DIY Beeswax Survival Candles I was surprised by the overwhelming reaction to our post on DIY Survival Candles back in February--it has become by far the most popular single post on T-Blog. I wanted to follow up with a how-to for using beeswax for candle making. A good, 100% natural, chemical-free beeswax is the highest quality wax you can get, burning brighter and hotter for longer than other waxes. Beeswax is more expensive than the soy wax that we used on the survival candles--around three to five times the cost, I've found. Because of its expense, beeswax is probably best when you really need to maximize your candle horsepower in a given size/weight package. Beeswax also has a high melting point of 144 to 147 degrees, so if you want to leave a candle in a vehicle, beeswax is your best bet. To make beeswax candles, the procedures are similar. Supplies Needed: BeeswaxWicks - square braid cotton wicks are traditionally used for beeswax candles. Again, beeswax is difficult to clean up.
Crafts - Ideas for Crafts Using Letters and Words A picture may be worth a thousand words, but words can create a pretty picture, too. That's what stylist Paul Lowe set out to celebrate when he determined to make artful use of books and letters that, too often, end up in the trash. "There's such beauty to the written word, both in what it says and how the letters look on the page," he says. "I wanted to make the most of this, providing the printed word with another level of expression." To do so, Paul recommends looking at lettering in terms of its font, at book pages in terms of their color ("I love the way aging pages range from cream to yellow," he says), and at sentiments in terms of their graphic appeal. "It's a way to see words in a new fashion," says Paul. Pictured: Poetry- and prose-inspired crafts, such as these decorative plates printed with word decals at home, may cost very little, but they certainly say a lot.
-DIY- double, triple and multiply exposure I have allways been amazed by the awesome effect double exposure gives. Originally this effect is achieved by exposing one film twice, now we are in the digital age we can fake this effect with some more control. I used Picmonkey to make these two. Click the like to see more button for the tutorial. 1. supplies you'll need some photos, one basic photo and some for overlays. 2. editing 1. open your base photo in picmonkey 2. go to the overlay section, and choose 'your own' 3. select a photo and make it the good size 4. 5. go back to the basic section of your overlay and fade it, I did mine about 50 %. 6. add more! I hope its clear. I'd really like to see what you have made. let your creativity go wild. I made my own constellation using this technique:
turkey feathers: STATE FLOWER QUILT Well. I finally got this one done. It was SO nice to pick up my needle again! I'm starting on the Black-Eye Susan (for Maryland) next. In fact, I just stamped the next eight blocks and am ready to get busy stitching on them again. This is an interesting little flower. Now back in the day, this was done mainly to express feelings within the boundaries of a strict etiquette, and was mostly practiced between "sweethearts" as a means of communication. It is possible that the 'National Garland of Flowers' project of 1893 may have been inspired by all this sweet talk about flowers and their meanings. The Vermont Secretary of State proclaimed it to be, "Both an integral part of many cultivated hayfield and a common sight along numerous Vermont roadsides, the Red Clover is symbolic of Vermont's scenic countryside generally, and of its dairy farms in particular. I found out some interesting facts about Red Clover. DMC COLORS: This flower ranges in color from pale pink to a true red.
you knew i was going to make one. they are all over pinterest....(i still am not signed up for pinterest because i don't have time for one more thing but browsing is fun!) so we made one. i took a box of 64 crayons and took out the blacks and browns.i used another small box and doubled up on the good colors i liked and hot glued them to the top of our canvas. then we turned our blow dryer to hot on high. not long after you set the hair dryer by the crayons they get shiny and then the wax starts to melt! and it dries really quickly too. seriously. what could be happier than this?? GREAT project. loved it today is the first FULL day with ALL my kids in ALL day school.yeah...i am smiling as i type that. it's good. it's quiet. i am rockin' it. removing wallpaper.....making code for craft weekend stuff.....doing my hair....going to lunch..... it's all good. hooray for school!
Shrinky Dink Necklace | with lovely,with lovely, Remember Shrinky Dinks ? I recently rediscovered them, and it turns out they’re just as amazing now as they were when I was five. I love how versatile this magical material is. I used the tracing method to create customized dog necklaces and they turned out super cute! Start by choosing a photo of your dog with a good silhouette. Place a piece of white paper over the your computer screen and trace it with a pencil. Next, place a sheet of Shrinky Dink material directly over the paper and copy over the pencil line with a fine-tipped marker. When your outline is complete, cut roughly around it to get most of the excess material out of your way. Preheat the oven to 325°, then place your cut-out in the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 1–3 minutes. starts to curl, fold some parchment paper over it and set a flat, heavy object (like a large pan) on top for 5–10 minutes. Voila! With Lovely,
Bramble Berry® Soap Making Supplies easy cheerios birdfeeders for a school event Ever the supermom wannabe, I of course volunteered to help out with the Family Fun Day at my daughter’s school, even though we couldn’t attend said Family Fun Day due to a family event up in Jersey. The day was garden-themed. My tasks were to turn pieces of cardboard into signs and to come up with a make-your-own-birdfeeder idea. First, look at my awesome signs. Second, we made Cheerios birdfeeders. To make Cheerios birdfeeders… you will need:* Cheerios pipe cleaners (younger kids) floral wire (older kids) instructions printable *The Cheerios came from Costco. how to make Cheerios birdfeeders: older kids: To make a heart, thread Cheerios on a piece of floral wire, leaving about three inches on each end. Or, bend the wire into any shape you like. younger kids: Make a loop at one end of the pipe cleaner, and twist to secure. Feel free to share (nicely)!
A Little [Embroidered] Love Note « pinksuedeshoe On Sunday during naptime I had a sudden urge to embroider something. I have never in my life embroidered anything. I am still not quite sure what came over me. I follow the blog Style Crush, written by Amy of Peptogirl Industries. She is a queen of embroidery and sells darling patterns in her cute etsy shop (and jewelry and pillows and you should just go check her out). After I had finished this project, and was uploading photos I was browsing through my reader and saw two new posts she wrote all about the ins and outs of embroidery. Anyway, my Sunday afternoon beginner embroidery project turned out so cute I decided to make another one tonight. First gather up your supplies. Start by marking a line with your pen straight across your fabric. [ Can I just tell you that this might be my new very favorite photo of feet. ] You could also do this part by hand, but I don’t have the patience for that. Next I used a plain piece of paper and wrote “You are my everything” in a black sharpie.
Tricks + Treats: Little Birdie Plush by Viviana Agostinho Hi there! It's Viviana! Elsie asked me to share a cute plush DIY today for Tricks + Treats and I made this little bird just for you. Enjoy! A little birdie told me... Wanna know what this birdie is telling? The numbers in each birdie part correspond to the amount of pieces you will have to cut. To make your birdie you will need: - Felt and fabric of your choosing- 2 medium size buttons in any color- 2 small beads or buttons in black- Felt scraps in black and red- A handful of fiberfill- Thread, needles, pins... Place each part of the pattern on the wrong side of your fabric and felt and cut all the parts you will need. You will begin creating your birdie's front section. Sew front and back sections (wrong face up!) Fill body with fiberfill. Yay! Thanks so much, Viviana.
Candle Making Directions If you are making paraffin wax candles, DO NOT use these directions. These directions are for container soy wax candles only. First, gently melt the soy wax in a Presto Kitchen Kettle or microwave. Proceed to heat the soy wax to about 160-175 degrees. Let the wax sit in the pouring pot until it looks as though it is starting to set up (around 100° or a little less.) Next, pour the soy wax into jars that have a wick glued into the bottom with Silicone, high melt point glue or Candle Wick Stickers. Please read the Items Needed to Make Candles page for information on choosing candle wick size. No need to heat jars. Recommended amount of candle fragrance oil is 1 to 1 1/2 ounces per pound of soy wax. Do not trim the candle wick of a soy candle as short as a candle made with paraffin wax. ** You can pour the wax hot, however, the tops will look flaky or crusty. NOTE: Testing is an important part of candle making and is a step that cannot be skipped.
Spring Tea Party Have you ever had ginger and orange together? It is a magnificent combination that I don’t think I use often enough. This recipe smells, looks, and tastes amazing. I’m turning into a tea lover and nothing can beat this refreshing ginger sun tea. I think a lot of tea drinkers can agree that a nice glass of iced tea wouldn’t be the same without cookies to go along with it. Ginger Sun Tea 4 1/2 cups cold water 8 teabags 1-2 inch slice of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 2-4 Tablespoons of sugar 2 12-oz bottles ginger ale, chilled Garnish: orange slices Combine water, teabags and ginger in a 2-quart glass container; cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Chocolate Chip Bars 2 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 2 cups chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. What is your favorite tea & sweets combination? « A Season of Senses Spring Cleaning »
How to Make Wax Tarts Step 1: Gather all items needed. Melter for wax (such as a Presto Pot or double boiler) Digital scaleThermometerCandle waxFragrance oilCandle dye (if desired) Ladle for dipping out candle wax Pour pot or pitcher Dixie Cups for measuring fragrance oil Tart molds: portion cups, clamshells, metal tart molds, etc. Step 2: Add candle wax to melter and heat to approx. 175°. Use a thermometer to check the temperature instead of relying on the Presto Pot's thermostat. Step 3: Place pouring pot on scale and tare the scale to 00. Step 4: Ladle the amount of melted candle wax you need into the pour pitcher. Step 5: Add candle dye (if desired) to reach the desired color. Step 6: Measure candle fragrance oil in a disposable Dixie Cup, add to melted candle wax and stir for approximately 2 minutes. Step 7: Check temperature – it should be around 150° - 155°. Step 8: Let tarts cool completely before adding lids to cups or packaging.
Googly Eye Phone Case – Tutorial – Hands Occupied I love this case. And it’s so easy to make. You just need some uber adhesive, googly eyes, a tired phone case and household items to bring this DIY together. If you’re not feeling the googly eyes, you can substitute rhinestones or beads and still DIY a totally stylish phone case. Supplies googly eyes in several sizes plain phone case E6000 heavy duty craft adhesive tweezers (optional) static guard (optional) rubbing alcohol (optional, but read on…) Directions Begin with a clean phone case. First off, the number one thing that drives me nuts about working with googly eyes is how staticky they get. Once you’re ready to get started and have your supplies organized, squeeze some E6000 onto the back if your phone case and spread it over the case evenly. The next part is kind of like doing a puzzle. Pro tip: don’t use a super sharp tweezer. A word of warning regarding the E6000. When your eyes are all set, let the case dry for 24+ hours.