Category Archives: DIYs

This week for Thrifty Thursday, I'm going to share a super simple, super cheap, and super green self-love DIY you can do in less than 15 minutes! Sweater sleeve slippers!

Here's what you'll need:

1. Cut the sleeves off of your sweater. My sweater is super soft and cost $2. Yes!

2. Turn the sleeve inside out, and slip on your foot with the sweater's cuff at the top of your leg. This will make it so you only need one seam, and the top of your slipper will have a nice cuffed edge!

3. Now you're going to draw your pattern. I use the term pattern very loosely here. Just pull the sleeve around your foot so that it's as tight as you want it to be, and draw the outline of your foot with the chalk.

4. Now just sew along that chalk line to create your slipper! It should look like this when you're done.

5. Cut off the excess, turn rightside out, and you've got yourself a pair of cozy slippers to slip into when you're giving yourself your well-deserved self-love time! You can use Tessa's sugar scrub recipe from yesterday, give your feet a nice pedicure, and then cozy up with your new slippers. I even hand-sewed some little felt hearts on the top to remind me to love myself. You can add any embellishments your little heart desires.

Enjoy!

Have you taken me up on this week's challenge yet? What have you done to pamper yourself this week?

This post is part of the self-love revolution going on all month long here on A is for Ampersand. Be sure to sign the declaration of self-hate independence and join in on the revolution!

Hi! My name is Tessa, and I blog over at HowToMakeArt.com. In honor of Self-Love Month, I wanted to talk about what I do to pamper and take care of myself on those nights when I just feel like staying at home and relaxing.

I like to relax and wind down from my day with a nice, hot bath. But since I love making things - everything from cakes to paintings - I got the idea that I wanted to try to make some homemade sugar scrub to add some extra indulgence to my bath.

I went online and found lots and lots of information and found out what each ingredient in a sugar scrub does, then I took what I already had on hand in the kitchen and created my own version of a sugar scrub: Coffee Love Sugar Scrub.

Here’s how to make my Coffee Love Sugar Scrub:

You’ll need the following:

*1/4 cup coffee grounds (Mine were from my coffee machine this morning, and I just waited until they cooled off.)

*1/4 cup sugar (I used white sugar, but any other sugar will do.)

*1 tbsp. olive oil (I used extra virgin for this example.)

*a splash of vanilla extract (This is to make it smell yummy. You can also use flavor oils for soapmaking if you have any of those.)

Mix the coffee grounds and the sugar together first. It should look something like this:

Now add in the olive oil and the splash of vanilla, and mix thoroughly – it’s that simple!

The finished product will look a bit like this:

You’ve now made enough for one application of sugar scrub. You can double or triple the recipe if you need more or want to make some for a friend, but remember: these scrubs do have an expiration date since they are made with food products. Be sure to use it up within 2 weeks of making a batch!

Wondering how to use the scrub? I rub it onto my legs and arms right before showering or bathing. The coffee grounds and sugar will exfoliate your skin, and make you feel so soft! The olive oil does leave a greasy residue, so be sure to soap up and wash it off before leaving the tub. Your skin will feel amazingly happy, and I think the scent of the coffee mixed with the hot steam of a bath feels pretty invigorating!

If you wait a little while between making the scrub and using it, you’ll find the oil does settle to the top. Give it a quick stir before use, and then it’s good to go!

Not a coffee drinker? Double up on the sugar and omit the coffee, and you’ll have a Sugar Love Scrub. You could even pair white and brown sugar for some color variation in your scrub…

I hope you loved using your the Coffee Love Scrub! It’s so much fun to give as a gift. You can put it in an old jar, paint the lid, and add a tag with instructions for use…

Please don't forget to take some time to pamper yourself this month!

This post is part of the self-love revolution going on all month long here on A is for Ampersand. Be sure to sign the declaration of self-hate independence and join in on the revolution!