Upcycled Projects and Crafts from Country Living

Here are just a few of the ideas from Country Living I have listed for you.  You can find out more information by going to their website.

Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

Repurpose the classic Mason jar as a soap or lotion dispenser in your bathroom.
1. First, measure and mark the center of the jar's lid.
2. Using a 1/2" high-speed steel drill bit (about $10; local hardware store), drill a hole to fit the width of a soap dispenser pump. We used pumps from old lotion bottles.
3. Fill the jar with liquid soap, screw the lid back on, and insert the pump. You may need to trim the bottom of the pump to fit your jar.

Read more: Upcycled Crafts and Projects - Easy Upcycling Craft Ideas - Country Living

 

Crate Shelving

Old blueberry crates — like the six that make up this ruggedly good-looking shelving uni — are the perfect size for displaying and storing Mason jars.
1. Find a pattern/layout you like by arranging the crates on the floor.
2. Mount the crates on a wall, starting with the top row, using a level, anchors, and screws. For each box, drill holes through each of the four corners, then insert anchors into the holes. Holding the box in place so that the holes align, drill screws through the holes to affix the box to the wall.

Read more: Upcycled Crafts and Projects - Easy Upcycling Craft Ideas - Country Living

 

Make Your Own Laundry Soap

How to make homemade laundry soap:

First you will need the following ingredients (you can find these at your local grocery store):

1/2 Cup: Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda {not Baking Soda}

1/2 Cup: Borax

1/3 Bar of Fels-Naptha Soap {you could also use Ivory soap, but if using Ivory… use the whole bar}

Bucket {2 gallon size or larger}

Empty laundry detergent containers or bucket with lid to store detergent.

What you are going to do is: 

• Grate 1/3 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap over large pot or saucepan

• Add 6 cups of Water.
• Heat over medium-high until soap dissolves and melts.
• Add Washing Soda & Borax, and stir until dissolved.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Pour 4 cups Hot Water into bucket, then add Soap Mixture.
• Stir, then add 1 Gallon + 6 Cups of additional water. Stir.
  Transfer to a bucket with a lid, or pour into empty laundry detergent containers.
• Set aside, and let it sit overnight, or up to 24 hours, to thicken and gel up.
• Consistency and color will vary depending on your soap & water ~ it may be lumpy and watery… kind of like a watery gel, but it works great!
• Stir or shake before each use, as it will continue to gel.

Good job… you did it!

I have made this personally and it works really well!  You can also find out how to make homemade fabric softner by clicking HERE.

~Thanks to:  


Read more: http://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/08/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent.html#ixzz1qlBYcCDZ

DIY Simple Easter Basket Crafts

Fine Print

Give guests a sweet send-off with cookies in craft-store berry baskets. Tape patterned scrapbook paper to baskets, and use the same paper for hangtags attached with twine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Tiers

To make this tower of treats, tape cut-to-fit craft paper around two empty 32-oz. yogurt cartons. Hot-glue an upside-down carton inside a large orchard basket (crateandbasket.com), then glue a medium basket on top. Repeat with other carton and small basket. Fill with faux grass and goodies.

Paper Posies

Overflowing from a vintage wire egg carrier, these coffee-filter flowers are a charming way to welcome brunch visitors.

Coffee Filter Flowers: The Steps

For each flower you'll need:
• 2 white basket-style coffee filters
• 1 brown basket-style coffee filter
• 12" floral wire
• Hot glue
• 10" green grosgrain ribbon (3/8" wide)

Instructions:
• Place two white filters together (one on top of the other), fold in half, then fold in half again
• Starting at the outside corners, draw a curved V-pattern onto the front to form petal shapes (see pattern A); cut out
• Repeat folds on third white coffee filter, and draw a smaller curved V shaped (see pattern B); cut out
• Repeat folds on two brown coffee filters (placed one on top of the other, then draw several V-shapes (see Pattern C); cut out
• Open up all filters so they are flat to reveal petal shapes
• Layer them as so: Pattern A filters on bottom, Pattern B filter in middle, Pattern C filters on top
• With you 12" section of floral wire, poke two holes through all the center of the layers, about 1/4 inch apart
• Loop wire even through holes (entering from top), then twist wire underneath the base of the petals, securing tightly.
• Starting from the bottom, wrap wire with ribbon, secure with glue gun
• Tie the remaining ribbon into a bow at the flowers' base
• Fluff petals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gathering Moss

Showcase twine-wrapped and paper-embellished eggs with this woodsy, moss-covered creation. Simply hot-glue craft-store moss to an inexpensive basket; for the eggs, use a glue stick to add petals, polka dots, bunnies, and string.

Easter Peat Pot Baskets

Materials:
• Peat pots
• Acrylic craft paint (off-white and pastel)
• Paintbrush
• Lollipop sticks or wooden skewers
• 18-gauge floral wire
• 20-gauge floral wire
• Wire cutters
• Perfect Glue 1
• Two clothespins per basket
• Embellishments such as flowers and ribbon. (Animals and chocolate bunny not included.)

Instructions:
• Paint interior and exterior of the peat pots off-white. Once fully dry, use the end of a lollipop stick or wooden skewer to make polka dots on pots with a pastel paint. (Use paint sparingly.)
• For handles, cut the 18- and 20-gauge wires into 12-inch pieces; wrap the 20-gauge wire around the 18-gauge wire. Bend wire into a handle shape and use glue to attach wire to the interior sides of each peat pot; secure with clothespins.
• Dry for one hour before handling. Once dry, use glue to apply embellishments to pots as desired.

Bed of Roses

Tightly packed blossoms form the base of this basket.

Step 1: Place soaked floral foam on a teacup saucer and insert rose stems to create the base.
Step 2: Insert dried grapevines to form a handle. Decorate the grapevine by wrapping it with a satin ribbon, finished off with a bow.
Step 3: Fill the basket with plastic "bejeweled" eggs: With a spiral motion starting at the top of each egg, tightly wrap a long string of beads (found at craft stores) around the egg, affixing it with glue.

Planning Your Family Staycation

Does your family enjoy a fun and exciting summer vacation but the budget is tight? Are you tired of going away on a week-long trip only to come home needing a vacation from your vacation? Does the thought of crowds at the airport or gas prices make you want to just stay home? Well, you can home and still have a great vacation by having a family staycation!

Planning Your Family Staycation is full of ideas for turning your home into a place you'll want to vacation in, suggestions for activities that your kids will love and tons of tips that will make your family want to staycation again and again.

About the Author: Denise D. Witmer is a recognized writer of parenting and family books and websites including her book, The Everything Parent's Guide to Raising a Successful Child and creating About.com’s Parenting Teens site and publishing its articles and resources since 1997. Her site and advice has been featured in US News and World Report, Better Homes and Garden’s Raising Teens Magazine and USA Today online.

Ms. Witmer has been a ‘professional parent’ at a Childrens' Home in Pennsylvania from 1988 to 2006. Throughout that time, she has taken many group and family vacations and successfully put together countless staycation activities and day trips. She was very active in child and teen development and helped create their independent living programs. She is trained in PET (Parent Effectiveness Training), STEP (Support and Training for Exceptional Parents) and is the mother of three children. She also completed graduate courses at Penn State University for child and social psychology.

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Kindle is offering this book as a FREE download! 

Get Your Free Download Here

Home Made Granite Cleaner

Take a spray bottle, fill it about 1/8th full with rubbing alcohol, add a drop of Dawn dishwashing soap, a few drops of scented oil (optional, but makes it smell so good), fill the rest of the way with water, shake together, and you're good to go! It makes your granite (or any countertop) shine and feel so smooth at a fraction of the price~I have loved it and use it on my appliances as well.

Click here for more tips

Great Shelving Ideas

Source: shabbytochicdesigns.com via Shelia on Pinterest

Old Pallet pieces used as shelves. This is a cute idea. It has a rustic vibe to it.

Bathroom Decor on a Budget

Source: allyou.com via Shelia on Pinterest

Scour local flea markets for furniture you can convert into a sink console, such as the vintage table seen here. Large hooks are an economical alternative to towel bars that look just as nice when they’re holding colorful towels. Instead of a medicine chest, opt for ordinary wall mirrors; toiletries, extra towels and other sundry items can be stored in plastic or wicker baskets.