Have wild violets growing in your lawn? Collect some of the flowers, while they’re in bloom, and use them to make wild violet simple syrup. It’s the perfect way to preserve their gorgeous color, heady fragrance and delicate fruity flavor for year-round use
Ready to dive into your spring cleaning, but not sure where to start? Print a copy of my spring cleaning checklist, and use it as your guide. It breaks down all the essential cleaning tasks for each room.
Need a small gift bag? Save yourself a trip to the store, and make one out of an envelope. This simple project takes five minutes tops, and produces the cutest little gift bag, or party favor bag.
Start with this split pea soup mix; toss in some chopped veggies, and you’ll have a hearty dinner in an hour. I’ve included printable tags, so you can gift it.
Just add water and coconut milk to this lentil soup mix, and you have dinner for four in under 30 minutes. It’s the perfect thing to keep in your pantry for busy nights, and makes a thoughtful gift. Tie one of the free, printable tags, around a jar of the soup mix, and it’s ready to give.
This potato soup mix is handy to keep in the pantry for a quick meal, and makes a great gift. Just add hot water to make a cup, bowl or pot of potato soup in minutes. The reconstitution instructions are included on the printable tags.
Make soft and chewy caramels in the microwave in just 10 minutes. This recipe skips all the labor and endless stirring that goes into traditional stove-top caramels, and delivers perfect, fool-proof results every time.
Get your friends together for a holiday cookie swap. Here’s everything you need to make it happen.
Learn how to make your own colored sugar for a fraction of what it sells for. It can be used to decorate cookies, candies and cakes, or to rim cocktail glasses. It makes a great gift for bakers and mixologists.
These scrunchies have a zipper sewn into the seam, which allows you to use the inside of the scrunchie for storage. Tuck some money, lip balm and your keys inside, and you can leave your purse at home.
Make one of these terry cloth headbands, to keep your hair out of your way when you’re washing your face, applying makeup, using a face mask or taking a bath. It’s made with a double layer of terry cloth, so it’s super absorbent, and there’s an adjustable hook and loop closure that allows you to customize the fit. These sew up quickly, and make a great gift for women and teen girls.
These fidget bracelets are a fun use for any small strips of fleece that you have leftover after making blankets, scarves or other fleece projects.
Use your fleece scraps to make these pocket-sized fidget toys. They’re a quick project, and would make excellent stocking stuffers, party favors or donation items.
Have old candles that won’t light? Melt them down, and use the wax to make these pine cone fire starters. They make starting a fire a cinch, You can use them indoors (in your fireplace or woodstove), or outdoors (in your firepit or campfire). These make awesome gifts or party favors, so you may want to make extra.
This BBQ spice rub is the perfect blend of barbecue spices. It works well on pork, chicken and beef, and can be used on grilled, roasted, smoked and baked meats, as well as potatoes and other veggies. Whip up a batch, and it’s guaranteed to become a house favorite. Since this rub also makes a great gift for grill masters and foodies, I’ve included free, printable labels that you can use to package it.
Whip up a quick pair of pajama pants from a vintage sheet. This is an easy beginner project, and you can usually get several pairs out of a single flat sheet. Since this tutorial uses a pair of your favorite pajama pants as the pattern, they’re guaranteed to fit you perfectly. Make a pair for yourself. Then, make matching pairs for your kids.
Over the years, my husband and I have developed tried-and-true methods for dealing with a number of common pests, both in our home and in our garden. Our approach relies heavily on natural solutions that won’t harm our health or the environment. Here are the home remedies and commercial products that we use.
Tired of having your lettuce go limp and slimy on you? Then, it’s time to change the way you’re storing it. Make yourself a lettuce crisper bag, and your lettuce will stay fresh days longer. This simple project takes 10 minutes tops, and only requires you to sew four straight lines.
Vanilla sugar is expensive to buy, but ridiculously cheap and easy to make. Whip some up for yourself. Then, make more to gift. I’ve included free printable labels that you can use to dress up your jars.
Looking for a long bath mat to run the entire length of your tub or double sink? Save yourself the hassle and expense of tracking one down, and make exactly what you need. Here’s how to sew a bath mat runner.
Hi, I'm Erin
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