Bottles Full of Light The other day, I wrote about attempting to drill through glass and I finished up the project this weekend. I think it turned out beautifully — I love the idea of bottled light! These would be pretty by a wintery window or under an entry table. I like the way the gold paint makes the bottom of the bottles look misty and glow-y, even during the daytime. I’ve got a ton of images and DIY instructions below if you’d like to try this too. For tools and supplies, I started at my local True Value. I started with these apple juice bottles from Whole Foods. Next, I used my handy scraper tool to take off the label. Once the bottle was clean and label free, it was time to drill through the glass. [UPDATE: Hah! Next we painted. I used a disposable sponge brush and Liquid Leaf paint — but any metallic enamel paint should work. Once the paint was dry (it dries very quickly), we started stuffing the lights in. And that’s it! This is another project as a True Value Blog Squad Member.
Reusable Lunch Containers | Easy Crafts for Kids -- Quick Arts and Craft Ideas -- Kids' Crafts This photo originally appeared in FamilyFun Magazine Say buh-bye to those little plastic bags. With just a few snips, you can create a set of cool, eco-friendly, reusable snack and sandwich containers from juice cartons and milk jugs. They're food-safe, easy to rinse clean, and absolutely free, so it's no biggie if they get tossed accidentally. Let your kids decorate the boxes with stickers and permanent markers for an even more personalized look. What you'll need SANDWICH BOX: 1-gallon milk jug Marker Scissors Thumbtack Adhesive-backed Velcro dot SNACK BOX: Juice or milk carton, in any size from a half-pint to a quart Scissors Adhesive-backed Velcro dot How to make it SANDWICH BOX: Mark a clean 1-gallon milk jug as shown.
Melted Crayon Canvas Art Bless me Internet, for I have sinned. It's been....eh...a really long time since I've blogged. Back in May, my son caught pink eye. Not a big deal, as lots of kids get pink eye and live to tell the tale. The problem occurred when he passed it on to me. Thus began my tale of woe and misery. Oh yes, we've been busy here. We seem however, to finally all be well and mended. A few weeks ago while browsing Pinterest I came across a melted crayon art project that looked simple and beautiful. Using two boxes of Crayola crayons (64 count) The Boy and I picked out our favorite colors in each, in some cases doubling up on our favorite hues. It's been warm here for the past few days, but not nearly hot enough to melt the crayons by leaving them in the sun, so I found my old hair dryer which hasn't seen proper use in over two years and set it to the highest setting. It didn't take too long for the crayon wrappers to turn shiny from the heat and melting waxy goodness. Happy to be back, Simple Mama
Babblings and More: Homemade Mod Podge Don't forget to vote for us daily! Just click on this button and that's all! Thanks! A few months ago I found a recipe for Homemade Mod Podge and wanted to know if it was worth the mess to make it. YES it is, with no mess! Put a strip of masking/packing tape directly on your jar so that you can take it off later easier. Stick the sticker label on the tape. Tape over the label so that it will be semi-waterproof. Mod Podge in a Pint Jar (matte) Fill jar half way up with white glue (like Elmers) Then fill jar up with water. Shake Well. This is a 50-50 mixture glue/water. It will have a Matte finish. If you would like a Glossy finish, add 1 TBS of clear varnish. Shake it! If you have tried it with the varnish, we would love to hear how it went. See it for yourself how it works. Disclaimer: If you are wanting to do a long term or permanent project, the original Mod Podge may work better since they do add additional ingredients that make the finish last longer.
Tutorial: Homemade Bubble Jet Set *Edited with new recipe* *Edited using inks* I made this bag last night (the pictures show each side of the bag - the pictures are of my gorgeous boys!!!) using a homemade bubble jet set recipe I have been experimenting with. I was so excited that it worked, I want to share it with all you gorgeous craftsters: I also made this cosmetic bag using the same process: ****Now been edited to change the recipe - the new one is better!!**** Here's how I did it. Firstly choose your fabric. Then get your equipment. Here's the recipe (the percentages are by weight - NOT volume): 85% hot water10% washing soda (the crystal type - it's also known as Soda Ash)5% fabric softener Here's the new recipe (the percentages are by weight - NOT volume): 85% hot water10% alum4% washing soda (also known as Soda Ash)1% fabric softener So, as an example, if you wanted to make 300g, you would mix: 255g hot water30g alum12g washing soda3g fabric softener In this next photo you will see I have added the ingredients (but not stirred them):
How to Print on Fabric With an Inkjet Printer Inkjet fabric printing greatly expands quilters' choices. Quilters love to collect fabric, and being able to print their own makes a great personal statement. Printable fabric can be purchased or prepared at home. Before investing time and money, it's important to understand that an image printed on fabric will probably not look the same as the same image printed on paper. Commercial Inkjet Fabric Sheets There are two sources for fabric already prepared for printing. When choosing which fabric to print, consider what the finished product will be. Always follow the directions carefully for the specific product. Homemade Fabric Sheets for Inkjet Printers Dyer's Muslin vs. Mounting Fabric for Printing Freezer paper is often recommended for mounting the fabric to print. Cut the treated fabric into 9" x 12" pieces. Sometimes it can be helpful to add scotch tape to the leading edge to hold the paper and fabric together.