Turn Hardware into Holiday Decor

Originally appeared on December 13, 2016

I recently taught a repurposing class at the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore (click here for more projects from the workshops I’ve taught at the ReStore). This month’s challenge had a holiday twist: turning hardware sold at the ReStore into holiday decor!

I made a snowflake out of a wooden dowel and doorstops, a snowman ornament out of bolts and pipe cleaners, and a holiday card holder out of upholstery webbing and curtain rings. Here’s how!

1. Snowflake

Materials needed for the dowel/doorstop snowflake:

• Wooden dowel
• Saw to cut dowel
• Sandpaper (120- or 220-grit will work here)
• Doorstops with the screws already attached at the base
• Spray paint or spray snow
• Hook or twine to hang

Instructions:

First, cut the dowel into a 1-inch slice. Since I was doing this for the ReStore class, I was cutting a bunch of them, so my miter saw worked best.

That said, if you are just cutting a slice or a few for yourself, you might find that a hand saw works fine. Just be careful and use a clamp to keep the dowel still as you saw.

Once you’ve cut the dowel into slices, sand them down to remove the rough edges.

Next, lay out the doorstops around the dowel slice in the pattern you want to create a snowflake.

Then screw the doorstops into the wood slice. Push them into the wood as you screw them in; they should go in about half-way before you’ll hit enough resistance to stop (plus, you couldn’t screw them all the way in anyway and still get all five in the wood!).

Spray paint or cover with spray snow and hang on a tree or in a window!

For tips on spray painting, please see THIS POST.

2. Snowman Ornament

I found these large bolts at the ReStore and thought they’d make the perfect snowman body!

Materials needed:

• Large galvanized bolts – use three per snowman
• Pipe cleaners – this is what we called them growing up. Now, the package says, “Chenille Stems.”
• Hook to hang
• Optional: felt or spray paint.

Instructions:

If you are going to paint the bolts, I would do it now, before assembling the snowman. Let dry completely before assembling.

Once you’re ready to assemble the snowman, take two of the bolts, and wrap a pipe cleaner around them where they meet, as shown above. Start the wrap by twisting one end of the pipe cleaner around the larger end, to fasten it together. You can leave the shorter end longer to make it a scarf for the snowman, or you can leave it short and tuck it under the rest of the pipe cleaner as you wrap it.

Wrap it tightly, going around enough times to fasten it securely (I went around three times). You can actually cut the pipe cleaner with scissors if you have extra length you don’t want.

See how I used the end as a scarf?

Next, do the same thing with the third bolt, tucking the short end in to start and wrapping it tightly to secure. Once you’ve wrapped it a few times and it’s nice and tight, take the rest of the pipe cleaner and bring it up the back of the snowman to the top of the first bolt.

Wrap it once around the top bolt and then twist to create a loop – this is what you’ll use to hang the ornament.

Isn’t he cute? You can embellish him by gluing on a felt hat or carrot nose. Or, as one participant in our ReStore class did, wrap each bolt with a white pipe cleaner first, to make him look covered in snow, then attach the bolts together and decorate.

You can create this snowman from any size bolt, but obviously the larger the bolt, the easier it is to wrap.

3. Holiday Card Holder

Materials needed:

• Upholstery webbing – Confession time: I did not buy this at our ReStore. You can find upholstery webbing at any craft or fabric store. I bought a big roll at JoAnn, but you can get it through my Amazon affiliate link for less than $17 for 10 yards. I use it for hanging wreaths, too!
• Curtain rings – you want to use the kind that have a hook on one end and a clip on the other.

This project could not be easier.

Take the curtain rings and hook them into the upholstery webbing. They go right through it.

Space them out so that you’ll have room for cards. Clip the cards to the curtain rings and you’re good to go!

You can attach the webbing to a wall or shelf to display the card holder, or you can just drape it on a tabletop or desk.

Bonus project!

I made a menorah out of the smaller, leftover bolts and a paint stir stick!

The hardest part about this project is determining what size bolt to use so that the candles fit! If your bolts are too big, you can add a little extra hot glue or wax inside the hole of the bolt to make a smaller candle fit.

Simply use hot glue to glue the bolts to the paint stick. I used a larger bolt in the middle for the shamash (the candle you use to light the other candles).

This would be a great project for Kwanzaa, too! Or as a candle centerpiece on a table for any holiday!

Pin to make these projects later:

For more holiday DIY projects, click HERE.

Many thanks to the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStore for providing me with the materials and inspiration for these projects!

If you are in the Atlanta area or will be anytime soon, please subscribe to my mailing list so that you can be the first to know about my next class at the ReStore! You can subscribe here:

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For more of my ReStore workshop projects, please click here.