Wedding Shower: Reusable Chalk Food Labels

For my brother-in-law and soon to be sister-in-law’s couple shower about a month ago, I made up some pretty non-fancy food labels.  They were super easy, so here is a short tutorial on how to make them yourself!

Materials:

• cheap wooden plaques(found in your local craft store)
• desired acrylic paint of your choice
• ruler
• peel and stick chalkboard labels (these are generally used for containers in the kitchen, found them at Hobby Lobby)
• chalk
• miniature wooden hearts
• hot glue gun

 

Instructions:

1. Paint the wooden plaques and wooden hearts desired color.  I used Anita’s acrylic paint, spice red. It may take several counts to cover well. Heat up your hot glue gun.
2. After the paint is dry, place the chalkboard labels onto what you want the front to be.  They are forgiving so if you don’t get it the way you want it the first time, peel it off and try again!

3.  Turn the plaque to the back, mark a straight line about 1/3 of the way from the bottom with your ruler.  This will give you a line to line up the top of the heart when you are gluing.

4.  When gluing, figure out a good angle for the sign to be able to stand up.  Use the first one as the standard.  It’s okay if the angle isn’t perfect!  It is forgiving since it is short.  Use a thin line of hot glue below the base of the heart.

5.  Let dry completely.  Make sure to store them in a small box where they won’t get tossed around.  It may even be a good idea to bring the hot glue gun to the party for repairs.

The great part about these are that they are reusable since they are chalkboards.

Happy food label making

-jen

How to Use Pinterest

Alright, so after sitting on my butt last night looking through pinterest, I decided I needed to write this….

Has anyone ever been on pinterest and clicked on the picture and it not go to the actual post that the picture represents!? Frustrating? or is it just cause I’m pregnant and hormonal?

Here’s my tutorial on how to pin on pinterest.

1. Find a specific webpage that you want to pin
2. copy the URL of that page while you are on it.
3. copy and paste that URL into the add pin box on Pinterest

 

That is probably my one and only rant that you will ever see on here.

-jenny

DIY Glass Etching on Pyrex

So this was a while back, like May, but I was looking on Pinterest for something special for my friend for her wedding present.  This friend has been like a sister to me in the past; we went to Uganda together (a mere 5 years ago!) and also helped form a nonprofit together called WildCard Missions (along with 5 others). Anyway, she needed something special besides what was on her registry.

Now I live in a community where we do potlucks at least every other week.  I know this really isn’t normal but I would love love love one of those Pyrex cases that keeps your food warm. although most of what I bring is sweets hence the Thursday Sweet Treats…  So that is what I got her except I etched the glass with her new last name and some kissy birds :).

Here are step by step instructions:

Ingredients haha oops we are etching glass not making food…

• Pyrex
• contact paper
• X-ACTO knife
• ruler or measuring tape of some sort
• Glass etching cream- I used Armour Etch—- on the bottle it says it may not work on some Pyrex but it sure worked on mine.
• Paint brush

 

Directions:

First draw your design on a piece of paper; or print it out but remember when you transfer it, it will be backwards

Trace it onto the contact paper

Use an XACTO knife to cut out the design, not a box knife like I did

If you have any letters that need the center (like the ‘o’), be sure to save it and put it in the right spot onto the glass

Measure half the length of the side, mark it.  Measure half the length of the design, mark it.  Now match the half-way points together. Do this to make sure the design is centered.  Using a paint brush, apply a thick layer of the etching cream.  Leave it set for the recommended time and rinse with water.

Now you have a perfect personalized wedding gift. 🙂

-jenny

Truly Cut out for each other

A couple weekends ago, I was in a wedding for two of my favorites that I believe were/are truly cut out for each other. One of my joys of being a bridesmaid (do they have bridesmatrons?) is to help with the planning for the special day.  Ash gave me the task of doing her party favors which she chose to be heart cookie cutters.  They turned out sooo cute.

I designed and embossed 150 cards and then used raffia to attach them to the cutters.  I must tell you that I tied 60 of those babies in 45 minutes.  maybe due to the procrastination of waiting till 9 the night before I leave to finish them

I have attached the image file that I used in case you would like to use it.  I got 8 cards out of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of card stock.

Cookie Cutter Cards Full Page

-jenny

DIY laundry detergent

I looked up a ton of different detergents because I heard that I could save a ton of money by making my own.  I made this maybe a month and a half ago and am really satisfied with how it has been working.  I was concerned about not having that fresh smell that all the other detergents have (my favorite is Arm and Hammer ) but honestly they smell delightful and I couldn’t be more happy….especially since I am saving an arm and a hammer? lol I’m kidding…that was lame.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 of Fels Naptha bar of soap- grated
• 1/3 cup of washing soda
• 1/3 cup of borax
• 11 cups of warm water

 

Directions:

1. Boil water in a large stock pot.
2. While water is boiling, grate soap.  Add soap to boiling water; stir occasionally until dissolved.
3. In a separate bowl, mix soda and borax.  Add to boiling mixture and stir well.
4. Add the rest of the water to the warm soapy mixture.
5. Let cool and then add to gallon container.
6. Shake before use; Use about 1/4 cup per load (about the normal size for a full load)

 

Okay so seriously here is some price comparison:

1 bar of Fels Naptha: Around $1.50.

1 box of washing soda (55 oz.): around $4

1 box of borax(76 oz.): around $3

Total: $10??

But the thing is…. You use 1/5 of a bar of Fels Naptha: $.30

……………………….1/3 cup (2.67 oz.) of washing soda:    $.19

………………………1/3 cup (2.67 oz.) of borax:         $.11

Total:     $.60 for one gallon of detergent!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

**Edited 3/13/2013

-jenny

Nature paintings

Sometimes, I just get tired of doing the same ole things over and over again.  It seems our schedule has been so crazy lately we don’t have time for random fun happenings. Literally, here is proof:

• Mondays: every other week, we have some guy and girl time with some friends outside the neighborhood.
• Tuesdays: English class for the Bhutanese refugees that we work with and getting ready for English class (I have been helping out since our ESL director is out with some injuries)
• Wednesdays: Prayer time at 9
• Thursdays: 1st and 3rd- Missional Family time (see my about page) 2nd and 4th- Guy and girl time with our missional family
• Fridays: NOTHING. unless we go back to Oklahoma

 

So there it is, not much time to rest or do fun things.  So I decided to make some of these routine things fun.  The girls (outside of our neighborhood) came over last Monday, we ate dinner, and we painted :). I was really wanting to just be creative, plus the amount of wall space that I have to decorate has increased dramatically since last year. as if I need an excuse to do crafts

We did these paintings:

The girls… its funny Em (top left and bottom) said she wasn’t feeling creative. ya I wasn’t either.. 🙂 Rach did some sticks and wildflowers beautiful

    

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-We started off with blank canvases

-Painted them a solid color

-Put our “stencils” on top

-And spray-painted over them (this works the best if you spray-paint from the top so even if it doesn’t lie flat then it will still leave the imprint of the figure)

Note: if you don’t have a lawn of complete weeds, and you actually care what it looks like, you might not want to spray-paint on your grass….

I think they turned out pretty well.  I did do some touch-ups on them because I wanted to stems to show a bit more than they did. Also, if you want it to look less clumpy, then don’t layer.  I think I would prefer it that way. 

They are going to go in the only semi-finished room in the house, the bathroom…. (I will have to post about our fun remodeling project soon)

O Vinegar and the things you can do

So, I have a problem, which I am sure is the same problem a lot of women have in this world today…. I waste soooo much time on Pinterest.  However!, I learn so many ways to cut our budget.  I am going to relay a couple tricks with vinegar.

wooo vinegar

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Make-shift Jet Dry

When we moved into our new house (in December 2011), we had to get a new dishwasher.  But even after getting a new dishwasher, our dishes still came out super cloudy and spotty.  So of course I had to buy the expensive soap and that Jet Dry stuff that costs like $4 a bottle.

But I have discovered that if you just put white vinegar straight into the spot in your dishwasher that is reserved for Jet Dry, then the exact same thing happens.  YOU GET CLEAN DISHES!!  I still buy the expensive soap but this has helped so much on the budget!

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Weed-killer

I have also heard that it can be used as a weed killer.  2 Quarts of vinegar, Juice of one lemon, 2 T dish soap.  I have heard this works great but I have not tried it due to the fact that all of my grass is weeds.  So I will let you know how it works.

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Drain Deodorizer

In our first apartment, we did not have a disposal, which I have always had one, so it was hard not to have things going down the drain.  Well, the drain would start to smell every so often.

Pour some baking soda down the drain(approx 1/2 cup) and flush with vinegar(approx 1 cup).  Works like a charm

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Do you have more ways that vinegar can work wonders?  Please do share, because I am hooked!!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Last week, I didn’t post much mostly because I was working on something :).  What you may ask?  Well we were going to see our mothers.  We live so far from them these days, so it is nice to be able to go “home” and celebrate them for just being, ya know, them.

 

We never know what to get them because they mostly have what they need, so we then turn to creating something. but what!? This is where the beloved Pinterest has come in quite handy.  If you know me, I am not really creative.  I can create something but usually from copying someone else’s work.  I am not really fond of this about myself, but how long do you go on lying to yourself? lol

 

The first idea was this, http://www.etsy.com/listing/79994359/recycled-wine-bottles-made-into?ref=sr_gallery_33&ga_search_query=glass+windchimes&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=AU&ga_page=6&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade (wow holy long url), a upcycled wine bottle windchime.

 

It is made by cutting up a wine bottle into rings and then putting it on a wooden plaque that you can find at your local craft store. However, have you ever tried to cut a wine bottle into rings using cotton yarn, acetone, fire, and ice water?

This is how it turns out…

 

 

do you see the crack all the way up it? yikes…

 

 

So we decided to just decided to do one cut using this method and make homemade candles, which our mothers loved with the kind of love you have when your three year old child draws you something in school…. ya they didn’t turn out that well.

and yes i did pour wax down the drain… maybe I will have a tutorial on how to get it out once i figure it out.#idiot

Anyway, they got the point.  We are grateful for them and for what they have done for us and we love them!

 

 

The Cards

Mostly because I am the world’s worst tight wad, and I hate spending $5 on a card.  I decided to make them, which is way more appreciated and way more fun.  I stole the idea from this website (I am all about the stealing and not so much about making things up),http://randomcreative.hubpages.com/hub/Mothers-Day-Cards-Greetings-Homemade-Ideas-Free-Printables

O how I wish I had taken a picture….

They turned out much better than the candles :).