I have about 100 glass punch cups. Any ideas (besides drinking punch) on what I can use them for? Any craft ideas?
Elaine from Indianapolis, IN
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If you know someone who pours candles I think they would look great in these cups. You could use the candles for gifts throughout the year. Also they would be nice filled with nuts or mints at a party.
I think the candle idea would be really cool too. Also maybe you could fill them with potpourri and hot glue lace and a ribbon on top?
I have 18 ideas for you:
1) Line them all up in one 2 or 3 rows & put a tea light candle in each one. The clear glass will light up & shine like crazy!
2) Using that poster-tack gum, stick them to your kitchen wall in some type of pattern like an oval or diamond. This would look good up against any color but a white or very light colored wall. This would make a great piece of wall art!
3) a LAMP: either drill them yourself or go to a glass shop & have them drill them for you. Simply drill down the center of each cup (use a special bit for glass & add oil or water when drilling to keep the drill-bit cool) then stack them on to a threaded brass rod "one up & one down & one up & one down until you either have a floor lamp or a table lamp.
Then either do it your self or have someone else at a lighting store wire on the top light socket (SUPER EASY things to do yourself!). Next, clip on a harp (the part that holds the lamp-shade) then choose a shade, a glass one would be nice!. This lamp will be beautiful!
4) Art-Lighting-Display: Stack each cup one above the other in a pyramid fashion (you could use E-6000 glue or no glue at all (or use poster tack gum for a temporary display) next put a colored light or Christmas lights behind this display & the whole thing will light up!
5) Make a fountain with these cups sitting all in a circle around the edges or have the cups be stacked like a champagne fountain!
6) Chandler: Buy a plain chandelier then drill the bottoms of the cups & put each cup, right side up, right under where the bulb actually screws in.
7) Wind Chimes: with thick clear fish-line (or Tiger-Tail beading-line with stainless wire in the center) & a good 2-part epoxy or E-6000 glue you can make some very nice wind chimes. You could just hang clear or colored glass or plastic beads from the fish-line Hang them all around or even better drill each cups bottom then stack them up, down, up, down, up, down on top of themselves then run a clear plastic straw (from a plastic store) down through the holes in the cup-bottoms (the drilled holes could be very sharp) the straw or tube will protect the fish line from the sharp glass...next hang beads & bells from the bottom.
8) Glue the punch cups to the top of painted dowels with 2 part epoxy then put bird seed in them. & stick them in the ground as bird feeders.
9) Line them up in a row (maybe on a shelf or coffee table) & put little air plants, cactus, or silk plants in each one. (no drainage)
10) Drill out the bottoms then thread through a threaded brass rod (available in the lamp & lighting area of Home Depot) Do 4 of them then use them as coffee table legs!
11) Drill a hole in each one then but a strand of 100 Christmas lights (X-mass lights also come in solar) & put one light each hole in the cup bottom of each cup & use them along your garden path for rockery. Bury the wires in PVC pipe.
12) Drill out a hole in the bottom & use to start seeds, tiny plants or grow kitchen herbs.
13) You can spray paint the inside gold or silver then fill with marbles to put plants or tea light candles in. If you spray with silver. They will look like mercury-glass!
14) Fill the cup half-way with tiny marbles then pour in a solution of essential oils & alcohol then place reeds down into the tiny marbles for a "reed scent dispenser".
15)Glue upside down on fence posts as "Fence Posts Covers"
16) Take a dowel & thread on about 15 or so cups (putting the dowel through the handles) (NO drilling required!) Now bury the dowel & handles leaving the cups above the ground, spaced evenly. The cups should stay in a line & sit sideways. You can do this all around the front of a little flower garden as a border. I think this would be really pretty. You could also put a string of rope lights under this nice glass-cup garden-border & the WHOLE THING would light up! At this time of year (right after Christmas) you can find rope lighting for 75% off! I'd suggest clear. As a second choice green or gold (gold looks like candle light!)
17) Hang these cups from a strong piece of fish line from a stick, dowel or rod above a garden. or from tree branches & as they swing in the wind they will keep birds away from eating your cherries & garden goodies. Sort of "scare-cups!"
18) & last but best: Take a brass rod then thread each up on to the rod. thread the rod through the handles. (NO drilling necessary!) They should stack up in a spiral design & be sitting on their sides. If you put this in a clear bowl it would make an awesome fountain You could also use white wired, clear Christmas lights, wrapped around the center of the rod. This spiral of cups would make a very cool piece of art for the yard & you could have ivy or clematis grow up around this spiral stack of cups! OR you could use this spiral stack of cups to make a very cool lamp!
I thought of another idea. These would be nice filled with cocoa mix at Christmas. You have all year to look for tiny silver spoons that could be tied to the handles. Great ( cheap ) gifts!!!
This one is kind of weird, but what if you used the cup upside down as the skirt for a homemade doll?
You could glue the dressed upper torso, arms and head to the bottom of the cup. I would use a top/blouse that would cover just a bit of the cup.
Obviously, you wouldn't want the handle of the cup in the front. To one side, I think would be best.
Then line the inside of the cup with a bit of lace and attach legs, that will extend out of the cup, by gluing to the inside bottom. Sit the doll on a shelf for display. The legs should be long enough to hang over the edge of the shelf.
Of course, the dolls parts would have to be appropriate to the size of the cup. But craft stores carry lots of different sizes. You could even take an old doll apart and recycle, or the way I would go is to sew the doll yourself instead of using rubber or plastic parts. This would allow for the flexibility you need in the legs to bend.
I told you it was weird, but I think it could be pretty cute--interesting, if nothing else.
~gloria from western NY
If you have windows which can use just a valance, slide the cups onto a thin curtain rod for a unique window treatment.
Sit the cups in a dresser drawer and use as organizers for your jewelry.
Line some cups filled with water tinted different colors with food coloring on a window sill as a suncatcher. Use plastic wrap on top of cups to prevent evaporation/spills.
Use as favors/place card holders at a luncheon/tea/dinner/shower by filling wih mints,almonds etc, and sticking a card with the name on in the candy.
Hang several cups at different lengths from a hanger with fishline or ribbon to make a mobile.
Filling with scented candles is a top idea. Also they could be filled with home made hand cream or small soaps & wraped in clear cello for great gifts particularly for residents in nursing homes or hospitals.
I would put them all in a box and give them to the Salvation Army.
My 1st thought:
1. Bunch together in sets of 5 or so & sell on ebay.
2. Make chocolate dipped spoons & make into some kind of basket gift with homemade cocoa mix or whatever.
3. Use to hold candles.
4. Make the candles in the cups.
I would push the chandelier idea from Cyinda a little further, and make a ultra-modern chandelier: many designer have done the like, using many, many sunglasses, wine glasses and all sorts of things. See Instructables for that how-to:
www.instructables.com/
So I would first buy myself a special glass bit for my drill, to drill holes in the centers of whatever number of cups you'll need. I'd buy also all the electric accoutrement (sockets, low wattage bulbs and a lot of electric cords, a ceiling plate, ask some nice clerck to help you) needed.
First simpler way: you find yourself some round ceiling light fixture. With very strong epoxy glue, you patiently glue cups to its surface. See first image.
The much more labor intensive way:
First option: you make a pyramid shape;
second option: you go to a specialised store, and buy a great circular or rectangular shape, to hang your cups from; or you get an old big rectangular or oval frame, and drill big enough holes in it to thread your electric cords.
Alternative option: once you have drill the holes in your cups, you can change the color of your cups by painting them on the inside with a special glass paint you can find in craft stores (Pebeo, for one, sells that kind of paint). Those paints are sold as opaque and transparent, the latter being the better, of course.
You can also donate them to your church - for their congregational events and/or dinners.
I seen where someone was making hanging bird feeders with teacups. The punch cups would work also. Just use a drill bit just for drilling into glass. Use small chain pieces and attatch with "S" hooks. I would drill three little holes in each cup. They were selling these for six dollars a piece.~Janette~
Mount them on dowels with epoxy glue and drop in a tea light. Line driveway for holidays or for party lights in the yard.
Use these as scoops for staples like flour, oats, cornmeal etc. Also mix up some suet for the birds, there are numerous recipes online.
;)
I use them to make candles and they make a great year-round gift depending on the scent.
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