CasaSugar

DIY: Mason Jar Garden Lights

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:00:52 -0700

Considering the prices of garden lights these days, I've been looking for a low-cost alternative. Lucky me, I found a DIY for temporary garden lights you can make from only LEDs, lithium coin cells, mason jars, and a little bit of tape. The lights will be temporary, until the battery runs out, but you can always refresh your battery supply just for about 30 cents each.
Supplies:

One ultrabright LED with a diffused lens per light
One CR2032 lithium coin cell per light
One mason jar per light
Tape, masking is fine

To learn the steps, read more.

Connect an LED directly across the terminals of the lithium coin cell, so the long lead goes to the positive (+) side of the battery.
Wrap it once with tape so the LED stays touching the battery cell.
Half-twist the LED 90 degrees from the battery cell so that it can bend that way and the two leads of the LED don't touch each other.
Tape the light to the inside of your mason jar lid.
Screw the lid on. Fini!

View 7 Photos ›

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Cool Idea: Lighting the Dark Garden

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:58 -0800

I've been pretty bummed about the time change, since it's usually dark by the time I get home from work. This means that any outdoor chores, gardening work, or frolicking with the dogs is done in near pitch black, or lit from sharp, glaring porch lights.

Kathy LaLiberte, director of gardening at my favorite gardening store, Gardeners Supply Company, has come up with a pretty solution to combat the darkness. Besides using solar lights along pathways, she's also indulged her inner artist with a cool project.

She writes:

Last Fall we came up with a combination art project/all-season, outdoor lighting solution. We made an orb with two rusted steel bands from an old whiskey barrel planter. They're held together at the top with a rusted-iron hose guide, which fits into a metal pipe that anchors the whole thing to a cedar post. Around the center of the pipe I wove a loose ball of wild grape vines. Then I stuffed the ball with a 24-foot string of small LED lights (these are the warm white ones - I don't like the cool blue lights).

How do you light your yard or garden after the clocks fall back?

Desire/Acquire: Burlap Chandelier

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:15:25 -0700

Fresh off of my burlap bonanza roundup, which featured this Jayson Home & Garden Caravan Chandelier ($1,295), made of an iron frame covered with a burlap potato sack, I spotted a much more affordable version of the light fixture. It's certainly handsome and lends a rustic industrial aesthetic, but I wouldn't pay a penny over a grand for it - if that. Want to see where you can buy the exact same chandelier for less? Then read more.

The Caravan Trapezoid Chandelier ($987.50) from The Paris Market will save you just over 300 smackers. But you know me, I'd say go for a DIY before you buy.

Steal of the Day: Glass Tealights With Garden Stakes

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:00:45 -0700

Ready to throw a garden party? With this set of Glass Tealights and Garden Stakes (originally $59.99, on sale for $29.99), your garden will be the hit of an evening party, as the glass tea lights gently illuminate its blossoms and greenery.

This set includes 12 powder-coated black metal stakes that are almost three feet high, and different colored glass tea light cups. They'd also look lovely illuminating a walkway at an evening wedding or reception. For extra garden party glamour, consider planting some moonflower seeds, which will bloom at night. Can't you imagine the night-blooming flowers twining up the garden stakes?

Show Me Your Casa!

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:21 -0800

Add any new additions to your home lately? A new pendant light? Have you wallpapered? Bought a new coat rack? Whatever you're doing, I want to see it!

To learn how to join and post in the group, read more.

To join the Su Casa group, just follow this link and click "Join Group" on the right-hand side of the page. Once you're subscribed, click New Post on the upper right-hand side and choose what type of post you want to create. If you have just one photo and some text, create a text post; if you have a bunch of photos you want to share, select "gallery." The Community Help Group has a great primer on how to create a text post, so check that out if you've never posted one before. Here's a rundown of the basic process:

Su Casa can be found by clicking on See My Groups & Blogs from your member name drop-down. Once on the group homepage, click on New Post and choose the type of post.
Add a Title and the Body (content for your post). Don't forget to click the Check Spelling link and Upload an Image to make your post stand out!
In Advanced Options, add appropriate categories and tags. Click on Save Post and voila!

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This Just In: Jayson Home & Garden European Flea Market Launches Online

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Today marks the launch of the Jayson Home & Garden European Flea Market online. Thanks to the keen eyes over at Jayson, these rare finds - a mix of timeless European furniture and lighting, antique prints and oil paintings, gilded mirrors, hotel silverware, and more -have made their way from Europe and beyond to Chicago’s Lincoln Park. The market has been running locally there since April 18^th, but that's no fun for non-Illinois folk, so I’m ecstatic to see it all just a click away in my browser. Abbe over at Jayson Home & Garden was nice enough to share photos of the market, which you can get a peek at below.

View 14 Photos ›

To see the rare finds I’m craving the most, read more.
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Show Me Your Casa!

CasaSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:04 -0700

Add any new additions to your home lately? A new pendant light? Have you wallpapered? Bought a new coat rack? Whatever you're doing, I want to see it!

Show off all of your home views, both interior and exterior, in my group Su Casa, where readers can share snapshots and stories related to home decorating, crafts, organizing, and gardening. A Su Casa post could be anything from a photo of a loved-one's home to a tiny nook you're tickled by. Think of it as a look book for home style. If I see something I like in Su Casa, I might ask you if I can feature it on CasaSugar.
To learn how to join and post in the group, read more.
To join the Su Casa group, just follow this link and click "Join Group" on the right-hand side of the page. Once you're subscribed, click New Post on the upper right-hand side and choose what type of post you want to create. If you have just one photo and some text, create a text post; if you have a bunch of photos you want to share, select "gallery." The Community Help Group has a great primer on how to create a text post, so check that out if you've never posted one before. Here's a rundown of the basic process:

Su Casa can be found by clicking on See My Groups & Blogs from your member name drop-down. Once on the group homepage, click on New Post and choose the type of post.
Add a Title and the Body (content for your post). Don't forget to click the Check Spelling link and Upload an Image to make your post stand out!
In Advanced Options, add appropriate categories and tags. Click on Save Post and voila!

Source

String Lights: Illuminate Your Summer

CasaSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:58:38 -0700

White holiday lights, when used tastefully, can be a good outdoor adornment year-round. But string lights are such a bargain, why not buy yourself a special set for Summer?

These outdoor accessories add an elegant effect to al fresco dining, and depending on the style you choose, string lights can give your patio an entirely new vibe, from Euro cafe style to down-home charm. Here are five of my favorite string lights for Summer.

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Casa Verde: Ed Begley's Top 5 Ideas For Going Green at Home

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:00:31 -0700

Environmentalist extraordinaire and star of hit eco show Living With Ed, Ed Begley Jr. recently chatted with Green Muze about his ideas for green living. Ed also shared his ideas for the top five ways that people can go green. Many of them are surprisingly easy! Check out Ed's ideas below.

Get out of your car as much as you can. Walk, take public transportation, or ride a bike as much as you can.
Get energy-efficient lighting for your house. The earth and your wallet will both thank you.
Put weather stripping up around your doors and windows, making your home tight and efficient.
Start a compost container or pile, and use it for starting a home garden - it will deliver great food through a great pastime. If you live in an apartment, get part of a community garden!
Practice the 3 Rs - reduce, reuse, recycle.

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Roundup: Glass Lighting in the Garden

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:22 -0700

Recently, I showed you some great options in metal lanterns to help enhance your home's Summer Style. Well, after seeing this lovely patio photo, I was inspired to find some pretty choices for you in glass as well. Who knows, maybe with a few more glass lanterns or hurricanes, your home's photos will win my Summer Style contest.

To see some pretty glass lanterns for your home's outdoor space, read more.

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BioBags - Kitchen Compost Liner - set of 3 - $18.00	Ceramic Compost Filters, Set of 2 - $8.50
Indoor Composter - $399.00	Compost Pails - $39.95
Rezek by Artemide Ariel Floor Lamp - $275.00	Urbancase Station Pendant Lamp - $150.00
HOM - Escape In Style Thuma Table Lantern - $432.00	Sutter 1-Light Outdoor Sconce - $119.00
Gemini Plus Copper Solar Light - $24.99	Winslow 1-Light Energy Star® Outdoor Sconce - $119.00

Chandelier Votive Holder - Pebble - $499.00	Green Glass Tealight Holders - $19.00
Tea Bowl Lanterns - $38.00	Amber or Turquoise Soliz Hurricanes - $34.99
Petite Pagoda Lantern - Milk Olive - $550.00	Gorham "Rose Serenade" Hurricane Candle Holder, 15" - $29.00
Mikasa "Billow" Light Blue Hurricane Candleholder, 10" - $58.00	Footed Glass Hurricane - $19.00
Napa Colored Lanterns - $39.00	Pressick Lantern - $24.00
Cut Glass Hundi Lantern - $299.00	Metal and Glass Bird Lantern - $24.99
Lighthouse Bottle Lantern - $75.00	Napa Lanterns - $99.00
Petite Pagoda Lantern - Chalk - $550.00