Easy Birthday Name Candles

What youll need:Beeswax sheetsCookie cuttersWicks Dont you ever wonder about things to which you dont know the answer? Take, for instance, the birthday cake. People have been serving and eating birthday cake for many years but have you ever wondered who was the first person to put a candle on top of it? Now its standard practice. We used to put a stick candle on for each year since the persons birth but now we have number candles. That way, you need only put a candle or two on top of the cake rather than setting the whole thing aflame with many stick candles - less of a fire hazard and less trouble.

Back in the old days a person who wanted to make candles had her work cut out for her. A pan to hold the wax, another to hold boiling water under the wax, measuring cups, molds - the list - and the work - went on and on. Today its a breeze. Sure, some people still make those old-fashioned candles and theyre gorgeous, but you can play it smart. You can easily make candles that spell out a persons name or a sentiment without all the hassle and supplies.

When you purchase beeswax at a craft store youll see that they have lots of colors and scents. The wax comes in sheets that make it super-easy for you to spell out the name of a birthday person, or something else, with handmade candles. Instead of buying the typical number candles you can do something much more special! While youre at the craft store purchase cookie cutters with alphabet shapes. These will help you turn the beeswax into letter candles in no time. Lay a sheet of beeswax out and cut two of any letter shape. Lay a wick on one of the letters and cover with the other; its that simple. Press the two pieces together to make them stick and to trap the wick between them. If, for some reason, the two wont stick together simply heat one with a blow dryer then try again. If youd like to make the birthday candles more substantial, just cut two extra shapes, and press one on each side of the letter. Do this as many times as you want to make the candle as bulky as youd like. You can make all the letters the same color or make them different colors. You can make letters, numbers, animal shapes - whatever type of cookie cutters you have. Make birthday name candles, spell out "Congrats" for a different party, or even spell out "Thanks" for a special friend. With the easy letter candles you can write anything on any cake for any occasion!

Bedroom Kites

What child doesnt love flying kites? Kites are such simple toys but theyve been giving children - and adults - hours of fun for centuries. Bring the kite indoors and youll create a fun look for a childs room. Make assorted kites, from large to tiny, and use them to create a theme in your childs bedroom. Or, just make a small group of wall kites to quickly add a bit of fun to the d?cor.

When you use Styrofoam youll find that the kites are not only easy to make but inexpensive, too. Purchase very thin squares of Styrofoam -in the sizes you want for the kites - and slightly change them to make the kite shapes. Lay a square of Styrofoam in front of you so that one corner is facing you. At the left corner, go a few inches above the corner, then cut straight down to the corner facing you. Do this to the opposite side as well. This makes the diamond longer at one end, and shorter at the other, to resemble a kite. Youll find it easiest to cut the Styrofoam perfectly if you cut an old candle with a serrated knife and then use that knife to cut the Styrofoam.

There are all sorts of kites you can make depending on the materials you use. Paint just the sides of the kite, cut a piece of fabric to the shape of the kite, then glue it to the front of the Styrofoam. Or, just paint the entire kite a solid color. If you have no fabric to use you can also cover the front of the kite with gift wrap. White glue works well to hold fabric or paper to the Styrofoam. With paint markers you can create all sorts of designs on a painted kite. After you paint the kite a solid color you can use the markers to draw polka dots, stripes, geometric shapes or other designs. Make a tail for the kite by cutting a long piece of fabric or ribbon. Cut smaller pieces and tie them once, onto the long piece, and do this down the length of the tail. Space the small pieces evenly apart and end with one small piece at the very end of the tail. Make different sizes and different designs on the Styrofoam kites and hang them on the wall. Or, make small kites and attach them to lampshades, cornices, mirror corners, a bedroom trash can and other things in the room. Youll find it easy to hang the lightweight kites when you use double-sided tape or glue dots. Hang them so that they tilt this way and that, group some together, leave others hanging alone, and otherwise decorate with the kites. Youll love the look and so will your child.

Holiday Candle Bands

Raise your hand if you go out and buy new candles for each special occasion. Stop that! Dont you know that one set of candles can serve as many different sets? That way, you have a set of candles for Halloween, a set for Thanksgiving, a set for Christmas. When you make candle bands you can give one set of candles many different looks. And, for each holiday or special occasion, the entire candle set will appear to be made just for that event. Candle bands dont even require any sewing so the craft isnt a huge production. Just get some felt and youll have your candle bands ready for the next holiday.Choose felt in an appropriate color for each holiday or special occasion. Felt is really cheap yet looks fabulous when you turn it into candle bands. If you plan to make interchangeable bands, a variety pack of felt will offer you nearly any color you would need. Instead of felt you can also use cotton and some other fabrics.Purchase felt letters to create the message or word you want on the bands. Or, cut your own letters. Use a stencil to draw out the letters; make them all capital letters. Craft stores sell bags of felt letters and those make it really easy to create the candle bands.Measure around one pillar candle to decide how long to cut the felt. Decide how wide you want the felt by measuring the height of the candle, and knocking a few inches off of that measurement. Cut one band for each candle; all of the bands should be the same size for each set. (You might want wide bands for a Thanksgiving set and more narrow bands for a Christmas set.)Although you can sew the letters onto the bands, if you want, its much faster to use fabric glue to attach them. Its found at craft or fabric stores and quickly holds the felt pieces together.After placing one letter on each band, place a piece of peel-n-stick Velcro at each end of one band, and wrap the band around the candle. An alternative to this is to sew the ends together to make a slip-on version.The bands can spell out "Thanksgiving", "Merry Christmas", or just "Welcome". Align them down the center of the table, arrange them on a mantle, or even set them outside on a porch railing. If you need to make the candles double-sided, simply attach a letter on the opposite side of the candle. Anytime you want, just take off the old bands and put on another set. Make several sets of bands and youll always have a new candle arrangement for every special occasion.Candle Bands

Unusual Ways to Use a Shoe Organizer

A shoe organizer is such a good choice for keeping shoes neat and orderly, sure, but did you know that it also works to organize in other rooms of the house - and even outdoors? There are many unusual but helpful ways that you can implement a shoe organizer. You know the type - it has clear pockets and theyre all on a single backing. Such an organizer can often be found at a dollar-theme store and that makes it an even better choice for organizing the bathroom, a childs room, or even the kitchen.

When you hang a shoe organizer on the side of the refrigerator, or elsewhere in the kitchen, youll find it a handy thing to have around. Each pocket can hold a number of large and/or small items, found in the kitchen. Use the organizer to hold implements, bundled silverware, flavoring packets, spices, scissors and twine, tape and a marker, measuring cups and spoons, and much more.

Hang a shoe organizer in a childs room and his or her favorite toys can be on display, and easy to get to. Each pocket can hold a small stuffed animal, a doll, a toy car, dice or cards, a small book, and other things. Dont forget a second shoe organizer to actually hold the childs shoes! If you already have a shoe organizer, hang it up in the nursery, and it will help you in assorted ways. The pockets can hold cotton swabs, small packs of wipes, socks, booties, oils and lotions, hair bows, rattles, and more. But if you use it as a memory keeper, you can begin to drop things that the baby no longer uses, in the pockets, and roll the organizer up when the pockets are full. Later, when the baby is much older, give him or her the organizer, which is full of little, cherished things. Its fun to use a shoe organizer, outside, in a different manner than it is usually used. The organizer makes a unique but small garden on a deck, patio, or even on a fence. Poke a few holes in the bottom of each plastic pocket, for drainage. Fill the pockets with dirt and plant tomatoes, flowers, or other plants. The best shoe organizer for using as a garden is one with a built-in hanger, so you can simply hang up the garden. Water the top row well, and it will drain into the other rows of pockets. Just because you no longer use that shoe organizer doesnt mean that it doesnt have any use. Put it in the kitchen, hang it in the laundry room, or display it in a childs room. It still has many more years of service that it can offer.

Easy Flip-Flop Cookies

Its fun to have foods with themes when it comes to parties and special occasions. For most people, those foods have to be ordered because theyre too challenging to make. But, if youve got a teen girl having a birthday party, a beach wedding coming up, or another special occasion where a summer, Hawaiian or beach theme is involved, you can easily make at least one specialty food: flip-flop cookies! Using Nutter Butter cookies from the grocery store you can quickly make a plate full of flip-flop cookies for a party or special occasion. The peanut butter cookies, famous for their taste and their shape, already resemble flip-flops. All you have to do is add a little extra detail.

Whether you like to make your own frosting, or purchase it by the can, you can easily tint it to make assorted colors for the flip-flops. Simply place some white frosting in assorted bowls or cups and stir in a few drops of food coloring. Use the basic four colors: red, blue, green and yellow, then mix the main colors to make others. Or, just make all the flip-flops the same color if youre looking for quick and easy.

Frost each cookie on one side then frost around the perimeter of the cookie. Leave the bottom plain. Smooth the frosting out nicely so the flip-flops dont have peaks and dips. You can give the sides of the flip-flops a little texture, though, so they look a little more distinctive than the top of the flip-flop. Do this by simply tapping the frosted sides with a butter knife or spatula, here and there. With gel frosting - frosting that dispenses from a small tube - its easy to make the Nutter Butter cookies look like flip-flops. Squeeze the frosting out, going from the heel area, around one side, around the top, then down the other side. Keep the gel right at the very edge so that you follow the peanut shape exactly. Draw an upside-down "v" shape with the gel that goes from the "toe" area to the sides. To start, place a tiny dot of gel where the strap would go between the big toe and the next one, then draw down from it, one line to one side of the flip-flop and a second line that reaches the opposite side. This will form the straps for the shoes. The little flip-flop cookies dont absolutely have to be frosted in different colors before adding the straps. The color of the Nutter Butter cookies makes them appropriate to simply add gel frosting straps. Theyre cute and delicious and oh, so easy to make!

Halloween Characters on Stilts

Decorate with traditional ghosts, jack-o-lanterns and witches this Halloween, but put a little twist on those characters, by making them be able to stand up tall. The long-legged characters can become centerpieces, window decorations, mantle d?cor and more! Using a few simplistic craft supplies you can create a whole collection of Halloween characters on stilts! Use a 6" Styrofoam ball to create the head for the character. Cut a small piece off of one side to create a bottom for the ball. Paint it with tempera paints; other paints may melt the Styrofoam. Paint it green for a witch, orange to make a jack-o-lantern or leave it white to create a ghost on stilts.

Use a 6" wooden star, thats a half-inch thick, to make a collar for the Halloween character. Paint this piece white for a ghost, green for a jack-o-lantern and black for a witch. Use hot glue to attach the cut side of the ball to the wooden star. Set the head and collar aside for the moment.

Use a 6" round, wooden disk to make the base for the character on stilts. Paint it the same color as the collar and allow to dry. Use two Styrofoam eggs that are 2 ?". Cut a small slice off one long side of the eggs to give them a flat bottom. Paint these to create shoes for the character. Glue the flat side of the shoes to the wooden base. Leave a small space between the shoes rather than placing them side-by-side. Use two dowel rods to make the legs. They should be about ?" in diameter but can be a number of different lengths. Make a somewhat tall character by using 9" dowels. Make a much taller version by using 13" dowels. Paint the dowels one color and allow them to dry. Now use a paint marker to draw stripes around the dowel, spacing them apart, and making the stripes all the way down the dowel. Or, wrap the dowel with pieces of colored tape to make the stripes. Glue the two dowels into the two shoes. Position the star-shaped collar on the two dowels and glue in place. Now make the face you want for the long-legged character. Use markers, paint, felt, wiggly eyes, pom-poms and similar things to make the facial features. Glue on accessories like a witchs hat or a pumpkin stem (made from a short, fat dowel) to finish the character. Make much larger versions to use as centerpieces or porch decorations. Or, make much smaller versions, and group them together, to create indoor d?cor. The stilted characters are easy to make and downright adorable!

Barbie Shoe Bracelet and Earrings

If Barbie doll shoes were real womens shoes wed be going wild with excitement! Are you kidding? What woman wouldnt want to own a collection of pumps, sandals, sling-backs, mules and heels like Barbie owns? If there are a lot of Barbie doll shoes at your house you might be delighted to find out that you can wear some of them! Alas, you wont be able to wear them on your feet but you can wear them on your arms and ears! Make jewelry from Barbie doll shoes and youll have the coolest bracelets and earrings around! You know how you put two socks in the laundry but only one comes back? It seems Barbie doll shoes fall into the same "missing sock" category of mysteries. It seems you can always find one shoe but not the other. Those single shoes work great for creating a charm bracelet any little girl would love.

Use a simple link bracelet to create the Barbie doll shoe jewelry. Purchase tiny jewelry-making rings to hang the shoes from the bracelet. Youll find the rings, in a pack containing many, at most any craft store. Youll also need a pair of needle nose pliers. Dont panic because you have to use a hand tool; its really easy to add the metal rings to the bracelet.

For high heels, pumps, sneakers and other shoes that have a heel, hold a small-diameter nail with the pliers, and hold the pliers with a potholder. Heat the nail and push it through the center of the back of the heel to create a hole for the metal ring. Open a ring, slide the shoe onto it, then clasp the ring around a link in the bracelet. Be sure to leave the same amount of links between each shoe. When hanging sling-backs on the bracelet simply slide the ring through the sling. For shoes that are made like clogs, with just a strap that goes across the top of the foot, thread the metal ring through that strap. Or, poke a hole through the toe of the shoe, going in from the top of the shoe through the bottom, but stay close to the edge of the toe. Follow the same steps to make a necklace as you did to make the bracelet. To make the earrings, though, youll need two identical shoes. Poke the hole in the shoe, slide the ring through, then clamp the ring through the hole in the earring hardware. If you dont have a metallic bracelet to use you can simply braid some yarn or twine together. Tie a string through each shoe then tie it through the braids of the bracelet. This cheaper version is easy to make and perfect for little girls!

Christmas Hand Cookies

There are all the Christmas cookies, displayed on the table, but the kids favorite ones are those that are shaped like hands. Thats because their own hands were used as the patterns for the Christmas cookies. Make all sorts of designs on the hands depending upon the various edible items you can use to decorate them.

Mix two cups of all-purpose flour, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a half-teaspoon of baking powder together in a large bowl. Set aside for now. Beat together a stick of butter (8 tablespoons) or margarine and a cup of sugar. If youre using butter use the unsalted kind. Beat these until they are fluffy then add one egg. Beat the butter, sugar and egg until they are smooth. Add this to the flour mixture.

Beat the ingredients until they are well-combined. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and thoroughly mix all ingredients. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes. While it chills make the patterns youll use for the hands as well as the edible accents. Have kids place their hands on parchment paper or even a piece cut from a clean, brown paper bag. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and put wax paper or parchment paper on one or two cookie sheets - depending upon how many cookies youre making. Lightly flour a surface and roll the dough out on it. The dough should be rolled so that it is about an eighth-inch thick. Lay the hand shapes on the cookie dough and draw around them with a paring knife. Place the hand cookies on the baking sheets and refrigerate them for 15 to 20 minutes. There are several ways to make the Christmas hand cookies even more delicious. One technique is done before baking and the other one is created after the cookies have baked and cooled. To decorate the cookies before baking whisk an egg white with a teaspoon of water. Apply this mixture to places on the hand cookies to create the designs you want. Draw a heart shape, a diamond ring or other embellishments with the egg white. Sprinkle colored sugar over the egg areas immediately after apply the mixture. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove and allow to cool. Make a different type of Christmas hand cookies by spreading frosting on them. You can sprinkle colored sugar on these, if you want, to create rings or other designs. No matter how you decorate the cookies you can be sure that kids - as well as adults - will absolutely love them!

Duct Tape Outdoor Pillow

Ive gotten to where I make most of my decorator items around my house because, to go out and buy them, I always end up spending more money. When I make curtains, rugs, throws, wall hangings, and place mats, I not only save money but I get to have exactly what I want, rather than to settle for whats available. Thats especially true when I browse certain stores for outdoor and garden-type things. Waterproof pillows, for example, are not cheap. But when you make them yourself, theyre definitely waterproof, as well as inexpensive, and attractive.Many people think of duct tape as that wide, gray tape used for some repairs on cars or around the house. But nowadays, duct tape comes in a variety of colors. Choose purple, green, black, or another shade - or combine colors - to make new outdoor pillows for loungers.Use a zipper-lock freezer bag for the pillow and youll have it made in no time. Just use a coffee stirrer or straw and blow up the pillow. Zip the bag nearly all the way shut, insert the straw, then blow to inflate it. Remove the straw and quickly zip the bag shut the remainder of the way.Tear long pieces of duct tape and lay them out on a table. Place them so that their sticky sides are facing up. Lay the first piece of tape, then position the second piece so that it slightly overlaps the first piece. Continue in this manner until you have a sheet of tape that is large enough to cover one side of the pillow, with a few inches to spare on each side.Make two of the tape sheets then lay the blown-up bag on one of them. Cover it with the second sheet. Stick the edges together, all the way around the pillow, then cut all the way around it to even the edges.Another way to make the pillow is to apply the tape right to the bag. After blowing up the bag, begin laying strips of tape on it, and overlap them as you go along. after adding enough tape to cover one whole side of the pillow, turn it over and do the same to the other side.You can make all sorts of different color and pattern combinations by using various colors of the tape, and placing them strategically on the tape sheet arrangement. And, while youre cutting and laying the tape strips, you can cut assorted shapes, like a set of four triangles, or various colors of squares.Ive made lots of these pillows in my life. We take them with us to the beach, toss them around on the floor for the grand kids to watch movies, and even carry some in the car as we travel.

Mesh Bag Place Mats and Other Home Accents

I cant even begin to imagine how many of those mesh bags - the ones that hold orange or onions - that Ive thrown away over the years. That was long before I began to realize that those bags actually have many uses. Start saving them now and, pretty soon, you can make all sorts of home accents out of them. You can easily create place mats, wall hangings, coasters, and much more, just by cutting up orange or onion bags.

After cutting the closure off of the bag, lay the bag flat, and neaten up the cut edge. Then, cut the bag into strips that can vary in size. To make something like a coaster, cut narrow strips, about an inch wide. For something larger, like a place mat, cut the strips to be a couple of inches wide, or more. As you cut the strips youll see that theyre actually bands. Cut each band across the width - in one place - so that it becomes a long strip.

Braid three strips together to begin making whatever you want. It can be helpful to hold the strips with a clothespin at their ends. As you get to the end of the braid, sew another strip onto each piece, and continue braiding. Keep adding on strips to make the length you want for the rope. When you have a really long braid you can begin making what you want. Twist the braid around and around itself to make a circle for a coaster. As you do, take stitches here and there, to hold the rope in place. Or, use waterproof adhesive. When the circle is as large as you want for the coaster, cut the braid, and glue or sew down the ends. A place mat is made in the same manner but, if you want, hot glue can be used to secure the braids. To make a square, oval, or rectangle - rather than a circle - go a few inches from the end of the braid, fold it over, then start wrapping the braid around it. After youve created the shape that you want you can then turn the circles, squares, or other shapes, into additional home accents. Glue or sew silk flowers and leaves, beads, bows and ribbon, or other embellishments, on the finished mesh bag piece, to make all sorts of wall hangings or other home accents. Or, color areas of the coaster, place mat, or other object, with a paint marker, to create an array of interesting designs. Youll have fun turning orange and onion bags into mesh coasters, place mats, runners, door mats, and other home decorations. Dont like the color of the mesh? Spray paint the finished braid with paint made especially for plastic.

Embroidery Hoop Map Art

There is no shortage of map projects that a person can do for a wall at home. Its easy to frame a map, make a set of map coasters, or even make a map place mat. You can decoupage a map to a plate, or glue maps to a wall to make a makeshift headboard. If youve collected quite a few maps over the years, and you dont really want to throw them away, start doing some map crafts, and decorating your home. Theres one map craft that is perfect for someone who has little time, and perfect for someone who has a limited budget. Make embroidery hoop map art and youll create a spectacular home accent set for a wall in your home.

With an embroidery hoop, you can turn a map into a hanging wall art piece, or a wall grouping. Since it only takes a couple of minutes to make each piece, why not go for the grouping? You can find embroidery hoops at places that sell sewing supplies; they are available in several sizes and are not expensive.

An embroidery hoop is actually two hoops. One hoop is slightly smaller than the other. The idea is to put a piece of fabric, lace, paper, or other material, on the small hoop, lay the large hoop around it, and tighten it. The large hoop has a tiny hardware piece that is used to tighten it around the small hoop, and trap the material so that it is taut. Cut a circular map section to be a couple of inches larger, all the way around, than the big hoop. Lay the map piece on the small hoop and put the large hoop over it. As you tighten the mechanism, pull the edges of the map down so that it will be tight. Its ultra-easy to hang an embroidery hoop. Simply put a nail, tack, or push-pin in the wall, and hang it up. Hang just one or make a group of them. Each hoop map can be a piece of the same, original map, or each hoop can feature a different map. There are various things you can choose to cover the metal screw on top of the large hoop. A bow, a shell, a large rhinestone, a silk flower, or a tulle piece, can conceal the mechanism while adding a cute element to the arrangement. Or, just leave the little metal piece as it is for a rustic touch. The screw device doesnt necessarily have to be at the top of the finished map art. Dont have a map? Print one from the internet. Hang local maps, foreign maps, or even hand-drawn maps, to make the travel-theme home accent that you desire. You dont have to be a world traveler to appreciate the easy-to-make, map wall art.

Cocoa or Rice Krispies Treat Cups

Guests will line up for little chocolate dessert cups, even though they dont know exactly what they are, because they just look so pretty and delicious. And they certainly will be. Just imagine the most decadent sweets that you can think of and turn them into luscious desserts for a wedding, anniversary, or other special occasion. Cocoa or Rice Krispies treat cups are whatever you want them to be and will surely satisfy every guest. No harder to make than regular Rice Krispies treats, the cup desserts are tiny works of art.

In case you dont already have the recipe, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Stir in a 10oz bag of regular marshmallows, a 7oz jar of marshmallow cream, or four cups of miniature marshmallows. Remove from heat and stir in 6 cups of Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies. If you prefer the microwave version, melt the butter and marshmallows for 3 minutes but stir them after 2 minutes. When the time is completed, stir in the cereal. Make either the "blonde" cups, using Rice Krispies, chocolate cups, using Cocoa Krispies, or make a colorful version of the blondes by stirring in colored marshmallows.

Butter a spoon and use it to spoon the marshmallow treats into muffin tins - mini tins or regular. Its necessary to first spray each compartment with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon a nice-size blob into each compartment and then use the spoon to make a large indentation in it. After the treats have cooled you can turn them into just the dessert cups that you want for the party. Make fancy pudding cups by filling them with the desired flavor of pudding - or custard - and topping them with whipped cream. Make fruit cups by arranging sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, raspberries, or blueberries, in combinations that you like, with whipped cream on top. Turn the regular or chocolate Krispies cups into ice cream cups by putting in a small scoop, and covering with sauce, syrups, or other goodies. Or, just turn them into candy cups by filling with whatever candies you want. Other things you can put inside the Cocoa Krispies cups include mini muffins, tiny cupcakes, broken snack cake pieces, or even banana bread. Things you can use as toppings include marshmallows, nuts, cherries, candy sprinkles, cocoa, powdered sugar, cinnamon, or flavored syrup. With so many different foods and toppings anyone would find it easy to assemble the perfect desserts for this perfect occasion.

How to Make Citrus Spray for Outdoor Insects

What are all those manufacturers of chemicals going to do when we all go green and start using nothing but organic supplies in and around our homes? Chemical fertilizers, plant food, pest control and similar products will be a thing of the past! No matter where you live, there are insects outside, and those bugs can cause massive destruction of your flowers, plants and homegrown vegetables. You have to do something; you cant do all that work to have a beautiful yard and a fabulous garden just to let it all go to the bugs! Until now, youve probably used commercial insect repellents and killers which contain all sorts of harmful chemicals. Those chemicals are on the flowers and plants plus the chemicals get washed into the soil whenever it rains or you water the garden. Never again! Its so easy to make organic pest deterrent that youll wonder why you ever bought chemicals in the first place! Compare the price of those expensive, harmful sprays you purchase from a farm and garden store to the price of a couple of oranges. What a big difference in cost! With those two oranges you can make a gallon of spray for your fruit trees, flowers, plants and garden. That spray will keep away aphids, white flies, ants, mosquitoes and more.

Fill a gallon jug of water nearly full then peel two oranges. Tear the orange peels into small pieces and drop them down into the jug. Place the lid on the jug and let the water sit for about 10 days. Pour the water through a coffee filter or other filter and pour it into spray bottles or jars with lids.

When applying the citrus spray to things like mounds of red ants simply spray the liquid, full-strength, onto the mounds. If youll be spraying the citrus directly onto plants the full-strength version can burn them. Instead, mix two ounces of the citrus with a gallon of water and shake well. Spray on and around plants, flowers, bushes, vegetables and small trees. Since the citrus spray smells so good, and deters assorted pests, you can also spray it on the grass around the picnic table or directly onto the boards of an outside deck or porch. Going green means big changes for our lives and for our world. One benefit is the amount of money you save and another is the fact that youre not contributing to adding more chemicals to the soil and our foods. Now, instead of feeding the bugs and insects, you can enjoy beautiful flowers and much healthier fruits and vegetables!

Easter Bunny Crackers

There are a lot of things to look forward to on any holiday. There will be friends and family, shopping and cooking. There are often presents and other special treats. And, of course, there will be foods which are specifically created for the particular holiday. Take Easter, for example. Bunny-shaped candy, jellybeans, ham - youll often see all these things and more on the Easter holiday.

While youre cooking and baking for the Easter dinner your kids will be stuffing chocolates and other basket treats into their mouths. Wow, that doesnt sound very healthy. Theyll need something to hold them over until the main meal and that something really shouldnt be candy. Its okay if they have a piece or two from their new Easter basket, but to give them something more substantial as a snack, make bunny crackers. They go right along with the theme of things and are much healthier than a belly full of chocolates.

Most any round crackers, like Ritz or even water crackers, work well to make a bunny head. Lay a cracker on each plate then make them into bunny faces that will thrill the kids. Spread each cracker with cream cheese going almost to the very edges of the cracker. Break a tiny piece off of each end of a pretzel stick and press them into the cream cheese to make eyes for the rabbit cracker. Cut a red radish in half then cut a slice off of one of the halves. Cut it into two rectangular shapes to use for the bunnys teeth. You might need one radish slice for each tooth, depending upon how large the radish is. Lay them on the cream cheese. Cut six julienne strips from a carrot and use them to make the whiskers for the bunny. Press three on one side and three on the other. Cut two circles from white cheese to make the cheeks. These can be cut from a slice of white American cheese or even a rod of string cheese. Set these on the cracker so that they cover the ends of the carrot strips as well as the tops of the teeth. Cut a triangle from the red part of the radish and place it on the cracker as the bunnys nose. Finally, finish by pressing the ends of two pretzel sticks, side-by-side, off-center at the top of the cracker for ears. Make two ears using two sticks each. The adorable Easter bunny crackers will make kids smile while staving off hunger until the dinner is done. As a matter of fact, adults will also love the crackers, cream cheese and veggies. Serve them as appetizers to the whole crowd!

Ice Cube Tray Meals, Treats and Party Favors

Its amazing how some insignificant thing can suddenly play a much larger roll in life. Take something as simple as an ice tray. Gone are the days where you had that ugly silver tray, with the pull-up handle. Now you can purchase plastic ice trays in many different colors. Those ice trays can quickly become the answer for a child who is a picky eater, a wedding reception party favor and more! The type of ice tray you should use for any of these projects are the ones which make cubes, have square compartments, and are open all the way across the top. You can purchase them in multi-packs at discount department stores and dollar-theme stores but youll find a much nicer selection of colors online.

Its funny how, when you just change the look of something, its much more inviting. Instead of placing foods on a plate, most of which the child wont eat, set them in the compartments of the ice tray. Lots of foods fit right into the tray and create a more fun approach to a meal.

Make sandwiches, cut them into cube shapes, stick a toothpick in each one, then place some of them in the tray. Alongside the sandwich pieces you can put fruits, vegetables and more. Some things which fit nicely into the compartments - with or without toothpicks - include candies, stacked banana slices, grapes, sunflower seeds, pretzels, raisins, baby carrots, short stalks of celery, stacked cheese squares, and even dips for the fruits and vegetables. Kids arent the only ones who can enjoy the ice cube trays. At a wedding reception you can set them out and fill the compartments with finger foods - on toothpicks - for the guests to sample. Its a great way to set out foods for a casual wedding or even a birthday party. Fill the compartments with chocolate-dipped strawberries, nuts, and many other choices. If needed, place a small spoon nearby to scoop out certain foods. Instead of using the ice cube trays on the foods table you can make fabulous party favors - for a wedding or other occasion. Place a few mints and candies in each compartment or fill them with other things, like beads and other craft supplies, new baby items, balloons, costume jewelry pieces, trial-size products, flower seeds or other choices. To present the ice cube trays as gifts cover them with clear cellophane or even plastic wrap. Theyre unusual but, no matter what you fill them with, the recipient will love them. See ice cube tray snacks here.

Wall Pillows

Do you ever wish you had a small breakfast nook? A little study area? A comfortable place where you can just lean back and relax while reading the paper? Many of us find ourselves with more visions than time so we put off doing some home projects that might, in the long run, make life more comfortable. Time is of the essence, though, isnt it? Do you have a few minutes? Who can say they dont? Use those few minutes to make a cute and handy arrangement at home. You can quickly turn a bench seat and a table into a breakfast nook when you hang pillows on the wall!Some people spend hundreds of dollars on building materials to turn a corner or other area of the home into a nook. If youve been dreaming of a little nook somewhere in your house, but dont have a large budget or a lot of time, spend a few minutes and you can have that nook.Set a bench seat, cedar chest, foot locker or similar object against a wall to begin making the breakfast nook. Now just decide on the look you want for the area and go purchase pillows. Hang the pillows on the wall over the bench seat and youll be finished!Purchase square or rectangular pillows so that you have one pillow for each seat. So, if youre using a footlocker, and it will comfortably seat two people, purchase two pillows. Another option is to simply by one body pillow. Check the measurements of the chest or seat before purchasing a long pillow.Measure the length of the seat then divide by how many people it will seat. Purchase pillows to equal an amount close to that measurement. For instance, if the seat measures 40", and it comfortably seats two people, purchase two pillows which are around 20" each. The pillows will butt together if you purchase ones which are exactly 20" wide. Create a different look by leaving a gap between them when you use smaller pillows.Cut a small piece of ribbon or even seam binding, fold it in half, then tack the ends to one corner of the pillow. Do the same to the other side. Now just use tacks or decorative hangers to hang the pillows in their places on the wall. Create higher seats or make seats to match the wall pillows by using Velcro strips to hold additional pillows to the bench seat or chest.Its great when youre able to turn a weekend project - like building a breakfast nook - into a job that takes only a few minutes. Youll enjoy the new nook for many years, but when you tire of the look, just go buy new pillows!See hanging pillows here.

Casual Wedding Drink Can Covers

Having a casual wedding? A barbeque in the backyard or a beach-theme wedding outside? A casual wedding doesnt have to be dull and boring; it can feature delicious foods and fun decorations. "Casual" simply means that youll be putting aside all the frills and bother for a laid-back atmosphere with family and friends. Make things easy on yourself and serve food on disposable plates and drinks in cans. Not just plain cans, though - even thats a little too casual. Make drink can covers and youll create a nicer look for a casual drink. Your guests wont struggle to get a can in and out of a cup-shaped cooler as with regular drink can covers. These can covers wrap around the drink for an easy, on and off feature. Make them for cans or even for plastic bottle drinks.

Craft foam helps you create quick and easy can covers with nearly any wedding theme. The foam is cheap and comes in a huge variety of colors. Youll also find it in specialty types, like glittery foam. The sheets of thin foam are absolutely perfect for making the drink can or bottle covers for your wedding reception.

Wrap a tape measure around a can or bottle and add an inch to that measurement. Cut a piece of the craft foam to be that length. The foam should be wide enough to cover most of a drink can or the center area of a drink bottle. Instead of leaving the ends to be straight across, cut the foam band to be rounded at the ends. Purchase a fine-tip paint marker from a craft store to create the design you desire for the drink can wraps. The markers contain real paint that wont come off on the hands of the guests. The markers are available in a large assortment of colors, like gold, silver and many others. Use white foam with gold marker writing for a classic look or create your own combination. Decide on the look you want for the drink covers. Use a stencil or draw freehand to make intertwined hearts, the initials of the bride and groom, the word "Love" or another sentiment or image. Simply draw or write on the foam to make the design in the center of the band. Use adhesive Velcro dots to create a closure for each drink cover. Just stick a dot to each end of each wrap to create the closure. To use the drink cover, simply wrap it around the can or bottle, and stick the Velcro dots together. Your guests hands wont be dripping wet from holding drinks and youll create another lovely touch at your casual but beautiful wedding.

Octopus Cupcakes

To me, making special foods for young kids is one of the most rewarding things. The kids are already so excited because, well, theyre at a party. But when they see foods with special shapes, and foods that fit in with the theme of the party, theyre just so thrilled to eat them. Thats why, if youre having an undersea adventure party for a young child, you wont want to forget the octopus cupcakes. Its the perfect dessert for the sea party and combines the cupcake with two different types of candy - you simply cant go wrong.The cupcakes can be any color/flavor you want but, in keeping with the sea theme, some cupcakes that are perfect include white, spice, or even blue cupcakes. Just mix up a white cake and then add a couple of drops of food coloring in to tint it blue. Make the cupcakes from a boxed mix or recipe, bake according to package or recipe instructions, then allow to cool completely.Blue frosting is perfect for the undersea cupcakes. Simply buy or mix up white frosting and, again, add a couple of drops of blue food coloring to tint it. Be generous with the frosting on the cupcakes and dont go out of your way to smooth the frosting. Instead, leave peaks and valleys to represent the waves of the sea.A sucker makes the ideal body for the octopus. A sucker that is round, and shaped like a ball, can become the octopus body when you push the stick through the center of the cupcake. It might be necessary to trim a bit of the stick off so that the sucker will rest right on top of the cake. Stand the sucker up beside the cupcake to get a rough estimate of how much of the stick to trim. Good colors for the suckers include purple, green, or even red.Purchase Gummi Worms to make the tentacles of the octopus. Keep in mind the colors of the Gummi Worms when selecting a color for the body of the octopus. Place eight Gummi Worms on the cupcake, around the sucker, to make the octopus arms. For the best look, space the worms evenly around the sucker, leave some of them hanging over the side of the cupcake. Bend other worms so that they arch up over the cupcake, then back down to the edge.To make eyes for the octopus, place two small dots of white frosting on the sucker, then stick the points of two chocolate chips - one chip on each frosting dot - to finish. The eyes should be low on the sucker and near the worms. The finished octopus cupcakes are intriguing, delicious, and always a real crowd-pleaser.Octopus Cupcakes

Rubber Tube Necklaces, Bracelets, and More

Have you ever had some work done on your home and then used the leftover tiles, carpet, or other supplies, to make something else? Thats what youll want to do if you ever have rubber hose supply line put in. The supply line - a clear tube - is perfect for making a new necklace, bracelet, or set of earrings.At a home improvement store, you can find rubber hose supply line in various diameters. Choose the type you want for your necklace or other jewelry piece. The hose should be completely clear and purchased in a small-diameter size.To make one kind of necklace or bracelet, first cut the rubber hose to be as long as you need to wrap around the neck or wrist. Decide on a stopper for the holes in the ends of the tube. One thing you can use - if it fits the particular tube youve purchased, is a pencil eraser. Slide it in halfway in to one end of the tube, then use the other half to connect the two ends. Glue the pencil eraser - or other chosen stopper - into one end of the tube.Fill the tube with whatever you want. You could use beads, glitter, confetti, foil balls, tiny pom-poms, or another material. When the tube is filled simply slide the stopper into the opening, so that you hook both ends together.Make a completely different type of tube necklace by cutting off just a tiny section of it. An inch-and-a-half to two inches is a good size for the tube. If the tube curls just warm it up with a blow dryer as you straighten it. That will be easier to do if you straighten the tube before cutting it.If you have a small, pliable wire, you can quickly assemble the necklace like so: run one end of the wire through a bead, then a button, then the tube, then another button, and another bead. Then, go the opposite way, running the wire back through the bead, button, tube, button, and bead. Its tricky, though, as you try to fill the little container while keeping the wire tight.A little easier method of finishing the tiny tube necklace is to glue a button and bead to the bottom, fill the tube, then glue a button and bead to the top. For this version, position the top bead so that the holes run from side to side, then thread a cord through it. Or, slide a large jump ring into the holes of the top bead to hang the pendant on a chain. The jump ring is recommended for making tiny tube earrings.Whether youre making necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or tiny charms, youll love the new jewelry pieces, made from a bit of rubber tubing.

Two-by-Four Crafts

Its not unusual to have a two-by-four left over from a project youve done around your house - whether it be a whole 2x4 or a piece of one. For many people, that chunk of wood just gets moved around, as it gets in the way, but nothing is ever done with it. Thats too bad because there are so many cute things you can do with a single 2x4. If youve got one why not turn it into a cute home accent or a nice gift for a friend.A whole two-by-four can be nailed to a wall and used in many different ways. Paint the board, or even cover it with fabric and nail it to the wall. After that, use peel-n-stick hangers, nails, screws, Velcro, ribbon, or something similar, to hang jewelry, scarves, purses, photos, and more.When you cover a piece of a 2x4 with fabric - or paint it - you can make a lovely gift for a child, a woman, or a guy. After painting, or gluing the fabric on, stand the board on one side, and drill holes in the top. Space the holes evenly apart; they can vary in size depending on what you want to make. Make small holes, stick suckers in them, and use a garden-design fabric. That will make a nice birthday "garden" for a little girl, or a centerpiece for a wedding. Align golf, basketball, or baseball-theme suckers, and the gift is suitable for a guy. Just change the fabric to something with a sports design. Other things you can insert in the holes are small signs, wires curled to hold photos, stick incense, or even pegs. With the peg version, attach wall hangers to the back and the person can hang anything from a jacket to a purse.Paint the blocks - or cover them, then make a letter on each one. Glue on a flat, wooden letter, to each block, or just draw a letter with a paint marker. Spell out the name of your family, a single word like "Peace", or even a holiday sentiment. The side-by-side blocks will look even more prominent if you stand them on a length of 2x4.Cut a two-by-four into different sizes and you can make a unique and eye-catching pyramid-type accent. Stack the blocks, from large to small, and write a word - or more than one - across the front of each block. Or, cut short pieces of the wood, stack several of them to diminish as they go up, and stand a candle, picture frame, or other accent on it.Go rustle around in the basement, garage, or shed, and find that old two-by-four. It doesnt have to be in perfect condition for you to make a cool new project that you - or someone you know - is going to love.