How to make Primitive Sugar cones

There are many recipes and methods to create a sugar cone. Following is the EASIEST process to make a replica of a sugar cone for display. There is no cooking involved, so it is fast and easy to do and cleanup is a snap.

Equipment Needed

Mixing bowl ~ I always use a large metal bowl

Your mold ~ this can be almost anything that has the shape you want. My favorite molds to use include a large beer glass and a tiny loaf pan. You can also use old pudding molds, sugar molds (really?)...

Small flat plate or pan

Your clean hands -the most important tool you have!

Ingredients

1 lb of Sugar - You can use white, light brown or dark brown or some combination of the three.

Water

Instructions

Mix sugar (or sugars) in bowl with your hands to insure that any lumps are removed.

Run your hands under the faucet and move immediately to your mixing bowl. Sprinkle the water from your hands into the bowl of sugar - do this a couple of times.

Using your hands, mix the drops of water through the sugar.

*******UPDATED SIDE NOTE! TO ADD IN EASE OF REMOVAL FROM MOLDS LIGHTLY SPRAY THE MOLD
WITH COOKING SPRAY PRIOR TO FILLING....*************

Firmly pack the barely moistened sugar into your mold. It is better to pack a small bit at a time rather than filling the entire mold immediately. This will insure that your sugar is solid in the mold.

Invert your mold over the flat plate or pan to release the molded sugar.

Set aside and allow to "dry" for 24-48 hours (depending on ambient temperature and humidity.) If you make more than one at a time, be sure that you thoroughly clean your "mold" between moldings.

Wrapping

Sugar cones were traditionally wrapped in blue paper. Frugal ladies are said to have once soaked said paper - using the resulting blue bath to dye textiles. I have also used white paper, but my favorite wrapping is dyed cheesecloth. Since you can easily leave a portion of the molded sugar visible, the resulting combination of textures is very pleasing visually.

Of course, the more you do it, the easier it will be, but that is all there is to it! Have fun!

An awesome give away

Visit Mystical entities blog an enter for this great giveaway..

Legend of the Candy Cane Bag Toppers

To download an 8x10 sheet of the toppers and a larger topper that you can resize yourself, click on the link below:
http://www.4shared.com/file/70347852/2896a36a/Legend_of_the_Candy_Cane-4_inch_wide_topper_Sheet.html

SNOWFLAKE GUEST SOAPS

I found this online and just had to share its such a quick and easy holiday idea I just love it.
NovSnowflake Soap Tutorialby CharityChristmas 2008, SoapYesterday, I finally started making holiday soaps. The first ones I made were these adorable goat milk snowflake soaps scented with peppermint essential oil.







Here is exactly how I made the soaps pictured here. Obviously, there are several ways to vary this project, such as fragrance, soap base, mold shape, and color.

I used:

Silicone muffin pan (6-cavity)
Approx. 20 oz. Goat Milk Soap Base
Cornflower Blue Mica
Peppermint Essential Oil (second distillation)
Small Metal Snowflake Cookie Cutter
Alcohol in a Spray Bottle
Measuring Cup, Spoons, Etc.
First, cut up approximately 8 oz. of the goat milk soap base. (I used the craft store variety that comes in a 2 lb. block and has score marks for the ounces. I did not actually weigh for this project, so weights are approximate.)

Place the pieces into a Pyrex (or other heat safe) measuring cup and microwave in short intervals (<30 sec.) until melted. Stir in essential oil and mica. (Tip: Dissolve the mica in the essential oil or a small amount of alcohol first to avoid clumps.)

Pour the blue soap into the six muffin cups, dividing equally. Allow to cool.

Once the blue layer is set up, but not fully hard, use the cookie cutter to cut out snowflakes.


Melt the remaining 12 oz. of soap base and scent with essential oil.

Allow the white soap to cool enough so that it will not melt the snowflake cut outs. (Make sure it is not steaming.)

Spray the blue layer and cut out holes generously with alcohol and pour the white soap on top of the blue layer and into the snowflakes, dividing evenly.



Allow to fully harden, then unmold.

Voila! You have a lovely soap to impress your guests or to give as a gift.



All of the supplies here can probably be found in your local craft store. For a multi-color project like this, make sure your colorant is non-bleeding. I used the Cornflower Blue Mica from Brambleberry. I also bought my peppermint essential oil there. They have the best soap making supplies, but the shipping on the soap base can be cost prohibitive. However, if you can swing it, it is well worth the money. Their bases are amazing!
Talk soon

Lets make some orange clove pomanders....

Ingredients
6 oranges (or lemons)
whole cloves
decorative ribbon
The Spice Mix
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground allspice
1/4 cup orrisroot powder (as preservative)
Directions
1Combine the spice mix ingredients.
2Wash oranges.
3Insert cloves into oranges in a decorative pattern (stripes, swirls, whatever strikes your fancy!).
4Roll cloved oranges in the spice mixture within 24 hours and set in a warm place to dry, turning fruit daily.
5Drying takes from two weeks to possibly a month.
6Pomanders are completely dry when they are hard.
7Remove pomanders from the spice mix, dust off a little, and tie with decorative ribbons. Set out in a bowl, or you can use as Christmas ornaments.
Questions about this

Handmade Laundry Stain Remover Recipes

Nov 14 2008Homemade Laundry Stain Pretreater Recipes
Frugal Laundry Soap - Pretreater

Save pieces and leftover slivers of bar soaps and collect in a jar. Those little hotel soaps are ideal for this too (cut them down to small pieces).

When jar is filled half way with soap chunks, add boiling water. Mix soap bits and water until soap is melted.

Once cooled this will make a soap jelly. Use to pretreat laundry.

*Handy to gob onto stained items and toss back into the dirty laundry bag for pieces that you can’t wash right away.

Quick Tip: I’ve also used just straight liquid dish detergent successfully. Squirt a bit onto stain, rub in gently with your fingers, then toss the garment in the laundry pile to be washed later. This is an especially easy one since you can apply the soap as soon as you notice the stain and leave the garment sit until laundry day.

Homemade Laundry Stain Removers

Recipe #1

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

Directions:

Mix ingredients then store in spray bottles. Spot treat stains then soak overnight.
Recipe #2

2 quarts water
1/2 cup ammonia
2 TBS laundry detergent

Directions:

Mix ingredients then store in spray bottles. Spot treat stains then soak overnight.
Do not use with bleach.

Sweet Potatoe Garland Tutorial

Sweet Potato Garland- Tutorial

Heres your ingredients:
Sweet potatoes - cut up into halves or quarters
1 Cup boiling water 4 tablespoons of Instant coffee - ginger (optional) ,cinnamon,
nutmeg ,sewing needle ,cotton string or cord - as long as you want your garland to be.

1)First you need to make your dye: Mix the coffee and boiling water.
2)Meanwhile, cut up your potatoes into halves and quarters.
3)Next, sprinkle your spices on a plate.
4)Soak your cotton thread in the coffee dye mixture.
5)Dip or drop your potatoes in the dye mixture to stain them.
6)Roll your colored potatoes in the spice mixture.
7)Attach the potatoe pieces snugly, one against another, on the colored string.
8)let air dry.
And thats all there is too it...

Talk soon

My Primitive Award

This was given to me by Brenda from My fathers house blogspot thank you so much Brenda I'm truly honored and I love your blog as much as you love mine...

Etsy Trash 2 Treasures Group

If you are a seller on Etsy and looking to join an Etsy group to help with promotion
and getting you noticed I belong to a great group called Trash 2 Treasures if your
interested in joining us please let me know and I will get you in touch with the Groups directors...

My Primitive Forum

We are having a Secret Santa Swap and Christmas Card exchange( signups now) and a Christmas Bingo game starting the Monday after Thanksgiving hope you'll join us...

My Grandbabies today

Anns Treasure Box Grand Opening Give away

Be sure and stop by and check out Anns new Blog its pretty awesome...