Let me show you how to make bath bombs to pamper your loved ones this Easter! Fill baskets with egg shaped capsules that will turn their bath into a luxurious soak.
Spring is the perfect time to pamper someone special with some precious bath bombs. Why not give them (or yourself) a reason
This sequined Easter eggs tutorial will show you how to make exquisite decorative eggs that you can use to adorn your home for years to come.
I’ve been making these beautiful sequined eggs with my elementary students at school for years now. Every Spring I pull out the foam shaped eggs, sequins and straight pins and we go to town chatting and sharing stories whilst we create a magnificent specimen out of layered colorful circles held together with pins. I cherish this special time with my students. We sit together working quietly as our imaginations slowly unfold in a relaxed repetition of jewel-like splendor.
Some students choose to make their egg into patterns of color, some choose a solid palette, while others cover the surface with a myriad of sizes, shapes and colors of sequins. There is no wrong or right way. Each egg comes to life at the hands of unique individuals who take the time to sit and create them. And each egg is as beautiful as the individual who creates them. And I tell them so.
I love watching their faces glow in self discovery and awe of what their each capable of. Most of the children can’t sit still for more than five minutes, but this project can capture them and entice them into a creative trance. And the end result of their hard work and dedication is truly priceless…
just like each one of the beautiful children I am so fortunate to know and teach.
Items you’ll need to make sequined Easter eggs ::
Foam shaped eggs found at any craft store
Multicolored sequins, I like to get various sizes for layering
Flathead push pins
Take time to sit down with those you love and create something together. You’ll be surprised by the beauty that unfolds.
Make the cold winter days cozy and quaint with a DIY Sweater Mug Warmer. They’re inexpensive and you’ll never believe how simple they are to put together.
I’ve been an avid coffee lover and drinker since I was a wee little nipper. As a matter of fact, those of you who know me know that “coffee is like air to me.” There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t relish in at least one mug full of the deep, dark, delicious brew and during the cold winter months I find myself wrapping my hands around a mug more often than not. This year after using refurbished sweaters and scarves for setting the scene for a winter party I was inspired to dress up my mugs with these darling sweater mug warmers!
They were unbelievably simple to make! Cut the sleeve of a sweater (across width of the arm) so that it covers the mug but leaves a few inches of the top of the mug exposed. You’ll need lip room for sipping. Next, cut along the edge (height-wise) to make room for the handle. Then cut pieces of a foam double sided tape and place the tape on either side of the handle at the top and bottom of the mug. You may want another piece of or two placed along the top edge of the sweater (depending on how snuggly the wrap fits) so it doesn’t slip. Once tape is affixed, place the already cut sweater wrap around the mug. Make sure to press the sweater against the tape to secure it. I left the cut edges untouched and they haven’t frayed but you can use a non-fraying liquid along the edge if you so choose.
I certainly don’t need any excuse to sip on a mug of my beloved coffee, but I must say that it’s even more fun with a mug dressed up in an adorable sweater warmer! If you’re not a coffee lover, here’s a yummy homemade hot chocolate recipe for you to enjoy.
Supplies you’ll need to make a DIY sweater mug warmer::
ceramic mug
sleeves of a sweater (I used sweaters from a thrift store and a children’s size works better)
foam doubled sided tape (regular double sided tape would work as well)
Flower pens make beautiful homemade Valentine gifts for loved ones, teachers, friends or coworkers. While they’re easy and fun to make, they’re even more fun to use!
You may be thinking, “what a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting quietly in an antique sugar bowl” as you gaze upon the above photo. But is it, really? Nope! It’s not! It’s a beautiful antique sugar bowl filled with a bouquet of flower pens! If you’re looking for a unique homemade Valentine gift, then you’ve come to the right place! Flower pens are such fun! So easily personalized by the pen you use and what type (or types) of flower you choose.
You’ll only need a couple supplies and less than 5 minutes to make this sweet gift.
a pen (or pens)
artificial flowers
floral tape
wire cutters
I found these pretty peonies at the dollar store but you can find an even larger selection of artificial flowers as well as the floral tape, at a local craft store.
Here’s what you do ::
Simply cut a flower with wire cutters leaving about a 4 inch stem
hold the stem against the top of the pen, then gently pull the floral tape to release its sticky texture while wrapping it around the stem
continue to wrap (while gently pulling the tape) until the entire pen is covered in the floral tape
tear off the tape once you get to the tip and press the edge down for a smooth finish
Viola! You’ve got yourself a flower pen. Isn’t it sweet?
A bouquet of pens arranged in a fetching vessel makes a gorgeous gift for Valentine’s Day or even a birthday or Mother’s Day. Treat someone special to a beautiful homemade flower pen. It’s nearly impossible to use one without a smile on your face.
Other easy homemade Valentine gifts you may like ::
DIY bath bombs will turn your bath into a glorious soak. Enjoy pampering qualities of epsom salts, olive oil, delicious essential oil fragrances and secret surprises inside.
Sometimes the hustle and bustle of a busy life calls for a luxurious bath. Slipping into a hot tub of pink water that’s scented like roses, feels like silk ribbons swirling around you and melts into an explosion of sweet little heart sprinkles can make you feel like a queen. (Or a king depending on who you are.) My daughters happen to be huge fans of a store called Lush, and they especially adore their bath bombs. After a recent pricey trip of loading up on their favorite bath time essentials, my eldest daughter decided to experiment with different bath bomb recipes.
She’s very sciencey and always smitten with a challenge, so it took her only a few hours of experimentation to come up with a perfect fizzy bath bomb concoction. She’s had numerous friends and family members volunteer as “guinea pigs” lately and we’ve all agreed hands down, that these bath bombs are, well…the bomb.
When making your own DIY bath bombs, the world is your oyster as far as shapes, sizes, colors, fragrances, and surprise additions are concerned. My daughter likes to embellish her bath bombs with a hidden capsule inside that differs in color and always entices the recipient with an additional hidden treasure of sprinkles, glitter or even pop rocks for a special effect. The typical round bath bomb can be molded into a tennis ball that’s been cut in half. However, my daughter decided that she much prefers to make unique shapes out of a plethora of different plastic vessels for an individual touch.
Why not surprise someone this Valentine’s Day with a personalized DIY bath bomb? Tied up with a bow in a simple plastic wrap makes an impressive gift that anyone would love to receive.
Treat those you love (as well as yourself) with a reason to indulge in a glorious bath any day of the year.
In case you missed it, here’s another suggestion for a relaxing bath ::
DIY bath bombs will turn your bath into a glorious soak. Enjoy pampering qualities of epsom salts, olive oil, delicious essential oil fragrances and secret surprises inside.
Ingredients
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup epsom salts
3/4 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons rose essential oil (or any scent you like)
2 1/2 tsp olive oil or coconut oil
a few drops of red & purple food coloring
optional :: sprinkles, tiny plastic toys or glitter
Instructions
Mix dry ingredients well and set aside.
Combine wet ingredients (minus food coloring) in a separate bowl.
Very slowly, add wet ingredients to the dry. Water will start fizzing in reaction to the dry mix, so stir well and the excess fizzing will subside.
Stop adding liquid once mixture resembles wet sand (grab a handful and squeeze to check if the mixture will hold its shape).
Next, remove 1/3 of the mixture and place in a separate bowl (this will be used for a center capsule)
In 2 small bowls add a few drops of red food coloring and purple food coloring in respective bowls. Add 1/2 teaspoon of water to each bowl and stir.
Slowly pour the red into the bowl with the 2/3 mixture and the purple into the bowl with the 1/3 mixture and stir.
Add 1/4 of a teaspoon of the heart sprinkles to the purple bowl.
Make purple centers with a small mold that will fit inside the bigger mold.
Sprinkle heart sprinkles into the bottom of the larger mold, then cover with the red mixture, add purple capsule, and fill in and around capsule with red mixture until container is filled. Pack down with fingers, pop out of mold onto a flat surface and let dry for 6 hours.
Repeat process until all of the bath bomb mixture is used.
Drop one bath bomb into a filled tub of warm to hot water, slip into fizzing water and enjoy a luxurious & rejuvenating soak!
Notes
[i]Bath bomb recipe developed by daughter, Lauren.[/i]
These easy DIY wine glass charms will add a personalized touch to your party that your guests will admire and appreciate.
I can’t count how many times I’ve been hosting or attending a party or casual gathering, that somebody didn’t say, “Is this my glass?” It just seems to come with the territory. So when I entertain, I like to embellish my glasses with some sort of charm or clever tag. As of late I’ve been celebrating winter and all of its old school charm with all sorts of ideas and projects for a winter themed dinner party. I made yarn pom poms into a darling garland for my fireplace and I decided that these sweet little snowball-like pom poms would be just precious tied onto my wine glasses.
I knew that I wanted to keep the pom poms off-white so to distinguish each glass, I tied on an assortment of tiny silver charms (from Jo Ann Fabrics). I selected charms that had something to do with winter and/or my tablescape, like snowflakes, pinecones and ice skates, to keep my theme consistent.
They were a cinch to put together. I just thread the yarn of the pom pom through the ring of the charm and tied them onto the stems of the glasses.
No more “Is this my glass?” Not to mention they’re stinkin’ cute, aren’t they?
Here are some of my other ideas for a winter themed party ::
Let me show you how to make pom poms. Once you see how easy and fun it is, you’ll want to make them all day long!
I can still remember the sound of my mom knitting in the family room. That clink of the two long metal needles meeting and then the slooooow sliding sound that was quickly interrupted by another clink. It was so soothing to hear the curious repetition of the fast and slow movements of her hands and needles. They mysteriously created beautiful ponchos and mittens and hats for my sister and me to wear through the winter months. Matching of course. I remember trying to mimic her movements with her needles. Crisscrossing them in a dramatic fury thinking that somehow I would magically learn how to make the same beautiful music with them that would eventually turn into a velvety masterpiece. She tried to teach me to knit but I was never able to master the technique. I did however learn to make sweet little yarn pom poms with a round of cardboard. As of late, I’ve been craving an evening project to calm my mind and hands after the long rushed days. I decided to snoop around the internet to remind myself how to make pom poms out of yarn.
Some people still do it the old fashioned way, with cardboard rounds, but I discovered that others use a fork. I gave it a whirl and I must say that I am smitten with the technique. Wait until you see how to make pom poms. It’s easier than pie. Wrap the yarn around the tines of a fork until you’ve achieved the thickness you want. Then thread a piece of yarn through the center tine (below the ball of yarn you’ve woven) and tie the ball of yarn (in half) tightly with a double knot.
Slide the ball of yarn off the fork and cut each looped edge with scissors.
Fluff the pom pom and trim off any uneven pieces. And that’s it! Do you believe how simple it is!?
It was rather fun making different sizes of pom poms with a variety of forks. The tiny little pom pom is just so dear.
I am now hopelessly addicted to the delightfully mindless process of making little yarn snowballs. Even though I’m not making music with metal needles like my mom used to do, I find myself smiling with the same satisfaction of listening to her do so. I think you will too.
Can’t wait to share what I’ve done with all 432 pom poms I’ve made.
Supplies for making yarn pom poms ::
spool of yarn
fork (or a variety of sizes of forks)
scissors
Wishing you many relaxing evenings of making music in your mind whilst making pom poms,
You’ll fall in love with these DIY snow globes. You’ll feel as if you’re peering through the glass of a window pane into a winter wonderland.
There’s just something so magical about catching a glimpse of the new fallen snow through a cold glass window pane. The world seems frozen in time, wrapped in a blanket of powdered sugar that sends a gentle hush throughout the land. Snow globes have always been a close second to the real thing for me. I could spend hours looking through a glass dome into an enchanted snow covered kingdom.
As of late I’ve had a desire to make some of my own magic with snow globes. I’ve seen so many different beautiful snow globes through the years, mostly made with mason jars but I wanted something larger, more elegant and sophisticated. I found these lovely apothecary jars a T.J. Maxx and I knew in an instant that they were just the perfect vessel to hold a dreamy winter scene.
I decided to use a soft marabou feather boa as the snow in the bottom of my jars. I trimmed them into pieces and curled them around the base of the jars. I adore the ethereal feel they give against the textures of the trees.
I added some white antique reindeer throughout the winter scene and finished it off with a single white feathered tree. I find myself walking into my foyer throughout the day just to gaze at the snow globe collection and delight that little girl in me who still loves to get lost in a snow globe.
Make some winter wonderland magic with your own DIY snow globes this year! They’re a simple way add a beautiful vignette in any spot in your home!
Supplies for DIY snow globes ::
apothecary jars (I suggest 3 sizes. It a magical number in decorating)
white miniature trees of different heights (I found mine at JoAnn Fabric and the Dollar Store)
white marabou boas for the snow inside the jars (I found mine a JoAnn Fabrics)
miniature white reindeer (mine are antiques but I found some sweet white crystal ornaments you could use on Amazon here )
white feather tree (I got mine at Target last year but I found a similar one on Amazon here)
I’ve been adorning my home in all white all season long and I’m absolutely smitten with it! In case you missed my other posts, here they are for some more whimsical white Christmas inspiration!