Handmade Bookmarks

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For an elegant gift, try making bookmarks out of ribbons and beads. Choose a pretty ribbon that’s at least an inch wide; velvet, brocade, and tapestry styles are nice. Trim the top with pinking shears to keep it from unraveling. Fold up the end of the ribbon to make a point. Tack the ends together with a couple of secure stitches in a matching thread. Sew a bead or charm onto the end of the point to weight the bookmark and add a pretty accent.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

Natural Placemats

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/453034043748729313/

For your next party, use fall leaves as place cards and mats. First dip them in warm soapy water, rinse, and allow to air dry. Then press them between the leaves of a heavy book, allowing at least a week drying time. Make sure you end up with at least one dry leaf for each guest’s place cards, plus several more for each placemat. When you remove the leaves, handle them carefully because they can easily tear. Using a gold marker, carefully write the name of each person on a leaf and place on table. Create a bed of leaves at each place for a placemat.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

Handmade Trivets

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/466826317597577789/

This is a great craft idea that is simplicity itself. Buy a plain white or terra-cotta tile from a craft store. Draw a design on it with a china-graph pencil (available at craft stores)—little kids can do handprints, which are always relished by doting parents. Then paint in your design using model paints. When completely dry, coat it with plain ceramic varnish.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

Gardening Soap

Ever wonder what to do with all those slivers of soap? I slip them into the leg of an old pair of pantyhose, clip the leg off, and tie it to my spigot outside. Now I have a convenient place to wash my hands after gardening.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

Homemade Play-Dough

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This preschool staple is easy to make in batches at home. It’s worth keeping an assortment of bottled food coloring for projects like these, even if you don’t use them often for cooking.

• 1 CUP SALT
• 11⁄4 CUPS WATER
• 2 TEASPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
• 3 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR (NOT SELF-RISING)
• 2 TABLESPOONS CORNSTARCH
• FOOD COLORING

In a large bowl, mix salt, water, and vegetable oil. Continue mixing while adding flour and cornstarch. Knead until smooth. If dough seems too sticky, add a little flour; if too dry, add a little water. Divide the dough into several lumps. Add a few drops of food coloring to each lump and knead to mix the color into the dough. Store in airtight containers; the dough will dry out if exposed to air.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

Personalized Napkin Rings

Photo by Tara Winstead on pexels.com

At the craft store, buy a set of clear Lucite napkin rings (the kind with an opening that allows you to put a piece of paper inside). Cut paper to fit inside the rings. Glue pressed flowers onto the paper in any pleasing arrangement, then cover the paper with clear, heavy tape such as packing tape. Insert the paper into the rings. If you can’t find Lucite napkin rings, you can glue pressed flowers directly onto wooden rings, then give them several coats of shellac.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

The Art Room

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Our family room is a bit different from most people’s. It’s a corner of a big closed-in porch that we have turned into an art corner. It has a large old table and chairs and a cabinet full of art supplies—paints, glue, paper of all sorts, glitter, Popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and dried flowers. Sometimes individually and sometimes together, the three of us—mother, father, and daughter—go in there to create something. We make cards, pictures to hang on the walls, and presents for one another and for other relatives. It’s a place where each of us can express our creativity. I love to go in there with my three-year-old and fingerpaint, letting the goopy paint squish through my fingers and seeing what color combinations I can create from the three primary colors. Such a simple pleasure!

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

Eggshell Planters

https://www.nelliesfreerange.com/blog/speckled-egg-planters

Ordinary eggshells make beautiful planters for small herbs or grasses. Break raw eggs, leaving shell at least half intact. Empty the contents into a separate bowl, then rinse the shell thoroughly. Place already sprouting plants in the shells, anchored with a bit of topsoil; mint, lavender, chives, or sage work well, as do wheat grass, alfalfa, or very small ferns. Cushion an assortment of shells and plants in moss and place in a beribboned basket or pot. Experiment with using dyed or decorated eggshells.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

Candle Pots

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Small-Terra-Cotta-Pillar-Candle-Holder/644166536

One of the easiest and most attractive arrangements you can make for a table or sideboard is a series of cream or white pillar candles in terra-cotta pots. Just group them attractively, and you have a simple yet sophisticated feeling. Make sure you never leave candles unattended; the moss can catch on fire if the candle burns too far down.

• DRY FLORAL FOAM
• 1 TERRA-COTTA POT
• 1 PILLAR CANDLE
• GLUE GUN
• GREEN, SPHAGNUM, OR REINDEER MOSS
• FLORAL OR STRAIGHT PINS

Trim the foam to approximately the same shape as the pot, making sure it is a little larger than the pot’s diameter. Push the foam firmly into the pot until it touches the bottom. Trim if needed to get a good fit. Pack the spaces between the edge of the foam and the inside of the pot with moss. Trim the top of the foam so it is level with the top of the pot, then glue the candle to the foam. Surround base of candle with moss, fixing it in place with pins. Makes 1.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.

Lacy Beauty

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Make lace napkin rings for your cloth napkins; you will need perhaps a yard of one-inch-wide lace in a shade that you like. Simply roll the napkins and tie each with six inches or so of lace. Trim the edges of the lace for a finished look.

This post is an excerpt from The Joy of Self-Care by Becca Anderson, which can be found at Amazon and Mango Media.