Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Glitter Stem Wine Glass


Glitter Wine Glass 









You will need:
-Mod Podge


-Paint brush or sponge brush


-Loose glitter (I used a white/silver glitter, but suggest a color for more of an impact) 


-Masking tape (Any other, more "sticky" tapes will leave residue on your glasses)


-Glitter finishing spray 


-Paper towels or newspaper


-Bowl for loose glitter






Step 1: 









-Tape off the sections of your cleaned wine glass that you DO NOT want glitter on. I chose to do the stems only, but you could design them however you would like.




Step 2:  
-Paint on your mod podge with your brush on the areas you want glitter. Try to make it as even a coat as possible, to avoid clumpy glitter. 
                                  


Step 3:
-Apply glitter to the mod podged areas. I poured glitter into my bowl and used my hands to sprinkle the glitter evenly over the stem. It was easier to work with that way. Let sit for about 20 minutes.












Step 4:
-Make sure all "un"-glittered areas are completely covered. I covered mine with a paper towel. 
-Go outside for this step! Spray your glitter covered areas with the glitter finishing spray. It smells pretty bad, so make sure your area is ventilated. 
-Follow the finishing spray's instructions for your next steps. The spray I used says to let it sit for 12-24 hours before use. 


**The finishing spray claims it solidifies the glitter so that it wont flake off. Still be gentle when washing, hand wash only. I will update you after I've used them and washed them for the first time! 


Thanks for hanging out with me and my first adventure! 
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Fairies in a Jar!

Hello Do-It-Yourselfers! 


I tried "Fairies in a Jar" this week. (If you're not sure what that is, Google to find a picture, very cute!) I used a Mason Jar, glow in the dark paint, and small paint brushes. (All purchased at Hobby Lobby) The glow-in-the-dark paint was difficult to find, and even the people working weren't sure if they carried it. I found it in the "Kids' Crafts" section of the store. I got a small pack of 6 colors for $2.99!


Paint the inside of the jar with TONS of tiny glow-in-the-dark polka-dots. The more dots you paint, the more "Fairies" you will have. It took me about 3 hours of off-and-on painting...I got bored easily with the tediousness of the dots.


The project was successful, when in the dark it turned out very cute and really does look like cute glowing fairies in a jar! However, I cannot figure out how to capture an effective picture of my jar in the dark! I recommend this project. It is very cute and I hope you'll take my word for it! 


*To "recharge" your glow-in-the-dark paint, set under a lamp while the lamp is on. It will make your "glow" more vibrant the next time the lights are out! 


*I read a few reviews on the different brands of glow paint, and read that the Crayola brand glow paint only glows for 4 hours before it dies off, unable to recharge. 


I hope you give this a try and let me know how it turns out! Thanks! 
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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Zebra Print Cake!



Zebra Print Cake




You will need:

-Two types of cake, I used a vanilla and a chocolate mix

-The ingredients for the cake, listed on box

-Icing (if you want icing) or powdered sugar for the top

-Pans for baking

-Something to pour your batter with, I recommend two measuring cups

 

Step 1: 
-Follow the instructions for your cakes, and make the two batters. 

Step 2: 
-Spoon each batter in its own container. Keep them separate! 

Step 3: 
-Slowly pour a little of the first batter into the center of your greased pan. Follow with the second batter, and repeat. Back and forth, and as the batter spreads it will create your stripes! It's easy for this to get away from you so go SLOW! And don't worry if your stripes aren't perfect, neither are zebras!




Step 4: 
-Bake according to your cake directions.




Step 5: 
-Let cool completely, and decorate how you would like! 

*I also made zebra cupcakes, using the same idea, but on a much smaller scale. It was a bit more messy, but still turned out very cute! 

*You could use food coloring on the white half for a colored cake, pink zebra would be cute! 

Enjoy! 


Thanks for cooking with me! 
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Monday, June 11, 2012

S'more Toffee

S'more Toffee!  

Your favorite campfire treat in a whole new way!


You will need:
-Foil (wax paper would probably do the trick as well)

-Cookie sheet or baking pan

-5-10 regular sized graham crackers

-1/3 cup brown sugar

-1/3 cup butter

-1/2 cup chocolate chips

-1/2 cup marshmallows


Step 1: 
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Step 2: 
-Line baking sheet with foil

Step 3: 
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Step 4: 
-Line baking sheet with graham crackers. How big of a surface you use will determine how many crackers you need, I used 6 grahams, breaking a few to fit in the corners.



Step 5: 
-Bring 1/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar to a boil for about 2 minutes and pour evenly over your graham crackers. Bake for 8 minutes.

Step 6: 
-Remove from oven and add chocolate chips. They will begin to melt; spread them around with a spatula or the back of a spoon. 

*Switch your oven over to broil!

Step 7: 
-Once the chocolate has melted and is evenly distributed over the grahams and the toffee, add the marshmallows. 

*Whatever size marshmallow you prefer is fine, I happened to already have the flat s'mores marshmallows, but mini marshmallows or even the jumbo campfire 'mallows would be good! 

Step 8: 
-Place your pan back in the oven, under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, depending on the size marshmallow you used. They burn quickly and easily, so watch carefully!

Step 9: 
-Carefully place your pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to an hour. You want it to cool completely! Once cooled, you may remove the toffee from the pan and break or slice into pieces! 

*The foil helps avoid a sticky mess in your pan and allows for quick cleanup! 

Enjoy! 


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Newspaper Nails!

Step-by-Step Newspaper Nails






You will need:

-Newspaper



-White/neutral nail polish (I used a shiny off-white)



-Clear topcoat 

-Rubbing Alcohol

-Small Container (for the rubbing alcohol)







Step 1: 
-Cut or tear your newspaper into 10-one inch squares. Large enough to cover each nail. 




Step 2: 
-Paint your nails with your white or neutral nail color. I used two coats, so it became opaque. Then let your nails dry COMPLETELY! 
                                  

Step 3:
-Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol into your container, enough to completely submerge your nail in the alcohol. 




Step 4:
*Do this step one nail at a time!
-Soak each nail in the alcohol for 5-8 seconds, remove, and press a piece of newspaper over your nail, press and hold for 5 seconds. Gently remove the piece of newspaper, and repeat for each nail. 

Step 5:
-Paint a clear coat over your nail, and let dry! Enjoy your newspaper nails! 


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Friday, June 8, 2012

Jolly Rancher Infused Vodka

Easy at home flavored vodka! 

(Infused with Jolly Ranchers)




You will need:

-Resealable bottles (as many as you have flavors). I got mine from Hobby Lobby! 

-Your choice of vodka. We had Svedka around, but any plain, unflavored vodka will work.

-Jolly Ranchers






Step 1: 
-Open your bag of jolly ranchers and divide them by flavor. I chose to only use two flavors (Watermelon and Grape) but they all make great infused vodka. Blue Raspberry would be delicious! 



Step 2: 
-Unwrap Jolly Ranchers and put all of one flavor in each container. Again, I only used watermelon and grape, but have heard great things about all of them.

Step 3:
-Pour Vodka into your containers and let it sit. The vodka to Jolly Rancher ratio you use will determine how sweet your flavored vodka turns out. I've read many tutorials and tips and they all vary, it just takes some experimenting and adjusting. I used about 5/6 cups of vodka and about 10-12 Jolly Ranchers.
-Let your containers sit until the Jolly Ranchers are completely dissolved. This can take anywhere from 2-10 hours. (Depending on how many Jolly Ranchers you use). 
-I shook my containers about once an hour to get the Jolly Ranchers unstuck from the bottom. (I'm not sure how much this helped) Mine was done in about 5 hours! 


Fun Tips:
-I suggest putting your containers in the freezer (after the Jolly Ranchers have dissolved, as the cold slows down the dissolving process). Most alcohol tastes better when chilled! 
-Try mixing the flavors with Sprite, 7up, or Tonic water. Make it at home and let me know what recipes you come up with! 



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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Easy DIY Tie Dye Shoes

Easiest tie dye you will ever do! 






You will need:
-Pair of white canvas athletic shoes (I got mine from Payless for $15!)


-Washable markers, I prefer the fatter Crayola markers. You will need at least three complimenting colors. I used blue, purple, and green. Yellow, red and orange would be cute as well. Try to avoid black or brown. (They don't look as good when they bleed!)


-A Straw


-Water


Step 1: 
-Pick your three colors (I used purple, green, and blue) and draw on the shoes. I used mostly sqiggles, lines, and a few shapes. Leave about a centimeter or so of space between the designs, remember, the more you draw on them, the more color your shoes will have! I went over each design 2-3 times to make sure that it would have enough ink to bleed over the canvas.



Step 2: 
-I went outside for this step! Take your straw, water, and shoes and head for a place you don't mind getting a little wet. Plugging one end of your straw, draw up a bit a water and release over your shoes. It takes some time and patience, but definitely worth it. I finished this step in about 15 minutes.
                                  



**HELPFUL TIP: I used big drops of water on each part of my shoes and massaged it in with my fingers. The more you "play" with the ink and make it bleed, the more of a tie-dyed look you will get. (Your fingers get a little messy with this step, but you're using washable marker!)

The longer you let it sit, the more it bleeds together! 
Step 3:
-Let your shoes dry over night! They will be ready to wear in the morning! 


Fun Tips:
-I did each tongue a different color, by scribbling quite a bit of ink on each one and getting it extra wet...It helped the ink bleed into the tongue.

-Take the laces out! I didn't realize that it would make it easier until about half way through, definitely made it easier to get to, and around the eyelets (duh!)

-Don't be afraid to get messy! Honestly, the more you work the color into the canvas with your fingers, the more of a tie dyed look you achieve. 

Thanks for hanging out with me and my first adventure! 
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