DIY Picture Hanging

I have looked and looked at picture hanging systems and just could not bear the cost for our home.  So I have come up with something that looks great, at a pinch of the cost for the home user.  And if you are a little handy and willing to do the cutting and drilling yourself it is worth the dollars saved.

Firstly I purchased some lengths of aluminium from a local aluminium supplier 16mtrs cost me about $20.  Then it was off to the fishing shop for some clear trace and crimps to spend another $20-$40

To buy:
Aluminium J-TRIM 23.8X12.7 4mtr lengths (enough for the wall and DIY hooks)
Supple Trace 200lb 1.4mm diameter
Crimps 1.6mm diameter
Wall plugs & screws suitable for my wall 

I chose the above trace as it was clear and has the ability to fit an adjustable hook that comes with picture hanging systems so that I can hang pictures directly below each other.  I have seen friends use a lighter fishing line, but if your pictures are larger I would choose the stronger material.

Tools needed:
Something to cut aluminium (hack saw)
drill and bits
pliers (or the fishing crimper you have in the tackle box)
a ladder
file

Step 1. Measure your wall, cut and pre-drill your lengths of aluminium at 300mm intervals plus 50mm from each end

Step 2. Place your aluminium on the top of your walls using the suitable plugs and screw for your wall

Step 3. Cut hooks from your left over aluminium (about 10mm - 15mm width) at equal widths

Step 3. Pre-drill your hook at the flat end not too far from the edge, file down any sharp surfaces

Step 5. Organise where your pictures are to go

Step 6. Measure and cut lengths of the trace to suit your picture.  Some picture's may need two hooks pending on their size and weight

Step 7. Thread one side of the crimp with your trace, insert the trace through what will be the top hook and then thread back into the crimp.  Squash your crimp firmly with the pliers.

Step 8. Hang your pictures!  And be proud of your work.

DIY Vertical Garden

Not my normal topic, but why not turn a garden into the artwork, it’ll naturally be picture perfect.

This is my first attempt at a vertical garden and as I found it so difficult to get all the information on how to do it.  I have decided to share what I have put together. Watch this space as my garden grows.

My first thoughts were to plant a huge succulent wall garden but as this became a bigger project than originally planned I scaled down to a herb/lettuce vertical wall in a much smaller space.  You may notice a couple size and plant changes in the pictures but the photo's remain a relevant guide.

1. Plant your seedlings, if you wish to pre-establish them

I created my own pots from old newspapers to plant up cuttings and seedlings.  I had hoped these would grow whilst I put together the pieces for the wall garden, but with a hot summer, I timed this wrong and many of my plantings died. Pic 1

With my choice of mesh size use small seedling, tube stock and seeds.  Increase the mesh square size and then you could increase the pot size planted.

2. Plan the size of your boxes for your area and the mesh available

Know your space and calculate how many boxes you want to make for the space.  Keep them smaller as too big and they will be too heavy, difficult to hang, and harder to top up with soil or update your plants later on. Check also what best measures into your mesh sheet to reduce wastage.

3. Get all your tools & resources together

• Bolt cutters to cut the mesh
• Wire
• Galvanised arc mesh sheets (100x100mm)
• Pliers to twist the wire
• Geotextile (from landscapers or you could use shade cloth)
• Scissors
• Utility knife
• Piece of 100mm poly pipe with 1/3 of the profile cut about 150mm long(or a piece of cardboard)
• Box steel 15mm x 15mm
• Ramset Masonry Hooks
• Drill & Bits suitable to drill the steel and your wall
• Irrigation (this is dependent on your chosen plants and zone)

4. Build the boxes

My boxes are 500mm x 600mm using galvanised steal with 100mm x 100mm box. Using the bolt cutters cut your boxes.

For each box you will need to cut the mesh into these pieces

      2 of 500x600 (back & front)

      2 of 100x500 (sides)

      1 of 100x600 (bottom)

Using the wire and pliers join the pieces together to make a box with an opening at the top.

Cut the geotextile so that it fits into the box overlapping on itself sides and bottom so that soil cannot leak out.  Leaving some excess at the top to close off after filling the box with soil.

5. Fill the boxes with a light weight premium potting mix suited to your plants

Keeping the mix light will help with planting later and moving the boxes around.  I used a  1:3 ratio of perlite and  bio-dynamic  coco-peat.  Compact so that there are no holes and that all the corners are full.

6. Prepare the wall to hang your boxes

Here we placed the box steel onto the wall with the use of the masonry hooks.  The steel was placed around 12cm in from the boxes sides and the hooks set so that the mesh would hang from the top row of the mesh box.

7. Plant up your boxes

Lay the boxes down, making sure your soil doesn’t tip out from the top. Slit the geotextile with a sharp utility knife into half circle not cutting the bottom line off.

Now seed your box or plant your tube stock.

8. Hang your boxes

Get a friend to help you lift these boxes into place.  If you have more than one in a vertical line, work from the bottom up.

9. Irrigate

This is dependent on your plants.  We have run a 19mm poly pipe up the wall connecting to a soaker hose that has been laid along the top of the box. 

It may be worth looking at recycling the water that comes out at the bottom.  I will look into this for our boxes at a later date.

You are done, enjoy your garden grow.

Seedling pots made from newspaper

Lay a tarp below your work, you are bound to spill the soil mix

Using a piece of cut poly pipe assists keeping the soil in place if planting the box in a hanging position

Remove some of the soil to plant your tube stock

The steel was used to keep the watered boxes off the wall

Hanging from the bottom up

Cut half circles into the geotextile

First signs of my rocket seeds

Frame Children's Art

Children make one off masterpieces. So I think why not frame the odd piece. It'll lighten up the home, add a splash of kid's colour, as well as inspire your kid's in knowing that you appreciate what they do.

You can keep the frame and mat board in simple colours to suit your decor or for the picture to be placed in another room from time to time. Here's one my daughter and I put together.

The picture is special to me, as she detailed the faces and totally coloured one of the dresses...it wasn't something she had done before. I then tested the mat board bounderies opting not to stay in the lines for my work just like my daughter hadn't, then threw in a few of the coloured pencils she used. And whula, I love it. She is very proud to tell her friends that they are in the picture.

Canvas Fun - Bed Head ideas

Recently my daughter celebrated her 4^th birthday. Her only request was a butterfly bedroom. So with my framing skills I put together a few pieces to make the change. Essentially I found a few pieces of fabric I loved and stretched these as you would a canvas.