DIY Nutella

Hello! Today we're making DIY Nutella. This recipe is gluten free, vegan, and sugar free so it won't taste exactly the same, but it comes pretty close! 

You will need:

• 1 cup of raw or roasted hazelnuts 
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Kitchen towel
• Baking sheet
• Food processor

First, preheat your oven to 350° F. While the oven is preheating, lay out an even layer of hazelnuts onto a baking sheet. If your hazelnuts are raw, stick them in the oven for 12-15 minutes. If they're already roasted, just pop them in for 8-10 minutes to loosen the skins.

When your hazelnuts are ready, take them out of the oven and transfer them onto a kitchen towel to cool.

Once the hazelnuts have cooled off, fold the towel in half and start rubbing them to get the skins off. We're doing this so the spread can have a smoother texture. Get as much of the skin off as possible, but it doesn't have to be perfect.

 Once the shells are off, throw them away. The hazelnuts should look something like this:

 Next, put all of the hazelnuts into a  food processor and blend until smooth.

Then add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt.

Mix until smooth and combined. If you want this spread to be sweeter, feel free to add honey or agave nectar.

Transfer to an airtight container, and you're done! This is how mine turned out: 

This DIY was super fun to make. I like that it's pretty healthy, only 100 calories for 2 tablespoons. Again, it won't taste exactly the same as regular Nutella, but it's a great treat. Enjoy!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Paint Sample Wall Art

Hello! Today we're making wall art out of paint samples. You will need:

• Paint samples in different shades of the same color- I chose orange
• Hexagonal cutter
• Glue stick
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Cardstock or cardboard
• Scissors
• Picture frame

First off, punch out hexagons out of the paint samples with the cutter. An alternative is to freehand hexagons and cut them out with scissors. I used about 30.

Once you have your hexagons cut out, draw a bigger hexagon on the piece of cardstock or cardboard. I used a ruler to mark my measurements. 

Then, move the hexagons so the different shades are together.

Arrange the hexagons to form a honeycomb pattern inside the drawn hexagon. You could make the shades go in a random order, but I chose to go with an ombre effect. I used a pencil to trace the outlines so I wouldn't forget the arrangement.

Now it's time to glue! With your glue stick, glue the hexagons down. When everything is dry and secure, cut the outline of the cardstock and glue it onto a bigger piece of paper that fits your desired frame.

Put everything inside the frame, and you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY was super fun to make, and cost no money to make, since paint samples are free. It was a bit time consuming, but overall really easy. I really like how different you can make the colors and shades. You could also try doing this with old magazines instead of paint samples. You should definitely try this out!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Kale Chips

Hello! Today we're making DIY kale chips. You will need:

• 1/2 cup of kale
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Optional: other spices to add more flavor

First, preheat your oven to 350° F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread your kale out evenly.

Sprinkle the salt onto the kale. Now is the time to add other spices if desired.

After that, put the kale into the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes or until the edges are brown.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature.

After that, you're done! This is how my batch turned out:

This DIY was super easy to make, and is a great healthy snack! Store in an airtight bag or container, and they last 1-2 weeks. You should try this one out!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Pixie Stix

Hello! Today we're making DIY Pixie Stix candy. You will need:

• Candy of your choice (I used pop rocks and smarties)
• Straws
• Lighter
• Scissors
• Plastic bag
• Small bowl

First, cut your straws into halves. Then, put your candy into a plastic bag and seal it.

Crush your candy into powder. I used a rolling pin.

 Then, melt the top of the straw with a lighter.

Quickly, use your bowl and flip it upside down to press the straw edges together. I recommend using a hard surface for this, such as a baking sheet.

 Once the bottoms of the straws are sealed, snip off the the end of the plastic bag.

Use the small hole in the bag to fill the straws 3/4 of the way full.

Seal the top edges of the straw just like the bottom.

Once they're all sealed up, you're done! These are how mine turned out:

This DIY was super easy and fun to make. These make great gifts as well! I like how you can personalize the candy to your preference. Try this one out!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Mason Jar Tissue Holder

Hello! Today we're making a DIY tissue holder out of a mason jar. You will need:

• Tissue box
• Scrapbook or decorative paper
• Mason jar with lid
• Scissors
• Pencil

First, trace around the lid of the mason jar with a pencil.

Then draw an x on the paper with a pencil big enough for tissues to come out.

Cut it out and bend the corners back a bit.

After that, fold some tissues into a roll.

Make sure the roll isn't too big, and put it into the jar.

Screw the lid back on with the paper. Feed the tissue through the x, and you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY was very easy to make, and took less than 10 minutes! What I like about this project is that I had all of the materials at home already. To make it more decorative you can paint the jar, but I chose to go with a more simple look. You should try this one!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Dividers

Hello! Today we're making DIY binder dividers. You will need:

• Scrapbook paper
• Cardstock
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Hole puncher
• Optional: pencil

First, print out 5 images of anything you want. I chose to go with animal emojis.

Then, cut them out with scissors.

Glue the images onto a piece of cardstock.

Cut the images once again with scissors.

Glue 5 pieces of cardstock to 5 pieces of scrapbook paper. I like mine to be mismatched patterns.

Glue them together with a glue stick and cut them to the size of the cardstock.

Arrange the images on the right side of the pieces of cardstock.

It helps to trace them before you glue them down.

Then once your images are perfectly positioned, glue them down with a glue stick.

Once they're glued down, use a 3-ring hole puncher to create holes to fit inside a binder. After that, you're done! This is how my dividers turned out:

This DIY was really fun to make. It was a little time consuming, but totally worth it! If you want the dividers to be more durable, feel free to add some mod podge over the images. I love how versatile these dividers are, and how you can change the images and paper. 

Until next week,

-Vasti