DIY Sugar Wax Hair Remover

"Finally a Working Homemade Hair Removal Solution!" 

This is one of those ideas I debated on blogging about, but after asking fans over on our facebook page if they wanted more "it works but it's...ehhhh" posts, I decided to go ahead and share.

Sugar Wax. A long-time touted hair remover, and something you can easily make in your own kitchen. With a few simple ingredients you can be on your way to being hairless for a fraction of the cost of waxing kits you buy in the store. Right?

It's not that simple. I decided to test this out myself after reading a lot of mixed reviews on it. I found this YouTube video and decided to spend an evening testing it out.

The first batch didn't turn out. Neither did the second. Or the third. I told myself one more try, and then I was going to give up. Well wouldn't you know it, fourth time's a charm I guess, because this time to turned out like the video suggested it would.

So how well does it wax? Not as harshly as the store bought wax I normally use. Which was nice. I tested it out on my eyebrows, upper lip, and arm. It wasn't as easy to control, so my brows didn't turn out as cleanly as I like them, but the upper lip was nice (and it didn't make me break out, which most waxing does when I do my upper lip) I did have to apply and remove it many, many times to get most of the hair, unlike the one time application I do with other waxes. I have dark thick body hair though, so my fair haired followers might not have to apply it as much as I did.

I wrapped the leftovers in plastic wrap, and then went back a bit later to try it again. Unfortunately, it stuck something awful to the bag, and despite briefly microwaving it and trying to warm it with hot water, I could not get it off the plastic wrap. What I did manage to pull had changed in texture and consistency and was pretty much useless.

Personally, I'm sticking to commercial waxes (this is the one I normally use). At the end of the day, this was such a hassle, a mess, and countless hours in frustration that I just can't get into it. Does it work? If you can manage to get it the right consistency, yeah. But is it worth all the hassle? For me, the answer is no.

So has any of our fans tried this before? What were your results like?

Landry Basket to Make Polka Dot Walls

"polka dot walls! Make a stencil from an old laundry basket" 

Today's post is what I wouldn't call a bad idea, but that's just not what this is an image of. I too was tricked by this post as first, it's been making the rounds of pinterest for sometime now. But I got to thinking ... laundry baskets are made of fairly thick plastic, which would make for a pretty bad stencil. Anyone who has ever worked with stencils knows that the thinner the plastic, the better. It helps keep the stencil flush with the wall and prevents paint from dripping or leaving the boundaries of the stencil. A quick search later and I realized why that didn't seem right with me: it's not a stencil made from an old laundry basket at all. 

Over at The Lil House That Could, you'll find the original source of the image. It's not a laundry basket, just a traditionally made stencil. 

Polka Dot Closet : The Lil House That Could 

I'm all for turning everyday items into something else (the cut bottoms of celery make the prettiest rose pattern for stampings!) but when it comes to stencil work, thinner is better, so I'd set the laundry basket down and just use a traditional stencil.  

Shattered Mirror Floor

"Broken glass floor - great for a bathroom floor or countertop. Just lay broken mirrors on the floor and top with polyurethane" 

I don't even know where to start with this one. That's not what this is an image of. The image quality makes me believe it came from a magazine of sorts, but I'm having a hard time finding the source. My first thought when seeing this image is that it was an artsy spread of some sort in a magazine, not some great DIY home design project.

I'd like to point out there is no sealant or polyurethane in that photo, it's just broken mirrors. Also, as someone who has done a lot of refinishing including the floors of my house, polyurethane is an extremely thin sealant - I think what the creator was the pin was thinking more of would be an epoxy resin, which on the floors wouldn't work easily, takes days to set up, and bubbles like crazy unless it's set just so or with a heat source. 

So yeah, this isn't even doable if you ask me, at least not as a DIY home project. 

Painted Coffee Beans

"Spray paint coffee beans and use them as vase filler...much cheaper than those marbles!" 

Sadly, that's not what this is a photo of. This is an actual product, but it's not designed as a vase filler. They are called Coffee Joulies, and are designed to maintain the perfect temperature of coffee. I know this because I am a total coffee addict, and have been dying to get a set myself  (but sadly I don't own any yet, so I can't report how well they work). They are made from recycled stainless steel and are, in fact, quite a good size - not tiny like real coffee beans. 

Coffee Joulies

But as the pin suggests: can you spray paint regular coffee beans to get a cool metallic vase filler? Eh, maybe. As I've reported before on our lace light bulb post, metallic spray paint never comes out looking like real metal, so if you're after slick metallic stainless steel looking coffee beans, keep looking. Spray paint won't get you that finish. Another issue that I can imagine coming up is what makes coffee so delightful in the first place: oil. Most whole beans will have a wonderful sheen on them from the oils in the bean, making your paint unwilling to stick well to it. Not to mention that it would be quite hard to get beans--tiny little coffee beans--coated evenly enough that they would look nice. All in all, if what you're going for is something like the original image from pinterest, this is just something I don't see working out as you might want it to.

Jello Legos

"Wash mega blocks, fill them with jello, and chill. You will have lego jello!" 

Hey look! It's a picture of Jello, in the shape of Legos! What makes people assume that it's as simple as just filling empty legos with jello I will never understand. I have kids - kids have Legos. I've played with them before and took a look at the underside of the blocks - they don't look like just an inverted Lego.

But the pin says Mega Blocks, which we don't have. A quick google search though shows the same thing on the underside of the blocks. There is no way you can just pour Jello in there and get a lego shape. Not to mention the blocks are so ridged that it would be really difficult to get the Jello out once it's set up. 

So how DO you get Lego shaped Jello shown in the pin? With a silicone mold of course! You can order one here at amazon . Those are made by Lego it appears, but there are several other companies that make them as well. And because Pinterest is all about DIYing, here's a great blog write up on how to make your own silicone mold if you're feeling fancy. 

Crafty Corner : DIY Lego Mold

Lace Light Bulbs

"Cover a standard light bulb with a dollies, spray paint with silver paint. Instantly dress up a light bulb!" 

How pretty are these? And with such simple instructions it seems like it would be a fun weekend project that would add instant class to your room. However... it's not true. At least that's not what this is an image of. These are actually lamps designed to look like light bulbs - they are metal, and cut to look like lace. Originally for sale at plumo.com but no longer listed or for sale. 

But CAN you take a light bulb, cover it with lace and spray paint it to get the same effect? Maybe. But you wouldn't want to use silver spray paint, because anyone who has tried to use 'metallic' spray paint can tell you - it never ever turns out looking metallic.

Looking glass on the left, Chrome on the right

Over at April Moffat Design she did a great write up on chrome spray paint vs looking glass spray paint. Price wise there is a big difference - one will cost you around $5 a can, the other one is in a much smaller can and costs over twice that much.  When looking at spray paint I know I'd be tempted to reach for the cheaper one.. but here's why you shouldn't.

Anyone who has played around with the looking glass spray paint knows just how awesome it can be, but also how fickle it is. Spray painting glass is very hard to do, which is why to use the looking glass paint they recommend you paint the INSIDE of the vase or jar. I've tried it myself and found that it rubs off very easily so keep that in mind when using it.

Another problem that could come up is that it is really hard to get lace or dollies to spray paint right. It's not impossible but it can be tricky. More times than not it can come out looked blurred, the lines smudged and the pattern lacking in areas. Taking in account that you are trying to spray paint glass and a very curved surface at that, you stand a good chance of messing this project up.

Another option that would be fun to try is to use a metallic pen designed to write on glass. It probably won't give you that true 'metal' look, but short of real metal its honestly hard to acquire such a look at home, especially on glass.