DIY Fourth of July Hand Print Shirt

I know it's only June 1 but July 4 is going to be here before we know it! Last year I found a cute idea on instagram and thought I'm sure I must have a white shirt laying around to do this with! I already had the shirt and the paint so it didn't cost me anything. So if you're looking for a super cute Fourth of July shirt, this is it!

Supplies: White shirt, red & blue paint (washable is best),
 and baby wipes for clean up.

I covered my son's highchair tray with a trash bag to prevent messes.

I used blue paint and his hand print for the stars
 and dipped his finger in the red paint for the stripes.

One awesome Fourth of July shirt
and great memories!

Easy Peasy Popsicles

Looking for a cool treat on a hot summer's day? Then these popsicles are for you! They're easy and you can change and add in whatever you like!

I've started a paleo/whole 30 diet and have been looking for something sweet to eat. I normally love fruit popsicles but the ones I buy from the store have sugar in them (which is a no no on the whole 30). So I decided to make my own!

My first thought was to blend different fruits together and freeze the juice. I may try that next but for my first try I used frozen 100% juice. I used grape because it's my favorite popsicle. 

What you'll need to make your own:

- Frozen 100% Juice (I used Old Orchard)

- Water

- Juice Pitcher

- Popsicle molds

- Funnel (optional - we used it to fill the molds)

Simply mix the frozen juice with water as you normally would, pour the juice into the popsicle molds, and let them freeze for about 3 hours.

Enjoy these yummy easy popsicles!

Happy Crafting!

DIY Buttermilk

Have you ever gone to bake something and realize the recipe calls for buttermilk but you don't have any? Did you know you could make your own??? I was amazed when my uncle taught me how to make my own buttermilk! It has been a life saver since buttermilk is not a staple in our house. However, we normally always have milk & lemon juice (or white vinegar)  and that's all you need to make your own buttermilk!

You'll need:

- Liquid Measuring Cup

- Tablespoon

- Milk

- Lemon Juice / White Vinegar

{For this tutorial I used white vinegar.}

First, measure your milk. Pouring it just under the actual amount you need.

My recipe called for 3/4 cup milk.

Next mix in 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.

 

Let stand at room temp for 5-10 minutes.
Use immediately.

It is that easy! Seriously!

So if you're like me and don't use a ton of buttermilk, don't buy it! Make it!

Happy Crafting!

DIY Lightbox

I found this on pinterest a few months ago and have wanted to make one since then. Today was finally that day! It was easy to make and makes the pictures look great!

What you'll need to make your own:
Cardboard Box
Box Cutter
White Tissue Paper
Packing Tape
White Poster Board

Using the box cutter, cut off all the flaps
off of the box.

Cut squares out of three of the four sides.

Cover the square with tissue paper
and tape into place.

Cut poster board slightly smaller then the width of the box.
Make sure that it is long enough to lay inside the box curved.

Tape the poster board to the top of the box.
Flip the box over and align bottom of poster board so
that it's curved inside of the box.

Place the box in natural sunlight for some great pictures.
I hope this will inspire you
(this sign is going to hang in my craft room to remind me to inspire others with my crafts!).
 I found my inspiration here.

This is going to be a great way to photograph yarn and projects!

Happy Crafting!

Glass Etching

Are you looking for a nice Christmas present without spending a ton of money? Well look no further! I have been stocking up on these wonderful Glade candles for about $0.25 a piece! Yes, you read that correctly! How did I get these so cheap you ask? Coupons, Ibotta, and Checkout 51 of course! Not sure what those are? Check out my post about saving money here.

I decided to glass etch these for friends with their initial this year for Christmas.

Supplies Needed:
Latex/Non-Latex Gloves,
Etching Cream,
Brush,
Rubbing Alcohol,
Cling Stencils 

Clean glass with rubbing alcohol, allow to dry, and place stencil on glass.
Apply etching cream with brush (a decently thick layer) and leave on for 15 minutes.
Rinse off cream and remove stencil.

Voila!

A great present without spending a ton of money!

Happy Crafting!

DIY Chapstick - Burt's Bees Copycat

Nothing like a little evening crafting! I've been wanting to make my own chapstick for awhile now. Ever since I took a class about it last year, to get over my uneasiness of trying something completely new by myself. You can find my previous blog post about it here.

I recently bought the final missing ingredients needed to make chapstick. 

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Sweet Almond Oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Beeswax
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Tbsp Shea Butter
- 1/4 tsp peppermint oil
You will also need 12-13 chapstick tubes.

I have been saving my chapstick containers
(either once the chapstick was done or chapstick I hated).
Hi, my name is Nadia, and I am a chapstick snob!
I stuck the tubes (twisted all the way down, so not to make a mess)
in the microwave and zapped for 1-2 minutes to liquefy all remaining chapstick.
Once it was liquid I poured it all into a spare can and tossed it.

Here all all of my empty containers waiting for new chapstick.

The next step is to melt all ingredients, except for the peppermint oil, in a double boiler. I used a makeshift double boiler because I didn't want to clean beeswax out of my good one. I was so busy melting my ingredients that I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of my "double boiler".  I used a medium tin can and an old saucepan.

Once the liquid has good a bit (but hasn't solidified)
add in the peppermint oil and pour into the empty tubes.
If it solidifies in the process, just reheat.

Once your chapstick has solidified you can recap the tubes
and wipe off the excess. I didn't want to waste any so what
I cleaned off I added back into the tubes that weren't completely full.

I can't wait to use my new chapstick!

Happy Crafting!

Homemade Lip Balm

I don't know about all of you but I get a little nervous when I'm trying something new. Normally I have my partner in crime, Tamara, to try new things with me. It's not so scary trying new things with a friend by your side helping you figure out the directions. 

I've been wanting to make lip balm for a long time now but it has scared me. So when Chrissy, from Mama Chrissy's Creations, offered to host a lip balm class I jumped at the chance. I talked my mom and aunt into taking the class with me.

The whole process was definitely not as scary as I thought and relatively easy. Although Chrissy already had measured out the cocoa butter and beeswax that we needed. The class today has given me the confidence to make my own lip balm in the future. I'm thinking Christmas presents!

Step One: Melt together cocoa butter and beeswax in your base oil.

Step Two: Add vitamin e, grapefruit extract (for antibacterial purposes), and your choice of essential oils. I used peppermint since I love Burt's Bees lip balm. Mix everything together.

Step Three: Pour into your choice of lip balm containers. If balm solidifies just reheat.

Sorry I forgot to take pictures of the process! I'll be sure to take pictures when I try this on my own. You can find my new post with picture tutorial here. Happy Crafting!