DIY Candy Cane Vodka

Okay, I’m not usually festive. I’m kind of a scrooge when it comes to holidays so, I’ve decided to work on that. This is my first step… Candy Cane Vodka! Yummy! It is very easy to make and I assume that it will taste amazing. I’ve never made this before but I have made cherry and watermelon Jolly Rancher vodka and that was pretty good.

What can you use this for you ask? I recommend pouring a small amount of it in your hot chocolate on a cold day. That would be pretty good. Maybe it would taste good in your coffee (I am definitely not suggesting that you to indulge in an alcoholic beverage before work), and maybe sprite. If you come up with any other ideas let me know and I would be happy to add them!

Things You Will Need:
Mason jar
Candy canes
Unflavored vodka

Step 1:

Break up a few candy canes (I think I used 7) and drop them into the bottom of your mason jar. The more candy canes you use the more flavorful your vodka will be.

Step 2:

Pour in the vodka.

Step 3:

Let the jar sit for a a few minutes and shake it up.

Put it in the refrigerator. Shake it periodically. When the candy canes dissolve it is ready to drink!

Happy Monday!

ENJOY!

DIY Lip Scrub

 

They say invention comes from need. I would say that is accurate.

This week, my lips were really dry (I assume this was because of the weather changes) so I thought about buying lip scrub. Why would I buy it if I can make it?

Those of you who spend any amount of time around me know that I am a chapstick addict. I have a tube in my pocket at all times… seriously. But lip scrub is something that was i recently introduced to. It worked pretty well. You apply the lip scrub to exfoliate your lips and then apply chapstick to moisturize them. This is my version.

 

 

 

Things You Will Need:
Bowl
Honey
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Brown Sugar
Small Container

You will probably have all of these ingredients in your pantry/kitchen already. In case you don’t, substitutions can be made.
brown sugar = white sugar
honey = agave nectar or molasses
lemon juice = any flavorful liquid
olive oil = vegetable oil, coconut oil (for more flavor) or almond oil

*I didn’t measure anything. I just measured mentally by what looked “right”.

 

 

 

Step 1:

Pour a small amount of brown sugar into a bowl. I used a ramekin. It seemed to work well.

 

 

Step 2:

Add olive oil to the bowl. You should have a consistency similar to the above image.

 

 

Step 3:

Pour in some lemon juice. A small amount will do. I added about half a cap full.

 

 

Step 4:

This part is important. Squeeze in the honey. Honey is the moisturizer of the mix so there should be a decent amount. BUT this will make the mixture pretty gooey.

When I included the honey it started to look like this. So, I added some more brown sugar and everything was fine.

Play with the ingredients until you are happy with it.

 

 

 

Add your lip scrub to a small container (or several) and you are finished! The mixture is pretty yummy

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Candy-Cane Wreath

Look Mom, I’m being festive

This is a quick and easy dollar store craft. I bought two small boxes of candy canes (only because they didn’t carry full boxes) at the dollar store for $2.

I think this craft would also look nice with colored candy canes. Possibly the red and green or the blue and purple ones that come out around the holidays.

 

 

Things You Will Need:
Hot-melt glue
About 20-25 candy canes

 

 

Step 1:

Place two candy canes side by side facing in the same direction. Apply hot-melt glue wherever they touch. Ideally you would be gluing at the top and the bottom.

After repeating step 1 a few times you should have something like this.

Keep going…

 

 

Step 2:

Make a ring of glue (a lot of glue) around the bottom of the candy canes, like so. The wreath is pretty fragile so the glue helps to hold it together. If you want, you can add a circle of cardboard to the back to help with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Travel Kit

When you travel it is always beneficial to keep all of your things organized. You keep all of your clothes in one area, the shower supplies in one area, etc. So this is the perfect, easy-to-make solution to carrying toiletries. If you are making this for the men in your life I would avoid the ribbon, ha. Maybe going with a leather strap or velcro would be a better idea. Enjoy

Things You Will Need:
Thread
Needle
Ribbon
Wash cloth

*I forgot the ribbon in my materials picture Just imagine that it is there.

Step 1:

Fold the bottom of the wash cloth up about half way and sew the edges.

Step 2:

Determine which essentials you are going to be carrying with you. If you are going to want to put a comb or other larger object make sure you will have room for the rest of your needs. Measure the sizes and sew several straight lines down the folded part of the cloth to make unique sections for each essential.

Step 3:

Cut your ribbon so that it is a little less than double the size of the cloth. You want it to be long enough so that you can tie it in a bow (or a knot) when you roll it up. sew your ribbon to a small portion of the cloth. If you sew it across the whole thing then your will have problems tying it together. I chose a very small area and sewed it tightly.

Step 4:

Add your essentials to their unique sections.

Step 5:

Roll up the cloth and tie the ribbon.

You now have a cute DIY travel kit. Very cute

Happy crafting!

DIY Quote Mug

I loved making these! I want to make so many more.

It was a pretty easy one. Once you buy the markers everything is inexpensive. Sadly, the markers cost about $16 at Michael’s (I think that is where I got them). It really isn’t that bad of a price considering you will have them for a very long time and can write on just about anything with them: glass, metal, porcelain, stone, metal, and wood.

It can be run through the dishwasher or heated in the microwave too!

It is worth it, I promise.

Things You Will Need:
Ceramic Cups
DecoColor Paint Markers

Step 1:

Shake the pen for about 30 seconds. Remove the cap and push the tip of the pen into a tissue or piece of paper to get rid of the excess paint. Then start drawing or writing on your cups. Make sure you stay away from the rim. You don’t want it near where your lips will be. On that note, don’t put it inside the cup either.

It gets to be pretty fun… somewhat addicting? It is a good addiction.

Happy crafting!

DIY Letter Decor

Michael’s has a ton of wooden letters. Some are finished and others are not. I decided to go with black letters that were already finished and an N in a different font that was unfinished. I decided to paint the N red and put it over my bed. It is pretty cute! However, now I wish I would’ve framed it but I didn’t have a frame on hand that would’ve looked right so that will come later.

*I swear my walls aren’t dirty… they are a light brown color and the lighting is bad

Things You Will Need:
Brush
Paint
Water
Newspaper
wooden Letters

Step 1:

Pick an accent color and paint 2-3 coats of that color on the N. Let it dry between each coat.

Step 2:

Get some mini nails and mount your letters.

Adorable I suggest you frame the letters though. Maybe paint the frame the color of the accent letter?

Happy crafting!

DIY Sewing Kit

I was thinking the other day that I need a sewing kit. I always need one at the worst time too, I’m never at home where my thread and needles are. So, a few weeks ago one of my coworkers donated a few mint tins to me for my craft supplies and this was the first thing I thought of. Super easy.

Things You Will Need:
Fabric
Thread
Buttons
Scissors
Needles
Ribbon
Mod Podge
Safety Pins
Paint Brush
(optional)
Foam strip

Step 1:

Lay your fabric face down and trace a line around the outside of your tin. Do this twice, one for the top and one for the bottom. Also, trace the edges if you wish to cover the whole tin.

Step 2:

Brush some Mod Podge across the bottom of your tin. Place your cut fabric over the glue and press down. Let it dry.

Step 3:

Brush some Mod Podge over the top of the fabric as a protective layer. Let it dry.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the opposite side of the tin.

Step 4:

When both sides are dry, go ahead and add some decorative elements. I chose to add a single ribbon across the lid of the tin.

Step 5:

Add in your contents and you’ve got yourself a cute little portable sewing kit

Happy crafting!

DIY Nail Polish

Yes, it is possible to make your own nail polish. It isn’t hard and only takes a few minutes.  Most likely, you will already have everything you need.

I rarely use eye shadow. Usually I drop it and break it before I get to use it and thankfully, this is what you are going to use to make your nail polish. For the first attempt I would go to the Dollar Store and buy clear polish in case you don’t get the results you want. Once you produce something you are happy with then, go get some good clear polish and repeat. The results are much better with quality polish but I’m sure you could’ve figured that out.

 

 

 

Things You Will Need:
Paper
Glitter
Eye Shadow
Clear polish
Old paint brush

 

 

 

Step 1:

Set your eye shadow on the paper. This can be messy and it will be a lot easier to clean up with paper.

If it isn’t already broken, break up the eye shadow and put it in the lid.

 

 

 

Step 2:

Pour some clear polish into the lid with the eye shadow.

 

 

 

Step 3:

Use your paint brush to mix it all together.

 

 

 

Step 4 (optional):

The color you have will be a matte color meaning, it will not be glossy. It is a flat color. Maybe that is what you are going for but I wanted something a bit more vibrant so I am adding some craft glitter. Make sure to mix well. Test it out on the paper to see if you like the way it turned out.

If not repeat steps 1-4 until you get a color you like.

If so, move on to step 5.

 

 

 

Step 5:

Make a funnel out of paper. to stick in your bottle of clear nail polish.

Crush up some more of your eye shadow and pour it into the funnel so it falls into the clear polish.

Add glitter if you wish.

Shake the bottle well!

 

 

 

Step 5:

And paint! Lovely!

I added a protective clear coat over top and the glitter popped out so much more than without it. So pretty! Who needs Sally Hansen anyway?

Happy painting!

No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating

I am probably the least festive person you will ever meet but I love Halloween. If I only decorate for one holiday out of the year it is Halloween. However, I’ve never been real enthusiastic about pumpkin carving so any other way to decorate them is good for me! I found ideas on how to decorate this year and got excited about it. Of course I am going to share it if I am excited about it! If you see something you like you should click on the image because they are linked to some awesome tutorials!

 

How Many Knots?

Have you ever been to  http://www.fusionknots.com?  It is a pretty cool site. I’m not a knot expert or anything, but this site has a ton of video tutorials on how to tie just about every knot you can think of. Well, at least more than the knots that cross my mind.

This site was created by J.D. Lenzen.  J.D. is the creator of the well known YouTube channel “Tying It All Together”.   He’s been formally recognized by the International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT) for his contributions to knotting.

Pretty neat stuff.  See some examples below. BUT seriously, there are so many! Don’t just stop with these. Each image is linked for you Enjoy!

Ashley’s Flower Knot

Back-to-Back Zipper Sinnet

Basket Weave Knot

Blaze Bar

Bumble Bee Knot

Celtic Bar

Corkscrew Crown Sinnet

Dragon’s Egg Paracord Pouch

Wide Solomon Bar