Owl Tell You Soap!?

Wait, did I say soap? Whoooo said anything about soap? Yes, I did and I can't wait to show you how easy this project actually is...You should give it a try. Plus, it's better for you! My husband has super sensitive skin (as most of us do) and you never know what ingredients you're using everyday on your skin. *Did you know; 80% of those ingredients are absorbed into your blood stream upon use. Sounds gross, right? Well, I think I may have found a solution! This melt n' pour goats milk soap base is clean from harmful ingredients and you can make your very own scents. It's awesome, amazing and super simple. Let's get started.

This is what you need:

12 oz. - Goats Milk Soap Base

1 - Chamomile Lavender Tea bag

1 Tbsp. - Honey

1 Tbsp. - Ground Oatmeal

Silicone Soap Molds

Few drops of organic, Sweet Almond Oil

You can definitely get creative here with ingredients. It's all natural, so whatever floats your boat! Honey, oatmeal, lemon, coffee, coconut oil, olive oil, almonds, chai tea, poppy seeds, essential oils, etc...

I thought using tea was a genius idea! It adds scent as well as color. Looks really good aesthetically too. Love it! Woohoo doesn't have an entire jar of tea bags in their house? I want to try chai tea next. 

First, gather all of the ingredients and measure out the amount of goats milk soap base to be melted. I recommend at least 12 ounces. My cute little owl molds are teeny tiny, about 1.5 ounces each. You will want to use more soap base for larger molds. 

Make sure the soap is cut into even portions, that way it will melt evenly. You want to microwave the soap base in 30 second intervals, for about 1-2 minutes. Depending on the power of your microwave, until it becomes a liquid.

Next, you want to add the oatmeal, tea, honey and almond oil. Mix all of the ingredients together, and pour into the soap molds. Lay some parchment paper on your work surface for easy clean up! 

Let the molds cool completely before removing them. This takes at least 2 hours. Once the molds cool, just pop them out and get ready to use immediately! Oh, it's so sudsy, creamy and soft. The scent isn't too much, but just enough to be relaxing and leave a reminiscence on the skin. 

I have noticed a lot of other recipes out there that use lye and seem harmful to make? I didn't use any of that in this recipe, which is why this product gets two thumbs up in my book! Just melt n' pour...add whatever is in the pantry...and enjoy! 

If you want to add color you can purchase soap colorant, or use organic beet juice. If you add Rose oil and made it red or pink, it would make a pretty soap that could be gifted, or indulged. I might have to try that next time! If you have any Rose oil let me know, it's my all time Favorite scent, in the whole world. I hope you enjoyed reading this post.


Thanks,

LK

Footnote *  The majority of mainstream body care products contain a cocktail of carcinogenic chemicals, allergens, and irritants. To eliminate a lot of toxic chemicals, preservatives, and fragrances that are harmful to our bodies, choose certified organic and natural skin care products. It is important to read labels and become educated about what ingredients to avoid when selecting body care products. A good motto to go by is if you can’t pronounce it or have only seen it in chemistry class, don’t use it!

DIY Bird Feeder

Winter is here! And in Michigan, it gets super cold and blustery...I always wonder, "what about the birds?" Poor little babies must be starving!

I work from home with my cat Lola May, and she loves bird-watching as much as I do. Well, actually she likes squirrel watching more! Either way, it gives us both something to look at while we work. I wish I would have found this cute bird feeder idea sooner! They would have made cute Christmas gifts and it wasn't too cold over the holidays this year. I was freezing my feathers off in the garage, because this project is a MESS and I wanted to stay away from our clean kitchen. 

Here is what you need:

3/4 Cups of Flour

Gelatin Packet

3 Tbsp. of Corn Syrup

1/2 Cup of Hot Water

4 Cups of Bird Seed

Parchment Paper

Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Cookie Cutters or Muffin Tin

Straw, dowel, or chopstick

Twine

Step 1-

Mix hot water, flour, gelatin and corn syrup together to make a smooth paste.

Step 2-

Add the bird seed and start mixing! This stuff sticks to everything, so don't forget the non-stick cooking spray when molding the paste into your cookie cutters. 

Step 3-

Lay the parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spray your cookie cutters or molds with non-stick spray. Grab two tablespoons of bird seed mixture and smoosh the paste into the molds. Pack the mixture down. Wear gloves, or use the back of a spoon. 

Using a straw or chopstick, poke a hole into the molds so you can hang them in the trees later! Isn't this exciting? Just imagine how happy the little baby birds will be! 

Step 4-

Let them dry for at least a couple hours at room temperature. I left mine in the freezing garage overnight before popping them out of the molds. 

Step 5-

Grab some twine or string to loop through each hole. Pick a tree with a close view...Watch and wait for your happy little birds to enjoy!

What wild birds have you seen so far?

I love bird-watching, particularly goldfinches, they are my favorite!

- Goldfinches

- Nuthatch

- Red-tailed Hawks

- Cardinals

- Downy woodpecker

- Dark-eyed Junco

- Tufted Titmouse

- Northern Flicker

- Hairy woodpecker

- Chickadee 

Just to name a few...The birds love wild bird food; you could even add some fruit or peanut butter to your mix. Whatever you want! You can look online for different recipes and tutorials. They are fun to make during these cold winter months when you're stuck inside. Save it for the next snow day!

Thanks,

Laura

Coaster Craze

Coasters are everywhere! They make a perfect house-warming gift and everyone loves them. Whooooo wouldn't?

I received a few of these coasters recently and love using them when we have guests over. On NYE, we were using our French wine glasses and kept getting them confused with each others' glasses. Mine usually have a lipstick mark and is filled with Chardonnay, but why not make it easier for everyone! Problem solved. Slip these little guys under the bottom, and you have the perfect glass identifier! How Cool!?

I heard they were very simple to make and super fast! You can whip these up in minutes. Stuff like that always amazes me. So, I googled folded coasters and this tutorial popped up. She does such a good job explaining the steps (not like it's hard) and has helpful pictures too.

I found this charm pack that was on clearance for $3.00. I used a coupon and it ended up being half-off. Sew I bought two! They each come with 30, 5x5 inch squares. This will make exactly six coasters. Perfect! Let's get started.

Grab 5 different charms. One charm square will be your backing, and the other four will make the top. You can use batting in between to make it thicker, only if you want. 

First, lay a piece of batting down, with the charm square right side up on top (purple). This will be the back of the coaster. 

Fold the other charm squares in half and press. Lay the first folded charm along the side. (green)

Make sure the salvage edge is along the outside, keep the folded edge on the inside. Lay the next half on the other edge. (blue)

Green, blue, pink, orange! When you get to the fourth charm, you want to tuck it under the first (green) fold. It should end up showing all four colors...in the order you placed them. 

Pin or use clover clips to hold in place. These little guys love to slide around! Once it is pinned in place, take it to the sewing machine and sew around the edge using a 1/4-1/2 inch seam allowance. 

Trim the corners and clean up the edges. Now is the fun part!! Flip this little guy inside-out. I use a crochet hook to push out the corners. Then, use the iron for a final press. 

Front and back, all finished in bright colors and fun polka dots! Ta-Da! Doesn't that look great? I know a few people that would love this for their bar, outdoor patio, kitchen table, boat, etc...

Like I said before, 30 of these charm squares make exactly six coasters. The best part about buying pre-cuts is that they already match, and are cut to perfect 5x5 squares. Boom! Whooooo can stop at making just six? 

Before I started making these, I like to look online at pictures of what everyone else has made. It usually sparks inspiration and makes me want to do it even MORE! I'm addicted, what can I say? I happened to find this picture on Instagram. 

What does it make you want to do?

This set of coasters is sew awesome! I love the rainbow, the circle of colors, it's very mesmerizing. Wouldn't those be perfect next to the pool on a hot summer day? Listening to gangster rap...I hope! Drinking Chardonnay. Yaaaas! 

So next time you're at the fabric store, grab some charm squares and get to your sewing machine! You can make these in a variety of colors, themes, and even shapes. I heard you can use hexagon precuts to make hexagon coasters. I love hexagons! I will have to try those next time, till then...Check out this YouTube video "How to Do Hexagon Coasters"

* I gifted this set of coasters to our good friends mom, Mrs. G! One summer day, we took their boat out, and we're having a couple glasses of chardonnay with these adorable wine glasses she bought from Target...I was apprehensive in the first place trusting me with my wild mantis arms. Long story short, my mantis arms knocked the wine glass off the boat and into the lake! We circled around looking for it (it was supposed to float), but couldn't find it anywhere! I felt horrible, and haven't been invited back since! Haha...I know she will love them, and they even match her patio furniture. :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Laura

Floral Felt Crowns

Now that it's a New Year and the weather is changing...I have had more time to relax and organize my priorities. I love a new chapter! This is going to be another wonderful year, I just know it.

I've decided to take a break from sewing and quilting to try new things! You have to start somewhere...Which has led me to making pretty felt flower headbands! I can't stop, they are just too cute. This doesn't mean that I have stopped sewing altogether, NEVER! I am always thinking of new business ideas and things to make. It's a never-ending invention wheel in my brain. It can be overwhelming at times, but by staying focused and organized, I can only imagine what's to come....it's exciting!

After looking around, I decided I must try one of these nylon headbands. I already have a pair of nude nylons (never worn, of course) and felt. Whoooo wears nude nylons these days BTW??

So grab some of your favorite felt colors and plug the glue gun in now! The felt is pretty inexpensive. You can pick each piece for $0.39 or get a bundle for $3.99. Let's give this a try!

Step 1-

Use a template of some sort to make a nice circle of felt. I traced a CD, but you can use ball jars, coffee mugs, candles, solo cups...anything! As long as it's at least 3" wide.

Step 2 -

Grab a sharp pair of scissors! Go around the circle in a fancy-puffy way. Or smooth curves. If you choose not to do any fancy cuts, it will look tighter and smaller. Cut a spiral around and around until your circle becomes three dimensional. You will want at least 1/2 inch space between the sides. You will be rolling the ends up to make them blossom.

Step 3 -

Grab the glue gun. As you roll, glue along the bottom edge. Keep going until you get to the end. Watch your thumbs, I kept burning myself while I was rollin. Watch out! Another suggestion would be to purchase a low-heat glue gun. They do exist!

Step 4 -

While the felt flowers are drying. Grab some green felt to make a few leaves to go with your flowers. I used pinking sheers, or you can cut slits on the sides to make it look leafy.

Step 5 -

Cut a pair of nylons into 1 inch bands. Then, glue the felt flowers to the nylon...add a small piece of felt backing to add support and comfort. And that's it! If you don't have nylons, you could also use elastic or crochet headbands. The best part about using nylons, is because one size fits all! You don't have to worry whether it's a newborn baby or adult. I can fit it around my big head without any problems! ;) love it! 

Felt is really addicting and fun! You can cut out different shapes, add embroidery and play with an assortment of coloooors! I used my accuquilt to cut out a bunch of hearts in felt. I added a few special touches on each one by hand sewing! Then, I blanket stitched around the edge and stuffed them to make little heart pillows. I used one of the stuffed hearts to hold a floral headband in place. I plan on gifting it to my niece! 

You can use felt for other things other than headbands, such as:

- gift wrapping

- garland 

- wreaths

- stuffed animals

- baby mobiles

- hair clips

- face masks

- ornaments (check out my advent calendar) 

- birthday crowns

- pillows

- costumes

- poker table

- quilt wall

Whatever you want, really! Next time you are at the craft store, pick up some felt and give it a try. 

If you have any comments or questions, email me at owltellyousew@gmail.com

Do you have any new year's resolutions? Projects that you're holding off? Diet Plans? No more waiting...now is the time to try something new, step outside of your comfort zone, you never know what will come of it...unless you TRY! 

Happy New Year- thanks for stopping by! 

Xo

Laura

Headbands with a HOOT!

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Some Things Never Change.....

Since I was born, I was always wearing a dress with curry white socks and a headband. Skip a few years later, throw in a pair of cowboy boots, pig tails and a horse! I loved riding horses and wearing headbands. I was such a tomboy, but absolutely loved dressing up at the same time. I guess some things never change. If I could wear a crown everyday, I would! :)

The artists I have mentioned below have such outstanding work. I always wonder if my work looks good? Would it sell? Will she like it? It's so scary putting yourself out there for 'not everyone' to like it. I think these artisans not only have talent, but are so passionate about what they do, they want to share it with the world! I'm not there yet....but hopefully someday soon?! Any tips for me as a newbie blogger and entrepreneur?

I have found the most adorable headbands for little ones from all over the small business/internet world. I have a passion for representing beautiful, local, handmade products. What an inspiration! I hope these little headbands lead you to creative inspirational flow. Let's go!

Splendere

My Darling Emma

Crew and Lu

Fancyfreefinery

Lovely Felt Shop

And Last but NOT LEAST.....this is cool, I can't wait for you to see this!!!! I stumbled across this website when looking at flowers for my wedding. This local Michigan representative makes and sells, real, live succulent jewelry. Wow! So pretty, I'm obsessed. Check out @passionflowersue on Instagram for more beautiful pieces. Bracelets, earrings, headbands, and more.

Passion Flower Made

I hope you found something you love while visiting today. I might have to create a few headband/crowns myself for future family members. What are a few of your favorite, local artists? Do you have any special, handmade items on your shopping list this NEW YEAR!?

Happy New Year!
Love,

Laura