DIY

Make Bake Create Link Party #4

April 23, 2013 2 Comments

make bake create 4

Welcome to our Make Bake Create Party! Every Wednesday come and link up your favorite projects from the week. This could be any food, recipes, crafts or DIY! Since there are 5 hosts… your link will be seen on 5 blogs at once. SWEET! Meet your hosts:

MBC Hosts: Rachel from Bubbly Nature Creations, Sarah from Hope In Every Season, Kristy from Mommy Hates Cooking, Brandi from The Creative Princess and Vanessa from The Rookie Seamstress.

We would love for you to follow us on Google+!

Bubbly Nature Creations

Hope In Every Season

Mommy Hates Cooking

The Creative Princess

The Rookie Seamstress

This week, we bring to you a delicious recipe from The Creative Princess!

I was introduced to Whoopie Pies way before they became a craze and have been in love with them ever since. This Vanilla Bean Whoopie Pie recipe from Brandi looks so good. I may just have to add this to my recipe to-do list! Yum Yum!

The Make Bake Create Party is like none other. Make sure to follow our Make Bake Create Party Pin Board where we will be pinning the projects linked up here. ALSO, your DIY project or recipe may be made by one of us. So make sure to link up one of your favorite projects and we may put it to the test ! It will be shared by all of us (with links back to your recipe or craft of course).

We will also be hosting a Make Bake Create Google Hangout too (TBA)! So stay tuned!!!

<div align="center"><a href="http://therookieseamstress.com" title="The Rookie Seamstress"><img src="http://therookieseamstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/155712_10151394733132153_1850891358_n.jpg" alt="The Rookie Seamstress" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Disclaimer and things to keep in mind~

* You may link up any DIY/ recipe/ food type post.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Be sure to include The Make Bake Create button or text link to in your linked post; this is recommended to be featured!

* By linking up you are agreeing that the photos are yours or that you have permission to use them, that we may use those photos to feature your project on a blog post, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter with a link back to your blog of course. (; We may also occasionally MAKE YOUR PROJECT OURSELVES- with a link back to your recipe or tutorial. (this gets more exposure for you… and potentially lots of traffic!)

Now Ready… set… Link Up!!!

Filed Under: Baking, Crafts, DIY, Food, Homemade, Make Bake Create, recipes, Uncategorized

DIY Ombre Wall Art

April 23, 2013 4 Comments

Last week, My Paper Pinwheel shared with us this DIY Ombre Cake Stand at our Make Bake Create Party. I absolutely loved it and drew so much inspiration from it, that I had to go out and make this DIY Ombre Wall Art to help spruce up my bathroom!

IMG_20130413_173416_734 This Ombre Wall Art was so simple to create, I wanted to paint my entire house in ombre!

But since my husband may not be too fond of that, I just limited myself to these half-price canvases from Michaels.

Would you like to know how I did it? I’d be happy to show you, so here we go!

First, gather the following supplies:

Once you have all your items, take a long strip of your painter’s tape and adhere it to the canvas. Make sure it’s straight!

Paint your first color above the tape line. Make sure you begin painting with the lightest or the darkest shade. the shade that’s between your lightest or darkest will of course go into the middle.

One your first color dries, remove the tape, move it down to the middle section, and add another piece of tape to the end of where the painted and unpainted parts of the canvas meet. I actually overlapped the colors a bit, so if you like that look, go for it!

Once the middle section dries, tape the bottom part where the last section is unpainted and paint it with your last shade.

Let completely dry and hang. So easy!

And this is what it looks like hanging in my bathroom. I apologize for the quality of my camera. I am saving up for a better, more professional one as we speak!

Thanks for looking! If you have drawn inspiration from me, please let me know and share it at my Make Bake Create Party that begins every Tuesday night. I would love to see your work!

Filed Under: Crafts, DIY, Homemade, Painting, Uncategorized

Make Bake Create Link Party #3 with a Feature!

April 16, 2013 2 Comments

***Before we begin to party– I just wanted to say that my thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the Boston tragedy. May God’s healing touch be with each and everyone affected.****

make bake create 4

MBC Hosts: Rachel from Bubbly Nature Creations, Sarah from Hope In Every Season, Kristy from Mommy Hates Cooking, Brandi from The Creative Princess and Vanessa from The Rookie Seamstress.

We would love for you to follow us on Facebook!

Bubbly Nature Creations

Hope In Every Season

Mommy Hates Cooking

The Creative Princess

The Rookie Seamstress

This week, we bring to you a delicious recipe from Mommy Hates Cooking!

These Apple Pancakes look so hearty and so delicious. It kind of reminds me of a cool Fall morning. My favorite season! Go ahead and check it over at Kristy’s food blog. Trust me, you won’t be disapointed!

Before we start linking up this week, I wanted to give a shoutout to one of my favorite link-ups from last week.

This DIY Ombre Cake Stand from my Paper Pinwheel is awesome! Her creation actually inspired me to create an ombre something to add to my home decor. I, of course, will be sharing that with you soon!

We will also be hosting a Make Bake Create Google Hangout too (TBA)! So stay tuned!!!

<div align="center"><a href="http://therookieseamstress.com" title="The Rookie Seamstress"><img src="http://therookieseamstress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/155712_10151394733132153_1850891358_n.jpg" alt="The Rookie Seamstress" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Disclaimer and things to keep in mind~

* You may link up any DIY/ recipe/ food type post.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Be sure to include The Make Bake Create button or text link to in your linked post; this is recommended to be featured!

Now Ready… set… Link Up!!!

Filed Under: Baking, Crafts, DIY, Food, Homemade, recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: apple pancake, bloggers, blogging, crafts, DIY, Link party, recipe

Homemade {Bread Machine} Bread

August 8, 2012 3 Comments

When I was pregnant with Little V, all I wanted to do was bake. I guess you could say that was my nesting drug of choice! The summer that I became pregnant, I purchased a bread machine at a local thrift store and used it like crazy making different kids of doughs, breads and baked goods. I really enjoyed it! Since having Little V in December, I guess you could say that my bread machine went into “hibernation” and all of my “Susie Homemaker desires” went out the window.

So…..Fast forward to 7 months later (which would totally be now..) and I am back in the bread making groove! The bread machine is out of hibernation and I want to show the world the recipe I use for this delicious homemade bread machine bread that I love to make!

So, if you have a bread machine, check out the recipe below to make your very own loaf of white bread. You can use this for a basic sandwich bread, a french toast breakfast– or whatever your little heart desires. I have been known to just slather a warm, fresh-out-of-the-bread-machine piece with some real butter and take a big ole bite. YUM!

Homemade {Bread Machine} Bread

Ingredients

1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons of Water
2 Tablespoons of Softened Butter or Margarine
3 Cups of Bread Flour (Make sure you use BREAD FLOUR. This is important!)
3 Tablespoons of Dry Milk (If you don't have this ingredient on hand, it's OK. My bread turned out just fine without it!)
3 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of Salt
2 teaspoons of BREAD MACHINE yeast (This is different than the active yeast. Be sure to use this kind in your machine for it to properly rise.)

Instructions

Measure all ingredients and put them in your bread machine in the order it's listed.
On your bread machine settings, select the BASIC or WHITE Cycle with the LIGHT or MEDIUM Crust color.
Once the bread is complete, take it out of the bread machine pan and cool. Or eat it warm with butter like I do. Yum Yum!

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Once last thing– My mom gave me this AWESOME bread keeper that also helps you to slice the perfect sandwich-size piece. Wanna see what this cool contraption can do? Well, then continue scrolling down!

First, I stuck the loaf into this plastic contraption that has slats to help guide my bread knife evenly and straight down to cut out a straight, uniform piece.

See how it cut it into a perfect 1″ piece? Just right size for making sandwiches. Wahoo!

When I am ready to store my bread, I just take these two clear plastic pieces and enclose it around the bread and plastic bread cutter thing. I am really not sure where my mom got this cool contraption, but I bet you Bed Bath and Beyond or Walmart has a similar product. Walmart has pretty much everything, so you can’t go wrong checking with them.

I of course would love to show you more bread machine recipes (yes, you can make more than just bread!), so if you have enjoyed this post and are craving for more, leave me a comment and I’ll be sure to post some more yummy bread machine recipes for you to try too!

Filed Under: Baking, Crafts, DIY, Food, Homemade, Uncategorized

DIY {Powder} Laundry Detergent

August 1, 2012 2 Comments

In 2009 I started couponing and have been super hooked on it ever since. Recently, there’s been a huge DIY trend in the frugal living world, but I never really hopped on that train– until now!

It all started when I began to make my daughter’s baby food. That went really well for me and I really saw the savings in that category, so I decided to try my hand at saving in the laundry room…and make my own laundry soap!

I ran to the store for my DIY powder detergent and got all my ingredients and this is how I made it.

For this recipe you’ll need:

A box of Borax

A box of Super Washing Soda

A bar of Fels Naptha Laundry Soap

First, grate the Fels Naptha into a medium/large bowl. I just used my cheese grater since it’s only soap and it will wash off easily.

Then, take a cup of Borax and a cup of the Super Washing Soda and pour it into the bowl with the grated Fels.

You can then mix it all together with a spoon, or go a step further like I did and blend it in a blender.

If you blend it, it makes the Fels Naptha a fine powder and blends with the other ingredients easily.

I then poured my newly made detergent into a large canning jar using a funnel. If you double or triple the recipe,I suggest you use a bigger container with a lid.

I also made a label for my detergent using scrap paper, a pencil, marker and scissors.

Take the top of your canning lid and trace it with a pencil. Before you cut it out, be sure to label your awesome homemade detergent! I also added the month and year that I made it. I think this is good to know, especially if you decide to make enough to stock up.

Once you have your label cut out, tape it to the top of the lid. I wouldn’t suggest gluing it since you will be switching it out in the future anyway!

After I completed all of that I took a piece of long ribbon and tied a tablespoon to the jar. If you do this, make sure you leave enough slack to get the spoon all the way to the bottom of the jar. Feel free to skip this step, but I did it so I didn’t lose the spoon!

I do have a bad habit of losing things, you know.

Update: I’ve been using this detergent for a few weeks now, and I must say that I love it! Not only does it make my house smell fresh and clean, but it really does clean my clothes! I have had no issues with it. When I run out I am going to make the liquid detergent to see how it compares. I will of course share that with you in a future blog post!

Also, the cost of making this versus the store bought is just amazing! I made this at a fraction of the cost of buying pre made detergent at the store. Once I have my husband crunch some numbers for me, I’ll be sure to share it with you!

Happy DIY’ing!

Filed Under: Crafts, DIY, Uncategorized

Patriotic Ribbon Wand

June 30, 2012 4 Comments

Independence Day is quickly approaching and I wanted to whip something up for my oldest daughter that would be fun for her to play with while teaching her the importance of the day.

So, I grabbed some red, white and blue ribbon from my stash and went to town. I came up with this super easy toy for kids that would be a GREAT alternative to sparklers.

No fear of kids getting burned, YAY!

These literally took me less than 10 minutes to make and I am going to show you step-by-step how to make some of your own.

Gather some ribbon in your desired patriotic colors/patterns and a small dowel rod.

I chose a thinner grosgrain ribbon so they would be easier to tie to the dowel.

Bunch all the ribbon together and cut them to your desired length. I made each color a different length to give it some variety.

Tie the ribbon to the end of your dowel rod. I double knotted mine and it made it extra secure. You could also glue the ribbon to the dowel if you would like. Since the end of my dowel had been notched out, it kept the ribbon pretty secure.

And there you have it. You’re done! Give your new ribbon wants to your kids and let them have fun!

I gave mine to big V and let her loose in the yard. She felt like a little patriotic princess. Isn’t she just beautiful?!

Filed Under: Crafts, DIY, Kids, Uncategorized

Weekly Blog Shout-Out #3

May 29, 2012 1 Comment

Hello! And welcome to another week of fabulous blog shout-outs! There are some crazy-creative people out there, and I want to send them a huge hooray for their clever and talented ways.

I hope you all have had a fabulous Memorial Day. I’d like to give an extra shout-out to the brave men and women of this country who have served and are serving to keep us free. May we never forget!

With that being said, let’s get started!

This first shout-out goes to PC from MeiJo’s Joy for her DIY Bias Tape Maker, made from a cheap craft cutting blade. This DIY is GENIUS! I have been looking at bias tape maker machines, but this is so much more frugal and looks super easy to use! I cannot wait to go out and get the things I need to start making my own bias tape!

This distressed sign board from Jen at Life, Crafts & Whatever is GORGEOUS! I love everything about this, especially the fact that you can make your own unique artwork and adapt it to whatever design your little heart desires! I think this is bright, cheery and just downright adorable. Bravo, Jen!

Welp, that’s it for this week!

If you’ve been featured, feel free to grab one of my buttons in my side bar!

If you enjoy reading my blog, please click on the social media icons at the top of the page to like me on Twitter & Facebook. I’d love to have you join me on this blogging journey.

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

Filed Under: Crafts, DIY, Painting, Uncategorized

TRS Blog Shout-Out #3 {Mother’s Day Edition}

May 10, 2012 10 Comments

This week I’ve seen a ton of blogs with some really cute Mother’s Day gift ideas.

I can’t wait to share them with you, so let’s hop to it!

This first post is so stinkin’ cute that I can’t help but want to make like 100 of my own! Check out this stenciled cupcake liner jar from The Creative Princess and get ready to run out, buy the supplies and make one of your own!

These Button Charms from NorthShore Days are so unique and so fancy! I’d love to make one for my mom. I’m sure she’d love it too!

These Anthropologie-Inspired Vases from Ode to Inspiration are absolutely gorgeous! Who wouldn’t want to sport a boquet a flowers in these for Mama’s Day?? And so easy to make. Love it!

And once you’re done making one (or all) of the above projects, head over to Nifty Thrifty Things and print these adorable Chevron Mother’s Day cards… for FREE! I love how you can choose from an assortment of beautifulcolors. Any mother would love receiving one of these!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s blog shout-out! If you’ve been featured, feel free to grab one of my buttons found in my side bar. If you love these posts as much as I do, check out these fabulous blogs and leave some love. I know it feels great to have someone comment on my blog and I am sure they would appreciate it too.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Filed Under: Crafts, DIY, Painting

{Hand Painted} Chevron Frame Matting

May 3, 2012 6 Comments

If you read this week’s TRS Blog Shout-Out, you know that I absolutely love the Chevron design. LOOOOOOVE it.

When my husband recently found some of my acrylic paints that were buried in the laundry room, it gave me some major inspiration.

So, here it is.

I took an old picture frame and hand painted a cute Chevron design on the matting to match my older daughter’s room. I think it turned out so funky and so fun!

Along with the acrylic paints, my husband also found this picture frame with a picture of us at a costume party when we first started dating in 2003.

I was an Indian and he was a Cowboy.

{Insert awwwwwww sound here}

The frame was dusty and dirty and the picture had started to get some weird marks on it, so I thought this would be the perfect time to re-purpose it and bring it back to life with some bright colored acrylic paint.

So that’s exactly what I did.

First, I found a Chevron design online to use as a stencil and printed it out.

I cut the design out and folded the paper in half, making sure the design matched up on both sides.

I took my scissors and cut out some of the Chevron design, then took a pencil and lightly traced the design onto the matting from the frame.

This is what it looks like finished. It wasn’t perfect, so I had to go back and fix some things. I am all about it not being perfect, so I did leave some of it alone.

Since I was using several colors while painting, I went ahead and marked which Chevron would be what color. I used orange, white, green and pink.

Here’s the first color applied. I did it color by color since I was only using one paint brush.

Here it is with all colors applied in 2 coats. I felt like it needed some more definition, so I took a black sharpie and outlined all the colors. Plus it helped to cover a lot of my flaws. LOL!

And there you have it. A completely transformed frame! I think it’s great. I actually like the unevenness and messiness. My daughter loved it and kept telling me how pretty it was. She then promptly took it to her room and put it up on display.