hey everyone! you know how the saying goes "when life hands you lemons...". well that can have multiple endings. and why not glitter? so just how does one get glitter from lemons? read on my friend and i will tell ya!
this was a scene from our home a few days back. {below}
a hasty shove of our coffee table & my lovely ornament-adorned stand took a tumble. she humpty'd dumpty'd right on the floor. no king's horses & no king's men came to the rescue. rather i sat there in utter shock @ the mess that lay in front of me. should i shout? cry? throw my body to the ground kicking right there with the wreckage? as tempting as some of those options sounded...I feared frightening my poor dog resting in the corner. and really what good would any of those actions do?
so i walked over to the kitchen...grabbed {2} ziplock baggies...doubled them up & put the pieces i could safely salvage inside. then proceeded to the next steps...
1st STEP - inflict a few good blows to bag on the counter...{never said i wouldn't release some frustration!} i ended up with small to medium sized chunks of ornies in the bag.
2nd STEP - out comes the rolling pin {one used for crafts...save your good one for those cookies}. roll over & over the bag. pulverizing the contents inside. but watch your bag...you are working with sharp bits and pieces here.
3rd STEP. roll it some more. trust me. you want it to continue to break everything down. do you see where i am going here? you're actually making some glass "glitter"! if you haven't priced out german glass glitter...check it out in a google search sometime. you'll too will be banging bags of ornaments on your counter causing the family to really question your motives!
after many passes with the rolling pin...i emptied the contents out into the bowl you'll see {below}. handle with care...remember...it's still glass!
lemons no more! looks pretty good considering where i started. now...what to do with my new found wealth of glitter? no time like the present to get back into the swing of jewelry r&d. so i took some tiny dimensional hearts....glittered them up like nobody's business & encased one w/ some beveled glass thus making a happy ending {below} to a somewhat "messy" beginning!
and you know what else good came about?? my floor has never looked better! clean & dust {+ glass} free! so take those lemons handed your way. and make your glitter. or lemonade. or learn to juggle. whatever the case may be try to make the best of the situation handed you!
hope you have a "sweet" day!
Love this glittery post!! This happened to me this Christmas, and never once did I think of making glitter!!
Posted by: Shelley in SC | January 10, 2011 at 02:46 PM
Fabulous, I needed this post about 4 weeks ago when I broke a wreath.
Posted by: Becky | January 10, 2011 at 05:36 PM
Goodness - I thought I was the only person who pulverizes my broken ornaments!! Only problem is my "glitter' is still stored in a can!!
Posted by: Jean Elliott | January 10, 2011 at 07:18 PM
Adorable....naturally!
Posted by: Cassie | January 10, 2011 at 08:41 PM
very impressive recovery! Way to go...
Posted by: Joyce - Quilted Nest | January 11, 2011 at 04:28 AM
I love the way you think, I would have been rolling around on the floor screaming and pulling my hair out.
Posted by: Kathryn | January 11, 2011 at 04:39 AM
Very, very well done. Let the creativity begin.
Posted by: Carly Nelson | January 11, 2011 at 07:11 AM
wish i had seen this last month when unpacking ornaments. great thinking
Posted by: marle | January 11, 2011 at 09:35 AM
Well, this was very timely! Just yesterday I broke an antique glass bronze ornament while putting Christmas away - yes, still. I tried and tried to think of what I could do with it as I almost NEVER throw anything away. So, lo and behold, after reading this, I went right to the garbage and dug amongst the many pistachio hulls - of course, to find all the glass pieces I could salvage to make GLITTER!!! Not sure what I'll do with it after I crush it but I just had to tell you. Maybe smoosh it just a little and then put it all in a small glass bottle and just sit it on the shelf ... awaiting another time when I break something else, of which I'm certain will occur again! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Posted by: Cindy McMurray | January 11, 2011 at 02:00 PM
This is definitley a post meant for me! I absolutely LOVE glitter...anything sparkly, and graceful I am not! The next time I break something shiny it's goin' in a baggie and I'm breakin' out the rolling pin. Thanks for sharing..way too cool!
Posted by: Donna | January 11, 2011 at 07:18 PM
What a great way to keep creative energy flowing!
Posted by: twinkle | January 12, 2011 at 01:02 PM
Your thinking cap is always on! I love that!
Posted by: Andrea | January 13, 2011 at 11:56 AM
hey girls! thank you so much for all your notes! i am glad that you found some inspiration in my somewhat "messy situation"!
as always i appreciate and love your notes! :) they keep ME inspired!
hugs!
beth
Posted by: beth | January 13, 2011 at 12:02 PM
You are do incredibly talented! I really am in awe of this fabulous recycle!
Liz
http://mylovelylittlelulu.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Liz Bradley | January 25, 2011 at 07:06 AM
what stupidity mr.ornament,bad thinking.dahhhhhhhhhhh
Posted by: petra | February 22, 2011 at 04:06 AM
fantastic idea!!
Thanks for sharing
blessings
barbara jean
Posted by: barbara Jean | December 03, 2011 at 10:04 PM
Cool idea! Thanks!
Posted by: Ola | January 06, 2012 at 01:25 PM
Well of COURSE I LOVE...LOVE...BLING. BLING ANYTHING!! I'm SO clumsey that our friends call me "bull in the china closet" WAIT..JUST WAIT until they hear this one. I LOVE it and thanks for sharing. I thought this would be GREAT in a vase or glass piece with a candle. like how it is normally done with stones..I like this idea better. And you can ALWAYS save it for a day to take your frustrations out on. hehehe....... Thank You!!!
Posted by: Sandy | January 23, 2012 at 07:34 AM
Oh my...I will never throw a broken ornament away again. Delightful outcome!!
Posted by: marie | March 06, 2012 at 11:50 AM
This is such a great idea. I will bet that this type of glitter would be fantastic to use in a home made snow globe. Thanks!
Posted by: Bets | April 30, 2012 at 04:33 AM
Brilliant! Pinning this idea :)
<3 Christina @ I Gotta Create!
Wildly Original link party is open.
Posted by: Christina @ I Gotta Create! | February 03, 2013 at 01:17 PM
Glitter !! . Dude !!! <3-murphy
Posted by: Murphy | March 28, 2013 at 07:14 AM
Try using a full can from your pantry. It smashes more easily (the weight helps) and rolls wonderfully. Easy clean up when you tear off the label and rinse.
Bling On ladies!!
Posted by: Meade | July 12, 2013 at 02:40 PM
If only I had seen this sooner I wouldn't have thrown away the ornaments that my nieces and nephews broke
Posted by: Sonia | December 06, 2013 at 04:53 PM
Wow! You got a lot of comments. I admit I didn't read them all yet. 'Hope I'm not repeating an idea. I think this glitter would look cool under some" Dimensional Modpodge". It is a product I've bought but not tried yet. The glitter would be under this super clear gloss and safe to touch.
Posted by: Lee Hernandez | December 17, 2013 at 02:17 PM