This came across my email over the weekend, and I had to share. Y’all know I love to tie-dye.
Regardless of whatever type of dying you want to try, Tie-dye, marbling, you name it! Take advantage of the last sale of the year from Dharma Trading to get 10% off your favorite kit and be a holiday hero!
And if this is your first time ordering from Dharma Trading, you can pick a free gift with purchase.
Dharma Trading is where I get all of my dyes and chemicals, like urea, to tie-dye.
Mending clothes is a simple way to save money. Knowing a few stitches is a good skill. In a previous post, I wrote in 2018, I discussed what to have a basic sewing kit and how to repair a hole in the back pocket of a pair of jeans using a commercially available denim patch.
Today we will be discussing mending tiny holes in clothes. These are tiny holes that can be caused by catching on jewelry, work badges, or lanyards, or clothes rubbing together in an overloaded washing machine or dryer.
Zippers, buttons, and other clothing fasteners can cause holes to form and clothes when they rub on fabrics in the washer or dryer. This is why it’s important when you put your clothes into the washing machine that you button, zip, or otherwise fasten your clothes shut before washing them. Cleaning out pockets can help too- especially if you have a rock collector in your family (I do with mine).
Things like bras or clothing that has sharp edges like rhinestones or beads should be washed either by hand, or put into lingerie bags. Remember to clasp up your bra so the hooks do not snag on anything- even in a lingerie bag.
Clothing moths, or carpet beetles, can also nibble holes and clothing. They prefer natural fibers like wool, rayon or ramie, cotton, bamboo, or tencel.
Tiny holes can be mended with a satin stitch. A satin stitch is a close back-and-forth stitch over the hole with the stitches close together.
Longer tears or rips along the seam are best secured with the back stitch. It is a very secure stitch, and very easy to do. There is a great tutorial on YouTube from Sewn Company here.
I spent about an hour a month mending clothes. Between kids, being kids, and the fact that I get the majority of my own clothes secondhand, and therefore don’t know the exact age of them, it is not uncommon for me to wear holes in elbows of sweaters, or in pockets. I do spend a lot of time mending pockets.
One thing I do not mend is socks. Socks are inexpensive enough that when they develop holes, they become rags for dusting, or cleaning up spills. When T-shirts become too holy, they also become rags for cleaning up, spills in the kitchen, or wiping off counters, or cleaning the bathroom mirrors.
Most of us Gen X kids remember shrinky dinks. They’re still around. You can buy craft kits at Dollar Tree, Five Below, local craft stores, or on Amazon.
Recently I found LOL Surprise shrink plastic kits at dollar tree and I picked a couple up.
We were also recently given shrinkable plastic by the sheet. And this is great because you can draw your own designs, cut them out, hole punch them, shrink them in the oven, and end up with all sorts of cool stuff.
If you’re not familiar with Shrink Plastic, it is super fun and simple craft with anyone who can color can do. However, it does require adult supervision at some point during the craft, cause you have to use the oven.
To do this craft you will need the following items:
You are looking to make a specific design, you will need to print that image out onto a piece of white paper. And then you will trace it onto the shrinkable plastic using a pencil. Word of advice: most shrinkable plastic shrinks significantly if you start with an image that is the size of a silver dollar, it will come out about the size of a dime.
Also important to note, punch a hole if desired, in the plastic before you shrink it. Once it has shrunk and is hard, it is almost impossible to put a hole in it. Especially without damaging the plastic.
Once your design is traced/drawn onto the plastic, color it with permanent markers. I like these markers.
Once your design is colored, punch a hole in it as desired/needed. Then cut your image/design out of the sheet, trim up any sharp/pokey edges. Use a nail file if needed. You can also file the plastic after it has been baked/shrunk and cooled down.
Most shrinkable plastic sheets will come with the heating/baking directions for the plastic, but it’s usually less than 10 minutes. And you will need to keep an eye on it. That is the step where you do not want small children around.
In the past, I’ve made wine charms, this year I made all kinds of cool stuff, including zipper pulls for the kids’ backpacks, I made keychains, I drew our family’s SCA heraldry/devices. I also made some little charms for a charm bracelet for my daughter.
Next up I will be drawing food and making little toy food for my son’s Playmobil characters to eat. While some of his sets have come with food, he is missing things like french fries, hamburgers, pizza. All things that the Playmobil guys in his adventures want to eat.
Today is National Beer Day! What better way to celebrate an awesome day than with my favorite beer-related recipes, crafts, and DIY fun?
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
One of the ways that we’ve combated boredom through the stay at home orders over the past 11 months is by coloring our hair bright, fun colors! Little Bit has had various shades of pink, and I even did “mermaid” hair for her. I wasn’t sure exactly what she meant, so we did pink, purple, and teal. Pink was the all-over color and she had highlights of purple and teal. It was a hit!
We rely a lot on Sally Beauty for bright colored dye. For the Kids, I use Color Jamz Semi-Permanent Color. They have a lot of great colors (19), and they last about 2-3 weeks.
One bottle is usually good for 2-3 all over colorings, but you may get more or less usage depending on the length, thickness, and texture of your hair.
For myself, I prefer Inspired By Nature from Ion (Also available at Sally). It’s a permanent color, so you will need a developer too. I’ve been using Medium Plum, and it’s unlike any other purple hair color I’ve ever used. It has minimal fade, and leaves my hair so soft and manageable!
If you are looking for more short term color, Check out color sprays or hair chalk.
If you are new to coloring your hair, Sally beauty has step by step tutorials to achieve salon-quality results at home.
We are looking at a lot of rain over the next week (or two) here in San Diego. That means a lot of indoor time. I was looking for something fun for us to do this weekend, and while cruising through Dollar Tree the other night, I discovered they have Fairy Garden Supplies!
I love making Fairy Gardens with the kids.
It’s a great way to make something tangible that uses the imagination. Create or expand your fairy world with Dollar Tree‘s NEW Enchanted Fairy Garden collection! This entire 35-piece collection is available online now for just $23, if you can’t find them in-store. The fairy garden sets are also the perfect addition to DIY terrarium parties and resale in garden and gift shops too. I personally think they would also be a great Easter Basket idea (DIY Fairy/Spring Garden).
Don’t forget when you shop online, you can take advantage of FREE shipping when you choose to have your order shipped to your local Dollar Tree store for pickup! It’s easy, convenient, and saves you money on shipping costs.
Most of you know I color my own hair at home, and I have FOR YEARS. With all that is going on, more and more people are joining me.
If you are new to coloring your hair at home, I suggest you check out Madison Reed. From start to finish, it’s easy and their website takes all the guesswork out of choosing a color.
Semi-permanent, permanent, conditioning gloss, whatever you want, Madison Reed has! I love that the coloring kits come with everything you need to give yourself a salon-quality color:
Madison Reed has a great blog too! With all sorts of styling tips, information about caring for hair (no matter what type of hair you have).
All You Need to Know About Straight Hair
All You Need to Know About Wavy Hair
All You Need to Know About Curly Hair
All You Need to Know About Coily Hair
If your kids are anything like mine, quarantine2020 has been one long art project, punctuated by snack breaks.
The cool peeps over at Chalkola sent us a 40 pack of Chalk Markers and these are a game-changer!
The 40 pack is a mix of neon, classic, and metallic color.
Whether you’re a mom looking for holiday decorating with kids, a clean alternative to standard chalk or paint for the kids, a teacher on a quest for the most sought-after education classroom supplies, these markers are a must-have!
Not your average chalk markers! Unlike other chalk markers I’ve tried in the past, Chalkola offers high-quality water-based ink is washable and delivers smudge & dust free – saturated, clean, flowing fine lines that go on smooth and quick dry within minutes.
The best part- Chalkola Chalk markers are Kid safe and odor-free. The Xylene-free, dustless, nontoxic formula is both eco-friendly and safe for use at home, For Adults Coloring & Painting Canvas, Wedding parties, DIY crafts projects, in the classroom & kindergarten, and anywhere else that could use a vibrant touch.
Does all of that sound fun? Well, now it’s your turn to give these Chalkola Chalk Markers are try! I am giving away a 40 count box! Entering is easy- Leave a comment with your kid’s favorite color. I’ll select a winner on October 27th in the evening. The winner will be notified via email. Winner must reside in the US.
** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
Y’all know I love crafts and crafting and saving money. Dollar Tree has recently started carrying some really nice craft supplies, and they have really stepped up their Halloween craft game this year.
Here is a really cute DIY/Crafts made with Dollar Tree supplies: DIY Witch Hat Wreath
There are all sorts of craft supplies for Autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving available online or in-store. And if you aren’t feeling crafty, Dollar Tree has all sorts of fun, freaky, and spooky pre-made decor. I love the skeleton mermaids- We painted them and made them bikini tops from scrap mask fabric.
If you are looking replenish your craft supplies after the extended time at home (if you are like us, you did so many crafts, and so much art, we are out of so many supplies), Dollar Tree has you covered. Glue, paint, washi tape, scrapbooking paper, stickers, decals, Mod Podge, beads- You name it, Dollar Tree has it.
Their store brand, Crafters Square has a lot of great wooden craftables: birdhouses, cubes, trays, boxes. All waiting for your creative touch!
If you love to share your crafts or need inspiration, I recommend the Facebook Group: Dollar Tree Craftoholics. There are some extremely creative folks posting daily.
I’d love to see what kind of crafts you do too! Feel free to share a pic or drop a link in the comments!
**This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
If you’ve seen some of my Instagram posts lately you may have noticed my greys. Yeah. I’m sporting almost 2 inches of roots/re-growth, and I’m feeling kinda shabby.
Now that most of us are settling down in our weird “New Norm” and are getting settled into a new (and weird) routine we are starting to notice that our regular personal care rituals have fallen to the wayside. It’s healthy to do self-care in whatever form you prefer: Hair color, painting your nails, doing a cleanse. Whatever you need to do to help yourself feel better in this strange new time.
Madison Reed has come to my rescue! I’ve used their service off and on for the past 5 years, usually when I couldn’t get to Sally Beauty to pick up my favorite Ion hair color. I ordered my kit on last Friday, it should be arriving this week.
Besides selling hair color kits, Madison Reed’s website has some of the best articles and tips on their blog.
If you are a little more in the know or want more of a DIY experience, man Sally Beauty locations are offering curbside pick up. You can order hair color, developer, shampoo, conditioner, spa stuff, nail stuff, even waxing stuff if you are feeling up to it online, and then pick it up at your local Sally Beauty location. Pretty sweet, right?
I was at the drugstore yesterday (getting our rX refills), and I happened down the hair color aisle and it looked picked over. Lots of blues and greens available, but nothing in tamer colors.
The CEO of Walmart has commented that we are Hair Color phase of panic buying (source), and I 100% agree. Cruising the HBA (Health and Beauty Aids) aisles of CVS, it’s pretty barren. Most of the nicer/pricier brands of shampoo and conditioner are sold out, there isn’t much in the way of DIY facial supplies (Secret Tip: Dollar Tree sells name brand skincare masks. I’ve seen the same masks at Walmart for over $3 each).
Remember:
Hewes Family Fun 