Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Homemade Playhouse

A wonderful homemade playhouse tutorial can be found here. Cute and very inexpensive!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Closet Organization

Recently, I read a tutorial about creating very cute (and functional) closet dividers for children's closets. The original version is lovely, but I needed to make something that would work in an adult's closet that does not have a removable rod. I also wanted to avoid the cost of the wooden letters used in the original tutorial. My version is shown above, and though my photography skills may leave a lot to be desired, the finished project looks nice in my home and cost very little to complete.

Closet Divider Tutorial:

Estimated Cost: $2.00-$3.00

Materials:
Thin cardboard sheets (pieces from a cereal box will work)
Mod Podge
Gloss decoupage sealer
Scrapbook paper
Scissors or Craft Knife
Circular shapes (jar lids, etc) for tracing. You will need one large shape to make the outer portion of the ring, and one smaller shape for the inner portion.
Pencil

How-To:
1) Determine the size of divider ring that can be accommodated by your closet. Match this size with a jar lid (or similar item) that you can use as a tracing template.
2) Cut a square piece of cardboard that will accommodate your tracing template.
3) Decoupage the front and back of the cardboard with scrapbook paper. Allow to dry.
4) Trace the outer and inner circles of your closet divider ring.
5) Cut out the ring shape.
6) Make a single horizontal cut across one side of the ring. This will allow the ring to fit easily over your closet rod. (Steps 5 and 6 can be combined into a single step.)
7) Spray with gloss sealant and allow to dry.

This project is attractive, inexpensive, and simple! Have fun organizing!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Cleaning with Vinegar

The Project: I love the idea of making my own inexpensive, natural cleaning supplies. I had read online that  vinegar and water can be used on a variety of surfaces, so I made my own all-purpose cleaner. I used a very basic recipe: one part vinegar to one part water. I also added many, many drops of orange essential oil in an attempt to cover the vinegar smell.

The Verdict: The vinegar and water mix is doing a great job as my all-purpose cleaner. I have only used it on surfaces so far (no windows, etc.); it cleans surfaces well and does not leave a residue. The only drawback is that the vinegar smell can't be overpowered with essential oil, no matter how much I add. The mix still smells like vinegar, but the smell doesn't seem to linger.

What I have been most impressed with is the mixture's ability to clean stainless steel. My many attempts to clean the outside of my stainless appliances with store-bought natural cleaners have been very unsuccessful; they take off the dirt but leave residue streaks that show up as soon as the steel is completely dry. This homemade cleaner didn't leave streaks of its own, and it also took away the streaks left by all of the previous cleaners! I'm amazed at how much better the front of my stove looks. 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Lunch for Little Ones

This looks so appealing, and I love all the choices. Forget about that Happy Meal!

Did You Have a Good Day?

This is such a cute idea! Loads of early elementary ideas here.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Homemade Watercolor Paint

This is awesome!!
image by hikingartist.com
Up late working on my fifth grade Civil War unit. I'll post one of the map activities once the entire project is together.