HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

I posted these marshmallows last year and they were such a hit! It was so fun to see all the different shapes, flavors, and colors people decided to make! Homemade marshmallows are my new favorite winter treat! They are so light and fluffy and taste way better than store bought marshmallows.
Make these marshmallows and pair it with one of my Merry & Bright mugs for a cute gift!

Ingredients:
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup of ice cold water
1.5 cups of sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (you can use regular vanilla extract if you want)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
nonstick spray

Directions:
Place gelatin and 1/2 cup of the water into mixer and set aside. In a saucepan, combine remaining 1/2 cup of water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Place over medium-high heat, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes. Uncover and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Continue cooking until the mixtures reaches 240 degrees F, which will take about 5 minutes (depending on your heat). When you reach 240 degrees, immediately remove from heat. Turn your mixer on low speed and slowly pour the sugar/syrup into the gelatin mixture. Once you've added all the syrup, turn the speed of the mixer up to high. Whip until the mixture becomes very thick, about 15 minutes. In the last minute of mixing, add the peppermint extract (or whatever extract you've chosen).

While the mixture is whipping, prepare a 9x13 pan:
Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add half of the sugar/cornstarch mixture and move around the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.

Once the mixture is done whipping, pour into the pan. Use a lightly greased spatula to spread the mixture in the pan. Immediately after you spread the mixture, drop a few dots of food coloring all over. Mix the food coloring into the marshmallow mixture using your spatula. Lightly dust the top of the marshmallows with the sugar/cornstarch mixture.

Let the marshmallows sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Transfer marshmallows onto a cutting board. Dust a pizza wheel (or knife) with the sugar/cornstarch and cut the marshmallows into squares. You can also use cooking cutters to make various shapes, just make sure you dust the cookie cutters as well. After cutting or shaping marshmallows, dust the sides with the sugar/cornstarch marshmallows. Store marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks, but I'm 100% sure they won't last that long!
I would love to see YOUR homemade marshmallows! Send me your creations! Happy sipping :)

Floating Shelves

We are loving our new home! It's been so fun working on projects and seeing things come together!
One of my favorite projects so far has been our little coffee nook. There was an awkward space in our kitchen with a small countertop and an open wall. I thought it would be fun to make it our little coffee nook, but we needed somewhere to put our mugs. And we have A LOT of mugs (I'm guilty of buying any cute mug I see)! I love floating shelves and I love all our special mugs, so I thought some shelves would be perfect for the little space.

All together, this project cost a little under $30.00! All of the supplies were purchased at a local store, but I've linked similar products from Home Depot.

- 2in x 10in x 8ft Lumber
  The space between our wall was 28.5 inches, so I needed 85.5 inches (or just over 7ft) total
  They will cut them for you if you tell them what size you need!
- Shelf Brackets
  I liked the gray ones! We used four brackets per board, so twelve total
- Shelf Bracket Screws
  You'll most likely need four packages
- Stain
  I used the color "golden oak" but you can use whatever your little heart desires!

BEFORE

First things first is to stain the boards. After the staining was out of the way, this project took my mom and I under two hours! We started by deciding how far apart I wanted each board. We decided on making the bottoms of each board 12 inches apart. So starting from the counter, we measured up 12in and made a small mark, and repeated on the other side of the wall. Using a level, I made a faint line on each sides of the wall so that we knew where to place the board. We also wanted the brackets to be 2inches in, so we made a mark to know where the edge of the bracket should be. I aligned the top and side of the bracket with the faint lines/marks and screwed them into the wall. Once all four brackets were in the wall, we placed the board on top of the brackets and screwed the brackets to the board.
After the first board was up, we measured 12in from the bottom of the first board and repeated the steps!

If you have any open wall space, I definitely recommend trying something like this! This once awkward space is now one of my favorite little spots in our house!

Cherry Moscow Mule

Moscow Mules are such a simple and refreshing cocktail that have grown to be super popular in the last couple of years. I love the unique taste of Moscow Mules, and let's be honest, anyone looks cool drinking out of a gorgeous copper mug, am I right?!
There are so many fun variations for Moscow Mules, but I think cherry is my favorite. It's a fun twist on one of my favorite cocktails.

What you need for one Moscow Mule:
-4oz Ginger Beer
-2 oz Vodka
-1-2 oz Cherry Grenadine
-Juice of half a lime
-Lime and cherry for garnish (not necessary but definitely recommended for additional cuteness)

Mix it Gooooood:
-Mix all the ingredients together
-Serve over ice
-Garnish with lime and cherry

Sip it by the pool, while out on the lake, at your next BBQ, or while you're sitting on your couch watching TV, no judgement. Just try it and ENJOY! Let me know whatcha think xo

Homemade Pineapple Whip

This pineapple whip is my favorite treat right now! It is so light and refreshing and the consistency is perfect! Not to mention it only has three ingredients and no added sugar...what more could you ask for?!
Give it a try and let me know what you think. I have a feeling it will be your new summer favorite!

Whatcha Need:

- 4 Cups Frozen Pineapple
(you can cut then freeze a fresh pineapple or buy already frozen pineapple in the freezer section of your local grocery store)
- 1/2 of a banana
- 1/2 cup cold coconut milk (like this)
- blender or food processor

Whatcha Do:

- If using a fresh pineapple, cut into cubes and let freeze overnight

- Transfer frozen pineapple, banana, and coconut milk into blender or food processor
- Blend or pulse until there are no pineapple chunks and the mixture is light and creamy
 *note: you will have to stop and use a spatula to scrape the sides a couple time. Resist the urge to add more milk!!

Needs more blending!

- Transfer to a fun glass, top with pineapple wedge or your favorite fruit + enjoy!

Soooo easy and soooo good! Happy summer!

P.S. For extra fun, plant the top of your pineapple in a small pot, and transfer to a larger pot as it grows over the next 18-24 months. Do some research on what it takes to grow a pineapple in your region! 

April DIY in a Box

Pictured instructions for those who bought the April DIY in a Box. You can purchase yours HERE!

       

Additional Supplies Needed:

- Blender or food processor

- Large bowl

- Strainer (optional)

- Sponge or towel

  

What To Do:

1. Place all of the paper pieces (including craft paper)  into a large bowl

2. Cover with water and let sit for 15 minutes

3. place paper and about 1/2 cup of the water in blender or food processor

4. blend paper into a pulp (If the paper is not blending well, add more water)

5. If you have a strainer, Pour the contents from blender into the strainer.

If you're not using a strainer, squeeze  water from paper pulp using your hands

6. Place paper pulp back into bowl and use a sponge or towel to soak up 

excess water

7. Scoop a spoonful of paper pulp and press firmly into mold until it is compact

8. Take a large pinch of seeds and sprinkle  over the paper mold

9. Top mold with another spoonful of paper pulp

10. Gently remove paper from mold (the more compact the paper is, the easier it

will be to remove!)

11. Make remaining seed bombs using steps 7-10

- Plant the seed bombs in a pot or plant in the ground by digging a small hole and

covering with soil. Only cover the seed bombs with 1/8 inch of soil.

I'd love to see how your seed bombs turn out! Enjoy! 

#scripteddiyinabox

Painted Terra Cotta Pots

Spring is {pretty much} heeeere! Yay for warm weather, outdoor projects, and fresh blooms! I recently bought a few herbs + terra cotta pots for our back patio. I went with terra cotta pots because they are so cheap, and you can easily spruce them up. I added a splash of color and I think my plants are feeling right at home. Now let's pray they survive...

I did four simple designs on my pots. You can mix + match like I did, or you can use the same design for all your pots. The instructions for the designs are in order of difficulty, with the first two being the easiest.

For all of the designs you'll need...

-paint (your choice!)
-foam brush
-terra cotta pots (I found mine at walmart)
-sealer (not completely necessary but a good idea)
Additional supplies for each design are listed with the corresponding design

...

Design #1

Additional supplies:

-rubberbands

What to do: 

-Wrap your rubberband around the lower quarter, third, or half of your pot. This will be the start of your paint line. Make sure your rubber band is flat against the pot, not twisted
-using your brush, paint the pot up to the rubberband, being extra careful around the rubberband. Apply thin layers so that the paint doesn't bleed through the rubber band.
-let the first coat dry completely
-apply 2-3 coats, letting the paint dry in between each coat
-once completely dry, remove rubber band and spray with sealer
(that's it! see...easy)

...

Design #2

Additional supplies:

-rubberbands

What to do: 

-Wrap your rubberband around the pot at an angle, you can do as sharp of an angle as you'd like. Make sure the rubber band is flat against the pot, not twisted
-using your brush, paint the pot up to the rubberband, being extra careful around the rubber band. Apply thin layers so that the paint doesn't bleed through the rubber band.
-let the first coat dry completely
-apply 2-3 coats, letting the paint dry in between each coat
-Once completely dry, remove rubber band and spray with sealer

...

Design #3

Additional supplies:

-painter's tape

What to do: 

-apply one piece of tape at an angle. Press tape down firmly so that you get a nice, crisp line
-apply a second piece of tape to create the triangle shape
-use your brush to paint inside the tape lines. Apply thin layers so that the paint doesn't bleed through the tape
-let the first coat dry completely
-apply 2-3 coats, letting the paint dry in between each coat
-once the paint is completely dry, remove the tape and spray with sealer

...

Design #4

Additional supplies:

-painter's tape
-ruler + pencil (optional)

What to do: 

-apply one piece of tape at an angle. Press tape down firmly so that you get a nice, crisp line
-apply a second piece of tape at the same angle. Optional: measure 1" away from the first piece of tape and use your pencil to give you guidelines for your second piece of tape
-use your brush to paint inside the tape lines. Apply a thin layers so that the paint doesn't bleed through the tape
-let the first coat dry completely
-apply 2-3 coats, letting the paint dry in between each coat
-once the paint is completely dry, remove the tape (make sure you REALLY let the paint dry for this design)
-apply a new piece of tape about 1/2" away from the painted strip. Optional: measure 1/2" away from the painted strip and use your pencil to give you guidelines for your tape
-apply another piece of tape about 1/2" away. Optional: measure 1/2" away from the tape and use your pencil to give you guidelines for your tape
-use your brush to paint inside the tape lines
-let the first coat dry completely
-apply 2-3 coats, letting the paint dry in between each coat
-once the paint is completely dry, remove the tape and spray with sealer

These painted terra cot pots would be so fun for both indoor or outdoor plants! Let me know what designs you try and send me pictures of your creations!

March DIY in a Box

Pictured instructions for those who have purchased the March DIY in a Box. You can purchase yours HERE!!!!

Additional Supplies Needed:

-X-Acto knife or kitchen knife

-oven safe bowl, dish, or ramekin

-rolling pin (or jar)

-cookie cutter, can, or lid for tracing circle

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees

2. Roll out each ball of clay into two 5" 'snakes' (note: the colored clay will make skinner snakes than the gold and white clay)

3. Combine all the small snakes by twisting together, lots of twists!

4. Fold the now large snake in half, and in half again, then squish into a ball shape

5. Roll the clay ball around to smooth it out. Roll the ball enough to mix all the colors without blending them too much

6. Use rolling pin or glass jar to roll out and flatten the ball to about 1/4". Roll in different directions to help mix the clay colors

7. Use a 3"-6" cookie cutter, lid, or jar as a template for cutting the clay with an x-acto knife. Get creative with your shape!

8. Carefully place clay into an oven-safe bowl or ramekin so that the center of the clay will sag a bit, giving you a dish shape

*If you do not have an oven-safe dish: Bake the clay on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes. After

baking, immediately transfer to a shallow bowl and let it mold to

the shape of the bowl as it cools*

9. Bake the clay at 225 for 15 minutes

10. Let cool for about 10 minutes before removing clay from bowl

11. Once clay is completely cool, dip the tip of your foam brush into gold paint and 

paint the rim of the clay dish

12. If you want to add some shine, you can coat the dish with mod-podge or glaze

-Enjoy and show me your creations!!!

#scriptedDIYinabox

Picture numbers correspond to the direction number

I used a small box, a scalloped cookie cutter, and a peanut can to create these shapes. Easy!

Happy crafting!!!! xoxo