The DIY Box

So, for those of you who know me, you know that I have recently found myself out of a job.  Yep, I am, to borrow a phrase, a domestic engineer.  Between looking for a job and taking care of the house, I've been pretty bored at home alone all day.  To my rescue, my soon to be sister in law, who introduced me to Pinterest, little did she know she would be creating a monster.  I discovered Do It Yourself Projects, and not projects that look like some ten year old created it in their basement while mommy wasn't looking, but things that actually look great, are super useful, and (the best part) give me great things to do on a budget that make life at home easier.

Okay, so I found DIY things to keep me busy (not to mention like a billion things to now look at and pin on the web), but what am I actually doing?  First off, I haven't built anything yet, since we are living in my fiance's parents house, I thought I should hold off doing any big building projects, but I am making things.  My first project was pretty successful, I made my own air fresheners.  They're amazing, I can make them in any scent I want and they're really pretty.  They are also super simple.

DIY Air Fresheners (delightfulcountrycookin.com):
4 tea light jars (find them at Michael's for a dollar)
4 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin (in the baking isle at the grocery)
Food coloring (one to two drops per jar, that shit goes a long way!)
Your favorite essential oil (about 20 drops per jar, more for a stronger scent)
2 cups of water

Boil one cup of water, whisk in Knox gelatin, once dissolved add one cup of water.
Put food coloring and oil in each jar, pour in Knox mixture.
Stir carefully, and set aside for 4 hours.
Done. Picture is from delighfulcountrycookin website.

They last for months and smell great, plus the jars are reuse able.

Next, I found a recipe for body wash.  Chris and I have been sharing shower gel since I moved in, and its not that I don't like the stuff he uses, but we go through a shit ton of it, and I wanted a way for us each to have our own wash without spending any more money (maybe less).  So I tried it out.  Its really nice, you make a huge batch each time, it lasts forever (at least mine does) and its super simple.  I may try adding a little extra scent the next time I make it, but other than that, I love it.

DIY Body Wash (found on Offbeathome.com):
8 oz soap bar (I used some that I found at World Market)
1 gallon (16 cups) water
2 TBS Glycerin (you can find it at CVS in the pharmacy)

Grate soap like cheese, add soap to stock pot full of water, set to medium heat and let soap melt completely.  Turn off heat, the mixture will look like soapy water, this is good.  Let sit for 10 to 12 hours for mixture to thicken.  It'll look like snot, this is good.  Use hand mixer to mix, add water as needed, it'll thin out a bit (trust me you'll want it to).  Use funnel to put mixture in gallon jugs (or whatever, I used a milk carton).  Try out, it smells great, its a little thicker than store bought, so use a bit less, and don't be surprised if it doesn't really lather, soap companies add a lathering agent to body wash, you don't need it, and it drys out your skin.  The picture is from the Offbeathome website.

For my next project? I think I'm going to try my hand at some artwork.  I already paint, but I suck at lettering, and that's my new goal, Quote Art.