March 28, 2024

Personalized Coffee Mugs

Here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour, we are all about coffee!!  So, today’s blog gives us an interesting and fun way to decorate our coffee mugs!

Items needed:

Solid color coffee mug (make sure it is microwave safe)
Bic(TM) marker(s)

Directions:

Think of an idea that you would like to write on the mug—a word, a picture, a Bible verse, a prayer, etc.  For my coffee mug, I wrote “Dear God, please make me harmless as a dove.  Amen!” I also drew a picture of a dove and decorated the bottom of the mug with hearts, the handle with polka dots and I drew a cross under the handle.

Use your BIC marker(s) to decorate the mug any way you would like.  I used a silver marker on a black coffee mug. The color choices are endless.

Bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This will keep the marker from coming off.

Let cool, wash and enjoy!

mugs

Have fun and Be Creative 🙂

Amy

At Home with GCH: Homemade Fabric Softener

To finish off our month of “All Things Green“, I want to focus on saving you money today, by giving you a recipe of a product that most of use every day in our home!  Anytime I can save the GREEN in my wallet, I’m a happy camper! 🙂

 

Homemade Fabric Softener

Makes 151.6 ounces
I have used this homemade recipe several times in the last week, and I have to say, “I LOVE IT!”  You can choose whichever fragrance of Suave conditioner that you wish!  It works perfectly on making your laundry soft and gentle, and it beats static cling!  Can’t ask for more than that, right?
________________________________

Ingredients: 
6 cups HOT water
3 cups White Vinegar
2 cups Suave Conditioner (your choice)

 FabricSoftener1

Directions:

(I had to split this recipe in half to begin with to be able to make the recipe in my blender.)

Blend 3 cups of HOT water and 1-cup of Suave Conditioner in a blender until the conditioner is dissolved. Add in 1-1/2 cups of white vinegar, and blend another 30 seconds. Pour into a 2 liter bottle. Mix remaining ingredients into a blender as directed above and repeat the same process. Pour into 2nd 2-liter bottle and into a 1-pint jar.

Pour into a downy ball… or use approximately 2 Tbsp. in the fabric softener section in your washing machine, then wash and dry the load. Shake well before each use.

FabricSoftener4

I paid 96-cents for a bottle of Suave Conditioner.

I paid $1.00 for a bottle of White Vinegar

The water…well, that didn’t cost me anything!!

The recipe makes 151.6 ounces.

Total cost per ounce: $.0129 

That fits my pocketbook perfectly!

*****

Saturdays with Shandy: Christmas Edition! Last Minute Gifts for Your Girls

Christmas is a few short days away! If you’re in need of some easy, inexpensive, handmade gifts for the girls in your life – whether little or all grown-up! – then you’ve come to the right place! This round-up includes nine awesome gifts that any girl would love to get!

*Note: You can find all nine ideas on our “Saturdays with Shandy” board on Pinterest!

Did someone say scrapbook paper?!?!

paper crafts

  1. The adorable DIY Dry Erase Board from Leah Marie V is so cute, and so useful! The shabby chic DIY flowers give it an extra feminine touch. You can use this for a hundred different things, and customize it with scrapbook paper that fits the style of the person you’re creating it for. This would be great to leave notes for your family, or to jot down what you need to pick up at the grocery store!
  2. The Scrapbook Clipboard from KaeliElyse would be a great gift for any girl on your list, and would come in handy on a daily basis! Just like the dry erase board, you can customize this with your choice of scrapbook paper!
  3. Aren’t these pens super fun? I found them at Chocolate on My Cranium! You can make these to match the clipboard! Or make all three a matching set! What a great gift that would be!

What girl doesn’t love hair accessories and nail polish?!

beauty

  1. This Headband Organizer from Lyssa Beth (tutorial found at Make It My Own) would be great for any girl with a love of hair accessories! The best part? You can put all kinds of barrettes, ponytail holders, bobby pins, and clips in the inside! I am definitely making this for my daughter!
  2. How cute is this play on words?! For Your Mistle Toes! Such a creative idea from Carissa Miss, and she has a free printable!
  3. Make those ugly bobby pins cute with this tutorial from Colour Me Everywhere! A simple, inexpensive, and fantastic stocking stuffer!

And the last three fabulous gift ideas…

gift ideas

  1. How amazing are these Coffee Cozies from The Sitting Tree?! I can think of at least a dozen people I could give these to, and I know they would be LOVED! I’m going to knit one for myself, too!
  2. Shhhh! Don’t tell my daughter, but she’s getting one of these Friendship Bracelet Kits from Tater Tots and Jello for Christmas! I loved making friendship bracelets as a kid, and now my daughter loves them, too!
  3. I received a personalized hand sanitizer bottle for Christmas one year, and I absolutely loved it! I can tell you these would be a big hit with your child’s teacher! You can also use soap bottles! Either way, put a classy monogram inside, and this would be a welcome gift for anyone’s home! Be sure to check out the tutorial at The Idea Room!

I have to go and get busy making all of these wonderful handmade gifts (and a few for myself!) I hope you found some of these ideas to be excellent as well! There’s nothing like handmade for the holidays! Thanks for joining us for Saturdays with Shandy: Christmas Edition! It’s been a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to get started on our next series!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, and may you be blessed abundantly in the new year!

Love & {Christmas} Blessings,

Shandy

Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for crafts, recipes, homekeeping tips & more!