DIYs – Lily Pebbles

HOW TO START A PROJECT LIFE SCRAPBOOK

lily — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000

When I briefly mentioned my 2014 scrapbook in my December Favourites video I didn’t expect such an amazing response! It was a project I started in January 2014 to fill a hobby gap I had and I’ve loved doing it. Not only is it a great way to remember to actually print and keep photos, but I found the whole process of scrapbooking incredibly relaxing to do in the evening.

Watch the video for all the details and let me know if you decide to start one yourself!

DIY: SIMPLE PHOTO WALL

lily — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 05:00:00 +0000

One of my favourite ways to relax is to get a bit creative and give myself a project. Last week when I was about to create my own little photo wall I thought I’d whip out the camera last minute and show you guys how I did it.

It’s really not rocket science or anything fancy, but if you too wanted to create your own personalised photo wall, this video might inspire you. I spent quite a while collecting together the photos and prints I wanted to use, but I also feel like it’s something I can add to and change as I wish.

So I hope you enjoy this slightly different video and let me know what you think!

6 WAYS TO USE AN EMPTY CANDLE

lily — Wed, 28 May 2014 05:00:00 +0000

If, like me, you are a candle lover and a packaging junkie it’s likely you’ll also have multiple empty candle jars lying around the house. I love Diptyque candles and when I come to the end and they are all burnt out I can’t bear to throw the pretty jars away so I’m always looking for ways to re-use them.

I find the best way to clean out your candles is to let them burn all the way to the end until the flame goes out by itself. It’s then really easy to take the wick out (using tweezers) and you’re left with a wax free glass. If there are black marks around the cup (you’ve probably been lazy like me and not cut the wick when burning) I usually use makeup remover and cotton wool to wipe it away.

So once they are clean you are ready to re-use them and here are 6 ideas on how you can recycle your empty candles…

Brushes & Pens

The larger candles are perfect to use either on your desk for pens or on your dressing table for makeup brushes.

Snacks

The larger size candles can also be used as a home for your healthy desk snack or to use when you have guests round and want to have some nuts or chocolate raisins on the coffee table (sorry, have I made you crave chocolate raisins?)

Plants

I used the medium sized candle for a little plant I was given as a gift. It looks much prettier than the plain black pot and is the perfect size for a single, delicate plant.

Cotton Pads or Buds

The teeny tiny candles are incredibly cute and great for keeping cotton pads or cotton buds in your bathroom.

Hairbands and Grips

I like to keep hairbands and grips on my bedside table and they fit perfectly in the little candle jar.

Rings

If you have a few delicate rings, it’s a good place to keep them safe next to the rest of your jewellery.

So there a few ideas if you have some empty candles lying around. If you’ve got any other suggestions please let me know as I’m always looking for new ideas!

DIY FACE & HAIR MASK

lily — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 07:00:00 +0000

I’ve seen DIY face and hair masks circulate the internet for years, but I’ve never felt the need to join in as I have my three favourite face masks on hand for exactly what I need. No Money Month gave me the push I needed to give a DIY face and hair mask a go and I am so happy I did because it was an amazing experience. I’m not an all natural kind of person, for me it’s all about the results but I was seriously impressed after making and using my own masks that I would 100% do it again. Both these masks are really basic and easy to make you probably won’t even need to buy anything!

So here’s how it went. Me, my mum, two bowls, half an avocado, a squeeze of honey, a splurge of olive oil and a scoop of coconut oil.

Let’s start with the hair mask. We always have coconut oil around the house, if you don’t you should! It can be used for so many things including cooking, we made a delicious curry using it last week. I took a small scoop of coconut oil and mixed it with around 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Rubbing them together in my hands I then worked it into my hair from root to tip. I wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you have really dry hair as it takes quite a lot of shampoo to remove, so just apply it to the ends of your hair. I left the hair mask on for 20 minutes before washing it out with shampoo and following with my usual conditioner. I could instantly feel the results, my hair felt incredibly soft and was much easier to straighten. Compared to most masks where the softness only lasts one night, I woke up the next day and my hair still felt incredible! It’s definitely an intense mask and I needed to use a bit of clarifying shampoo to completely remove it, but if you have dry and damaged hair like me it’s amazing!

Onto the face mask… I look great, right? To make it I simply mixed up half a ripe avocado (using the back of a fork) with a big squeeze of honey. The avocado will soften the skin and improve skin tone whilst the honey is anti-bacterial, includes loads of antioxidants, is moisturising, soothing and clarifying for the skin. Having my mum do this with me was the real test… let’s just say she’s somewhat picky when it comes to skincare. We pressed the mask onto and around the skin using our hands and left it on for 10 minutes before washing it off with water and a muslin cloth. I washed mine off first and my mum’s reaction was “wow your skin literally looks glowing!”. She was right, it looked fresh, healthy, glowing and it felt amazing too. The effects weren’t short-term either, we both had compliments on our skin the next day and the texture of the skin felt really great.

I had a really positive experience making my own masks and I’d definitely do it again, especially the face mask! Have you ever tried a DIY face or hair mask?

THE DIY MANICURE

lily — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 05:00:00 +0000

In the past few weeks I’ve been trying to give my nails the care and attention they need, as I paint them a lot so they need looking after. Here is my current DIY manicure routine from start to finish…

First of all I remove all traces of past polishes using the Bourjois magic nail polish remover. I then take my psychedelic Sally Hansen cuticle eraser and rub a small amount of the balm onto each cuticle. After leaving it for a minute or so, I take my cuticle pusher and push them back very gently. If I need to, I’ll remove any excess using my cuticle clippers, but I hardly ever need to use these and they freak me out. I then take a bit of nail polish remover and make sure all the cuticle balm is removed from the nails. I like to file my nails using something gentle like the Leighton Denny glass nail file or the Style File works well too. After shaping my nails to how I like them (quite short and square), I then paint my base. Once a week I like to use the Dr Lewinns Renunail nail strengthener, but if I’m just using a base coat I’ll use the Butter London Horse Power Nail Fertiliser. Whilst painting my nails if I make any mistakes around the edge, I clean it up using some cotton wool twisted around an orange stick and dipped in nail polish remover. It’s really easy to use around the nail for precise removal. After painting and using my Seche Vite top coat I like to use some cuticle oil and the one I’m trying at the moment came in a Birchbox. The O.P.I Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go is really easy to apply and smells like delicious watermelon, so I’m a fan!

It’s nice to give yourself a manicure if you have a bit of time at home and want your nails to look nice for the week ahead. It’s a good Sunday routine, so maybe try it tonight?

DIY WHITE WASHED CRATE

lily — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:00:00 +0000

My house is quite old, it’s actually over 100 years old, and it’s dark and very victorian so when it comes to taking photos I struggle to find anywhere with the right feel for what I want. I’ve always worked around it but when I heard that my friend had over ordered some crates I thought that one might work well as a photo prop! So I made it my mission one Sunday to turn a dirty dark wooden crate into something a bit prettier and shabby chic.

Here’s how I did it…

She ordered her crates online, but as my dad pointed out “you can get one of those if you hang around the fruit market”.

I started by sanding down the crate using a small piece of sandpaper. I didn’t want the finished look to be too polished so I just sanded down the really rough bits. I then mixed together some white emulsion paint and some water, quite a lot of water. My thoughts were to make it more watery at first because then I could always build it up if I wanted to. I applied the mixture with a brush in small sections and then rubbed it in using a sponge. I tried using a rag but didn’t like the finish as much as I did with a sponge. I did this all over working a section at a time. After the first coat dried I did it all over again for a second coat.

I also used a mint green paint (mixed with water) on one of the panels, just for something a bit different! As it dries be prepared for the paint to really sink into the wood, ff you don’t want this to happen start by priming the wood with some PVA.

After the whole thing dried I was left with a lighter, but not bright white crate which will be the perfect photo prop. I’m really looking forward to using this to take photos, so expect to see it popping up quite a bit on here!

I’m no crafty gal, but this was a fun little project and hey, everyone has to start somewhere! I think they’d make really nice bedside tables or TV stands if you stack them up. The opportunities are endless! I do love a bit of shabby chic don’t you??