DIY Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Ingredients:
½ cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOTE: this is NOT baking soda)
¼ cup Kosher Salt
½ cup citric acid (or 4 packets unsweetened lemon aide drink mix... like Kool Aid)

Directions:
Mix everything together.
Use 1 Tablespoon per load.
Store in a Ziploc freezer bag.

If you can't find Citric Acid locally can be purchased online here.
A 5 lb container will set you up for a good long while!  Plus, it comes in handy during cold season!  If you do it for colds, remember to get some Citrus Bioflavanoids to take with it so it doesn't flush through your system.
Enjoy!

DIY Tub & Shower Magic

Ingredients:
• 24 oz. spray bottle
• 12 oz. of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
• 12 oz. White Vinegar

Directions:
Heat the vinegar in microwave until hot and pour into squirt bottle. Then add the Dawn soap. Put the lid on and gently shake to mix. Spray on Tub and Shower and wash clean. Tough scum may need to sit 1 hour and then rinse.

This stuff is amazing!  It works VERY well on dirt, grime and soap scum.

I used the ultra concentrated Dawn that I found at Sam's Club...not sure if it makes a difference from the original or not.

DIY Wrinkle Release Spray

Empty spray bottle (I used my empty Downy Wrinkle Release bottle)
1/4 fabric softener...
Fill the rest of the bottle up with water.

Yep, I paid $6 for that bottle.  LOL

DIY Liquid Fabric Softener

Yeild:
About half a gallon

Ingredients:
• 6 cups water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups hair conditioner (I found some AWESOME smelling VO5 conditioner on sale for 75 cents. I, therefore, did not need the essential oils for fragrance)
• ½ cup baking soda
• Essential oils for fragrance

Directions:

1. Mix water, baking soda, and hair conditioner in a 1 gallon container (NOTE:  I used a 12 quart utility tub and it barely contained the fizzing that resulted by adding the vinegar. I poured it into an empty fabric softener bottle after the fizzing settled down.); stir. Do not shake it; it will cause foaming. Slowly add vinegar it will begin to fizz. For fragrance add Essential oils.

2. Use ¼ cup in the rinse cycle or spritz it on a wash cloth and throw in dryer. Fabric softener can also be put in a Downy ball. Shake before using to make sure baking soda hasn’t settled at the bottom of container. Baking soda can be left out of the recipe.

NOTE:  I use vinegar in the fabric softener compartment in the summer time...It does not linger in the clothes.  Leaves them nice and fresh!  So, don't worry about the vinegar -- it will be juuuuuust fine!  In fact, there is no vinegar smell what-so-ever to the batch I made.  ;)

UPDATE (2/13/12):
Here are a couple of pics of my personal experience of making a batch using this recipe.
See commentary below the pictures.
ENJOY! :)

I finally made it to the store for some conditioner to make the DIY Liquid Fabric Softener!

I am glad I used a larger container to mix this in than the instructions called for - this was barely big enough by the time it finished fizzing!!!

This is a 12 qt tub and it tried to overflow. The liquid itself doesn't fill it up but the fizzing from adding the vinegar sure does!  Be sure to add the vinegar SLOWLY or it will erupt in a fizzing frenzy and leave your whole area smelling laundry day fresh!  LOL

You can see here, behind the conditioner bottles, that the fizzing has subsided and fills less than half the tub now.

These are the conditioners I snagged at Reasor's (one bottle per batch of fabric softener) - 4 for $3 (75 cents each). I used the Shae Cashmere (far left) and it smells FABULOUS!!!!

Thanks to Szarka for providing the screen capture!

DIY Laundry Detergent (powdered)

HE washer friendly:

76 oz. Box Borax
55 oz. Box Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
4 lb. box baking soda
2 small cont. of oxy clean (or generic form)
3 bars Fels-naptha soap (grate this up real fine. I then put it in my food processor with the blade in)

Mix it all up and you’re done. I put mine in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. I use 1 to 2 tablespoons (depending on how big of a load I have) in the tub (HE washer) first then the clothes and start the washer.

Note: I’ve seen recipes that say you can use any kind of bar soap you want if you don’t use the Fels-naptha bar soap. But I used the Fels-naptha when I made mine...smells nice and clean!

For those of you with sensitive skin, this should be friendly!

You can buy all of the ingredients form Reasor's there are a few Wal-mart stores that carry everything, but not all of them do.

I have read where some people are putting essential oils in for fragrance. But I haven't tried that yet.  I would imagine it is easier to add it to your liquid fabric softener (DIY recipe).

DIY off topic meanderings...

I thought it would be fun to share some DIY house wifey things with you all so you can enjoy them too!  I will post each one separately.

Powdered Laundry Detergent
Liquid Fabric Softener
Wrinkle Release Spray
Tub & Shower Magic (or anything else around the house that is being stubborn to clean)

I just added Dishwasher Detergent too if you'd like to give that a go! :)

What has Kat been up to lately??

Don't pay the ransom!  I promise I am alive and still kick'n!  This has been quite a super busy past couple of months for me!  New thrills of adventure with exciting things happening and a bit of bittersweet agony of defeat (elbow, actually LOL)!  We've been working on our jewelry then while having fun skating with the grandsons I manage to fall and fracture my left arm.  Ever try making jewelry with a fractured arm?  Don't try it, it is NOT pleasant!  So, in the time of my healing and basically jewelry hiatus, I took on planning an arts and crafts event for our Friends of the Library (that I am the Vice President of)!  I had to have something to keep me busy while I heal, right?!  Well, I sure picked a doozie!  In fact, even the name is appropriate "Whale of a Tale" Arts and Crafts Sale...Ironic, huh?  LOL!  Little did I realize what a monstrosity of coordination it would entail.  But, with the insight of being a vendor in 50+ events, I think we have about every base covered with a few items added to the list for the NEXT event.  I was able to take our experience as vendors and add to the planning and coordination of our event!  How thrilling to come to realize that my previous experience has helped support a fundraising opportunity for our local library!  The next event planning will be even better because with the groundwork being laid with this one, we will be able to delegate to other board members -- now THAT will be AWESOME!  I have found that people enjoy being involved, the are just waiting for the opportunity to help!


So, if you are in the Claremore/Tulsa area this Saturday, October 15th, and would like to support local handcrafters, come on out and join us!  We would LOVE to be graced with your bright shining faces!

Blissful Garden Beads June Bracelet Challenge

This month I have had the tremendous pleasure of participating in my third of Heather's four challenges!  I'm loving the gentle nudges of these challenges to creatively explore outside my usual "box".  Had someone told me a year ago I would be making these types of pieces I probably would have laughed it off while secretly hoping they were right.

This month's challenge piece was to be a bracelet.  I received 3 beads in a beautiful translucent brilliant blue with delicate pink and white roses, lavender lilacs and that oh so yummy sage green she uses for the leaves!  I was so excited to hear we were to make bracelets and David and I had several design ideas, but nothing seemed to be drawing me in.  I pondered and let it do what I call "marinate" then almost suddenly it all came together!  The pictures in this post will take you on a journey through the creation of this bracelet.  I hope you enjoy!

I started with copper sheet that was cut a nice size for bracelets.  It was all nice and shiny and I had every intention of putting an end to that!  LOL  First I trimmed and filed the ends round for wearer's comfort.  Then I added texture with a couple of texturing hammers.  Cut and textured the three tabs and balled six pieces of heavy gauge wire for rivets/cold connections (learned a trick to that in the process!).  Gave everything a good swim in the pickle and rinse and broke out the torch for some fun!  I wanted the copper to have as much color as the beads so I started playing around with flame painting so, here comes one of my "what happens when I do THIS" moments.  LOL  It took a few tries, but I was finally able to come up with something I was pleased with.  I am now in LOVE with flame painted copper!  Next was connecting the tabs to the bracelet blank.

(click image to zoom)

Don't you just LOVE the vibrant colors given by the flame?!

Looking at the flame painted colors I thought OH! I have some beads that would go PERFECT with that!

You can bet I'll be using these in a cuff! ;)

Actually, I have SEVERAL bead sets that would go nicely w/ the flame painted copper, but I stuck with the plan to use the randomly provided beads from Heather.  ;)  I was pleasantly surprised to see the pinks and greens and blues in the beads went QUITE nicely with the copper!  On to the next step -- securing the beads to the bracelet.  I placed the beads between the tabs and marked the hole placement.  Check twice and punch once!  The beads are secured using three of the longer balled wire I had made earlier as pins.

hmmmm....an impending design modification in process...

I had initially intended on cutting the long ends of the tabs off but decided to do another one of my "what happens when I do this?" experiments and was liked how it worked out!  Fun little surprise -- the beads now had enough wiggle room to have a tiny bit of movement...Not stationary as they would have been had the tabs been cut flush.  ;)

YES!!!!

Let's see what it looks like after forming on the bracelet mandrel...

ponder ponder...seems to have too much space between the beads...

OH!  Another fun discovery was that with the weight of the beads and the tabs not being soldered or snug on the cuff, there was some snazzy movement and a little tiny slave bell jingle to the bracelet when shaken!  How fun is that?!   However, something wasn't quite right.  So, I dug out some lengths of two gauges of wire, flame painted them and added some vines to my wrist garden!

MUCH better, don't you think?!

I hope you've enjoyed learning about the design process and construction of this cuff.  I invite you to visit Heather's Blissful Garden Beads Blog of the Bracelet Challenge Voting and check out all the lovely artistry!  Take a good hard look and cast your vote.  My entry is lucky #13!

Feel free to share with your friends and -- above all Have Fun!

Blissful Garden Beads April Earring Challenge

I had the immense pleasure of being allowed to participate in Heather's Bead Challenge this month! Today was the much awaited Reveal of all the entries. I tell ya, I had always looked at challenges such as this and just shuddered at the thought of the pressure of coming up with a nice design to submit.  I took the plunge in March for the necklace challenge then could not WAIT till the next one in April!  One thing I have noticed is that this type of event design FORCES one to think outside the box.  I've never really considered myself a "creative" person, but I'm finding that if I ALLOW myself to be, I can be!  How fun is that?  Took me till past the age of 40 to come to realize that, but I am really having fun, when time permits, creating!  And these challenges are just the ticket for my Muse to make an appearance!

The beads I received were randomly selected.  I had no idea what I was going to be working with till I received them.  I love ALL of her beads so it is always a joy to open the parcel -- just like Christmas!  The beads were a deep red with white daisy's and tiny pink rose buds.  I let the ideas tumble around in my head for a few days.  Suddenly one afternoon a design popped in my head!  I grabbed a pencil and paper and quickly sketched out a rudimentary pictorial representation of what my creative mind was trying to communicate to me.  A couple or three tries with wire and tools and I decided on the direction to go with it.  I wanted something different than I had done in the past.  After all, this is an exercise in stretching and thinking outside the box, right?  I raided my Swarovski crystal stash and found some sweet clear crystal rounded bicones that worked perfectly!  The way they catch the light was exactly what I was hoping for!  I then found the Siam bicones for the dangles.  The frames and ear-wires are made of copper then oxidized and polished to add dimension.  They are amazingly comfortable to wear and SO much fun with all the easy movement!  Not at all as heavy as they appear, either.  So, that is a little background behind the process of these earrings.

If you have a moment, I'd truly appreciate your dropping by Heather's Blissful Garden Beads blog and taking a peek at my earring submission. If you choose to vote for my earrings, I would be so greatful!

Click image to zoom.

It just so happened that I had a set of the same beads as the earring challenge beads I received, so I made a simple necklace to go with the earrings.  I made a simple single drop pendant and hung it from a loooooong chain...Long enough to slip over my head.  I also learned that if you tie a knot in the chain, it gives it a completely different look!  FUN STUFF! =)

I appreciate your time in reading and voting!  I would love to hear back from you all!

Have a fabulous day!
Kat

800 Fan/Like Celebration Give-Away!

April showers bring May flowers.  On this sultry spring evening with storms looming about, it makes me think back on previous springtime experiences and fond memories:  fishing with dad and grandma; fishing and camping trips with David and the kids; the first peek of color after a long bleak winter; hunting Easter eggs -- a week after Easter LOL; fresh cut roses from grandma's rose bush to wear to church on Mother's Day!

Tell us about your fondest (most fond?) springtime memory to be entered in a drawing for our give-away!  You can share your comments here, but please see the Discussions tab 800 Fan Celebration thread on our Fan Page to leave your comment for official entry.

I will leave the posts open till Sunday afternoon, 4 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST).  Don't know what time it is in CST?  Click here for a handy converter.

Enjoy your stroll down memory lane -- I know we will!