sun catcher ~

This last weekend I went to a rummage sale.  Not looking for anything in particular; but would know if I found my "one man's junk - another man's treasure" when I saw it.

Then I saw it ~ and it was only $3.00. A toaster oven.

Bonus - for a quarter there was also a bag of beads ... oh the garage sale goddess was smiling down on me!

I saw awhile back a craft project on Pinterest that I wanted to try; but I didn't have the two main ingredients - a toaster oven (because I didn't want to melt beads in my kitchen oven ~ not knowing about fumes and such) and some cheap plastic craft beads like little kids use for making necklaces and such.

Yay.  Here they were - both at the same sale ... now I can make a sun catcher :)

The directions for making the sun catcher said to heat a oven to 400 degrees.  Put the beads in a single layer into a disposable pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes.  Pop out and hang.  Sounds simple enough.

I'm heading out to the garage to do this project.  First, I don't know if the toaster oven even works ~ and what is this going to smell like?  I'm assuming melting plastic could be a stinker.

So here goes.  A layer of beads in the pan.  Awww... aren't they pretty.

Into the oven they go.  Timer set ... temp set ...  

... hmmm.... did I get took for 3 bucks?  The oven doesn't work.

Ahhh ... there's the problem ~ operator error - turn the bottom knob Mel.  It won't work when it's in the Off position.

Now we're cooking and the beads are starting to melt ...

... and stink ... and smoke.  I think we're a little on the hot side!

When I saw this recipe they were doing it in a regular conventional sized oven.  I turned down the heat to 325 degrees.  Now that's better.  The smoke cleared and the beads continued to melt.

20 minutes later I have a pan full of melted beads.  

I let them cool a few minutes and popped them out.  I repeated the process two more times with the remaining beads.  They didn't smoke or smell once the temperature in the oven had been turned down.

Some fishing line to hang them ~ and I have a new sun catcher hanging off the deck.

I love it!

... and the price was right.

 I also have a toaster oven now for baking other craft projects ... maybe something made of polymer clay???

Seeing as how this toaster oven will be used strictly for crafting AND I'm keeping it out in the garage ~ maybe I need to put a little sign on it for Dear Hubby:

"Not for tater tots!"

Until next time ...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel