Crafters- What are you making???

[Crittercountry]

Green tea bath sachets, coffee soap, and maybe candles (would love to make a green tea scented one, because I can never find them). I wanted to make apple butter, but we got an early frost, so barely if any apples this year =\\

 

[hencackle]

MissPrissy, what do you think of this nutcracker? I gave my FIL the one I used to use because it was just too awkward. Usually, I crack mine with the very ultra-sophisticated hammer and rock combo, but now I want something that I can use inside. My chickens know the sound of the hammer striking a walnut and they come running! I've had a couple stick their heads way too close to the hammer's path...no chickens were harmed, but I don't want it to happen.
Black Walnut Cracker Scroll down to bottom of page!

BTW, MissPrissy you are truly a talented person!

 

[nccountrygirl]

Quote:
Scrambled, SC will be Cumberland Co. Crown Center at the Agri-Expo Building Friday and Sat. from 10:00- 6:00 and Sunday 12:00-5:00, it's the 32nd Annual Craftsman Christmas Festival, it sounds like fun. Hope to be able to meet you there. Laura

Let me know if you are going to be there and I will make you and Southern a cd of 1 million recipes. It has any kind of recipe that you could imagine on it.

Scrambled I forgot to mention that the craft fair will be held Nov. 23-25. Laura

 

[SloCrevs]

I would like to make soaps this year, I love doing that kind of stuff, could anybody post or send me a concoction? And does anybody use goat milk to make soaps? I have lots of friends(yay for 4H) who have dairy goats(I don't raise them anymore) and just throw away all the milk. I would like to make it without lye. Thanks in advance!

-Sarah

 

[MissPrissy]

hencackle - That is one cool nut cracker! I just use a hammer. I bust up a whole bunch of them then bring them in and sit and pick out the meats while watching tv. I wear gloves. I have had stained fingers before and did not like the looks I got when people think your hands are dirty. LOL

Slocrevs - you cannot make soap with out lye. Saponifications is a scientific process where fats/oils and lye are married to make an end product - soap. Once the chemical process is finished there is no lye in soap. But, again, you cannot make soap without lye.

Perhaps you are interested in some of the melt and pour type glycerin soap bars? If so, there are tons of crafting places to get what you need. Try Michael's or even Walmart.

 

[ml]

One year went nuts and beaded strips of beads and sewed on brow bands for friends horses. Was a trip but took like 50 hours per band to do. I did a few with horses name some them for some folks.
Took a bit of searching to find the leather belts to make them on.

Also begged friends who beaded for earrings. Used to tell them home made gifts were the best.

One lady on byc makes great ornamental eggs out of her chicken eggs.

Another friend did make me a few glass roosters to wear on a necklace.

ML

 

[nccatnip]

Quote:
Do a web search under crafting and soap making for the goat's milk soap process. You can buy 100% all natural soap bases in oatmeal, hemp oil and glycerin in blocks at craft stores like Jo Ann's or Michaels. You just melt in microwave, add scented oils if you wish and pour into whatever mold you choose. They also carry the 100% natural oils in small quantities so you do not spend tons of $$$. If you don't mind shipping, there are tons of places on the web that have everything you need. You finished product is as nice as the lye process, less work and costs and still is 100% natural. (And you can do it indoors during the cold months.)
You can pm me for more ideas and help.

 

[bantymum]

Wow, thats it, im going to try and make soap too!!
Ive seen soaps at markets with a beautiful scent, glycerine soaps with lolly scents, chocolate and coffee scents, thats what im going to do.
Id love to make soap on a rope too!!!
You are all so clever and its nice to see that people still make homemade gifts. Christmas is too retail oriented now. I love Christmas!!!have a cool yule!

 

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
Hickory nuts are worth the effort, though. To me they taste better than pecans. It's a family story about me shelling enough of those tough little nuts to make a hickory nut pie every year for Thanksgiving all through high school. Now I don't get back to the farm early enough to beat the squirels to them, though.

This year I am making potpouri with stuff I dried this year, catnip toys for friends with cats (with catnip I dried from the garden), and bead or stone jewlery.

I've also been making ornaments out of blown EE eggs, with directions from... Martha Stewart! They are cute, but I used white ribbon and white glitter and they look too wedding-ish to me. So DH has to blow some more so I can try with dark green ribbon and silver glitter. We'll give an egg ornament to the family and friends who so enthusiastically followed our 'chicken project'.

 

[karri25]

Soap is so much fun to make. Last year I made little bath baskets with personalized soaps and bath fizzies for everyone. Everyone liked them but my poor Grandma didn't understand the difference between the soap and the fizzies and she kept telling me that the soap smells great but it keeps falling apart!

This year I am trying to make colonial clothes for everyone. We are trying to save up enough money to take our kiddies to colonial Williamsburg for Christmas!!!! Even if we don't save up enough $$ for th etrip the clothes will be cool. It seems as though no matter what we are studying at home (we homeschool) we always end up back to colonial or pioneer days. They are so much fun to learn about!!!!!