DIY-itis

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Just a warning...you might get a little DIY-happy. For the past week, I've been engaging my inner crafty, and I thought I'd share a few of my projects with you. 

Nerd alert: This post may make me seem even more nerdy than I already am. 

Homemade Laundry Soap

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 box Borax

1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

5 bars Fels-Naptha Bar Soap

Fragrant oil of choice

 

Step One: Grate bar soap with a cheese grater.

 

Step Two: Mix together entire box of Borax, washing soda, and grated bar soap. Add oil for scent if desired. 

Step Three: Put in a pretty jar, and voila!  

The total investment for this project is about $9, and the mixture lasts nearly 200 loads!! Just one tablespoon per load does the trick, and yes...it works quite well.

Watermelon Cake

 

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 box (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
4 large eggs
1 cup water
1⁄3 cup oil
3 1⁄2 cans (16 oz each) vanilla frosting
Red, orange, leaf green, yellow and black gel or paste food color
Chocolate-covered raisins (Raisinets)

 

Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat two 9-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax paper; coat with spray. 

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. 

Cool in pans on wire rack 15 minutes; invert cakes onto rack, remove paper and cool completely. 

 

Tint one can frosting red-orange. Using leaf green, yellow and a bit of black, tint one can frosting pale green. Remove 1/2 cup pale green frosting to a pastry bag fitted with decorating tip. Using more leaf green and black food color, tint remaining pale green frosting until it turns dark green.

 

Stack cake layers on a cutting board; cut crosswise in half. Set one piece aside.

For large melon slice: Sandwich 3 cake layer halves with 1/3 cup white frosting between each (invert top layer so flat side is up). For small melon wedges: Cut reserved piece of cake into 3 wedges. Frost slice and wedges with a thin layer of remaining white frosting.

Frost rounded edges of cakes with dark green frosting. Using flat slide of decorating tip, pipe pale green frosting along edge of dark green frosting on sides and top. Pipe squiggly lines onto sides over dark green frosting. With spatula, smear pale green lines to create the look of watermelon skin.

Frost rounded edges of cakes with dark green frosting. Using flat slide of decorating tip, pipe pale green frosting along edge of dark green frosting on sides and top. Pipe squiggly lines onto sides over dark green frosting. With spatula, smear pale green lines to create the look of watermelon skin.

 

Remove large melon slice to serving tray, standing it on rounded edge. Frost back side of cake with reserved red-orange frosting; decorate with additional chocolate-covered raisins. Place small wedges on tray with large slice.

 

Enjoy!

Laundry Nook Beautification

This isn't so much a craft as a fun project. My laundry area needed some love, so I invested $18 and about an hour of my time to make this nook a little less of an eye sore. 

BEFORE:

 

AFTER:

I believe everything should be beautiful.