DIY Wax Canvas Market Bag - hair dryer vs heat gun

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Many of you were like OMG use a hair dryer/heat gun when I waxed the last market bag. So I decided to see which one was best to melt the wax. This method would work on any sturdy cotton bag!

HEAT GUN ALL THE WAY! Which I was afraid to use, what if it burned the fabric? I've had melty accidents with the heat gun before.

NOTES ON THE RECIPE! I would make the ratio of beeswax to carnauba wax 50/50 so the bag isn't as crinkly. If you look closely in the vid it's pretty wrinkled.

Recipe:

4 parts carnauba wax

1 part beeswax

Melter for wax - however you melt the wax, it will be wax forever.

Pastry brush

Iron

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

Junk Mail Awareness Week - October 1st-7th

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Junk mail just happens! OR DOES IT?! Here are some easy tips for stopping junk mail and using what you have left before the no-junk-mail lists kick in.

If you live in LA, CA:

https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/junkmail/reduce.cfm

If you live in Long Beach CA:

http://www.longbeach-recycles.org/recycling/waste_reduction_guide.htm

If you know of any junk mail reduction guides in your area leave them in the comments!

The coolest paper mache tutorial:

https://youtu.be/zkBXOsdk3Fk

Break + Remake paper tutorial: COMING SOON

Break + Remake FIRST BOOK OUT NOW! Picnic Lunch is my debut book: https://www.breaknremake.com/picnic-book/6cvci8uxs851rv02kne0pz59qo90jf

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Market Bag - easy sewing project

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This bag is a great start for people just learning how to sew. I use a zig zag stitch to keep the inside from fraying too much and the straps are stitched with a cute design, not just a boring X. The shapes I used were a heart and a lightning bolt, but you can use whatever shape you want.

Special note: Mr. Remake thought this bag was too small. You can totally add length to the bag if you'd like.

Materials

Fabric cut into 16"x27" - use a sturdy fabric like canvas or denim

Thread to match

Cotton webbing - for the handles 2 straps at 29"

Marking tool

Ruler

Scissors

Sewing machine

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Essential Oil Foot Soak - with Dame Sannae

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After a long day of hiking or working treat your feet right by soaking them, you'll feel so good after. We used 2 recipes: one for relaxing and one for reducing odor. You can add any essential oils to the soak for aromatherapy and relaxation. Recipes below!

Big thank you to Dame Sannae for coming over and helping! Here are her links:

IG: @damesannae

skin care line: http://damebody.com

Recipe for relaxation

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup Epsom salts

2 tablespoons vinegar

5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil

Recipe for reducing odor

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup Epsom salts

2 tablespoons baking soda

5-10 drops essential oils

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY No Sew T Shirt Pom Pom

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Making cute pom poms is a great way to upcycle shirts that are no longer wearable OR use up small leftover pieces of fabric. I like putting the pom poms on my scissors and bags to show they are mine and to make them cute.

Either way this project is a great stash buster.

Materials

Old t-shirt

scissors or rolly cutter and cutting mat

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Herb Ice Cubes - with edible flowers

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Making herb ice cubes is a great way to use up leftover herbs or help remind you of summer. I made mine with peppermint and edible flowers and the result was a beautiful ice cube that was refreshing and earthy.


You will need:

Filtered water that has been boiled and cooled - boiling the water helps with the clarity of the ice

About 1/4 to 1/2 cup loosely packed herbs - chop the herbs roughly just to bruise them, it helps release the flavor

Edible flowers - this is totally optional, but it adds color 


What flavor combos do you want to try? I'm going to do basil and lime next!


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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Vegan Food wraps with Powder Resin

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This DIY is for those of you who can only find powder resin/rosin to make reusable vegan food wraps! It's a great way to make the wraps form a tight seal around food so things don't get stale while wrapped. 

This is where I found both my resins:
Powder: https://www.byolongbeach.com
Goo form: https://www.etsy.com/listing/260655985/pine-resin-pinon-rosin-debris-free-sap-2?ref=listing-shop-header-0

Here's the basic recipe:
3 tablespoons candelilla was
2 teaspoons powder resin ***see notes below
1 teaspoon jojoba oil

Melt everything together in a double boiler. Once melted use a pastry brush to coat the fabric. Place in the oven set at 180-200*F for 3-6 minutes or until wax has melted into the fabric.

This recipe does have some trouble. I noticed the resin likes to clump up. If there is a way you can think of to strain the mixture first before painting onto the fabric try it.

***Adding resin/rosin can be harmful to people who are sensitive. I am lucky to not have food allergies or sensitivities. And the resin exposure in these wraps is similar to some of the exposure you would get in some foods. Use your best judgment!

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

How I Use My Shampoo Bar

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I found a shampoo bar when traveling in Tahiti, so I picked it up. It's called L'ilcot Bulles Shampooing Solide. We were staying at a hotel but I didn't want to use up the little plastic bottles they left us with shampoo and conditioner. 

When I got back to California someone was asking me how I liked the bar and how I used it. If you have ever wondered how to find one you liked or what to look for lemme help you!

Here's the ingredients in my bar:
Surfactant: I think this is sodium lauryl sulfate, which is a bummer. Prolonged exposure can be harmful. Next bar I get I'm looking for one with soap nuts!
Coconut Oil
Castor Oil
Orange Powder
Kachi Kapli Powder: I don't know what this is, and haven't found a definition I like
Basil Essential Oil

There are TONS on etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/search?q=shampoo%20bar


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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

 

 

DIY Wood Stain - with Walnut Hollow

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This DIY was a direct request from Erin Nikole! Here's all my tips and tricks for making your own wood stain in ANY color. It's super easy and doesn't take much paint.

Materials:
Paint - very little is needed. I used about 1-2 tablespoons per stain
Floetrol - or any other paint conditioner that reduces brush marks
Water
Paintbrushes
Paint - you can use acrylic house paint or art acrylics
Stir sticks
Wood Shelves - I used these: https://www.walnuthollow.com/store/trapezoid-shelf-with-inner-shelf/ and these: https://www.walnuthollow.com/store/wood-surfaces/pine/hexagon-shelf-with-inner-shelf/

I mixed about 1-2 tablespoons of paint. Then added 1/4-1/2 cup of floetrol and 1/2 cup of water. These measurements are approximate, and the recipe is super forgiving. Stir really well, then paint. The stain will be darker if you add more layers, and lighter if you wipe as you paint. 

I learned how to do this from my boss, she's been working on theatrical sets her whole career - Thank you Hashi! She showed me how to do this when I needed cool backgrounds to shoot on for the cover photos on YouTube. 

Big thank you to Walnut Hollow! Check out their environmental commitment here: https://www.walnuthollow.com/about-us/

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Book Cover Repair

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My book was falling apart so it needed some repair so I decided to change the cover to fabric! I spilled chai tea and Thai iced tea on my book on back to back days. The paper covering the book started getting weak and ripped. The fabric makes a more durable cover so when I spill or stick it in my bag it won't wear down as fast. 

Materials: 
Fabric - I got mine from MonaLuna
PVA glue - it's a special book glue
Glue brush
Scissors

This project is 100% because I needed to cover my book and wouldn't do it unless it was a tutorial! Haha! Thank you for indulging me!

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Vegan Wax Food Wraps - made with rice bran wax!

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I had a couple of people ask me to experiment with rice bran wax as a vegan wax replacement for beeswax. The results surprised me, the rice bran wax wasn't as good as the candelilla wax and you can find that DIY here: https://youtu.be/vSu0WX3301c

These wraps replace plastic wrap and snack baggies in the kitchen. 

ALSO I used the rice bran wrap anyway, even though I knew it wouldn't seal. In the morning I wrapped some walnuts and threw them in my lunch bag and went to work. THE WALNUTS TASTED GROSS! They had absorbed some of the flavor of the rice bran wax. 

Let me know if you've tried any other type of wax before in the comments! 

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

Best Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap/Detergent - 3 different methods

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I tried 3 different laundry soaps and detergents- soap nuts (they're actually a fruit), DIY laundry soap and store-bought eco-friendly laundry detergent. 

My favorite of all of them was soap nuts! I didn't expect that! They smell gross if you sniff them - like raisins, but they make your laundry fluffy and have a slightly fruity smell.

If you want to make the liquid laundry soap I talked about in the vid check out Mommypotumus' tutorial here: https://www.mommypotamus.com/homemade-liquid-laundry-detergent/

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

Easy Pattern Making - copy your favorite t-shirt

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Making a copy of your favorite t-shirt is a great way to get familiar with pattern making and sewing knits. Once you make this pattern a few times you'll be more comfortable and can challenge yourself to make more complicated garments!

Materials:
Your favorite t-shirt
Paper to copy your pattern
scissors - paper and fabric. I use a rolly cutter to cut my fabric.
Knit fabric
Thread to match
Pins
Sewing machine
Iron

Let me know in the comments if you have tried this before! And for those of you just starting out, I had to make this pattern 4-5 times before I got really comfortable with it and could make it with ease!

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Zipper Fix - when to fix or replace

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I'll show you 2 easy tricks to fix your zipper before you need to think about repairing. All you need are pliers and wax. A candle is fine. Really! 

This is a quick mend for #menditmay and #mendmay. It's a great place to start before you think about throwing away/donating your favorite jeans. 

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Produce Bags - which fabric is best?

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For this DIY I thrifted old curtains and shirts that were lightweight materials. The produce bags are easy to make, I used an overlock but if you don't have one you can zig-zag the edges like I did for the easy skirt tutorial here: https://youtu.be/gFGYZnk2rzQ

The bag should be 20"x12" and keep the original hems intact as much as possible, that way you don't have to do extra work.

Materials:
Thrifted curtains or shirts- After I thrifted these things I gave everything a good wash. 
Twine/elastic - for closures
Scissors
Ruler
Chalk/marking tool
Sewing machine/overlock

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Shower Melt Recipe - use your favorite essential oil

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I'm definitely more of a shower person. This shower melt recipe is great for getting an essential oil aromatherapy, the blend we used was Balance (from DoTerra) and grapefruit. That was for grounding and mood-boosting. 

Big thank you to Karissa of Olive La Vida for sharing her knowledge: https://olivelavida.blog
Karissa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/olivelavida/

Materials:
bowl
mixing spoon
cornstarch
baking soda
essential oils
spray bottle
water
ice cube tray - if you don't have a silicone one, don't worry. Just use a regular one

The recipe is really easy:
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons baking soda
10-20 drops of any essential oils of your choice
2 tablespoons water + spritzes from a spray bottle

Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients, then add your essential oils. Add your water and stir until mixed. Spritz the mixture with the spray bottle and feel the mixture. If you squeeze it and it packs into a tight ball it's ready. 

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Laundry Soap Recipe

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This recipe for laundry soap is super simple, once I found out that washing soda and soda ash were pretty much the same. It's 2 ingredients and pretty straightforward, just blend and use.

I used my big food processor to blend the laundry soap, but if you don't have one I don't know what you can use. Let me put my thinking cap on!

Recipe:
2 cups washing soda
1 bar of soap
1/2 Cup White vinegar - drop in your fabric softener well 

Mommypotamus has a larger volume recipe but the amount I made fit great into my 7 cup food processor. 

Here is the full recipe from Mommypotamus: https://www.mommypotamus.com/homemade-natural-laundry-detergent-made-easy/

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Soy Wax Candles - scented with essential oils

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Safety!
Wear goggles or glasses
Wax burns, even though we suggest not getting your wax hotter than 185*F it can still burn. For minor burns run affected area under cold water. 

Materials:
1 Lb soy wax
1 oz essential oils - we used lemon and lavender!
wicks
2-3 candle holders - we used 2 candle holders that had burned out their wax and candles, and one tin can!
Double boiler
Chopstick
Oven at 185*F

Heat in double boiler wax until 180*F, add essential oils. When your wax is almost all melted, place your candle holders in a preheated oven for 5 minutes. You can pour the wax at 180-160*F. Let your candle cure for at least 72 hours to a week before burning!

We used small containers, so we used a wick that was for 2.5"-3.5" diameter. You can find it here:
https://www.candlemakingsupplies.net/candle-wicks/soy---natural-br-wax-wicks/cate_65/p___P0810683.html

https://www.candlemakingsupplies.net is a great place to get your supplies. Not even affiliated just really like their store. 

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Woven Scarf - with the easiest loom!

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This is a tutorial for making your own simple loom, really it's just a piece of cardboard. You can make your scarf with any yarn, but to get this thick chunky look use denim yarn that I created here: https://youtu.be/OVZOW1amJWY

And use upcycled sari yarn. This project takes a while to set up, but you can pick it up, put it down and work on it when you want. 

Materials:
40"x15" piece of cardboard
Denim yarn - my pieces were 60" long, but you can make them any length. Here's the link to the tutorial: https://youtu.be/OVZOW1amJWY
Sari yarn
Embroidery floss
Pliers - when the fabric is thicker, it's hard to pull the needle through all the layers. Use pliers to help!
Scissors

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield

DIY Denim Yarn - Upcycle your old jeans!

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Do you have an old pair of jeans that you wish you had a new use for? Upcycle those jeans into denim yarn!

For this DIY you'll just need scissors, a grid ruler, chalk, and a pair of jeans you're ready to craft-ify. So simple! Added bonus: no sewing needed!

What do you do with denim yarn you ask? Good question! Grab your biggest knitting needles or biggest crochet hook and make a chunky scarf. Or check out next weeks episode for a surprise. 

Jenell from TrashN2Tees inspired this DIY, so check her out. If you want to make yarn from t-shirts here is a cool tutorial to check out as well: http://trashn2tees.blogspot.com/2014/07/how-to-cut-continuous-t-shirt-yarn.html

And here is another cool tutorial using t-shirts, but can totally be jean! http://trashn2tees.blogspot.com/2014/07/scrappy-t-shirt-rope-vase-tutorial.html

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Music composed for Break + Remake by Janet Overfield