I’ve been crafting up a storm as usual, especially since I learned about the new app from DarbySmart. Marketing a blog can be really difficult. One reason I started this blog was because I also wanted to reach out to other handmade business trying to extend their presence on the internet.
DarbySmart, founded in 2013 by Nicole Shariat Farb, has been on the forefront of crafters, chefs, and hobbyist culture. I’ve had a lot of fun using their services for over the last 5 years. With over 60 million view monthly, the Darby App is the place to go to promote any sort of craft business. Just like on Instagram, I’ve been able to make friends with people who are trying to do the same thing I am.
While I used to connect my YouTube videos to my blog posts, I am going to embed my video links from DarbySmart. Why? Because the new Darby app is amazing!
Here are some new videos that I just posted on Darby!
Easter is just around the corner! What are you going to put in the Easter baskets? I’ve been wanting to do this post for a while just because it’s so darn cute! Plus, let’s be honest, one can never go wrong with a bath bomb.
Bath bombs are one of the most versatile crafts I know. One would be surprised how many different intricate shapes can be made from molds, especially silicone molds. For this project, your standard, traditional plastic egg is perfect. I have a basic bath bomb recipe below, one that I’ve used in many projects, including the Seashell Surprise Bath Bombs .
Witch Hazel (available in the aisles of Walmart, just be sure to fill it in an empty spray bottle. You are going to want to spray it a bit, and then check the consistency, and then spray it again.)
Optional:
Epsom Salts
Silicone Mold (I prefer silicone because it really is a perfect copy. I’ve made some very intricate bath bomb designs, and when you use a silicone mold you can get an exact precision to the mold, so I highly recommend silicone molds when doing your bath bombs).
Plastic Animals (Any sort of fun item that won’t be damaged from a bath bomb and water is great to embed into your bath bombs. Who doesn’t love a surprise?)
Place 1 cup citric acid into a bowl. Mix and sift until you can get all the clumps out.
Mix 2 cups of the baking soda with citric acid. (Add optional 1/3 cup epsom salt here.) Sift and mix with hands again to get all the clumps out.
Mix the citric acid and baking soda until well incorporated.
Put in some drops of the food coloring.
Put in some drops of essential oils.
Mix until oils and food coloring are well incorporated. Keep mixing the bath bomb mix until the food colorant starts to come through and change the whole color of the mix.
Fill an empty spray bottle with witch hazel. Spray mix with witch hazel. In between sprays, mix and squeeze the bath bomb mix until you get a solid consistency to place into the molds.
Once your bath bomb mix has reached a clumpy consistency, pack them into your silicone molds.
The cherry blossoms started budding this week in my neighborhood. The days have finally turned and spring is already here in New Mexico. Nothing like a sweet mix of blue skies, Sandia Mountains, and budding cherry blossoms. Ah….
I’ve been searching far and wide on Etsy for a cute Easter basket stuffer. There are so many cute things on Etsy, it’s really hard to pick sometimes. My daughter is obsessed with tiny things (but what little kid isn’t? hehe). I was so happy about my purchase of this little bunny in an Altoids tin from SetApartCreation. It was only $4 too! Can you believe that?
To also prepare for the festivities, I figured out how to make bunnies out of napkins. I am a natural origami enthusiast and was so excited as to how these turned out. They even have whiskers!
Your guests will hop for joy when they see these Easter bunnies!
The luck of the Irish is coming! The magical thing about St. Patrick’s Day is all the amazing things that the leprechauns bring us. I remember when I was in preschool, we made little houses/beds for the leprechauns to come and enjoy. When I returned the next day to school, the leprechaun KING had left me a note. I was star stuck.
I love the Oscars, the speeches, the dresses (did I mention the dresses?) The combination of gold and red throughout the event inspired this cocktail. I found these Wilton Edible Gold Stars, used agave so they could easily stick the stars onto the edge of the cocktail glass.
Like I said, these edible glitter stars by Wilton really make the whole cocktail. If you are planning a gold inspired wedding or event, this is a great extra detail to add. 🙂 You could even do gold rimmed margarita instead of the regular lime/salt mix. (It may be a sweeter margarita than usual, but it gives you an idea as to how you can mix this technique with other cocktails you may make.)
I’m going to a tea party birthday soon and thought this would be the perfect present. With only hot glue, cardstock, some styrofoam and this cute teacup, anyone can make this project (even if you don’t have a cricut explore).
You can use a spiral paper flower design on Cricut Design by searching for “3D flower” in their image database, or you can follow along this tutorial I did for Albuquerque the Magazine a few years back.
Materials
1 teacup (I got a Pioneer Woman brand mug, it was a bigger than an actual teacup but it had the design I really wanted)
3 inch half dome of styrofoam (make sure the styrofoam you buy fits into the teacup you have, an important component of this project)
These DIY bird feeders are an affordable wedding or party favor perfect for any bird loving event. While I don’t have a wedding any time soon (been hitched for almost eight years now), I do love to make these to give away during the Valentine’s Day season.
Coincidentally, my parents are about to celebrate their 42nd anniversary together.
Hit two birds with one stone. (LOL… I crack myself up… okay.. maybe I wasn’t supposed to be a comedian in this life… maybe the next one…)
With only a few ingredients I purchased at Amazon, I was able to make about 35 of these for only $10 (only .30 a piece).
Here’s what the price breakdown looked like, I already had flour, so this is all I had to buy:
unflavored gelatin $2.5
corn syrup $2.7
Bird seed $6.50
total for 35 hearts : $11.70
Not only do you save money when you create favors on the cheap, but you also create an intimate connection with your guests.
Everyone enjoys bird watching, especially when they can hang the feeder near their balcony or in their backyard. Unlike some wedding favors that are never used, these are sure to be enjoyed. Add a cute custom tag made by Paper Crane Wishes and your event is even more memorable.
(2) Mix, mix, mix until the same color/consistency as in the video below.
(3) Lay tinfoil over a sheet pan and spritz with baking spray.
(4) Spray cookie cutter. Place cookie cutter on tinfoil and fill with the birdseed mixture all the way to the top. (The thicker the heart, the more durable it will be to the elements.)
(5) While the feeder is in the heart cutter, use a pencil to make a hole for the string.
(6) Gently slide the heart out of the cutter and repeat the process for other hearts.
(7) Let dry overnight, or if you are in a rush, bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, sporadically checking on the hardness of the feeder.
(8) Let cool. Adorn with a cute twine or ribbon to hang. Embellish with tags or any other cuteness.
thx so much for reading my blog. Much love and gratitude to everyone who has supported my business whether it be by buying products, following my social media, letting me help with your event, or just sending positive vibes my way.
I just love mason jars. They make any gift come together. In this blog post, I will show you how I make these waterless snow globes and hot cocoa jars. In the past, I’ve even used mason jars in substitution of an easter basket.
The hot cocoa in a jar is so easy, I just added a few extra twists. I added crushed candy canes and called it “candy cane cocoa”. I jazzed it up with some stickers I made on my Cricut Explore and some images from design space. I love being able to personalize anything with my Cricut Explore, including hot cocoa.
Making the waterless snow globes was even easier. I always love the idea of making your own snow globes during the Christmas season, however, the idea of water inside a container that I can’t 100% guarantee will stay filled with water deterred me all these years. I decided to try out the waterless snow globes, and they are festive and surprisingly delightful.
I found some tiny evergreen trees at a craft store, along with some paper cranes I’ve made, and other holiday knick-knacks I have lying around the house like jingle bells and bits of gold tinsel. Check out the video below to see how the whole process went for me!
Santa Claus is coming to town, for sure now. We are 25 days away from sleigh liftoff and counting. There are so many things to do like decking the halls and baking our Christmas treats.
This recipe is a variation of the Baker family traditional “mistletoe” treats, a post I will do later on this month.
I love rice crispies. With the right sort of coloring and molds, a person can truly make anything imaginable. They are a great starter method to really come up with some creative ideas. For one, it’s a very stable base for any sort of shape you may want to be covered in fondant, much easier than cakes.
Thank you so much for following my blog and supporting my little small craft business dreams. ❤ Happy holidays! I look forward to posting more fun ideas. I recently purchased a gingerbread house kit from Joann’s Crafts and Fabrics for only $7.99!! (only until 12/1, stock up). I am excited to lay out some fun ideas I love to do with gingerbread houses. The creativity that one can do with gingerbread houses is vast. Have a happy holiday!
Easter is just around the corner! What are you going to put in the Easter baskets? I’ve been wanting to do this post for a while just because it’s so darn cute! Plus, let’s be honest, one can never go wrong with a bath bomb.
I’m going to a tea party birthday soon and thought this would be the perfect present. With only hot glue, cardstock, some styrofoam and this cute teacup, anyone can make this project (even if you don’t have a cricut explore).
