|
Author
|
Comment
|
Gaia Angel 
She who Dreams with Dolphins
Posts: 154
(12/4/03 11:30 am)
Reply
|
Kitchen Crafts
These are from assorted sources around the web...some ive tried, some I havent lol
Sand Jars
Ingredients
Sand
Jar
Parrafin wax
Glass
Cinnamon, paprika, or coffee
Directions
These pretty jar-within-a-jar containers make wonderful holders for kitchen utensils, pens and pencils, or knitting needles. Strain some white sand to remove any pebbles or debris. Divide the sand into several bowls. Leave one bowlful white and color the others by stirring in paprika, instant coffee, dried mustard, or cinnamon. Take a straight-sided glass that is smaller in height and diameter than the jar you will fill with sand. Place a layer of white sand in the bottom of the jar and center the glass inside the jar so the rims of the two are level.
Trickle a layer of sand into the gap between the jar and the glass. Alternate layers of colored and white sand to make a pattern, filling the jar to within 1/4 inch of the top. Carefully pour melted paraffin into the remaining gap between the glass and the jar. When the paraffin is completely hardened, fill the container as desired.
Scented Hot Pads
This quilted hot pad is actually a fabric envelope that holds a scented mixture. When placed under a hot teapot or casserole, the pad gives off a spicy aroma while protecting the tabletop from the heat. The inner pouch can be freshened to rejuvenate the scent; the outer envelope is washable.
Materials
Three 10" x 10" pieces of cotton fabric
10" x 10" piece of cotton batting
2 yards seam bias tape, double folded, 1/2" or wider
Two 9" x 9" pieces of cotton muslin or sheeting
Equipment
Needle and thread or sewing machine
1. Sandwich the cotton batting between two layers of cotton fabric. Stitch quilting lines every 1" in both directions.
2. Cut the third piece of cotton fabric in half. Stitch bias tape along a 10" edge of each piece.
3. With wrong sides facing, lay the two bias-taped (back) pieces on top of the quilted (front) piece, butting the taped edges against each other in the center of the pad.
4. Stitch the bias tape around the four sides of the hot pad, turning under the edge at the end of the tape to form a clean finish. Note: The folded bias tape has one side that extends out farther than the other. Place the extended side under the fabric, to ensure that you will catch the binding in the back.
5. To make the inner pouch, stitch the muslin squares together around all four corners, leaving a 3"-4" opening along one edge. Turn right-side out and press.
Making The Filling
Use these ingredients individually or in any combination:
Whole cloves
Whole allspice
Dried citrus peel
Broken cinnamon sticks
Star anise
Rosemary
Make about 1/2 cup of spicy mixture and place it in the pouch. Stitch the pouch closed. Slip the pouch into the quilted pad and flatten the contents as much as possible.
Creative Options
* If you prefer a different scent for your filling, you can fill the pouch with your favorite potpourri scented with the essential oil of your choice.
* Make the pads half the size and use them as coasters for hot drinks.
* Decorate the face panel of the pad before quilting it. Then, instead of quilting in straight lines, quilt around the shapes of your design.
* For the holidays, make a long table runner filled with spices. When you serve the hot dishes for that special dinner, placing them along the runner will release a festive aroma.
* A scented hot pad would make a great addition to a gift basket. Combined with homemade teas, flavored honey, and a unique cup or mug, you'll have a gift that tastes and smells wonderful, and will leave the recipient feeling loved
Herbal Beads
Equipment
tapestry or carpet thread (smooth, not fuzzy)
a darning needle
a button
a small knife
dental floss (for the finished beads)
a food processor or spice mill (optional)
Ingredients
1/2 cup flowers or herb leaves, fresh or dried
3-4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
water
10-15 drops essential oil (complimentary to your herbs)
If you're using fresh flowers (or fresh scented geranium leaves), take petals and discard the hard parts like stems and such. Try to use only the parts that are aromatic. Process the herbs until they are pureed or very finely chopped. The easiest way to do this is in a food processor. If you are using dried herbs, process them the same way or rub them through a sieve to make a powder.
Once you've pureed or finely chopped your plant material, begin adding the all-purpose flour. The amount listed is approximate. You will need more flour if your puree is soupy or your chopped herbs are very moist. You may need less if your plant material is drier or if you use powdered herbs.
If you use powdered plant material or if your plants are dry, you may need to add water. Start with 1 tablespoon and begin mixing the plant/flour mixture.
The dough should be about right when it looks like craft clay for kids (e.g. Playdough). Add a little more flour to the mix if it seems too soft or a teeny bit of water if it seems too stiff. The dough will definitely be too soft if you pull on it and it easily stretches like kneaded bread dough. I do most of my dough mixing right in the food processor, periodically playing with the dough to see if it feels workable.
When the dough seems right, begin by pinching off chunks and shaping them into beads. You'll notice that chopped plant material will cause your beads to look course at this point. They're still quite attractive this way! Another way to make the beads is to roll a chunk into a long tube or snake and then chop off bead-sized bits with a knife.
The dough remains workable for quite some time, but if it starts to feel very dry to the touch, it's starting to harden. Making the amount specified above should keep them from beginning to harden before you're done. If they start, try moistening the surface of the dough very lightly and working the moisture in quickly.
Once the beads are shaped, you can add essential oil to them if you like. Adding the oil sooner usually results in poorer quality beads because the oil evaporates quickly when you mix everything together.
Once your beads are shaped, knot the end of the thread and string it through the bottom of the button. Use enough thread to string your beads with room between them for moving around as they dry. String the beads carefully, being sure they have their holes where you want them (some people may not want the hole to go right through the middle). The beads will shrink slightly as they dry.
Hang the beads in a warm, dry place with plenty of circulation and away from lights. It should take about 3 or 4 days to dry fully. The size of your beads and the weather will make a difference. Be sure to slide the beads on the string every so often to keep them from sticking together or to the string.
When the beads are dry, store them in an airtight container until you're ready to string them together. I've found that dental floss (not tape!) works best for stringing the beads together.
Other Hints and Tips
Fresh, red rose petals from my neighbor's garden turned a lovely bright purple when I mixed the dough and faded to a dark lavender when the dough dried.
Dried, scented geranium leaves held their scent throughout the dough drying process and required absolutely no essential oil.
Don't hang the string without the button over your cats' water dish. They think it's a treat, the beads might slide off, and you could end up cleaning far more of the house than just the litter box. 
Enjoy!
Herbal Potpourri Valentines
2 oz. sweet woodruf
1 oz. each red rose petals and red clover tops
3 oz. rose hips
3 tonka beans, sliced
1 oz. orris root, cut
30 drops essential oil of choice
Muslin
Lace
Ribbon
Cut muslin hearts and sew together sachets, leaving an opening for the herbs. Tuck some of the potpourri mixture into each sachet, close up opening and trim with lace and a ribbon for hanging.
Crocheted Ankle Bracelets
Size 10 crochet thread
Size 7 or 8 steel hook
Asst. beads of choice (ones with holes large enough to take the thread)
1 barrel clasp
1. Crochet a chain long enough to fit around your ankle comfortably. Remember that crochet stretches so err on the side of "a bit short" rather than "a bit long!" Fasten off.
2. String desired number of beads onto thread. I've done from 6 to 20. I've been thinking of using those little Indian bells also - I love chiming as I walk
3. Count the chains in your base & divide by the number of beads you've threaded then subtract 1. For example, if you've chained 50 and have 10 beads threaded, you'll get 5 , minus one = 4 as your space.
4. Join thread with sc in first chain. *Chain 5, draw up bead, chain one to hold bead in place, chain 5, skip 4 chains, sc in next chain, repeat from * across. Sc in last chain and fasten off.
5. Use the tails of the base chain and the second row to tie the barrel clasps in place. I put a dab of "Fraycheck" on the knots to make sure they don't come unraveled. If you don't have that you could use glue also.
6. Obviously you can play around with this pattern - less or more chains on the bead loops, several beads in one space, etc, etc. I hope I've been clear enough - I just sit down & start crocheting and don't give much thought to how I'm doing it. But thought I'd share anyway.
The Wind Wreath
You will need the fallowing materials.
One medium wearth i perfer grape vine.
2 yards of green,yellow,red,and blue 1" wide silk ribbon.
scissors
glue
and fishing line
and four silver colored bells(small ones)
Now take your wreath and set it over a peace of paper with the center marked out.Start with your red ribbon tie it first on the opposite side of the south side and to one side of the line on the paper..Then tie it to the south side.Ok now just do the opposite for the north ribbon. For the yellow ribbon tie it to the west side then go over the green ribbon and under the red one. do the opposite to the blue one. very simple. now tie on your bells to each ribbon end.for each knot you may also put a wee bit of glue under each one. just to make sure they stay put.Ok to hang this do the fallowing: get some heavy gage fishing wire and tie one eand of two peaces to each corner making sure to make them long enough to tie in a loop at top.tie the loop then hang any where!
|
irisgoddess
High Sorceress and Sage of The Craft
Posts: 26
(12/4/03 10:47 pm)
Reply
|
Re: Kitchen Crafts
Oh  I was hoping to add something like this to the page. Boy sometimes we think alike!!!!! Very cool!!!!
Here are some that I would like to do when I can.
Home Protection Sachet
3 parts rosemary
2 parts basil
2 parts fennel seed
2 parts dill seed
1 part bay
1 part fern
1 pinch salt
tie in a red cloth and situate the sachet in the highest spot in the house.
Healing potpourri
1 cup rosemary whole
1/4 cup coriander seed whole
1/4 cup sandlewood ground or chips
1/8 cup sassafras whole
2 tbsp peppermint
1 pinch poppy seed
Iris
|
Gaia Angel
She who Dreams with Dolphins
Posts: 186
(12/5/03 8:42 am)
Reply
|
Coffee can REJUVINATION
Reduce, Reuse, recycle
To give new life to coffee cans and keep them out of landfills, make a piggy bank! gather the following items
1 large coffee can,
4 medicine cups
1 gallon milk jug
with lid
pink paint
black paint
assorted colors
super glue or hot glue gun
first, paint the inverted medicine cup a leave them to dry
next paint the coffee can pink, allow to dry
cut the top off the milk jug and paint a piggy face one it allow to dry
glue to face to the bottom end and the medicine cups to the bottom side,
you have 2 options as far as money holes, you can leave the lid unglued and allow large objects to be stored with in, or leave the "nose" unglued and allow it to be unscrewed for money, now, i prefer leaving the bottom lid unglue because younger children have trouble opening the nose and often can pull the face off if not properly glued. but the choice is yours
allow it to dry completly you may now decorate your pig, my oldest did a yin yang tattoo on his pigs flank while my eldest daughter did a rainbow. its a great family night project for youngens and when baby sitting! Young kids have trouble assembling the pigs but LOVE to personalize them! Jacob made his at age 3 and i am keeping it forever because hie little finger prints are all over it! Mikayla made her first heart on hers at age 5.
|
|
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies 
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies 
