Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

Friday, January 10, 2014

Nailed It.

Usually I'm pretty good at crafting so when I saw these pretty little snowglobes at I don't blog I figured they'd be perfect Christmas crafts for the boys to give their aunts.

SO CUTE, RIGHT?
used with permission from I don't blog
Super cute tiny jars and little finger puppets I found at the party store, ready to roll.

I followed the instructions, for real. Waited a full 24 hours after gluing the figures in the jars before adding the water, glycerine and glitter.

Right away, the snowglobes went all cloudy and I'm in my kitchen growling about cheap glitter.

"Dammit. I knew I shouldn't have mixed dollar store glitter with Martha Stewart glitter. Martha probably puts some magical properties in her glitter that make it completely incompatible with dollar store stuff because you know... Martha Stewart."

But I wait another 24 hours thinking maybe it just needs to settle and they'll be fine.

They weren't.

They've continued to sit on a shelf until last night when I had an absolute revelation.  In the cupboard, grabbing a spice jar and I see the glycerine.  Sitting right beside the tub of glucose.

Oh yes. I used glucose instead of glycerine in the water.

Bloody brilliant.


But for the record, I still wouldn't be surprised AT ALL if Martha and her super glitter had something to do with it. Because, you know.... Martha Stewart.



**Thanks to Alex at I don't blog for letting me use her pretty snowglobes to showcase my spectacular fail. I'm getting pretty used to making my friends look extra good. ;)

Monday, December 16, 2013

Perfect Playdough

By far, the favourite activity in our house for a long time has been play dough. It's one of the few activities that my boys will sit down and play with for an hour WITHOUT FIGHTING. So obviously, I always make sure we have some on hand.

I've been making this particular recipe since I was about 13 and had tiny sisters. I have no idea where the recipe came from but it is by far the best recipe I've ever used. It's also way way better than that name brand stuff that sells for a small fortune.

So here's my recipe for absolutely perfect playdough. 'Tis the season for sharing.

Perfect Playdough (makes 2 lbs)
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 Tb cream of tartar
1 Tb oil
2 cups water
4 Tb cinnamon (optional but oh-so worth it)
Food colouring


Mix all the ingredients except for the food colouring in a saucepan, stir well and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until it becomes a big clump.


Remove from heat and knead for about 3 minutes. I'm lazy and often make triple batches so I use my KitchenAid mixer but it's simple to knead by hand. Separate and mix in any food colouring at this time. I like gel food colouring because I always have it on hand but liquid works well too, although the colours won't be as vibrant.

Stored in an airtight container or plastic bags, this will last for months.
 




Enjoy!





My oldest son is very "feel-y". He loves it when I pop the playdough into the microwave for about 15 seconds before he starts playing with it. I have to admit, it feels great between your hands when slightly warmed. 

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Gettin' Crafty: Jewelry Case

This past Christmas, I made all my gifts. Every. Single. One. Thankfully we have a small family.

I forgot to take pictures of most of what I made except for this, hands down my favourite gift this season, made for my sister.

She said she needed a jewelry case. So I started with a wooden box I found on the side of the road and filled in all the holes. So many holes.


Then I made a frame out of scrap wood pieces and glued them into the box. Covered that with a piece of plastic mesh from the dollar store.


Spray painted with 2 cans I had hanging around from old projects and covered in a high gloss clear coat.


Then I attacked some used fashion magazines I picked up at the thrift shop, covered the plastic mesh with a piece of fabric (again from the thrift store) and covered it with a few layers of mod podge. Add some fancy knobs I found at the surplus store for 39¢, one more spray with high gloss and voila! A jewelry case worthy of my princess sister!



She can hang her necklaces from those fancy knobs, poke holes in the mesh to hang her earrings and use the base for rings and bracelets. Total project cost? $12.


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Gee whilickers! It's a retro invasion!

We moved into this house at the end of August and the first thing I had to contend with was these oh so lovely orange-tinted paneling covered walls. Aren't they gorgeous?


My first thought was to use gel stain on the walls and make them a deep rich brown. Then I went to the store, saw the price of gel stain and realized there was no way ever I would pay that much money to paint the walls of a rental unit. Suck it up and deal with it, Melissa.

Then I found this table.


Circa 1950's, it is my dream table. I love the chrome. I love the mustard yellow leather. Most of all, I love the sturdiness of old furniture. Once the table moved in it was easy to see that this room needed a little retro lovin'.

                         
 


It's a long way to being done but so far I've made this awesome hanging light from records, bought a few secondhand vintage bowls and this really cool fabric I found at the surplus store. There's a bookshelf waiting to be retro-ized, a black and white leather couch and some t-shirt rag carpets on my to-do list but most of that will have to wait until after Christmas. For now, I'm adoring the way this room is turning out.