Pinterest projects: February, March, and April

I realized recently that the only Pinterest project post I did was back in February, when I told what things I'd tried in January!  So it's way past time for another one.  I actually try quite a few things from Pinterest, recipes and such, and I won't share all of those here.  Don't want to bore anyone too much. :) Any particularly rave-worthy recipes will be shared in separate posts.  But here are a few things I've done over the past 3 months.

Necklaces:

I actually made several different kinds of necklaces, but I'm just showing one here.  Jim had gotten me a metal stamping set for Christmas, and we finally got around to trying it out!  I'd been wanting to make washer necklaces and used this tutorial as my inspiration.  I made one for Julia and two for friends--I like how they turned out, but I think I will re-make hers with narrower ribbon sometime.  If you can't quite read the word on it, it says "Dream."

 

Sweater alterations and scarf:

I altered two sweaters between March and April.  This one was purchased at a local consignment store a few years ago.  I loved the color, but it was a size XL, which wasn't too bad until I lost weight.  The more weight I lost, the less I liked the way it hung on me--all boxy and kind of tent-like. :)  So I decided  to try taking it in to be a bit more fitted, using ideas from this post.  Let me tell you, it was a bit scary making those first cuts.  I was worried that I would ruin it and never be able to wear it again!  At least it was just a thrift store bargain . . . :)  I took in both the side seams and the sleeves, and I actually was really happy with how it turned out.  Yay!  

I also made the brown scarf out of a thrift store t-shirt, inspired by this post (which led me to this video with info on making other scarves from tees, as well!).

I also got this pink cardigan for Easter at a thrift store.  (Sorry the picture isn't great--I never thought to get a good close-up of it!)   It too was a bit big and boxy, so I took it in on the sides and shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length.  I used the same post as I linked to above, along with this other one, to help figure out how to do this.  I was happy with my results on this one too, and it's been neat to discover that altering sweaters really isn't that hard!  I have my eye on one or two more of my old ones . . . :)

Toothpaste:

Another homemade thing I did back in February was making my own toothpaste using bentonite clay and some spices.  After my surgery, I had fun watching some of Shoshanna Easling's Bulk Herb Store videos on YouTube, and I came across this one for making toothpaste.
I had seen recipes for homemade toothpaste using coconut oil as a base before, but this was the first one I'd seen using bentonite clay.  Since we happened to have some on hand, I decided to try it.  Now, I did mess this recipe up a bit.  I made a half batch, and accidentally simmered the spices too long, and ended up with hardly any liquid, so I had to add a bunch of water to get the right consistency.  Consequently, our toothpaste has hardly any cinnamon flavor and mostly tastes like salt.  With that said, I've been happy with how the toothpaste works, although it does take a while to get used to the "mud-like" flavor.  But next time hopefully I won't mess it up and it'll taste more spicy. :)  The texture is a lot like regular toothpaste, although of course it doesn't foam.  I'd make this again--I feel like it does a good job cleaning teeth and I think it has helped whiten them a bit, though they're still not as white as I'd like. :)

Ties: 

 Oh yes, one other Pinterest project I just remembered!  I made the boys' Easter ties using this tutorial.  I actually used scraps of fabric that I had on hand, so they were a little trickier and I had to make Josiah's narrower than the original pattern, but I was really pleased with how they turned out!  I also made the flower hair clip that Julia is wearing in the picture, using a fake flower, an alligator clip, and some ribbon.  (I love this picture of the kids--they're so silly! :))

Speaking of Pinterest, I have finally added a "follow" button to my sidebar, for anyone who'd like to follow my boards. :)  It's just below Josiah's picture!

Whew!  I know this was a long post, but it feels good to finally have it done.  It's been on my mind for a while, so here's one more thing I can cross off the to-do list. :)  Hope you enjoyed hearing about the crafty things I've been up to!