DIY Fairy 4-Post Bed ~ Directions & Pictures

I got part of this idea from Fairy Gardening 101 written by Fiona McDonald. But instead of using the wires I glued the bed together w/ my hot glue gun. I did attempt to use wires, but it got frustrating extremely fast. So, I switched to glue. Hope my directions are ok to follow … but if not, hope the pictures help out

Items Needed:
Twigs (not thin; I had my husband leave branches when he was trimming the trees so)
Fabric (your choice for canopy)
Felt (for mattress & pillow)
Hand Pruner
Hot glue gun w/ glue sticks

Cut 4 long twigs for legs of bed, all the same size. Cut 2 long twigs for the side of the bed, & 4 short pieces for the cross pieces (for width of bed). Make sure to have some extra twigs so you can cut for the bedding area (about the same size of the last 4 pieces you cut for the width.)

Take 2 of the legs & glue 1 of the width twigs to the height you prefer. (Shown is 1st attempt with wire & then where it’s glued)

Take the 2 long pieces (side of bed) & glue them to the legs of the bed. Once that has set, then glue them to the other legs of the bed. (Some of the pics aren’t too great, but I do hope they help a bit.)

Again, once the glue has set, you should have a bed frame. Glue the last 2 short pieces to the top of the bed, for the canopy. (I just use those to instead of adding more, because the fabric only need to be glued in two places to drape like a canopy should)
Then glue pieces across the bedding area, as shown in the pics above. These are short pieces, the same size as the width twigs, you choose the amount you want to place.

Cut your felt about the size of the bedding area, I cut ours just a little less than that size. Then glue it to your bedding area at the head & footing of the bed. Then (using a different color) cut a small square for the pillow. (I folded that piece in 1/2 & glued it, making it appear thicker. But you can also create your own tiny pillow, if you choose to.)
Take your fabric for the canopy & drape over the canopy frame. Cut to the size you choose & glue on the small twigs.

Once you have completed this, you can deco the bed as you choose. Things like flowers up the siding of the bed. You can use moss for the pillow, or even as the mattress instead of the felt. Ribbons up the sides for a more feminine look, or even lace.

 

 

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Fairy Doll ~ Pattern & Directions

Items Needed:
Fabric & Fabric Scraps
Yarn
Sewing Machine
Sewing Needle
Thread
Sharpie
Pencil
Freeze Paper
Items to add to Fairy Dress (fake flowers, ribbons, fake leaves & so on)

Trace this pattern (added below) onto freezer paper. Cut out & place on your choice of fabric, right sides facing each other. Sew around shape before cutting out (it is suppose to make it easier but you can cut & then sew). Make sure you leave an area unstitched so you can later stuff the pieces.

Turn pieces right side out. Stuff the body so it is firm. The legs & arms can be softer. Once stuffed, stitch closed.

Draw the face onto the fabric w/ a pencil. Then go over it with a sharpie. (A face is on the pattern, but you can draw what ever face you choose)

Cut yarn to the length of hair. You can either sew onto the dolls head, or glue. Make sure it’s abundant (so you can braid or style the hair the way you want).

Sew the Fairy together. Attaching the arms & legs. Once this is done, it is time to dress the Fairy.
The clothes can be sewed on or removable. Gather lengths of lace, ribbons, strips of unhemmed fabric. You can stitch these directly on to the doll.
Fairies can be dressed ragged like with fake flowers & leaves that are starting to fade (items you would have on hand). Skirts can be made with leaves & flowers. Or the can be created with scraps of fabric stitched together.

You can add little things like hats, baskets, canes, umbrellas … any thing to make them a little more unique.

For the wings, you can buy fake butterflies from the Dollar Tree (they come in packs of 2 or 3) and attach them to the back of the fairy. OR you can draw out a butterfly shaped wings; they can be fabric (stuffed), or cardboard (colored how every you choose). Making your fairy unique to you … or the child you created them for

                                                  

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DIY Basic Bath Fizzy

Items Needed:
2 bowl to mix in (glass preferred; large & small)
mold (ice trays or designed shapes)
container with lid or plastic wrap (or both)
1 c baking soda
3/4 c citric acid powder
1/4 c corn starch
Essential oil/Fragrance oil
Liquid color
Mister bottle filled w/ water

Put all dry ingredients into large glass bowl. Break up any lumps. Mix thoroughly with fork/spoon or your hands. (complete mixing helps create great fizzies.)
Remove about 1/2 c & place in small bowl. Add in your color, do this a few drops at a time; writing down the amount of the color you prefer. Add in essential/fragrance oil, few drops at a time; writing down the amount to get the scent you prefer. Place the amount in the small bowl back into the larger bowl. Mix well.
Spritz the mixture LIGHTLY, over spraying will cause mixture to fizz! You only need enough mixture damp enough to hold together. Mix this with your hands, so you can judge the dampness. Only spray if ingredients won’t hold together.
Pack the mixture into a mold. Make sure to pack mixture down hard, adding more mixture (if needed). Pack one mold at a time.
Let mixture sit for a few minutes (no more than 5). Placing a piece of card board over mold, flip over. The solid fizzy will fall out onto the cardboard.
Let fizzies sit overnight before you touch or wrap, because they are very delicate at this point. Once the fizzies are dry, you can wrap them or place them in a container for later use.

 

I have made these in both silicon ice trays, as well as soap molds. Both came out amazing, the shapes make them a little more personal. But the cubes work just as well.

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DIY Hand Sanitizer

Items Needed:
Container w/ lid
1/3 c aloe vera gel
2/3 c Rubbing Alcohol 99%
8-10 drops of essential oil (optional)

Using a funnel, put ingredients into container. Shake well to mix. (I always shake before using – but I did that with pre-made hand sanitizer, too.)

Suggest essential oils: vanilla, lavender, peppermint, mandarin, sandalwood, patchouli, orange … etc.

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DIY Basic Bath Salt

Items Needed:
Container w/ lid (I use jelly mason jars)
Epsom salt/sea salt (or both)
food coloring (liquid)
Essential oils (scent of choice)

Fill jar almost completely to top with salt (one or both). (I leave a small area, so I can shake jar up when I add oil & coloring.)
Add in essential oils shaking to mix, the amount is up to you (on how strong you want the scent); add only a few drops at a time until you reach the desired scent.
The same goes with food coloring, add a few drops at a time, shaking to mix. Adding more color until you reach desired color.
Seal container. Decorate jar, if you desire. Keep for self or give as gift.

Keep in mind that both the scent & color will be diluted in bath water. I have yet to have a color stain the tub or body.

Make sure you keep a note of how much essential oil & food coloring you used. This will make it so much easier to re-create your desired bath salt.

 

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DIY Wasp Killer

Items Needed:
Spray Bottle
4 c Water
1 tsp. dish detergent
1 tsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. lemon juice

Mix together dish detergent with lemon juice in the spray bottle. Add in cooking oil. Add in the water to this mixture & shake.
Spray around wasp nest, soaking area. DO NOT SPRAY DIRECTLY OR YOU COULD GET STUNG.

 

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DIY Window Cleaner

Items Needed:
Spray bottle
1/4 c Rubbing Alcohol
1/2 c Vinegar
2 c Water

Mix ingredients into spray bottle, and shake. Spray on to glass. Using news paper (yep, I am serious & it works amazing when you use it) wipe down window’s or mirror’s.

 

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DIY Toilet Cleaner

Items Needed:
Spray bottle
2 part Borax
1 part Lemon Juice
1 part Vinegar

Mix ingredients together in your spray bottle. Shake & spray. I let set for a few minutes & then clean.

In our main bathroom, I use this 1/2 through the week (before using the DIY Bathroom Cleaner) because (well) the toilet is used a lot.

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DIY Bathroom Cleaner

Items Needed:
32 oz. Spray Bottle
8 oz. Distilled White Vinegar
4 oz. Lemon Juice
2 oz. liquid Soap (I use generic liquid dish soap)
2 tsp. baking soda
10 oz. water

Using a funnel, mix all the ingredients. (you might need to squeeze out suds) Screw on the cap & shake to mix all items.

Clear the surfaces. Spray down all areas in bathroom – tub, sink, counter, mirror, faucets & toilet (inside & out). Let it sit for a short time. using a rag, wipe down surfaces from cleanest to dirtiest.
Make sure to rinse out the tub so it is not slippery.

I loved how my bathroom was cleaned better than any of the pre-made cleaners. We use this once a week, and it’s spray down, wait 10 or so min, wipe down (rinse out tub) & done. I enjoy that I don’t have to worry about the chemicals.

NOTE: The 1st time I used this, I forgot it was a strong scent when I made it. Make sure you leave your exhaust fan on! Given it’s not as bad as pre-made bathroom cleaners … it’s always a good idea to use any type of cleaner with some for of exhausted (an open window or exhaust fan).

 

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DIY Laundry Detergent

I make this in doubles. I am providing a recipe that should last you 3-6 months (or longer) depending on how much laundry you do. We are a household of 6 most of the time but 7 when my grandson comes to for a few days.

You will need:
Container w/ Lid
1 TBSP (for measuring detergent into machine)
2 c Super Washing Soda (found in laundry section of store)
1 Fels-Naptha Bar Soap (found in laundry section of store)
1 Ivory Bar Soap
2 c Borax (found in laundry section of store)
2 c Baking Soda

Using a Food Processor, shred the Fels-Naptha & Ivory bars. (A blender should work as well, but I find the Food Processor works so much better.)
Once shredded, mix all ingredients into Container with lid. I shake this up until I know they are really mixed. BUT if you want, you can slowly mix these items in your Food Processor & blend together. (Since I double the recipe, I just find it easier to mix in Container.)

Use 1 TBSP per load. If it is a heavy soiled load, you might want to add a little more. So far, I have only had to use 1 TBSP per load. (I used Sharpie & wrote it on container “Use only 1 TBSP per load”)

Cost:
Fels-Naptha = $ 0.97
Ivory = $1.24 (3 pk)
Borax = $3.38
Super Washing Soda = $3.24
Baking Soda = (well, I forgot to keep that amount )

I have found this cheaper than even store brand detergents AND it cleans our clothes better. Since some of us have slight reaction to some pre-made laundry detergents (& it’s a different one for each ), I have found this detergent does NOT annoy anyone’s skin … to include my grandchildren (who I have used on their clothes since the day they were born). I would suggest you TEST it out before making a full batch, just to be on the safe side!

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