Either way...I know I've been slacking in the craft department this past week so I wanted to come back with a vengeance!
I've been oogling over these lovelies for awhile:
Ballard Designs, for a measly $99 HA!
My personal fav, from Restoration Hardware for $199 DOUBLE HA!
And mine for $1.
How on earth is that possible, right?!?!?!??!
Well, it started with this kids decoration I got at the dollar store for $1:
Then, I got this out of the dumpster at my local hardware store. This is called metal banding, it is used to hold pallets of wood and other things together while shipping:
So, to make the armillary, I cut each strip of metal down to roughly the same size and then one by one I clamped them into a circle and drilled through both ends, like so...
After I had all my holes drilled, I took the screw I was planning to use to screw it into the base and I put the circles on one at a time. At the end it looked like this:
After I had all my holes drilled, I took the screw I was planning to use to screw it into the base and I put the circles on one at a time. At the end it looked like this:
Then, it was just a matter of screwing in the screw. I taped off the base and gave the metal banding a nice coat of black gloss spray paint. And then I decided to top it off with a finial. This was not in my original plan, but while looking through the drawers of the dressers I got at an auction last week, I found this floating all alone in one of the drawers. Fate I tell ya...
So, with some liquid nails, I attached the finial, and I ended up with my $1 version of this FAB architectural decor.....
I am in LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....best dollar I ever spent..... :)
This is awesome! I'll admit, I was the one thinking "what the heck is an armillary??!" haha! but now I know and I'll never forget it ;) You did a great job! Thanks for sharing at ANYTHING RELATED!
ReplyDelete~Rebekah
Genius. Seriously, that's amazing. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVery cool!!! I really like your take on it! Although, I will admit, I'm still going to have to Google "armillary" when I leave here ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the how to!
Definitely never heard of an armillary either. Saw you at the Power of Paint party and had to come check this out. I'm impressed at your resourcefulness. Really cool piece!
ReplyDeleteOh. My. Gosh. Gorgeous!! Now, to the dumpster!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, why is it called an armillary?
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool though!
wow, this turned out great. For only a $1 too, fabulous!
ReplyDeleteArmi... what? Never mind, this is brilliant! So brilliant that, in fact, you should consider selling them. I'll get my PayPal ready!
ReplyDeleteWOW.... this is so creative and cheap....my two loves :)
ReplyDelete*thud* Seriously...Brilliant!
ReplyDeletePut me on the list that had no idea those were called armillaries!! Nice use of that metal banding!!
ReplyDeleteThat is really creative! I love how it turned out!
ReplyDeleteOh my god I cannot believe you did that with a dollar! Great job!
ReplyDeletehmmm...i guess if it makes you happy...not like it had modge podge on it or anything. ;)
ReplyDeleteHa, love it! What a creative use of the metal banding - thanks for linking up to Be Inspired today!
ReplyDeleteChelsea
That is very cool. I cant wait to get to the dollar store, and find? the wire, lol.
ReplyDeleteSo awesome! Love the knock-off! I am featuring this at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com. Grab my "featured" button.
ReplyDeletewow! what a fantastic idea and way to think so far outside the box and come out with something so creative! i also won't pretend i knew what an armillary was.
ReplyDeleteVery, Very Clever! :)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant - I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove armillary spheres...never been sure how I could make one...something to think about.
ReplyDeleteThat is FANTASTIC! Great job!
ReplyDeleteThat is cool! you did an AMAZING JOB! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I love it!
ReplyDeleteThat is AWESOME! Adding it to the idea files right now!
ReplyDeleteSCORE! What a brilliant copy job! Thanks for sharing with us at the POPP.
ReplyDeleteI love it! And I did know what an armillary is as I have a cast iron one. I got mine for cheap at a trade show about 5 years ago. Mine is outside so now it is all rusty & fabulous. But I think yours is pretty spiffy though.
ReplyDeleteI think you win the deal of the day contest! Seriously, nice and yes the RH one makes me laugh for $100. Not only are their prices high but the new catalog has a disclaimer on how some of the outside stuff has a chemical that causes cancer. Doh! Broke and dead is not the route to take!
ReplyDeleteJeanine
amazing! and your version has some lovely patina. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool, Nikki! I haven't been blogging at all or reading blogs much the past few weeks, so I'm trying to catch up with everyone!
ReplyDeleteHope all is well with ya.
Brilliant! Love it!
ReplyDeleteThat is totally genius! WOw.
ReplyDeleteSeriously genius.
ReplyDeleteWow! Talk about clever. Can't believe it was a dollar!
ReplyDeleteI would have never thought to use the metal banding... That is like the perfect bendy-yet-sturdy material! I am filing this at thecraftersfilebox.com.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Awesome upcycled craft! I love how you have literally turned "trash" into a treasure.
ReplyDeleteNow that is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time! I have to admit that I never knew they were called "armillaries". You are so clever!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to Make it Yours day! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I love it so much I'm going to Lowes first thing tomorrow to pick some up. Thanks so much for the idea!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is WOWZER!!!! ( new word here) lol you did awesome girl. LOVE it and yes I was wondering what is armillary ? but now I know & will never forget.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing!
This is so great because I've always loved those (even if I didn't know a name for them) but now I want to know how you went about getting it out of the dumpster. Did you ask, or just go for it?
ReplyDeleteLOL Nancy...both. We walked out to the lumber yard (where all the dumpsters are) and there was a group of 3 workers, so we walked up to them and asked if they had any metal banding off of their pallets, and they all said "no, no one uses metal banding anymore, its all plastic, blah blah blah." So, we walked over to the dumpster, and wouldn't ya know...FULL of metal banding. So, we grabbed a handful, stuck it in the cart, and went to the check out, they asked if it was ours and I said yes, and they let us leave with it :) (that technically wasn't lying right? I mean, it was ours, WE dug it out of the dumpster on our own accord) LOL
ReplyDeleteI did not know what an armillary was either. :-) This is brilliant and turned out so well. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI love this! I have wanted one of those things - never knew the name - for years. very geographic!
ReplyDeleteVery creative, the finial adds the finishing touch!
ReplyDeleteOk - that is amazing! Could I love it more? Nope. And for $1 too!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for linking up to The CSI Project's hardware Store Challenge! We hope you will come back next week for the Martha Stewart-inspired challenge -- The MS Craft Department are our guest judges!!!
XOXO
Jen
Oh I LOVE!!!! I see one in my gardens future! Fabulous! ~ Stephanie Lynn
ReplyDeleteYou're an absolute genius! $1.00! Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteYou are amazingly clever and talented. I'm so following you, and I invite you to visit my blog and, if something should inspire you, please do the same.
ReplyDelete