Personalized Clocks – My Writer’s Clock

There is so much creative possibility while building your own clock from a kit, I can’t believe it took me so long to finish this thing. It now decorates my wall quite nicely!

Personalized Clock

clock kit = clock base + movements + hands
paint
napkins or transfer paper
glue
marker

First paint your clock base with a base color of your choice.

Use the decoupage technique to add desired motifs. (I went with a seasonal theme using a variety of different motifs specific for each season.) Then make markings, write numbers, etc. for the clock dial.

(I personally went with a toned down “Writer’s Clock” theme, adding Write, Revise, Submit, Re-Write, Publish, etc. while giving the seasonal look center stage.)

Finish it off by assembling the clock and hang where ever desired.

Happy crafting! Tic-Toc Tic-Toc

Slice of Diaper Cake, anyone?

We went to a christening in February. I’m not too keen on being in a room filled with too many people, or a family get-together of any sort, but what got me excited about this obligatory-attendance-thingy was that: I got to (finally!) make a diaper cake!

I saw diaper cakes all over the internet before and made a mental note about assembling one myself… except there was never a reason to, no one that close to me had a baby so that I could surprise them with it.

Jumping at the opportunity, here’s what I ended up with (and a tutorial for how to make your own).

Diaper Cake 

a pack of 30 or more diapers (best to buy bigger sized ones, unless you know for sure how much the baby weighs)
pretty, decorative ribbons
gifts you’d like to include (clothes, toys, baby’s room decorations, fridge magnets, baby bottle, shoes, etc.)
something to place the cake on (I used a round plate mat)
rubber bands
marshmallow skewers

One by one roll up the diapers tightly and secure them with 1-2 rubber bands. After you’re finished with the whole diaper pack, you can start the cake assembling.

Place some of the gifts you’re giving into the middle of the cake “platter” and then start placing the rolled-up diapers around the gifts in a circle. Secure with a rubber band so they won’t move anymore. Fill up the base tier with the rest of the gifts.

Build the second tier by placing the rolled-up diapers next to each other in a circle and secure them with a rubber band.

Build the top tier and measure it against the second tier so it’s a perfect fit and will look nice and proportionate once the cake is assembled.

If you have any left-over diapers, add them inside the bottom tier next to the gifts.

Place the second tier on top of the bottom tier. Stick 2-3 marshmallow skewers in between the diapers so they don’t show, but so they secure the tiers together. Repeat with the top tier.

Tie the decorative ribbons around each tier to cover the rubber bands, further secure them and make your diaper cake look all pretty.

Optionally place extra gifts on the tiers before packaging.

Happy cake making

Practical advice for winter skincare

Although we’ve entered winter a few months ago, it’s only been in the past few weeks (month or so) that the cold has truly set its foot down over here with temperatures going as low as –23 Celsius (yes, minus 23!). Cold and frosty winds – the greatest enemies of our skin during this cold season.

I don’t think cosmetic products used during winter greatly differ from those that are preferred during the rest of the year, but they still must be used regularly. Even one day when you have not followed all the steps leaves a trace of evidence, or at least that’s what always happens in my case.

So to prevent entering spring with a tired and visibly marked skin complexion, I recommend considering the following tips:

1. Hydration as the basis of everything
   Hydration is essential! Using various heat sources affect water balance in our skin and bodies overall. Drink plenty of fluids (water, hot tea, fresh juice) and do not forget about room humidifiers.
2. Do not skip over any part of your cosmetic routine
   On both body and face, cleansing, toning and nourishing the skin add up to a valuable routine which is essential to be followed daily, both at morning and in the evening (whether you used makeup during the day or not).
   A gentle cleanser or preferably one homemade of suitable oils mixture will first easily remove all impurities. A toning floral water will remove any remaining residues. And a blend of face creams, lotions, butters and oils will nourish your skin. Avoid using non-organic soap on your face and never leave the house before applying cream.
3. Eat well
   Eating well doesn’t mean you must eat more, but that you should make sure to include as many vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, soup and fish in your diet  and as little heavy/greasy meat as possible.

These are just three, very simple tips, which are highly effective and can be easily followed with just a little willpower and organization.

 

What are your tips for a beautiful and healthy skin during this frosty season?

The Golden Snitch! – my Harry Potter Ornament

You guys already know how much I love Harry Potter. So much so that even though I had all my books in Hungarian, I purchased the last volume of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in English because I couldn’t even imagine waiting for the translated version.

So it’s probably not a surprise that I’ve instantly fell in love with a Golden Snitch Christmas tree ornament tutorial I saw over at Tiny Apartment Crafts a couple of weeks ago.

It took me a while to finish because I don’t usually work with wire (and still dislike it!) and I had a glue gun to purchase as well, but my ornament is finally done and ready to use.

The Golden Snitch! Ornament Tutorial from TinyApartmentCrafts

I couldn’t wait to decorate the Christmas tree today and search for the best spot to place my Golden Snitch!

 

PS: it’s my only ornament up right now, so I better get going and decorate the rest of the tree

Homemade Gifts {in a Jar} part 2

Last week, I told you all about my gift in a jar Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Chef.

Now, for the seamstress in my life, I decided to make a sewing-kit jar. Here’s how I did it.

Sewing-kit jar

Fill the jar of your choice, with different things a seamstress would appreciate (I chose beads, embroidery thread, yarn, buttons, chalk, pins and needles, etc.)

I really liked the idea of the pincushion lid, but knew my grandmother wouldn’t really want to keep the jar, so I decided to make one of these really cute Tuna Can Pincushions I’ve had my mind on ever since my friend Patsey posted her tutorial.

After I finished both the jar and pincushion, I stuck the tuna can pincushion onto the lid with a simple double adhesive tape so it would stay on there until/during Christmas gift giving and then come off easily.

Happy crafting everyone

Homemade Gifts {in a Jar} part 1

Sometime last week, I stumbled upon Myra’s blog post, 12 Homemade Gifts In A Jar and I was floored. I instantly fell in love with all of these ideas, and since I’d personally love to receive something like this, I decided to make some gifts in jars myself.

The first one I made is a gift to the Chef in my life who doesn’t really like the precision of measuring ingredients for baking. I figured this would be the perfect St.Nick’s Day gift – and I was right, he loved it

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Homemade gift in a jar

(I used my own adapted version of this Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.)

Layer the ingredients in a large enough mason jar, starting with the necessary dry ingredients like sugar, flour (+ baking soda and salt mixed into it), cocoa and only then add your additional dry ingredients like chocolate chips, hazelnuts, Rahat Locoum (Turkish Delight), granola, cereals, raisins, etc.

Screw the lid on the jar, and cover with a circle of fabric or a paper doily, held down with a rubber band. Cover the rubber band with yarn or ribbon and tie a bow. For additional beauty, tie a cinnamon or vanilla bar into the bow. (I did that just before gifting the jar.)

Print out a gift tag-type paper with the recipe, or simply glue further directions onto the jar like I did, mentioning what else needs to be added, at what temperature the cookies need baking and for how long.

* I personally added a bunch of extra ingredients the original recipe didn’t include, so I upped the quantity of eggs and butter needed. Make sure you do the same if you need to.

Come to think about it, I’ve actually given gifts in a jar before, in the form of homemade beauty products. I think my Beauty the natural way recipes (Face Mask, Bath Salts, Exfoliating Body Scrub, Body Balm, Facial Scrub, etc.) are perfect for the ladies in your family so flip through the pages and feel free to prepare any of those. I’m sure they will be greatly appreciated.

Hope you all like these ideas, and check back next Wednesday for part 2

 

PS: there are a ton of gifts in a jar ideas out there on the web, you’re bound to come across the perfect one for your loved ones.

Tips and tricks for healthy hair

1. Always look at ingredients and choose a delicate shampoo without SLS (it excessively dries hair). It’s best to avoid harsh shampoos, as a gentle shampoo cleans just as effectively without unnecessarily being hard on the scalp. Even shampoos for color-treated hair are often harsh, so even for dyed hair it’s preferable to use a gentle shampoo.
2. Do not believe manufacturer’s claims that their shampoo is suitable for anyone and performs miracles that no other shampoo does. Each person is different and what works for one person may be wrong for someone else. Always test shampoos before switching and then select according to your hair’s needs.
3. Do you really need to shampoo twice? Before we learned this rule, our hair was clean even after shampooing once. It may or may not be a marketing tactic designed to increase sales. Obviously, in some cases, double shampooing is necessary, but it is not as necessary as to become a rule. (I noticed that no matter how many times I shampoo my hair, I have to wash it with the exact same frequency, so why waste that extra shampoo?)
4. Curly hair doesn’t get greasy quickly, because the sebum doesn’t get through the hair as fast as it does on straight hair. The best products for this type of hair are creamy ones. It is best to use a conditioner after washing curly hair.
5. Oily, normal or flaccid hair needs a liquid, light, transparent shampoo. Not all people with these types of hair also need conditioner, so if after washing your hair is easy to comb, you can save money by not using conditioner.
6. Chemically treated hair is more difficult to care for, it’s best to use a natural shampoo, gentle, for normal hair. You should also use concentrated hair conditioners.
7. For dry hair, creamy conditioners and very nutritious shampoo is recommended.
8. Are shampoos ‘2 in 1’ (with built-conditioner) better? This product is recommended for normal, healthy hair. But if you have oily hair, conditioner is not needed, and if you have dry hair, the moisturizing agents in ‘2 products in 1’ type of shampoos are not sufficient.
9. To shampoo use a small amount of shampoo (add more if necessary according to your hair’s length). Conduct a rigorous massage to the scalp, and if you can bear it, before shampooing and the rinse water should be cold as to support extra shine. If possible, let air dry. Always comb wet hair with a wide toothed comb and not a brush because your hair is most fragile while wet.
10. A beautiful, healthy hair does not require expensive treatments, it’s relatively easy to maintain at home. Like any other aspect of our body, beautiful hair is foremost maintained by proper diet, sufficient hydration, avoiding stress and smoke filled places and the use of natural hair care products. 

Some additional tips:

• the juice of one lemon mixed with a cup of water give more shine to your hair;
• one tablespoon of baking soda mixed well in a cup of water will remove remaining hair spray or gel from the hair;
• a teaspoon of baking soda added to the amount of shampoo used once to wash helps eliminate excess sebum from the scalp;
• rinsing your hair with a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar diluted in 2 cups of water gives it shine;
• or just use No-Poo shampoo
• an infusion of chamomile helps to highlight blonde hair color;
• an infusion of sage, lavender and cinnamon (a few sticks, broken pieces) helps darken hair color;
• hibiscus (either infusion or powder) helps in attaining red reflexes.