Spring Home Decorating Ideas Using Recycled Materials

 

Spring is a great season for bringing new life to your home decorating projects. Spring is fresh and fertile, and these ideas will show you how to use recycled materials in your spring themed home decorating projects.

Collage Photos

Flowers, birds, bunnies, plants, fruits, and vegetables are all spring images. Use old magazines to create collages to display on your wall. Cut out spring images and glue them to pieces of heavy paper. Then place the images inside old frames and hang them on different areas of the wall. You can use multiple images or you can use large pages with single images. This craft is great for adding style while recycling materials.

Plastic Lid Wall Hanging

Make a spring themed wall hanging using plastic lids, paint, paintbrushes, scissors, and ribbon. Start by painting all of the lids a solid color. Then decide on the message you want to write on your banner. Spring and bloom are good word choices for decorating during this season. Then paint each letter of your message on a different lid. Cut holes in the sides of each lid and use the ribbon to tie them together. Hang this project in your home for instant décor.

Dried Flower and Twig Candle Holders

Add that spring touch to your candles by placing them in these handmade holders. For this idea you will need twigs, ribbon, dried flowers, hot glue, and jars. Start by tying the ribbon around the lip of the jar and using the glue to secure it in place. Then glue some flowers and twigs to the ribbon to add more seasonal charm Candles complete the look.

Bird's Egg Centerpiece

For this centerpiece you will need grapevines or twigs. You will also need glue, eggs, a needle, paintbrushes, and paint. Start making the nest by wrapping the vines or the twigs together in a circle. Add more vines until the circle is smaller and the bottom is covered. Use glue along the way to secure it in place. Then use the needle to poke a small hole in the egg and blow out the contents. Finally paint the egg and place in the nest for your centerpiece.

These spring themed decorations are fun and easy to create. Try these ideas in your home decorating themes for spring, and you will love the results.

Using the Powers of Gemstones to Increase Health and Wellness

 

Gemstones have magical powers that can help bring great things to those who are aware of the powers they possess. Gemstones are remarkable in many ways. They absorb and reflect light and energy; grow naturally in perfect patterns that humans have emulated for so long. Gemstones are beautiful and reflect all the colors of the rainbow. One of the most amazing qualities of gemstones is the power they have to help and to heal. Here is a detailed list of gemstones that can help in situations of health and wellness.

Agate is a commonly found gemstone that has the power to help with health and wellness. It is a useful tool in helping to heal many different parts of the human body. Agate comes in many different colors and is useful for many different things. Agate is best known for its parrellel strips and bands. It can help with confidence and balancing. Botswana agate is also useful for respiratory problems, the lungs, and those who want to quit smoking. Moss agate is an agate that is usually green, brown, blue, or dark gray and it is useful with problems with the blood and dietary problems.

Chrysocolla is a beautiful gem that has a lovely blue and green pattern to it. This stone is so intriguing because of the intricate patterns and swirls of the colors in this stone. It is also very helpful to those in need of health healing. Chrysocolla is helpful with bone problems, and treats pain such as arthritis.

Danburite is another extremely helpful crystal. It is commonly white, but it may also be found in clear or slightly tinted pink, beige, brown, and yellow. This stone is a powerful tool in helping detoxify. It is also a necessary tool for those who have weight issues and want gain energy. Another incredible characteristic of danburite is its ability to help with motor functions.

Another good stone for detoxifying is Enstatite, and it uses revolve around the cleansing of the circulatory system, gallbladder, liver, and kidneys. It is a radiant gemstone that is usually clear and commonly yellow, brown, orange, or greenish in color.

Labradorite is a truly beautiful stone that is grayish in color but reflects beautiful blue and green tones. It is amazingly iridescent and a wonder to behold in the light. Labradorite is helpful with digestion, and it is commonly used for weight loss. It is also helpful with immune problems.

Gemstones are glorious natural works of art that have so much energy and ability to help and heal. I hope this list will show you that gemstones can be an important tool in increasing your health and well being.

How to Create Miniature Dollhouse Cupcakes Using Polymer Clay

by Sarah Ganly 

If you have ever owned a dollhouse or even seen some miniature dollhouse items I am sure you can agree that these tiny items are amazing and precious. These minuscule items can be very detailed and lifelike, and they can also be fairly simple to make and a lot of fun! Here is a user-friendly guide to making dollhouse size cupcakes that you will enjoy for years to come.

First you need a few simple tools; one tool I find very hand is a putty knife or any solid item that can be used for cutting. Next I find it helpful to have a pin or a small pen, but remember you don't want ink on your art so use the pen that doesn't work. The final necessary item is polymer clay. It may seem challenging to choose which colors you like, but my basic rule of thumb is choose colors that would make a cupcake that you would like to eat. I usually choose an off white, pink, and 2 or 3 colors for sprinkles, but remember sprinkles are optional.

Now that you have your materials you are ready to start the fun part. Take the base color, in my case the white, and roll it into a ball; then shape the ball into a cylinder by flattening 2 opposite sides of the ball. This piece will make the bottom of your cupcake. Next I like to put this piece of clay in the refrigerator or somewhere colder to make the clay a harder consistency.

While this clay is getting hard take the icing color and roll it into a long tube or strand. You cam taper one end if you like, but it is not necessary. Now roll the tube into a spiral until it is the width of the bottom of your cupcake. When the spiral has reached the right width, start to spiral up on top of the original spiral to form a nice peak. At this point you can leave the peak or give it a little pinch and twist to add detail.

By the time you are done with this the cupcake base should be nice and hard. You should now use your cutting tool press lines into your base to give the idea of a crinkle edge. These vertical lines will add detail and depth to your cupcake. Finally connect the base with the top of the cupcake, and you should be delighted with the results.

Remember this project is up to you so make any type of cupcake you want. You can also add sprinkles by taking tiny multicolored pieces of clay and lightly tapping them onto the cupcake. Just bake and you are ready for a dollhouse birthday party!