DIY Home Fragrance: How to Make Your Own Reed Diffusers

It’s clear to see why the home fragrance industry reels in big bucks every year.  Who doesn’t love a good smelling home? Real estate experts even claim the smell of your la casa can increase or decrease the value of your property.  What can I say? We love our scents! I have to admit though it pains me to see how pricey candles and reed diffusers can be sometimes.  Plus, nowadays you hear so much about how these chemical-based air fresheners aren’t good for the earth or us anyways. The great news is making your own reed diffuser is so easy and you don’t have to go broke doing it!

Supplies

Diffuser reeds {I found mine at Michael’s}

1 small container or vase

Essential oils from any local health food or craft store

½ cup of water

Vodka {Disclaimer: No crafts were harmed in the making of this project - as far as the crafter…. that’s another story}

Directions

Mix 4-5 drops of your essential oil into the half-cup of water. Add 2 drops of vodka to the water. The vodka serves as an emulsifier and helps keep the water and oil mixed.  Pour the mix into your container and add your reeds.  Similiar to the store bought diffusers it does take a few days for the reeds to absorb the oil and release its scent.  Flip reeds every now and then to refresh your fragrance.

The fun part about making your own reed diffuser is that there are a variety of scents you can create from essential oils by mixing and matching.  I happen to use a Bergamot and Yuzi Fruit oil found at Michael’s that is both citrus and summery. To top it off since I already had the vase at home this puppy only cost me $4 to put together and there’s still tons of leftover oil for future refills or extra diffusers for other rooms.

What's your favorite way to keep your home fresh and good smelling?

Linking here:
http://www.skiptomylou.org/
http://www.dittledattle.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/
http://tipjunkie.com/
http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/

Retro Father's Day Printables

I’m pretty convinced that the black hole in my dryer that chooses to eat our socks is the same hole that consumes “time”. Seriously, can you believe it is going on June already? That being said, it’s time to start thinking about Father’s Day and what to get good ol’ POPS! I’d thought it would be fun to design a printable to share. All you need to do is add some of these retro inspired soda labels to a few vintage pop bottles and you’ve got one groovy gift for daddy-o! {Okay seriously, how did people in the 50’s and 60’s take each other seriously talking like this?}

 Download labels here. You can print them on plain or self-adhesive paper.  There are 4 labels on each sheet and the labels are 3.5 x 5 inches in size, which should cover most average 12 ounce soda bottles.

Cut your labels and adhere to the glass bottle {You can remove the retail label with Goo Gone or do what I did and just place the retro labels right over them}. If you used regular paper instead of the self-adhesive paper you can adhere the label with double-sided tape.

Toss the soda bottles in a gift basket and make this present a little suh-weeter by adding some of Pops favorite retro candy treats.  You can continue to play on the dad theme by throwing in some Pop Rocks, Sugar Daddies, and Tootsie Pop suckers! Dad doesn’t have a sweet tooth? No problem, tie a gift card from his favorite hardware store or coffee shop onto the neck of the soda bottle.

Here are some of my favorite spots to pick up vintage soda:

World Market

Target

Whole Foods

I'd love to hear if you use these for your Pops or hubby!

 

                                                              

Linking here:
http://www.skiptomylou.org/

http://todayscreativeblog.net/

http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/

http://tipjunkie.com/

http://www.thestoriesofa2z.com/
http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/
http://blackberryvine.blogspot.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://www.houseofhepworths.com/
http://thefrugalgirls.com/
http://www.nothingbutcountry.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://tidymom.net/
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/
http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
http://makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/
http://reasonstoskipthehousework.blogspot.com/
http://gingersnapcrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.sugaranddots.com/



Memorial Day Inspiration: Patriotic Cupcake Toppers

I am willing to bet I am not the only one who is eager to kick off summer this Memorial Day weekend! I love the idea of having a day where family and friends all across the country gather for cookouts and picnics and commemorate those who have given their lives to serve our country. These types of weekend festivities are typically laid back so there’s no need to wear your self out over elaborate decorations or dessert tables. Trust me, I’m all about simplicity when it comes to doing anything. That’s why I am smitten with these easy {as in do you have two minutes to spare} cupcake toppers! The second I saw these little patriotic top hats at my local Hobby Lobby I instantly envisioned them on top of a cupcake. It’s a real easy way to add some red, white, and blue to your backyard celebration with out having to sacrifice sipping away on your favorite cocktail. All I did was bust out my hot glue gun, adhere some lollipop sticks to the inside of the top hats, and TADA! Now you have your self some adorable toppers. Craft stores are filled this time of year with all kinds of holiday odds and ends and you’d be amazed at how many of those items make wonderful toppers. Go ahead, give it a try!

Supplies

Top Hats

Lollipop Sticks

Cupcakes

Glue Gun

ONE EASY STEP: Take your glue gun and adhere the top hats to the lollipop sticks.  Top your cupcake and look how adorable they are!

See how easy that was? I feel like a cheater labeling it a tutorial! The cupcakes were even store bought-don’t judge!

What’s your go-to cookout recipe?

In the spirit of Memorial Day I'm sharing with Step It Up for The Troops:




Linking here:
http://www.skiptomylou.org/

http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/

http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/

http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
http://www.homemakeronadime.com/
http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/
http://tipjunkie.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://www.mybackyardeden.com/
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://paisleypassions.blogspot.com/
http://www.somethingswanky.com/
http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/

Moss Candle Holders: How to Add Style to Your Outdoor Decor

I love the ambience that outdoor candles can bring to a deck or patio.  One of my favorite summer pastimes is to spend an evening relaxing on my back porch with the hubby, a bottle of wine, and the soft glow of an outside candle. Awww…. the carefree days of summer await me. This nature-inspired vase will go perfect in any intimate outdoor setting.  The best part about this craft is that it is fast and simple – my type of project!

Place your candle in the glass vase and fill it in 1/3 of the way

 with your small pebbles.

Take your scissors and cut a strip of moss about 5 inches in width.  Take the strip and start gluing around the vase until the moss meets end to end. Depending on the size of your vase you may need to cut more then one strip in order to wrap the entire vase. That’s all folks – you now have yourself some simple but elegant décor.

What kind of décor do you like to include in your outdoor spaces?

Linking here:
http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/

http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/

http://www.houseofhepworths.com/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/
http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/
http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/
http://lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com/

How to Organize All Those Rewards Cards

I have a love-hate relationship with reward cards.  Every business under the sun offers some form of a rewards card as an incentive to attract repeat customers.  Sure, I love redeeming points for free perks as much as the next gal but what I don’t love is having to lug all those frequent buyer cards around! My cards had a temporary home in an old sunglass case inside my glove compartment of my car. I wanted to create some place more permanent for them so I threw together a fun and bright tin can organizer. This is a really easy craft and can be personalized in so many ways!

Supplies

Tin Can {I used a gift certificate tin

 can purchased from Michael's}

Sheet of patterned paper

Decorative stickers

Ribbon

Scissors

Pencil

Glue Gun

Mod Podge

1. Take the lid of your tin can and trace around it on the back of your paper.

2. Cut out the traced design and then set it on top of your lid to see if you need to trim off any excess paper.

4. Now take your stickers and start decorating the paper. I thought it would be cute to spell out “Shop ‘til you drop” on mine.

5. Once you have your stickers in place take your sponge and brush a little Modge Podge on the top of the tin lid.  Lay your decorated paper down on top of the glue and continue to brush more Mod Podge over the paper and stickers. Let it dry for 15 minutes and then repeat. You may have to repeat this step

    2-3 times depending on how well your stickers and paper adheres to the tin lid.

    What? You didn't notice I listed a dog ball as one of the materials you needed in order to complete this project? Apparently, someone was trying to get her message across.  I step away for one minute and I come back to see my ball-obsessed dog had neatly placed her toy amongst my project. She'll be starting her new blog soon.

6. Now for the finale! Take your glue gun and start adhering your ribbon around the sides of the tin lid.

  Easy peasy, right? Now all you have to do is take all those darn reward cards out of your wallet and toss them into their happy new home!

I’d love to know how do you organize all your rewards cards?

  




Linking here:
http://www.tipjunkie.com/
http://blackberryvine.blogspot.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/
http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
http://lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com/

Burlap Wine Bag With Fabric Flowers

If you stopped by yesterday then you know all about my obsession with fabric flowers! If you missed it, you can read all about it here. Today I wanted to share with you a delightful way to dress up a wine bottle. I know wine is always my go-to hostess gift, but guess what? So is everyone else's! So here’s an easy way to make your gift of vino more memorable.

Supplies Needed:

Piece of burlap material

{34 inches by 34 inches for most average wine bottle sizes}

Scissors

Hot glue gun

Rubber band

2 pieces of solid or patterned scrap material

Coordinating ribbon

Bottle of wine

1. Lay your burlap material flat on your work surface.
Take your bottle of wine and place it in the center of the material.

2. In order to measure how much burlap you will need start grabbing the corners of the material and gathering it at the neck of your bottle as if you were making a bag. Once you get an approximate idea of how much you will need trim off any excess material. {Mine came out to about 34 x 34 inches and I expect it to be the same for most average size wine bottles}. You want the top of the burlap to just barely come above the top of the cork part of the bottle.

3. After you have trimmed off the excess material gather it all back up around the bottle. In order to hold the burlap in place you will want to tie a rubber band around the base of the bottle’s neck.

4. Take your ribbon and tie a bow around the rubber band.

5. Once you have the bow tied you’ll want to flip the top of the
burlap down to expose a little of the bottle’s cork.

6. Now it’s time to make those pretty flowers! Cut 4 strips of fabric, 2 of each color. You are going to want to cut these strips at various lengths so that you’ll have a variety of sizes of flowers to work with. All 4 of my fabric strips were approximately 1 ½ inches wide and ranged anywhere from 40 to 90 inches long. These don’t have to be perfectly cut!

7. Tie a knot at one end of each fabric strip.

8. Take your strips and start wrapping the fabric around the knot, twisting here and there as you roll. Keep wrapping until you get to the size that you want your flower and then glue the ends down. If you’re a visual learner like myself you may want to check out this great video from Mandy of Sugar Bee Crafts. She shows how easy it is to make theses rolled fabric flowers!

9. Once your flowers are done you can start adhering them to the burlap
bag with some more glue. Aren’t they purrrty?

I love the combination of burlap and these rolled flowers!  If you have extra material you can use it to make up a few of these wine bags and then you’ll be one of those annoying awesome people who are so organized and have their stash of go-to hostess gifts on hand!


I'd love to know what projects have you added fabric flowers to lately?

Linking to the following parties:
http://www.tipjunkie.com/
http://ladybug-blessings.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/
http://www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com/
http://reasonstoskipthehousework.blogspot.com/
http://sweetfloweret.blogspot.com/
http://jembellish.blogspot.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.houseofhepworths.com/
http://somewhatsimple.com/
http://fabricbowsandmore.blogspot.com/
http://thefrugalgirls.com/
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/
http://www.homemakeronadime.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/

Teacher’s Appreciation Week: Corkboard Flowerpot

Teacher’s Appreciation Week starts on May 2nd and I wanted to create something that would be both practical and fun for your kiddos to give as a gift to their favorite educator. I love the idea of these corkboard flowerpots because teachers can use them for a variety of things. For example, perhaps the teacher is a plant killer like myself. No worries, this box would also make for a great organizer for all those classroom craft supplies that teachers tend to collect. The best part is they can pin reminders, pictures, or other favorite notes to the corkboard box and have their very own bulletin center right there on their desk!

You’ll need:

• Small plant or flower arrangement
• Roll of self-adhesive cork paper
• Small wooden box
• Flat head push pin
• 2 pieces of colored or patterned paper scraps
• Scissors
• Glue gun
• Pencil

1. Measure how much cork paper you’ll need by placing the wooden box on the edge of the paper and then wrap all 4 sides until the paper meets. Mark the measurements with a pencil and trim any excess paper.

2. Remove the backing from the self-adhesive cork paper and apply to the box. You’ll want to wrap the paper tightly around the box, however, pull gently since cork paper is easy to tear.

3. Place your flower arrangement or plant inside the box.

Now we’re going to make the cute floral push pin!
4.  Trim and round off the corners of the paper you would like to use for the bloom.
5.  Your scrap paper should resemble a circle but don’t worry about making it perfect.
6.  Starting on the edge of the paper take your scissors and start cutting a spiral design working your way into the center of the paper.

7. Take the spiral cut paper and place it pattern down. You’ll want to slightly fold the edges of the paper back. Once again, no need to be perfect.
8. Turn the paper over, take one end of the scrap paper and start rolling. You want to keep it pretty tight as your are rolling and once you reach the end you’ll see that little flap that was sitting in the center of your paper. Use your glue gun and dab some glue on that flap and adhere to the bottom of your rolled flower.
9.  Cut out 2 leaf shaped designs from your 2nd sheet of paper and glue to the back of your flower. Now stick that baby to your flat head push pin with a little bit more glue and you have yourself an adorable push pin!
All that’s left to do is handwrite or print off a little note and pin it to the flowerpot! I hope you enjoyed my first tutorial!



**Since this posted I have had a few people inquire about the wooden box and where I found it at.  I picked the box up at Jo-Ann Fabrics.  Hope that helps!
Here are the parties I'm linking to this week:
http://www.tipjunkie.com/
http://todayscreativeblog.net/
http://blackberryvine.blogspot.com/
http://ladybug-blessings.com/
http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/
http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/
http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/
http://nv-craftenvy.blogspot.com/
http://simplydesigning.blogspot.com/
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
http://www.aglimpseinsideblog.com/