Why buy items you can make for less?

Blubber

2009-12-08T18:42:00.001-08:00

Blubber
Ingredients:
 One-cup water
 ½ cup glue
 Two Cups Borax
What You Do
 Mix ½ -cup water with ½ cup glue In a separate container, mix ½ cup water with the Borax (in the laundry detergent aisle). Now, stir the Borax mixture while slowly adding the glue mixture. It should immediately come together to make blubber If it isn't quite right try adding more of the Borax and water.
Blubberish Goop
Ingredients:
 Two cups water
 1/2-cup cornstarch
 Food coloring
What You Do:
 Boil water in saucepan add cornstarch stirring until smooth. Add food coloring and stir. Remove from heat and cool. Make sure your children play with this on a flat plastic like surface (table, linoleum floor, etc).

Bath Salts

2009-12-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

Bath Salts
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients:
• Large glass or metal mixing bowl
• 2 cups Epsom's salts
• 1 cup Sea salt, rock salt or coarse salt
• Food coloring
• 1/4 teaspoon Glycerin
• (Optional) Essential oil for fragrance such as vanilla, citrus or peppermint
• Clean, dry jars with cork stoppers or metal screw-on lid
Directions:
1. Try and do this on a day with low humidity, the salt will absorb moisture from the air.
2. Combine salts in bowl and mix well. Add a couple drops of food coloring and mix well.
3. Add glycerin and essential oil (4 or 5 drops) and mix well.
4. Spoon salts into the jars and close them.
5. Make a gift tag with the scent and suggesting using 1/3 to 1/2 cup in the bath.
6. Makes 3 cups of bath salts.

Floam and Oobleck

2009-12-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

FLOAM Recipe #1

Ingredients
2 tsp. borax
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup Elmer’s glue
1/4 cup water
Food coloring of your choice
Zip-lock style bag
1 2/3 cups of bean bag filler (can be replaced by grinding polystryeme cups, packing material, etc…
Directions:
1. Dissolve 2 tsp. borax completely in 1/2 cup water. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl mix 1/4 cup white glue and 1/4 cup water. Add food coloring.
3. If grinding material to make foam pieces, place them in the ziplock stle bag and seal it. Crush until your heart is content.
4. Pour the glue solution into the air-tight bag. Then add 3 tbsp. of the borax/water solution. You will have some extra borax/water solution.
5. Reseal bag and knead by hand until thoroughly mixed. Let stand about 15 minutes, and then knead a few minutes more.
PLAY! Keep it in the fridge when not in use. Do NOT ingest! Do not use on fabrics or carpet.

Oobleck
Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. Corn Starch
1 C. Water
Food Color (optional)
Mix all ingredients and PLAY! When compressed oobleck acts as a solid. When relaxed, oobleck acts as a liquid. Try poking it. Slaping it. Squeeze it. Have fun.

PhotoBox

2009-10-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

I cannot take credit for this but I used this idea recently to take a bunch of photos for an estate sale. Hope that it can help you out too.

HOW TO MAKE A PHOTO BOX

I GIVE PERMISSION TO COPY THIS PAGE AND

POST IT ON YOUR SITE...

I wanted to share my knowledge on how to take good photos of jewelry and other small objects. I created a "Photo Box" which is easy to construct and use! I've noticed that a lot of people (in general) could use this method I use. ITEMS YOU NEED

12x12x12 box 14 x 10 piece of plexy glass or glass a knife background paper (scrapbooking paper is great from craft store) wax paper 60-100 watt light How to put it all together: 1) Take your 12x12x12 box and cut out one side. Keep the bottom of your box intact. 2) (open side you just cut out) Measure 9 inches from the bottom and make a slit all the way to the back of the box on both sides. Do not cut the back of the box. 3) Slide your glass into the slits of the box 4) Take the wax paper and tape it over the light source. The wax paper is used to defuse the light. 5) Aim the light towards the opening of your box. 6) Lay your background on the bottom of your box as your background.

7) Shine your light into to open area of the box. Take your photos from the

back of the box... with the light facing you. Your camera should focus on the jewelry or small object. The background will be fuzzy due to the distance of the background from the object.

Hope this helps anyone interested in taking good photos for auctions or their website.

gluten free playdough

2009-10-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

After numerous request for a gluten free version of play dough, here it is.

Gluten-Free Play Dough

Ingredients:

½ cup rice flour

½ cup cornstarch

½ cup salt

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Food coloring of your choice

Directions:

Mix ingredients. Cook in a sauce pan stirring continuously on low heat for 3 minutes or until it forms a ball. Cool completely before storing in a re-sealable plastic bag.

Playdough and Clay

2009-10-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

We'll start with some oldies but goodies. Nothing makes a raining day with a house full of kids better than a huge batch of playdough or clay. Here's some of my favorite recipes.

Basic Play Dough

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1/4 cup salt

1 cup water

1 tablespoon oil

liquid food coloring

Directions:

Mix flour with salt. Add water, food coloring, and oil slowly. If mixture is too stiff add more water. If it is too sticky, add more flour. Store the dough in air tight container or zip-lock bag.

Basic Modeling Clay

Ingredients:

1/2 cup potato starch or corn starch

1 cup salt

1 cup boiling water

Directions:

Boil the mixture until it is similar to a soft-ball; then knead on waxed paper. Wrap the clay in a wet cloth, and place in air-tight container to keep it moist.

Allow products to air-dry. Pieces may be painted after drying is complete.

Cinnamon Cut-Outs Recipe #1

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cup flour

3/4 cup ground cinnamon

1 cup salt

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg (optional)

1 Tbsp. ground cloves (optional)

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients with water to form smooth, stiff dough. Divide dough into three or four portions. Place each section between two sheets of waxed paper, and roll to 1/4-3/8 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut Christmas shapes out of dough. While dough is still soft, use a straw to make a hole near the top of each shape where ribbon can later be inserted for hanging. Bake cut shapes at 350 degrees 15-20 minutes to dry. If desired, insert ribbon in hole, tie, and hang as ornaments.

Cinnamon Cut-outs Recipe #2

Ingredients:

1 cup ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg (optional)

1 Tbsp. ground cloves (optional)

2 Tbsp. white glue

3/4 to 1 cup apple sauce

Directions:

Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (if other spices are used) with glue and 3/4 cup apple sauce to form smooth, stiff dough. Additional apple sauce may be added if needed. Divide dough into three or four portions. Place each section between two sheets of waxed paper, and roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of dough. While dough is still soft, use a straw to make a hole near the top of each shape where ribbon can later be inserted for hanging. Place cut shapes on flat surface to air dry for several days. Flip shapes daily to prevent curling. After shapes are thoroughly dry, insert ribbon in hole, tie, and hang as ornaments.

Dryer Lint Clay

Ingredients:

3 cups lint from the dryer

2 cups water

5 drops oil of wintergreen

1 cup flour

Directions:

Put lint in a 2-quart saucepan and cover with the water and oil of wintergreed. When the lint is saturated, add the flour. Stir until smooth. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the dough forms peaks and holds together. Pour it onto newspaper to cool. Model figures out of cooled dough, or use it to cover a form (balloon, paper bag, etc.). Allow the finished craft to dry about 5 days. Once dry, paint or decorate as desired.

Edible Play Dough

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup honey (corn syrup or rice syrup may be substituted if necessary)

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup dry milk or unsweetened soy milk powder

Directions:

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Jewelry Clay

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

warm water

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients together. Slowly add warm water until the mixture sticks together and can be shaped.

To create bead jewelry, roll dough into small balls, pierce the balls with toothpicks, and allow to dry. Paint as desired, and allow to dry. Paint or spray painted balls with acrylic finish. After finish dries, string beads on jewelry thread, invisible fishing line, elastic cording, or safety pins.

Kool-Aid Play Dough

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 small packet unsweetened drink mix (Kool-aid or generic)

3 Tbsp. oil

1 cup boiling water

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients. Add oil. Add boiling water. Stir well. Knead ingredients until soft dough forms. Store dough in air tight container or zip-lock bag. This dough is non-edible (harmless, but tastes awful); however, it smells great.

Modeling Clay

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 1/3 cup salt

4 tsp. powdered alum or cream of tarter

2 cups boiling water

4 tsp. vegetable oil

food coloring

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil and boiling water. Stir until well-blended. Dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl and should be cool enough to handle. Add food coloring, and knead into dough until color is well-blended. Continue adding color, a little at a time, until dough reaches desired tint.

Dough will keep several months in an air-tight container. Projects will dry overnight.

Perfect Play Dough

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

2 tbsp. baby oil

2 tbsp. cream of tartar

liquid food coloring

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients. Add water and oil. Stir well. Microwave on high 4 to 5 minutes. Stir again. Microwave another minute. Stir. Continue to microwave one minute, then stir, until dough is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Cool it enough to touch. Knead in food coloring until dough is desired color. Store dough in air tight container or zip-lock bag.

Rock-Hard Sawdust Clay

Ingredients:

2 cups sawdust

1 cup flour

water

Directions:

Mix two parts sawdust with one part water. Add water, until the mixture is stiff, but pliable. If dough is too crumbly, add a little more flour. Dump the mixture on a newspaper-covered table. Knead until it reaches an elastic consistency.

The dough may then be molded into any shape desired, then dried in the sun. As it dries, it will become extremely hard. After drying, it can be sanded and painted, or simply painted, depending on preference. Once the paint dries, an acrylic finish will make creations shine. I love this recipe for making unique pieces for wood work or also as a wood filler.

Intro

2009-10-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

From Play dough to pool tables this Blog will teach you how to build it for less. I will happily take requests and suggestions for new items, so check back often!