Happy Tuesday! Today's Tool Time is about extension cords for your iron and your hot glue gun.
I bought this foot controlled extension cord after Christmas for half price. You can plug in your Christmas tree lights into this and then just tap the tree on with the foot switch. Well, this is great for Christmas lights, I use this for my iron and love it!!
If some of you have this foot control power cord already...bring it out for your iron. You will love it too. If you don't have one, look for one in your hardware store.
The most important thing to look for is how many watts the power cord will hold. This one holds 1625 watts.
This is the label on my iron. This iron has 1400 watts. Irons use a lot of power, so leaving them on during a project is like leaving on 14 -100 watt light bulbs. Having this foot power switch is any easy tap on...tap off way to control things.
The cord is pretty long and the foot petal sits any where near the ironing board.
Fully lit up when the iron is on...
One light on when the iron is off. The one light just lets you know that the switch is plugged into the wall.
Easy tap on and off with your foot.
Here is another idea for a surge bar for your hot glue gun. (I showed something like this a while ago, but I added a cute little sign!!)
One extra tip...Keep your hot glue guns on a silicone oven hot pad. When the glue drips out...it's easy clean up.
The cord tip for this is to keep a lamp (turned on) AND the hot glue gun plugged into a surge bar. I have it hanging just under the table on the leg.
When you are working with the hot glue gun the lamp is on, which reminds you to turn the glue gun off when you're done.
If I walk away or if any one else is using my glue gun...I'll know that if the light is on, the gun is on. Plus it's an easy on/off switch underneath the table. This lamp is known as the glue gun lamp!!
I just wired the frame to the lamp.
Always be safe with electrical cords, but definitely try these easy ideas.
Have a great Tuesday,
~Karen~
Don't forget to see all the fabulous ideas everyone shared on my Sew Darn Crafty party this week. Definitely add some of your own too!!
What great ideas! I hope Home Depot has one of those power cords.
ReplyDeleteThose are really great ideas! I especially love the glue gun idea. Thanks for the tips!!
ReplyDeleteWow I have never seen an extension cord with a food switch. I will be off on a mission for that. I also love our common sense approach to the glue gun.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Debra
Great idea BUT, the 1625 watts is not correct, if you read the lines below that (its barely visible in the picture) it says not to plug in more than 600 watts.
ReplyDeleteClever~~~~~
ReplyDelete(Hitting head with the heel of my hand) Now why didn't I think of that? Thanks for the awesome tips! :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat great ideas! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those wonderful ideas!
ReplyDeleteSince I made my enormous ironing board, and the plug is behind it, I have to bend way down, and stretch every time I plug it in and unplug it too. Told my husband I need an extension cord. I love the foot on, foot off cord idea, glad you thought of this and shared the idea!!!
ReplyDeleteThe sign is a great idea too.
I had 4 irons die because I kept them plugged into a surge protector...so I plugged an extension cord in and leave it laying on the ironing board..now I plug the iron into that...
ReplyDeleteKaren, can you help me out? I recall a TTT using furnace filters probably from 2010.Is it still on your blog? Point me in the right direction please. Love love your blog.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. Just brilliant.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas...love that press on cord...perfect. Gotta' get me one! lol
ReplyDeleteI put all my stuff into an industrial strength (meaning it's manly colored) surge protector. It's on the floor and I can turn it off and on with my toes. I also have a foot ext. cord, but mine doesn't have the pretty lights. The other great thing (that you can get a xmas time) is remote controlled outlet dealies. Love mine for everything.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Karen. Love the hot glue gun idea using a silicone mat underneath them. It's really hard sometimes to scrape off dried glue drips from a cutting mat.
ReplyDeleteI could use that iron idea too because the outlet I use for my iron is very hard to get at.
Thanks,
Gail :)
That foot tap is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas (will have to wait til the babies grow a bit before I can use these thou) and can I say I just love your shoes!
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea! With summer and its attendant 1 million percent (feels that way) humidity here in Virginia, anything that cuts down on heat indoors is a boon.
ReplyDeleteNow why didn't I think of that silicone mat idea? Sure am glad you did and shared :)
ReplyDeleteGood evening, Karen,
ReplyDeleteWe do have one of those for our Christmas Tree. I guess I never thought about using in for anything else!!
Have a nice evening. ~Natalie
Karen my electrician hubby likes your ideas. I am the world's worse at leaving both on....iron and glue gun. Thanks so much....I always love your ideas. If my iron didn't have automatic cutoff I would be doomed. Gotta love those Rowenta irons.
ReplyDeleteKaren can you show us what the rest of the pkg. says on the back of that foot cord. It is barely visible and hubby being an electrical contractor wanted to read it. I don't understand the pkg. the way it is worded with higher watts in one place and lower in the other. I was just wondering if it is worth me going in the attic to the xmas boxes for my foot control.Thanks so much.
Can I just ask where you bought your shoes? They are adorable! Love the tips too:)
ReplyDeleteOh you are just so tidy and SMART. Love the ideas. I love silicon hot pads.
ReplyDeleteI love this extension cord. Does anyone know if they make them for other parts of the world (220)?
ReplyDeleteI love those button cords. I have them on some of my lamps that are behind places that would make them hard to turn on...but using it on the iron....GENIUS!!!!! When I go to quilt camp next month I am definitely taking one there. Also love the lamp/glue gun idea. I think you need to publish a book with all your wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteI was just talking to the hubby about him needing something like this for working in the garage. Great idea for my iron.
ReplyDeleteLove both these ideas. Hadn't thought about using a power strip for my glue gun & heat gun, but now I know. Also have to go on a search for the foot-operated power cord -- way cool.
ReplyDeleteCAS
I love this idea and the bungee cord thing and the dog dish and I was wondering if you made the ironing board cover too? I love it I will have to keep reading your blog. I love all the ideas you have! and I recently started sewing again. Thanks
ReplyDelete