Knex Plant Hanger

The time of year is coming when green thumbs everywhere get to work planting their "starters." I am trying my hand at gardening this year, but I have three small problems. Their names are Sam, Kat, and Callie (our cats). I was trying to think of a way I can get my plants sun while keeping them out of the cold and away from our three cats when I had an idea. Why not make a hanging shelf that can house my little plants up out of reach of the cats? So I set to work on a K'nex hanging planter. Here is the result:

As you can see, I am using empty vessels here, so I will have to weight test it when the time comes. However, it does seem pretty sturdy! Also, it may need to hang a little lower in order to get proper sunlight, but the concept seems to be pretty useful!

Knex Craft Organization/Storage: Ribbon Holder

As I've been setting up my craft room, I have been coming across new ways to use knex for storage and convenience! Today, a ribbon holder. I made this one to be able to hang on a hook on the wall. However, it can be modified to sit on a desk. The ribbon holder will also allow for dispensing of the ribbon without having to take it off the holder!

View from the side

View from the back

View from the front

Please, if you have any suggestions for future knex builds, let me know! I would love to hear your input!

Knex 101: Christmas Storage Ideas

Well, the time has come to take down the lights, the tree, stocking, and other Christmas decorations. The trick? Storing everything efficiently so that it doesn't take hours upon hours to untangle lights and tinsel when you bring your Christmas stuff out again in November (or whenever it is that you decorate for Christmas ;) ). My helpful Christmas storage item this year? Why, Knex of course!

It doesn't take a lot of parts, but it keeps thing so neat and tidy!

  

These are stocking holders I made from old tissue boxes, rice to weigh it down, and grey K'nex rods.

Knex Bag Holder

Happy New Year, everyone! Sorry I didn't post much around the holidays, but life was busy. I am sure all of you can understand that. Somehow, December is just way busier than other times of the year, it seems.

So now I am trying to get back into doing builds regularly. My first build of the year was a small shelter for an outdoor stray cat in our neighborhood. However, I haven't been able to get pictures of it yet, but he rather enjoys it. Tonight, I built a bag holder. I got the idea from a Christmas gift that I gave my oldest sister. It was supposed to serve as "extra hands" in the kitchen when it came to bagging food. Nifty idea, I must admit. So tonight, I made a bag holder out of K'nex. It holds gallon-size storage or freezer bags. I am sure it could be downsized to hold smaller bags, too!

Let me know if you have any ideas about what I can make for my next build! Thanks for following my blog!

Knex Dish Drain

I have had this build on my list for quite some time. Generally, I use dish drying mats, but I grew up in a family that used a dish drain. I figured it would be quite useful, especially for when I'm drying lots of smaller dishes. It turned out as good as I could have hoped! It fits perfectly in my larger sink, and it can hold several dishes and silverware.

Have a build you'd like to see? Or maybe some ideas for useful builds? Let me know!

Christmas with Knex: Lighted Christmas Box

I had so much fun with today's build! It was super easy, and I think it turned out fantastic! Who says you have to pay an arm and a leg for cool Christmas decor? More to come!

The "skeleton" for my lighted gift box

It doesn't look like a gift without a bow, right?

Then I just wrapped a strand of 50 lights around it.

 It looks pretty cool!

If you have any more ideas for knex builds, please let me know!

Knex Electric Train

During high school every year, I would make an electric train every year near Christmas. It was always a little bit of a challenge to improve it each year. Well, this year, I decided to tackle making an electric train again. It's a work-in-progress right now, but I figured I would give an update. I used rubber bands in the wheels in order to give the train traction. The motor is on the back wheels, and I have easy access to the on/off switch. I think I am going to make the track bigger, though. Once I finish, I will take video of the train in motion. =D

Knex Wine Holder

This build has been a long time coming. One of my friends recommended building a wine holder several weeks back, and I thought that was a great idea! However, my hubby and I both dislike most forms of alcohol, especially wine. So, my plan was to make a wine holder once Aldi got their seasonal sparkling grape juice in! I know, we're a bit crazy. =P Anyway, I bought said sparkling grape juice (which is so delicious), and today, I made a wine holder.

Knex Napkin Holders and Coasters

Greetings, readers! My builds today are small, but I thought they'd be rather fun. For those of you who don't personally know my hubby and me, our house has K'nex builds all over. It's become our own personal "style." Yes, yes, we're quirky and fun like that. =P I've got quite a list of things I'd like to make out of knex. Today, I present knex coasters and napkin holders.

My husband and I have three cats, so I thought these napkin holders would go just right in our house.

Of course, they could pass as foxes, too.

Stay tuned over the next couple weeks! I will be building an electric train to go around our Christmas tree. It's always so much fun. Come along for the ride! =D

Spruce Up Your Space with Knex Storage Options!

Yesterday, I decided to start organizing my new craft room. As many of you know, I work mainly with remnants when I sew. This gave me a great idea! I made storage cubes to house my remnants. The awesome thing about it is that I can add more cubes. Not only that, but if you were so inclined to buy canvas storage bins/cubes, they would fit pretty well.

I am so excited that I can finally see all my fabrics without having to rifle through them or have them all sprawled out across the floor. The storage cubes will work great for lighter items, but I didn't construct them for heavier items. Of course, it could be reinforced to accommodate heavy objects.

Have an idea for a build? Please, let me know!