Paleo Friendly Cookies/Bar

By: Victoria Kulig

I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. I love cookies, so having a cookie on hand that is safe to eat is always welcome.

After I made these, I did alter the recipe a tiny bit, and I found they were more like small granola bars almost. They weren't as sweet as I would like in a cookie, but they are great as just a snack. I also found that they were much more tasty cold!

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• 1 apple, finely diced
• 1 cup coconut milk (I did not have coconut, so I used sweetened almond milk)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Optional: cup shredded coconut, or cup of dark chocolate chips. Or if you're me, both!

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel your bananas, put them in a bowl, and use a fork to smash them up.

 

3. Add the coconut flour, almond butter, and baking soda, and mix well. Chop up your walnuts as finely as you can, and dice your apple.

4. Add the walnuts, apples, coconut milk (or almond milk) and cinnamon to the bowl and mix well.

Optional Step: If you want to add shredded coconut, or dark chocolate chips - now is the time!

5. Grease your cookie sheet, and spoon our big tablespoons of the mix onto it, about two inches apart. Bake for 30 minutes.

As I said, they're big, and a bit more like a granola bar than a cookie. They aren't sweet - but they are delicious! They're quite filling, however. I kept them in the fridge and would use them as an afternoon snack at work.  My husband was rather fond of them as well.

Tips:

Almond milk and coconut milk are becoming more and more popular, so you can likely find them in the milk section at your local grocery store. I've been able to find both at Winn-Dixie, Publix, and Wal-Mart.

Coconut flour (or almond flour) are not quite as common. I've found them in Publix in the Greenwise section, or in Wal-Mart in their 'gluten-free' section.

Almond butter can be found near the peanut butter, and I've seen it in Winn-Dixie, Publix, and Wal-Mart.

Paleo Friendly Waffles

By: Victoria Kulig

I am following a Paleo lifestyle in my on-going process to become more healthy and take better care of my body. In this dietary change, it has eliminated a lot of processed foods from my diet - as well as dairy, legumes, wheat, gluten, pastas... and a wealth of other foods.

While it is an overall healthy diet - full of meats, vegetables and fruits, sometimes I miss things.

One of those things is the convenience of frozen waffles.

I found a recipe for making Paleo friendly pancakes, then tweaked it a bit to make waffles out of it.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup of water
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• Coconut oil (or butter, or ghee... I use it to keep them from sticking to the iron)
• cup of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and whisk it all together.
2. Get out your waffle iron, grease it, and heat it up.
3. Pour mixture into waffle iron. Cook waffles.
4. Enjoy heavenly aroma of honey, vanilla, and chocolate.
5. Take out cooked waffles, put into a gallon sized Ziploc bag, and put into freezer immediately.

Now that you have cooked and frozen your waffles, you can have them whenever you need them. Just pop them into the toaster and they will smell as good as they did when you first made them, and they'll be crispy - much like an Eggo waffle would be.

This recipe would make about 12 waffles - so if you eat two at a time, you're looking at 6 servings. If you make smaller waffles, you could stretch it out a bit more. They taste fine plain, but I love to drizzle a little honey on them when I eat them.

I used dark chocolate chips because I am a sucker for chocolate. Feel free to swap that out with fresh berries or even nuts to try different combinations!

Upcycling a Monitor into a Pet Bed

By: Victoria Kulig

Not that long ago, we all used CRT monitors. They were big, clunky, and took up a large portion of our desks.

I'm sure some people out there still use them, but a large number of people seem to just toss them out into the trash (although I would hope they're being disposed of properly and not just tossed to the curb!)

I saw a monitor turned cat-bed once, and decided to see if I could do it as well. How hard could it be? So, I set to work.

A word of caution: This. Is. Dangerous. CRT monitors can hold an electric current for up to two years after being unplugged. Hitting the screen the wrong way can break the vaccuum seal and cause it to explode. The Divine Domestics can not be held liable for anyone trying this and getting injured. If you don't know what you are doing, please find an electrician to help you. Getting hurt trying to make a bed isn't worth it.

I got my hands on an old CRT.

Nothing fancy, and in fact this one still worked. The next step is to take it apart. At this point, I do need to caution you about handling the inside parts of the monitor. Please wear rubber shoes during this process to protect yourself from electric shock. Don't stand near or in water.

 

 

There are a lot of wires and other pieces inside of a monitor. Please do not fiddle with the wires if you don't what they are, and be VERY careful not to break the monitor itself. A CRT can hold an electric charge for quite some time, so don't think that just because it has been unplugged for a week or two that it is completely safe.

In the monitor I used, everything came out in one solid piece, and we put it in a card board box and took it to our city's trash facility to be recycled. Please do not throw these in the trash.

Once it is apart, reassemble it, and paint it anyway you choose, then put a pillow inside. Now you have an adorable cat bed.

My cat isn't particularly fond of having her photo taken, but you can see here that is a cozy fit for a cat.

You can do this with virtually any type of CRT monitor, and here is an example of six in progress:

Cats fit in them best, but very small dogs could use them as well. I try to find pillows that fit, but you can always make your own pillow the really customize it.

Remember to be very, very, very careful in taking apart the monitor, but have fun making creative beds!

Deck Box

By: Victoria Kulig

A few months ago, Kandis introduced me to Magic the Gathering. I have always been aware of the game, but had never played before.

After a few rounds... I started to really enjoy the game, and wanted to keep playing more. So, of course, since her room mates played as well - I joined in and we had a lot of fun together.

So when her roommate's birthday came up in January, I thought that making him a Cthulhu-Lovecraft themed deck box would be a perfect gift.

I started with a very simple, plain box. It even looks as cheap as it was in this photo. I figured I could stain it a darker color to make it much nicer - and then use my wood burner to etch some designs into the box.

The directions on the finish said to paint the stain on, and wipe off any excess that wasn't absorbed by the wood - then repeat that step in a few hours.

I applied three coats of stain to the box to give it a very rich, dark, cherry wood color.

After I had stained it and let it dry completely, I looked up some of the symbols surrounding Lovecraft horror stories, as well as Cthulhu. (We had also played a table-top RPG that he had designed before, which sort of help guide my selections in the symbols.)

Once I found the symbols I wanted to use, I need to trace them on to the box. For me, I found it easy enough to just flip the paper over, and scribble all over the back with a pencil.

Then I pressed the paper to the box, and traced over it while pressing firmly - to trace the design onto the box.

Once I had traced it onto the box, I went over it again with an ink pen to make the design easier to see.

When all designs had been traced, I got out my wood burner. There are a lot of different types of burners, and different brands but they all work the same way. They have a point, and they get very, very hot very quickly. I don't think I need to overly stress that this part should be done by an adult, or at least under very close supervision.

The next step is just to use the burner to etch your designs. The harder your press and the slower you move, the deeper your burns are going to go.

Once the designs are all etched into the box, your designs will really pop!

I also decided to throw in some nice Cthulhu card sleeves I had found, a few Magic cards, and wrapped it up in My Little Pony wrapping paper that I quickly put together.

The gift was incredibly well received, and although I gave it to him late, he really appreciated the work.

"Purple Stuff" Canine Ear Cleaner

By: Courtney Patach

I have an American Bulldog with super sensitive ears that react to his food allergies! I can ALWAYS tells when he gets a hold of something that he is allergic to. You physically see his ears start to droop, his head starts to tilt, and the uncontrollable itching and scratching at his ears begins.

After numerous ear infections, several vet visits with rather large bills, countless medications, and all sorts of foods I felt as if I was at my wit’s end. It seemed we tried it all and were failing miserably; we’d even discussed ear docking as a medical necessity. However, the tables have turned and we seem to have found a happy balance with his current food (Nutrisca - Salmon & Chickpea formula) and the “Purple Stuff” ear cleaner regimen.

Ingredients:

    16 oz. Witch Hazel
    4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
    16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%

It was a little difficult to mix everything together in the Witch Hazel bottle, like I was told. So, I just mixed everything in a large bowl and funneled the mixture back into the Witch Hazel bottle. You’ll also need to shake the solution every time before you use it!

To easily squirt solution into affected ear canals, you’ll want to purchase a bottle with a small tip.

TREATMENT: Evaluate condition of ears before treating and if very inflamed or sore do not attempt to pull hair or clean out ear at all. Wait until inflammation has subsided which will be about 2 days. Remember to shake the bottle each time before using. Flood the ear with solution (gently squirt bottle), massage gently to the count of 30, wipe with a cotton ball. Flood again on first treatment, wipe with a cotton ball, and leave alone without massage. The dog will shake out the excess, which can be wiped with a tissue. The Gentian Violet DOES stain fabrics!

SCHEDULE:

    Treat 2 x per day for the first week to two weeks depending upon severity of ears.
    Treat 1 x per day for the next 1-2 weeks.
    Treat 1 x per month to maintain (or even less frequently, depending on the dog).


All of these ingredients should be available at your local pharmacy. If the dog is okay with having his/her ears touched and cleaned, the dog should not object to this treatment. The Boric Acid Powder soothes the ears and the Gentian Violet Solution is an anti infection agent.

You should start to see a noticeable difference in a short time. I noticed a difference in the inflammation, head tilting/scratching reduced, and the overall attitude of my puppy seemed to drastically improve within the first week alone!

Steering Wheel and Seat Covers

By Victoria Kulig

Recently, I purchased a new car: Idriss. Well, new to me anyway, and yes, I name my things. I purchased her (She’s a beautiful, blue car named Idriss. Of course she’s female) because I have a lot of things I need to transport - mainly related to my dogs. My old car is absolutely covered in dog hair. It is embedded into the seats and even the almighty duct tape isn’t removing all of it.

So while my new car is going to be used to cart around dogs, there is no reason for her to be bathed in dog hair. I’m doing all I can to create seat covers and cargo mats to prevent her from getting as hairy as my previous car.

I started with something simple: the steering wheel. I actually like the steering wheel she has since it’s very comfortable for me to hold and to drive. However, it’s also a dark grey and I live in Central Florida. After a few hours baking in the sun, that thing will scald your hands!

Enter the steering wheel cover. To start with, you’ll need a pattern. I like to make all my patterns out of freezer paper; they can be ironed onto fabric if need be to keep them still, and they’re a bit sturdier than tissue paper. Additionally, if you wipe it off soon enough, you can even use dry erase markers!

To begin, measure your steering wheel. Take a piece of measuring tape, hold it on the wheel, and measure it out. Mine was 40 inches, so I used 43 inches to allow for seams. I honestly couldn’t figure out the best way to measure the width, so I searched until I found someone who had made a similar tutorial (which you can see here), and I used their measurement of 4.5”. Knowing what I do now, I wish I’d given it 5.5”. The finished one is just a bit too thin and kind of slides around on the wheel.

I used a simple strip of fabric, some thread, and a bit of elastic. I think mine was ⅜ of an inch thick - it was just what I had on hand.

Once I cut out the strip of fabric, the first step is to press the sides in. You’ll be making a casing for your elastic to slip into later, but by pressing in the seams - it will make the fabric lay nicely and be easier to sew later.

I pressed mine in half an inch. Be sure to press both sides of the fabric.

Once both sides are pressed, you will need to sew the ends together to create the circle. Take the two ends and pin them right-side together.

With the fabric I used, I had to be careful with how I closed my seams or it will fray. It’s a canvas type material, and you can see in the images how the edges are already fraying. So on my end seam, I used a french seam.

Your end result will be a bit like the above image. No open edges to keep fraying, just a nice seam with two lines of thread.

The next step is to finish the casing for the elastic. This is where pressing the seams will come in handy, as the fabric will want to fold in nicely on its own. Again, since my fabric frays, I rolled the edges under a bit to keep them inside the seam and not exposed. Pin a lot, then sew down close to the edge to create the casing. Be sure to leave a hole near the seam so that you can thread your elastic through later.

Once you’ve sewn the casing, repeat on the other side, and be sure to leave a hole on both sides of the seam for the elastic.

Now that the casings are sewn, you need to thread the elastic.

I always attach a safety pin to the end of the elastic to make it easier to thread. As you work it through the casing, I suggest pinning the other end to the entry hole of the casing to make sure that it doesn’t disappear inside the casing altogether.

Once you pull the elastic all the way through, sew the two ends together.

Repeat this for the other side. Once you have threaded the elastic and sewn the ends together, you need to close up the holes on both sides. Again, just roll the edges under to keep the unfinished side covered up, and sew closely to the edge. If you hit the elastic, don’t worry about it. As long as the rest of it can stretch it will still work fine.

Your end product will look a bit like a giant hair scrunchie. Now that it’s all said and done, go out and put it on your steering wheel.

I also made matching seat covers. For the covers, I used a McCall’s pattern, M5902. It contains several car organizers, bucket seat covers, and the back seat hammock. I decided to use the bucket seat covers, and using the same fabric I used on the steering wheel covers, get to work.

The pattern was very easy to work with, and I also elected to use dark grey fleece as a contrasting color to the pale fabric. The directions in this pattern were extremely easy to follow - but I will note that the seats in my car are a bit wider than the covers allow for. The fleece I used had a bit of stretch in it, so it still fit over the seat, but when I make them again I’ll be sure to leave some additional allowance.

These covers are incredibly cheap to make, and easy to replace if they wear out or rip. You can wash them pretty easily, and change them out as often as you see fit. The next time I make a set, I’m going to splurge on custom fabric from Spoonflower, or maybe even some faux fur for texture.

Then again, I may skip the fur. Fur is the reason I’m making covers for the car!

Saving a Cricut Mat

By Victoria Kulig

 

One year for Christmas, my mother-in-law graciously gave me a Cricut. I can not tell you enough how incredible this machine is... or how expensive.

Fortunately I found a way around paying $60 for a cartridge, by purchasing Sure-Cuts-A-Lot to use on my computer, which can connect via USB. However, until recently, I was still paying $8 for two mats, which are required for the device to work.

You’d think you could keep using the same mat over and over, right? The catch, is that they are sticky. They have an adhesive on them which keeps the paper stuck tight to the mat, and once that adhesive wears off the blade will actually tear up your paper, rather than cutting it. Unfortunately, that adhesive isn’t exactly all that long lasting.

In the middle of another project, I became incredibly frustrated with my Cricut because it kept destroying the design I was trying to cut.

So after some research, I found a way to make the mat sticky enough to work again.

Go to any craft store - and sometimes even Wal-Mart - and pick up a bottle of Aleene’s Tack-It Over & Over Glue and a foam craft brush.

It must be this brand, and this type of glue, and it must be a liquid. Do not cheat on this step by getting something cheaper, because I promise you, you’ll end up with a mat covered in glue that isn’t sticky - or one that is so sticky, your paper never comes off. It isn’t very expensive, and you won’t use much so it will last a LONG time.

Once you have the glue, get a small plastic container with a lid. Choose something you won’t miss, because you’ll be storing the extra mixture in it and you probably won’t want to eat out of it again.

Mix equal parts glue and water into the container, and stir it up. It should be a bit on the watery-side.

Next, wash your mat with warm water. Try to scrape off as much of the paper remnants you can. Once it’s clean and dry again, paint the glue mixture onto the mat, keeping an even coat. You won’t need to put more than one coat on it. Set it aside to dry.

Once it is completely dry, you should be able to just touch it with your finger, and the adhesive should be strong enough to stay stuck to your finger while you lift it up.

Now that it’s sticky, put your hands on the mat, and pull them off again - and repeat this several times. I basically just made sure to touch the whole mat twice over. You need to condition it, so it doesn’t rip your paper later on.

It is now ready for use! I tested it by cutting out the Wonder Woman logo I’m using for another project. After applying the new adhesive, it works like a dream! This is a fast, cheap, and incredibly easy way to salvage your old mats.

DIY Ruffly Belt

By: Courtney Patach

I saw this gem on Pinterest and I knew, right then and there, that I was going to have to try this DIY project. I’ve noticed that, the older I’ve gotten, the more my inner five year old child is coming out. If something’s pink, lacy, or has sparkles: Hell yeah, I want it!

Supplies Needed:

• Ribbon – as wide as you’d like your belt to be. I used 1.5 inch grosgrain for my belt, but you could certainly use something else entirely. Just make sure it will lie nicely on your waist.
• Fabric – I used four different types of material with similar tones; two fabrics in different shades, a shiny ivory tulle, and a soft ivory lace. Different textures make for nice variation when they’re all mixed together. The scrap remnants or fat quarter bins at your local fabric store make great places to start if you don’t want to purchase large amounts of fabric for this project.
• Needle
• Thread

Directions:

For the complete tutorial, see Rachel’s detailed explanation of a similar headband on her blog. But the gist is this…

 

1. Cut your fabric into about 2 inch squares. You’ll need about 2 squares per flower petal so you’ll want to cut a ton of squares.

2. Make your flower petals by stacking 2 squares on top of each other, rotating the top square slightly to create an X. Place a few small stitches through the base of each flower petal to secure. I suggest making a bunch of flower petals before you start attaching them.

3. Find the center of your belt and start attaching the “flower petals” there. I suggest cutting your ribbon longer than you think so you need. This will allow a little room for error, an off center look, or a big bow.

4. Attach as many flower petals as you’d like, rotating textures and colors for definition. I believe I used about 45 flower petals in all.

There you have it; a custom, lacy, fluffy, belt in no time. With a little imagination the possibilities are endless! This tutorial can be adapted to create numerous lacy, fluffy, ruffly items. I think a headband is next.

Last Minute Holiday Projects

• DIY Tutu
• Hot Chocolate Balls
• Blackberry Cobbler
• Holiday Ornaments
• Glittery Dinosaurs
• Sculpey Ornaments
• Weeping Angel Tree Topper
• Shrinky Dinks

DIY Tutu (Adult Size)
By: Courtney Patach

I had the pleasure of running my first 5k this past weekend; The Color Run, OMG it was a blast! The website boasted it was the happiest 5k on the planet and I think it lived up to its bold statement. However, this race was the prequel; the race I signed up for is in January. We have a team named Sweating for the Dress. After seeing numerous tutus at this race and a pink sign that read “I LOVE TUTU’s”. I have decided I MUST have one for the next race coming up!

Supplies: 

• 45-50 yards tulle*
• Elastic (enough to fit snugly around your waist)
• Needle / Thread (to stitch elastic together)
• Scissors

Instructions:

Wrap elastic around your waist, measure, and cut. The elastic should fit snugly; you want it to stay put when running, dancing, and straight out shaking your booty! Also measure and cut all of your tulle strips. I used a 27” piece of tulle for each tie to achieve a 6.5 inch tutu.

Take one single 27” piece of tool and fold it in half, like a hamburger bun. Then fold it in half again, only this time, like a hot dog bun. Then fold in half again and create a loop with your fingers and the elastic belt. I found if you stretch the elastic band over a chair back it will hold it in place for you to attach all the ties.

Finish attaching pieces to belt and voila; you have poofy, girly, twirly, tutu! Look out Color Run 2013, team Sweating for the Dress is coming through :D

*Please note, I used 6" pre-cut rolls of tulle (not whole bolts); I used 2 rolls in all.

Hot Chocolate Balls
By: Courtney Patach

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips* (about 2 cups) * I prefer a creamier hot chocolate and will substitute with ½ milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Makes about 9-10 hot chocolate balls.

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring often, until the mixture is combined and very smooth and silky. When you first start stirring, after the first minute or so, you'll wonder if this mixture will ever come together. It will look grainy and messy but after it heats thoroughly and is whisked to combine, it will magically become beautifully smooth. Be careful not to overheat as the chocolate can seize. The trick is to stir often since the mixture will blend together even when it looks like the chocolate chips haven't melted completely.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring often, until the mixture is combined and very smooth and silky. When you first start stirring, after the first minute or so, you'll wonder if this mixture will ever come together. It will look grainy and messy but after it heats thoroughly and is whisked to combine, it will magically become beautifully smooth. Be careful not to overheat as the chocolate can seize. The trick is to stir often since the mixture will blend together even when it looks like the chocolate chips haven't melted completely.

To make the hot chocolate: pour 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (depending on how rich you like your cocoa) milk into a microwave-safe mug. Carefully drop one unwrapped truffle hot chocolate ball in the milk. Microwave for about 2 minutes. Stir well until the chocolate is combined with the milk. Serve warm and don’t forget the tiny marshmallows!

Blackberry Cobbler (Pioneer Woman HGTV)
By: Courtney Patach

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups Sugar
• 1 cup Self-Rising Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• ½ stick of butter (melted) and
• Butter to grease pan
• 1 ½ cups Blackberries (washed/dried)

Watching t.v. on a Saturday afternoon, while folding laundry, when this recipe was featured on Food Network’s Pioneer Woman. It claimed to be so easy that it would become a staple in your dessert menu. This is by far the easiest cobbler recipe ever! I love simple recipes; tasty treats made with real ingredients, really fast!

Directions:

1.Start by greasing your pan with the extra butter. If you think you’re using too much butter, you’re not!

2. Next, mix 1 cup sugar, with 1 cup self-rising flour, 1 cup milk, and ½ stick of melted butter. Your batter will be thin; don’t freak out, it’s supposed to be this way.

3. Pour your batter into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Add the blackberries by dropping them on top of the batter and try to distribute evenly. The blackberries will settle, and the batter will bake up around them. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour.

4. Let cool to warm and enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or your favorite whipped topping!

Holiday Ornaments

By: Victoria Kulig

Recently, Kandis and I spent a weekend at the House of Awesome working on creating our own ornaments for our trees. She has three trees at her house, one of them dubbed the 'Geek Tree', and so she spent time painting ornaments. My own tree was full of cheap store-bought ornaments, so I thought I'd join her in the ornament making banaza.

Glittery Dinosaurs

It really wouldn't be my tree if it wasn't covered in dinosaurs. That sparkle. To make this happen, I purchased some small dinosaur toys from Hobby Lobby and the dollar store, a box of different colors of glitter, some Elmer's glue, screw-in eye hooks, and a Mod Podge spray sealant.

This craft is glitter intensive. Glitter at your own risk. You know what happens when you use glitter.

The first step was to lay out the dinosaurs and figure out where to place the hooks.

Then, using a pair of pliers, I screwed in the eye hooks into each dinosaur. Pay attention to where the bulk of the weight is, so the toys will hang nicely and not upside down.

Once I had all of the eyelets in place, I organized my dinosaurs by the glitter colors I was going to use. I didn't want all of the triceratops to be the same color, so I organized them first.



Next, using a cheap, throw-away paint brush, I painted them all with Elmer's glue, and then sprinkled glitter over them until they were fully covered.

 Once covered, I hung them all on strings to dry, making sure they weren't touching each other. I put a sheet of freezer paper under them to catch any glitter or glue drips while they dried.

Once they were all dry, I took them outside and sprayed them with a Mod Podge sealant - to make sure the glitter didn't drop off whenever they were bumped. Once dry, I simply hung them on my tree - a fantastic, glittery, dinosaur tree.

Sculpey Ornaments

Sculpey clay is just amazing. You can make anything you want, bake it, and paint it. You don't need to be an artist or have any prior experience - just grab it, mold it, and have fun. The Sculpey we used was a bit older so it took a lot of work to get it soft enough to mold just right, but we were able to make some amazing ornaments.

Sharktopus and Two-Headed Shark

Sharktopus

Dalek

Sonic Screwdrivers

Star Trek Emblem

Once molded, we simply baked them according to the directions. When ready they seem to get rubbery, but harden considerably when cooled. We made sure to insert holes to hang hooks before we baked them, too.

Once they're cooled and hardened, paint them!



Exterminate.

Then hang them on the tree and enjoy. Make anything! I think I need to create a Golden Snitch ornament next year.

Weeping Angel Tree Topper

As a huge Doctor Who fan, I felt like my tree was lacking an angel. A certain kind of creepy, stone angel who moved when you weren't looking. The tutorial for making a Weeping Angel has been popping up all over Pinterest, so Kari and I made our own.

There's no need to reproduce the tutorial which is already well written - so here's a link to the original.

We used a generic Barbie-type doll for ours - but at times we wished we'd forked over a few dollars to get an actual Barbie! The dolls we used were so cheap that at times their arms and legs would simply fall out of socket! Our wings are made out of foam rather than clay, and our hair made of hot glue. Additionally, we found a 'stone textured' spray paint - and although it isn't the stone grey we would have liked, the end result was still.... creepy.

Shinky Dinks

By: Nikki Thompson and Priscilla Burgos

Nikki and Priscilla decided to decorate their office tree - with Shrinky Dinks! Shrinky Dinks are wonderful because you can draw anything you like on them, cut them out, pop them in the oven watch them shrink down. They have a tiny tree, so Shrinky Dinks were absolutely prefect!