a Christmas DIY

I thought I would bring you a little DIY on Christmas day. Probably too late for a gift, but I think it would make for a nice afternoon of crafting if you want to entertain the kids during the holiday. The snow globe DIYs have been mushrooming all over the interweb the past couple of winters. But I thought I would post about mine and share my tips, in case it can help anyone. The best I've seen so far is the one from Cat from Take Courage (check out her Christmas diys, the girl has been on a roll). She very cleverly used glycerine so the snow is slow in its fall. Also, I love her idea of using a polymer clay mount so the figurines are on better display.

 

Here is what you'll need to make your very own snow globe:

- an empty jar
- figurine(s) of your choice (I went for a tree and a bunny as it was intended for my friend who is quite the rabbit lady)
- glitter (white, holographic or silver are classic options but go for a colourful one to add your personal touch)
- strong glue
- glycerine (optional)

1. First you need to glue your figurine inside the top of the jar (or as mentioned above, use a polymer clay mount to stick your figurines to). I used super glue and it worked fine. You might need to sand the surface first so there's a better grip for the glue. I'd then advise to leave it overnight to dry, but if you're impatient like me, 2 hours seems to have done the trick.

 

2. Now here comes the 'tricky' bit. Something I haven't seen mentioned in any of the DIYs I've stumbled upon is that the type of glitter you go for is of vital importance. I'm not sure you'll be able to make it out from my pictures, but the glitter I have is of the flat kind. Very pretty, but troublesome when added to water as they tend to stay on the surface of the water and cluster if you add just a smidgeon over.

If this is the only glitter you can get your hands on (as it was in my case), you'd best skip the glycerine altogether. I did several tests with it and found that the best results are achieved when you add a tiny splash of glycerine to warm water, stir well, let the concoction cool down then add 7 to 15 pinches of glitter. But it's risky business and the difference is honestly not noticeable as the glitter is too light for the water anyway (for the same reason fake snow, which is even lighter, won't work too well for this DIY).

The ideal glitter you should be looking for is of the sandy, gritty texture. It is much heavier and that's where a spoonful of glycerin comes handy.

 

4. Fill the jar to the very brim over a sink and screw the top back on. And voila, your very own handmade snow globe!

I hope you're all having a lovely christmas day surrounded by loved ones and filled with good food. I have been missing this space and reading you all. Weirdly enough, I have kept drafting posts and taking pictures, but I didn't feel like putting myself out here for some reason. Maybe I'll try to schedule some catch-up posts, but I don't know if they'll feel offensively irrelevant. Not that I ever write anything relevant…

Is anyone watching Downton Abbey tonight? I'm quite excited although I have to say Julian Fellowes makes me nervous with his taste for tragedies.

diy: homemade deodorant | #acleanerlife

Today is the first post of a series I've been wanting to do for a long time*. As this is the year of my 30th birthday, I felt it was about time I tried more consistently to live a cleaner life. It's not a thought that came out of nowhere as I was raised by a green-minded mother, but you know how life goes, those issues sort of took a backseat while I was a teenager/young adult trying to find a place in society, earn a living, etc. 

Trying to live a cleaner life can sometimes get quite expensive, especially when it comes to buying organic food. But it can also lead to a more thrifty and crafty way of going about things, such as  beauty and household products. I thought I would share with you some changes I've made in my life. I also created the hashtag #acleanerlife in case any of yous would like to share green tips, natural skincare brands you like, clean recipes or any changes you made you're proud of really.

One of the most daunting changes for me was to go from drugstore deodorant to a natural one. It certainly can go all kinds of wrong! I've learned to rely on chemicals to stop/reduce the sweat process ever since I'm a teenager. After reading about body functions and stuff, I came to the realisation that blocking my pores with aluminium and, by consequence, stopping my body from getting rid of toxins, didn't seem like such a good idea after all. And of course, we all heard by now of different studies linking aluminium with Alzheimer's or parabens with breast cancer. While it is never claimed as a definite thing, it does seem to me that you put your body to a lot of extra work by stopping the sweating. If you have a good metabolism, it is probably fine, but what happens to these toxins if you can't get rid of them in another way? Where do they get stuck? And where all the chemicals go? Kind of worrying since the chest area is so close to our armpits. But again, it is very much dependant of the performance of all your body regulations.

Because I'm getting to a certain age, I feel like I should be more careful with what goes into my body, I don't have the fast metabolism of a 15 year old anymore.

So just before this summer I started using a natural deodorant from the brand Dr. Organic (the range is sold in Holland & Barrett for those who live in Eire/UK). The whole experience was less traumatic than I thought (although it did prove to be challenging during the heatwave). But I wasn't totally satisfied, I didn't really like the fact that I sometimes had to reapply during the day (it could be a good winter deodorant though) and the roll-on cap unscrewed itself while I was using it. I felt like there should be a better alternative so I started scouring the net for natural recipes. I stumbled upon this one and gave it a go. Well, let me tell you after trialling it for nearly 3 weeks, I can vow never to go back to classic deodorants. I wasn't prepared to be so impressed, it really works and this is coming from someone who sweats a lot! #glamour

Not only it is effective but also it is incredibly easy to make, you can watch my video for the recipe:

*edit: The soundtrack of the video is Melancholly Hill by Gorillaz (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge version)

List of ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (preferably raw, extra virgin and organic)

- 1/4 of a cup of baking soda

- 1/4 of a cup of arrowroot powder (I found mine in the baking section of Tesco's, so it was very easy to get hold of. If for some reason you can't locate it, use instead corn starch or more baking soda)

- 7-10 drops of good quality essential oils (I only have grapefruit oil at home which is great but you can use any smells you like or take advantage of some essential oil properties, for instance tea tree oil is a good fit for a deodorant as it is antibacterial)

Additional comments:

- This deodorant applies like a paste that melts with the contact of the skin. It might seem awkward at first but it is no less annoying than applying body moisturiser right after the shower. Once you get into the habit, you don't really think about it anymore.
- You can adapt the texture according to your preference, add more or less powder (baking soda and arrowroot powder in equal amount) whether you want a thick paste or something a bit oilier and moisturising.

- As far as I'm concerned, there is no need to reapply during the day, this stuff is amazing!

- Aluminium is pretty much the only anti-perspirant. This deodorant is not going to stop you from sweating but the baking soda and arrowroot powder make a mighty good job at keeping you relatively dry and 100% smell-free.

- Some people can develop a sensitivity to baking soda so test it out inside your arm first and keep an eye for any redness while using this deodorant. If something happens, try replacing the baking soda by an equal amount of arrowroot powder.

- This deodorant can be kept for 4 to 5 months. Don't forget to write the date your batch was made on the label.
- Some essential oils can turn your skin photosensitive, so be careful with sun exposition.

Right, I hope you don't think I went all 'hippie' on you, but I felt like sharing this recipe first for this new series as I'm still amazed that something as effective could be created with my own hands and made with so few basic ingredients. If you do end up giving it a go, let me know what you think! Or if you want to share your favourite natural deodorants, please do so in the comments or tweet at me (@earwormplum) with the hashtag #acleanerlife. I'd love to hear your recommendations.

In the next installment, I'll show you my all natural skincare!

*I kept postponing doing the #acleanerlife series as I feel it is a touchy subject (especially when it comes to food), I feel like the whole topic can come across as moralising. This is in no way my intention, everyone is free to live their life the way they want, it is not for me to judge, especially as I have some horrendously bad habits. I thought this would be a good way for me to keep track of my progress and stay motivated. Also ideally, I'd like it to be a place where people can share their tips to live a 'cleaner' life. I am kind of nervous as to how this post will be received so any feedback would be greatly welcome, please do let me know if you would be interested in this series being continued or if you just think it's just a load of bollix :)

DIY: lyrics party banner

I've always liked the lyric banners that have been floating around on pinterest and tumblr, particularly the Love Will Tear Us Apart banner (UO) and the Wild Heart one featured in the Rookie road trip (you can buy the latter here). It's been on my to-do list to make one of my own, and what better occasion than a friend's birthday to get my DIY hat on?

First I had to choose the lyrics that would mean something to her and went with Donald Where's Your Troosers, which is one of her favourite song (listen to it, it's very funny). I picked the first sentence of the chorus 'Let the wind blow high'.

I used the Wild Heart banner as my main inspiration, as I love the glitter and the fringe background. I had no idea where to find, or how to make a fabric one, so I looked around for a tinsel curtain as the shops are full to the brim with Christmas decoration at the moment. I found a brilliant one made of holographic stars in a poundshop.

So let's get cracking (it's quite an instinctive DIY, so I'm not sure how helpful this actually is, but here you go anyway).

Here's what you need:

- sheets of glittered cardboard (you can find them in craft shops, but you could use plain cardboard and glue glitter on it)

- a reel of rope or catgut

- a fringe of tinsel - optional (if you can't find any, I think that a tasseled crepe paper garland could totally work as well and would be easy to make)

- scissors

- stapler
- ruler
- pen

Once the lyrics have been chosen, you can start cutting the letters in the cardboard, use a ruler to cut them straight and the same size.

When all your letters have been cut out, it's time to make holes at the top of them (I used a little nail to do so), pierce two holes at the top of each letter as far as from each other as you can so the letter is stable on the rope (or the nylon thread) when mounted.

After all your letters have been placed on the rope, staple the end of each side of the rope to both ends of your fringe edge. Trim the length of the tassels if need be and... voilà!