Baked Ribbon? Keep that Curl!

I have been promising a tutorial for how to create the ribbon on this page since I first posted it, so here it is!

 I always wanted to know how the ribbon that was used to make those pretty little girl's hairbows kept it shape.  I was sure it involved some kind of chemical or it was manufactured that way.  Well, I did a little research and was SHOCKED to find out how truly simple it is.  Wind it around a dowel, or in my case a bamboo skewer from the kitchen, and bake it!

In this tutorial I use a variety of ribbons, and I use both dowels and bamboo skewers.  It is your choice and depends on what your final result to look like.  I have not yet found a ribbon that does not work, but if you come across one, please let me know! 

Preheat oven to 275.

Begin by clipping the end of your ribbon to the end of a dowel with a wooden clothespin.  If you do not have any clothespins, use a straight pin.  The first time I made these I used straight pins and it was a bit trickier, but definitely possible.
     
Next you wind the ribbon tightly around the dowel from end to end.  
 
Cut the ribbon off when you get to the end of the dowel and secure it with another clothes pin or straight pin.  

Make as many ribbons as you would like.  I used 4 on this layout.  Place them on a baking sheet. Bake on 275 for about a half hour.  
 
Remove them from the oven and LET THEM COOL!  As always this is a hard step for me!  But, I learned the hard way that if you unwind them before they are cooled, the curls will loosen or come out altogether. (I do move them to a towel  to get them away from the heat of the pan so they cool faster!)

Once they have cooled completely, slide them off of their dowels.  There are times when they get caught on a sliver of wood...DO NOT PANIC, simply unwind the ribbon from that area and slide it off the opposite end as the grain of the wood sometimes catches the ribbon.
 
Use these great little ribbons on you next scrapbook page, make a fun hair bow, use it for gift wrap, add it to a home decor project.  The sky is the limit!  Post a pic of your project so we can see!


FUN STUFF!!!  What will you create with yours?  Please share your ideas!

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Jolly Lollies: A Sweet Summer Treat!

Jolly Lollies: A Sweet Summer Treat!

What a fun and easy way to make a sweet summer treat!
If you love Jolly Ranchers, what could be better than a lollipop you made yourself with all your favorite Jolly Rancher Flavors!?!
This is an idea that I came across in my endless internet browsing but lost it's origin.  This is where I would usually give credit where it is due, but I do not who to give the credit to....
Grab a bag of Jolly Ranchers, aluminum  foil, parchment paper and some sticks (I used trimmed bamboo skewers), and preheat the oven to 275.

Prepare your pan by lining it with aluminum foil, then parchment paper.

Place the Jolly Ranchers as shown below.  They should be touching and there should be enough space around each to place your stick quickly after removal from the oven.  Notice how they are staggered?  Set the timer for 5 minutes.

At this point, this is how they should look.  Continue to watch them melt,

Remove them from the oven when they are evenly melted into puddles like shown below.

QUICKLY, place the sticks and twist them slightly to cover them

Let them cool.  Them remove them from the tray.

 
Watch your little one's eyes light up when they see these great candy treats!!

My kiddos loved them, I hope your's do too!

You can make these and wrap them for party favors, classroom treats, office treats.  Make a candy bouquet......
Super Simple and Yummy, Yummy!

DIY Foam Bath Paint

DIY Foam Bath Paint

 Add a little food coloring to regular old shaving cream and Voila! You have Foam Bath Paint....My girls stayed in the tub playing for an hour!  Let me tell you how wrinkly their little piggies were!!  The best part is the shaving cream acts as a cleaning agent as well, so when the fun was done, I sprayed off the shower walls and it was cleaner than when they started!  Does it get ANY better than a fun bath time treat that actually cleans the shower?!?!  I do not think so! 

  

Inspired by a pin from here!

Red, White and Blueberry Shortcake!

Red, White and Blueberry Shortcake!

Makes you just want to reach into the screen and grab a bite, Right?  Well, they are quick and easy so whip up a batch tonight!

Ingredients:

For Shortcake:

2 c  Bisquick

3 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1/3 c milk

For topping:

1 pint heavy whipping cream

3 Tbsp sugar

1 lb strawberries

1 pint blueberries

Preheat oven 450 degrees

Place all of the shortcake ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix by hand just until no dry ingredients remain.

Divide the batter into 6 scoops and place on an ungreased baking sheet

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes

Remove from oven and allow to cool

   

 Pour heavy whipping cream and 3 Tbsp sugar into a bowl and beat with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer for about 10 minutes, until the form stiff peaks.

Slice the strawberries, reserving 6 for garnish

Use a masher to mash the sliced strawberries

         

Place shortcake on plate, add strawberry mash, about 8 blueberries, whipped cream

A couple more blueberries and the whole strawberry as garnish and ENJOY! YUM!!

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Going Green for the Red White and Blue!

Going Green for the Red, White, and Blue!

Here is our green craft for the week!  I did not buy anything new for this project!

For our green projects, I use only things that I already have lying around.

I get to make pretties and save a little bit of room in the landfill!

You'll need:

Jars: Any size you like (Label removed and cleaned inside and out)

Adhesive cardstock, stickers, or adhesive vinyl

Stippling Brush

Acrylic Paint

Wire

Decorations

Candles

Scissors

First, decide what you are going to use for your mask.  I used adhesive cardstock but you could use stickers, or adhesive vinyl. I used the Cuttlebug to die cut these stars and a straight cutter for the stripes.

Design your jars by firmly pressing your masks into place.  Be sure to rub the edges to create a tight seal so no paint will seep under.

      

Use a relatively dry stippling brush and dab a small amount of paint onto the areas you want colored.  If you want to completely cover the area it may take several coats. I was looking for a more textured look. Let it dry completely!

      

Carefully remove the masks.

         

Use wire to create a hanger as shown above.

Take some scraps of fabric, ribbon, fibers, whatever you happen to have to "Kick it up a notch!"

Place a candle inside and light them up!

Such a pretty and earth friendly way to celebrate our great U.S. of A!

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