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…
diy
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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…
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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,…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Household Tips for Organizing and Living
Don’t just work hard, work more efficiently and effectively! Here’s a fantastic collection of ten household tips for making doing what you need to do even easier. 10 Fantastic Household Tips + Life Hacks 1.) Use Tins for Storing Spice Packets. Use metal storage tins for storing spice packets in the pantry. It keeps them contained in one place and makes them easy to remove and flip through to find…
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Quick Beauty Tips for a Beautiful, But Busy, You!
Making your own bath and body products can be a blast. It’s more cost effective than buying everything you need from the store, not to mention a lot of fun. Sometimes though, there’s just not enough time to craft our favorite beauty products. So here are a few quick beauty tips and skincare recipes that you can create in a minimal amount of time with little to no effort. Stay…
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How to Make Handmade Cold Process Soaps
Handmade soap is gentler on skin because it’s made with natural ingredients, not synthetic ingredients found in most commercial soaps whose sole purpose is to create a foam or lather. Because of this many individuals who can’t use commercial soap, and have turned to using only handmade soaps. I first got into soapmaking because I was buying handmade soaps on a regular basis to satisfy my finicky skin. I soon…
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Helpful Tips for Everyday Success
Sometimes things can be a little overwhelming. So why not try a few life hacks to make it simpler? This collection of helpful tips are a great start! Life isn’t always easy, and it’s been a lot harder. Otherwise we wouldn’t have so many nifty inventions for gadgets to simplify our lives. I know I couldn’t live without my immersion stick blender. I can’t imagine the time it would take…
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How to Grow Stevia to Use as a Natural Sweetener & Sugar Substitute
Learn how to grow stevia from seeds, plants and cuttings to use as a natural sweetener or sugar alternative. Stevia is an herb that has a naturally sweet taste. As it doesn’t affect blood sugar, it makes a wonderful, all natural sugar substitute that is safe for diabetics as well as for use in keto recipes. Growing Stevia as a Natural Sugar Substitute Stevia is a wonderful, natural sugar substitute. Not…
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DIY Sugar Scrub Recipes and Pretty Jars for enjoying or gifting.
Sugar Scrubs are easy to make and a great natural alternative to many commercial products that exfoliate and moisturize your skin. But what makes these recipes fun is creating your own packaging. So skip the Gladware containers and make your creations as special on the outside as they are on the inside. Maybe Matilda Blog has a simple how to crafting decorated jars for your sugar scrubs. And what’s better…
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Sewing made simple. A diy travel sewing kit for non-sewers to sew. Or something like that.
My friend Ben is a crafty seamstress – seamster? – who is on his way to becoming a sewist – “someone who creates sewn works of art, which can include clothing or other items made with sewn elements.” Currently he stitches backpacks together with a craftsmanship I doubt I could master with my current lack of patience. Recently, however, he informed me that he’s decided to make his own clothing.…
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Quick And Easy Natural Massage Melts Recipe for Pain Relief
Learn how to craft quick and easy natural massage melts with this simple, natural skin care recipe. A natural substitute for massage oils, this quick and easy natural massage melts recipe is an eco-friendly, green beauty alternative. As there’s no packaging to contend with, this holistic beauty recipe lowers your personal carbon footprint as it reduces the need for plastic packaging. Thereby these DIY natural massage melts reduce landfill waste…
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Sun + Skin Soother Natural After Sun Lotion Recipe
This rich cream is perfect for replenishing those stubborn spots of dry skin or for soothing and healing a sunburn. Sun + Skin Soother Natural After Sun Lotion Recipe © 2005 Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen Ingredients: 1 Cup Shea Butter 1/2 teaspoon Lavender Essential Oil 1/4 teaspoon Tea Tree Oil 2 teaspoons Raw Organic Aloe Vera Gel 1 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil 2 teaspoons of Mountain Rose Herbs Restorative Skin Oil…
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DIY Aloe Vera Soap Balls: An Easy Hand Milled Soap Recipe
These DIY aloe vera soap balls are scented with essential oils and include skin soothing aloe vera gel, rosewater & evening primrose oil for dry skin relief. If you love the look of traditional New England soap balls, then you must try this soap crafting project for making DIY aloe vera soap balls. An easy hand milled soap recipe, these homemade soaps are made using a rebatch soap base so…
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Flower Water Recipes for a Natural Fragrance for Your Home & Body
These simple, natural flower water recipes are a wonderful way to freshen your home and linens. They can also be used as natural perfumes for your body. Natural Flower Water Recipes Made using a combination of natural flowers, herbs and essential oils, these healthy homemaking recipes are perfect for room sprays to freshen laundry, linens and the air. Or try your favorite flowers to craft a custom scented floral perfume.…
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Natural Dog Shampoo Bar Recipe that Repels Fleas
Here’s an all natural cold process homemade dog shampoo bar recipe for your furry friends. This homemade dog shampoo bar recipe is gentler on your dog’s skin than commercial dog shampoos so it won’t dry out your dog’s delicate skin like traditional sulphate filled shampoos. The essential oil blend makes it great for repelling fleas without chemicals. Natural Dog Shampoo Bar Recipe Ingredients: 8oz coconut oil 6oz olive oil 1.5oz castor oil 6.5oz…
