Homemade Body Scrub

Ever been cornered while shopping at the mall by a man or woman standing at a kiosk who insists that they just HAVE to rub your hands down with this amazing Dead Sea Salt Body Scrub?  Then, once they uncomfortably massage your hands while you look around desperate for even a stranger to pull you out of the situation, they tell you it's all yours for only $500,000?  What a steal!  Well, maaaybe I'm exaggerating (or a little bitter because I'm usually too passive to just say, "NOT interested" before getting the awkward hand massage), but really what you get isn't worth the price.  Yes, I agree my skin feels awesomely smooth afterwards, but I can tell you firsthand that this salt scrub I'm going to teach you to make today will leave your skin feeling just as silky!  (And if I say so myself, it's a really good gift idea!)

First, let me fill you in on the benefits of the body scrub.  Believe it or not, scrubbing your skin is great for your whole health!  It's a natural way to detoxify your whole system, and it stimulates your blood and lymph circulation which will tone your skin... and it can even help fight cellulite!  Yes, ladies, you read that correctly.  ;)

There are many types of body scrubs you could make- Salt based, Sugar, Oatmeal, etc.  I'm partial to the salt scrub, so that's what I'm going to make today.

The ingredients are simple, but it's important to know what you're getting first.  You will need a carrier oil whose job is to create a smooth texture and distribute the essential oil.  You can use any type of carrier oil you choose, but I always use Grapeseed oil.  It doesn't clog pores, and it always leaves my skin feeling very silky smooth, which I love!  The essential oil will be your scent, so choose whatever you will love!  Peppermint is a nice Christmasy scent and will give your skin a tingle... Lavender is just so calming and is nice with a relaxing bath...  Read all about 'em in the links above if you're lost for ideas.  {Attention any pregnant women: Certain essential oils during pregnancy can be harmful to you and the baby... Read about the oil you choose before handling it.}  The last ingredient is Epsom Salt.  You can pick this up at your grocery store, usually around the pharmacy area.

Warning about this scrub:  Do NOT leave this where a child can get to it... or pet... or anyone who you think will pick it up and try to have a taste.  Epsom salt can be used as a laxative.  Need I say more?

NOW, to make the scrub!  I don't have a specific recipe that I use because I prefer to eyeball it and measure things out by how thick I want the end result to be.  If you want a start, though, here's approximately what you would need:

(Again, this all varies depending on how much you want to make and how many jars you want to fill.)
1 cup Epsom Salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup Carrier Oil
about 4 drops of Essential Oil

Personally, I like my scrub a little more on the salty side to make it nice and thick, but please feel free to make it whatever consistency you personally prefer!

In a bowl, pour in the Epsom Salt.

Slowly mix in your carrier oil (which is the grapeseed oil I'm using) until you get it the right consistency.

  If you find it to be a little too oily, simply add more salt.  Stir with a spoon well.  Once you feel like you've got it just right, add the essential oil in ONE drop at a time.  Some oils are more potent than others, so mix in one drop completely before adding another.  My suggestion is to smell it AWAY from the oil dropper that you're using, so you are smelling only the salt scrub mixture and not what's coming out of the jar.  :)  Be sure you stir this together very well.  I will mention that you do have the option of adding color to this mixture.  If you do, only add ONE drop of food coloring.  I personally did not because I liked the pale green color of the grape seed oil.

Finally, slowly and carefully spoon it into a jar of choice.  I used a Mason jar (since my sister posted about them just the other week, I had to go get a stash for myself!), and I decorated it with some ribbon I found at... Take a guess???  You're right!  Michael's!  :)  I simply cut the ribbon to the size of the jar, and with a little dab of hot glue here and a little dab there, I got myself a pretty decorated container to keep the scrub in!

If you're feeling up to it, you can also cut out a small piece of fabric and put it under the jar lid (that is, if you're using a Mason jar).  I also sewed a little tag onto the material with an ingredients list and description.  Be creative and see what you can come up with.

If you're giving this as a gift, you can also write (possibly in a little homemade booklet) some of the benefits of the oils you chose or directions on how to use the scrub, and throw it in with your present.  It's up to you!  (If you write directions, you can keep it simple.  Kind of like this:  Before using, stir well.  Oil will settle on top.  In bath or shower, massage small amount of scrub onto skin in circular motions.  Rinse well....  And maybe, just maybe, you should include the warning about keeping away from small people or pets that will try to eat it and then without a doubt pay the consequences.)  ;)

Enjoy!
Merry Christmas, everybody!!

-MB

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Make Salt Dough Ornaments!

This time of year has me itching to craft everything more than ever!  I just love making all my Christmas presents and decorations!  Every house, street, shop, and tree is twinkling at Christmastime, filling the air with such a magical feeling --  I just wish the Christmas season was longer!!!  I know some of you are thinking I am crazy, considering they start selling Christmas trees and decorations before Halloween! ;)  It just seems the month flies by and it is all over before we know it!  So, let's try to make the most of it with a few Christmas crafts!

This next project is a perfect weekend craft...salt dough ornaments!  These are super-simple to make and even more fun to paint, decorate, and hang on the Christmas tree.  So grab your kids and dig in!  

To make the dough you will need: 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. salt, and 1/2 c. water.  

Ingredients: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup water

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix until a sticky dough forms.  Flour your working surface and your pin and roll out the dough to 1/4" thick.

Roll it nice and even!

Use your favorite cookie cutters and cut out the dough.  Don't forget to poke holes in the top of the ornament or on each side of the shape if you will be stringing it like garland (a bamboo skewer works great for this).  Make the holes large enough because you will not be able to ream them once the shape is baked -- I learned this the hard way as a few of my stars crumbled to smithereens in my hand!!

Use your favorite cutters to make the shapes

Place onto cookie sheet

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  Place all the shapes on a cookie sheet and bake them for 4 to 6 hours.  Some of my larger shapes needed the full 6 hours in order to get really hard and brittle.  Otherwise the middle will still be soft and a little squishy and they won't last!

Pop in the oven at 200 degrees for 4 - 6 hours!

Decorate the ornaments however you want!  For mine I wanted to paint them with acrylic paint and sprinkle them with clear, chunky glitter like snow!  

Painted with acrylic and sprinkled with clear glitter. 

String them up with colorful string or thin ribbon for garland.  For ornaments tie a loop through the top and hang it right on your tree!

My stars and snowflakes strung into garland for the mantel.

You don't have to stick to Christmas ornaments, either!  Use various shapes and colors to decorate a special present, make red and pink sparkly hearts for Valentine's Day, string colorful garland for a birthday party...The possibilities are endless!

Happy crafting and Happy Holidays!

~D.

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:: The All-Purpose Mason Jar ::

I like Mason jars... and by "like," I mean really like them.  { Disclaimer:  I am not the person who ordered a bunch of them online to be delivered to the local hardware store for pickup just to ensure that they weren't sold out... absolutely not.  ;) }  Anyway, back to our topic -- these glass jars are so versatile and are relatively inexpensive, reusable, and if you use them to store food or liquid, you don't have to be concerned about chemical leaching from plastic, which is an added bonus. 

I used to think that the only reason to have Mason jars in the house was for canning.  WRONG!  There are a lot more possibilities if you don't can and preserve your own homegrown tomatoes... or even if you do!

Ball Regular 1-pint Mason Jars

Here are some handy ways to use Mason jars, which come in varying sizes, of course --



:: as a vase (Place fresh-cut flowers or herbs in a jar of water, then tie a ribbon around the top for added charm!)

:: as a storage container for dry ingredients (It's easy to see what's inside without having to open a storage container.)

... jazzed-up storage jar...

 

:: for cute gift-giving (Giving away some homemade hot cocoa mix is my personal favorite and also a favorite of one of the Craftastic sisters ;) !)  Hot-glue some ribbon around the jar lid to fancy it up.

... candle in a jar ...

 

There's just something really nice about the simplicity of glass jars.  Maybe they are a reminder of simpler times.  Share some of your own ideas on what cute and crafty uses you have for Mason jars!


~S.

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Fabulous Pinecone Ornaments

As the holidays are approaching very quickly, a lot of you are probably starting to decorate your homes if you haven't completed doing it already... Before you get too frazzled by the in-laws making a surprise visit, and before you walk out of Walmart on Black Friday with a bloody nose and possibly broken forearm, why don't you take some time out to have FUN during this time of year...

(I realize making crafts isn't everyone's idea of a fun and relaxing time, but if you're reading this blog, then you must have some craftiness in you, right?)  :)

Today, I decided to throw together an ornament or two for our Christmas tree using my never-ending supply of pinecones that I picked off the ground.  Maybe you don't have any pine trees around you, but I bet you have a craft store around where they sell them (sometimes for more than a justifiable amount), or at least you might know where you could find a tree in your community.  As for me, I'm literally surrounded by them!  My address even has the word "Pine" in it.  Regardless, these little decorations are perfect for this time of year, so let's get to work!

Paint brush and acrylic paint, spray adhesive, clear acrylic sealer, hot glue gun, glue sticks, ribbon, glitter, pinecone, old newspaper.. If you use a Michael's ad like me, make sure you cut out the weekly 40% off coupon.  haha!

You can use as many or all of the supplies I have pictured above depending on what you want to do with your ornament.  For this blog, I'll show you the glittery one I made.  Heck, if you don't even want to dress it up, just glue a ribbon on top to hang and be done with it!  It's all up to you!!  :)

If you find your pinecones outside, you need to bake them to get rid of any and all bugs that could be living inside.  It will also open them up if they are closed and give them a nice appearance.  Just place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and pop 'em in for about an hour with your oven set at 120 degrees F.

Once your pinecones are cool, you can start your project.  For my adhesive, I personally used an adhesive spray, but you can use regular glue and brush it on, too.  I would recommend the latter method if you plan on making these with children.  The adhesive spray should be used in a well ventilated area, as well.  It will get VERY tacky, so definitely make sure you have enough area covered in your working space so you don't ruin a nice table!  :)

Spray or paint an even coating of the adhesive of your choice onto your pinecone.  If you choose to use different colors of glitter like I ended up doing for mine, spray only the area that you will be glittering first.  

Be sure to have a different piece of paper around to use AFTER you spray the adhesive.  Be sure it does not have glue on it first before using it underneath your pinecone when you sprinkle the glitter.  You want it to be clean, so once the pinecone is coated you can pour the remaining glitter back into the container.  Obviously, if the paper has any adhesive sprayed on it, you can't get that glitter back, so that's why it should be kept out of the way ahead of time.  A little glitter goes quite a long way!

Repeat the spraying and glittering process until the entire pinecone is coated just the way you like it!

When you're finished, let it dry completely before spraying a sealant on top to keep the glitter from, well, glittering your entire house!  If you don't do this step, be prepared for the glitter to come off on your hands over time.

Finally, once everything is dry, heat up your trusty glue gun and prepare to make the finishing touches... and what would the grand finale be without a bow on top?  I used 2 different colors of ribbon, white iridescent for the bow and bright blue for the loop to hang.

When cutting ribbon, be sure to cut on an angle to keep from fraying.  Cut a strip and make a loop... then glue it to the flat surface of the pinecone.  Then, make a bow and glue that over the top.  Voila!  All finished!

Of course, I encourage you to have fun with this project, making it to suit your own taste!  There's just so much you can do with these pinecones.  If you have as many as I do, play around and see what you can come up with.  Maybe you want to use white paint on the tips to give the appearance of snow, or maybe you want to make a wreath to hang on your door... Get creative.  Don't get discouraged if you don't make them all perfectly.  No one ever said you had to show off everything you make, right?  I have two pinecones sitting in the trash with red paint all over them in the messiest way possible...  I couldn't even come back from my mistakes.  But who will ever see?  ;)

 Perhaps I'll have to post some more ideas I have another time, but in the meantime get crafting, and have fun with this!  While you're at it, I bet you have a friend, a child's teacher, or a craftastic sister who might appreciate their very own ornament that was made especially for them, especially by YOU!

Have a very blessed, wonderful, and happy Thanksgiving!!

(As a side note, I'm especially thankful for my two wonderful older sisters and our very special glittery sealant-coated bond!)

-MB

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Glue Gun the Great!

While we are on the topic of adhesives, I would like to make a suggestion that might open up more possibilities for your crafts and projects.  If you own no other supplies from a craft store, start by purchasing a hot glue gun.  This inexpensive, all-purpose tool will not only come in handy when one of your kids’ plastic toys cracks in half some afternoon, but it will open the door to endless crafting possibilities. 

TIP:  Buy a medium-heat or high-heat glue gun and the corresponding high-heat glue sticks.  Don’t go for the low-heat variety.  In my experience, it doesn’t work as well. 

Glue gun from JoAnn Fabrics

More posts to come on some of the quick and easy crafting possibilities using a hot glue gun! 

~S.  :)

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Double-sided tape is your friend!

One of my favorite craft supply staples is double-sided Scotch tape!  This stuff comes in handy for a variety of projects and requires zero drying time, unlike its ugly cousin, Elmer's glue!  The paper doesn't ripple, your fingers don't end up covered in nasty, peeling glue balls, and your project can be completed in just a few minutes.  Anything that can save me time and/or frustration is a clear choice!  I don't know how I ever lived without it!

I can't tell you how many times I have used this sticky life-saver to whip up a quick greeting card and got it in the box before the mailman came! (AND it arrived in time for that special someone's birthday, thank you very much!)  Just fold a piece of cardstock in half, rip a couple short pieces of tape, stick it here, stick it there, attach a pretty piece of patterned scrapbook paper.  Repeat.  Add some fun alphabet accent stickers if you've got them!  Write a quick personalized note inside, slide it into an envelope, stamp it, and hurry, run to the mailbox!  Done!


Another great use - dress up a recycled or plain gift bag.  Let me explain.  I have about 1,000 gift bags in my closet.  I just can't throw them away!  As a believer of  "more is more," sometimes I'm not quite satisfied with the bag's design.  That is when I bust out my tape, embellishments, and get to work!  You can also turn a recycled shopping bag or a plain white bag into something pretty.  Cut out some fancy paper and use it to cover the logo or whatever is printed on the bag, if necessary.  Use your imagination!  You can use fabric flowers or cut out paper flowers, petals, leaves, or just a few long strips and stick them using the tape. You've saved a few bucks on a gift bag that will probably get thrown away anyway (unless I'm the recipient ;) ) and you've personalized it!  I bet you even get a compliment or two!

Before, this was a boring old, reused bag...

After, it became a festive, personalized, birthday bag!

Of course, last, but not least...scrapbook pages!  You can quickly scrap a page during baby's nap or commercial breaks.  This stuff is great!  It will hold down photos, layers of paper, fabric, bows, ribbon, glitter....you name it!

There are a million more uses, which you'll soon discover, and once you start, I know you'll find yourself reaching for that handy little dispenser just as often as I do!

~D.

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Fun With Leaf Prints!

One of my favorite things about fall happens to be the changes in nature that so clearly take place before our own eyes.  The air turns cooler, the leaves change color, and when we have a particularly sunny day, it seems much more spectacular than the bright sunshiny days we are so spoiled with in the summertime.  But aside from the joys of pumpkin flavored everything and our acceptance to eat one too many Reese's Cups on Halloween, my favorite thing of all is how I suddenly notice the beautiful shapes of each individual leaf that embellishes our trees.  I know, I know... You're thinking, "Really?  You like THAT more than Reese's and a pumpkin latte?!?!"  Seriously, though.  When the leaves are decorating our trees during the spring and summer while they are all a shade of green, it's hard to see much of a difference between them all.  But after the leaves fall to the ground, I suddenly realize just how diverse they are in shape and color.  I love it!

I was out walking with my daughter the other day, when I looked down at the ground and thought to myself, "I can use these in my crafts!"  For the next ten minutes, I was frantically searching for the perfect leaf with no rips or tears and was already flat enough to be used as is.  (Good thing Nadia's only 8 months old because if she was any older, she would've been embarrassed to be seen with her crazy leaf hunting mama!)

Now that I've shared my love for nature, I'd like to share my love for using everyday things for fun.  :)  Ever make a leaf print?  PAST the age of 10??  Let's do it!

Really, all you need is an ink pad, a flat leaf, and something to dab the ink on the paper with... I just used a paper towel for that!  Easy.  If you don't have any ink pads lying around, you can always pick one up at your local craft store for fairly cheap.  I love to tell people to always head straight to the dollar bins first!!  I think I've gotten every one of my ink pad's there.  :)  All you have to do is simply saturate the paper towel (or whatever you choose to use) in the ink, then pat overtop of the leaf until you get the desired effect you're looking for.  If you want the texture of the paper towel on the paper, keep it simple and dab in solid up and down motions.  If you want it to look "streaky" then rub as if you're using a brush from the inside of the leaf to the outside of the paper.  You decide!

This can get messy, so if you work with your hands in public and don't want them to look... ahem... dirty, consider wearing rubber gloves.  I can wash and wash and wash, and sometimes still have ink left on my fingers for a day (depending on the color you use!).

I made my own "fall" scrapbook paper using this technique.

Then, I simply embellished the page with ribbon, colored staples (another one of my favorite things), the photos I wanted to use, a title, and a description.  Easy stuff!

If you plan on sending out Thanksgiving cards this year, AND you want to make your own, this could come in handy.  Consider using a photo you took during the fall (maybe a pumpkin you carved or a picture of your kids in their Halloween costumes) and place it on the card with some leaf prints in the background. Personalize the cards by writing a little message on the inside about why you're thankful for whoever gets it.  It just might bring a smile or tear to that person's face!  :)

What ideas do you have?

-MB

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:: Binder Cookbook ::

Okay, so maybe this isn't the greenest of ideas, but if you happen to print out recipes from the internet or rip them out of magazine and you have a collection of printed recipes, you might feel like you are drowning in a pile of papers.  The perfect solution is simple.  

Get a three-ring binder - preferably one of the ones with the clear pocket on the front - and a package of sheet protectors.  If you're super-organized, you can categorize your recipes or alphabetize them before starting and then use labeled dividers (see photos below!) so that you can easily find what you're looking for when it's cooking time!  Just place your recipe printouts into the page protectors (one protector can have two recipes inside, back-to-back, of course). 

Personally, I HIGHLY recommend using page protectors (not pictured, but as you realize, they are the plastic sleeves you can buy at any office supply store, Target, Walmart, etc.) I am kind of a slop in the kitchen and if I was just working from a piece of paper, it would be virtually destroyed the first time I used it!  Let's just say a lot of my cookbooks have wrinkled pages from spills!  With the plastic page protector, if you spill something, simply wipe it off and there won't be any runny ink on the paper... 

Of course, it wouldn't be *craftastic* without some embellishing, now would it?!  If you aren't feeling inspired, you could just print a cover page to insert with a stock image or clip art and something like "Family Favorites" or "Our Best Recipes."  (See photo below - binder cookbook circa 2001! ...I think it's time to craft a new cover.  In my defense, September 2001 was the month after I had my first baby!)  You could also use scrapbook paper or photos and really make a nice coverpage in the front of your binder.  Use your imagination and use what you have lying around - it doesn't have to cost a fortune. 

~S.

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Re-purpose your wine, liquor, and soda bottles!

Any glass bottle can be re-purposed into fun home decor!  I save glass beer, wine, liquor, and soda bottles and turn them into pretty vases and table decorations!  Rinse them well and make sure they are nice and dry.  It is nice to collect different colors, shapes and sizes, too.  You can spray them with quick coat of paint, use a little hot glue and rope to wrap them, or just remove the label and leave them alone!  Pretty green wine bottles look great this way! I like to use them to hold fake flowers.

I love how this green wine bottle "vase" came out!
I just applied removeable stickers before spraying with cream,
then a little silver paint to give it a pearlized effect! Remove stickers and, Voila!

I slid this one into some mesh from a sack of clementines
and gave it a quick spray for a pretty design!

Rope from Home Depot was all I needed
to jazz up this empty bottle of gin!

I've even seen these crafted into "chandeliers" or converted with a light kit into a lamp in home furnishing catalogs! Now, I'd love to try that!

chandelier from
Pottery Barn

Next time you pop open a bottle of wine or a soda, save that bottle to start your collection and see what YOU come up with!  Most of all, have fun!

-D.

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Fantastic Cardboard Picture Frames

You have some photos that you want to hang up on your wall... then you discover that you don't have any frames.  Don't panic!  If you have a flat piece of cardboard, some paint (acrylic works well) and some ribbon or paper, you've got yourself a backdrop that just needs to be dressed up a little!  

Supplies: acrylic paint, glue gun, ribbon, paint brush (or foam brushes are faster!), cardboard, and photo

Depending on the size of your photo(s), determine the size "frame" you will need and cut your cardboard into a square accordingly (i.e., 12"x12", 8"x8", etc.).  Next, paint one entire side of the cardboard - you can paint a solid color or any way you like.  Let the paint dry, of course... Acrylic paint dries fairly quickly!  You can usually continue your project in about 30 minutes.  Now, you can frame your frame with pieces of ribbon,  patterned scrapbook paper or anything you choose.  Just cut the ribbon/paper strips to the size of the four sides of the square.  Take each piece of ribbon and glue it down, overlapping and folding over the corners.  


Position your photo however you want to display it -- it doesn't have to be centered to be framed! -- then using photo corners or another acid-free adhesive, attach your photo onto the cardboard frame.  You're done.  You didn't have to drop a fortune on picture frames and you repurposed part of a cardboard box that may have ended up in the trash or recycling bin.

This is one I made for a corner accent frame in my living room.  Simple and sweet.  :)

Helpful hints:
- Don't feel like you have to spend an arm and a leg on painting supplies.  "Folk Art" brand acrylic paints run at close to $1 for a 2 ounce bottle (which lasts me a long time.)  I've even seen them for $0.50.  I have a select few colors that I really like straight out of the bottle, but you can always make your own shades using the primary colors... very elementary school art-style!  :)
-Check dollar bins at craft stores like Michael's or JoAnn's... I always find really decorative ribbon there.
-Like I said before, for projects like this that don't have detailed painting, foam brushes will work the easiest to apply the background color.
-If you want to hang this on the wall with ribbon, simply attach a piece on the top middle of the frame using hot glue to secure it in place.  I don't like to put nails in my walls, so I simply attach damage free hanging strips to the "frame" and then place on the wall.


Enjoy the weekend!



- MB

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The fabric-covered junk box!

If you are short on cabinet/drawer space, then you, like me, might need a junk box.  ;)  It doesn't have to be something fancy.  Take an old box (like the ones baby wipes come in, for example) and look through your fabric scraps - or ask a seamstress near you to donate some!  My fabric is courtesy of a good friend - I don't sew!!  :)  If you want to be precise, then by all means, measure and cut the fabric to fold over the outside of the box - kind of the same way you wrap a present.  See how non-precise the seams are on the outside?  It doesn't really matter, though...

If you are short on time, for example, like me, then it doesn't matter if the edges of the fabric are still somewhat ragged or not cut in a straight line!  Just gather the fabric around the box, fold over the edges of the box, and hit it with a stapler - inside the box to hide the staples.  Voila!  Put this baby on a shelf and when company comes -- or if you're just sick of looking at the mish-mosh of items strewn about -- toss that stuff inside!  I couldn't believe it, but I actually had someone ask me where I got the box sitting on the shelf next to our kitchen, or did I make it?  :)  Of course, your junk box probably should not have stuff sticking out of it or showing like mine - ha!  It isn't overfilled or anything... !!!  

I even made one of these last winter for kids to toss their gloves, hats, scarves and winter accessories into, since getting them to hang those things up is nearly impossible!
 
~S.

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Embellish some plain baby clothes!

Want to make a quick personalized gift for a new momma?  It's not as hard as you may think!  This is a quick and easy project that you will love to make and baby will love to receive!  I'll walk you through it ! ;)

You'll need a pack of plain white onesies or little baby tee-shirts, some stitch witchery (you can get this at JoAnn's or Michaels),  fabric scraps, and an iron.

1. Cut your desired shape out of both the fabric and stitch witchery and pin the design in place on your onesie (the stitch witchery should be in between the layers).
2.  Cover the onesie with a damp press cloth and set your iron on "wool" with steam.
3.  Press the design for 10 seconds on each side of the fabric being careful not to slide the iron.  Let it cool off then make sure the design has stuck (if there are any loose edges, go ahead and press it again).
4.  Afterwards, you can finish it off with a quick zip through your sewing machine or sew it by hand to give the border a more defined edge.

It's as simple as that!  And I guarantee, Mommy (& baby) will love it! :)
-D.

I just cut out baby's initial from some cute fabric

Of course, I couldn't resist adding a little something cute to the butt!

This little dino was the perfect embellishment for baby's bottom! :)

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