5 Minute DIY Gift: Bath Salts

DIY gifts are the best. They are fun to make, and they save money! One of the simplest gifts to make is bath salts. You just need a few ingredients, and it only takes 5 minutes to make. Here are the directions:

1. Gather your supplies. You will need:

• epsom salt
• a jar for storage
• a bowl and spoon for mixing
• an essential oil in the scent of your choice

2. Measure out the amount of salt you will need by pouring the epsom salt into your jar. This is how you will know that you are making the correct amount of bath salts.

3. Next, pour the salt into your bowl. 

4. Pour a few drops of essential oil into the salt. Be careful when you are pouring, since the oil comes out quickly.

5. Stir the salt thoroughly to spread the scent evenly. 

6. Spoon the salt back into the jar and lightly shake to even it out.

You're done! This is a thoughtful, relaxing gift perfect for anyone. You could also easily give this out as party favors. 

What is your favorite DIY gift to make?

5 Minute DIY Gift: Paint Chip Bookmark

I love quick DIY gifts. It's special to be able to personalize a gift, and crafting is always enjoyable. When I'm running low on time or I want a cute addition to a gift, a 5 minute DIY is the perfect solution. That's where the paint chip bookmark comes in.  I can't resist picking up a few paint chips in gorgeous colors whenever I'm in a hardware store (which isn't very often if I can help it—I'd rather be in Target). So, I have a stash of paint chips, usually in calming blue and green hues. I also have some satin royal blue ribbon that has been begging to be used in a DIY for years. Through this craft, I finally found the perfect way to use it. I also added a verse to the bookmark for an extra touch. 

Here are the steps to making your own paint chip bookmark:

1. Pick up a paint chip in the color of your choice. You can use one with multiple colors or a single color. I chose a narrow, long bookmark since it will fit in small books as well as larger ones.
2. Find a coordinating ribbon and cut off a piece that is about the length of the paint chip. Additionally, you can cut a triangle out of the end (so that it has the same shape as a snake's tongue) to give it a little flair like the bookmark I made.
3. Use hot glue to secure the ribbon to the bookmark. Put the hot glue at the top of the back side of the paint chip and attach the ribbon.
4. Write a verse or quote on the front of the paint chip.

Now, you'll have a quick, thoughtful gift on hand to give to anyone who loves reading (or does a lot of studying). What type of quick DIY ideas do you enjoy doing?

DIY Fabric Scrap Garland from Old Clothes

I've been wanting to make a garland for a while, and my bedroom window was begging for some decoration. I have a lot of old clothes lying around that I don't wear anymore, so I decided to use those to make fabric strips to tie onto my garland.

First, I decided on my color scheme. I love cool colors, so I went with blue, green, off-white, and gray.

Next, I found some twine to tie the fabric on. I had some thin twine, but I decided to use some thicker twine since the garland would be heavy. I suggest using thick twine or slim rope. Then, I looped each end and tied it in a knot so that the loop could hang on a nail.

Then, I cut the clothes into strips. This would be so much easier with fabric scissors, but I was able to use my paper scissors. I tried to keep the strips about one inch wide and eight inches long. The great thing about this type of DIY is that it's supposed to look rustic, so it's okay if it's imperfect.

I didn't try to estimate how many strips I would need, I just started out cutting about 5 strips from each piece of clothing and tying them on. Once I ran out of strips, I would cut more. It's not an exact science. :)

Next, I started tying the pieces onto the twine. I started at one end and kept tying until I got to the other end. I just did a simple knot once with each strip. I alternated the colors.

Once I had finished tying the strips on the whole garland, I was done! It was a fun, relaxing project. I love DIY decorations, especially when they use materials that I already have on hand. The best part was that I was able to upcycle some old clothes. This is perfect if you don't sew and don't have any fabric lying around.

What DIY decorations have you made for your home?

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DIY Notebooks

This year, I decided that I had enough lined paper at home to skip buying notebooks for classes. I didn't have binders, though, and I don't really like using binders anyway. So, I decided to just make my own notebooks with my lined paper and scrapbook paper. If you're interested in doing this as well, here are the steps for making your own notebooks:

1. First, I gathered the amount of paper I wanted for a notebook and lined the papers up together neatly. 

2. I placed a piece of patterned card stock on top of the stack of lined paper and lined it up with the bottom and left side of the stack of lined paper. 

3. I flipped the stack of paper so that the patterned card stock was now facing down. I used a pencil to draw a dot on the inside of the patterned card stock where the holes were in the lined paper. Then, I cut holes in the card stock. In order to add a back cover, repeat this process with another sheet of patterned paper that you will add to the bottom of the stack of lined paper. 

4. I then threaded twine through the holes and tied it twice. 

5. Once I had put twine through each hole, I trimmed the patterned paper to make all of the paper one size. 

It may be easier to turn the pages of the notebook if you use more flexible string or ribbon rather than twine. The sturdier the scrapbook paper you use for your cover, the sturdier your notebook will be. You can do this with plain paper as well and add a design, as I did with one of my notebooks.

Livi

Do you personalize your school supplies?

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Included in the Southern Girl Blogging Community That's Fresh Friday linkup: http://www.thespeckledpalate.com/2014/09/11/southern-girl-blog-community-presents-thats-fresh-friday-link-42/