Small Designs Mag

Small Designs Mag
Showing posts with label how to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

How to make your own lotion - by Crafty Crave Store

Making lotion is a great way to save money and avoid chemicals that are bad for your skin. It is not very time-consuming and can be a fun way to release your creativity - by Crafty Crave Store

To start making lotion, you need a few basic ingredients. Cocoa butter and Shea butter are both moisturizers used in lotion. Cocoa butter has a strong chocolate scent. If you do not want this scent in lotion, buy deodorized cocoa butter.

You will also need an oil. Mineral oil is an inexpensive option for a light moisturizer. It can usually be found at pharmacies. Be sure to use plain mineral oil without other ingredients except preservatives. If you want a better moisturizer, use coconut oil, sunflower oil, apricot kernel oil, or other high quality oil. They can be found online or in health or vitamin stores.

In addition, you will need a liquid. Without this, the lotion would be too thick and greasy to use. For a simple lotion, use water. Otherwise, you can try other liquids in lotion. Make sure that you use liquids that will not rot in the lotion. If you have irritated skin, use green tea or white tea. For a calming scent, put one teaspoon of dried lavender in a tea infuser. Add one bag of chamomile tea and let both of these steep in hot water.
Finally, use scents and essential oils. These will give your lotion the scent you want. Try combining essential oils for a scent you like. You could try lavender and rose, peppermint and lime, or any other combination you like.

To make the lotion, you must measure ingredients exactly. For instance, if you add too much oil, the lotion will be thin and greasy. It is best to use a food scale. If you do not own one, you can also use a postage scale.

Measure two ounces of cocoa butter, one and a half ounces of shea butter, and 8 ounces of the oil of your choice. Put all of these in a medium saucepan. If you do not want to use a pot that you will cook in later, you can buy an inexpensive pot for lotion. Cook the ingredients on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butters are melted. Pour the liquid into a heat proof bowl. Place it in the refrigerator, stirring every thirty minutes, until it is the consistency of a thick paste. The reason for doing this is so that the cocoa butter and shea butter re-harden without separating from the oil.

Once the first mixture is ready, put it in the blender or food processor with one and a half cups of the liquid of your choice and the scents and oils. Blend them together, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. When the ingredients are combined, put the lotion in a jar or bottle.

Homemade Lotion Recipe
1.5 ounces shea butter
2 ounces cocoa butter
8 ounces oil
1.5 cups liquid

1. Cook the shea butter, cocoa butter, and oil on medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Pour the mixture into a heat proof container and place in the refrigerator, stirring every thirty minutes until it is a thick paste.
3. Put the mixture in the blender or food processor with the liquid, scents, and oils. Blend, occasionally scraping the sides down, until it is combined. Put the lotion in jars.

For more handmade bath soaps and lotions visit Crafty Crave Store

Thursday, April 10, 2014

How to decorate your house for Easter

Decorate your house with your own creative ideas.
All you need is a colored paper, scissors, a pen, time and patience. The result will be great.




Monday, April 7, 2014

How to Make Bath Salts

A great "How to" tutorial from Crafty Crave shop.

Bath salts are easy and affordable to make. They take few ingredients and are perfect for relieving sore muscles and softening skin.

The ingredients you will need for bath salts are Epsom salts, baking soda, salt, and fragrances or essential oils. You can try adding special salts, such as pink Himalayan salts, to make the bath salts better.
Epsom salts, also known as magnesium sulfate, can usually be found in health stores or pharmacies. This ingredient soothes sore muscles and cleans your skin. Baking soda softens skin. It can also help to It is widely available. It is used in small amounts in bath salts. Salt is an excellent skin cleaner. It is very inexpensive and is only used in small amounts in bath salts. It is usually best to use soothing scents in bath salts.

To make the bath salts, first get an 8 oz. jar. Add two tablespoons of baking soda and two tablespoons of salt. Add your fragrance. Four to six drops should be enough. Stir well, making sure that the fragrance is well incorporated. Next, add ¾ cup of Epsom salts and shake well. If you are adding any special salts, substitute some of the Epsom salts for these.

Store the bath salts in a cool, dry place. Use 1/3 of a jar per bath.

Homemade Bath Salts Recipe
2 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp salt
3/4 cup Epsom salts
4-6 drops fragrance or essential oil
1. Mix the salt, baking soda, and fragrance together well.
2. Add the Epsom salts and shake well.
3. Store in a cool, dry place and use 1/3 jar per bath.




Thursday, March 20, 2014

How to...Personalize your Pets

A great "How to" tutorial from Dani Ashbury (Digi Graphics 4 U)



Tuesday, March 18, 2014

How to...Hold onto the joy of your art when it becomes your business


A great "How to" tutorial from Jamie D'Errico (NeoFauv shop)

Integrating the divergent skills needed to turn your art into a business is the ultimate exercise in left brain/right brain collaboration. The left brain being the center for logical, practical thinking and words; the right brain dealing in things like feelings, intuition, and aesthetics.  Both are necessary and both have their place...But the left brain can get a little too controlling and (if left to run rampant) is a killer of joyful art.

Let me explain. I believe we create art because it feels good to do so.  That is exactly why we are interested in make our living with our art!  We want to be in that creative space which produces joy, rather than being wrapped up in a left brain-focused job market, which can result in feeling tired and out of place.  Art is a creative process, mysterious and beautiful – a right brain activity. 

When we start down the path of turning that compulsion to make art into a business, we call upon the services of our left brain.  Money doesn't just fall into our laps if we are good artists (unfortunately). We need to identify our markets, where and how to sell, keep track of expenses and revenue, advertize our products – left brain activity. “Keep your audience in mind,” is a message that you will encounter countless times along the path to turning your art into income.  It is a good, practical message to be sure, and I think we all need to hear it.  I certainly did.

That said, I believe there is an equally important message that can sometimes get lost.  While you are engaged in the creation of your art, remember how to FORGET about your audience.  I challenge you to put left brain thoughts away and just enjoy being an artist while you are making art. You will never create this piece of art again, so savor it. Your left brain can jump in and dissect it's money making potential soon enough!  Your artistic inspiration does not need a back seat driver.

I know from experience that those calculating thoughts will continue to pop up during your creative process.  There is no easy way to stop that from happening.  For me, the best I could do was put those thoughts away every single time they appeared, refocusing on my process and my artistic experience in the moment.  Eventually those thoughts backed off and my creative space was my own again. Ironically, enforcing this internal space for right brain creativity actually increased my mental discipline and energy in left brain, business minded activities.  Maybe the same will be true for you.

Let's be an artists.  Let's be business people.  Let's be both!  But I know that we want to be mindful as we do so.  Being in a business mind set while in the middle of artistic creation is at best a distraction and at worst a mistake that will steal your joy and ruin your art.  What is the point of successfully making a living with your art if you end up losing the joy that drew you to art in the first place?  I asked myself this question and I'm sure you can guess my answer.  Am a I millionaire now?  Well, no, but I have managed to hold onto something precious and priceless.  That to me, is success.

Monday, March 10, 2014

How to print your own invitations

A great "How to" tutorial from Dani Ashbury (Digi Graphics 4 U)