Valentines DIY: Jar of Love

To make your Jar of Love you will need:

Pretty paper, the origami/scrapbooking type.
Glue dots or glue stick.
I love you, either written or printed out in the style of a fortune cookie.











Instructions

1. Cut circles. My circles have a diameter of 4.5 inches, but you could go smaller – down as small as 3 inches – with no problem. Find a saucer, bowl, Tupperware, or some other round object with a diameter of approximately 3 inches and trace it over and over and over. 

2. Fold one of the circles in half, but don’t crease it. Hold it shut at the edge where the two sides meet. Once you've made a few cookies, you’ll be able to put the fortune in at this step. 

3. Using your other hand, grab the two “corners” – the places where you would have creased it if you were creasing it. Using your thumb and ring finger, gently pinch those two corners together, while pushing the centre backwards with your pointer finger. It sounds much more difficult than it is. When you do this, one of the pieces will crease underneath the other piece (or, if you are holding it, they will form a crease with both edges in the same direction – both ways look nice, so it doesn't matter). Crease the centre a little on the outside. 

4. Add a glue dot/dab of glue between the two ends of the cookie to hold them together. This is what will keep the cookie in the cookie shape. 

That’s it. Your paper fortune cookies are done. Now repeat three or four dozen times and put them all in a nice jar or bowl.

My Nail Woes

Over December I had some fabulous nail art going on.

Since January they've done nothing but split and peel. I've never had this problem before.

So I have taken it upon myself to cut my nails right back, and will use an arsenal of Avon nail care products as I grow them out again.

This is my starting point.

Short and stubby.

The first product I'll be using is Pearl Shine.

Let's hope that my nails grow back fast, and strong, I'm not keen on this lack of nails nonsense. I don't wear them exceedingly long, but I do like the pads of my fingers to have a little bit of protection.

What products do you use to keep your nails in tip top condition?

Valentine's DIY: Easy Crochet Bunting

I was looking for something different to do, and I came across this idea while I was googling. 

Simple Crochet Bunting

The only stitches you need to know are:-

ch - chain

dc - double crochet (single crochet in US)

I'm using a 4mm hook and double knit wool.

***

Row 1.  First, chain 2.

Row 2.  Work two dc into the second chain from the hook (ie. the first chain you made).

Row 3.  Turn your work.  Ch 1.  Dc twice into each of the two stitches.

You should now have four dc stitches in your row.

Row 4.  Turn your work.  Ch 1.  Dc twice in the first stitch then dc once in each of the remaining 3 stitches.  (5 stitches in row.)

 

Row 5.  Turn your work.  Ch 1.  Dc twice in the first stitch then dc once in each of the remaining 4 stitches.  (6 stitches in row.)

Row 6.  Turn your work.  Ch 1.  Dc twice in the first stitch then dc once in each of the remaining 5 stitches.  (7 stitches in row.)

 Continue working two dcs in the first stitch of each row and one in each of the rest.

Turn.  Ch 1.

Keep going until you are happy with the size of your triangle.

Fasten off and sew in the end of the yarn.

You can do the same with the original end of the yarn (at the bottom) or thread it through a glass bead before knotting and cutting.

To join your bunting triangles together, select your choice of yarn.  I chose cream.  Chain 30 (or more if you want a longer tie) and then, right side of your triangle facing you, carefully double crochet along the top.

Carry on chaining (I chained 6 in between each triangle) and dc-ing along the tops of all your triangles and then chain an additional 30 for the other end of the tie.  Turn your work, chain 1 and then dc your way all the way back along both the chains and dcs.

Fasten off and sew in your ends.

What do you think?

Family Friday: Minute to Win It

This is a game I came across while on @pinterest.

In the USA there is a game show where you are challenged to complete a series of light hearted challenges in under a minute.

These are some of the ideas I came up with to play with my cubs and family...

Bucket Head: Catch three balls in a bucket on top of your head.

Defying Gravity: Keep two balloons in the air.

Breakfast Scramble: Assemble the front of a cereal box that has been cut into 12 pieces.

Dizzy Mummy: Unroll a small roll of toilet paper with 360 degree spins of the arm. (You may need to unravel some first to make it an attainable task.)

Separation Anxiety: Separate a pile of 25 multicoloured sweets into five separate containers in a separate colours with chopsticks.

Tweeze Me: Players use tweezers to relocate five Tic Tacs from one bowl to another.

Face the Cookie: Players move a cookie from their forehead to their mouth using only their facial muscles. 

Snail Trail: Same as Face the Cookie except using an After Eight Mint!

Faster Pasta: Using a stick of raw spaghetti held between your lips pick up 3 pieces of raw penne pasta. 

Number of the Beast/666: The task is to roll 6 sixes in 60 seconds

The only limit with this game is your imagination. 

Valentine DIYs: Valentine's Wreath

I thought as Valentine's Day is looming, and I've been scrolling through different decorations on @pinterest, that I would try my hand at making a wreath.

As we are still feeling the pinch of the post Christmas/Birthday season I have made this from items I already had in the house.

Here I have an offcut of red material, a wire coat hanger and the inside of a laundered old pillow.

I made a rough circle shape out of the hanger, don't worry if it's not totally round as you are adding the wadding next. (apologies for the lighting, daft Yorkshire mid afternoon drizzly weather)

Then I took the red fabric. This offcut already had a hem on there which made then next step slightly easier/neater.

I wrapped the material around the wadding and sewed it with a rough running stitch. I did this all the way around the circle.

Then my mind moved to how do I decorate this?

BUTTONS!!! I have so many different styles, colours and shaped buttons. So I selected a few.