Sugar & Cloth

I’d like to think that I’m one of those people that always has a cute, well-kept house but that just isn’t the case. In reality, I’d say I qualify for that category about 65% of the time except for when the holidays roll around and I slip on my betty homemaker apron and kick it up a notch to a solid 75%. Admittedly, these DIY vase and utensil holders I made the other day totally had me feeling like super wife. I mean you guys, I organized my make-up drawer. Do you know what a big deal that is? I’ll have to get back to you on how long it actually stays that way, but for now I’m going to bask in my five minutes of awesome-ness.

Materials:

• Decorative aluminum sheet (one sheet will make up to three small containers)
• Small flat head screws & bolts (3 sets for each container)
• Washers (3 for each container)
• Heavy duty scissors/tin snips
• Work gloves
• Glassware
• Superfine sandpaper/emery cloth

Most importantly, always wear gloves when you’re working with this stuff, it’s crazy sharp!

First, cut the aluminum to the height of your vase/glassware. Next, roll the aluminum piece around the glass to give it some shape and to mark how much material you need to make a cylinder around your object. You’ll need to leave a little extra room so that it still slips over your glass after you insert the screws. Once everything is cut, sand the edges so they aren’t hazardous to the touch with an emery cloth or super fine sandpaper.

Now all you have to do is insert the flat head screws through the cut-outs (with the washers in place) and twist the bolt on the other side. I put three sets of bolts on each vase so that they would keep their form.

Slip the aluminum over your glass and you’re finished! You could use these for anything you wanted to really.

I am so, so, so excited to be teaching my very first craft night at Langford Market in Rice Village! I’ll be showing you how to make really cute fabric flower pins which will be perfect for handmade gifts this holiday, unless you just want to keep them and make all of your friends jealous, that’s cool too. If you’re close to Houston and want to come hang out with me and make frilly things on November 15th, R.S.V.P below –

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Earlier this week I was making fabric flowers for an upcoming event and I was really excited to see how interested you were in a tutorial to make your own, not that Instagram and Facebook counts as a solid poll, but nonetheless. I wish it was always so easy to know what you’d like a tutorial for, if you ever have any ideas let me know! Without further ado, here is a simple DIY fabric flower pin for you.

Materials:

• Fabric of your choice (I used tulle because I like how fluffy it looks)
• Sewing needle
• Thread
• Pencil
• Brooch pin and clip backings
• Circle to trace
• Hot glue

The folding is the trickiest part, but once you’ve got it down, you can use your flowers as brooches, hair clips, shoes clips.. you name it!

If yesterday’s DIY didn’t float your boat, then this recipe for the cupcakes you saw definitely will. If not, then you’re either really hard to please or you’re just a skinny runner who fakes hating cake. I’m just sayin’..

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients- yields: 20 cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 20 oreo cookies

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 20 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.  Stir in the chopped chocolate.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the buttermilk and vanilla and allow to incorporate for 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the flour mixture and beat on medium until fully incorporated.
5. Fill liners and bake for 18 minutes and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the muffin tin to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2-3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons oreo cookie crumbs

Directions

1. Separate 10 oreo cookies and discard the cream filling.  In a food processor or plastic bag, crush the cookies into fine crumbs.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening on high until fully combined, and then add the peanut butter.
3. Once combined, add the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and salt and stir for 2 minutes.  If you want thicker buttercream, add more confectioner’s sugar.
4. Finally, toss in the cookie crumbs and beat on high for 2 minutes.

I have a tendency to want to hoard vintage spools. I don’t know if this is a feeling anyone shares with me, but I just can’t help it, something about them is just awesome. I’ve had a few sitting around as simple decor for a while now, but I wanted a way to make them functional (aside from successfully collecting dust). Eventually I decided to try my hand at making them into cake stands and this is how they turned out.

Materials:

• Vintage spools
• Plain round plate
• E-6000 glue
• Unfinished wooden oval
• Stain/paint

Basically all you have to do is stain the wooden oval to match your spool, and then glue the spool, oval, and plate together and you’re finished!

To match my spool, I used dark walnut fast-dry stain, let it dry, and then used water based black craft paint over top and wiped off the excess.

I just used a cake dome from an old cake stand to cover the cupcakes. Wouldn’t this be adorable for a wedding? It’s definitely MUCH cheaper!