Finding Uses for Cigar Bands

Do you hang around with a person who smokes cigars? Put them on the scale, cigar vs. sweetheart, and the sweetheart would surely win. So you might as well make lemonade and make use of the cigar bands. In particular, the bands from Cuban cigars are sought-after because they are so hard to come by. And, like other such advertising labels, they are beautiful.

What can you do with these bands? Try a work of art. Try decoupage. As your smoker unwraps his stogie, ask him to please remove the band carefully and save it for you. When you have a nice pile of these bands, you can begin to think about how to display them. If you are impatient and want a quick project, put them into a picture frame. Purchase a chunk of foam board. Paint it a color that will complement the colors found on the bands. Then place the collage in a frame that shows off the beauty of the bands.

This collage idea can be enhanced and beautified if you take the project to the next level and create a shadow box. You can have a shadow box custom made by a craft store or framing store, but this choice can be expensive. This project can be done more inexpensively if you use a ready-made shadow box frame. Of course, when you use a ready-made frame, you need to fit the contents into the area of the frame rather than fitting the frame around the contents. This shouldnt be a problem with something as small as cigar bands. As you plan your shadow box, think of other small objects that fit in with this smoking motif. Some examples might be match books, color-coordinated ribbons, wine corks, and postcards or other pictures that depict life in Cuba.

If you want a larger, more impressive project, try decoupaging the cigar bands on a small table or coffee table. Mod Podge is a product that has been in the stores for forty years. It makes it easy to artistically place the bands on the surface of the table, glue them down, and apply the Mod Podge. When the project is this large, you might want to add more than just cigar bands. Wine labels would make a natural partner. Its probable that the person who enjoys the big brown smoke also enjoys a glass of fine wine. Wine labels have a beauty of their own that complements the beauty of the cigar band. And if you are an adventurous wine drinker, you can quickly accumulate a collection of highly varied wine labels.

As your collection of bands and labels accumulates, you can take the display to the highest level: the family room wall. Yes, you can glue your bands and labels on the wall. The effect is more successful if the room has a chair rail. You want to keep the labels above the rail on a single wall so that it doesnt become overpowering. But think of how unique your room will be when it is decorated with the beautiful cigar bands and wine labels.