Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

on
So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
0

Handmade Gifts for Mother's Day

on

Homemade Body Scrub
Make Mom her own all-natural body scrub filled with salts, sugar, and lemon zest.
Tools and Materials
Body oil, Burt's Bees
Epsom salt, sea salt, or organic cane sugar
12 oz. PET Jar with cap, sks-bottle.com
Lemon zest
How-To:Combine 1 cup of body oil with 2 cups of Epsom or sea salts or organic cane sugar (depending on how fine a grain you like). We added lemon zest for color and fragrance. Package in jars (plastic is safest by the tub).









Floral Fabric Boxes and Journals
This Mother's Day, make a lasting impression by making and giving mom one of these fabric-covered boxes and journals by using bold, geometric patterns.
















Sewing Kit in a Jar
Transform an old-fashioned Mason jar into your sewer's must-have kit, complete with a built-in pincushion on top.
Tools and Materials
Mason jar
Batting
Fabric
How-To: To begin, separate the lid's sealer and screw cap. Trace around sealer on cardboard. Using a compass, draw another circle on linen or cotton, 1 inch larger in diameter than the first. Cut out both circles; make cushion by placing batting between fabric and cardboard. Turn screw cap upside down, and apply hot glue to inside edge of rim; quickly press cushion into lid until cloth protrudes smoothly above screw cap's opening and cardboard is flush against rim. Apply hot glue around edge of cardboard, fold over excess fabric, and press down. Glue top of sealer to cardboard. Fill jar.





Tote Bags with Iron-On Silhouettes
Use sleek silhouettes to turn a modest bag into an artful gift for Mom.
















Dip-Dyed Baskets
When dipped in paint, rustic baskets become thoroughly modern carryalls that look as if they came straight out of a design shop. If you don't have enough paint to dip large baskets, use a foam brush to apply the paint instead.















Tub Teas
Treat mom to lemon, lavender, peppermint, and chamomile homemade tub teas.
Tools and Materials
Heat-sealable tea bags, thesage.com
Lavender buds, thesage.com
Chamomile buds, thesage.com
Peppermint leaves, thesage.com
Dried organic lemon verbena,localharvest.org
How-To:Fill heat-sealable tea bags (perfect for one bath) with 1/4 cup lemon verbena, lavender, peppermint, or chamomile. For small bags, top 5 1/4-inch starched muslin circles with 1 tablespoon of botanicals; tie with waxed twine. Giving a few of these in different scents lets bathers customize each bath.







Spring Flower Sugar Cookie Gift
Simple sugar cookies spring to life -- and become a sweet gift for Mother's Day -- when baked on skewers and arranged in a "meadow" of wheatgrass.
















Homemade Body Scrub
Make Mom a jar or two of exfoliating body scrub using her favorite scents. When you're done, print our clip-art labels to customize your gift.
Tools and Materials
2 cups Epsom salts or organic cane sugar
1 cup carrier oil
8 drops essential oil(s)
1 drop food coloring
Special equipment: plastic pipette, canning jars
How-To: Stir together Epsom salts or sugar and carrier oil in a bowl, mixing well. Using pipette, add essential oil, 1 drop at a time. Add food coloring, and stir until color is even throughout. Spoon into canning jars. Download clip-art labels, enlarging or reducing to fit top of canning jar if necessary. Print onto ink-jet bumper-sticker paper (which is designed to withstand water). Cut out the labels, and affix to clean jars.Gift-Packaging Idea: With their flip-top lids and gaskets for sealing, canning jars have a clean look and also keep any oil in the scrub from leaking. Decorate the jars with labels, and tie a pretty spoon or a bath sponge to the lid with waxed twine.




African Violets for Mom
This Mother's Day, treat Mom to these petite African-violet pots with a personalized tag. Note: Any flower will do ;)
















Teacup Lights
Antique teacups that have lost their saucers still make sweet gifts when fitted with candles.
















Soap Cubes
Go ahead -- wash your hands with these pastel ice cubes. They're actually soaps made using an ice cube tray as a mold: a gift for Mom that's pretty as well as practical.
Tools and Materials:
Plastic ice cube mold.
Blocks of glycerin
Liquid food coloring
Petroleum jelly
Cotton swabs
How-To: Experiment with ice-cube trays of various shapes and sizes. Glycerin is usually sold in large blocks; to melt it, cut it to a size that will fit in a microwavable bowl or measuring cup. Smear a dab of liquid food coloring into the bowl or measuring cup with a cotton swab or coffee stirrer. Food coloring is very concentrated, so only use a dab; try mixing different colors. Heat the glycerin in a microwave on high, stirring at 15-second intervals, until it's completely melted. Use a cotton swab to coat the inside of the ice-cube tray with petroleum jelly. Pour the melted glycerin into the tray, filling each section almost to the top. Cool for about 2 hours; the soap cubes will pop right out. Like cubes of ice, they'll also melt -- getting gradually smaller as each pair of hands is washed.

Comments

Post a Comment