Remember my Glowing Outdoor Orbs? Of course you do. They're orbs and they glow. Like alien testicles. Who could forget something like that.
Well I've come up with the Glowing Outdoor Orbs Part II. Only the don't glow. So they're the Outdoor Orbs Part II. Only people tend not to know what an Outdoor Orb is (since I made the phrase up), so I've decided to change the name to White Glass Shades that Every House Used to Have But Now Doesn't Because We all Threw Them Out Like Idiots. And Now We Have to Buy Them From Secondhand Stores. How's that?
Anyhooooo back to the issue at hand. I'm a genius and as soon as you copy what I have to show you below, you'll feel like a genius too. Please note, with regard to my geniusyness, it doesn't apply to math or mathematical related problems, or numbers or decimals or anything that requires the adding or subtracting of fractions. Or math.
The ingredients for this craft are similar to but different from those in the original Glowing Outdoor Orbs. You still only need 2 things and it's still incredibly easy. I have come to understand that people LOVE the bigger projects I do, but tend to only duplicate the ones that take 10 minutes or so. Don't blame ya.
Here for your pleasure and limited time frame, is the 10 minute birdfeeder.
A old glass lampshade
A squiggle of rope ...
A $3 contemporary hanging birdfeeder.
How to make a super-fantastic hanging birdfeeder
Gather your rope. I happened to use ⅛th inch nylon rope. I bought a 50' package and it cost around $4. There's enough rope in that package to hang 3 or 4 birdfeeders from really high branches.
Using really thick rope would also look great. Probably even better than the thin stuff. I'm not sure why I bought the thinner stuff. I'm sensing a crack in my geniusyness.
#1. Measure twice the amount of rope as you need it to hang. Go look at your tree branch and just guess. When all else fails, just measure out a lot. You can always make the rope shorter, but you can't make it longer. Find the middle of the rope.
#2. Wrap the doubled up rope around the middle of your glass shade. The looped area of the rope is the centre of it.
#3. Pinch where the loop (centre) meets.
#4. Tie a knot where your pinch mark is.
#5. You now have a knot and a loop and a whole whack of excess rope.
#6. Wrap the rope around the shade again.
#7. Slip the excess rope through the loop, allowing the loop to rest over and lock on the knot. You'll probably have to undo and redo your knot to get it right. You want it quite tight but not so tight you'll break the shade. Good and tight is how I would describe it.
#8. Place a soft towel or pillow under the shade, then lift it by the rope to make sure it's hanging straight. Fiddle with centreing the rope until it hangs right. The towel's there in case the shades slips out and falls. It shouldn't but it might. Hell, what do I know about your knot tying abilities?
#9. Using Waterproof Silicone, glue your rope to the shade.
#10. To make sure your rope stays centred on the shade, just run the tip of the silicone down the centre of the 2 pieces of rope. As you run the tip down, it'll push the two pieces aside keeping everything centred. Go allll the way around the shade.
#11. Pinch the rope closed again, along the glue line.
If you want to be extra diligent (I was) you can also run a bead of silicone on the outside edges of the rope.
Hey! Wanna know why I was extra diligent?? Because the first time I did this I wasn't and 2 of my feeders crashed to the ground and shattered into pieces. See? Like this.
I oringally only used "Weldbond" glue, which is supposed to adhere to glass. Guess what? It didn't. So don't go thinking you can do this with whatever glue you have around the house. You can't. You must use a silicone based product like I've used. Marine silicone, tub silicone ... anything like that. Something that's meant for use on glass and is meant to come into contact with water. Weldbond says it does these things. But in my experience ....
... it doesn't.
#13. Let the birdfeeder rest for 24 hours to dry. Unless you're me. In which case, run outside and hang it from the tree immediately. Do as I say, not as I do. You want the glue to cure before subjecting it to the elements.
Hang them & fill them with bird/chipmunk/squirrel food!
You may have noticed that there are no pictures of birds at my birdfeeders. That's because I didn't have an extra 742 hours to sit around waiting for a bird to come. Besides it's been raining since I hung these feeders and I haven't seen a bird at them yet. I'm sure they'll come. They always do.
Also a bit of a warning here! I have no idea if one day the silicone will suddenly decide it's had enough of this and give up. It shouldn't. But it might. But it really, really shouldn't. However, I'm warning you that I cannot take responsibility if these glass shades come crashing down onto your Golden Retriever or French Bulldog's head. I don't think they will but I thought it'd be rude not to mention it's a possibility.
Although, on account of my mathematical abilities, I wouldn't want to put a percentage on it. Or a fraction..
Jessica
Oh my goodness!! Today is the first I've even heard of your blog, and you are hilarious!!! I love how tactful and forthcoming you are during your tutorials. Cannot wait to explore the rest of tour site :)
Karen
Thanks Jessica! Read on. I post every day (except weekends). You can subscribe if you like but I should warn you, sometimes the subscriptions don't work. Bleh. Don't know why. ~ karen!
Shirley
You could use LED lights instead of tea lights that way it wouldn't get hot.
Ashley
It would look kind of cool to do this, but put candles in them at night.
Karen
Ashley - A few people suggested that, but I"m afraid even with a tea light the globes would get *really* hot. I keep meaning to try it because it would be beautiful, but I'm afraid not practical. Uch. Maybe I'll go out right now and try it. Are you happy now? I'm in my p'jamas and everything, LOL. ~ karen
meg
Ok, I followed your tutorial with lovely results. So lovely, in fact, that the squirrels CHEWED through the rope, sent my orb to the ground, and feasted in revelry upon the birdseed. You should have seen them - it was Bacchanalian! grrrr....Luckily, it did not break. Am thinking of putting tealights in it instead. Thanks for the post.
Amye
Ok, so I did this.
I was lucky enough to find -plastic- lamp bits, which is handy for that one time when I was hanging them up and one slipped out.
They bounce about 6 feet in the air when you use plastic. I'm tempted to put photos on Traditionally Subversive, but my hope was to capture some birds actually using them. My photoshop skills are less than yours, Karen, and I shouldn't inflict them on the world.
So they've been up for about a week now, and the chickadees will not touch them. In fact, all of the birds avoid them as if they were bird-flu carrying feeders and the gov't agency of their choice in charge of warning them about the bird flu put up a wanted poster for these feeders.
How on earth do you get yours to eat out of them?
-- amye
Karen
Amye - Just give it time, that's all. And make sure there aren't any branches or anything impeding the birds flight into the feeder. They don't like to dodge things. Also! I don't own Photoshop, so I wouldn't consider myself very skilled at it, LOL. ~ karen
Robin Rakes
At first glance I thought these were plastic cup lids... maybe from Sonic's coffee ice cream drinks, or Icee's. I may try that... so I *Guess* I will have to go to Sonic... darn it.
Gknee
I made one of these today and it looks amazing in my garden. I glamed it up a tad by sticking tiny mirrors around where the rope is attached but the sky's the limit, beads and little twigs would look sweet too. Thanks for this great idea and love your site. BTW are you Karen from Much of way back??
Karen
Gknee - Glad the orbs worked out for you! I like the twig/stick idea. And yup ... I am Karen from Much. ~ karen (from Much)
June
Love this! You're instructions are a hoot to read also! I'm Pinteresting this and liking on Stumble Upon. :)
Karen
Thanks June! ~ karen
SheilaB
I am making one of these RIGHT NOW!!! :-) Can you tell I'm excited?! Will post pic on FB when done as the glass shade is different. *wish the glue would dry faster...and so do the squirrels...*
Jessica
Great idea and they look lovely with your trees!
Karen
Thanks Jessica. That tree is a particular favourite of mine! ~ karen
Kit Bennett
You can paint these with food color tinted outdoor modgepodge ...I did it an made amber olive and teal orbs for a housewarming gift!
Sue
I LOVE all of your glass globe ideas, but most of all, I love your writing style. It's like sittig across the kitchen table and chatting with a dear friend that says exactly what is on their mind. I love it! Keep it up.
Karen
Thanks Sue! That's what got me banned from television. ~ karen
Michelle
Is there a way to drill a hole in glass? Then we could have a hole at the top of the orb with a knotted end rope and wouldn't have to worry about the orb falling and breaking? Idea is great!
Raven
Acid or sandpaper or a file might be a better approach Not having worked with glass though, I can make no suggestions for you other than saying acid can be nasty if not used safely
Erin
your genius knows no bounds. I have been coveting something similar for a while now but like a real already made one that would cost 5X more...
Renee
Karen - if you like cheap and you like birds check out this bird bath I made with old pots. It only cost me the spray paint and if you really wanted to go rustic you wouldn't even have to paint the pots. :-)
http://lattenene1.wordpress.com/category/decorating-2/outside/
Pam'a
The orbs are gorgeous! Of course!
And as a member of the Mannish Hands Sisterhood, I have to add a quick plug. I've always hated wearing gloves to do ANYthing, but that all changed when I came across Atlas gardening gloves. They're thin, made of cloth and nitrile, and so flexy you can pick up a coin. Plus, they're only about $7/pair. I have several now, so I use the crummier ones for other nasty jobs. They rock.
Lynn
So, I'm flipping through some very often cool, very often too expensive catalog last night and what do I see but THE VERY SAME IDEA but with clear, handblown glass (or clear orbs) as terrariums!!! Did they want $3.00 for it? NO, THEY WANTED $70.00!!!
Ima go make me a terrarium for my kitchen window.
Karen
Lynn - I'd like names and pictures. I've developed my own obsession with terrariums lately! :) ~ karen
Lynn
I'd swear I saw one with succulents, but I've thrown away the catalog because it was the one day a week we CLEAN UP EVERYTHING in anticipation of Garbage Day. But, I did find this online so I think it was these folks:
http://www.vivaterra.com/garden/plants/recycled-glass-terrarium.html
Karen
Thanks Lynn! I'll go have a look. Centsational Girl had beautiful terrariums on her site this week ... http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2011/06/secrets-of-a-successful-terrarium/ . A guest post by Courtney Out Loud.
Renee
Karen - This is the second time I've visited your blog - I poppped over from Censational Girl. Great ideas, both of them for the orbs. I'll be hitting the thrift store this weekend. Tip on birdseed...did you know that microwaving the seed for 3 or 4 minutes will keep all the seed from germinatinng.
Renee @ Lattenene's Cup of Chat
Karen
Renee - That is just about the best tip I've ever heard. I didn't know that! I wonder if it's true. You know I'm going to have to test this and report back on Monday! (I have found that occasionally, the Internet is a big, fat liar. Not that I'm inferring you are. I'm not. But sometimes the Internet is. :) Can't wait to give it a go! Thx. ~ karen
Karen
If this really works I may go back to feeding birds again. I quit putting feeders up near my house because I go so darn many "volunteer" weeds in my flower beds from the dropped birdseed. Not to mention that they crap all over my patio and furniture. Sorry birds....crap out in the woods!
Renee
Karen = let me know how the tip works for you = it has always worked for me
Karen
Will do Renee! The thought of it working is pretty exciting. Post worthy even! ~ karen
Paige
These are gorgeous! And LOL @ "alien testicles!" hahaha
Karen
Why am I unfamiliar with what alien testicles may or may not look like? One day I am going to do Orb I project when it stops raining in my neck of the woods here in MN. From a MN Karen.
Karen
Lots of rain here too, Karen. Blech. ~ karen