Have you heard of those apps that let you type in the ingredients you have in your fridge and pantry, and they’ll give you recipes for things you can make using what you have? I’ve been using Pinterest like that to help me find projects for the random craft supplies I have in my closets and attic. This weekend it was clothespins. Over the years, I have amassed more than my fair share of these wooden craft staples. Like plastic grocery bags, they seem to multiply when ignored for too long. When I found a project that required 100 of them I didn’t even bother counting, I just dove in.

One poster on Pinterest recommended staining them with food coloring, which was a total bust. Mine must have some sort of coating or finish on them, because the color barely tinged them. So I ended up staining them using ink pads and that worked perfectly – just enough color, without looking fully painted, so they appear a bit weathered.

Because my house is basically a craft store, I also had a spare wire wreath form. Clip, clip, clip, and voila! I made a clothespin wreath. I’ll let it live on my mantel this spring, but am thinking of adding a coat of clear Rustoleum and hanging it in my backyard as garden art.

Just a glimpse of how I spent my Saturday night. Hope yours was equally productive or at least as colorful!