Coffee Scrub and Sugar Scrub

I tried making a Sugar Scrub and a Coffee Scrub and was very happy with them so I wanted to share them with you.
I got this recipe from Deep Fried Kudzu.
As far as the coffee scrub. You just add ground coffee to the sugar scrub and mix. However much you want to add. I think I added 2 cups to mine.

After we put the scrubs in the jars we cut out some decorative paper to go on the top. These are great as gifts. Just put a cute little ribbon around the rim and it's ready to go.

Book Thong Tutorial

The title sure catches your eye doesn't it? Well that's what I have always known them to be.
I use my book thong all the time. If you don't know what it is check out the pictures. It is a piece of string with beads (or whatever fits on the string) on each end. It is used as a bookmark.

I decided to do a mini tutorial for those who might want to know how to make it.
1. Gather your materials. All you need are the beads you are using, string (whatever length you want), 4 crimping beads, scissors, and a crimping tool. Make sure you have big enough holes in the beads and crimping beads for the string.
2. Put a crimping bead on the end of the string and crimp it. That way when you are putting beads on they don't fall off.
3. Add the beads on in the order that you want. I usually do a bigger bead and a bunch of little beads on one side and then a bunch of smaller ones on the other.
4. Add a two crimping beads. I wait to crimp those until I have done the other side.
5. Add the rest of the beads to the other side. Put the last crimping bead on the end and crimp it. Now crimp the two beads on the inside.
6. You are done.
I sometimes go a little bigger on the string because there might be larger books that people look at.
Finished.
Here are the other thongs I did today. By-the-way, I am putting these on my Etsy site today. They will only be $2.50 for anyone who doesn't have the time (or doesn't want) to make these.
Here is the one that I use. It is a little battered. I got this from someone and I use it all the time. Now, it can be used for more than just a bookmark. It can be used to keep your hand busy while reading too! I am always twirling it around my finger while I am reading. Other times it is a toy for my boy to play with. He sees me twirling it and wants it. It gets abandoned pretty quickly though.
Happy Crafting!

I Am A Winner!

A couple weeks ago I entered this huge giveaway at The Dress-up Drawer. For about a week there was about 10 giveaways a day and you could enter all of them. Anyways, I won one of them from Danbury Lane. I won the Candy Stripes Tutu in the new 'Sweet Tart' color mix.
It is so adorable. We had a little photo shoot and my daughter was having a bit of fun in it.
Thank You Rebekah!!! We love it.

Check out Rebekah's Etsy store. She has a bunch of different tutu's for such a great price.

Paint and Decoupage Wood Letters

I just wanted to share a project that I did for my daughter. I always wanted to have her name in wood lettering on the wall and found some cute letters at Michael's for about a dollar each.
Here is what I did to make these cute letters.
1. Buy letters to make your name, acrylic paint the color you want, stickers, sand paper, and decoupage glue.
2. Sand down the areas that are rough.
3. Paint the letters. Let them dry. I think I did two coats of paint on these letters.
4. Put the sticker on the letter where you want it to go. Smooth down on all surfaces. You can see the sticker was bigger than the flat part of the letter. I just used my nail to push it into the creases.
5. Decoupage the top of the letter. I did it a couple times to make sure the sticker stayed on. Let dry.
6. You are done. I ended up tying some ribbon around a couple of the other letters just to tie in with her decor.
A close up of the sticker.

As you can tell, it's pretty easy to make. I just don't have pictures of the process. There are other ways to do it too. Play around and come up with something that fits your decor.
Happy Crafting!

Framed Jewels Tutorial

Here is the other tutorial using only dollar store items. I made two framed jewels. My little girl's room is in pinks and purples so I was trying to figure out what I could do as far as decorations.
These are the materials that I used. Everything (except the paper) was from the dollar store. The frame, the jewels, even the hot glue.
1. Cut the paper down to fit the size of the frame. I used the stock paper that came in the frame. It makes it so much easier.
2. Put the paper in and put the glass underneath it since we don't need to use it. I put it underneath because I didn't want to lose glass. I might want to use it later if I ever want to change what is in the frame.
3. First you want to put all the jewels on the paper and space them out the way you want them so that you can tell where they need to go.
Hot glue them on to the paper. Be careful not to touch the tip of the glue gun to the back of the jewel. I did that a couple times and found that it was melting the silver part and could see the squiggle on the other side.
4. Start gluing them down. Luckily my jewels were perfect and lined right up without any funky space. You are done! That was easy.
Here is what it looks like finished.
I love that the frame came with a ribbon already attached to it for hanging. So cute.
Here are the final products on the wall.
Total for this project? About $1.20 per frame. Maybe even less.
If you want to see how to make the Framed Flowers go to my tutorial here.

Framed Flower Tutorial

I found these really cute frames at the dollar store and had them for a month before I decided what I wanted to do with them. I decided to do two of them with flowers coming out of the middle and the other two with jewels.

Everything I used (except the paper) was from the dollar store. The frame, flowers, jewels, even the hot glue. Decorating on a budget. Woo hoo!
1. I cut out some paper in the size of the frame opening. I used the stock paper that came with the frame to get the correct size.
2. I put the paper in and then the glass underneath. Who knows, someday I may change what is in these frames and will still want the glass.

3. Pull the flower apart and turn it upside down because you will be starting with the bottom layer.
4. Put a decent bit of glue in the middle of the paper and press the bottom layer of the flower onto it.
5. Continue with each layer. I usually surround the hole in the flower so that I don't get glue on my fingers as much.
6. Put a jewel in the center and voila, you're done!
A cute framed flower for your little girl's room. At least that is where these are going.
Here is a pink one I did too. My daughter's room is all in pinks and purples so these fit in just right.

Total for this project? About $1.20 per frame. Maybe even less.
To know how to make the Framed Jewels go here.

Create Your Own Sun Jar

I found this great tutorial on how to make your own sun jars. It is three items and so easy to make. My husband found this on Life Hacker (one of his favorite websites.) Check out the tutorial here.

This was found under the Top 10 DIY Projects for an extra day off. Check out the other 9 here.

Pumpkin Giveaway

I was blog hopping and I found this giveaway from There Is Sunshine In My Soul Today. Check it out here. She made the cutest fabric pumpkins and you can win some too.
I wish I had a picture to show you. You'll just have to go to her site to see a tutorial and a giveaway.