Easy Laundry Detergent

Today was a “snow day”, it’s really cold outside and snowed most of the day.  I got a few things checked off my to do list.  I baked cookies, made a nice lunch, cleaned up the kitchen, and made laundry detergent.  The last time I made it was in the fall of 2011. I used the basic recipe I found here but of course tweaked it a bit. 

Last time I used Fels Naptha soap, Borax and Washing Soda.  This time I used Zote, the Borax and Washing Soda, I added Oxy Clean and Baking Soda.  I used the same recipe except I did not add the Purex crystals. 

Instead of grating the soap, I cut it in smaller pieces with a knife and added 3-4 pieces of the soap to the washing soda in the blender, made it smooth as silk!  And I didn’t have to grate it!

Pulse the blender until it looks like this picture.

Then run it a bit longer and presto!  I kept adding the ingredients in the biggest mixing bowl I have stirring. 

See how smooth it is?  The Zote smells much better than Fels Naptha, at least that is my opinion. 

I used a jar funnel to pour the soap into the big jars.  I found one at Wal-Mart and I think it was $5.99.  The second one I found at Goodwill for $2.  So this made a jar and a half, at 1 tablespoon (2 for heavily soiled loads) a load it will last me forever!  Which is nice to not have to buy expensive detergent.  This quantity of detergent cost me about $12, not counting the jars. 

The little blue scoop from the Oxy Clean makes a perfect scoop!

I might be linking to these great parties!

Two seam pillow cover

I received some canvas fabric from Wholeport that is really vivid colors.

I covered a 20 inch pillow so I cut a pieces 21 inches x 59 inches (the width of this particular fabric).  This fabric is sooo easy because it can be cut with scissors on the squares for an accurate size.

I love this bright and cheery fabric with the blues and pinks.

I laid my pillow form on top just to confirm the size.

Don’t cut the selvages…I use them for the pillow back for the opening to put the pillow inside.  Fold over and press the selvage about 1/2 inch or even an inch.  Use iron on fusible tape to hold the selvage down.

Just make sure that it is ironed down all the way.

Now fold the pillow cover right sides together so that the folded edges are not showing. 

Adjust it until the measurement is 20 inches wide.  There is no seam to shorten this side, so make sure it measures accurately. 

Now pin the two cut edges together.

Make sure that the folded over edge is laying flat.

Seam down the cut edges, using a 1/2 inch seam.

I use Fray Check to keep the edges from unraveling.  This fabric is a looser weave. The Fray Check dries perfectly clear without showing at all.

Now turn right side out and iron the seams out.  Then slip your pillow in and enjoy!

This style takes very little time and you can make several for one form to change up for different seasons or moods! 

I might be linking to some of these great parties!

Folding Chair Makeover

I have had this folding chair in my garage for several (or maybe 10) years…I use it occasionally for when I set up at a craft show or when I have a garage sale.   I have been looking for a chair for the guest room and it occurred to me that this chair would work fine for that. But I wanted to paint it first.

I made chalk paint with some plaster of Paris and a free sample jar of Valspar in Posh Red. Love those coupons for free sample sized paints in the magazines I subscribe to (Coastal Living, HGTV Magazine, Country Living, This Old House). 

I put on two coats of the chalk paint and then waxed it really well with MinWax paste wax. Usually one coat of the paste wax is good, but I put two coats on this beauty! 

Love the satin sheen to the chair!  Turned out really well, there are some areas where the natural wood shines through, that’s what I love so much about the chalk paint, you can control how much of the original wood shines through. 

Loving the way the wax brings out the color of the chair!

I may be linking to some of these great parties!

How to update an old woven rug…

I won this great rug four years ago from Its Great To Be Home.  I was so proud of it!  Well that rug has been in constant use for four years now!  I use it in front of the front door or in the bathroom or where ever.  I use rugs a lot as they save the carpet and collect dirt at the door.  My dog Rachel always chose this particular rug to throw up on (sorry, TMI?).  She was an old dog and couldn’t help it!  And on a side note, please don’t judge my old blogging style! 

Here’s an up close of the rug…it’s woven but it has started to wear and fray but only at the ends.  I washed it this past weekend and even though the ends have been sewn down several times, it had frayed beyond repair.  So I was sitting at the sewing table with scraps from my last project around me.  And then I started thinking, and then this happened!

It’s a great update for this rug which still has a lot of life left!

I had some blue chevron fabric but the blues in the rug have faded a bit over the years and it is more of a blue grey color.  So the grey chevron scraps match/coordinate nicely!

I think this rug will last at least another four years!

Mama Kitty approves!

One of my better upcycle projects, if I do say so myself!

I might be linking to some of these great parties!

The guest bedroom is now open for business!

I have a guest bedroom now!  I got to make over my son’s bedroom since he moved into his own apartment. He is a sophomore now and lives close so I still get to see him.  The room was a bit of a disaster, I deep cleaned and shampooed the carpet and touched up the paint and spackled, and well you get the idea!

I’ve always loved the morning sun this room gets…

This little desk was mine as a child…built by my grandfather in 1965.  I think all five of us girls got one like this and the boys got a more business like desk.  The original stool is long gone but I found this little vanity stool at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $1.  I recovered it with some chevron fabric and it was ready to use. I am still looking for the perfect lamp here.

I moved a little bookcase into the corner of the room and added some bright colors in a beachy/ocean theme.

The ombre basket that I painted goes well here!

So does the dictionary page saying in a thrifted frame…

The walls in this room are grey, I didn’t care for it at first, but it goes great with the blue, yellow, cream and red that I used. I bought very little for this room makeover, much of it I had accumulated over time.

I did make the headboard for the bed.  And the quilt on the bottom of the bed.

And these two quilts which I tucked into a thrift store painted basket.

I love this coat rack; I made it from hardware store faucets and actually cost very little.

The little red glass lamp came out of my closet and the embroidery hoops were collected and I used scraps to put in them.  I made the dust ruffle from a thrifted fitted mattress pad and some muslin that was 70% off at JoAnns.

Mom got me the beach sign for my birthday and you can see how I made the wreath here.

You can see the little pine chest here…it is called a “shoe chest” in my family.  Again, my grandfather made it in 1965 and I think all of us had one at one time.  The square pouf I got at Target for $11 (Wal-Mart had them for $20 even)!  It was on clearance and recovering it is on my to do list.

I might be linking to these great parties!  Thanks for stopping by!