on the inside and hem and fuse it to the inside of the sling. You will have to play around with this a bit since it customizable to your liking. I ended up cutting off about 6 inches of fabric leaving me with a 30 inch sling before the flaps were hemmed.

Directions for Copper
1. Cut all of your copper first. You are going to need 8 pieces total. 4x 13.5in, 2x 16.5in, and 2x 9in. If you want to polish them up you can use a little vinegar--check pinterest for a recipe.
2. Lay out the 4--13.5in copper tubes and attach a 90 degree elbow to the top and bottom of each tube.

3.Take the 2--9inch tubes and place them in between each set of 13.5 inch to create a U shape.

4. Rotate your 90 degree elbows on top so that they are facing upwards.

5. Take the 2--16.5 inch tubes and insert them in the 90 degree elbow of one of the U shapes.

6. Slide your fabric onto the tubes and finish up by connecting the two U shapes together.

7. This is what it should look like once completed:

For this project I did not use any type of glue to permanently connect the tubes. However if you would like to make sure that they do not get loose, please refer to the glue used in our ipad stand tutorial.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email us at blondebrunetteandbrass@gmail.com or find us on Facebook BlondeBrunetteAndBrass

{DIY} Copper Obsessed IPad Stand

I promise you this is SO easy.  It took me longer to write down all these directions then to actually make the iPad holder!

Materials:

1/2 inch Copper pipe (I purchased 5 feet, which was the smallest length available) 

Tubing Cutter 

All to fit 1/2 inch piping- 

2- 90 degree elbows

2 street elbows

2 tees

4 pipe caps

Glue  (I used Elmer's ProBond Advanced. It worked awesome!)**

*All can be found in the plumbing section at your home improvement store!

**You can solder the pieces together, however, I keep things simple around here, so glue it was!

The copper pipe materials were only about $16. If you need a pipe cutter, they run about $15.

Directions:

1. Make your cuts.  My measurements are based on the 3rd generation iPad but I checked the specs on the iPads and it would work with any iPad (except the mini, because, well, that is mini...)

Have you ever used a pipe cutter?  This was my first time, all you do is twist until the pipe is cut- it is SO easy! (Clearly, I am easily entertained by new diy tools ;)

Measurements:

1- 8 inch

2- 4 inch

2- 6 inch

2- 1 inch

Step One:  Glue the 8 inch and 6 inch pieces to the street elbows:

Step Two: Glue the tees to the bottom of the 6 inch pieces

Step 3: Glue the 4 inch and 1 inch pieces to the tee. 

Step 4: Glue the street elbows to the end of the 4 inch pieces.

Step 5: Glue pipe caps to each exposed pipe. (front and back)

{DIY} Self Watering Planter

I know. Another plant project. I am sorry...no I'm not. They are so much fun and they make your house prettier and more homey. Is that a word? I don't care. Well if you are interested in another little plant for your house pay attention.

On Christmas day my brother in law and I decided to cut glass bottles. There are a million videos out there on youtube, pinterest, and what have you. I read several successful stories about wrapping a string around the bottle, soaking it in acetone and then lighting it on fire. Let's just blame it on the frozen tundra that we live in and call it a pinterest FAIL, shall we?
Well at that point I was not giving up I wanted to make something. So my mom had a glass cutter laying around which we used to score an imperfect line around the wine bottle. Then we boiled water and gently poured hot water and cold water alternating over that bottle until it broke on the line. IT WORKED, I couldn't believe it. I did have to use sand paper to even the cut and make it nice and smooth.

It didn't end there. We needed to make more. This time we bought a bottle cutter from Hobby Lobby. Have you been there? It's Michael's on steroids--out of this world. I think it cost about 15 dollars with a coupon.

++Supplies++
wine bottle
bottle cutter or glass cutter
big pot for boiling water
sink for ice water
2x2 inch mesh/screen/chicken wire
cotton string
potting soil
plant

Sorry for the rambling. Here are your directions.

Gather as many wine bottles as you can. I would be lying if I said it works perfect every time. You are going to use your bottle cutter and score a line around your bottle.

 Then you are going to fill your sink with the coldest water possible and add all the ice cubes from the freezer.

Next, boil water in the biggest pot you have. Once it is boiling keep it at a nice simmer.

Now carefully submerge your bottle into the boiling hot water for 5 seconds and then submerge your bottle into the ice water for 5 seconds. Continue alternating temperature shock until the bottle breaks on the line.



At this point you should have a top piece and bottom piece and when flipping the top over and inserting it in the bottom half you should be left with as least 1 inch of breathing room from the neck of your bottle to the floor of the bottle. **MAKE SURE YOU MEASURE PRIOR TO SCORING YOUR BOTTLE (see last picture)

 Now you are going to need screen, chicken wire, or mesh. Pretty much anything that you can thread a string through that will hold dirt up from falling into the water. This is about 2x2, double check with the bottle to make sure it will fit nicely into place, adjust accordingly. Cut 3 cotton strings which, when folded in half, reach the water (see last picture). Feed the string into the screen making sure that both ends are equally as long once pulled through.

 

Plant whatever you would like. This little guy is a fern, isn't he so cute? You can add succulents or anything that is small. You're going to want to water your plant the first couple of times until your plant adapts to the self watering system.

Have fun!

{Foodie} Call Me Old Fashioned

I’m not sure about the rest of the Midwest, but in Milwaukee, Old Fashioneds are a Big Deal, and no matter which bar you enter, chances are that they pour a good one. While there are a few ways to order an Old Fashioned, all of them begin with a sugar cube muddled with bitters and orange, followed by soda and a generous pour of booze. Whiskey is traditional (and satisfying), but here in Wisconsin, the classic recipe is with brandy. It’s warm, buttery, and the sort of drink you would order in a wood-paneled bar from a plaid-clad guy named Pete.

The Old Fashioned cocktail is one of the earliest of its kind. That's why every home bartender should know how to make this classic. 

INGREDIENTS

Lowball glass full of crushed ice or 1 Ice Sphere

Muddler

2 oz Brandy

1 sugar cube

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

2 Orange Wedges

2 Maraschino Cherries

Soda Water

1. Place sugar cube in the bottom of serving glass a rocks glass is traditional and feels cool. Sprinkle with bitters, then add an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. 

2.  Add a few ice cubes to each glass, then top with brandy and a splash of lemon-lime soda and club soda. Stir gently to combine, then garnish with remaining orange slice and cherry. Enjoy immediately.