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Simple Stretchy bracelets

These stretchy bracelets only take a few minutes to make and can help you use up your left over seed beads. They are great for kids as young as 3, and a larger size is good for adults that can't put on the clasp of a regular bracelet. Size the bracelets a little smaller than normal because they are stretchy. Use 6 1/2 inches of beads for a 7 inch wrist, and it will fit tighter to the body. Use about 5 inches for kids bracelets. Supplies: Stretch Magic sewing needle with larger hole needle threader pliers various seed beads that fit over the needle's eye Step 1: Arrange your beads in desired position on non-slip cloth or bead board. Step 2: Thread needle with string magic using needle threader and pliers to pull it through. You have to stretch the Stretch Magic to get it through the needle (Pliers can help too). Don't cut the stretch magic off the spool just yet. Beading on the spool helps keep the beads from falling off and minimizes waste of cord. Step 3: Put one bead at a time through the needle and start beading your entire design or pattern until you reach about 6 1/2 inches of beads. Carefully cut the stretch magic, leaving 1 inch on each end to knot. Knot the ends in a square knot. http://www.silverwingsjewelry.com

Bootie Slippers

You will need: One 4 ounce skein of 4-ply yarn Size 9 knitting needles K=Knit St=Stich Sts= Stiches S1=Slip 1 stich K1=Knit 1 stich passo=pass slip stich over P=Purl tog=together With double yarn cast on 66 stiches; Knit every row (garter stich) 12 times (6 ridges); Then: Row 1 - K 30 sts., K 2 tog, place marker on needle, K 2 sts, place marker, S 1, K 1, passo, K 30 sts. Row 2 - K 2, P to within 2 sts of marker, P 2 tog, slip marker, P 2 tog, slip marker, P 2 tog, P to within the last 2 sts, then K those 2 sts. Row 3 - K to within 2 sts of marker, K 2 tog, slip marker, K 1 st, slip marker, slip 1, K 1, passo, K to end of row. Repeat last 2 rows until 32 sts left on needle, K garter stich 12 times (6 ridges). Bind off loosely on #11 needles. Sew seams down back and under foot. This knitted Bootie Slipper pattern was given to me by a favorite Aunt. It's a fairly quick project and makes a wonderful gift. Enjoy!

How to create a FLORAL SWAG

MATERIALS: One foam blockspanish mosstacky glue"greening pins"wreath hookwire cuttersbow/ribbon + One ivy bushone large flowerthree med.flowers and filler flowers of your choice. (dried flowers optional) INSTRUCTIONS: Slice floral FOAM BLOCK in half if desired to create smaller swag (recommended) Spread SPANISH MOSS (thin, but thorough). Cover TOP and (4)SIDES of Foam Block (do not do this to the bottom). GLUE with a tacky glue or a glue gun (tacky glue recommended- foam is very delicate- handle gently) Take the GREENING PINS and place them through-out the MOSS- this is to secure the moss to the foam.(Use about 3/4 on top,2/3 on each of the sides) Decide if you want a Vertical or Horizontal SWAG. Take the IVY BUSH (after cutting each stem from the very bottom- you can decide to shorten later) Do the same with your LARGE and MEDIUM FLOWERS. If you are using/making a BOW, decide where the focal point will be. AVOID CENTERING AND PERFECTION THROUGHOUT! By definition, SWAGS have NO Boundaries. DO NOT SET any FLOWERS or IVY in place until you are pleased- (remember how delicate the foam is) Try placing FLOWERS in various positions- when you feel confident and pleased- start dipping into the GLUE...Some STEMS will have to be cut shorter, you must be the judge of that. EXAMPLE: Large Flower left of center,2 Med.Flowers on right side,1 Med.Flower left side. Let it Flow and Go with it- Once you have the IVY,FLOWERS (and BOW) in place, then work with the FILLER (smaller flowers)...Hold up your SWAG...Where are the areas that need "FILLED"? DO NOT attempt to cover every empty spot- but fill the holes. Remember, practice makes perfect and BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER! Once everything is in place, Let the SWAG set for at least 2-3 hours in place. After this amount of time has passed, take your WREATH HOOK, Dip it in glue and push it into the backside of your swag. The reason I do this last is because it has a tendency to "loosen" as you are working with the swag and it can cause the SWAG to eventually fall off the wall if it is not secured properly. I would let this dry for at least 5 hours- set gently on the side of the FLOWERS- (this will not hurt the integrity of your flowers. Once your SWAG is ready to be hung, Fluff the BOW/FLOWERS and you're GOOD TO GO! *To view pictures of some of my SWAGS visit my WEB! PAULA HOPE ( http://www.angelfire.com/oh4/floralsbypaula )

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Holiday Spice Orange Votive Candle Holders

These votive holders can be prepared anytime and are beautiful when displayed in a group centerpiece, across a fireplace mantle, or around the Christmas tree. You'll need the following: Large Fresh Oranges without blemishes Writing pen Paring knife Small melon scoop or spoon Whole cloves Sand or small pebbles Votive candle or tea light Directions: Use the paring knife to cut a small flat area on the bottom - be sure not to go through the peel. This is only to help the candle holder stand upright. Next, take the votive candle and place on top of the orange, trace a slightly larger circle around it with your pen. Cut the opening you have just drawn. Lift the top off and put to the side to use for orange peel ornaments (see instructions for orange peel ornament project). Test the opening to be sure the votive will fit through hole. Use the melon scoop to remove all material inside orange. Discard or use in a recipe of your choice. Dry inside with paper towel or old dish towel. Fill the orange with sand or small pebbles nearly halfway. The votive will sit on top of the sand inside the orange. The top of the votive should be at the same level as the lip of the orange. You may need to add or remove some sand to get it right. To finish, push the whole clove stems into the lip of the orange all the way around, making a pretty circle. Place the votive inside, place the candle holder in desired location and light it. Beautiful and natural! Sponsored Link Follows:

Basic Castile Soap - Cold Process

Basic Castile Soap - Cold Process Because of the many requests, we decided to do another feature article on soap-making. This project produces a wonderful basic Castile soap which is white, hard and pure. This soap lathers very well and works great in the laundry as well. Makes approximately 18 three oz. bars. A bit of soap history: Soap making can be traced back at least to Roman times and the process has essentially remained unchanged. The old fashioned way of making soap involves several steps. First you had to gather the animal fat necessary to make soap. One way to do this is by rendering animal fat by cutting it into small pieces and cooking the fat on low in a frying pan or pot. Most of the fat will melt and liquefy but a small percentage will remain as "cracklings". You then strain this to remove any leftover particles. Refrigerate this fat until later or leave at room temp. if you plan on making soap in the next couple days. Lard, which is the equivalent of bacon grease or pork fat, can be left at room temp. longer than rendered beef fat (beef tallow) before going rancid. And yes, chicken fat can be used too but it is better in combination with other fats to improve the soap's hardness. You'll definitely want to refrigerate this fat though. Better yet--freeze it until its time to make soap 'cause you know what you'll get...a stinky house! Yuck! Another way to gather fat is to recycle grease and frying pan drippings by "Clarifying" them. ( Not my favorite job as you'll soon see why.) To do this, you add an equal amount of fat and water to a pot and put in 2 tsp. of salt, then bring this to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and add cold water (approximately 1 qt. cold to 1 gal hot). 3 layers will form. The water is on the bottom. The middle layer is impure fat with particles in it. The top layer is the "clarified" or purified fat which you will need to scoop off for soapmaking. A little easier way of recovery is to refrigerate the whole pot once the cold water is added and the layers have formed. Once the liquid has cooled and gelled you can remove it, poke a spoon down the side then pour out the water. Next, place wax paper or paper towel over your counter top and gently tip the pot over to allow the solidified fat to slide out of the pot onto your paper. You will be able to see the two remaining layers. Cut off what used to be the middle layer and throw it away. Save the rest for soapmaking. I'll warn you right now this is messy work. We like our "modern method" much better. You probably will too. Our "modern method" is so simple, some folks may shake their heads, but we're sure it hasn't occurred to everyone. It is a form of "rendering". As the title of this article indicates, we recycle our bacon grease. But we don't need to clarify it because we use a microwaveable bacon pan which collects the grease and we then strain it into a clean container with a very fine strainer. Bingo! Its ready for use! There is even an easier way to obtain the fat you need for your soap. Hike on down to your local grocer and pick up a Bucket O' Lard! But then, that diminishes the point of this recycling article! Once you have the amount of fat required for a recipe, the next step is the "saponification" process. Saponification is the chemical reaction from which soap is formed when combining fat, water and lye. Soaps that you'll find in the market place generally have additives in them. Like many things unnatural, people can develop allergies or exhibit skin irritations after using them. There are even a few harsh deodorant soaps out there that can cause rashes and blistering when sensitive skin is exposed to the sun. The wonderful thing about making your own soap is that you know exactly what's in it. You have control over your own skin care and it will cost you less in the long run. Another benefit is it's a lot of fun! However, this is not a project you want to undertake with small children underfoot. You must have "the decks cleared for action" as they say. It certainly isn't desirable to splash and squirt your lye solution around the room. You need to be organized! So lets start there. (To make things easier, we've converted weights into measurements, so we can do away with the scales. We like it that way, others may not. Feel free to convert any of our recipes back into weights if you prefer. ) Ingredients & Supplies: 3/4 cup commercial lye (i.e. Red Devil) 2 1/2 cups water (cold) 6 cups rendered and clarified bacon grease (see easy "modern method" above) 2 large stainless steel bowls Rubber gloves Safety eyeglasses Wooden spoons Thermometer Soap molds or wax paper-lined shoe box (large enough to hold approximately 3.5 to 4 pounds soap) Plastic wrap Old towels Precautionary Notes: *Supervise children. *Wear protective glasses when pouring. *Wear protective gloves throughout this procedure. *Wear old clothes or a full apron. *Do not use tin or aluminum molds or containers--the lye will corrode and destroy it. Use non-reactive materials such as stainless steel, glass or plastic. Directions: Prepare your molds with a very thin coating of Vaseline. This helps the soap come out easier. You won't need to do this if you have a more professional mold with a disposable liner. Put the cold water in a bowl. Stir gently with a wooden spoon as you slowly add the lye. The liquid and bowl will get very hot. Do not touch! Make certain you are wearing your rubber gloves and glasses! Then this needs to cool to approximately 95 degrees. (I place a frozen box of vegetables under my bowl to help speed the process. You could also place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice if you'd like to.) While you're waiting for this to cool down, heat the fat in a pot on the stove to approximately 95 to 98 degrees, then pour into the second clean bowl. Once your temperatures are right, you are ready to slowly add the lye solution to the fat. Stir with a wooden spoon making sure you don't splash the mixture. It may take a good bit of time before you see the mixture thicken (15 to 30 minutes*). But once this happens and you see a film appearing on the top (almost like an oil film on top of water), its time to pour into your molds. Pour the thickened mixture into the prepared molds. If you desire, you may pick up the mold to tap it gently on the counter top to encourage any air bubbles to escape. Next, cover the soap in the mold with a layer of plastic wrap to prevent exposure to the air. Then cover with several layers of old folded towels. Set aside and do not disturb for 24 hours. Then remove from the mold, cut and air cure (air dry) for 2 to 3 weeks before use. Soap hardens as it cures. *To shorten the time spent waiting for the soap mixture to thicken, you may use a hand-held mixer or add the ingredients in a blender or food processor. But be careful not to spill or splash. Sponsored Link Follows:

Basic Hand Soap

Basic Hand Soap This project is easy and fun! Makes a small batch--yields 1-2 bars. You'll need the following: Old blender with tight fitting lid* Clean plastic milk jug with top cut out OR stainless steel bowl. Old wooden spoon 1 TBS lye crystals (Red Devil brand--found in drain opener section of grocery store. Don't use Drano. Its not pure.) 1/4 cup COLD water** 1/2 cup liquid fat (melted Crisco, olive oil, or other oil) 1 TBS lemon juice for scent (optional) Plastic soap molds (found at any local craft store) Plastic wrap * Note: A food processor actually works better for thicker soap mixtures due to its greater motor power. ** Water may be substituted with milk (The lye will curdle the milk. That's suppose to happen.) Directions: Place the liquid fat in the blender. In your jug or bowl, place the cold water and add the lye slowly, stirring. This will get very hot. Do not touch with your fingers. Add this to the blender with the lemon juice and place the lid on tight. Stir for 5 to 10 minutes, checking to see if the mixture is thickening. It should become like thickening pudding. Pour the mixture into the molds and cover with plastic wrap (to prevent oxidation=soda ash). Allow to set for 24 hours then remove from molds. Air dry for 2 weeks and voila, you have soap! Cautionary Notes: *Supervise children. *Wear protective glasses when pouring. *Wear protective gloves throughout this procedure. *Wear old clothes. *If you clean all instruments they may be used for food preparation again, but you may want to reserve them just for your soap projects. Sponsored Link Follows:

Paraffin Flower Basket

Paraffin Flower Basket You'll need the following: Flowers, dried (*see tip below) Box of paraffin (from grocery store in canning section) Old pot and tin can Cardboard box Wax paper Basket--any will do but natural looking is better Glue gun and glue sticks Sphagnum moss Clear acrylic spray sealer * Craft Tip: Instead of using silica gel to dry flowers, bundle them and hang them on a clothing hook or rack in your car with the windows rolled up. In just a couple days they will be nearly finished. Take them out to prevent the sun from bleaching them and they can finish drying in a room in your house. Directions: To preserve your dried flowers, place the wax in the tin can. Next, put abiut 2 inches of water in the pot and bring to a simmer. Put the tin can in the pot and allow the wax to melt. Once the wax is melted, you can start preserving the flowers. They must be completely dried first. If they don't have a stem that you can hold onto to, you can use florists wire to pierce the flower head under coat a stem (wrap wire with floral tape) Hold the wire by the stem and submerge the entire flower quickly into the melted wax. Pull it out and shake off the excess in the cardboard box. Next place them on the wax paper. Let dry completely before removing from the paper. Take your basket and hot glue the sphagnum moss all around the edges. This will form a nice basis for you to build your flower arrangement onto. Now you are ready to begin gluing your preserved flowers to your basket. Clip your stems to about 1 inch and glue in a random order around the edges of the basket. It looks better if its not symmetrical. Voila! Its done. Spray it with a sealer and you've got a gorgeous centerpiece! Sponsored Link Follows: