I know...you've heard me say it here a million times.
My daughter's favorite comment is...
"Motherrrr, you never throw anything away!
Well, neither do my friends & relatives!
I've got everybody saving their candle jar lids for me.
You can pry off the rubber gaskets with needle nose pliers & turn them upside down to use as votive candle holders for your tablescapes.
BJ from Sweet Nothings blog taught me to put a tiny bit of water in the bottom first & the melted candle will just pop right out when you're done with them. Thanks for the tip, BJ!
I also use them in my sewing room as
pattern weights.
These are wonderful substitutes for pinning through the pattern & the fabric.
The two on the far right aren't candle jar lids...they are vintage electric & telegraph glass insulators that my sister found while cleaning out the basement of my parents' home.
As railway & telegraph lines spread over the USA, electricity needed to be carried along powerful cables along those same lines. Live electrical wires & wooden telegraph can't touch...they can start a fire!
Glass & porcelain resist the conduction of electricity & thus could protect the live wires from coming into contact with the wooden poles. Some people use them today as paper weights on their desks & they also do decorative paiting on ones that are cracked or chipped. Don't paint them if they are in perfect condition, as this will destroy their value to a collector.
I've also seen folks hang them upside down outside, with votive or battery operated candles lit in them.
It is a really pretty effect in the evening!
Glass insulators come in many colors...clear, aqua, red, green...even purple! Since the railway lines shared the right of way with many different companies, this was the way the linesman could identify which line belonged to which company.
I have a few of the Aqua ones stashed away somewhere in MY basement. I should dig them out to hang in the gazebo next summer. ~~note to self...remember to do that~~
This knit, below is a good example of how I use both the candle lids & the insulators as pattern weights...the less pin holes, the better.
Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.
Its always nice to have you visit!
I'm linking this post to Marty's Inspire Me Tuesday, Yvonne's StoneGable for "Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits" as well as
The Tablescaper for "Seasonal Sundays".
Thank you ladies, for the opportunity to join together & share ideas.
