DIY Glowing Fairies in a Jar
Most of us have seen the picture of fairies in a jar that went viral last year. We all found out that it was fake and photoshopped, much to many kids’ dismay. Here’s a REAL way to do it, no photoshop needed. BIG thanks to The Gold Jelly Bean for helping to make so many kids’ days brighter with this tutorial!!
What You’ll Need:
- Glass jar (cleaned one from spaghetti sauce or similar, or you can buy them at the dollar store)
- Glow sticks
- Rubber gloves
- Scissors
- Eye protector (like goggles or glasses)
- White tulle (optional, but looks better!)
Directions:
- Cut the tulle into a larger size than the jar and stick it inside. The tulle helps it look like the fairies are suspended in the jar, not just stuck on the sides of the glass.
- Put on rubber gloves and crack the glow stick to get the glow to activate, then stick the end of the glow stick into the jar and cut the top off. Be careful with this! There are glass and chemicals inside the stick, so be sure to not touch your eyes.
- Shake the stick all over the inside of the jar. This will take a while because it doesn’t just pour out, it may even get clogged. Use a new one, don’t try to get the glass out.
- After putting in the amount of glow liquid you want, put the cap on and shake. It will probably take 2-3 necklaces or 3-4 bracelet glow sticks to get the right amount.
- Turn out the lights and watch the amazement in your kids’ eyes!
DIY Cereal Box Stencil Halloween Candy Tote Bags
Update a classic fabric tote with easy-to-make stencils and sponge painting with this tutorial from Parents Magazine. Make these adorable tote bags and reuse them for years to come!
What You’ll Need:
- Fabric tote (get at any art supply store such as JoAnn’s or Michaels)
- Fabric paint
- Stencil brush or sponge
- Cereal box
- Crafts knife and cutting mat
- Masking tape
Directions:
- Cut one of the largest rectangles out from your cereal box.
- Either you or your child can sketch jack-o’-lantern shaped faces onto the box. Using a craft knife, an adult will now cut out the jack-o’-lantern shapes on a cutting mat.
- Next, tape your rectangle template with the faces cut out onto the fabric bag. Have your child dab on the paint using a stencil brush or sponge painting it as evenly colored as possible. You could also use the end of a sponge paint roller. NOTE: The trick to getting the paint on neatly is to hold the brush or sponge end perpendicular to the surface.
- Let dry fully for at least 12 hours (overnight would be best). To be safe, spray with waterproofing spray and then can be used in any Halloween weather for many years to come!
DIY Elastic Hair Ties
Elastic hair ties are such a popular hair accessory right now. They’re great because you can pull your hair back without leaving a huge dent, plus they’re really cute and you can wear them on your wrist. These little pieces of elastic can run you $5-$10 EACH depending on the brand and the color/decorations. You can make them yourself for a buck each or less!
What You’ll Need:
- 5/8″ foldover elastic (1 yard will make four hair ties)
- Scissors
- Measuring tape or ruler
Directions:
- Measure and cut a 9″ strip of elastic.
- Fold the strip of elastic in half.
- Tie the ends in a knot.
- Repeat.
Thanks to Minted for the tutorial! Be sure to check out their awesome website: http://www.minted.com/party-decorations
How to Make a Hair Bow Picture Frame Holder
Picture via Thrifty NW Mom
Here is what you will need:
- Hot Glue
- Scissors
- Fabric (enough to cover the picture frame)
- Spools of ribbon (all sizes & textures)
- Spray paint (your choice of color)
- A sturdy picture frame
*Choose whatever size you want, I chose a big one because we have so many bows to put on it. I also have several smaller ones throughout the house. The basic wooden frames at the dollar store will work if you want to keep it simple. I found mine at a thrift store and it was falling apart when I bought it. See pic*
*You will also notice my fabric and ribbon aren’t matchy matchy :) You can choose a theme color, or you can be crazy. Ex. Hot pink and Zebra.
Here is a picture of my picture frame before I did any work to it. Yes, it was falling apart when I bought it! I still knew it would work for what I wanted.
The first thing you want to do is take your frame apart and sand it. After you sand it and wipe it down, spray paint it. I gave mine several coats and because it was an old frame with a lot of dings in it, I used a sand paper strip to give it a distressed looked after the paint dried.
The next step is to get your fabric and cut it to size. Place the fabric on the ground and place the inside of the frame (whether it’s the cardboard, glass, or wood) on top. You want to leave a few inches all the way around so it will fold over to the back where you will hot glue it into place.
After you have cut fabric, make sure the front of the fabric is facing the ground. Have the inside of the picture frame on top and start to hot glue. You will go through several hot glue sticks depending on the size of your frame. Put the glue on the edge and press the fabric to it.
Once the hot glue has dried and the fabric is secured, you can start putting the ribbon on. The purpose of the ribbon is for the hair bows to clip to it for show. You can place the ribbon horizontally, vertically, crisscrossed, or all of the above. Be creative. I did my ribbon crazy! Place a dab of hot glue on the back, put the end of the ribbon on it, then bring it across the front. Put another dab of glue on back and place the other end of the ribbon on it. Repeat this step until the frame is full of ribbon running across the front.
Place the center back into the frame and secure it. If you are using a small frame, place extra fabric or felt on the back to cover the ribbon ends. (It gives it a polished look!)
Now you are ready to add the bows! Check out my hair bow tutorials so you can constantly add to your collection!
DIY Scented Bath Bombs
Women are super in love with bath bombs (or bath fizzies) right now. I have a lot of friends that buy them at LUSH and they’re $5 EACH. So, they’re paying $5 every time they take a bath. That’s crazy to me. Here is a really simple, natural way to make your own bath bombs from Vitacost at home in minutes and for literally a few cents each bomb!
What You’ll Need:
- ½ cup of citric acid
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 3 oz. witch hazel
- Small spray bottle
- Rubber ice cube trays or molds
- Essential oil of your choice (lavender works really well)
- ½ cup of Epsom salt or sea salt
- Cocoa butter
Directions:
- Stir together the citric acid, Epsom or sea salt, and the baking soda until very well blended. Make sure all of your dry ingredients are well combined, or your bomb may turn into more of a dud.
- Fill the spray bottle with the witch hazel and a small amount of cocoa butter. This will help bind the bomb together, and also help with moisture.
- Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
- Spray the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring well, until it starts to clump. When the mixture holds shape, quickly transfer it to your mold.
- Let your bombs dry for a short time (about 10 to 15 minutes), then remove them from the mold. Try lightly tapping the underside if they don’t come out easily.
- Let bombs dry overnight before use.
- Then just plop your bomb into the bathtub and be whisked away to a land of bliss!