Make it Monday – Sharpie Mugs **UPDATE**

It’s been about 6 months since I made my Sharpie mugs and I thought you all might appreciate an update about how they’ve held up.

If you read the original post, you’ll know that I was careful to prep the surface of my mug before painting, and used super expensive oil-based Sharpie markers because Pinterest told me those would make the designs last forever.  Damn it, Pinterest.  I trusted you.

I NEVER washed them in the dishwasher (I can’t help but wonder if this one did take a trip through the dishwasher when I wasn’t looking though), yet somehow despite my best efforts and intentions, the ink has begun to chip off.  Womp womp.

 

Above Left: Before all of my hopes and dreams were dashed.  Above Right:  After almost 6 months of quite heavy use. (my husband loves it) As you can see, a lot of the ink still remains – this is not bad if you made the mug for yourself, for your own use.  You could always touch it up and go on happily for another few months.  I wouldn’t recommend selling them though.

Back to the drawing board, I guess….

Make it Monday – Teacup Planters

A while ago, I inherited some old teacups from my Gran.  Quite a few of them had cracks in them, which meant that I probably shouldn’t drink tea out of them anymore….but I still wanted to enjoy them, so I started brainstorming ways to (re)use them.

The first idea that popped into my head was to use them as teacup planters, with herbs or succulents in them!  (I’ll also turn some into candles – but that will be another post)

This is a super easy DIY – and can be a fun project to involve the kiddos in, if you’ve got ’em.

Here’s what you need:

• tea cups (thrift stores, garage sales, etc. are a great source for these!)
• potting soil
• small rocks (important for drainage)
• plants or seeds of your choice

Clean and dry your tea cups.  Fill the bottom 1/2 – 1 inch of the cup with small, loose rocks (this helps with drainage), and top with potting soil to the top of the cup.  Make an indent for your plant with your fingers or a spoon, and press your plant into the soil.  Pack more on top, or top with small rocks for a cool look.  Water until soil is moist, but not sopping…..and enjoy.  🙂

Make it Monday – DIY Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats

The last few days, Morley, our spoiled baby golden retriever, has been feeling a little under the weather.  We’re not sure if she got into something she shouldn’t have, or what – but she’s been kind of pukey, and also kind of poopy. (sorry, lol) Poor girl.

She started feeling better today, so to perk her up even more, I decided to make some super simple, all-natural dog treats.

While I know this is technically a recipe and not a DIY project, I didn’t think dog treats belonged on Tasty Tuesday posts, since they probably won’t be that tasty.  Or, maybe they will.  I don’t know.  Morley thinks they’re pretty awesome.

I’ll try one if you do.  🙂

Here’s what you need:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 cups flour, or brown rice flour (especially good for dogs with allergies)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (they can get sticky) if you have it.

In large bowl, stir pumpkin and peanut butter together. Add flour 1/4 cup at a time just until dough is no longer sticky. (you might not need the full 2 cups)

Roll the dough out to approx. 1/4″ thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut into cute shapes if you have one (I wish I had a dog bone!!!!) – I just cut them into rectangles.  Morley doesn’t care.

Place on baking sheet (they shouldn’t spread – so you can put them close to each other), and bake at 350F for  8-10 minutes. Let cool completely, and store in an airtight container.  FYI: they will be soft, so don’t expect a crunchy milkbone texture.  Also – I didn’t count how many treats I got – but I had enough to fill a standard cookie sheet.

You can also freeze these for up to 3 months.  Though, if your dog’s like mine they probably won’t last that long.

Make it Monday – DIY Sharpie Mugs

Like me, I’m sure you’ve seen a bunch of tutorials on Pinterest for DIY Sharpie mugs.  I’ve always loved the idea, but wondered if they were worth trying – would the ink come off? (they say baking the mugs makes it “permanent” – but I wasn’t convinced)

I looked into this phenomenon a bit, and learned something really important.  Regular Sharpies won’t work for this project (many have tried and failed – and I think that’s the reason).  You need to find yourself some oil-based Sharpie paint pens.  I found mine here.  Office supply stores, and craft stores might also have them if you’re not a fan of shopping online.  (I don’t have much choice, being in a small town)

When you have the right markers, hit up some garage sales, dollar stores, or thrift shops to find some cheap, plain coffee mugs in a style you like.  I lucked out and got 10 matching white mugs for 25 cents a piece at my local thrift shop.  Score!

Once you have your markers and mugs, it’s time to think about a design!  I scoured etsy and pinterest, and made my own versions of the many cute and funny mugs I found on there (with the exception of the Futurama mug – my hubby requested that one for himself)…..but if you’re more creative and imaginative than I am, you can come up with you own design as well. 🙂

Here’s what you need:

• Plain Coffee Mug(s) – get more than one, trust me – you’ll want to make more
• Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Pens in various colours
• Rubbing Alcohol or Vodka (optional)
• Paper Towels
• Cookie/Baking sheet
• Oven

Wash the mugs well with dish soap and water, and make sure they’re completely dry. (wiping the mugs with alcohol might also help prep the surface, but isn’t necessary if you don’t have any.  I seem to always have alcohol on hand, for some reason – lol)

Draw your design on the mug, taking care to not smudge.

Place your mugs on a baking sheet right side up, and let them dry for 24 hrs.  After 24 hrs, put the baking sheet into the oven while the oven is off.  Turn on the oven to bake at 400F, and set a timer for 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes turn off the oven, leaving the mugs inside to cool down with the oven.

When the mugs are cool, they’re ready to use!  (Handwash only)

Have fun!

Make it Monday – DIY Bath Salts

I don’t know about you – but in the dead-heat of summer I can’t even think of taking a hot bath…which is a real shame, as that’s one of my favourite ways to relax and de-stress after a long day.

As summer winds down however, these cooler evenings have left me longing for a luxurious soak in the tub with some soothing, skin-loving bath salts, a good book, and a hot mug of peppermint tea.

Bath salts are super easy to make on your own – which makes this a perfect DIY project for people who want to start making natural bath and body products, but didn’t know where to start.  These bath salts can also be given away as gifts!!

All you need are a few simple ingredients that you can find pretty much anywhere (and might even have on hand already)!

Here’s what you need:

• Large clean jar with lid
• 2  cups Epsom Salt (detoxifies, and relaxes muscles)
• 1/2  cups Baking Soda (soothes irritated skin, makes water silky)
• 1/2 cups Coarse Sea Salt (optional)
• Essential Oils*
• 1 tbsp Dried Herbs, Tea, Flowers, etc. (optional – will be messy to clean out of the tub)

Mix your dry ingredients in a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl (plastic and wood absorb scents), and add essential oils of your choice.  Start at about 20-30 drops for each oil you’re using, increasing by 5 drops at a time until you reach your scent preference.  I would not recommend using more than 100 drops (1tsp), because essential oils are expensive, it can be dangerous to use too much, and you just really don’t need to.

When your bath salts smell how you want them to, mix again, and pour into a large glass jar, making sure to keep the lid on when you’re not using them so they stay fresh.

Use 1/2 – 1 cup per full bath.  (Makes enough for  3-6 baths)

* My favourite essential oils to use in bath salts are:  Bergamot, Lavender, Chamomile, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Grapefruit, Tangerine, and Cedarwood

If you don’t have essential oils, and don’t wish to buy any, you can leave them out and your salts will be unscented. They will still be very relaxing and soothing.

Another thing you could try, is using a small amount (1 tsp – 1 tbsp) of baking extracts for the scent.  (vanilla, coconut, etc.)  This is not ideal, as baking extracts are made with water and alcohol, and could break down your salts over time – but can be used in a pinch.