Candle Stick Jars

I made these a long time ago, and just never got around to posing about them. These are a lot of fun to make, and more fun to have. I first made these right before halloween, and filled them partially with candy corn, and stuck a flameless tea light in each. I got a lot of compliments on them. All you need is a set of candlesticks, mason jars with lids, paint, and super glue. I think it pretty much explains itself, but here is what I did.

First I painted the candlesticks and the lids to match. I painted these ones a dark brown. Then I made a chromatic black to paint on and wipe away to give it an antiqued look. You can use a paper towel or a rag to do this. I really love how that turned out. Next I super glued the jars to the candlesticks. Lastly, I filled them with fun goodies, and voila! Done!

I ended up making quite a few of these as people ask for them for gifts. Everyone has had a lot of fun thinking of things to put in them for every holiday and season. These were very easy, and turn out really cute! Pinterest has done us good :)

Grandkids Make Life Grand Sign

How cute is this!?! My sister actually made this one (She stole it from my board, dang her!). She got a pice of wood from the hardware store and painted it. The vinyl lettering she cut out on her vinyl cutter. She had her daughter decorate the pins. She gave this to my mom for Christmas, and it was one of her favorites, if not her absolute favorite gift. This was a really easy project, and turned out just as expected. Definitely a winner!

Laundry Detergent

I have seen a lot of "make your own laundry soap" pins. They all claim to cost 2 cents a load. Sounds great to me! A store bought box of detergent usually costs about 25 cents per load. So I tried it, and I love it! This is what I used:

1 bar Fels Naptha
1/2 bar Zote
2 cups Washing Soda
2 cups Borax

I first grated the Fels Naptha and the Zote in my blender. (I have an attachment that will do this and it makes it go SO fast!) Then I added the Washing Soda and the Borax. When the Fels Naptha and Zote are grated, they make big curls. I was worried this would interfere with the ability to dissolve completely (might not) so I decided to run it through the blender. It is now the exact consistency of store bought laundry detergent. In case you have a HE machine, this is HE safe! Awesome, right! You can leave out the Zote (but I love the smell of it!) if you have any kind of reaction to it. You also can replace it with any soap you know is safe for your skin, like Dove. This way you can make it completely hypoallergenic.

I have been using this detergent for a few months now and could not be happier. I have noticed that it cleans my clothes just as well as store bought detergent, and is a lot more gentle on my clothes. My lint catcher collects probably 1/4 of what it used to with a load of laundry. With the savings on the soap itself, and the savings of helping my clothes last longer, I am one happy camper!