Cinnamon Hollow Reviews

Why is Beer Gone? ‘Cause it’s in my SOAP! (soapmaking photos included)

April 27, 2012 By Crystal 1 Comment

Have you ever had beer in your soap?

I love to make soap as a hobby. I’m not talking about the melt and pour stuff (which is nice enough), either. I’m talking about good old lye soap. Cold process style. Now, this might be lye soap BUT it ‘ain’t yer Granny’s soap’! It won’t take the hide off ya.

It is actually fabulous if I do say so myself. If you’ve never tried a bar of handmade cold process (or even hot process) soap, you don’t know what you are missing out on! I love to add wonderful oils to my soap like shea butter, cocoa butter, Babassu oil, jojoba, etc. They condition my skin and don’t leave it dry. I had heard about adding beer to soap but I’d never tried before. My curiosity finally got the best of me and I tried it in a batch 2 weeks ago. OH MY GOODNESS! I don’t know what took me so long. It hasn’t even finished curing yet and it is already the best batch of soap I’ve ever made! And I just used my regular recipe and swapped the water with beer. It was stinky making it, but, man, it made a perfect lather and it leaves my skin silky and soft. And it smells heavenly now with the Oatmeal Stout fragrance i used. And it still has a couple of weeks until it is at its mildest and longest lasting self. I am so in love! And my hubby even said that this is his favorite so far. SCORE! Wanna see?

First, I measured out all my oils that I use in this recipe. You MUST weigh everything that goes into soap. When you decide what oils to use, run the recipe through an online lye calculator so you’ll know how much lye and water to use. NEVER make soap without using the lye calculator and then weighing your oils, water and lye. Just don’t. Soapmaking can be dangerous. You are using a caustic chemical (lye) after all and it can burn you.

Then I donned my gloves and some socks that I cut the toes out of to protect my bare arms.

Along with the rest of my safety gear including a mask so I don’t breathe in any fumes and my safety goggles. The lye fumes trigger my migraines and allergies so I have to wear the mask. Some people just hold their breath but I suggest the mask. It really helps. And if you do it inside, like I do, open a window for ventilation! Trust me! It’s caustic and the fumes and smell are horrible when the lye hits your liquid. Then it calms down and you are ok. Also, KEEP THE KIDS AND PETS AWAY!

So, after I had my oils weighed and starting to melt, I measured my flat and boiled beer and then my lye. If you don’t let your beer or other alcohol go flat and then boil the alcohol off first, it can volcano when you add the lye. It heats up REALLY fast when you add the lye. I had cold beer and the bowl was in an ice bath and it still went to almost 200 degrees in seconds. So be very careful! And ALWAYS add your lye to your liquid, not the other way around. It can volcano as well.

Ok, so next, I added my lye/beer mixture to my oils. The oils were a nice, creamy white until I added the lye/beer and then it turned an orange-y color. This wasn’t an indication of the final color though. Soap can go through many changes as it works through the saponification process. It is really a cool thing!

Next, I had to mix the lye/beer mixture and the oils really well so everything was incorporated and then I had to bring it to what is called ‘trace’. You can see that in the photo above. See how the soap peaks and leaves a trail when I lift the spoon out. That is trace. Beer soap goes to trace really, really quickly. I wasn’t really prepared for how fast it would trace or I wouldn’t have even bothered with the stick blender. I’d have just stirred it all by hand.

But never fear. I got it into the mold without any chunks or major squishing. It actually poured in pretty well and then started to thicken more as I was smoothing out the top. Isn’t it pretty already?

Then I put the lid on and wrapped it in a blanket so it would go through a full gel stage. I like my soaps to gel all the way through. It just seems to be fully ‘done’ to me that way. I let it set for 24 hours before unmolding and cutting into bars. Then I set them aside for 6 weeks to cure or harden. In that time, all the excess moisture will have evaporated and we’ll have nice, hard, long lasting bars that have the best conditioning. I always sample a bar myself at 2 weeks though so I can compare the difference. I don’t see how it can get any better though. It is awesome already! Not bragging, i am just really proud of my first beer soap attempt!

The little flecks of white that you see in the soap are oatmeal. I might not make the prettiest or fanciest looking bars, but they serve us very well. I use them on everyone from our 2 year old and up. We all use the soap I make and enjoy it so I guess I’m doing something right!

I have to say this: DO NOT make soap without learning the proper and safe way FIRST. It can be dangerous. Keep all chemicals in a safe location away from children and pets. Please, if you ever decide to make cold or hot process soap, make sure you know what you are doing and are fully prepared!

Tell me, do you make soap or have you ever used a handmade bar? Did you like it?

Filed Under: Crafts, Day-to-Day Tagged With: beer soap, cold process soap, lye soap, soapmaking

My Jimmy-Rigged Diva Stroller! Turn something unhandy into something fabulous!

March 16, 2012 By Crystal 2 Comments

cosco-juvenile-umbrella-stroller-without-canopy-in-bouquet.jpeg

The above photo is our daughters stroller before I added some function and style to it. If you’ll notice, it has no canopy to keep the sun off of her. It has no nifty little holders for diapers or cell phone. The handles are fairly short, making it very hard to push around. Basically, it is cheap. But, you get what you pay for. And it was inexpensive. You might be asking yourself why we would purchase such a dinky stroller to begin with? Well, we were on vacation last year and didn’t have a stroller. Without much money, we had to get the least expensive one we could find and this was it!

When we went to Gatlinburg to walk around, though, our daughter was MISERABLE! The sun beat down on her face and she developed a rash. Once we got her in the shade and got some water in her, it cleared up but we had to cut our walk short. I just couldn’t put her through that. This year, though, I’m prepared! I can’t see buying a brand new stroller for a 2 year old. She won’t be in it much longer. So I decided to do a little jimmy-rigging….. Diva style, and fix it up for her. Using PVC pipe, clamps, Duct Tape, Batons from the Dollar Tree and fabric, I was all set!

First, I KNEW I wanted longer handles. Pushing her around with the existing handles was very uncomfortable. In fact, when we got back to the cabin, my back ached so badly I had to lay down. And it was just from pushing with those awkward handles. So the first thing I did was extend them. I used a v-pipe, 90 degree extender, 3/4 pipe cut to 2 inches and a cap. I also used male and female coupler so that I can just turn the handles to the side when I fold the stroller up. I used e-6000 glue to hold the pipe together and Duct Tape to attach it to the stroller. It wasn’t pretty. But it was functional. Then I covered it with fabric. I still have some cosmetic work to do but overall, I have exactly what I wanted. Longer handles that are easier to grip and easier to push.

PVC pipe handle extentions

The next thing on my list were side and front canopies. The sun was horrible last year. She wouldn’t keep a hat on and it was too hard to carry an umbrella. Not to mention, Gatlinburg is so crowded you need to be as compact as possible. I needed something for a frame that would still let me fold the stroller up. We were at the Dollar Tree and I saw kids plastic batons that were perfect! To attach them, I used a clamp. There was a screw already in place holding the strap for the seat so I removed that and added a clamp. Then I put a piece of PVC pipe on it and clamped it in place. The batons slide right down and if I need to remove the entire canopy for whatever reason, they aren’t permanent. They slide right out. I also added a cap on the bottom to the bottom of the pipe . Then I covered it with fabric and velcro.

Next, I used a re-purposed nursing cover for the top canopy. I moved the straps to the shorter side and tied it to the handles. I am temporarily using pipe cleaners on the front between the two batons for stability. They actually work pretty well. They just aren’t very pretty. But the canopy covers them so I might not even change them.

Then I sewed two squares of equal size for the side canopies and attached them to the top canopy/nursing cover using Velcro. This way, I can take them off if needed. I sewed a piece of ribbon to the top canopy so I can tie the sides up when not in use.

Side panels for canopy

Here is the front panel for the canopy. I don’t think we’ll need to use it much but it is there if we need it. If she falls asleep, it will give her a bit of privacy.

Front panel of canopy

I also added a diaper/wipes case to the back by attaching some straps to it and looping it over the handles. I had some fabric leftover so I made two little pouches. One is for my cell phone and the other has Boogie Wipes samples so I can use them when we’re out or even hand them out if I see another mom in need!

Diaper/Wipes Case and Cell phone/Boogie Wipes Pouches

I know it isn’t the prettiest stroller in the world but I’m pretty proud of it. It just goes to show you that with a little ingenuity and some unexpected supplies, you can turn a dinky, almost un-useful products into something perfect for your needs!!!!

And, as you can see, my little Diva is super happy with her new stroller! And so is mommy!

Finished stroller. Happy baby!

Filed Under: Babies, Crafts, Day-to-Day Tagged With: altering products, crafts, repurposing, stroller

Frugal Holiday Crafts with Elmer’s Holiday #GlueNGlitter – DIY Handmade Christmas Card Holder

December 16, 2011 By Crystal 4 Comments

I’ve totally been bitten by the Christmas crafting bug. I’ve created a series of posts featuring my Elmers #GlueNGlitter crafts I’ve been making. My last post was about Handmade Apothecary Jars that are easy and inexpensive to make. In this post, I’ll be showing you how to make a handmade Christmas card holder using Elmers Foam Board and a few other Elmers, X-ACTO and CraftBond products.

Here is the breakdown of supplies/cost:

Elmers Foam Board: $2.88
Assorted Scrapbook papers: Walmart – $.97 (5 pack)
Scrapbook elements: Walmart – $.97
CraftBond™ All Purpose Glue Stick: Already in my stash but $3.00 per 3 pack at Walmart
CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape: Walmart: $5.00
CraftBond Glue Spots Thin-Small: Walmart: $4.00
1 inch Ribbon Walmart: $1.97
Clothes pins: Walmart: $0.97
Total cost: $19.76

If you already have the adhesives, your total cost is: $7.76!!!

Let’s begin.
First, you’ll need to decide how large you want your holder and cut your foam board to the appropriate size, carefully using an XACTO knife. I had already used some of my board for Hang tags and Wreath Letters so I used a scrap piece for my board. It was 12×9 inches.

Measure and cut your scrapbook paper to the same size as your foam board.

Glue into place using a CraftBond All Purpose Glue Stick. Smooth all wrinkles out.

Now, you’ll want to cover the rough edges and make it pretty! Measure your ribbon to go around your papered board, leaving 1/2 inch for tucking at the end.

Apply glue spots to the edge of one side of your board and stick the ribbon in place, folding in at the corners. You will want your ribbon to fold over and cover both sides of your board. As you glue your ribbon in place on one side, turn your board over and do the same on the other side, working it into place as you go. You may have to use a CraftBond Clear Dual Tip Glue Pen with your ribbon but the Glue Spots worked well for me. I did add a touch just in a couple of spots just to make sure, but more glue spots would have held it perfectly. At the end, fold your ribbon end down and tuck into place to leave a smooth edge.

After your ribbon is in place add any embellishments you’d like on your holder. I added some cute scrapbooking stickers to the corners because my ribbon folds aren’t the prettiest.

On the back of your board, add 2 strips of CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape. This will secure your hanging ribbon. Measure your ribbon to your desired length and attach it to the CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape.

Now it is time to add your clothes pens! Apply CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape to one side of each of your pens, trimming off any excess on the sides. I used X-ACTO Precision Scissors to trim mine. BEFORE you remove the backside of the foam tape, align your clothes pens on your holder where you would like them. At first, I had them in horizontal rows. But they worked better staggered, so that is how I attached mine.

Remove the backside of the foam tape and place your clothes pens into place. Let is sit for about 30 minutes.

Then you are ready to hang it up and add your cards! It’s actually really pretty in person. The pictures don’t show everything in detail.

Along with my Christmas Card Holder, I also made DIY Wreath Letters and DIY Apothecary Jars with Handmade Hang Tags with the items I purchased today. Click on the names above to view those tutorials.

You can also see my entire shopping experience at Google+.

You can follow Elmers in several ways:
www.elmers.com
www.facebook.com/elmers
http://twitter.com/elmers
www.facebook.com/xacto

Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias #ElmersHoliday. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Holidays, Shopping, Social Fabric Shoppertunities Tagged With: #ElmersHoliday, @Elmers Memory Keeping, christmas card holder, christmas card holder tutorial, holiday crafts, walmart

Frugal Holiday Crafts with Elmer’s Holiday #GlueNGlitter – DIY Wreath Letters

December 16, 2011 By Crystal 2 Comments

For my third and final Elmers #GlueNGlitter craft, ahem I was only required t make one (hehehe) I made Wreath Letters. I saw this Alphabet Wreath and wanted to copy it. And while mine didn’t come out quite as fluffy and nice, I still like it. I can fluff it out more and make it look neater but I was in a bit of a time crunch to get my post done, what with Christmas shopping left to do and all.

Supplies/Cost:

Elmers Foam Board: Walmart: $2.88 for an entire board. I used this to make 4 different crafts so the cost breakdown is CHEAP!
CraftBond Glue Spots Thin-Small: Walmart: $4.00
X-ACTO Precision Scissors: Walmart: $7.00 I needed these for multiple crafts but can’t exactly break the cost down for several uses so…. they are an investment piece.
Garland: Walmart: $2.88
Ribbon: 2 rolls $1 each at the Dollar Store = $2

Total including adhesives and scissors: $18.76

I bought the scissors and adhesives for other crafts as well so assuming I already had those, the total additional cost would have been $7.76 WOOT!

I wanted to make the word JOY and here’s what I did:

First I printed out standard font letters onto an 8.5×11 sheet of computer paper and cut a stencil out of them.

Then I traced the letters onto my Elmers Foam Board and cut them out carefully using an X-ACTO knife.

Next, I wrapped one end of the pine garland around the end of the letter J. Keep it tight but be careful you don’t bend your foam board. Keep the branches pressed as close together as you can so it is easier to wrap. Try to cover as much white as you can but keep in mind that your branches will cove more of it when you fluff them out.

Use a pair of wire cutters to cut your garland when you get to the end of your letter. (Fold the ends of both cut pieces so pieces of garland don’t fall off.) I then proceeded to follow the same steps with the letter Y.

For the O, I wanted a contrast so I wrapped it in red satin ribbon and added a little bow where I tucked and glued the final end.

Once you are finished with your garland letters, fluff them out leaving them straight enough to be able to distinguish the letter.

And there you have it! You can either hang a ribbon on it and place your letter on your wall or door or you can make a word like I did and place it on a shelf.

Along with my Wreath Letters, I also made DIY Apothecary Jars with Handmade Hang Tags and a DIY Christmas Card Holder with the items I purchased today. Click on the names above to view those tutorials.

You can also see my entire shopping experience at Google+.

You can follow Elmers in several ways:
www.elmers.com
www.facebook.com/elmers
http://twitter.com/elmers
www.facebook.com/xacto

Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias #ElmersHoliday. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Holidays, Shopping, Social Fabric Shoppertunities Tagged With: #ElmersHoliday, #GlueNGlitter, @Elmers Memory Keeping, apothecary jars, crafts, Elmers, Frugal Holiday Crafts, garland letters, hang tags, holiday crafts, walmart, wreath letters, wreath letters tutorial

Frugal Holiday Crafts with Elmer’s Holiday #GlueNGlitter – DIY Apothecary Jars and Hang Tags

December 16, 2011 By Crystal 3 Comments

I am a huge, huge, HUGE fan of Apothecary jars. I think they can completely transform a table scape, party table, mantle or shelf. You can fill them with all sorts of things. Anything, really, from candy to berries to pinecones and rocks!

For my #ElmersHoliday #GlueNGlitter Frugal Craft project(s) I decided to create a couple of Apothecary jars with Hang tags. The tags made use of several Elmers, CraftBond and X-ACTO products and were super inexpensive to make.

For the Apothecary jars all you need are some cute jars with lids and glass, wooden or metal candle stick holders for the bases. If you don’t have lids, you can create your own with an upside down bowl that just fits inside the jar and a glass/wooden/metal knob glued to the bottom which is then the top. Easy peasy! You can find plenty of jars at Walmart and dollar stores. You can also “shop” around your house for treasures that can be used!

I had a couple of jars at home to use but I also wanted something to reflect the Holidays more. Even with the hang tags I was making, my jars just didn’t “pop” like I wanted them to. So we headed to Walmart in search of more. I found EXACTLY what I was looking for. I found some adorable Christmas Tree shaped jars.

I have more finished jars to come in a few weeks because I’ve been bitten by the Apothecary Jar making bug and I”ll show those to you then but for now, here are the steps I took to achieve my Christmas Apothecary Jars and Hang Tags.

Supplies:

For jars:

Assorted jars. Christmas Tree Jar at Walmart: $1.98
Candle stick holders: Walmart: $2.50
Glass to glass glue. Sadly, I couldn’t find an Elmers product that worked exactly like I wanted so I used E6000. Walmart: $2.97
Ribbon (optional) Walmart: $1.97

Total for Apothecary Jar Supplies: $9.42

With that, you can have a complete Apothecary Jar for under $10.00. I wanted to add some Handmade Holiday Hang Tags to it as well as some Christmas gifts. I cam considering them a separate craft since they will go on multiple items and here is the break down for them.

For Tags:

Elmers Foam Board: $2.88
Assorted Scrapbook papers: Walmart – $.97 (5 pack)
Assorted Scrapbook elements: Walmart – $.97 x 3 = $2.91
CraftBond™ All Purpose Glue Stick: Already in my stash but $3.00 per 3 pack at Walmart
CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape: Walmart: $5.00
CraftBond Glue Spots Thin-Small: Walmart: $4.00
X-ACTO Precision Scissors: Walmart: $7.00 I needed these for multiple crafts but can’t exactly break the cost down for several uses so…. they are an investment piece.

Total for supplies: $25.76 for all hang tag supplies

Most crafters/scrapbookers have the adhesive and scissors handy already so minus the cost of those = $11.76 for dozens of tags. I made part of my foam board into tags and another part into a Christmas Card Holder to be featured in another post so the $2.88 for the foam board ALSO breaks down into multiple crafts just like the adhesives and scissors. F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! For $38.06 TOTAL, because I also bought some garland for another craft I’m going to post, I bought supplies to make FOUR individual crafts with supplies left over! Can you see how inexpensive it really is? $9.42 for the jars and really, $11.76 for the tags. Cool!

Ok, for the jars, cover your work space with newspaper or plastic to protect it.

Thoroughly clean your jars and candle holders and remove and labels. I use Boogie Wipes (I am an a Saline Ambassador) and they work perfectly! Hey, they have the ability to remove dried, stuck on boogies without drying out your tots nose. They also removed the label adhesive. How cool is that?

After the jar and candle holder are clean and dry apply a thin layer of the E6000 to the top of the candle holder. Place your jar in place and make sure it is nice and even. You don’t have a ton of wiggle room to make sure it is straight but you have a minute or so so make sure it is just right.

Set it aside to dry for at least 24 hours. 48 hours is better. Once it is dry, you can turn it over and add your goodies and any tags or labels you want on it.

While you are waiting for it to dry, you can make your tags.

I printed out a hang tag template that I created in Paint Shop Pro but you can free hand your tag as well or trace one you already have. I wanted different sizes, so I created a few and printed them. Trace your tag onto your foam board and cut out CAREFULLY using an X-ACTO knife. You don’t want to slice your finger or lose one so be careful!

After your foam tag is cut out, trace your pattern onto coordinating scrapbook paper. Trace two so you can cover each side.

Using your X-ACTO Precision Scissors OR X-ACTO Decorative Edge scissors, which I used because I already had a pair, cut out your scrapbook paper hang tag.

Glue onto your foam board tag using your CraftBond™ All Purpose Glue Stick. Press into place and allow to dry for about one minute.

Cut a smaller hang tag out of coordinating scrapbook paper. Attach on top of your tag using CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape for dimension.

Poke a hole in your hang tag for your ribbon using a hole punch or the tip of your scissors.

Lastly, add any decorative embellishments you’d like.

Add your ribbon and attach to your, now dry, Apothecary Jar (presents, Christmas tree, etc.) Then make more! They can be used at birthday parties for holding assorted candies, Holiday parties for fudge, cookies, etc. and all around the house for everyday decor. I ♥ these jars!!!

Along with my jars and tags, I also made DIY Wreath Letters and a DIY Christmas Card Holder with the items I purchased today. Click on the names above to view those tutorials.

You can also see my entire shopping experience at Google+.

You can follow Elmers in several ways:
www.elmers.com
www.facebook.com/elmers
http://twitter.com/elmers
www.facebook.com/xacto

Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias. #ElmersHoliday. All opinions are my own.