Lightbulb Gourd in a Harvest Basket
by
Jewellmartin
3 Materials
$6
1 Hour
Easy
The week's Tutorial Challenge was to use a lightbulb in our DIY project. I decided to make a gourd basket for a low centerpiece. My son went by Dollar Tree and bought me six harvest picks. I had the other supplies. My 7-year-old granddaughter spent the night and she provided the labor I needed! Together we created a simple yet bountiful basket for the first Autumn dinner.
Paint colors, w/1 foam brush.
1. Gather supplies. I had a blown light bulb, a basket, paints and a foam brush, and scissors. My son bought 6 floral picks at Dollar Tree, and some extra leaves I did not use on this project. Hometalk sent me the Heritage Cobblestone Chalk Paint and the paper straw for helping you fine folks. My paint choices to change a light bulb into a gourd were: the Cobblestone chalk paint, and Apple Barrel's orange, green and brown.
Estelle painting gourd stripes.
2. Estelle did all the painting. I did not want the stripes the same width, nor regimentally the same distance apart. Perfect job for a 7-yr-old. The whole bulb was painted Cobblestone, and the stripes are orange, green and brown.
Dollar Tree picks, old basket.
3. I almost ruined my expensive sewing scissors trying to cut off the stems from one pick. My craft scissors are somewhere in the "art room" from the last time they were grandgirl-borrowed. After I put the shredded paper straw and the lightbulb gourd in the basket, I started plunging the picks into the straw. It was easy! And the long stems helped hold the lightbulb in place.
The finished centerpiece!
4. After spreading the leaves and adding the last picks (it was hard not to put them in symmetrically, but I didn't), The last touch was to add a stem for the lightbulb gourd. I couldn't seem to find anything that was the right proportion. Then I noticed the brown sticky UPC labels I had cut off the picks. After trying a couple of things, I ended up with a stem that brought the colors together in the lightbulb gourd and looks good, I think.
This is one of my favorite DIY crafts, even though it cost $6, because everything came together quickly and looks good without apology. Maybe it will help you create one of your own!
Comments
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2 of 4 comments
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Best compliment ever! Even Estelle's own parents, who had seen the painted lightbulb, nor the other two guests, realized there was a lightbulb in the centerpiece. She was just beaming at everybody's comments. I thank you for yours. 😇
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This is seriously genius Jewell!
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