DIY Jolly Ranchers Lollipops

Hello! Today we're making DIY Jolly Ranchers lollipops. You will need:

• Baking sheet 
• Parchment paper
• Popsicle sticks or wooden skewers
• Jolly Ranchers- 3 per lollipop

First, line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 275º F.

Then, unwrap your Jolly Ranchers and place them close together onto the baking sheet. Make sure there is enough room on the sides for it to spread out. 

After that, put them in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until melted.

Take them out of the oven. Quickly, take the lollipop sticks and press them onto the Jolly Ranchers so they don't fall off.

 Finally, let them completely cool and harden. Take them off of the parchment paper, and you're done! These are how mine turned out:

This DIY was super easy and took about 15 minutes to make from start to end. I love how bright and vibrant the colors of the candy are! I hope you try this one out!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Mouthwash

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

• 1 cup distilled water
• 1/4 cup aloe vera juice/gel
• 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide
• 8-12 drops of essential oil
• Glass container to put in in- I used a mason jar

First, pour your aloe vera juice or gel into the jar.

Add the water.

Then, add the hydrogen peroxide.

After that, add 8-12 drops of your essential oil. I used cinnamon, but peppermint would be great as well.

Give it all a good shake, and you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY was very easy to make. It's a great natural alternative to the store-bought mouthwashes, and it works very well too! I hope you make this one!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Solid Perfume

Hello! Today we're making DIY solid perfume. You will need:

• 1 tablespoon beeswax
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 5-10 drops of your favorite perfume (you can also use essential oils)
• small container
• Knife or grater

First, use a knife if a grater to get the wax into smaller pieces. 

Melt it in the microwave.

Before it cools, put in the coconut oil.

Then, spray the perfume or essential oil onto the mixture.

Pour it into a container, and put it in the refrigerator to harden. I put mine in overnight. 

And you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY was super easy to make. It makes a great gift and is fun to make with friends. I hope you try this one out!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Chocolate Spoons

Hello! Today we're making DIY chocolate spoons. You will need:

• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips- I used a piece of a dark chocolate bar
• Plastic spoons
• Sprinkles or small pieces of candy

First, melt your chocolate in the microwave stopping every 30 seconds to stir.

Then, pour your chocolate onto the spoons.

Before the chocolate dries, pour some sprinkles or candy onto the spoon.

Lastly, let it dry. After that, you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY was super easy and fun to make! You can make them super different by changing the type of chocolate, and putting different kids of sprinkles or candy onto them. These make great gifts, or just a treat for yourself! I hope you try this one out.

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Carpet Cleaner Spray

Hello! Today we're making DIY spray-on carpet cleaner. You will need:

• 1/2 teaspoon dish soap
• 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Small spray bottle

First, pour the dish soap into the bottle.

Then, add the vinegar.

Put in the water, then carefully put in the baking soda. Quickly screw the cap on tightly to avoid a mess from the baking soda and vinegar reaction.

And you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY is very practical and takes less than 5 minutes to make. To use, just spray onto the carpet and rub into it with a sponge until the stain comes out. This is a great natural alternative to other harsh chemicals. You should try this out!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Washi Tape

Hello! Today we're making DIY washi tape.

You will need:

• Masking tape
• Markers in any color of your choice
• Scissors

First, cut a piece of masking tape to the size of your liking. Then with any color marker, color the piece of tape to make a solid color background.

Then with a darker colored marker, draw any pattern or shape you want onto the piece of masking tape.

Finally, put the tape wherever you want to decorate your items!

This DIY was very easy and self-explanatory to make. It takes less than 5 minutes to make, and it's super fun to mix and match different colors and patterns! I hope you try this one out.

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Magazine Holder

Hello! Today we're making DIY magazine holders. You will need:

• Cereal box
• Sharpie or other permanent marker
• Old magazines, newspaper, or scrapbook paper
• Mod podge or white glue
• Brush
• Scissors
• Ruler

First, use a ruler to mark off a straight, diagonal line across the box. Use the same measurement for the other side of the box.

Cut the outline out with some scissors.

Cut whatever paper you're using into strips.

With your brush, start gluing your strips to the cereal box making sure all of the box is covered. Wait for the glue to dry before doing each of the sides. To make it more durable, I suggest going 2-3 layers of paper and glue.

Once everything is dry, it should look something like this:

This DIY was super easy to make. It's very practical, and I like how I had all of the materials at home. I also like how different you can make it look just by using different paper. I hope you try this one out!

Until next week,

-Vasti

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