Easy-Peasy and Soothing Too: Heat Pack Tutorial

There's nothing like the reality of getting older combined with new and exciting budget concerns to really get your muscles tied up in knots. I use these microwavable heat packs religiously all year long, but they are especially comforting in the colder months. If you already have one, you know the kind of relief I'm talking about. If you don't ... you're in for a real treat! I made three different heat packs to show you a variety. The actual process is very simple and they make a great gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your Christmas list.

Materials:
1 new, washed hand towel
20" cotton or nylon webbing
Thread to match
2 1/2 cups rice

1) Cut your hand towel lengthwise so it measures 10" wide.
2) Cut webbing so you have 2 pieces 10" long.
3) Fold towel in half lengthwise, right sides together and pin easing in any difference in length. (the binding edge will be slightly shorter) Stitch twice at 2/8" for extra strength with minimal bulk.4) Tuck one length of webbing to the inside of one of the openings, making sure there are no twists in it. Match up the ends of the webbing with the edge of the fabric. Pin and sew at 5/8" two times. Trim corners.
5) Turn right side out using a blunt chopstick to get the corners square. Now scoop 1/2 cup of rice into the tube and let it fall to the very bottom.
6) Lay the piece out and pin 5" from the bottom securing the rice inside. Stitch here to close the pocket of rice. Add another 1/2 cup of rice and pin 5" from the last segment. Sew. Repeat 3 more times.7) When you reach the last section, turn the fabric inside about 1/2".
8) Tuck both ends of the last webbing piece into this section and pin securely.
9) Stitch twice very close to the edge and you're done!To use: Microwave for 90 seconds to start. Place on neck or back and let the moist heat work its magic. (These are great on your abdomen for cramps too.) If it's not hot enough, heat in 30 second intervals. 2 1/2 - 3 minutes is usually perfect for me, but every microwave is different. DO NOT scorch the rice or you'll never get the smell out. Store in a cool dry place away from food.

Alternate method: Follow steps 1-4 above. Then pin lengthwise 1 1/2" from each side of the tube and 1" from the open end. Stitch to make 3 separate tubes. Pour 3/4 cup of rice into each tube using a funnel. Shake the pack so the rice can fall all the way to the bottom. Once these are all filled, follow steps 7-9 above.Alternate Fabric: These area also great made from polar fleece. Just cut a rectangle measuring 10"x26". Follow all the steps, but make 4 sections 6" long instead.These striped towels from IKEA remind me of candy canes and would be so cute from Christmas. Stay tuned! I'll have another how-to with the remaining towel pieces shortly. Fun!

The Full Facelift: Before & After

Here it is, folks. Just look at those bare walls. We've been in this house for just over two years now and still, not even one picture hung. In fact, my sweet girl had picture frames stashed all over the place ... half of them filled with prints and the rest with the original display pictures still in them. It was time, time to make it look like she actually LIVES in this room, this very bright green room.Where to start? First, a shopping trip to IKEA for some quick fixes. We'll go left to right in the pictures below. 1) I located the four prints I gave her for Christmas. They were in nice bright IKEA frames already and were artsy photographs she had taken herself. We dusted them off and hung them. 2) We replaced the old-fashioned standing mirror with the simple MINDE mirror for cheapie-cheap. 3) I started printing photos to frame her closet, kind of a reversed picture frame with all the photos along the outside. I chose photos from the last 12 months and mixed the sizes, 4x6, 5x5 and 5x7. I also picked up a couple packs of printed cards to mix it up a little and give it some variety. I used heavy duty glue dots to attach these all the way around the door frame. 4) This great little picture mobile was only about $7 and holds 10 images. It was a cinch to put together and I love how it moves. 5) Added the LACK shelf to hold even more pictures, a few figurines and her nerd glasses. 6) A comfy padded butterfly chair from Sears to sit and read in.We topped all this off with the fabric covered stretcher frame and some old records. This girl LOVES music almost as much as she loves reading. I married the two and put quotes from Edward and Jacob in the middle of each record. The black vinyl helped tie in the fabric and the new chair. Her brother also got her this fun paper star lamp to hang over her bed. It is even more delicious at night AND we found it at a great shop in Highland called Anna & Rose that you must go check out. It's run by a dear friend of mine and is simply fantastic.

Quote Book

My oldest daughter just put this great book together as a birthday gift for one of her friends. She had some really great ideas and the whole thing came together so nicely that I thought I would share it here.

She found loads of great quotes that her friend would enjoy, sorted them into different categories and then formated 6" x 5.5" pages on the computer. She color coded the quotes per section. The covers of the book are chipboard cut 6 1/4" square and covered in lovely scrapbooking paper. She added details to the front cover to spice it up. (The hand-stitching is my favorite) Then she made dividers with ribbon loops sewn on to help organize the book. The whole thing is ring bound so it can open up all the way. It's gorgeous and her friend LOVED it.

De-stash Craft

It's that time. The kids are in school. There are quiet moments to be found between laundry and work. The crafty goddess (ha!) in me is dying to come out. It's time to do some crafty de-stashing. First up is a new batch of classy glass, magnets to be more specific.

You'll need:
jumbo flat glass gems
Mod Podge
fine glitter
rub on decals of choice
something to cut fun text from
x-acto knife
glass and ceramic paint
appropriately sized paint brushes
magnets
glue of choice

1) Wash the glass marbles/gems in hot soapy water and dry thoroughly. We need to get all the dust, grease and schmutz off of them so our pretties will all stick properly. Choose a set of 3 or 4 that are about the same size that do not have big flaws.2) Decide which decals you want to apply. Cut them to the appropriate size hold in place on the flat side of the glass gem, sticky side down. Use your applicator tool to transfer the decal to the gem. Be sure to go over all areas of the decal before you move on.3) Use your x-acto knife to carefully cut around the text you'd like to use. I cut a jagged line on all four sides of the word or phrase and then push along the cut with the blade to tear the piece out. Once you've decided where to place it on your gem, spread a smooth, thin layer of Mod Podge to the side of the paper that will be visible. Carefully adhere it to the glass and press down firmly on all parts of the paper.4) Spread a thin, even layer of Mod Podge over the flat area of the gem. This is to seal the text and decal and will also hold your glitter. Sprinkle glitter where you'd like it and allow the whole piece to dry thoroughly. You can also use clear fingernail polish for this step.5) Shake your paint bottle to mix it well, then apply a generous layer of paint to the entire flat area of the gem. If you get streaks, your paint is probably too old. Don't worry, just let it dry and then paint on a second coat. Let the paint dry until it is no longer tacky.6) Using your glue of choice, attach the magnets. Ta-da! These are quick to make and gorgeous to boot! What great little gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers ... just about anyone!There are more, but you'll have to check my Etsy store in the next couple of days to see them!

New Goal: Write a wiki-How

I've been toying with the idea anyway ... and what better motivation than to become a wiki-How Hero and help send books to Africa!This month wiki-How is sponsoring a book for a child in Africa each time a registered user writes a new article. Registering took about 5 seconds tonight and you can even find lists of requested topics. You can track the programs project at the Charity Leaderboard. Tonight the count total is 139 books earned by the wiki-How community for children in Tanzania, Africa. I'll have to zip through the site's introductory tour if I get some free time tomorrow and narrow down my possible topics. I'm really excited. My dear hubby reads these all the time and has talked about me writing one for a long time. I guess it's my turn to peek around and see what they're all about and put myself out there. How about you join me? Go register. Write your article and post a linky-do here to share with my readers. (haha!) Now that brings me to another issue here ... I would love to know who's reading and what you think so far. I'll admit I lurk in and out of a lot of blogs without leaving comments, but as the blog writer I will definitely have more motivation to keep improving if I know for sure that I'm reading any kind of an audience out there. I've had a couple very sweet readers post a comment here and there, but let's get a shout out from the rest of you too. The more we've got, the easier it is to get contests and giveaways put together too. (throwing the bait out)

Hope to hear from your soon.

Great Tute for Resin Jewelry

I warn you, it's a bit long and this is just part one. But if this is something you're interested in doing ... his instructions are incredible. Enjoy and have fun with your own jewelry projects.

The Urban Baby Blanket

Today was a big project day around the house. The big one for me was to make 2 baby blankets for my nieces. I've found that that practical blankets get the most miles, so I've reinvented the blankets my great-grandma gave to me. I make mine 45" square, which is a lot for a wee bundle, but believe me you'll keep this size for years.

Here's a quick how-to:

Just find two coordinating, fabulous cotton woven fabrics that match the style of the recipient. Get creative. My favorites are corduroy or denim for the back paired up with a softer flannel or madras plaid. The options are endless, but don't just shop for baby prints. Wash up the fabrics to pre-shrink and remove any sizing. Iron them flat and smooth. Measure them out square and trim any excess. Sew them right sides together with 1/2" seam allowance leaving a 4-5" opening.

Trim the corners. Turn blanket right-side out. Press around the edges to get a nice sharp look and turn the edges under at the opening to match the seam. Stitch this closed as close to the edge as possible. Now stitch a square about 4" in from the edge to help hold the fabrics together.
Tada! Today's Urban Baby Blankets!