Wednesday, March 2, 2016

DIY Canvas Art

Since spring break starts on Friday, March 11th (for me), you need a spring DIYs to do over break!  Besides... what else do you have to do?
So make a painted canvas!  I first made this project at Daughters of the King and can't wait to make more.  You will need a canvas (any size), acrylic paint, a paint brush, stencil, glitter, spray adhesive, and a paint pen.  All of these supplies can be found at Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Jo-Ann's, and probably Wal-Mart.  Let's get started!
First, you will need to paint your canvas in a color of your choice.  Allow this to dry for about 30 minutes or speed up the process with a hairdryer.  Now, you can go two ways.  The first way is to use a stencil.  Next, lay your stencil down on the dry canvas.  If you don't have a stencil, you can easily make one with card stock or paperboard.  All you have to do is draw the outline of what you want to be filled in and cut it out.  Just look at the image below if you have doubts.
stencil
Now, hold it while you spray spray adhesive all over it then, remove the stencil.  This will help the glitter stick to the canvas.  Gently shake glitter onto the canvas.  After about 10 seconds, shake of all the excess glitter.  If there are spots that didn't get glitter on it, repeat this process.  Allow to dry then, gently brush of excess glitter.
The second way is to use a paint pen.  All you need to do is find an amazing quote or saying you love and sketch it out LIGHTLY with a pencil.  Then, write over it with a paint pen.  All done!
canvas2 Canvas with Glitter
canvas1 Canvas with Paint Pen
Hearts!

Studying at Starbucks

Studying at Starbucks

Cute Puppy Icon

Cute Puppy Icon

Black, White, and Gold

Black, White, and Gold

Christmas Icon

Christmas Icon

September 2: Lunch Menu

September 2: Lunch Menu

Sunday, February 28, 2016

DIY Lush Bath Bombs!

bathbombThis is a LUSH Bath Bomb.  Full of bubbles, fizziness, and fun... they are perfect for a relaxing time.  To go along with my theme of Lush this week, I decided to try out a bath bomb recipe too.  But, like half the recipes I found needed citric acid.  They said all grocery stores carry it... but it turns out I couldn't find any!  So, let's make our own recipe.
Ingredients
2 parts Baking Soda
1 part Cream of Tartar
1 part Epson Salts
1 part Cornstarch
Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
Essential Oil
Food Coloring
Molds
Bowl
Spoon
Instructions:
First combine 2 parts baking soda and 1 part cream of tartar in a bowl.  Then, add in the cornstarch and Epson salts.  After these are all combined, add in about 1/2 a spoonful of your oil.  (Coconut oil must be melted for this to work.)  If the mixture is still really dry, add some more oil.  When you are finished, the product should like like moldable sand.
Now, it is time to add color and scent!  This is by far my favorite part because I love color and scents!  First, add in your scent, about 10-20 drops is recommended.  I recommend soothing scents to help you relax.  A few are lavender, rose, and sandalwood.  All of these would be available, plus more, at a local craft store.   Now for the color!  You can use any color you want but is best to stick to a liquid or very runny gel food coloring.  The thicker it is, the harder it will be to blend in.  Continue to mix this until everything is evenly distributed.ornament
Now for molding!  If you want a completely round bath bomb, like Lush's, buy a clear, plastic, round ornament from a craft store.  Make sure it is in two parts.  If you don't care what shape it is you can use a Easter egg, candy mold, ice cube try, muffin tin, or any other small container.  Pack the mold as TIGHT as possible!  If there are air pockets, the bath bomb will collapse the moment you pop it out.  Trust me... I've learned from experience.  If your mold has two parts, you need to squeeze it together as hard as you can and tap both ends on a hard surface.  This will prevent the two parts from coming apart.  Let them dry for about 4-8 hours or overnight.  To speed up this process, put them in front of a heater or wood-burning stove.
When they are completely dry it's time to take them out.  If you used a Easter egg  or ornament, pull the mold top off and GENTLY remove the bath bomb.  If you used a mold such as a candy mold, you will GENTLY tip the mold over and GENTLY tap it on a counter until the bath bombs come out.   This is similar to how yours SHOULD turn out like.  If not, as long as if bubbles and fizzes in the bath, it works just as well!
bathbomby