Pinterest Interest- DIY Tea Soap

 

This week I am looking at some really cute tea soaps that I found here.... They were really simple (and fun) to make. Plus, they turned out really cute. I loved being able to customize the soap by what tea that I put it in. So here, is the way I did it.

Materials:

Soap- I found an awesome kit at Michaels that had the bar soap... But, there is a huge selection at Michaels for all the kinds of soap you want, basically a good melt and mold kind.

Tea- I used Peppermint and also Earl Grey

Apricot seeds- this came in my kit from Michaels, but I believe they have them for individual sale there too. This adds the exfoliating scrubbing that I love in soap.

Soap Mold, bowl, tissue paper, string, and labels if you want them :)

I started by breaking off pieces of the soap and putting them in the bowl. Microwave this in about 20 second intervals until you have a smooth consistency. Add in about 1/2 to 1 tea bag into the soap. Also add in a little of the apricot seeds to your desired scrubbiness level. Dump this into your mold and let it cool completely before moving it!

Once it is cooled pop those suckers out of the mold. Now, I don't have a picture of it, but I wrapped them in tissue paper so that they looked like little tea bags. Then I stapled on the string and added a label that I made quickly so I would know what kind it was. If you want more detailed pictures of how it was wrapped, go to the tutorial that inspired this, she does a much better job than I ever could.

 

There you have it loves, a simple soap that smells wonderful, works amazingly, and is so cheap. Oh and here is a little bit of info on the benefits of green tea soap I you need another reason to make it.

 

Lovelovelove.

 

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Slacking... And reupholstering an office chair.

I know my last post said I would do better about posting more, and well I really did plan too...... But again I have become really busy. Next week is finals and this week was just insane. I have some videos that are ready to go, I just need the hubby to edit them.

I am so excited for this term to be over! I am worn out and need summer vacation... I need some sunshine. For any one who loves in Oregon, this weather has been insane! Luckily only like 20 more days and Richard and I will be in Anaheim for a few days.

So one of our roommates moved out and a new one moved in, but in that whole process I got a new craft room :) yeah I pretty much love it. I've been spending a lot of time getting it together and I have to say it is becoming quite nice and cozy. I just need a massive beanbag chair and I'll be set. But anyways, I found an office chair on Craigslist for free... Definitely not the best shape... I gave that one to the man cave and took one of theirs :) and reupholstered it. It was way easier than I thought it would be. Below is my process.

Materials- fabric of your choosing (I used two pillow cases and pieced it together), staple gun and staples, and an ugly old office chair. Plus anything you'll want for embellishment.

Step one- unscrew every screw you can find on your chair. This will separate the seat from the back and the arms. Make sure to save all the screws!

Step two- I started on the seat and pieced together the fabric pieces to completely cover it. You want enough fabric to cover it all and go about an inch or two onto the bottom. Once you have the fabric placed where you want it begin stapling on the bottom. I started on one area and worked around the chair, then I made the corners all nice and tight. This will take a lot of pulling and adjusting, but you want it to look as nice as possible.

Step three- move to the back rest now. You can either sew or use just the staple gun, I went the staple gun only because it was easier. You'll want to have a piece the at least covers the side your back goes on completely so there are no staples for you to lean up against.

Step four- Your chair should now look like the image above. The last little bit of the of the back of the chair will get covered with pieces. I tried to make this look as nice as possible,since people will actually be seeing it. Then I used some hot pink elastic to cover up one row of the staples and plus I can use it to hold stuff down there. After you are all done with this rescues everything back together.

And voila, you now have a fancy new chair. I loved this project and it was a quick way to help make my room look better.

 

 

Pinterest Interest

Pinterest constantly takes over my life. Here are my latest Pinterest loves.

Let me warn you before you make these.... They are HIGHLY addictive. Peanut butter chocolate chip shortbread cookies. We loved them, honestly it was more like obsessed. These are melt in your mouth deliciousness.

If anyone knows me, this little quote may be the most true thing ever.

I just love everything about this onsie. It's fairly cheap, $13, but could easily be reproduced. Maybe this will be a tutorial soon.. I think baby Avery needs one :)

I love these little sock monkeys. Seriously, they are so cute. Every baby born in my family from here on out will be getting a sock monkey. Totally fun and cute. I'll be doing my tutorial on this soon with a video.

For some reason, I love this whole room. Every single thing about it is amazing. I need to find some time to do interior decorating.

 

 

These little shells are delicious. It's like hamburger helper on crack. Taco seasoned ground beef, taco sauce, salsa, shells, and cheese... Lots of cheese. Let's just say these are keepers.

 

 

 

 

So there you have it, my addiction to Pinterest :)

Follow me on Twitter.

As always, follow me on YouTube and help me get a new camera :)

 

Crazy Weekend

I don't think those two words can even begin to describe this weekend. I am so exhausted.

Friday morning I went to pick up my grandma for a doctors appointment because she had been sick, sinus infection and then bronchitis. She was really tired and couldn't get herself up and moving so we missed her appointment. Seeing that she was that sick I took her into the emergency room. They quickly diagnosed her with pneumonia. Friday night was very scary and it was really hard to stay positive. However, she quickly turned around and has been getting better since. So all weekend I have been running back and forth between the hospital and my house.

Richard and I went to see The Five Year Engagement this weekend. It was funny, but got really boring at parts. Comedies are not supposed to be two hours long. I would recommend seeing it, but don't expect to be constantly laughing.

Saturday night we had dinner over at my brother Eric's house. I love spending time with my nephews. :)

I have almost finished the first two books of the Vampire Diaries. I really, REALLY like them. It's a must read for vampire lovers.

I think that next up will be watching the series, but I don't know if I want to read all the books first though. Any suggestions from those who have seen the series?

 

So here's my new clever idea. Using nail polish to paint bobby pins. My hair is about shoulder length and most of it falls out of the buns or ponytails that I put it in, so I use a lot of bobby pins. I think the colored ones are fun.

 

 

 

Another unconventional use for nail polish: key identifiers. I've added another house key to mine this weekend and so I don't get mine confused with the other one I used some nail polish to tell them apart. Layer of color, layer glitter, layer of top coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think that is all for my clever uses of nail polish for right now. Tomorrow is back to school and thinking of a new craft for this week :) let me know if anyone has any ideas.

 

Spring Branches Tutorial plus Extras :)

Hey guys. The weather has been AWESOME the last few days here. I have loved it. Here's a new tutorial for you guys. It was really simple and cheap.

The quick run through is this : grab some branches from your backyard, scrapbook paper, florist wire, scissors, and glue. Cut out some leaf shapes and glue them back to back with wire in between. Wrap the wire around the branches and voila... Decorative spring branches :)

For the more detailed explanation see my video below. Plus, it is always nice to see things done for you in video form.

 

Now, for the extras. I found a clear iPhone case on Amazon for super cheap and ordered it. Then, I took some scrapbook paper and other stuff and made some cute backings... Now I have a completely customizable case for my phone. Genius, I know. :) Everyone should do it; really easy and worth it. Just be careful with the thickness of what you want for your design.

Anyways, thank you to all my awesome readers and YouTube viewers. I really do appreciate you all.

 

Book Storage Tutorial

Hey guys, I've got a great new tutorial for you:) I love going to the craft stores and finding things to make. Sometimes though, you walk in there and see all these great things but have no idea what to do with them. Well, one thing I found last time I was in there was this cardboard book. I've always wanted a fake book to it on a shelf or table to store stuff in. Finally I was able to do it without destroying one of the books that I love.

Materials-

Cardboard Book- found at Michael's or another craft store

Painters Tape

Assorted Sizes of Paintbrushes

Stencils of you're choosing- or anything else you want to decorate your book with

Paint in however many colors you'd like

 

 

 

First, tape off any areas on the book that you do not want to be your base color. For me, this was the stripes on the spine of the book and what would be considered the pages.

Once you have the book taped start painting. I used a sponge brush to paint the bulk of it. The sponge brushes leave less streaks in my opinion and I like the look that leaves. The paint will soak into the cardboard so you may need more paint than you think.

Once the base color is dry, peel of the tape you have already put on the book. Next, tape the outsides of where you took off the tape. This will make it so you can paint the smaller areas in the color of your choice.

I had to paint over some of my base color, so the red needed a few coats. Let each coat dry between a new coat.

 

 

 

Using a really small paintbrush, make any touch-ups that are needed. I mostly needed mine along the spine where I had done the red painting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the spine was dry I opened it up and taped off the bottom part of the book. I used yellow to paint the book where the pages would go and also the inside of the book. For this part I painted with a thicker paintbrush and that allowed for some streaks to be left in the yellow paint, which just happened to make them look like there was pages :)

 

 

 

 

Once the inside is all dry, close the book up. Grab your stencil and place it on the book how you would like.

I used Martha Stewart stencils that I found at Michaels. I know I use a lot of her products, but I like the quality of them the most. They last well and the paint works on everything, literally everything! I love it so that is why I recommend everyone use it to :)

Anyways, back to the book. Use different sized brushes to paint the different parts of the stencil if you are doing it like I am. I used red for the flowers to match the spine and green for the leaves.

There is my final product. Now I can put it on my craft shelf to store all my little knick-knacks in. Perfect right?

Go out and craft! If you make a book storage take a picture and send it to me :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my YouTube channel too!

Lovelovelove.

iPad Cork Case

I finally was ready to make a new iPad case. I loved the one I had, but just wanted something different and something personalized. Plus, the husband was out of town so I had plenty of time to get it done. I am very happy with how it turned out and even had time to make one for a kindle fire all it took was some sizing changes.

Materials:

• Cork- I used 12x12 squares instead of rolled cork because it was easier to work with. Make sure the cork is about 1/8th of an inch thick. You can find this at most stores like Fred Meyer, Michaels, Target...
• Cotton- enough to make 2 squares about 9x10, I used an old shirt.
• Fleece or felt- this will be the piece that your iPad actually comes into contact with, so softer is better. I used felt pieces I found at Michaels.
• Steam-a-Seam fusible web- this is found at JoAnns.
• Poster Board- use this to make a stencil. I used the kind with lines on it to make the stencil easier.
• Craft Sticks, Binder Clips, Wood Glue, Spray Adhesive, Sand Paper, Scissors, Xacto Knife, Pen, Ruler, Iron, Paint, Stencils, Rubber Band, Paint Brushes

Begin by making your stencil. Lay the poster board out and use the ruler and lines on it as a guide. The stencil needs to be 10x11 inches, I left a slight curve on the top end of mine. Once the stencil has been made use it to cut out two matching pieces from the cork with the Xacto Knife- do not use scissors or it will not cut the cork nicely.

Just to get an idea of how things will look, lay your iPad on the stencil. To make the stencil for the cotton and the felt, cut down your original stencil to about 9x11. Use that to cut out the cotton and felt. Set the felt aside for now. Now, cut out the same size square from the fusible web (Steam-a-Seam).

Peel off one side of the paper backing from fusible web. Place the now sticky side onto the cotton piece you have. With an iron set to cotton, with steam, iron the fusible web and cotton together. Next peel off the paper backing and stick the sticky side down in the middle of a cork piece and iron that down, again with steam. This makes the cork a little more durable and gives some extra support to the case.

Using the spray adhesive generously cover one side of the felt. Lay this on the cork piece so that the cotton piece is now completely covered by felt. Repeat all the steps above for your other piece of cork.

The next part all needs to be done fairly quickly. Lay both cork pieces with felt side up. Cover the cork on three sides with wood glue, skipping the rounded part on top. Be careful not to get glue onto the felt. Carefully lay the two cork pieces on top of each other with the felt sides touching.

Moving quickly, place one craft side on either side of the cork and hold together with a binder clip. This will allow the glue to set correctly without you needing to hold it and it also keeps any marks from being left in the cork from the clips. Continue that process on all three glued sides; making sure everything stays lined up.

Let your case stay like this for at least an hour so the glue can dry. After the case has set for awhile, take all the clips and wood sticks off. Use that sand paper to smooth down all the edges and remove any dried glue that can be seen. Also sand down the front and back of the case. This will leave the cork feeling nice and smooth. At this point you get to design your case however you would like. I used Martha Stewart craft paint and some stencils to make my design. Then, as a extra little closer, I used a large rubber band that I found at Michaels... They were with the Smash books. Voila, you now have a new iPad case.

When you put your iPad in for the first time you will hear a little cracking on the edges, this is completely normal. It's from the glue, so no worries, your case will stay intact.

For those of you who don't have an iPad but want to make the case for something else, just measure your item and make a stencil that is larger than the size of the device. I recommend adding about an inch or so to get the final size for the stencil.

Until next time, stay crafty.. As always, if you make it send me a picture :)

Rainy days

They call for cooking, snuggling with the puppy and a little crafting (and homework if you've got it). So today, I made us some crockpot lasagna and Texas toast. The lasagna turned out perfect, it's the recipe from my Pinterest faves. The Texas toast, well let's just say I burned the first batch I made.

For my little crafting I made a headband from some leftover pieces from the rug I made this weekend.

Super cute right? All you need to do is cut three strips of shirt and pull them tight so they start to curl. Then start braiding... Braid until its a little smaller than your head and sew the ends together securely. It should stretch so you can fit it around your head. Voila, you now have a super cute, custom headband. I think I am going to make it in a couple more colors :)

Coco has been super cuddly today which is awesome. She laid with me while I did my Linguistics extra credit. Our professor said since our class as a whole did bad on the last test she was giving us all extra credit. It's really sad, but really nice of her. I didn't fail the test but it was definitely not my best work and I kind of have an excuse since I missed a whole week for the honeymoon. Other than that, it's dead week and next week is finals... Then SPRING BREAK!!! Let's just hope it stops raining here or I really do get to go somewhere warm and sunny for break.

Oh, so some awesome news. Richard sent his resume (that I wrote) to Makers Studio, which is a YouTube studio. They are hiring some interns so he thought he'd give it a try. Well, they emailed him back this morning and they have been talking a bit I guess. So hopefully that will take off for him!

I think that is all the exciting news from the Little household on this rainy Monday. Hope everyone had a great weekend and is looking forward to an awesome week.

 

Lovelovelove

 

Pinterest Faves

As I've stated before, I love love love Pinterest and you should all follow me. But there is a point to this blog today. I am going to post my favorite Pinterest finds from the last week.
Let's start with fashion. The pink blazer and white dress are absolutely adorable. If anyone finds that blazer, let me know. Everything about that picture makes me happy and want to wear it.

Next up is food :) I love all the recipes you can find on here. There are some that are so amazing, like this one for lasagna. For real though, how amazingly good does that look? My least favorite part of lasagna is all the time that gets out into making it... It's made in the crockpot so it's super easy, that is what makes it perfect. Who knew cooking could be so simple all the time?

Now, I'll admit, I love cooking but my all time favorite section on my Pinterest boards is Time to get Crafty. I find so many super cool things to make on there that there is honestly not enough time in the day for it all. Here are a couple of my favorite ideas (both can be found on the page that I linked to above, plus so much more)

So that adorable little wall art is made out of toilet paper rolls... Ya you heard it, TOILET PAPER ROLLS!!!! All you do is cut them up and glue em together. Then paint it a pretty color and hang it up. So awesome.

And let's be honest, who wouldn't want their washing machine to be cute like that. Now, I haven't done this myself but I think one day I might.
I love Harry Potter!! I hope that is clear by my Harry board. This is my favorite find this week. Isn't it a cute pillow! Who wouldn't want to curl up with that and watch a movie?

I could literally go on forever about all the things I have found on Pinterest that I love, but you'll just have to go there and check it out yourself. So for now I'll leave you with those favorites I showed you above.


Oh, here's one more picture of Coco Chanel to make you smile .. She loves her owl toy :)