Flower Headbands

My oldest has a dressy, vintage (but still trendy) style.  Last week she wanted to make some flower headbands, so we took a look on Pinterest and found a couple tutorials that we liked.  I just happened (haha) to have some silky fabric left over from a project several years ago, and it worked perfectly for the hot pink, satiny flower. 

First we cut several circles, in different sizes.  We cut two large (4 inch), two medium (3 inch), and two small (2 inch) circles using various jars we had in the kitchen as templates.  Then we cut little half inch slits in the circles every inch or so.  Then we carefully held the fabric, shiny side down, over the tea light flame to gently melt and curl the edges.  I think a lighter might have been easier, but we don't have one, so the tealights worked in a pinch.  On one of the small circles, I tried cutting it into a flower shape first, but found that it really didn't make a difference, the slits worked fine.  So, no need to go through that extra step! 

After you melt them, they will end up slightly different sizes depending on how long you melted them.  I put the largest and least curly one down first, then layered them according to size and the curly factor to try to get the best look. 

Viola!  We hot glued the layers together and then hot glued a rhinestone in the middle.  Not pictured:  Now all you have to do is glue a circle of felt to the back of the flower.  Then glue a circle of felt to the underside (the side that touches your hair) of a headband.  Then glue the two felt circles together to form a sandwich with the headband in the middle.  The tutorial I looked at can be found here. It's amazing how different each flower and fabric can turn out! 

 

If you would like to see how to do the twisty flower, you will find a tutorial here on Blooming Homestead's site. 

Mint Brownies

Traditionally done with green frosting instead of pink, I really rocked the boat using this recipe and red dye.  (Just a bit of sarcasm there). The teeny tiny Valentine's sprinkles were too cute to resist, and they look much better with pink frosting than with green!

I think every one's had these brownies at some point or other.  Yummy, minty, chocolatey (spell check is telling me that it's chocolaty, but that just doesn't look right!) bites.  My friend, Jen, gave me her delicious recipe.  Which is a lot like Paula Deen's recipe for them.... but, guess what.  I just checked her site (Paula Deen's) to link you to the recipe--- and it's not on her site anymore!  What happened to it???  So. Weird. 

I'll let you in on a secret, though.  I usually just use a family-sized (9X13 pan size) boxed brownie mix instead of making the homemade brownie.  So much easier and faster (not to mention cheaper)!  Just follow the instructions on the box, only you do need to add an extra 1/2 an egg for a 9 X 13 (or a whole egg if you are really opposed to wasting the other half).  This gives it a more cake-like texture so it is firm enough to hold all that frosting.  Bake and let cool, all standard instructions except for the 1/2 egg.  (How do you add 1/2 egg?  Only add the yolk or the white!  Pick your poison!  Or if you are completely type A, you can whisk the egg to scramble it, measure how many Tbs. it is, and use half of it.  But, that really is over the top.  Get help.) 

I've started just using the standard buttercream recipe for it, halved.  So, you'll want to mix in 1/2 cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, and 1 Tbs. milk. Mix in whatever color of food coloring you want.  Then, beat the heck out of it.  You've got to whip air into it to get it light and fluffy!  Wait until the brownies are completely cool before topping with buttercream, or else it will melt into minty soup all over your brownies!  Spread the buttercream over the brownie and chill. 

Then melt 1/4 cup butter and 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips together, stirring until it's all smooth.  Be careful to not cook it too hot or too long or the chocolate will seize up (go yucky and  grainy).  Then stir in 1 tsp. vanilla extract.  Pour and spread over the surface of the brownie.  If you want to add sprinkles, add them on top of the chocolate glaze while it's still wet.  Cover and chill until the glaze is firm. 

We had made the green mint brownies just last week for something, I forget what. Then when I made them again, all Valentined up, it was so funny--- the family acted like they hadn't had them before, and were dying to have one.  They even "MMMmmmm"ed like they tasted better somehow.  Other than the pink frosting and the sprinkles, it was the exact same as last week's brownies.  It's funny what a little dressing up the food can do!
 

Valentine Owl Warmer

It is really cold right now. Brrrr! My kids love using rice warmers during the winter, but it has been a couple of years since we've owned one. I have been meaning to get around to making more, but just haven't. Until today. I decided to make an owl rice warmer. Owls seem to be the "it" thing last year and this year. My youngest is obsessed with owls, so I thought that would be the shape this warmer would take. 

When designing something I want to make, I start with a paper and a pencil. If the pattern is symmetrical, then I fold the paper in half and work with one side.Here you can see I've drawn an owl--- with lots of erased marks trying to get the shape how I want it.  When ready for the other side, I fold it in half, and trace over the back of the pencil line, transferring the markings to the opposite side of the page.  I have done this in the picture with the eyes and the beak.  Kind of like the games of "war" or "landmine" my siblings and I would play during church when we were little.  Yeah.  Back in the "Old" days!  :)  I taught my kids to play it, and they thought it was really cool.  For a few minutes.  Then they went back to their electronics. 

Not looking so much like an owl right now.  More like a teddy bear!  I guess I could use this pattern to make a teddy bear rice warmer, too. 

Oh, what a difference a few details make!  Notice I followed the rule on curves- "Notch outer, clip inner"  The outside of the owl wings are notched.  This will make the curved seam nice and smooth when it is turned inside out. 

Looking even more like an owl.... I ditched the eyelashes--- they looked a little funny in black.  It kind of made it look like the owl was angry.  It was at about this point when I thought that I really should have used interfacing to line the whole front red body piece.  All those zig-zag stitch lines attaching the detail pieces could use a little reinforcement in the back. 

All sewn together and ironed, waiting to be filled with rice.   The picture at the top of the post is when it is full of rice, and taken just minutes before K-bug claimed it as her own.  After 3 minutes in the microwave on high, it is now snuggled up with her, and they are toasty warm!   Have you ever wanted to make a craft but didn't have a pattern?  Make your own!  You can do it! 

I have to go now.  My son has now taken the owl and is holding it hostage until I make him one.  Guess that means it's a hit although he's old enough he doesn't want an owl... I guess I'm making another rice warmer.  What shape should I make this time?  Oh, the possibilities...

Valentine Board

What??? Today's Thursday?  I missed the Wednesday post, and barely made it in on Thursday?  Well, actually, I knew I missed it.  It has just been a rough couple of days.  Ridiculous, I tell you!  So, the post is a day late.  Oh, c'est la vie!  As if I speak French.  I don't.  Cool.  I just looked it up because I thought there was no way I spelled it right.  If I don't speak it, I certainly can't spell it!  But, by some fluke, I spelled it right.  Maybe it's some sort of mental flashback to the song in the 80's.  Although I remember hearing it on the radio, not seeing it spelled anywhere.  Enough of that subject.   

 This craft is a little hard to see.  (Here we all gasp in surprise at yet another poor quality picture) I think I have a thing for black and white polka dots.  This is just a simple Valentine's Day board, although with the temperatures being so low these days, I'm keeping the "Baby, It's Cold Outside" one up a little longer.  It just seems right. 

 

Toodle-oo.

Pepper Jelly

Over the years, I have seen red pepper jelly and jalapeno jelly (bright green), but have always thought that it was really weird.  I think I didn't realize that there ARE other uses for jam besides a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!  I could not imagine why anyone would want pepper jelly.  So. Weird. 

 

Then, last spring, I had my first try of pepper jelly.  It was in an Amish store and they had samples out.  The pepper jelly was served over cream cheese, and one of my friends loved it.  I liked it, but still couldn't really think of any uses for it.  I didn't think about it again until a few weeks ago when another friend brought over a jar of it, served over cream cheese.  It was to die for!  So yummy!  I instantly became obsessed.  It's kind of funny how that can happen.  I finally realized it is/can be an appetizer!  So, yeah.  I'm embarrassed that it took so long for that light bulb to go off!  She left me the whole pint of pepper jelly.  Yum. 

But then that pint was gone and we needed more.  Lol.  (My teens tell me Lol is So. Last. Year.  But I'm frequently behind the times in teen-speak, so I'll use it anyway!)  I was at the grocery store, and happened to notice a bag of red peppers on sale for $3.  It had 7-8 large red peppers in it, all very fresh and pretty.  Knowing that red peppers are usually at least $1 each, I bought the bag (with a big smile on my face for the great price), hoping it would be enough to make a batch of pepper jelly.  Soooo funny.  Because as it turns out, you only need 1 cup of  chopped peppers (including the jalapenos) to make it--- which is only 1 pepper if it is as big as these ones were!  I followed Paula Deen's recipe found here, but used a red bell pepper instead of the green.  Then, because I had a lot of peppers to use up,  I doubled it.  And then made a second double batch (using a different recipe).  Good thing I bought a huge bag of peppers!  :)  The first double batch made 13 half pint (1 cup) jars. The second double batch made 10 half pint jars with about 1/2 cup left over. 

Oh, look at my pretty jar of pepper jelly.  Nice and blurry.  I held it up to the 2 minutes of sunlight (can I just say that I really, really miss actually having sunny days? It feels like they are nonexistent around here.)  that we were getting so you could see the pretty pepper bits floating around, but instead the picture just went blurry.  If I get around to it (yeah, right), I'll try to take another, more clear picture.  Anyway, Paula's recipe was yummy.  More tangy from the vinegar than the jar of jelly from my friend, but still good.  It probably could have used more heat, too.  But the end result reminded me (it's not the same thing, but sort of close) a little of a Thai chili sauce.  Without the garlic.  Or like the chili water that Iggy's Restaurant serves with bread before your meal, only thicker and more tangy.  Still delicious, either way. 

And now I can imagine all sorts of uses for it.  Over meat, subbed out for the apricot jam in Our Best Bite's cookbook's Apricot Glazed Pork chops (sorry- I was going to do a post on that yummy recipe, but it's only in their cookbook, not online!), in salad dressing, as a bread dip, with avocado veggie rolls,  there are lots of possibilities.....

Recipe Notes: I only found the liquid pectin in 3 oz packages, and Paula's recipe calls for a 4 oz. package.  Since I doubled it, I knew I needed 8 oz. of pectin, so I used 3 of the 3 oz. packages.  It turned out fine.  I then followed the recipe for pepper jelly that came with the Certo pectin and added the recommended amount of pectin, which was half of the amount that Paula's recipe called for.  It didn't set up at all.  It has a syrup-like consistency.  I tried the second recipe because it used less vinegar, so I thought I would see if I liked the jelly a little less tangy.  It tastes fine, and is still tangy.  But I will need to dump the jars out, cook the jam with more pectin, then clean and reprocess the jars.  What a pain.  Although I am perfectly happy with Paula's recipe, I think I will still try to find another one a little less tangy.  Just because I'm weird like that crazy pepper jelly!

Ironing Board Cover and word of the day

Does your ironing board look like mine did? Yeah. I know. It was bad.  Crazy, gross bad.   

In my defense, the iron burn was from my kids trying to iron.  (Go- kids!  I only iron when I'm sewing.  Everything else (like clothes) I toss in the dryer with a spritz of water.  So, I usually only buy clothes that you can do that with.  I am not an ironing pro!) The dried on, then burned-in water mark is from accidentally tipping the iron enough that the steam water compartment spilled out.  Why didn't I just wash it?  This cover was treated (purchased that way) to be fire resistant, and it stunk to high heaven every time we ironed.  The treatment also made it so we weren't supposed to wash it, which otherwise might have helped with how horrible it looked.  (But, hey, after looking at the burn marks, don't you think the fire resistance was a good idea?)  After a while, it grated on my nerves to see it so yucky.  But I didn't want to buy another cover.  Then How Does She had a tutorial on making ironing board covers, and I thought, "What the heck?  Why not?"  and made one.  So ridiculously easy.  I thought it might be hard, but it wasn't.  Awesome. 

It went together really fast.  Like about an hour start to finish!  Awesome. 

A close up of ironing board awesomeness. 

Because remember what it used to look like??? 

 

 Yeah.  The new cover is totally awesome.  Since I used thin cotton for my new cover, I left the old one on and just put the new cover over the top.  I feel I have to try to keep some sort of fire resistance going on here for the kiddos! The nice thing is that with the cotton buffer, it doesn't stink anywhere near as much when we iron now.  Yeah!  You can find the instructions here on How Does She. Then you can have an awesome ironing board cover, too!

 

TIP:  One thing to think of when making one: you want to make sure you wash your fabric first, AND make sure you are using a fabric that is color-fast (meaning- it won't bleed).  Some reds and some heavily saturated black fabrics bleed, and the last thing you want is to turn whatever you are ironing pink or grey!  :)

 

P.S.  I seem to be overusing the word awesome today.  It must be the word of the day.  Yes, I am stuck in the 80's!  But I just can't make myself say "Sick" or "Sic" or however they spell it for something that is, well, awesome!

 

Dual- Use Valentine Decor

I'm a little proud of today's project. The main reason is because I was so tempted to just go out and find a fun new project to do. But I reined myself in and decided to go through a box of old craft items from when I had a craft booth at the former ZCMI mall.  That was about 16 years ago!  I was happy to see that I had some good possibilities in those boxes. Well, I was happy AFTER being mortified at just how much I still have from clear back then. You'll never believe what I found---a whole shoe box of wooden doodads including wood hearts! I can't believe I had a bunch of wood hearts, already cut out.  Perfect! I sorted the wood stuff... I think I will have to get rid of some of it--- I have no idea what to do with the wooden animal Noah's Ark buttons!  :)  What was I thinking??? 

I found some wooden balls in the box that had a flat side on them, and finished cutting out one of the small fancy wood boards I started to cut out about a month ago (I used wood I had sitting around for that, too). 

Then I painted the wood balls and the board a dark chocolate brown, with a buttermilk white (off white) over top, then sanded to give it that shabby chic look.  I glued (using E-6000) the wood feet (the wooden balls with a flat side) onto the bottom of the board.  You can barely see them peeking out at the bottom of this picture. 

 I painted the wooden hearts [OK, so first I found more old wood (yes, from the old craft box) and cut out even more of the hearts] white, red, and pink.  And then cut and applied vinyl sayings for the "candy" conversation hearts. 

I like seeing them in the apothecary jars.  Cute like the candy, but something that my kiddos won't eat in a couple of days! 

You might be wondering why I bothered with the little footed board?  Well, I was thinking of how much my little girl loves to play Tic-Tac-Toe, and thought that the hearts would be a fun way to play.  So, some of the hearts have a back with an X or an O, although it could just be played with two colors, one for X and one for O. 

Now that I look at it, I like it even just left out that way- a cute decoration in and of itself!

I hope you like it!  I usually copy something because there are so many cute ideas out there.  But I'm proud to have come up with this one on my own.  That really is so rare for me!  I hope you like it.  And the best part...........I used supplies I already had, and even better that it used up things from so long ago!  Wahoo!