DIY Headband

Headbands are so in right now! Which is great because it is an easy way to change up your hairstyle and it is an awesome way to rock 2nd or even 3rd day hair. Headbands, like all diy accessory have endless possibilities. The one I am sharing is one I just finished. It was really simple.




What You Need

• Iron on patch
• A small piece of fabric (I am using felt) 
• Thin stretchy headband
• An iron

Directions
1. Cut your felt just larger than your patch, give yourself some room to work, but too much material makes it hard to maneuver.
2. Place your headband between your patch and your material and then iron on following the instructions of your specific patch.
3. Cut around the edges of your patch so that no material is visible from the outside.
4. Put it on your head and prepare for compliments. :)

DIY Decor

Photo Collage 

I was inspired to do this project by someone I looked up to in high school. She had done a photo collage on a piece of furniture and I thought it was so cool. Years later, when trying to make a house a home on a budget, it came back to mind. I love taking pictures of my kids! They are soo adorable and photogenic too. I have tons of great pictures of them, too many to display at once in frames. The idea of a collage is great because in one piece I can use several pictures. I bought two decorative pictures at the dollar store for $2 each and turned them into beautiful collages of my boys. Here is how :)

What You Need

• Something to turn into a collage- It can be anything so use what you have or find something inexpensive that fits your need. I am using 2 square wall hangings.
• Modgepodge Glue- I am using Mate instead of glossy because I think it gives the look of professional photography but many people prefer glossy. Chose the look you like :)
• Pictures- I am using black and white, I think it gives the collage an elegant touch.

        Directions

1. Cut out your pictures and position them as you please on the item you are collaging. If you cut out items to their shape you can fit more pictures on. Doing it that way looks great and really artistic but it is more tedious and time consuming. So I am keeping my pictures cut in squares and rectangles so it is simpler to fit together the pieces of the puzzle. I also like the clean lines. The best part of a diy project is you create it custom to what you like and what works for you, so do it your way. 
2. Once you have your pictures arranged how you want glue them down with the modgepodge glue.
3. Now that they are all glued down its time for the important part. You want to go over you entire collage with your glue. Do a thin layer let it dry for 10 min and then repeat. The more layers of glue you add the more your collage looks like one fluid piece of art as oppose to several pieces stuck together.
4. Once they look as smooth and even as you like they are done.

This is what it looks like when it is wet.

Prepare to Pucker

Constantly chapped lips are not the most enjoyable part of our winter wonderland... In my book they rank right up there with cleaning snow off the car, frozen car doors, and face-planting on the ice. 

Lip exfoliants can help this problem. You can buy them but chances are you have everything you need to make one already in your kitchen.

What you need

sugar

olive oil (or oil of your choice)

Directions 

Simply put some sugar into a bowl. How much you make is up to you. Next add a little bit of oil at a time until the sugar becomes a moist paste. Put a little on your finger and massage your lips. Follow with your favorite lip balm. Your lips will be so kissably smooth you will be dying to use them! 

Use the rest of your sugar scrub on you elbows, knees, and feet. It is a great alternative to expensive exfoliating scrubs. 

Advice: Everyone is different you maybe able to use this on your lips everyday, you may be able to use it once a week. Do not start out at once a day. Try every couple days first then decide if you can handle everyday or if you need to add a few more days in between.

Easy Accessories

Not that I am proud of it, but I am infamous in my circle for my dirty hair. My life is so busy between school, clients, and my kids, I just don’t always have the time to wash my hair. I have a trick that gets me compliments even if I haven’t washed my hair in a few days. ACCESSORIZE! A cute accessory can do wonders for bed head in seconds. 

Today I want to teach you an easy way to make a hair accessory

What you need

Your imagination 

An artificial flower, broken piece of jewelry, broach, anything you think might be pretty in your hair 

Your basic plain hair accessory of choice: headband, clip, hair tie, or my personal favorite, the bobby pin

A hot glue gun

Directions 

1. Use you imagination to decide what you want to start wearing in your hair. I tent to lean toward flowers but today I want to go with something more suited for winter so I am using a broach.
2. Next hot glue it to a plain accessory that you think would best compliment the item you chose in step one. I will be using a bobby pin.
3. Allow time to dry and then try it on :)

I love this DIY project! I hope you do to. Personally I enjoy going to thrift stores and searching for unique treasures I can transform into statement hair accessories. It is also a great way to recycle things you are not using like buttons, old jewelry, even bottle caps. Just have fun with it! Feel free to post pics of your creations. Remember the one I did here is really simple and good for beginners but if it seems too easy or simple for you add on to it. The sky is the limit. I would love to see what you come up with!

Banana Mask

I don’t know about you, but this winter weather has my skin feeling anything but smooth. My favorite cure for dry winter skin and the winter blues is an exfoliating honey banana face mask. This mask will refresh your skin and invigorate your senses. It is a 15 minute tropical escape from winter.

What you need 

1 ripe banana

1 teaspoon of honey

Directions 

1. Peel you banana and slice it into 1 inch slices (save the peel)
2. Put the banana slices into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 15 seconds
3. Pour a teaspoon on honey into the bowl and mash the bananas and honey together. It will have a thick texture.
4. Using your fingers, apply the mixture to your face.
5. For the next 15 minutes just relax... I recommend doing it in the bath tub for maximum experience. 
6. Rinse you face
7. If you have any acne or other blemishes on your face, rub the inside of the peel on your problem area. The antioxidants and potassium will help reduce the blemish.

                          

ATTENTION: All skin is different. A patch test is recommended if your skin is sensitive(put a little bit of the mask mixture on the inside of your wrist to see if you break out). This all natural mask works for most skin types but if for some reason it does not work for you, do not give up on diy skin care. I will be posting more and I am sure one of them will be perfect for you! :)


TIP: Be careful not to clog your bathtub lol I went a little over board and used all the extra mask on my feet the last time I did it and my tub was super slow to drain after that. The spousal equivalent did not enjoy fixing the problem. So if you do the mask in the tub, gently wipe the clumps of banana off with a rag before rinsing. It shouldn't be  problem unless you bathe in it like I did but better safe than sorry :)