Wednesday, July 23
Decided to go to Lowe’s yesterday to buy washers and rubber tubing. Saw the neatest jewelry in one of my books utilizing plain hardware parts. Washers in gold, silver and copper made into a necklace and a bracelet made with memory wire and black rubber tubing.
Not being a tool kind of gal, I was thinking it would be easy to walk in, find what I wanted and walk out. Inside Lowe’s, lost in a sea of men, two other ladies looking as lost as I was…I went up and down several aisles. I spotted a person with a Lowe’s name tag and asked for help. Can you please steer me in the right direction. His response, while pointing straight ahead was, “See that man. Bent over? There you will find rubber tubing.”
I walk about half a mile, it seemed, and sure enough I see tubing. BUT tubing large enough to push through a small dog. Now, I know I told that guy I wanted it FOR CRAFT MAKING. Nope. Won’t be needing THAT much tubing. The tubing I want, maybe a family of ants could travel through it if a sugar cube was on the other end. Big Sigh. I gave up on the black tubing.
Next I searched for washers.
I don’t know about you but my last memory of seeing washers was at the corner hardware store where you could pick up a handful and toss them around in your palm. Like nickels. Those at Lowe’s were nicely packaged. BUT only saw two and for a nifty price. The packaging probably cost more than the washers. Nope. Not what I wanted. Not what I wanted to pay. So… like the other ladies I saw inside, wandering around, I spotted them in the parking lot, same as me… emptyhanded.
I left Lowe’s and walked two doors down to a place I was VERY familiar with. Michael’s Art and Crafts store.
No, I wasn’t expecting to find washers and rubber tubing in Michael’s. Didn’t know exactly what I was looking for but I had a 40% off coupon which was burning a hole in my purse. I bought these.
I won’t be using them for earrings per the packaging suggestions. I am going to be different and make a bracelet. See… I have already connected them with jumprings and added a lobster claw clasp.
Will sleep on it for a few days and see what direction my thoughts take.
Should have asked me! Small rubber tubing that you may be interested in is in the Drip System (sprinklers) area…in the back towards the lighting section (left of it). You can buy 25 feet of it pretty cheap.
I miss the old hardware stores too…I miss the bins of nails, nuts, bolts and washers that you could put in a paper bag and buy as many as you wanted.
What size washers do you need? I can look in our tool shed…we have two wash tubs full of stuff like that.
6mm and 8mm. 6mm is 1/4″ and 12mm is 1/2″ so I guess 8mm is somewhere in between. Hubby said he will get me some this weekend. He told me not to expect them in red and blue. What a funny guy!!! I’ll let you know if he doesn’t deliver. Thanks!!
On the rubber tubing. He is supposed to get some today.
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!
Thank you. I hope you will become a regular reader.
Hardware shopping for items really interests me since i go to the hardware store with my husband. while he is shopping i walk around looking at items.