DIY Wrap Bracelet You should all know by now that we are all about stacking bracelets on our wrists. The more, the better. In fact . . . the most, the best! With that being said, we’ll show you how to master a version of the ever so popular wrap bracelet. You’ll need (for a double wrapped bracelet) :* Lengths will vary depending on the size of your wrist (see comments for suggestions). Fold the length of leather cording in half to form a loop. Place the ball chain along the leather cording with the end of the chain meeting the end of the wrap. Continue wrapping while checking it for fit around the wrist. When you have reached the end of the ball chain wrap the linen cording around the leather strands 2-3 more times. Thread the hex nut through the strands and tie a second knot. Trim with scissors and your wrap bracelet is finished!! The materials are listed for a double wrap bracelet. It’s a party! (tutorial adapted from Ornamentea; top image via Jak & Jil, rest of image by Honestly…WTF)
How to Make Your Own Beauty Products from Scratch - Health Let's keep things simple this week. When it comes to personal-care products, we are big believers in streamlining what you use—see "Eight Products You Think You Need But Don't" for a refresher—buying less in general, and getting creative. We have both always loved experimenting in our kitchens and our bathrooms, checking ingredients in products we love, isolating the main ones, and then trying them on their own. Sometimes it works: A favorite hair leave-in contained aloe, for example, so one day we tried aloe alone and found that, lo and behold, it worked just fine on its own. Simple body scrub Many body scrubs, even the ones that claim to be sugar- or salt-based, actually contain beads made out of polyethylene, which is environmentally deplorable (it all goes down the drain, remember)—to say nothing of the preservatives, fragrance, penetration enhancers, and sulfates that typically bulk up these products. Honey face wash One-ingredient eye liner Perfume Shave oil Yogurt face mask
DIY of the Month: Braided T-shirt Bracelet How To: Give your old t-shirts a second life. Sorry dust rag pile! photos: kirsten for we heart this I love using simple materials to make something fun and innovative. As with most of my DIY’s for wht, this is very customizable. Supplies: • T-shirt scraps • 2 keychain rings • Scissors • Needles and thread • Glue gun • Ruler 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. More Options: • Add a strand of metallic thread into the braid • Add charms to the key rings or actual strips of fabric • Use the colors of your school or favorite sports team, or coordinate it with your latest spring outfit Readers – do you have an favorite T just waiting to be turned into a new bracelet? Kirsten of Studs-and-Pearls.com is currently in graduate school, working towards her Masters of Science in Nutrition.
10 Easy Kitchen Extracts to Make at Home There is no need to buy vanilla extract, or most baking extracts for that matter, because a lot of them can be made at home. It may sound complicated and unnecessary to do this, but I can assure you it is much easier than you think. Most of the time making extracts entails steeping the flavoring ingredients in a liquor or sugar. 10 Easy Homemade Kitchen Extracts 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. These Raspberry Jam Bars are perfect for a back-to-school snack!
V and Co how to: jersey knit bracelet i don't know what it is about this time of year that makes me just want to have my bare feet in the sand, be watching the sun setting into the ocean, and breathing in the warm salty air of the beach...as i get older, more and more i find myself missing that place i used to go to almost every.single.day. as a teen. (my skin doesn't miss it. as a matter of fact, i now wish i listened more and DID put SPF on my face...hindsight is 20/20). my mom calls me from her walk on the beach almost every morning...*sigh*yeah, i get a little homesick around this time of the year. heck on my pinterest my "dreaming of summer" has the most pictures in it. ah yes. i miss my ocean. case in point. this bracelet, brought a flood of memories, not because i used to have one like it but because i can totally see me wearing it by the beach, not caring that it's gotten salty and wet, because i can totally make another one in like less than 5 minutes flat when i get home. *sigh* okay... *cut off excess tails!
Contiki Euro-Trip: Get paid to Travel & Party Imagine the following scenario: You have the summer off and would love to go traveling across Europe, meet a ton of people, go to festivals and have the time of your life. Now what if I told you that you can have all that for free AND get paid on top of that? You don’t think that’s possible? Well, think again! Our friends over at Contiki, the world’s biggest provider for young group travels, is recruiting team players for their guerilla army, a group of cool folks aged 18 to 35 who travel through various festivals in Europe this summer. The itinerary is pretty amazing: France, Austria, Italy, Germany – 3 weeks, 4 countries, 3 festivals, unlimited hours of fun with an army of new friends from all over the world. The festivals in question are: Garance Reggae Festival in Bagnols-sur-Ceze, Southern France. Szene Open Air Festival in Lustenau, Austria. SonneMondSterne Festival in Saalburg, Central Germany Conditions: Return flights/trains will be provided to the winners. Good luck!!
Tutorials for Recycling T-Shirts So way way back, in June, I wrote this Studio Organization post, about starting the process of organizing my studio by cleaning out the closet full of junk. Well, it's September and...let's just say the closet is a work in progress. Some of the things that are taking up space in the closet are shirts that I never wear anymore. I realized I could repurpose them into something else! Here are some tutorials for recycling shirts: Check out these t-shirt scarves! Create cute little bows for accessories or packaging with this tutorial. Gorgeous ruffled pillow tutorial here. Looks like I have a lot of projects ahead of me to keep me from cleaning out my closet!
D.I.Y. Curls // How To Rag Roll Your Hair I love the look of naturally curly hair! My sweet friend, Katie, told me about rag rolling. It's a quick and simple way to get natural looking curls without using a curling iron! I asked her to share her method here on A Beautiful Mess because I knew you'd be itching to learn like I was! You'll need some cut fabric strips, a comb and some water. How to rag roll your hair- First, dampen the bottom of your hair (the part you plan to roll) using a spray bottle. Have fun styling!
Large T-Shirt to Fitted Tee Tutorial | a.steed's.life I have these two t-shirts that I love. They're soft, comfortable, and have good worn (and sentimental) designs on them. But, I never wear them for anything other than around the house because they are large men's t-shirts and look completely shapeless on me. So, while I was staying with my mom at her camper this summer (she lives & travels in an RV), I asked her to help me try it out. First, a before & after look at the t-shirt we did. So, here's how it's done. Start with a t-shirt you love that's just too big Turn the shirt inside out and lay a shirt that DOES fit you on top of it, lining up the collars so that you can be sure it is centered over your large t-shirt. Thanks to brianagayle for the video tutorial & tips! No time to make your own?
8 hair care treatments you can make yourself Eggs, yogurt and honey are, at first glance, all components of a tasty breakfast — but they also happen to be hair treatment ingredients, and affordable, all-natural ones at that. And they're not the only ones. Did you know, for instance, that the oils in avocados more closely resemble our own skin's oils than any product in the beauty aisle does? For all hair types "The [raw] egg is really the best of all worlds," says Janice Cox, author of "Natural Beauty at Home". To use: For normal hair, use the entire egg to condition hair; use egg whites only to treat oily hair; use egg yolks only to moisturize dry, brittle hair, Cox says. For dull hair Styling products (as well as air pollution) can leave a film that both saps moisture and dulls shine — but dairy products like sour cream and plain yogurt can help reverse this damage. To Use: Massage 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt into damp hair and let sit for 20 minutes. For itchy scalp For limp or fine hair For dry or sun-damaged hair
The Great Geek Manual » The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries I make no secret of the fact that I’m a hardcore bibliophile, but we’re a common enough lot these day. And the one sight that always makes me linger over a webpage is rows and rows of neatly organized books. So, in an effort to draw more like-minded read here to my little blog, I decided to round-up a gallery of photos of some of the most beautiful libraries I’ve ever seen photos of. Enjoy. If you enjoy this gallery, make sure you check out our other list of The United States’ Most Beautiful Libraries! Abbey Library St. The Astronomy Library of the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands Photo Credit: (Erik) Bristol Central Library Photo Credit: *Firefox The British Library reading room at the centre of the Great Court of the British Museum in London, England. Central Library of Vancouver in Vancouver, Canada Photo Credit: lightgazer Delft University Library in The Netherlands Photo Credit: rutger spoelstra José Vasconcelos Library in México City, Mexico Photo Credit: CliNKer
Planting A Pineapple Did y’all know that you can take this and turn it into… This? And that this will eventually produce… This? Yes, I’m talking about turning your average, ordinary grocery store pineapple into a tropical showpiece within your home. Planting a Pineapple 1. 2. 3. In 24 months (sounds better than two years) it will look like this. You will have an actual, large, utterly delicious pineapple in 24-36 months. The thought of growing my own pineapple always makes me smile and giggle just a little bit. Now what am I supposed to do with all of this leftover pineapple? I see something sweet coming soon. While you’re waiting for me to make something yummy with the leftovers, go ahead and plant a pineapple. Be adventurous plant a pineapple. Hugs, Tickled Red *Please bear in mind that I am not a hortoculturist. Tagged as: Gardening, Pineapple, Tropical Fruit