push pins for bright ideas

For those moments of “Eureka!”, pin up your bright ideas with these adorable push pins in the likeness of 1” miniaturized light bulbs.  I made them from materials I found in my crafting drawers, a couple of items from the hardware store, and a simple, bright idea.

I was motivated to make these in time for the New Year — isn’t it always our collective resolution to work harder and strive for better each coming year?   I hope these little pins will push forth forces of creativity in 2011.  I made and packaged this set for O.T., who is always brimming with bright ideas himself.

You will need:

a. If you don’t have a miniature light bulb (they’re hard to find now that everything is LED), you can use a marble and a 16×3/8″ socket set screw (it’s a screw that has a socket instead of a head).

b. Play-Doh

c. Plaster, a sandwich bag, and a disposable spoon.

d. Thumbtacks

e. An emery board or sand paper, yellow acrylic paint, silver paint or broad-tip silver marker, and Mod Podge gloss.

1. Glue together the marble and the socket set screw to create a light bulb shape.

2. Roll out the Play-Doh to about 1/2″ thick and cut into ten sections. 

3. Press the light bulb shape and pull carefully to create a mold.  Repeat on each section of Play-Doh.  You will notice that pressing the light bulb causes distortion in the shape of the dough, which is why it is best for the dough to be cut in sections for individual molds.  This prevents distorting the previously pressed shape.

4. Place three spoonfuls of plaster and one and a half spoonfuls of water into the sandwich bag.  Mix together by kneading the bag.  You may need to add a couple of drops of water to make sure the mixture is smooth and creamy and can be piped easily.  Cut the tip of the bag.

5. Pipe the plaster into the molds, working quickly as the plaster dries quickly.  Make sure to carefully tap each mold on the table several times to even out the plaster and to ensure there are no air bubbles.  Do not overfill.

6. Press a thumbtack into each.

7. Pipe a small amount of plaster around the tack.  Once more, carefully tap the mold on the table several times to even out the plaster and to ensure there are no air bubbles.

8. Let the plaster dry for an hour.  Remove the plaster from the molds and wipe away any residue of Play-Doh using a paper towel.  Make sure to get all the tiny spaces along the threads of the bulb.

9. Using an emery board or sand paper, carefully file away any uneven edges.

10. Paint the bulb using yellow acrylic paint.  I prefer using the tip of my fingers to paint so there are no brush strokes left behind.  Let dry.  Paint the screw with silver paint or broad-tip silver marker.  Let dry.  Seal with Mod Podge for a glossy finish.

Of course, if you don’t have a cork board and prefer to use a magnet board or the fridge for notes, simply skip the part about the thumbtacks and, after the plaster has dried, glue on magnets instead. 

 Happy creating!