A couple months ago, I decided to plan the entire month of dinners in advance. It was so good, I did it again for January and I am sharing it to take a little work out of your life! Here are some rules I try to follow:
1. Be flexible. Meals should be able to shift a night or two if the schedule changes.
2. Minimal meat. We are cutting back for health reasons, so there are a lot of meals where we substitute beans for meat. We also cut beef back to once a month.
3. Freezer friendly. I try to use freezer vegetables or beans so the food can be used at any time.
I shop twice a month. We do not have enough storage for once monthly shopping and the vegetables and fruits don't last that long anyways. Kroger Clicklist is my jam and a huge time saver.
I do not plan breakfast or lunch but here is what is typical.
Breakfast: homemade pancakes, freezer eggos, eggs and fruit, oatmeal, yogurt and granola, cereal and milk, smoothies
Lunch: pasta salad with beans or chickens, salad with beans or chicken, soup, leftovers (wow, that was complicated...) I don't like sandwiches and we try to limit deli meat so these choices are healthier anyways!
Our budget is $600 for our family of four. We keep costs down by using "easy meals" a few times a month (grilled cheese, pasta with marina, cheese quesadillas, chicken tenders for the kids). We assume once a week will be out and once a week will be leftovers to clean out the fridge. You could easily substitute this with breakfast for dinner as well to save some money. Eating beans for meat saves a ton as well and is a healthier protein with no saturated fat (the fat you get from meat, dairy, and cheese).
I actually only spent $170 for the first two weeks, so we are on track to be substantially under budget for groceries this month.
For Recipes, visit my Pinterest Board.
7. Beef Tacos 20. Pork Tenderloin w/ Frozen Veg
8. Pizza with Baked Root Vegetables 21. Veggie Pho (sub frozen soybean)
9. Veggie Mac 22. Pizza and baked Vegetable
10. Instant Pot Baked Chicken with Green Beans 23. Margherita Fish Tacos
11. Leftovers 24. Chicken Enchiladas
12. Out for Dinner 25. Out for Dinner
13. Bankok Chicken and noodles 26. Leftovers
14. Zucchini Noodle Cacio e Pepe with Roasted Potatoes 27. Baked Potato Bar
15. Chicken Caesar Wraps with Baby Carrots 28. Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
16. Frozen Dinner Option 29. Easy Meal (Grilled Cheese)
17. White Bean Broccoli Pasta (Sub chicken for beans) 30. Ranch Fish w/ Baked Vegetable
18. Leftovers 31. Breakfast for Dinner
19. Out to Dinner
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
The 30 day Challenge: Waste Reduction
This challenge became a challenge around day 23. It started several weeks before when I read an article on Facebook about Lauren Singer. Lauren had remarkably produced the amount of waste in two years that fit into a regular Ball canning jar. Her lifestyle consists of five principles which are expanded upon in a great book Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Refuse, and Rot.
Reuse
Use items that may be repurposed on a continual basis. Lauren shops with reusable cloth bags. All her food is contained in reusable glass jars. Lauren goes the extra mile to avoid plastic, which may as well be the Antichrist of the zero waste lifestyle. Her clothes are all bought second-hand.
Reduce
Make a conscious effort to reduce waste you produce. This includes a home which is clutter free and each item which takes space has a specific purpose.
Recycle
Lauren recycles any and every item that may be recycled. Through this challenge, I've learned glass can be recycled indefinitely. The recycling process can be contaminated if you are not familiar with what is accepted in your area. Avoid waste by recycling items which will be accepted by your local facility.
Refuse
Simply put, refuse to allow trash to enter your home. Lauren is able to avoid trash by carrying her own water bottle and to-go containers. She uses reusable bags for purchases to avoid plastic bags. The author, Bea Johnson, considers this to be the first and most important principle. If she can stop waste from entering her home by refusing to accept it, her home then becomes virtually waste free.
Rot
Lauren has the luxury of composting all vegetable waste. She lives in New York where there is a drop site for vegetable waste to be composted and reused for surrounding farmers.
I was quite taken aback by this way of living. The next day I decided to make myself aware of how much I would throw away in one day. It was not a pretty sight. I had opened the trash can eight times before I left the house in the morning for work. Work involved more waste: my styrofoam coffee cup, plastic utensils, paper plates, paper napkins.
Living in America affords us the beauty of trash service. I put the trash in the trashcan and a magical truck picks it up every week and it will be gone from my view forever. The unfortunate aspect of our perspective involves our lack of perspective. We continue to create trash at alarming rates and it does in fact go SOMEWHERE. I assumed because I was using a cloth bag for most of my groceries and recycling that I was not wasteful. I am always talking to patients about stress and being overwhelmed with their lives. I believe the amount of stuff with which we surround ourselves also takes up our valuable time. If I am able to reduce my environment to a simpler way, then I have more time for the things I enjoy.
I set out to make some immediate changes to my regimen: water cup from home, a fork for lunch, and adding more reusable bags to my grocery runs. But of course I wasn't going to put a toe in the water. Soon enough I had ordered reusable dish sponges, microfiber towels to replace paper towels, and wool dryer balls in place of dryer sheets. I made a conscious effort to avoid packaging at the grocery store. This immediately stops the inflow of junk food as you are limited to fresh produce, meat, dairy, and the bulk aisle. Surprisingly, our new shopping had not affected the weekly grocery budget. It had significantly increased the variety of our food. I wouldn't plan meals ahead of time because I never knew what would lack packaging in the produce aisle. Apples went in a pile on the conveyor belt instead of a plastic produce bag. Milk bottles were returned the next week with the weekly grocery run (a local dairy packages in a reusable glass bottle which requires a $3 deposit that is paid back with return of the bottle).
Trash day came and I peeked into the Herbie. One trash bag to be thrown out. I had cut our waste by 66%.
Zero waste certainly takes a hefty commitment. I can safely commit to minimizing waste, which really requires minimal effort on my part. I love not having to plan meals ahead of time. If I am void of options, I swing by the ready made food for ideas. I worry about one week at a time, which will cut down on the amount of food that is thrown out due to spoilage.
If you would like to make changes, here are a few suggestions with links.
I should also mention I changed many of our cleaning supplies several months ago. I am still trying new methods to clean, but I was fed up with how much store bought items cost and I wanted to use more environmentally friendly items.
White Vinegar is dirt cheap. It is also extremely effective for cleaning. I use water mixed with white vinegar in a 50/50 ratio in a spray bottle for all purpose cleaner and window cleaner. The smell of vinegar is gone once it dries. Hydrogen peroxide can be used when disinfecting is required. Dr. Bronner's castile soap is a multi-purpose soap that does not harm our water supply. I use it to refill the foaming hand soap in a ratio of 1:4 soap to water. It also makes a great dog wash! Why does our cleaning equipment need to wipe out 99% of bacteria. Bacteria are everywhere and a good balance of bacteria is required to keep us healthy. More research is needed to determine whether household cleaners will lead towards bacteria resistant to disinfection. The most effective cleaning method still remains to be FRICTION. Yes, friction is considered to be the most important part of hand-washing, not anti-bacterial soap. (I still use soap people....the earth friendly kind ;)
What are your wasteful habits? What have you done to reduce waste or made more environmentally friendly?
Reuse
Use items that may be repurposed on a continual basis. Lauren shops with reusable cloth bags. All her food is contained in reusable glass jars. Lauren goes the extra mile to avoid plastic, which may as well be the Antichrist of the zero waste lifestyle. Her clothes are all bought second-hand.
Reduce
Make a conscious effort to reduce waste you produce. This includes a home which is clutter free and each item which takes space has a specific purpose.
Recycle
Lauren recycles any and every item that may be recycled. Through this challenge, I've learned glass can be recycled indefinitely. The recycling process can be contaminated if you are not familiar with what is accepted in your area. Avoid waste by recycling items which will be accepted by your local facility.
Refuse
Simply put, refuse to allow trash to enter your home. Lauren is able to avoid trash by carrying her own water bottle and to-go containers. She uses reusable bags for purchases to avoid plastic bags. The author, Bea Johnson, considers this to be the first and most important principle. If she can stop waste from entering her home by refusing to accept it, her home then becomes virtually waste free.
Rot
Lauren has the luxury of composting all vegetable waste. She lives in New York where there is a drop site for vegetable waste to be composted and reused for surrounding farmers.
I was quite taken aback by this way of living. The next day I decided to make myself aware of how much I would throw away in one day. It was not a pretty sight. I had opened the trash can eight times before I left the house in the morning for work. Work involved more waste: my styrofoam coffee cup, plastic utensils, paper plates, paper napkins.
Living in America affords us the beauty of trash service. I put the trash in the trashcan and a magical truck picks it up every week and it will be gone from my view forever. The unfortunate aspect of our perspective involves our lack of perspective. We continue to create trash at alarming rates and it does in fact go SOMEWHERE. I assumed because I was using a cloth bag for most of my groceries and recycling that I was not wasteful. I am always talking to patients about stress and being overwhelmed with their lives. I believe the amount of stuff with which we surround ourselves also takes up our valuable time. If I am able to reduce my environment to a simpler way, then I have more time for the things I enjoy.
I set out to make some immediate changes to my regimen: water cup from home, a fork for lunch, and adding more reusable bags to my grocery runs. But of course I wasn't going to put a toe in the water. Soon enough I had ordered reusable dish sponges, microfiber towels to replace paper towels, and wool dryer balls in place of dryer sheets. I made a conscious effort to avoid packaging at the grocery store. This immediately stops the inflow of junk food as you are limited to fresh produce, meat, dairy, and the bulk aisle. Surprisingly, our new shopping had not affected the weekly grocery budget. It had significantly increased the variety of our food. I wouldn't plan meals ahead of time because I never knew what would lack packaging in the produce aisle. Apples went in a pile on the conveyor belt instead of a plastic produce bag. Milk bottles were returned the next week with the weekly grocery run (a local dairy packages in a reusable glass bottle which requires a $3 deposit that is paid back with return of the bottle).
Trash day came and I peeked into the Herbie. One trash bag to be thrown out. I had cut our waste by 66%.
Zero waste certainly takes a hefty commitment. I can safely commit to minimizing waste, which really requires minimal effort on my part. I love not having to plan meals ahead of time. If I am void of options, I swing by the ready made food for ideas. I worry about one week at a time, which will cut down on the amount of food that is thrown out due to spoilage.
If you would like to make changes, here are a few suggestions with links.
1. Toilet Brush
2. Grocery Bag
6. Water Bottle
I should also mention I changed many of our cleaning supplies several months ago. I am still trying new methods to clean, but I was fed up with how much store bought items cost and I wanted to use more environmentally friendly items.
White Vinegar is dirt cheap. It is also extremely effective for cleaning. I use water mixed with white vinegar in a 50/50 ratio in a spray bottle for all purpose cleaner and window cleaner. The smell of vinegar is gone once it dries. Hydrogen peroxide can be used when disinfecting is required. Dr. Bronner's castile soap is a multi-purpose soap that does not harm our water supply. I use it to refill the foaming hand soap in a ratio of 1:4 soap to water. It also makes a great dog wash! Why does our cleaning equipment need to wipe out 99% of bacteria. Bacteria are everywhere and a good balance of bacteria is required to keep us healthy. More research is needed to determine whether household cleaners will lead towards bacteria resistant to disinfection. The most effective cleaning method still remains to be FRICTION. Yes, friction is considered to be the most important part of hand-washing, not anti-bacterial soap. (I still use soap people....the earth friendly kind ;)
What are your wasteful habits? What have you done to reduce waste or made more environmentally friendly?
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Limp Lettuce and Sizeable Seymore: The Three Week Fall Update
Three weeks has passed since the seeds were sown for our fall garden of 2014. This is also the second attempt at gardening. Period. As expected, there were some successes as well as failures. Let's take a look....
As you see above, the lettuces both did not fare well. We left all the pots in the shade on the porch like before for easy access because of the frequent watering (you need to keep seeds constantly moist to germinate). We think this was the death of the lettuce seeds because we have read they need a good amount of sun. Also, the weather had been 80-90 everyday. Lettuces tend to germinate more successfully in cool temperatures (60-70s). We are starting some new seeds indoors to control for temperature variation so we will see if these yield better plants.
The beans and radishes were a hit! So much that we started two more pots worth. We also had to run to Restore for cheap trim scraps and build a bean tower (they were trying to latch onto the neighbor's nice fencing). Stay tuned for a picture of someone dog sitting under the completed bean teepee.
The Holsingers
As you see above, the lettuces both did not fare well. We left all the pots in the shade on the porch like before for easy access because of the frequent watering (you need to keep seeds constantly moist to germinate). We think this was the death of the lettuce seeds because we have read they need a good amount of sun. Also, the weather had been 80-90 everyday. Lettuces tend to germinate more successfully in cool temperatures (60-70s). We are starting some new seeds indoors to control for temperature variation so we will see if these yield better plants.
The beans and radishes were a hit! So much that we started two more pots worth. We also had to run to Restore for cheap trim scraps and build a bean tower (they were trying to latch onto the neighbor's nice fencing). Stay tuned for a picture of some
Remember that cute little tomato plant from the summer garden? It decided to turn into Seymore from Little Shop of Horrors. It is so entangled with the cherry tomato plant beside it they cannot be unraveled without doing serious damage to both plants.
Any fall gardening flops? Do you have a Seymore that needs taming? Any tips for us?
Happy Digging!
The Holsingers
Sunday, August 31, 2014
The Fall Garden: A Budget-Friendly Endeavor
The first summer garden project was deemed a success and we are back with more! In an effort to save a buck, we went aggressive and planned for an all seed garden plan. This would include starting all plants from direct sow. In lay terms, you put the seed in the pot and hope for the best.
Here was the plan:
We started by preparing the pots with rocks on the bottom. Mary may have obtained these from a big pile of rocks at the end of an empty cul de sac in the rain frantically while also trying to not draw attention to herself. This ensures adequate drainage and promotes good root health since they won't be sitting in sopping wet soil. Mix in a bit of fertilizer with your potting mix if you are using potting soil that does not include fertilizer. The kindly employee also said composted manure works well mixed in the bottom soil, so it does not come in contact with the seeds. Most local stores will sell composted manure bagged like soil. Not to be confused with that flaming bag of poo some conniving teenager just left on your front step.
For very small seeds, Cut a toilet paper roll in thirds to make sure watering the soil does not move the seeds around. Some people like to throw their whole seed packet in and thin later. It seems like a waste of seeds that will last for the next several years! The toilet roll will compost itself. We store our seeds in the fridge in a mason jar in a plastic bag in their original seed packets. Whew!
Of course we had to take the time to make adorable plant tags! Would love to make some polymer clay tags in the future....stay tuned.
Stay tuned for the three week progress update. What are you planting this fall? Any thoughts on genetic modification (GMO)?
Happy Digging!
The Holsingers
Here was the plan:
All our supplies were obtained at Lexington Fayette Seed, a garden supply store. This time around I hit the jackpot by getting a bunch of free gardening advice from the employees. Try to go early morning if you can. They are less busy and can spend more time hashing out your gardening problems. For us, it was starving plants the first time around. We were shooting for eco-friendly, but the truth was we needed stronger fertilizer. Because we are pot planting, we cannot take nutrients from the ground soil. This also means we don't necessarily have to worry about improving the soil quality because new soil is used with each planting. We spent $45 for seeds, soil, fertilizer, and more pots.
After watching a bit of Genetic Roulette this week, there has been a lot of introspection on the role of organic seed and fertilizers. If you are unaware about genetic modification, please spend some time educating yourself about this scary new trend which is infiltrating farming and our grocery produce. While we are not practicing organic gardening at this point, we do plan to make a conscious effort on our next garden to practice these important methods. At any time, you can find Mary around the house with her head in the Seed Savers Exchange Catalog.
Just look at the beauty.....
Off the high horse and onto the rest of the supplies....
We started by preparing the pots with rocks on the bottom. Mary may have obtained these from a big pile of rocks at the end of an empty cul de sac in the rain frantically while also trying to not draw attention to herself. This ensures adequate drainage and promotes good root health since they won't be sitting in sopping wet soil. Mix in a bit of fertilizer with your potting mix if you are using potting soil that does not include fertilizer. The kindly employee also said composted manure works well mixed in the bottom soil, so it does not come in contact with the seeds. Most local stores will sell composted manure bagged like soil. Not to be confused with that flaming bag of poo some conniving teenager just left on your front step.
For very small seeds, Cut a toilet paper roll in thirds to make sure watering the soil does not move the seeds around. Some people like to throw their whole seed packet in and thin later. It seems like a waste of seeds that will last for the next several years! The toilet roll will compost itself. We store our seeds in the fridge in a mason jar in a plastic bag in their original seed packets. Whew!
Of course we had to take the time to make adorable plant tags! Would love to make some polymer clay tags in the future....stay tuned.
Stay tuned for the three week progress update. What are you planting this fall? Any thoughts on genetic modification (GMO)?
Happy Digging!
The Holsingers
Monday, August 4, 2014
Adventures in Summer Gardening
Hurray! Our very first endeavor in vegetable gardening! Of course, we have dabbled in the past...basil here....rosemary there. This was the real deal. We had to care for something consistently. Oh lord, please let this be better than all our potted plant attempts (RIP White Bird of Paradise).
We started with the list. This would be a small ordeal to avoid the potential massive waste of money. The first trip was to our local Farmer's Market where we picked up the loot. We bought 4 plants for $10. We also went to the local seed shop to get four plastic pots and a whole bunch of soil for $25. The amateurs would have to return for two tomato cages a couple days later mainly because our Pink Lady Tomatoes had an estimated height of NINE FEET TALL. Oops.
1. Delirio Orange Peppers
2. Summer Sweet Peppers
3. Pink Lady Tomatoes
4. Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes
As Emeril would say, BAM! If only everything were as easy as scrolling down for results. Fortunately no tears were shed in the growing of these plants, but certainly a lot of learning occurred! You will notice the addition of three herbs.
1. Cilantro
2. Basil
3. Parsley
4. Mint
.JPG)
The herb packets were a whirlwind decision at Walmart (yes, I know everything was local earlier in this journey). We had the basil on hand from another season. All were a direct sow right into their respective pots. To keep the small seeds in place, I cut old toilet papers rolls in half and buried them most of the way into the soil. They will decompose on their own. Cost: about $10 with the addition of three more black plastic pots. We also needed more soil.
By this point, we had reached (or overreached) the point of fertilization. After some research, it was decided Fish Emulsion was the way to go. There are A TON of fertilizers out there. Many of them are made with unnatural ingredients and do nothing to improve the quality of your soil. Fish Emulsion is very cost effective because you only need a little and it does add nutrients to the soil. WARNING: please prepare yourself for the foul-fish smell before use. Also house your pets as they will try to roll in the puddles that you spilled all over the deck. Don't worry, the smell dissipates after it dries.
Every learning experience is not without a few hiccups. We had our fair share of difficulties along the way. Many thanks to Gracie Hyland for her immense plant knowledge! We certainly tapped that (her plant knowledge that is). She also gave me a great resource for troubleshooting.
WARNING
IMPENDING GROSS PLANT PICTURES
ALSO BUGS
LAST CHANCE TO EXIT THIS PAGE
.JPG)
We are certainly not experts, in fact if you have read anything up to this point, you know that we know nothing about plants. But with enough research, we believe the above pictures to be Blossom Rot.
Blossom Rot occurs with irregular watering. Unfortunately, irregular watering is the most likely rookie mistake. Water once daily, unless it rains. (That is straight from the guru herself, Gracie).
Do you see him? He does blend right in which is why my face was about 6 inches from his face when I spotted him. He is a Tomato Hornworm and thankfully that big spike is just to show off. He loves to hang around at the top of tomato plants and munch to his hearts delight. He will likely not do any serious damage to your plants, but he should be removed. NOTE: He will cling to the branch with kung-fu like strength which will promptly snap off in your attempts to remove him. He was safely relocated to the alley after this photo.
Our adventures in summer gardening was deemed a success! We have had countless herbs and tomatoes, but the peppers have been succumbing to blossom rot (only one harvested and eaten at this point in time).
.JPG)
We started with the list. This would be a small ordeal to avoid the potential massive waste of money. The first trip was to our local Farmer's Market where we picked up the loot. We bought 4 plants for $10. We also went to the local seed shop to get four plastic pots and a whole bunch of soil for $25. The amateurs would have to return for two tomato cages a couple days later mainly because our Pink Lady Tomatoes had an estimated height of NINE FEET TALL. Oops.
1. Delirio Orange Peppers
2. Summer Sweet Peppers
3. Pink Lady Tomatoes
4. Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes
We planted everything around Mother's Day, which was a great decision because we ended up getting a very late frost which would have possibly been detrimental to our plants. This was strictly by luck and absolutely no knowledge of plants. Our first harvest would not come until July 4th weekend, which I hear is pretty typical for Kentucky. Fast forward to August.
As Emeril would say, BAM! If only everything were as easy as scrolling down for results. Fortunately no tears were shed in the growing of these plants, but certainly a lot of learning occurred! You will notice the addition of three herbs.
1. Cilantro
2. Basil
3. Parsley
4. Mint
Direct Sow Seeds
Basil started in individual empty yogurt containers then transplanted
The herb packets were a whirlwind decision at Walmart (yes, I know everything was local earlier in this journey). We had the basil on hand from another season. All were a direct sow right into their respective pots. To keep the small seeds in place, I cut old toilet papers rolls in half and buried them most of the way into the soil. They will decompose on their own. Cost: about $10 with the addition of three more black plastic pots. We also needed more soil.
By this point, we had reached (or overreached) the point of fertilization. After some research, it was decided Fish Emulsion was the way to go. There are A TON of fertilizers out there. Many of them are made with unnatural ingredients and do nothing to improve the quality of your soil. Fish Emulsion is very cost effective because you only need a little and it does add nutrients to the soil. WARNING: please prepare yourself for the foul-fish smell before use. Also house your pets as they will try to roll in the puddles that you spilled all over the deck. Don't worry, the smell dissipates after it dries.
Every learning experience is not without a few hiccups. We had our fair share of difficulties along the way. Many thanks to Gracie Hyland for her immense plant knowledge! We certainly tapped that (her plant knowledge that is). She also gave me a great resource for troubleshooting.
WARNING
IMPENDING GROSS PLANT PICTURES
ALSO BUGS
LAST CHANCE TO EXIT THIS PAGE
We are certainly not experts, in fact if you have read anything up to this point, you know that we know nothing about plants. But with enough research, we believe the above pictures to be Blossom Rot.
Blossom Rot occurs with irregular watering. Unfortunately, irregular watering is the most likely rookie mistake. Water once daily, unless it rains. (That is straight from the guru herself, Gracie).
Our adventures in summer gardening was deemed a success! We have had countless herbs and tomatoes, but the peppers have been succumbing to blossom rot (only one harvested and eaten at this point in time).
We would love to hear your experiences! Successes? Failures? Also, can you properly diagnose our plant problems? Moving to the fall gardening adventures which will follow soon!
Happy Growing!
Mary and Carrie
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Wreaths in July
I saw this adorable book page wreath tutorial on Pinterest a couple months ago and knew I would make it someday. A while back I went temporarily insane and painted our bathroom a horrible shade of lime green. I liked it for two days and then realized it was an awful color. Finally, I got around to some home improvements and had leftover white paint from the stripe project in our bedroom.
Ok, prepare yourself for the green monster. Also, don't judge me for the color choice.
Marching forward to the painting! I used HGTV Home Interior Paint in ultra white. I bought it at Sherwin Williams during one of their big sales, so the price was reasonable and it is a low VOC paint.
TIP: You can always by base white during a sale and have it tinted another day at no extra cost.
Coat #1
Coat #2
After all this paint I needed some decorations! I scored a wreath for $1 and a book for 50 cents at Restore.
Project: Book Page Wreath
Cost: Under $5
Time: One to Two Days
Supplies
Wreath
Glue Gun
Book
Paint (Black, Brown, Gold, whatever is on hand)
Small cut of ribbon and pins for hanging
Ironically, I picked The Seat of Power for a wreath that would end up in the bathroom. I am officially adding this to the list of names for a toilet right along side the porcelain throne. My apologies to the author as I did not read the book before tearing out all the pages.
First came the prep, which involved stripping the wreath of all its decorations. Then, I painted the edges of the book with gold paint and a little bit of black marker. After the paint dries, rip out the pages.
You can apply the pages in three basic formations.
1. Roll into a tube
2. Accordian style
3. Fold sides inward to meet in the middle, the fold over again so the edges meet together.
Once you have found your shape, apply glue to the inner folds and well as the desired side for application. Start at the back of the wreath and go all the way around. Once you have made a circle, flip the wreath over to begin on the front.
Repeat the same step, but for the next circle you will fold a small tab.
The third row will be in front of the second moving towards the inside of the wreath. If your wreath is small, this row may be your inner most row and you are finished. Mine was larger than the original tutorial, so I had four rows to complete.
The final row should meet your original row at the back of the wreath.
Much improved from the lime green! Have you tried making your own wreaths? Send me your links!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
The Week of Handmade Gifts
I wanted to share some recents gifts for the family.
I saw these adorable polymer clay pots made by Say Yes. I added some gold accents and gave them to my wonderful Mom for Mother's day.
Project Price: Under $20
Skill: Intermediate
Time Frame: 3 Days-1 Week
This was one of my first times working with polymer clay. I have recently become fascinated with the stuff after seeing the array of crafts which can be crafted from it. I have to admit there were some frustrated groins and the occasional expletive when working on this project. Polymer clay is not as easily coaxed into a tiny house as it looks on Say Yes. But, here are some tips:
-Cover your work surface in a light coating of cornstarch to prevent sticking.
-Knead by compression, but try to avoid folding the dough on itself...you will create unwanted air pockets.
-Knead until pliable, but a stiff pliability holds up to baking and cutting better.
-Each piece of the house should be at least 1/4inch in thickness to prevent wilting while baking.
-Support the house with aluminum foil to retain its shape during the baking process.
I had a rag doll when I was younger and I loved running my fingers through all the recycled fabric. I was reminded of it over the winter when my brother-in-law's mom had a yarn angel displayed with her Christmas Decorations. Finally I got around to trying a yarn doll out myself.
Project Price: Under $20
Skill: Beginner
Time Frame: 1 Day
I will get around to creating a tutorial for this little cutie I now call Dolly, who will be a gift for my 6 month old niece. I came across t-shirt yarn at Michael's which had a glorious soft texture. I remembered a tutorial for t-shirt yarn by CraftPassion if you wanted to go the extra mile for this project.
What gifts have you crafted recently? Send me links!
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