Bird's Nest Pendant Tutorial

I've been making bird’s nest pendants for several years. I've given many for gifts and sold a bunch in my Etsy shop. These make nice gifts for any woman, young or old. A lot of ladies who have children like to get them to represent their families with the number of eggs corresponding to the number of children they have. For example, if they have three children, they would request a pendant with three eggs. They’re not really eggs, obviously, but gemstone beads. Sometimes a mother might have only one child, but still want a nest with three eggs to represent herself and her husband as well. And I've also sold many to women who just like birds or nature in general and they don’t really care about the eggs representing anything. 

Today I am going to teach YOU how to make these pendants. They really do make such nice gifts and aren't very expensive to make. They do take a little practice to get it just right though, so expect the first couple tries to look a little wonky. I will include all the little tips and tricks I have learned to speed up the learning curve for you. If you prefer to skip the written tutorial, you can scroll down to the end and watch the video.  

If, however, after you've read through the tutorial and watched the video at the end you still don’t think it is something you want to tackle, but you still want one (or more), you can go to my Etsy shop and custom order one.

First you will need to gather your supplies. I can find everything I need at Michael’s, but I will also include Amazon links where you can purchase them online. Keep in mind that if you do use my affiliate link I will receive a small (tiny) commission, but it does not affect the price you pay at all. 

Supplies:

Wire-  I use 22 gauge wire. I have used both 20 and 24 successfully, but prefer 22. Two good choices are silver and bronze. 

Beads for eggs- I use 6 mm and 8 mm natural stone beads in white or 6 mm or 8 mm dyed turquoise. 

Screwdriver- with a round shaft that is somewhere around 5 mm in diameter.

Scissors

Pliers- Round nose or needle nose

Instructions:

First, cut your wire to about 3 yards. This is not exact. I hold the spool at my chest with one hand and pull three arm lengths out and cut with wire snips. You can get five or six pendants from one spool of wire.  

I apologize in advance for my ragged nails. I obviously wasn't thinking about how my hands would look in the pictures and video. I do NOT apologize for the awesome ring I am wearing. I didn't plan it, but it matches my little eggs perfectly. If you want one, I make them too and SOMETIMES have them in my Etsy shop so be sure to check those out if you're interested. I have many stone choices to choose from.

(When my husband proof-read this post for me, and got to this part, he said "I didn't notice your nails, but your hands look really old. I gave him 'the look' and he quickly followed with "for someone so beautiful." My daughter was standing there wide-eyed wondering if she was about to witness a murder. THIS is why girls need their girlfriends. We just don't need that kind of honesty in our lives. Am I right?)

Okay, back to the pendant... Men.

The first thing I do is make the bail. That is the part you string your necklace through. About eight inches in from one side, wrap the wire three times around the shaft of the screwdriver. Firmly grasp the wire below the coils and rotate the screwdriver 2-3 times. This allows a firm bail that is large enough for most necklaces to pass through easily. 

Then I take the wire that is left and wrap the entire length around the handle of the screwdriver to help it get in the shape it will need to be. It makes it easier to work with.

 Decide how many beads/eggs you want and slip them on the short end of wire. Twist it closed so the beads cannot fall off and start wrapping the tail that is left in a circle.

Imagine how a real nest looks. You see mostly grass and straw going in a circular line around the outside, but there are also cross pieces woven back and forth to hold it all together. That is what we are going to do.  With the long length that you wrapped around the handle of the screwdriver, begin forming the basic shape of your nest.

After you have used approximately 75% of the wire, then use what is left to start weaving it together and holding the pieces in place. You will wrap over the perimeter wires, then underneath across the bottom, back up and over the edge on the other side.

It is almost like you are darning a pair of socks with needle and thread.  Every so often make sure you are ‘catching’ the wire that immediately surrounds the eggs so that it is secure and doesn't flop out later. This is the part that will make most sense watching the video. 

When you have about twelve to fifteen inches of wire left, begin wrapping the base of the bail.  This is a nice way to finish it and give a polished look to your pendant. 

Keep in mind that it does take a little bit of practice learning to hold everything taut while you are weaving it all together, so don’t be discouraged if your nest isn't perfectly shaped. Each one will be a little different, no matter how much experience you have. I've made dozens of these (probably over 100) and sometimes mine still don’t turn out just the way I like. When that happens I will sometimes just take a wire cutter and snip the wire to salvage my beads and scrap the rest. 

When you are finished with your pendant, make sure you take the round nose pliers or needle nose and turn in the cut edges so that they are safely tucked inside where they won’t snag or scratch the wearer.

Now, be sure to watch me embarrass myself by watching my first YouTube video. Its obvious I haven't learned how to edit yet, as there are a few bloopers that I am sure will give you a chuckle. Just click the play button on the picture below.

I really hope you take the time to try this and if you do please send me a picture of your creation. But, if you’re not up to making it yourself, don’t forget you can still buy one made by me in my Etsy shop by clicking HERE.

Essential Oil Perfume

Almost two years I started using essential oils for homemade cleaners because the chemicals and fragrances in cleaners were giving me headaches and making me feel bad (i.e., sick). Before that time I had already cut out most of the perfumed body washes and even hand soaps that are so popular. I could use some of the “food” scented ones - cinnamon, apple, peach, etc. Even my deodorant had to be unscented (but now I make my own all natural deo).

My husband is pretty much the same way. In fact all artificial fragrances bother us now.This actually works out great for us since we’re on the same page.

Not so great for my teenage daughter, Elizabeth, who wants to wear the smelly scented lotions and flowery perfumes.

She received some lotion and perfume for her birthday last year. I told her she could not wear it. About a year later when she must have forgotten I asked her not to wear it, she put some of the lotion on when she got out of the shower. That smell wafted through the house and found its way to me who was in the kitchen at the time.

I immediately knew who the culprit was. (Mom always does, right? And really, I knew my son or husband would not be putting it on....) Unfortunately, she had to take another shower. I threw the chemically scented lotion away. Then I had to take medicine for a headache that had already started and for the migraine it was promising if I did not act fast.

I have even had to move seats in church because of some heavily doused lady who was wearing a powdery rose smelling perfume that she obviously thought smelt lovely and wanted the rest of the church to enjoy. I have heard of people who cannot go to church anymore because of their sensitivities and the health problems they trigger.

It’s real.

But what’s a teenage girl to do with an overly smell-sensitive mama? Or maybe you’re an adult and you’re the same way.

For most of us who have a keener sense of smell, I have found that REAL smells do not cause problems. As in, the actual smell that comes from that food or flower or whatever, does not cause our brain sensors to want to freak out because it knows some vile chemical is entering through the nose holes.

Enter essential oils.

If you don’t know anything about essential oils, then the main thing you need to know is that they are ALL NATURAL.

They are extracted from the flower, leaves, bark, peel, berries, etc to get the essential oil that makes up that part of the plant. These essential oils are actually a very complex composition of several (sometimes hundreds) of chemicals but that’s a whole ‘nother post that I don’t know enough about right now to explain. Most essential oils are safe to topically apply without dilution.

My daughter loved the smell of some of my essential oils I use especially in my homemade lip balm. I thought I would just try making her a perfume using one of her favorites - sweet orange So, I did and it was super easy. It took less than five minutes with minimal ingredients.

Making her another “flavor” that smells very much like lemonade, I used witch hazel instead of a carrier oil. I made this several weeks after my first attempt when I thought I would try looking up instructions online for making “perfumes” with essential oils. They recommended if you use witch hazel to let the perfume sit 24-48 hours before using.

Essential Oil Perfume
printable recipe with bonus recipe here

40 drops essential oil
Witch hazel OR a light carrier oil (like fractionated coconut oil, Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, etc)
1/3 oz roll-on glass bottle (like this)

Put essential oils in bottle, fill the rest of the way with witch hazel or a carrier oil. Insert roller into bottle and label the side or cap with a name for your new creation. Wait 24-48 hours if using witch hazel or use immediately if using a carrier oil. Gently shake bottle before applying. Enjoy!

Lemonade - 20 drops grapefruit essential oil, 20 drops lemon essential oil
Spicy Orange - 35 drops orange essential oil, 5 drops cassia essential oil (Be careful as cassia, a close relative of cinnamon, can be a "hot" oil and can cause skin irritation. Make sure this oil is diluted when it comes in contact with skin.)

Note
* Apply the essential oil perfume to your wrists, neck, or between your breasts. Shake before application to mix the essential oils.
* Essential oils are highly volatile and evaporate rather quickly. You may want to carry a little container of your essential oil perfume with you in your purse to reapply.
* Do not leave essential oil perfume in your car. They need to be stored in cool, dark places because heat breaks down the oils.
* Different essential oils benefit you differently aromatherapy-wise. Pick some essential oils you are drawn to and then look up their uses. Here are a few examples:
                    Orange – uplifting
                    Ylang Ylang - grounding
                    Lavender – calming
                    Patchouli – grounding
* If you're using a different sized applicator for your perfume, it's basically 1 part essential oils to 4 parts carrier oil or witch hazel. Glass spray bottles like this work well too!

Results?
My daughter loves her new “perfumes”. She loves the citrus essential oils the best so that's what we've stuck with for smells so far but plan on experimenting in the future. We've conducted non-scientific tests and feel that the witch hazel may help the scent last longer. If you try both liquids with the essential oils then you will have to let me know which you think works best. You could also mix essential oils to get a more manly scent using smells like sandalwood, vetiver, bergamot, and cypress for the men in your life. ;)

Do you or anyone in your family have sensitivities to fragrances? Tell me about them!

If you are interested in ordering any essential oils please email me at the email address on the left with any questions.

Sneaking Vegetables into Your Meals

To tell you the truth, I didn’t think I would be posting recipes on this blog. I’m not the greatest cook and I don’t really enjoy it all that much. I think part of my problem is that a lot of the things that pop into my little head to make are things I grew up eating and we don’t eat a lot of those things anymore. My whole family is off of gluten. I try to avoid processed foods, but that is a challenge for me. In theory, I try to avoid ALL grains as much as possible, but that doesn't really work out all that well either. Throw in the fact that I can’t stomach red meat or pork, and that my kids are all picky, and just deciding WHAT to make becomes an impossible challenge. One of my little angels hates any kind of sauce. Even on pizza. Another one hates cheese. Except on pizza. I need a spreadsheet.

I can definitely think of and find plenty of recipes that my husband and I would enjoy, but to find one that everyone in the family will eat is like asking all nine planets (or eight if you’re under twenty) to line up and do the Macarena.

It’s just not going to happen. 

Somewhere along the way my kids started saying “I don’t like that” if they happened to not be in the mood for a particular food. Imagine how confusing it is to have a kid tell you they don’t like chicken (and never did) and the next day ask you to take them to Chick-fil-A. Sometimes I will try a new recipe, and everyone eats it and I feel like I’ve just won a gold medal.

Two weeks later I make the SAME thing and at least two of my kids swear that they HATED it the last time. I just look at Tim to see if I am losing my mind or if he too is genuinely confused. I’ve considered getting it in writing when they all like a meal, but they’re all minors and I can’t take them to court for gagging at the table, so what would be the point?

About now you’re probably asking what’s the point of this post. Well, I’m about to tell you. This post is about how I outsmarted every stinkin’ one of my kids and tricked them into eating….

wait for it…

SQUASH.

They never even knew what hit them. It was beautiful. We are on our second year of gardening and our first year of growing squash. Little did we realize that one little seed produces six hundred squash. We planted six squash seeds and together they made a mini jungle in our square foot garden box and gave us an abundance of squash.

The kids just laughed at the idea of actually, you know, EATING it, but I was determined to not let it go to waste. So, one day we had ‘breakfast’ at dinner, and as I was scrambling a dozen eggs, I had another one of my brilliant ideas. I shredded the squash and mixed it in with the eggs.

THEY TOTALLY FELL FOR IT! I felt like an evil genius. 

They ate every bite and no one questioned it once. I let my victory go to my head and didn’t use good judgment. I made the rookie mistake of telling them what they had just consumed. They played it cool and tried to make me think it was no big deal, but since then, they have been highly suspect of everything I have prepared and tend to hang out in the kitchen while I’m cooking to make sure such heinous crimes against humanity don’t occur again. I’m pretty sure “Not on my watch” is the new motto among them. They probably have a calendar taped to the inside of a closet door somewhere that shows whose turn it is to annoy help me in the kitchen each day. So, if you decide to put some squash in your eggs you might want to keep it under your hat if your kids are annoying helpful like mine.

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE RECIPE.

Similarly, we also have an abundant supply of zucchini. Tim and I both love zucchini. He loves the zucchini pizza boat recipe that is all over the internet, and we also enjoy it roasted. However, none of the kids will go for those ideas, so I was trying to think of a way to sneak THAT into one of their meals too. I tried shredding up one zucchini and putting it in a red sauce to serve over noodles, but they didn't buy it. I refused to give up, so next time I put a whole zucchini in the blender and pureed it, THEN poured it in with the sauce and they didn't suspect a thing. This whole "mom" gig is tough, and the pay is terrible, but with a little kreative thinking, we can outsmart those rotten kids and trick them into eating healthy food now and then.

Some other simple ideas to sneak vegetables into your meals are:
*Mix healthier cereals with ones that are LESS healthy
*Many vegetables can be pureed and added into soups and sauces. Carrots, zucchini, squash, and greens work well for this. It works best with vegetables that don't have really strong flavors, like peppers and onions, although those could certainly work in some situations.
* Make sure to match colors! You couldn't get away with putting broccoli in your mashed potatoes, but you could certainly sneak in a little steamed cauliflower. Start with a little and if it works, get a little braver next time.
*You can easily mix a little spinach or kale into a blueberry smoothie as the dark color of the berries will hide the green.

If you are interested in the idea of finding ways to sneak vegetables into your meals, I have a book recommendation. This can also work with reluctant spouses.  Deceptively Delicious is a book I bought when my oldest two were young and it has a lot of great recipes.

Kristy

Piano Bench Makeover

I love my piano.

When I was maybe around 8-9 years old my sister and I had two old upright pianos (one being a pea green) that my dad traded in for this one plus some cash.

I love its history (not that I really know it but just that it’s old and has a story if it could talk). I love its varnished metal (copper or brass?) plates, cherubs and all. I love its uniqueness.

However, there’s the bench.

It went with one of the old pianos my family originally owned. So it’s old. And beaten up. And in need of makeover. (Man, I feel like those last three sentences just described me some days.)

Now my daughter, Elizabeth, uses the piano that I practiced on for years. She has taken piano lessons since 2007 and has really taken off in the last year. Now she enjoys playing which if any of you have kids that take music lessons know is a big deal. Once they get good enough where they enjoy it, you finally can breathe a sigh of relief. Not saying it means they want to practice daily for an hour, but it helps!

This whole piano alcove in our den needs a makeover but I’m starting slow. I’m starting with it.

I knew I wanted to add padding to it to make it more comfortable for the hours Elizabeth spends sitting on it. So first, I picked out a fun fabric that was approved of by Elizabeth since she does the piano playing here. Plus, I wanted a pattern that had lots of colors that I could have fun with as well as some of my favorites I already use in our den.

Next, I decided to go with a classic color for the wood – black. I know, I was playing it safe. However, my thought process is that if I want to change up the fabric later for a different look, I don’t want to have to also repaint the bench.

Lightly sanding the wood with a coarse grade sandpaper, I wanted to remove what was left of any urethane that’s at least 30 years old. This maybe took ten minutes then I wiped it off with a damp microfiber cloth.

Using wood putty I filled in some cracks and nail/screw holes. That took less than five minutes but I had to wait several minutes for it to dry before removing the excess.

A few hours later I got back to it and using a fine grade sandpaper, smoothed out the areas where I filled in places.

I gave the paint can a good shake, opened it, and applied my first light coat. Later I applied two more coats being careful there were not any runs. With all the angles there were plenty of places for runs to hide. I kept my brush in a tightly closed sandwich bag in between layers so I didn't have to clean it out each time - that is the one thing I hate about painting (clean up). I wish I had only bought a sample of the paint color instead of a quart as I barely used any. Oh well, I'll have it for future projects. ;)

To cover the top of the bench I marked lines along the large piece of foam and used a yardstick to draw a straight line to cut. I put it on the top and covered it with batting to smooth the edges. I stapled the batting on after taking the lid off the bench. (I tried to avoid this but there was no doing.)

Then I stapled the fabric on over the batting and foam making sure my pattern was straight and it was all pulled tight. The corners slowed me down the most and I’m not 100% happy with them but I’m trying to let go of perfectionism (and I also tell myself that the lighting isn’t as bright as the main level of our house – ha ha!).

Supplies used:

Voila!

Before & After

Elizabeth and I are so happy with it!

Overall, I spent around $45 with my biggest expense being the fabric and foam. I used coupons for both at Hancock Fabrics. The fabric was 40% off but I asked if I could use a 50% off a regular priced item instead and they let me so that I saved 50% instead of 40%. I could have really saved if I bought cheaper fabric, but I wanted this one as it is a heavy, home decor fabric. All of the tools I used I already had so that saved money.

This space in our den is an area I have lots of plans to improve. This is just the starting point!

Have you ever recovered a bench or updated a piece of furniture? Or maybe you have a piece that needs its own makeover! Share with us!

How to Prevent and Treat Insect Bites

While school may be starting back for many, the summer heat is still in full force, and many fall activities are right around the corner. With outdoor activities, it seems there are always insects trying to spoil the fun. 

Today’s post can be divided into two parts. The first is how to PREVENT bug bites, and the second will show you how to TREAT them. Sometimes we simply forget to bring it, or we find ourselves in a place where we didn’t expect bugs to be a problem. I find this is true especially in the evenings when you’re out later than you expected and the mosquitos come out for their evening meal. YOU!  

Avoiding insect bites can be a challenge. Most commercial insect repellents contain the chemical DEET. Although some studies report DEET as being “generally” safe for use, others do not agree. This is what we know, DEET is a pesticide that KILLS insects, as opposed to a REPELLENT which does not actually KILL the insects, but REPELS them. You see the difference? DEET has been shown to impair cell function in the brain and affect muscle control. It can cause headaches, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain.

To make matters worse, most commercial bug sprays don’t only contain DEET, they contain as much as 75% inert ingredients. I wonder what THAT means?  If it is water, why don’t they just say water? Just like last week’s post that talked about ‘fragrance’ in deodorants and other products, these inert ingredients are likely not as benign as manufacturers would like us to think. Third party testing has shown them to contain neuro-toxins, carcinogens, and hormone disruptors. It is NOT worth taking the chance when it comes to MY family. I (like you) want my children to live healthy, vibrant lives and one day FAR in the future, to provide me with beautiful, healthy grandchildren.  I'm not taking chances by slathering them with unknown 'inert' chemicals on a regular basis.  

So, what are we to do? Provide an all you can eat buffet for a million mosquitoes and wait to die from West Nile or Malaria? NO! Fortunately, God has given us natural ways to protect our families. There are essential oils that naturally REPEL insects. It is not that they are TOXIC and KILL everything that comes in contact with it. It just so happens that bugs don’t care for the particular SMELL of these oils.  Fortunately, they smell just fine to humans. I actually enjoy the smell of many of them. One thing to note, is that different insects are repelled by different scents, so it is a good idea to use several to cover all your bases. If you live in area where you are plagued by a particular pesky bug, make sure you use plenty of THAT oil in your mix. You may need to do a little research.

Like many of you, I grew up in this modern age of medicine where we believed that "science" has figured out all the mysteries of the universe and if we listen to our doctors and do everything they tell us, we will live long healthy lives. When you look around, do you see people living long healthy lives? I see people, YOUNG and OLD, who are SICK! All these advances haven't made us healthier, have they? I urge you to consider just a few generations ago, when people died of old age and not cancer. Diseases that once only affected the elderly, are now being seen in children. I believe we need to learn from our grandparents and great-grandparents.  They knew how to use plants and herbs to treat disease.  For thousands of years, that is all there was!  okay... I'm sorry, as you can see I am quite passionate about this subject.  

Back to the insect repellent: 

Some oils to consider in your mix are patchouli, basil, lavender, lemongrass, cedarwood, eucalyptus, and thyme. Some companies make blends that are specifically formulated to repel insects. 

Now let’s talk about how to make your spray. There are a couple of options for bottles. You can use the 2oz spray bottles found in the travel section at places like Wal-Mart and Target. You can rinse and reuse any spray bottle that you might already own, but my FAVORITE option is to use a glass Dr.Enuf bottle. The label peels right off and you can add a spray nozzle to it. Simply recycle one you already have or you can order one HERE, although shipping is a little pricey.  Using a glass bottle is a great option because over time essential oils can break down the plastic in certain kinds of bottles. 

So, now that you have your bottle?  What are you going to put in it?  I put in 25 drops of my favorite pre-mixed blend, and then added 15 or so drops each of citronella, lemongrass, lavender, and peppermint.  Then fill the bottle about halfway with witch hazel and the rest of the way with water.  It is a good idea to gently shake the bottle before you spray, because the essential oils will separate in the water. Click  HERE  to print out my label.

This spray SMELLS GREAT and is SAFE and EFFECTIVE.  I love that you don’t have to worry about what chemicals might be in it, especially when applying it to children who are still growing.  You can even use it on babies.  Because it is non-toxic, you can apply as often as necessary.  I recommend keeping a bottle in your vehicle so you always have it when you need it. 

Now that we have addressed how to prevent getting bitten by insects, lets talk about what to do IF and WHEN you DO get bitten. Let's face it. None of us have seen our last bug bite. Most don’t cause any real harm and will get better on their own, but to alleviate the itch and prevent chance of infection there are several natural remedies you can try. First, wash it with water or soap and water. You can try putting ice on it, or milk, or a mixture of baking soda and water. The baking soda does work. Oatmeal is another option when you are at home, but my FAVORITE option is to make an Itch Stick! They are FUN and EASY to make. You can even get your kids involved. Because I make a lot of my own products I already had everything I needed, but as we go along, I will tell you where you can get the products you might not have on hand. 

First you will need something to put your ointment in. I use lip balm containers that I bought HERE. You can also clean out an old lip balm container, or even a glue stick. My friend Traci gave me this idea.  The labels peel off easily so you can make your own cute one so people don’t think you’re putting glue on your mosquito bites.You also need almond oil which you can get at the grocery store or HERE. Coconut oil, also from the grocery store or HERE, and beeswax pellets found HERE. I have heard they are also sold at Hobby Lobby, but I've never looked. The closest one is almost thirty minutes from me, so I just use Amazon. It is just so convenient. The last thing you will need is some soothing essential oils. I used melaleuca, lavender, and peppermint. All these oils are both analgesic and antibacterial as well as soothing so it will help prevent the bites from getting infected. The other nice thing about these, is that they're not JUST for insect bites.  They can be used on ANY itch.  Did I mention it smells great?

So, here is how you do it. 

2 tbsp almond oil

4 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp beeswax pellets. 

15 drops lavender essential oil

15 drops melaleuca essential oil

15 drops peppermint essential oil

Melt the first three items either using a double boiler, or in the microwave in a glass bowl. Let cool. After it is cool to the touch, but still liquid, add your essential oils. I used 15 drops of each of my three oils. I poured the whole cup into an old Pampered Chef measuring cup that has a lip that allows me to pour it into the tubes with more accuracy.

Just pour the melted concoction into your tubes carefully all the way to the top and even slightly above the top as it will shrink as it cools.

TIP: I have found it VERY helpful to take a paper towel and wipe out your measuring cups/spoons while they are still warm.  Once the beeswax sets up, it can be a real pain to get off.  

You can print out a label for your Itch Stick by clicking HERE, or customize your own. I am still learning how to make printables, and hope to improve my skills GREATLY in the future. 

I ended up making using three glue stick tubes and three lip balm tubes. I actually like the glue stick tubes the best, as I think the size is better. This time of year you can buy glue sticks very cheap, so even if you roll them up and break off the glue like I did, its still fairly cheap. Plus you don't have to worry about confusing it with your lip balm, although it would be okay if you did.  The ingredients are very similar.  I didn't want to use up all my tubes because I plan on making more lip balm very soon, so I poured the rest in a glass jar. I will store it in a cabinet with all my natural "stuff" and heat it up and pour in these same containers in the future. You could easily halve this recipe by using one tbsp almond oil, 2 tbsp coconut oil, and 1 tbsp of beeswax and just use half as much oils.  

The great thing about this is that you can carry it with you in your purse and always have it with you. Since you will be making several, you can also give them as gifts, which is always fun. I love surprising someone with an unexpected gift and feel good knowing that it is not only useful, but helps them live a healthier life by avoiding the toxic ingredients found in many commercially available products. 

Thank you for reading my post.  I hope you found it helpful.  

Kristy