Make your own Glue!
As an artist I am trying to be eco-friendly in all aspects of my work. Lately, I have been using a great deal of glue to make some of my work. I thought a few days ago, instead of buying the glue, why not make it myself? It is actually not that difficult!
The easiest glue to make is from Flour and Water. That is it. Just flour and water. This works well for paper and other light weight items. Start off with a bowl with a cup of flour. Drizzle water into the bowl while you stir the flour. You are looking for a PASTE, that is not too watery, not to dry.
There are some other ways to make glue.
For Glass:
(from make-stuff.com)
Waterproof Glass Glue
* 2 tbsp cold water
* 2 packets unflavored gelatin (1/2 oz.)
* 3 tbsp skim milk
* Oil of cloves (optional preservative)
Dissolve gelatin in cold water in a bowl. Bring milk to a boil and then stir into softened gelatin. Add a few drops of oil of cloves if glue is to be kept for more than a day. To Use: While the glue is still warm, brush a thin layer on the objects to be glued. Store in an air-tight container. This glue will also gel when cooled, soften to use by placing the jar in warm water. Good for adhering glass to glass, can be used for adhering glass to other objects when in it’s gelled state.
You can also make glue from Milk!
Check out this cute illustrated instruction manual from http://summerpierre.wordpress.com/
Any other DIY and non-toxic glue recipes out there?
How to Make a Shirt on the Run.
So, last week I posted a tutorial on How to Reuse Material to Screenprint a Tshirt. This week I would like to show a faster alternative for those days, nights, parties, etc. when you need a shirt on the run.
My friend and I ran a half marathon together and wanted some awesome shirts to wear for the occasion. Since it was a special event and I knew that I would only be making two of them, I went the quick and dirty route this time.
Here’s How to Paint a Tshirt to Make it Your Own!
1. Pick a tshirt.
2. Get yourself some fabric ink, a stencil, a rag, and a paint brush. Make sure your paint brush is thin enough to go through the stencil.
3. Decide on what you want your shirt to say.
4. Place something in the middle of your shirt so that you are not painting both sides of it!
5. Tape your shirt in place. Pull it to get out all of the wrinkles and then tape to the table.
6. Use your stencil as a guide for your letters and paint away. Use the rag to wipe the stencil after each letter is painted to avoid getting unwanted paint on your shirt.
And there you have it. This works well when you are only making one or two shirts. I would suggest making a screen when you want to make a bunch of shirts. It’ll save you time in the long run.
Homemade Hairspray
I figured out how to make a super easy hairspray recipe and wanted to share it with you. Not only is it cheap, it smells refreshing too.
Ingredients:
1 lemon
1 orange
3 cups of hot water
Directions:
1. Chop your fruit and place them in a pot.
2. Cover the chopped fruit with 3 cups of hot water.
3. Bring water to a boil and let cook until half of the water disappears.
4. Let the pot cool, then drain the liquid into a spray bottle. (Keep it in the fridge)
How to Reuse Materials to Screenprint a Tshirt.
I have been screenprinting my own dorky T-shirts for a couple of years now and have a ton of fun thinking of new designs and funny sayings on a daily basis. A few folks have asked me to write a tutorial on how I make my upcycled t-shirts. So, here you go.
Before we get started, I will tell you that I have tried the traditional means of creating a screen for screenprinting t-shirts. So, I bought a pre-fab screen, put UV sensitive emulsion on it, placed my photo transfer on it, stuck it in the sun forever and then rinsed it off. What I gained from this experience is that it is expensive, super time consuming, and, for me, not worth it. Bearing that in mind, I moved on to making my own screens from reused materials and using glue to make my designs. It is much cheaper, still time consuming, and does not come out the way a pre-fab screen would. It is much more organic, painterly and much less graphic-like. So, keep that in mind when you read this tutorial.
How to Reuse Materials to Screenprint a T-shirt:
Materials:
Old Photo Frame
Curtain Liner (the sheer stuff you put behind the heavy stuff when you hang curtains)
Staple Gun and staples
Mod Podge
Paint Brush
Permanent Marker
Screenprint ink
Ink Applicator (Cardboard)
Old Tshirt
1. Find an old photo frame. Place it on top of a piece of drawing paper. Trace along the inside of the photo frame. Remove the photo frame.
2. Draw some 1 inch arrows towards the center of the square/rectangle you just drew on the peice of paper. This will remind you to stay away from the edges of your screen. You don’t want your drawing close to the edge because it is really hard to slide you ink applicator evenly along the edges.
3. Draw your t-shirt design! Don’t worry if you goof (you can see that I could not decide where to put the work RUN!) you can make your final decisions when you draw on your screen.
4. Staple your curtain liner to your photo frame. Pull the liner snuggly against the frame, then staple it. Cut away any excess curtain liner.
5. Place your screen on top of your drawing, flat side down. Your screen should be touching the piece of paper. Trace your drawing. Make sure you use a permanent marker. I made the mistake of using a regular one and it bled a ton and got into my screenprinting ink while I printed. Just so you know, the permanent marker will bleed just a touch, so if you don’t want that, use a pencil. I find pencil very hard to see so I use permanent marker.
6. When your drawing is complete, flip your screen and begin applying Mod Podge. So, here’s the deal with the glue. Place glue in the places where you DO NOT want ink to flow through when you are printing. Where ever there is glue, there will be tshirt when you print. Where ever there is NO glue, there will be ink when you print. You will need to let your screen dry for about a day.
7. Time for a test print! Place your screen onto a test piece of paper. Place screenprinting ink along one of the sides of your screen. Use your cardboard applicator and slide it along your screen. Do this until your whole screen has ink. Lift your screen and see your creation! You might see some spaces that need more glue. Rinse off your screen, let it dry, then add more glue. Text seems to always need two or three layers of glue.
8. Now you are ready to print on a T-shirt! Place something in the middle of your shirt so that the ink does not get on the backside. Make sure it is as large as your screen so that your print comes out evenly. Slightly pull the sides of your shirt and tape them to the table. The shirt should not have any wrinkles; you want your screen to be placed on as flat a shirt as possible. Print the same way you did for your test print.
9. Check out your brand new tshirt! Remove the middle piece that was protecting the other side of the shirt and hang up your shirt and let it dry. When the ink dries, place a piece of fabric or a towel over the screenprint. Heat up an iron on low and iron over the towel/fabric. This will help seal the ink to the shirt.
10. Wear your shirt with pride!
Environmental News: Store bought detergents and shampoos causes water contamination.
According to an article posted on Science Daily on April 8th, some shampoos and detergents might be linked to a water contaminant called NDMA.
The article states shampoos and detergents…
…may be a source of precursor materials for formation of a suspected cancer-causing contaminant in water supplies that receive water from sewage treatment plants.
To read the full article, click HERE.
A great solution to this problem is to make your own shampoos and detergents from all natural ingredients. I have been searching throughout the vastness that is the Internet and have found my favorite recipes.
Homemade shampoo’s main ingredient is liquid castile soap. You can buy it in bulk online. One example is made by Dessert Essence.
- scoochmaroo of Instructables.com has put together a great 10 recipe guide and gives tips for all types of hair.
- I love this super easy recipe from PlantGreen.com
Herbal Homemade Shampoo
1/4 cup of your favorite herbal tea, strongly brewed
8 oz liquid castile soap
**Add soap to tea. Stir over low heat until well blended. Store in a capped bottle.**
And here’s another recipe from hubpages.com
Herbal Shampoo for Dandruff Relief
Ingredients
* 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary
* 2 Tbsp fresh thyme
* 2 Tbsp coconut flakes
* 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
* 1 cup water
* 2 Tbsp of liquid Castile soap
* 1 tsp light vegetable oil
Instructions:
Bring water to a boil. Steep herbs and coconut flakes in boiling water for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and strain solids from water. Add other ingredients and mix until well combined. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Apply amply to wet hair and massage into scalp before rinsing well with cool water.
photo courtesy of tipnut.com
And, now on the the detergent:
Here is one of ten recipes found on TipNut.com
Ingredients:
1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1. Mix well and store in sealed container.
2. I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stir in the washing soda, then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isn’t clumpy when first adding). I used 1/2 cup per full load with great results
For an awesome photo enriched tutorial, check out DIYnatural.com.
Using three simple ingredients you can buy at your local grocery store, you can make detergent that will cost you 0.05 a load!
There you have it. A small collection of nice and cozy links to wonderlands of homemade shampoo and detergent.
Happy homemaking and earth helping.
If you have any favorite shampoo or detergent recipes, share!
Make your own Salad Dressing
Spring has arrived! Time to sit outside and soak in the sun while you can. This is my favorite time of year to pack a picnic and walk the neighborhood to find a new spot to eat and enjoy the scenery and smell of spring. I wanted to share a few of my favorite homemade super easy and quick salad dressing recipes.
Spring Salad Dressings:
Lemon Oil Dressing
Juice from one lemon
salt and pepper
1/2 cup of olive oil
*Stir and serve!
Ranch Dressing
I am guilty of putting Ranch dressing on just about everything I eat. I love the tangy creaminess. I found a great homemade recipe so I could avoid the added extras of store bought dressings by making my own. Thanks to The Pioneer Woman for this tasty recipe!
Ingredients:
1 clove (to 2 Cloves) Garlic
Salt To Taste
¼ cups Italian Flat-leaf Parsley
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives
1 cup (real) Mayonnaise
½ cups Sour Cream
Buttermilk (as Needed To Desired Consistency)
White Vinegar (optional, To Taste)
Worcestershire Sauce (optional, To Taste)
Fresh Dill (optional, To Taste)
Cayenne Pepper (optional, To Taste)
Paprika (optional, To Taste)
Fresh Oregano (optional, To Taste)
Tabasco (optional, To Taste)
Directions:
Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle about an 1/8 to ¼ teaspoons of salt on it and mash it into a paste with a fork. Chop the parsley, chives and any of the optional herbs very finely and add to the garlic.
In a bowl combine all ingredients, adding other optional ingredients as you wish, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thin with milk or buttermilk if desired.
Balsamic and Olive Oil Dressing
When I am really in a rush to eat and don’t have extra time to make a extensive dressing I fall back on my trusty balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. I LOVE balsamic vinegar, so my ratio is almost 1:1 Just drizzle some olive oil over your salad, then balsamic vinegar, then salt and pepper. Mix and eat!
Applesauce Salad Dressing
I found this really great post on The Cooks Next Door about how to make your own Spring Salad and Salad Dressing. The Applesauce Salad Dressing has quickly become one of my favorites. (recipe link here )
Ingredients:
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 green onions, sliced (include a little bit of green)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix it up and toss it with all of your salad ingredients!
Chinese Salad Dressing
I love this recipe because it is so tangy and delicious. I feel like you can add it to just about any combination of salads. If you want a salad recipe to go with it, check out Chaos in the Kitchen, where I found the dressing recipe.
Asian Dressing
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp lite soy sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut oil (or other mild salad oil)
Send me your Spring Salad Dressing Recipes! It is always fun to experiment with recipes and make your very own custom salad dressing. Happy Spring and Happy Eating!
How to Build Your Own Compost Bin.
Well, daylight savings has come and gone once again and spring is just around the corner. In my mind, that means fresh herbs and flowers in our backyard garden! My husband does about 95% of the gardening and I do the watching and cooking with what comes from the garden. He spent this last weekend using the compost we’ve made to start our spring garden! The grass needs an extra boost too, so we are working on that as well.
We are lucky enough to have our very own compost bin in our complex. We didn’t have to build or buy one! For those of you out there interested in making your own compost so you no longer have to buy any, I have found a few helpful sites that give great tips and tutorials on building your own compost bin.
Check them out!
First, there’s StopWaste.org
I love this site because they have practical tips on building your own compost bin. You don’t have to be a professional carpenter to build these bins. They provide SIX different models for a compost bin so you should be able to find one that suits your needs.
University of Missouri Lawn and Garden
If you are feeling ambitious and need a large and in charge composting bin, this site will give you a couple of options.
If you would rather watch a video tutorial check out Wikihow.com. The compost bin made in the video provided is really simple and should only be used for plant materials. But, hey, it’s a start!
Ehow.com: Make a compost bin from an old plastic garbage bin!
Planetsave.com: I love this one! Reuse shipping palettes to make a bin. (You have to have a good amount of space to make this one).
Good luck! Send me photos of your compost bins, I would love to see them! And if you have any other ideas on how to make a compost bin ESPECIALLY with recycled/reused material send it my way!
Happy Gardening!
Homemade Facial Mask for Dry Skin.
Most of the time the first things to go when you begin to be more frugal are the items that fall into the “extras” category. The costs of a facial add up quickly (even the store bought ones), so I have been searching for the best at home facial mask.
For less than one dollar you can moisturize your dry face. And, during these last few winter months I could have used something like this for my flaky skin.
Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
1 TB of honey
1 ts of milk (anything by fat free)
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together. Apply evenly to your face. Let sit for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water.
I will admit that it feels a bit weird to spread egg yolk on my face. But, my face felt tight and smooth after I washed it with warm water. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
Do you have a favorite at home facial recipe? Please, do tell.
How to Make Homemade Bread from Scratch
My husband and I love to try and learn how to make just about everything. This weekend we made our very first loaves of white bread. It turned out so delicious that our first loaf is already gone (:
The recipe I used is from the 1975 version of The Joy of Cooking.
How to make your very own homemade bread:
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 TB butter
2 TB sugar
1 TB salt
1 package active dry yeast
Directions:
1. Start activating your yeast according to the packaging.
2. Microwave milk for 2 minutes on high.
3. Add butter, sugar and salt to milk and stir until butter melts.
4. When the yeast is frothy, add the milk to the yeast and then add those to a mixer. (No big deal if you don’t have a mixer, you can do this all by hand).
5. Add 3 cups of flour to the mixer and stir on low until the dough starts to combine.
6. Place your dough on a floured surface and work in the other 3 cups of flour. (You may not need to add all of the flour. The dough is ready at the point it is no longer sticky).
7. Place your prepped dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and keep in a warm place until the dough doubles in size. (This will take about an hour.)
8. Punch the dough to get out any air. Take it out of the bowl and separate it into two loaf pans.
9. Cover the loaf pans and let the dough rise again to double the size. (about 30 minutes). If it is cold in your house, put the loaves in your oven while it is turned off.
10. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the loaf pans in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Lower the temp. to 350 degrees F and cook another 30 minutes.
You will know the bread is done when it slides out of the pans easily.
