DIY Head Scarf
Head scarfs are super stylish right now, but to buy them already made into a headband or head scarf is pretty expensive (I’ve seen them for $20 or more just for ONE), and it limits the designs to what the creators choose. Make them yourself in literally seconds and you can make them out of your grandmother’s hand-me-downs, the cute one you saw at the thrift store, or the expensive ones. Up to you which scarf you wear, but here’s how to wear it as told by Lucky Pony.
Wrap the scarf around your head with the middle of the scarf at the nape of your neck. Twist the two ends around each other once 3. Wrap the scarf back down to the bottom of your head and knot with a bow. You can choose if you want to reverse it and have the bow at the top of your head instead – versatile head scarf instructions! Enjoy!
DIY Bouncing Bubbles
Kids love bubbles, and they are a huge part of summer play. Try something new with the kids and make them amazing bouncing bubbles! Skip the “Deluxe Bouncing Bubbles Kit” that costs $35 or more. You can make it at home with just a few ingredients with the tutorial from Play at Home Mom.
- 1 C distilled drinking water
- 1 Tablespoon dish soap
- 1 Teaspoon of glycerin (you can buy at craft stores or in the first aid aisle)
- something to blow bubbles with (straw, yarn, bubble blower wands, etc.)
- 1 clean glove (or sock to keep the bubbles from popping)
Mix ingredients together and let stand for at least 24 hours. Have fun!
DIY Patriotic Beaded Earrings
Get an extra little splash of red, white, and blue with these simple earrings from She Knows. The jewelry only takes a few minutes to make, can be worn for years, and given as gifts or a party favor. For a visual step-by-step tutorial, visit the She Knows link above.
What You’ll Need:
- Round-nosed pliers
- Jewelry pliers
- 2 Silver earring hoops
- 6 Red beads
- 6 Blue beads
- 6 White beads
- 2 Star charms
- 6 Jump rings
- 2 Earring wires
Directions:
- String the beads onto the earring hoop. Make a pattern of red-white-blue. Repeat the pattern three times.
- Using the round-nosed pliers, make a curve on the straight side of the earring wire so that it points up.
- Hook the curve onto the loop on the other end of the earring hoop. Using round-nosed pliers, twist curve into a vertical loop.
- Use two jump rings to suspend the star charm by attaching one jump ring to the top of the charm, then use a second jump ring to connect the first jump ring to the vertical loop you created in the last step.
- Use a third jump ring to connect the earring wire to the vertical loop.
- Repeat the steps above to make a second earring.
- Wear and ENJOY!
DIY 4th of July Pinwheels
Sparklers can cause some pretty nasty burns on little hands, so instead of sparklers this year, make them these pretty 4th of July pinwheels – or just make them for fun and decorations!
What You’ll Need:
- Double-sided patriotic patterned scrapbook paper
- Wooden dowels
- Straight pins
- Beads
- Hot glue gun and hot glue
- Double-sided tape
- Scissors
- Star stickers
- Spray adhesive (if needed)
- (Optional: Plain white scrapbook paper to decorate yourself or by kids)
Directions:
- To create dual-sided pinwheels, gather your double-sided scrapbook papers in patriotic colors, or create your own (better yet, have the kids decorate them and have them involved in the celebration!). Use the spray adhesive to adhere them together.
- Cut paper into square shapes – 8-in and 6-in squares – to create different sized pinwheels.
- Fold squares in half diagonally to create a triangle, then press to crease.
- Open the triangle and fold diagonally the opposite way, then press to crease.
- Open up the triangle and flatten out the square.
- Cut along each diagonal fold three-quarters of the way to the center.
- Pull the tip of every other corner toward the center. Use double-sided tape or white craft glue to adhere the first tip to the center, then each folded-in tip on top of each other. When you finish, you’ll have the pinwheel shape.
- If you want your pinwheel to spin, skip to step 10. If not and will be used for decorations only, hot glue the pinwheel to your wooden dowel. Skip cutting down wooden dowels from the hardware or craft store and use inexpensive flag dowels (removing the flags, of course).
- Finish your pinwheel with a decorative star sticker in the center.
- If you want your pinwheel to spin, you’ll need to push a pin through the center (a straight pin works), then a bead beneath the pinwheel. You’ll drive the pin into your dowel with a hammer.
- If needed, fold over (or cut and then fold over) any part of the pin that sticks through to the back to prevent injuries.
Recipe: Grand Old Flag Cake
I love seeing this cake every year in all the magazines for their patriotic issues (Memorial & Independence Day). This recipe comes from an old issue of All You and you can check for the nutrition on the website. You can also use change the ingredients and flavors around, or boxed/premade/gluten-free/etc. cake and frosting – totally up to you!
Ingredients:
Chocolate cake:
- Cooking spray
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream-cheese frosting:
- 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 pint blueberries
- 1 1/2 pints raspberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line length of 13×9-inch cake pan with parchment paper, and leave a 4-inch overhang. Lay another sheet across width of pan and up sides (without the overhang). Spray paper evenly with the cooking spray.
- To make cake: Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat in butter on low speed until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Increase speed to medium and beat, scraping down inside of bowl, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to baking pan.
- Bake cake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Holding overhanging pieces of paper, pull cake from pan and let cool completely on rack. Invert platter on cake and flip over to invert cake. Carefully peel off paper and discard.
- Make frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice. Refrigerate frosting for about 10 minutes if it’s too soft to spread.
- Frost sides and top of cake. Arrange blueberries in a rectangle in upper left-hand corner of cake. Arrange raspberries in 7 rows for stripes. Refrigerate cake until serving. (Cake can be made up to 3 hours ahead.)