(Photography by Auxy Espinoza)
The Big-Ass Book of Crafts is packed with ideas for sprucing up your living space; concocting fabulous, all-natural body products; designing your own unique stationery; and creating countless other crafts that will convince your friends and loved ones that you're the secret love child of Martha Stewart (only much, much cooler). Forget crocheted doilies and itchy knit sweaters -- TLC's While You Were Out top designer Mark Montano has created stylish and imaginative projects that range from a Warhol-esque Ultrasuede iPod case to photo-adorned boxer shorts to African mask patio chairs to wooden night-light boxes. Divided into sections that include Outdoorsy (ideas to enhance your backyard), Dishing It Out (decorating plates using different techniques), You've Been Framed...
© 2013 Mark Montano / Simon & Schuster · Reproduced with permission.Take about 20 inches of your 20 gage wire and fold it in half
Gather about 15 straws and place them in the fold of the wire and start twisting the two ends of the wire
3
Keep twisting the wire until you’ve smooshed all of the straws into a small bundle in the middle and starts to create the flower burst
Twist the wire all of the way to the ends until it forms a stem.
5
Put another straw over the stem and fold the wire up over the end of the straw at the bottom to keep it in place.
Make about 15 of these
Take your cord set and tie a loose knot in the cord about 4 inches above the light socket
Thread the ends of the straw covered wire around the cord and into the knot to keep it in place.
9
Form a cluster of starbursts by twisting and shaping the straws into shape. It’s easy really
10
Make sure that your straws are not touching the light bulb (it’s very low wattage anyway so I assure you it’s safe)
Hang and light.