Busy bee

My newest little DIY is something I've been dying to do for a while! I finally got the final material necessary over the weekend (Hint: I found it at Whole Foods) but have been working extra shifts so I haven't really had the time to actually try it out!

I'll go ahead and spoil it for you...I'm going to attempt to make my own make up out of 3 simple ingredients!!

How cool is that?!

Well, if it works, anyhow.

My mom and sister were very skeptical when I told them but I think this is totally worth a try! I am very picky about make up even though I don't wear it often. I only use powder because liquid make up feels funky to me. But of course, the only brands I'm willing to use are expensive. Therefore, I don't buy it. If this works well, I will be saving tons of money for years to come. Plus, I know exactly what's in my make up and can feel very confident about my decision being healthy, safe, non-toxic, natural, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and so on and so forth.

I'm super excited to try this out and share it with you all tomorrow!!

Any guesses to the three ingredients? 

Till next time,
Catherine

DIY-Index Card Calender

If you're like me, you like to have an organized schedule and write down everything! Since middle school, my planner has been a place to write down homework, to-do's, and what happened that day. Sometimes it will be boring things like, "Stayed home and watched a movie," but other times it will be, "Went on a haunted hay ride with Billy, Sally, Suzie, and Tommy. Tommy was his usual crazy self and jumped off the wagon and ended up breaking his leg! The rest of the night was filled with a trip to the hospital and angry parents." Both of those are fictional stories, by the way. 

My point being, I like to write things down! I think it's fun to look back in time and see that "It was 85 degrees outside today in February and we had snow two days ago!" I just think that's really neat. I think I got this from my grandpa on my dad's side. He used to write little notes on the calendar or just stick them on the fridge. One of my favorite ones says, "Found mouse in dog food today" and then the date. It makes me smile to think of him writing these little notes and knowing I do it too. My dad has been doing it more over the years too. 

With this little project, I can look at multiple years at once which is really cool. I don't have to flip back and forth through different planners to find the right date. I originally found this on Pinterest of course. The original project can be found HERE but I just did my own version from the main picture. I adore these little farmer's market strawberry baskets and knew I saved them for a reason!

What you'll need:

• Markers or pens in the colors you want
• 366 lined index cards (Don't forget leap year!)
• Scissors
• Strawberry/fruit farm basket

Directions:

If your basket is a cardboard type one you're good to go. Mine was a clear plastic so I spray painted it this pretty green. 

Measure the width of the basket against an index card then cut them down to size so they fit properly. I cut maybe an inch or so off of mine. If you have a paper cutter this step will go quickly.

Now the time consuming part of the project is writing the month and day on each card. I tried to use a different color that sort of pertained to the month (red for February, yellow for April, green for December, etc.) but you can do it however you'd like. 

Stick the cards in the basket and toss a pen in the front. Now every day go write a quick line of what happened. 

I did this project late spring of 2012 so I grabbed my planner and filled in the cards from January 1st until the present day. January 1st was fun because it was the day we moved Brian (my husband) into our townhouse. 

Some days I forget and I have to fill in a week at a time and all too often there's nothing "exciting" to write. That's ok though because it will be fun to look back and see that on a specific day all we did was snuggle, watch movies and eat pizza. I've written other entries such as, "Tried Vinny's for dinner finally-really good!" or "Explored Peaks View Park" or "Started a blog!" or "About 4" of snow!" You can write whatever you want to remember about that day. I'm now into the second year with the index cards and I can hardly wait to look back at them 10 years from now! 

Do you like to write in a journal or planner as a memory keepsake? How do you record your life?

Till next time,
Catherine

DIY: Laundry Detergent!

Back when I first got an account on Pinterest, I pinned this recipe for making homemade laundry detergent  from Being Creative to Keep My Sanity for a fraction of the price of buying it from the store every month. I made this quite a while ago and also recently made dishwasher detergent! I love this because it's cheap, easy, lasts forever, and I actually know what's in my detergent, not just random chemicals! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 4lb 12oz box of Borax (found in the detergent isle)
• 1 4lb box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (found in the baking isle)
• 1 3lb 7oz box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (found in the detergent isle)
• 3 bars of Octagon soap OR 2 bars of Zote soap  OR 3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap (all found in the detergent isle)
• 3 lb container of Oxy Clean 

You'll also need:

• A large bucket, such as a 5 gallon one
• Large trash bag or multiple plastic grocery bags
• Large spoon to mix with
• Cheese grater

All you need is 1-2 Tablespoons per load! Save your Oxy Clean scoop and measure it that way, which is what I do! It doesn't sound like much but it's all you need, trust me! 

Directions: 

Grate the bar soap in your cheese grater. I used the regular size holes. Actually, I put my husband to work for this step ;-) It will dissolve in the water, so no worries! I only wash laundry in cold water and I've never had a problem with it not dissolving. 

Now dump everything into the trash bag-lined bucket and mix! I tried to pour each ingredient in layers so it was easier to mix. 

Do I pick the easy projects or what?

My absolutely adorable jar I found at a local thrift store for about $5! I had been wanting to do this project for ages but hadn't found the right jar for it yet. I was ecstatic when I did! It's a little cracked and definitely not perfect but I think it adds to the charm!  

And here it is, all done and ready to go! I had a grocery bag FULL of extra but this was all that would fit into the jar. The little fabric bits are dryer sheets I made with flax seed and dried lavender! They smell amazing and save tons of money also. Keep reading for why I decided to make my own! 

I took this screen shot while I was watching the show My Strange Addiction about a lady who ate dryer sheets. So weird! What's worse is that the chemicals in dryer sheets have been proven to cause cancer and nervous system disorders! Why on earth would I want to put that on my clothing and linens? No thanks! Did you know that many brands of dryer sheets also contain animal fat? Heads up, vegan friends! Now you understand why I either use my own or don't use any at all! 

 Here are a couple more shots of the jar I gave as part of a bridal shower gift to a sweet friend. My husband designed the label for me...what a good graphic designer husband! I had him put the ingredients on the label so if she wanted to make more she had the recipe right there!

On the other side I listed Directions to Use and then Directions to Make. At the bottom I put a little note  saying congratulations, etc. 

What a simple gift, right? I combined this with a homemade flax seed/lavender dryer sheet and a laundry basket from her registry. I think I added more laundry related items but now for the life of me I can't remember! 

I've also given several jar-fulls to my mom and my mother-in-law and guess what...I've still got tons left! I don't remember exactly when I made it but it's getting close to the year mark I think. This stuff is great! 

Helpful hints:

• I had a hard time finding Super Washing Soda. My local Food Lion, Target and CVS didn't have it but Kroger did. 
• My local Food Lion didn't have Fels-Naptha soap or Zote so I bought Octagon brand. They're all basically the same. Zote can be found at Home Depot.
• The Oxy Clean is optional but definitely can't hurt, especially if you have kids or work a messy job!
• Remember, you only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load! This stuff will last you FOREVER! 
• The recipe makes about 2 gallons so be prepared! 

Have you ever made your own detergent? What's your favorite detergent to use?

Don't forget to go HERE and enter my very first giveaway!! It's an amazing prize!

Till next time,
Catherine

DIY: Melted Crayon Art

Happy Monday, everyone! What? You're not happy it's Monday? Well, smile anyways!

Today I thought I'd bring out a project I did BEFORE I started my blog, which is why there aren't any pictures of the DIY process in action. But I'll tell you, it's easy to do!

Supplies:

• Crayons (whichever colors you prefer)
• Canvas (size is up to you)
• Hair dryer
• Tape

Directions:

Pick out the color crayons you want in your project. I chose greens, a few yellows, and oranges. I wanted this to go in my kitchen and green/orange are my current kitchen colors.

Now line them up on the canvas in whatever pattern you'd like. I've seen all sorts of cool variations like wavey patterns, flower patterns and other neat ideas. For the first one, I decide to just go straight across the top. One good friend of mine picked colors that matched her favorite wedding photo from the Bahamas. It turned out beautifully and sits on her fireplace mantel next to the photo. Seeing hers is what made me say, "Ok, enough is enough...I'm making one of those!"

I would recommend removing the labels from the crayons before taping them down. That way they won't slip out of the wrapper right away.

Now bust out that hair dryer and get to work!

Melt the crayons until you get the look you want!

Voila! Simple, cheap, and fun art! It even matched the fruit! We've since moved the canvas over top of a little metal baker's rack and replaced it with these awesome free kitchen printables. 

For this one I taped off a small area so that I can put a picture in there and the melted crayons act like a frame. I think it's cool! I also cut the crayons into 1" pieces so it wouldn't overflow the canvas. I haven't picked a photo yet so it's not hung up yet but I'm getting there!

My husband made this one on his own. He just really wanted to play and melt more wax. He likes it, though so we may still hang it somewhere! 

Helpful hints: 

• Keep the hair dryer on low heat. If it's going too fast it will knock the crayon pieces off the canvas.
• Full size crayons produces a lot of melted wax. Remember that if you're using a smaller canvas. 
• If you have white or light colored walls where you're going to hang the canvas, you may want to cover the back where the crayon ran the wrong way so it doesn't "draw" on your wall. 
• Lay down newspaper or something so you don't get melted wax everywhere!
• Prop the canvas at an angle so the wax melts and drips nicely but the crayons don't slip and fall down the canvas, messing up your design. 
• Take your time! It's not a race. 
• Point your hair dryer down at the crayons. That way you don't blow them off to the sides and the crayons melt and drip downwards nicely. Unless you want a different effect then go for it! 

Have you made melted crayon art before? What sort of pattern did you use? Send me a photo of how it turned out, whether it's good, bad or ugly! I'd love to see your versions!

Till next time,

Catherine

DIY: Memory Keepsake Shadow Box

Ready for a super easy DIY project? 

Are you sure? It's really easy.

If you're like me, you like to save little things like movie ticket stubs, exhibit passes, concert tickets, fortune cookies and other little momentos of dates and special times with your significant other or friends. I always try to keep them in the same general place, like a giant plastic bin full of other memory items. 

So, if you've got 'em, gather 'em up.

Now buy a shadow box. The size is up to you. The one I bought is maybe a 5"x7" but don't quote me on that. 

Open up the shadow box, toss in the little treasures. Close it up. 

You're done! 

If you want to get all fancy schmancy with it you can cut a slit in the top so you can just drop in new ticket stubs as you get them. 

You can also cut a cute piece of scrapbooking paper to fit and be the background.

I didn't do either of those but I'm keeping them in consideration! 

I've always liked to save little things like that but never had a way to display them. I love this because it's so simple and it's so sweet to be reminded of these fun memories.

Do you save little things like that? What do you do with yours?

Till next time,

Catherine

DIY: Glass Etching

First of all, I have got to say that this is my new favorite thing! I want to etch every piece of glassware that we own! 

This is another project that I had been dying to try and finally got around to it! The reason it kept getting postponed was that the Armour Etch isn't exactly cheap. We fortunately found a little kit that only cost about $18 at Michael's. It was over $20 for the individual bottle but they were sold out and the next size up was almost $40 and it was way more than we needed. I think the kit was a good value because it gives you better detailed instructions and tips as well as a paint brush, stencils, and a craft stick. It also came with a small square piece of glass to practice on.  

(via)

Here is my inspiration from, you guessed it, Pinterest. Maybe one of these days I'll be clever enough to make up my own crafts! But doesn't that look awesome? I knew I wanted to etch my last name into a couple dishes, especially our casserole dish so that if I were to ever bring it somewhere, there'd be no question as to which one is ours! 

Let's get going :)

What you'll need:

• Glassware 
• Contact paper or masking tape and your printed design
• Xacto Knife
• Armour Etch
• Junk paint brush
• Preferably rubber gloves

Directions:

Gather your materials. First, if you're using my method, place a layer of masking tape onto the area you want to etch. Sorry there's no picture for this step. 

Now tape down your design on top. 

CAREFULLY cut out the design. You may need to press fairly hard to cut through the layer of paper and tape. Take your time for the best results! The circles were pretty challenging but it got easier as I kept going. 

Peel off both layers. Be sure to leave the masking tape layer for the inside of letters like "O," "A," "R," etc. 

By the magic of the internet, that was fast! 

Pull off the paper layer and inspect your work. Use the Xacto knife to fix any mistakes. 

Now get your handy dandy little kit! 

This is a small bottle but I don't think it's necessary to buy anything bigger unless you plan on etching a LOT of glass! 

Shake the bottle vigorously to mix up the cream. Apply a thick amount onto your stencil. When it's done, you can carefully scrape it back into the bottle if you used a lot. 

Now let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. It really works in a minute but I left it for longer to ensure a good result. 

Carefully wash off the cream and wash and dry as normal. Voila!

 How cool is that! I know it's hard to tell in the pictures but it looks awesome!

I also etched our name into our glass pie dish. 

But it didn't stop there! I even did the only fancy glasses we own! 

So if you look close you can see it's not perfect but really, who's looking that close? I'm super happy with the way they turned out! I love, love, love every piece!!

A couple hints:

• The instructions that came with the kit said that Armour Etch may not work with Pyrex products but it worked fine on ours! 
• Be super careful! This stuff can be very dangerous. Wear rubber gloves or just make sure to not get any on your skin. If you do, be sure to wash it immediately!
• We only found one roll of contact paper at the craft store and it was a massive amount. I knew we would never use that much so we opted for masking tape and paper. It worked fine, though! 
• If you plan to make bigger designs, then I would suggest following the original tutorial here. 
• Only etch the OUTSIDE of glassware that food/lips won't touch!

Have you ever used Armour Etch before? I think doing this to any type of glassware with a couple's last name or initial would be an adorable wedding or housewarming gift...don't you? I'll be keeping my eye out at Goodwill and thrift stores for some great glassware to work with!

Till next time,
Catherine

DIY: From Carboard Tube to Cute Gift Box!

From this:

(via)

To this: 

It is super easy and cute! Wanna know the best part? It's free! I say free assuming that even the most beginner crafters like myself have various ribbon and pieces of scrapbook paper lying around. Families throw hundreds of these away every year! Why not save a few and make something useful out of them? Not to mention, when birthdays and Christmas come around, you're always looking for a small box for the little gifts like jewelry and money! I got the original idea from the blog Sweet Charli. 

Gather your supplies:

• Clean cardboard tubes
• Ribbon
• Twine or pretty string
• Scrapbook paper
• Hot glue gun/glue or tape
• Scissors
• Tissue paper

 Directions:

Fold one end of your cardboard tube in. Think like you're trying to close one of those paper coin rolls from the bank. 

Fold in the other half. Secure it down with hot glue or tape. When you've got that locked down, wrap your gift in a small amount of tissue paper and stick it inside. Fold and secure the open end of the tube the same way as the first one. 

Now decorate them however you wish! I used an extra piece of scrapbooking paper from another project  and wrapped it around, securing it with hot glue. I also used a small length of ribbon my husband had saved from a gift he received. The man knows me. 

For this one I used a thicker piece of the same scrapbook paper and different ribbon. I just switched the directions of the ribbon and paper from the previous box. If you don't want it to be as obvious that it's a cardboard tube, just wrap the whole thing in scrapbook paper. Chances are people won't even notice! Generally people are more focused on what's inside! 

I love this idea because the possibilities of design and decoration are endless! You can even bust out that Bedazzler you've been dying to use! ;-) 

Are you the crazy one in the family who snatches up all the empty gift bags and tissue paper after Christmas? I know I am! No sense in throwing away good bags and tissue paper that can be reused! What are some other unique ways that you like to wrap gifts?

Till next time,

Catherine