8 hair care treatments you can make yourself Eggs, yogurt and honey are, at first glance, all components of a tasty breakfast — but they also happen to be hair treatment ingredients, and affordable, all-natural ones at that. And they're not the only ones. Did you know, for instance, that the oils in avocados more closely resemble our own skin's oils than any product in the beauty aisle does? Or that the mild acidity in lemon is an effective — and gentler — alternative to chemical-laden products? Next time your locks need a lift, save money by using one of these kitchen fixes. For all hair types "The [raw] egg is really the best of all worlds," says Janice Cox, author of "Natural Beauty at Home". To use: For normal hair, use the entire egg to condition hair; use egg whites only to treat oily hair; use egg yolks only to moisturize dry, brittle hair, Cox says. For dull hair To Use: Massage 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt into damp hair and let sit for 20 minutes. For itchy scalp For limp or fine hair For dry or sun-damaged hair
"Stained Glass" Votive Holders By Jenny Ryan Many times when I’m at the grocery or drug store, I can’t resist throwing a few scented votive candles in my cart. When I’m ready to burn them, it’s easy enough to sit one on a cute little vintage china saucer, but I recently decided to try and find a fancier display solution for them. I also wanted the project to be inexpensive, and the materials used to be things I already had on hand. Materials Tissue paper in your desired colors Mod Podge (matte finish), in a pinch you can also use school gluePaintbrush Scissors Glass containers to fit your candle(s), I used thrifted vases and wine tumblers Paper punches in various shapes Q-tips, optional Directions Step 1: Figure out what colors of tissue paper you’d like to use and what paper punch shapes you want to try out. Step 3: Start affixing the punched-out paper shapes to the glass using your paintbrush. Step 5: Once everything is dry, plunk in a votive candle, light the wick and enjoy! More: Related
Parmesan Roasted Potatoes Ok fine. I’m officially ready to make the transition to fall. And I thought, what better way to do it than with my all time favorite Parmesan Roasted Potatoes! These are like candy. 100% addictive. I always, without fail, make these with Yukon Gold potatoes because here’s the truth… I’m too lazy to peel the skins off potatoes. This is more a technique rather than a recipe, since you can scale these potatoes up if you’re cooking for a crowd. You’re going to start with some naked potatoes…. Add on all the seasonings… Using your fingers, go ahead and toss everything together…. Put them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Once they are nice and golden and crispy, throw them onto a serving platter…. And then EAT!! And just a public service announcement – make a double batch and then serve them with breakfast the next morning too. Parmesan Roasted Potatoes Ingredients Instructions Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.Place the cubed potatoes into a baking dish.
Weekend Project: A Candelabra Made From Old Bottles One of the many things I loved about working with art director Susan Wasinger at Natural Home was her knack for finding craft projects that had long ago lost their luster—and giving them a contemporary spin. Remember bottle-cutting? Back in the ‘70s everyone was using those as-seen-on-TV kits to make drinking glasses and vases. Susan took a look at all the beautiful shapes, sizes and colors that bottled mineral water comes in these days and found a way to revive that dying art. Here, she uses capped mineral water bottles to make a lovely candelabra. And if this iteration seems a little too complicated for a July weekend, consider making her bottled-light centerpiece. Blue mineral water bottles—too pretty to recycle—make a lovely candelabra. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Bottled Spirits: A Variation Drill a large hole in a 6-inch square plywood scrap.
Make a Ringlet T-shirt Scarf for Fall This little ringlet scarf made out of old t-shirts is so fun for fall! There’s no sewing involved (hallelujah!), and you can make it while sitting in front of the TV in less time than it takes to watch a really good, trashy show on E. Since I have an abundance of orange and blue Auburn shirts (and we go to a lot of the crisp, fall football games) I decided to go with Auburn colors. The best part about this cute scarf is that the only supplies you need to make it are a few old tshirts and a pair of scissors. So grab a few tees in your favorite colors and start by cutting off the hem. Then cut the shirts into strips about 3/4″ wide. Give the loops a nice big stretch. And wrap them around you hand. …31 more times. Now take those hems and cut them into strips about 5″ long. Into one long chain. That’s it! Happy Fall… And have a great weekend!
Felting Project: A Rug! This is the most beautiful felt project we’ve seen. Strips of felt are wrapped around each other with hot glue to create this amazing swirled effect. What a great project for a snowed-in weekend and a movie marathon with the family. The kids could even help cut strips and decide on color combination while you operate the hot glue gun. Would you attempt something like this? Keep reading to see more pictures and find out where to find more details about this beautiful felt project! You can see all the instructions and details here on The Crafts Dept blog A few other fun pictures of the process: Images: Martha’s Crafts Department Blog Other post of mine you might like: The Best Thing to Happen to Your Baby’s Feet This Winter! Zara Kids Winter Collection Snow Bricks!
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Updated 9/22/11 to Add: If you’re coming here to sample these delicious Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, you just might like the latest recipe that I’ve posted for Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes too. And Gingerbread- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes too. Enjoy! Here’s a short video sharing how to make these delicious pancakes: If you’ve ever thought you needed a reason to eat pancakes, today is the day: National Pancake Day! How do you like your pancakes? But recently I started dreaming about mixing cinnamon rolls and pancakes together… and this is what I came up with- my new favorite pancake: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. I have a wonderfully fluffy pancake batter that I like to use (recipe below) so I swirled a bit of cinnamon roll filling into the pancake. And they cooked up just like a pancake- fluffy, but with craters of crusty, sugary cinnamon swirled within. You might find three of these stacked in a fancy breakfast restaurant, but I’m gonna tell you that one pancake is all you need. Oh yeah. Ingredients:
Paper Fortune Cookie Favors by La La Laurie Mushroom Tortilla Soup and Sweet Potato Pepita Quesadillas « Tuesdays with Angela: Making Food for Friends Posted by Angela @ Making Food for Friends in dinner, soup. Tags: Bayless, quesadilla, Rebar, tortilla soup trackback I’ve used Bloglines for years and years. Bloglines is (or was) an RSS feed aggregator–it gathers subscriptions all of my favorite blogs in one place so I can quickly see what’s been updated and read all of the blogs from one location. Now, I’m sure a quesadilla would be a fine meal on it’s own. Mushroom Tortilla Soup with Goat Cheese(Adapted from a recipe in Mexico, One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless) Ingredients: Method: Start by making the soup. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat. While the soup is simmering, you can make your tortilla strips. To serve the soup, top with tortilla strips, crumbled goat cheese, and arugula and pumpkin seeds (if desired). Sweet Potato Pepita Quesadilla(Adapted from a recipe in Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook) (Printable Recipe) Preheat oven to 375F. To assemble the quesadillas, heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat.
30 Fabulous Reuses & Repurposes for Old or Recalled Cribs With new crib regulations, the resale of cribs is going to be pretty non-existent for a while. But don't you worry!! You don't have to use that crib for summer campfires! We've scoured the web for some cool tutorials and ideas for reusing old or recalled cribs! These repurposed crib projects are an awesome way to prevent your crib from going into a landfill, getting reused "inappropriately" or simply sitting in your basement collecting dust. NEW! Create a Cool Craft & Storage Center from your Recalled Crib Get Organized in the Laundry Room with Your Old Crib ** ConsignmentMommies "I Consign Too Much..." Turn Your Old Crib into a Bench or Chair A Repurposed Crib Becomes a Plate Rack Cool Message Centers, Chalkboards & Easels from Old Cribs Create a Photo Display from Crib Parts Organize Your Jewelry A Cool Magazine Rack Create a Cool Message Center for Your Office Create a Table Take it Outside to the Garden
Do-it-Yourself DIY String Wedding Lanterns Yarn Chandeliers Jessica of Wednesday Inc shows us how to make those gorgeous twine chandeliers from the inspiration shoot she shared with us this morning. Using balloons, glue and twine, you can also make these lanterns for your wedding – and then bring it home and use it as your very own mid century lampshade. What you will need are: balloons, glue, yarn, tray for glue, corn starch 1/2 cup of Corn starch, 1/4 cup of Warm water, clear fast drying spray paint, hanging lamp cord or fishing line (depending on your desired final product), and a lighting kit if you’re looking for a fully functional lantern. Jessica recommends using a sharpie to mark on the inflated balloon how much room you need to leave for the lighting cord. Are you getting excited to try to do this at home as much I am? Instructions: 1.
Seed Paper Tutorial | I first heard of seed paper–or hand made paper that has real flower seeds embedded in the pulp itself and is actually plantable–about a year ago while browsing through a stationary catalog. It was the coolest idea I’d ever seen–and so incredibly spring-y! Well, who knew that you could make this funky stuff all by yourself? And dang we had a good time! These would be just perfect to include with a birthday or Christmas card–don’t you think? First Step: Making the Screen Frame Here’s what you’ll need for the screen frame: 6-12 wide craft sticks–think tongue depressors Craft glue 1 or 2 pieces of mesh or screen about 6″x6″ electrical tape Glue four sticks together–like this. Lay the screen over the sticks and glue in place. Now glue two more sticks–one on the top and one on the bottom. I rested a glass bowl over the frames to hold everything in place until the glue dried. Your frame should look pretty much like this. Second Step: Making the paper pulp Here’s what you’ll need to make the pulp: water
Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread I’m sorry. I know it’s Monday morning and you probably came here for some pretty pictures of food that you could glance at, and then move on with your day… and here I go thrusting warm, soft cinnamon sugar bread in your face. It’s not fair. I know it’s not fair. I know that now you’re craving cinnamon rolls, and cream cheese frosting and chili fries and hot dogs. You don’t deserve this sort of torture. This bread hits all the comfort spots in my soul. I’m sorry and you’re welcome and I love you. Let’s start at the beginning. I did this all without the use of a stand mixer and dough hook. This dough can be made and left to rise , then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. This is the dough just before it’s left to rise. After the dough has rested and risen for an hour, I knead it in a few tablespoons of flour. This is the part in the bread process where you can wrap the dough and place it in the fridge to rest overnight. I worked with my dough right away. I can’t even deal.
DIY Terrarium Magnets: Make Your Own Tiny Vertical Garden! » Curbly | DIY Design Community « Keywords: DIY, Craft, Inspiration, vertical garden Oh my goodness. This may be one of the coolest DIY terrarium / vertical garden / house plant projects I've ever seen. I don't know about you, but the thought of making my own tiny magnetic vertical garden is enough to make me want to cover every surface in my house in a magnetic material (or, at the very least, have one giant magnetic wall)! These mini garden tins were created by the clever folks at Ruffled for use as wedding favors. I like the idea of making a few (okay, A LOT) for use in the kitchen, in an office, on the patio, or for any surface I can put a magnet on. I can even picture a cool installation piece on a large wall using a few dozen of these bad boys. Materials: Gravel (can be found at any pet store in the aquarium section)Air plants, cactus or succulents (you will need a small amount of potting soil if not using air plants)MossWhite spray paintMagnetic metal tins (available from IKEA)Dremel toolPainter’s tapeE6000 glue So, let's hear it.