Tips for swirling soap with natural colors including the best soap recipes to use, videos of swirling techniques, and recommended natural colorants Swirling cold-process soap with natural colors is a technique that not many soap makers do. It’s more unpredictable than when using conventional colors, the color palette is more limited, and it isn’t easy to achieve vibrant tones. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, though, and I’d like to share some tips for swirling soap with natural colors. Use ... Read More about Tips for Swirling Soap with Natural Colors
Ideas from Lovely Greens
Rich and Sweet Elderberry Jelly Recipe
Elderberry jelly recipe with elderberries, lemon juice, sugar, and pectin. Makes an excellent preserve that can be served in both sweet and savory dishes This time of the year, hedgerows are beginning to fill with autumn bounty. Rose-hips, crab apples, mushrooms, blackberries, and one of my favourites -- elderberries. Rich in vitamin C and sweet flavor, you can use them to make all sorts of delicious preserves. One of the easiest and most versatile is this simple elderberry jelly recipe. Spread ... Read More about Rich and Sweet Elderberry Jelly Recipe
Simple Castile Soap Recipe: how to make olive oil soap with just three ingredients
Instructions for making a natural Castile soap recipe with the simplest of ingredients. Also includes tips on how to harden it up and cure olive oil soap faster. So many soap recipes call for four or more oils, lots of additives, and enough essential oil to bankrupt you. Fortunately, making pure and natural handmade soap can be as simple as just three readily available ingredients. Olive oil soap, or Castile soap, is one of the most traditional types you can make. However, if you've made ... Read More about Simple Castile Soap Recipe: how to make olive oil soap with just three ingredients
Creative Vintage Sink Planter Ideas
Vintage sinks are ready-made planters that even have a built-in drain. They're great for growing vegetables, flowers, and creating mini-ponds, and look beautiful too. This piece includes tips on where to find them and how to plant them up as vintage sink planters. A couple of years ago I noticed a beat-up old Belfast sink at our allotment garden. There's a path that leads from the car park to the field and someone had left the sink just off to the side. It was as if they'd unloaded it and were ... Read More about Creative Vintage Sink Planter Ideas
Easy tips for Layering bulbs to make a Bulb Lasagne
For a long-lasting display of spring blooms, layer bulbs in large pots and containers to create a bulb lasagne. This is a great fall gardening project and will set your garden or patio up for spring color. DIY video included. Though you may well have plans to plant bulbs in your flower beds and lawn, think about putting some in pots too. They look stunning in bloom and can also cheer you up on a cold March day. In planters, bulbs can be crowded in and layered and create displays that are more ... Read More about Easy tips for Layering bulbs to make a Bulb Lasagne
