Rebecca D. Dillon is a soapmaker, DIY-er and blogger whose life is controlled daily by a dachshund. You can learn more about Rebecca by checking out her bio. Or discover more great skin care & beauty recipes by subscribing to Soap Deli News blog via email.
DIY Shrinky Dinks Magnets – Great Rainy Day Weekend Kids’ Craft Project
I was recently inspired by some lovely, handmade shrink film jewelry I discovered through Painting Bliss blog. It in turn led to my son and I crafting our own DIY shrinky dinks magnets for the fridge! Ashlie Blake, author of Painting Bliss blog (since defunct) is also the designer behind the lovely necklace pictured above. She makes a variety of beautiful, shrink film necklaces and earrings that I have just…
Easy Kids Craft Project: DIY Handmade Soap for Mother’s Day
Happen to have lots of leftover soap slivers? Don’t throw them out! Use them to craft new soaps. Here’s an easy handmade soap project you do on a weekend afternoon with the kids with quick results from left over glycerin soap slivers and a bit of new melt and pour soap. These soaps are quick and easy and make a fun kids’ project or a simple Mother’s Day gift that…
Easy Homemade Pita Pizza Recipe
Ever wondered what to do with that tiny bit of leftover spaghetti sauce? Our solution was to make homemade pita pizzas! It’s inevitable. You make spaghetti and sauce and once dinner’s over it seems you’ve either made too much sauce or too much spaghetti. In our case, we still have leftover pizza sauce. So rather than have spaghetti again and have to buy another jar of sauce, Scott and I…
DIY Easter Chicks Mashed Potatoes for Easter Dinner with the Kids
Traditionally Easter is a time that families spend together celebrating family as well as the resurrection of Christ. But that doesn’t mean Easter has to be entirely a serious occasion. You can add an interesting twist to your Easter dinner this year by crafting these DIY Easter chicks mashed potatoes with the kids! These DIY Easter chicks are actually mashed potatoes. Crazy, right?! They are both fun to make and…
DIY Natural Coffee Kitchen Soap
Craft your own natural kitchen soap made with real coffee beans to neutralize odors! If you suffer from allergies you know just how unbearable some fragrances can be. So I decided to craft a kitchen soap using fresh, real ingredients from my herb garden rather than fragrances. The idea was to make a soap that would not only clean great, but that would remove odors from your hands you acquire…
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How to Grow Garlic
Did you know that one clove or bulb of garlic, when planted, can produce up to an additional twenty cloves? So instead of tossing out your garlic that’s started to sprout, plant it instead and learn how to grow garlic. How to Grow Garlic Learning how to grow garlic is a snap! Simply plant garlic cloves individually in early fall. It doesn’t matter if they’ve already started to sprout. If…
Fresh Shrimp Salad Recipe
I recently purchased an amazing pot of lettuce and field greens from Walter’s Greenhouse on the Roanoke City Market. After getting a few side salads with dinner, it was really time to pick a good portion of the more mature lettuce to eat so some more could grow back in it’s place. So Scott used our home grown container greens to make a really great fresh, shrimp salad. Following is…
DIY Spring Gardening Projects, Tips & Tricks
Get started on your spring garden now with this wonderful collection of DIY spring gardening projects, tips and tricks! It’s almost time to start planting here in Southwestern Virginia! Our last danger of frost usually passes towards the end of April, though with the warm weather we’ve had recently it’s hard to believe we could still end up with a snow storm. (And we have before. I remember back in…
Vinegar and Baking Soda – The Natural Drain Cleaner
Baking soda and vinegar. Natures natural, non-toxic cleaners. I am still amazed by how well these two things together clean and deodorize. Plus they’re cheaper than commercial toxic cleaning options on the market! When we had a funky odor that didn’t seem to want to go away in the linen closet in the new apartment we just moved into, we put a small dish of baking soda in the closet.…
DIY Magnetic Spice Jars – For Organizing and Freeing Up Counter Space
We don’t have a lot of counter space in my new kitchen. And the cabinets we have are small. Not to mention our kitchen isn’t exactly a modern one – after all, the house we are renting is over a hundred years old. So counter space is a commodity. But with a boyfriend who likes to cook, spice jars can quickly clutter what counter space there is. I have long…
Scott’s Easy Pan Fry Rib-eye Recipe
There’s been a little bit of cooking going on in the apartment. Of course, it’s all been on Scott’s end. We made a deal. He cooks and I’ll clean. Because each of us hate to do the other but don’t mind the roles we’ve agreed to. Our first night in the new apartment Scott made some excellent Chicken Parmesan. The next night, we were in desperate need of groceries, however,…
Scott’s Simple Homemade Chili Recipe
Learn how to make this simple homemade chili recipe with an India Pale Ale for a hearty winter dinner idea. During the cold winter months there’s nothing like a huge bowl of chili to warm you up! So I thought I’d share my boyfriend, Scott’s, homemade chili recipe. It’s easy to make and tastes delicious even leftover the next day! Scott’s Simple Chili Recipe Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds ground beef…
Printable Garden Seed Packets for Saving, Gifting, or Favors
With spring right around the corner you may be thinking about your upcoming gardening project or even easy party or wedding favor ideas for a spring wedding. So I’ve created some fun printable seed packets with matching labels and even red pepper gift wrap to make saving your seeds for the following year, creating seed packets as favors or including seed packets in spring gifts that much easier! Just download…
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Homemade Chocolate Mint Lip Balm Recipe with Printable Labels
Learn how to make your own lip balm with this easy homemade chocolate mint lip balm recipe that’s perfect for dry, chapped lips! My rich homemade chocolate lip balm recipe is formulated with natural moisturizing butters with a fun chocolate mint flavor! Homemade Chocolate Mint Lip Balm Recipe © Rebecca D. Dillon Ingredients: 1/2 oz. (by weight) cocoa butter 1/2 oz. (by weight) shea butter 2 Tablespoons carnauba wax 1-2…
Printable Soap Labels for Valentine’s Day or Wedding Favors
Looking for a unique way to wrap and label your handmade soaps for Valentine’s Day gifts or wedding favors? Then try my free, printable Valentine’s Day soap labels for your gift giving needs! Three fun label designs plus a few heart stickers make this the perfect printable for customizing your soaps for Valentine’s Day or wedding favors! To get started simply wrap your soap in clear plastic wrap, craft paper,…
DIY Valentine’s Day Gifts You Can Craft and Give
Whether you’re on a budget or simply want to give the gift of handmade this Valentine’s Day, here is a lovely collection of DIY Valentine’s Day gift ideas to get your started on giving the perfect gift for that someone special. 1. Charming Bookmark via Country Living – Pretty and romantic, these easy to craft ribbon bookmarks would make a wonderful gift for your Valentine tucked inside a romantic book.…
Seared Sashimi Tuna with Sauteed Shrimp in an Orange-Soy-Ginger Reduction Sauce Recipe
For New Year’s Eve my boyfriend cooked me up a special dish choosing from several of my favorite foods to eat: tuna, shrimp and asparagus with the fact that I love sushi niggling in the back of his head. The dinner was in truth a great experiment that we both thought turned out to be a great success. Scott, my boyfriend, calls it Seared Sashimi Tuna and Sautéed Shrimp in…
Printable Valentines Day Cards In Love Bird Designs for Your Valentine
Tell your special someone just how much you love them with these printable Valentines Day cards! I have created two very special “love bird” note cards that are perfect for sending that romantic note or giving as free printable Valentines Day cards to your valentine. Free Printable Valentines Day Cards I created these free printable Valentines Day cards from my own original art collages. They printable cards feature love birds…
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Printable Valentine’s Day Gift Wrap
Make your Valentine’s Day gifts extra special this year with this super cute, printable Valentine’s Day gift wrap! Oh my, Valentine! Valentine’s Day will be upon us in around six short weeks, so now is the time to start crafting clever diy gifts or perhaps browsing to buy something special. I like to recommend shopping handmade whenever possible for a truly unique gift that’s sure to be treasured. But of…
Last Minute Handmade Gift Ideas: Craft up these DIY Bath and Beauty crafts for holiday or winter birthday gifts!
Only a week left until Christmas! It’s hard to believe. But if you’re not ready yet, it’s time to get crackin’! Here are a few handmade DIY bath and beauty gift ideas that you can craft yourself in under a day and still make a big impression under the ‘ole Christmas tree! 1. DIY Handmade Snowflake Soaps from Torie Jayne Blog – This melt and pour soap recipe makes for…
Cute Holiday Printable Gift Tags or Sticker Set
This gift I wrapped with a brown craft bag I cut apart and some twine I found. I then decorated it with Free Rustic Holiday Tags I downloaded and printed onto sticker paper from vol. 25 blog. I also made some of my own holiday gift tags today featuring a cute penguin in a heart top hat, a pastel colored camera, a round panda bear, and happy stocking ice skate.…
Free Printable Kawaii Inspired Holiday Gift Tags
I have been inspired by so many projects on the web lately, but one project in particular that caught my eye was this tutorial for making your own Kawaii drawings on The First Lime blog. With Christmas just around the corner, I used the ideas for making faces from this tutorial to create my own little holiday gift tags featuring a smiling pine tree with a little squirrel running up…
Free Printable Owl Notecards
Many years ago I sold handmade notecards I created from my own original, paper art collages. Many of these stationery sets featured little birds or owls at play. My first set of notecards was my Seasonal or Everyday Birds Notecard Set. Now that I am no longer selling these cards, I wanted to share them with my readers to print and share with family and friends for their own personal…
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Homemade Laundry Detergent for an Eco-Friendly Clean
Learn how to make your own simple, homemade laundry detergent for an eco-friendly approach to cleaning! One of the most time consuming things about making handmade soaps is the wait. The wait for your oils and lye water to cool down enough so you can mix your soap, the 24hr. waiting period before you are able to unmold your soaps, and the wait for your soaps to cure. As I…
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Homemade Foot Soap Recipe
Learn how to make your own naturally exfoliating homemade foot soap recipe. After many many years of producing and selling my handmade Exfolimint™ Peppermint Foot Soap through Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen, I have decided to retire this particular homemade soap. And, since I am retiring it, I thought I’d share my exfoliating homemade foot soap recipe so you can make your own! My homemade cold process Peppermint Exfolimint™ Foot Soap is a special homemade soap…
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Last Minute Holiday Gifts and Stocking Stuffers (Easy DIY Ideas)
Do you need last minute holiday gift and stocking stuffer ideas? You’re in luck! I’ve rounded up some amazing DIY holiday gifts you can craft at home. You don’t need much time to make these quick and easy homemade Christmas gifts. Just a fast trip to the grocery store for supplies and you can polish off your gift list ASAP. Whip up these last minute holiday gifts for friends, family…
Bath and Body Stocking Stuffer Round Up – DIY Ideas for Christmas Stocking Fillers that Scream "You Will Be Pampered!"
I am generally stumped as to what to put in someone’s stocking that isn’t just candy and boring everyday toiletries. Not to mention, small but meaningful gifts are sometimes often hard to find since, in this case, size is an issue. What I do like to put into Christmas stockings however, are not just silly trinkets, but things that a person can use and get enjoyment from. So I always…
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Everyday Tips + Life Hacks for Simplifying Your Life
Life is hard. So why make it harder by working harder than you need to? Here a few everyday tips + life hacks that are perfect for simplifying your life. Everyday Tips + Life Hacks 1. The Drip Snagger from Current. Simply purchase and hook the Drip Snagger over the spigot of your coffee urn or drink dispenser to keep drips off the table or floor. Or be inventive and…
15 Fabulous DIY Purses for Fall
Fall is creeping up. What better way to celebrate a seasonal change than to craft a new seasonal accessory? Here are a few of my favorite projects for making DIY purses for fall! This collection of 15 fabulous DIY purses and pouches are perfect for fall – or any season you happen to be falling for! Cute Japanese Coin Purse from the Purl bee Craft a cute coin purse from…
How to Make Your Own DIY Wooden Soapmaking Mold for Cold Process Soap
I’ve talked a lot about how to make your own handmade cold process soap and have even shared a collection of handmade soap recipes that you can try. What I haven’t really covered though are soapmaking molds. If you’re making your own soapmaking molds to save money, I’ve found that the easiest molds to make are wooden, rectangular soap molds. They’re inexpensive to craft, easy to duplicate, and easy to…
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Solid Shea Butter Sugar Scrub Cube Recipe
Make this solid shea butter sugar scrub cube recipe for homemade gifts this holiday season! This solid shea butter sugar scrub cube recipe is so easy to make and feels amazing on skin! Exfoliate and moisturize skin without the mess of traditional scrubs and less worry about a slippery tub afterwards! Why Make Solid Sugar Scrub Cubes? Solid Sugar Scrub Cubes have become the new trend and are now taking…
DIY Natural Peppermint Foot Cream Recipe
I sold an all natural foot cream down on the Roanoke City Market for years. It was highly popular year round, but I could only sell it during late fall to early spring because it would melt during the summer while I was vending outside. Since I have decided to no longer produce this product despite its popularity, I figured I would pass the recipe on to my faithful readers.…
Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipes and Other Ways to Deter Biting Insects
I was outside listening to my boyfriend play the guitar on Sunday and kept getting bitten. It was enough remind me that it’s mosquito season even though I’m not outdoors that often anymore. So I thought it fitting to share a natural bug repellent recipe that I found on Wellness Mama blog. (photo credit: Good 4 You Herbals) There are a handful of widely recognized essential oils that possess properties that…
Everyday Homemaking Tips
I had such a great response to my homemaking tips last week – Helpful Tips for Everyday Success and Household Tips for Organizing and Living – that I decide to put together another collection of everyday homemaking tips for busy moms and homemakers. (Also be sure to check out my January 2013 post for the New Year – Frugal Tips for Saving Money!) Everyday Homemaking Tips 1.) Use Coffee Filters…
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Handmade Soap Wedding Favors: How to Make Soap for Wedding Favors
Learn how to make easy, handmade soap wedding favors two ways. You can either use pre-made handmade soap for wedding favors or make soap for wedding favors. Then simply decorate your handmade soap wedding favors using ribbon, decorative papers and stickers. It’s so easy! Just follow the step-by-step photos and directions for the perfect handmade soap wedding favors for your special day! Wedding favors are a great way to thank…
Home Office Organizing Tips and DIY Projects
I finally found that part time job I’d been searching for, and this past Friday I started my first day of work as an office assistant. It’s a great job, and while I still have a lot to learn, I’m excited to not only be working for a small family owned company, but to have friendly and awesome co-workers as well. As it turns out, however, I now have two…
The Joy of Loose Leaf Teas
I love tea. For me tea is the most wildly wonderful creation for sipping – other than chocolate martinis, of course! It’s perfect breakfast or an afternoon delight and is always soothing when I’ve had a rough day. I prefer hand blended loose leaf teas above and beyond all others, though sadly my first and fondest tea artist is no longer in the business. I now shop from Tea for…
