What I like about Crafting is that you get to express your creativity. It is also one of the best ways to spend quality time with friends and family. Or, relax in solitude if you prefer! I am a firm believer that everyone should have a hobby to spend time with. This page is new, but please drop infrequently, as I will be adding to it with some of my favorite crafting ideas. One crafting idea I really like has a practical side. Most of us know that many commercial products have artificial and often dangerous ingredients. One way to help our friends and family avoid these is to gift them with alternatives!
So, with that in mind, if you have bakers in your group, why not give them the gift of homemade Vanilla extract? Or any other extracts they might like? They are super easy to make, but they do need some planning ahead. First, you need some real vanilla beans and some quality alcohol. You want the highest alcohol content, as it will last longer, and preferably organic, non-GMO alcohol!
You can make your batch in a bigger clean glass jug or bottle, but you will want to find some attractive bottles to use when you give it out. I found some really great ones online at Paper Mart, of all places! For less than a quarter apiece, though some you have to buy the lids separately. If you only want a few, though, it might make just as much sense to go to Dollar Tree or some other Dollar store. They often have cute little containers with lids included. I also found some I like on Amazon, that are actually Kamota 6 oz yogurt jars with lids in a box of 40.
For the alcohol, this is one of the ways you can make your gift unique.
You see, the type of liquor you get can change the flavor of your extract. You can experiment and see what you like best, or gift a couple of different versions for adventurous bakers! If you want something that lets just your extract to shine through, go for Vodka, since it really does not have much taste. But you could use whiskey, or brandy as well. Each will give you different flavor profiles, and this can change even more depending on the brand and ingredients the brewer uses.
With your vanilla, this can also give you opportunities to experiment and get different delicious results, depending on what type of vanilla bean you go for! I didn’t even know there were different varieties until I got into this! Did you? You can buy different varieties at beanilla.com as well as Amazon, and even Costco!
To make, you simply take 7 of your chosen vanilla bean pods and split them lengthwise. Put them in a clean glass container and cover with one cup of alcohol. Again, you can make a big batch– seven beans per cup of alcohol and they must always be under the liquid.
You do need at least 70 proof, and the beans should be submerged at all times! At least twice a week for 8 weeks, grab up the jars and shake vigorously. After that, you can remove the beans, but if you leave them in, the flavor continues to develop. Now you can divide into smaller jars and decorate with a festive ribbon or simply label with the type of alcohol and variety of beans, and maybe the date/occasion.
If you try it, let me know what you used and how it turned out! I would love to hear!
This is an unusual year where we are all at home with family–a lot more than usual for some! Kids are going a little stir crazy, and I found this next idea on the North Carolina Egg Board site. Here are some great ideas to take your egg dyeing to the next level, as they say!
Cool Whip eggs….ok, they call it whipped cream eggs, and I am sure you could use that, but the directions say Cool Whip, and that would be cheaper for this project.
FYI, I would not eat Cool Whip as a rule…much prefer cream…but for this it would be fine.
So, of course, you need to have your hard-boiled eggs…which, by the way, is a great easy cooking lesson for the kiddos….
Next, get a muffin pan if you have it, or individual mugs if you don’t. Take your Cool Whip and put some in each cup or muffin spot. Take some food coloring and swirl in with a toothpick, just a bit….then ‘dip’ and egg in and back out. This gives you a tye dye egg that your kids will love! Gently put on a drying rack and let them dry for an hour. Then refrigerate if you are going to eat these!
Another awesome idea I got from NC Egg Board is eggshell planters! These are the cutest darned things, and a great way to get kids interested in gardening and healthy food!
For these, you can carefully crack and peel the dyed hard-boiled eggs, or blow the eggs and decorate the empty shells. Then crack them in half and fill partway with some potting soil and your chosen seeds. Water according to seed planting directions. For more of the neat ideas they have, click either of the two egg pics above and it will take you to their site!
Crafting with Victoria is in development!
In the meantime, check out this cool Blog Site, HomeWithTanya.Net by going here. This was done by someone I work with and she has some really cute ideas!
Here is an example – and when you go to Tanya’s YouTube and Blog Site you will get to see so much more, with new additions often. She constantly impresses me with how much she accomplishes on a regular basis, and still manages to be creative!
If you Check out the YouTube Channel for HomeWithTanya, you will have access to so many Crafty ideas to brighten up your Home or Office with easy and professional Crafting Items.
When you can make a neat craft for someone you care about, you can easily make their day! Whether it is with a great Card, or “Pick-Me-Up” Craft Idea. They know you not only thought about them, but also thought ENOUGH OF THEM to take time out of your busy life to make something just for THEM! This is definitely a time when it is THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS!
You can Create a lasting impression, and give something that was not mass produced and impersonal.
Tanya has more than 300 different Videos and Tutorials (and she adds more all of the time!).
She can get you started with some great techniques! Tanya has a lot to offer, and I think you will enjoy it. Who knows? You might find whole new ways to enjoy life through crafting! And maybe reinvigorate that elderly family member who needs something to engage their mind and their hands again. If you can get them to together with the younger generation, you might be amazed at the results!
Sure, crafting can be frivolous, but it can also be a way to recycle leftover materials into something useful as well. Think quilting, for example. I love the idea of using serviceable material from previous quilts, curtains, or clothing. Patchwork quilting with upcycled cloth can be an artistic history of your life. If you are new at this and having been saving scraps, you can get some bundles of pretty cloth here, as well as other quilting and craft supplies!
And if you want to make it a Girl’s night, I suggest some really fine wine will be a great addition to the party! You can order individual bottles, or join the Wine of the Month Club and always have some on hand to celebrate with!
And save your corks! They can actually be recycled–or, even better, sold! But if you are in a crafty mood, I saw some really cute ideas recently that I am definitely going to try. Will post directions and pics shortly!!!
This next thing is not exactly crafting, but it is definitely a way to let the kids do something creative! Easter coloring pages! Use this link to get them! You can buy them, but you can also use them to make money, which you know I like!
#crafting
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