May 2018 ~ Now That You Are Home...

What is your signature design? The one element you always do when you decorate? My trademark is lighting. Specifically, ambient lighting. Interest lighting. Mood lighting. If it can can be lit, I do it. My thumbprint is all over, inside and out of my home (and a few others). I have heard that my house is lit like Christmas year round. Well, not quite. But each night, one by one, every room in my house is illuminated. And all on timers. So beautiful. So, naturally, mini lights and glass containers are well loved treasure. But there is nothing short of endearing than a power cord coming out of the top of a beautiful arrangement. Buzzkill. Fortunately, there is a simple fix. Drill a hole through the glass. Power cord goes out the back. Hidden. So amazingly simple. So useful. If there is only one new trick you learn this year, THIS IS IT! Yes, it can seem a little intimidating, but if you follow along these simple steps, you will have success. It is very empowering to learn something new, and to put it to use. Nothing finer than taking something you learn and making something beautiful from it.

The message is everywhere...

This is what you will need-

Safety Goggle
Vinyl Gloves

Diamond Dust Hole Saw

Cordless Power Drill

Small Plastic Container

Glass Containers

LED String Lights

A word about safety. Always use safety goggles. Use vinyl gloves to protect your hands. A cordless drill because your project will be in or near water. Remove any jewelry, bracelets. And most importantly, pull your hair back and put it in a ponytail!

This is the hole saw that I use for glass. It is a most excellent hole saw. To purchase...Link here.

I used the smallest saw for this project, 5/32". It is the perfect size for the LED mini lights. The package contains multiple size bits for all your different projects.

Lets get started. Rinse your jar with water and dry.

Place your plastic container in the sink. Fill the container with about 1” of cool water. When drilling it is best to keep this project cool. You can keep the saw and the glass cool with the water in the container. If the saw and glass gets too hot the glass may crack or break.

Hold the jar and place the drill bit near the bottom of the jar. Hold the drill at a 45 degree angle to start.

Start drilling, the saw will jump around a bit, but once the saw starts to 'bite' into the glass, the drilling will go very smoothly. Try to hold the saw in one location for about 30 seconds to make a small divot, or crescent, little dip in the glass that will hold the drill bit in place.

This is what your crescent/divot should look like. Just a little dip in the glass to get things started.

Once you have your crescent, place the saw in the crescent, hold the drill at a 45 degree angle and start drilling, bring the drill up medium to almost full speed.

Slowly start raising up the drill, keeping consistent almost full speed until the drill is at a 90 degree angle to the jar.

Drill for 30 seconds.

Stop and roll the jar into the water to cool and rinse. Dip your saw in too.

Place the drill back at the 90 degree angle and continue to drill with the same almost full speed. Let the weight of the drill do the work, do not push down on the drill.

After 30 seconds or so stop drilling, rinse the jar and dip the saw in the water.

Return drill to the 90 degree angle and continue to drill. Stop every 30 seconds or so to cool the saw and rinse the soon to be hole in the water.

When the bit clears through the glass, you will hear a little ‘pop’.

The drill took about 2 minutes from start to finish. This is a variable depending on the speed of the drill and the thickness of the glass you use.

Clean your glass with soap and water. Sometimes there will be a little white dust residue and it is best to remove it promptly.

Run your lights run through the hole.

And add two holes near the rim, a little string, and you have an instant hanging vase...

Perfect under glass...

Or a tucked away spot...

Or in a corner...

Or here just because...

Life is so much prettier with lights.

When they ask “raise your hand if you want to participate” for any home improvement, I’m in, jumping with boots first and asking questions later. Count me first in line. I live and breathe, my hearts beats for a project. I even dream in my sleep of. So, when the conversation turned to “New Powder Room” you could say I was enthusiastically ready. And I knew exactly what I wanted without having to do any research. I could start today! I am always totally ready. So here is what I did. Start to finish, four days.

Here are a few of ‘before’ photos. Please restrain any criticism, try not to judge, long over due, I know, but…well, life, you get it.

First the room was gutted. A trade expression for yanking out and trashing everything in a room. Forget sentiment. Giant Green Commercial Trash Bin In Driveway. Out. Gone. Done. Bye Bye.

New tile was laid. Grout to follow.

Drywall repair, skimmed and sanded.

Measurements and markings for Board and Batten trim. I wanted to give a small, simple (and not a very exciting) room a little personality.

Up goes the boards, vertical and horizontal and a small simple lip to cap it all off.

New fresh grout.

Finished floor.

Move the light fixture, patch and repair drywall. For the life of me, to this day, I still cannot understand why any light fixture directly over a sink would be off center. Who would do that? A nightmare I lived with every time I walked into this room. Designer personal problems.