DIY: Beeswax Candles

Today I wanted to share my experience in candle making.  I made small pillar 

candles out of 100 % beeswax in a couple of different colors.  

Beeswax candles produce negative ions, which cleanse the 

air of dust, odors, toxins, and pollens.  

They are completely non-toxic, non-allergenic and noncarcinogenic. 

With its healthful negative ions and warm, halo glow, they act like indoor air 

purifiers & they burn beautifully.  

The supplies that I used were the following:

- Square Braided Wick

- Aluminum mold (2 x 3) or desired size

- beeswax (I used a 1 lb. block- yields 4 candles)

(NOTE: Beeswax for Candle making come in blocks

 and Beeswax Pellets, also available in White Beeswax )

- Candle Dye Pigment

- cloth pin or pencil to hold the wick in place

- plastic plate or wax paper to protect working surface

- Metal bowl or Candle Making Pitcher

- a base for the mold to stand on leaving space in the center

- Wooden Craft Sticks for stirring

- scissors

- tape

- skewer stick

- pot

- water

- cooking spray

A) The first thing I did was measure the amount of wick that I was going to use, 

this ensures that you have enough wick for both ends.  Use a little cooking spray to spray 

the inside of the mold in order for the candle to slide out easily. Do not saturate. 

The mold has a hole in the closed end where you will pull the wick through. 

B) Make a knot leaving enough wick for the top of the candle. This end will be 

the top of the candle.

C) Take a piece of soft wax to seal that end making sure there are no leaks, then 

tape it off for extra support.

D) On the other side of the mold, pull the wick making sure it is secured.  Hold the 

wick up using the cloth pin until it is ready to have the wax poured inside of the mold. 

E) If you are using wax pellets, place them in the melting dish; if using a wax block, 

break it into pieces.  Make sure you measure the amount that you want to use.  

I used about 8oz.  Fill your pot about an inch deep of water.  You do not need to 

use too much water.  Place the pot over the burner and heat, do not boil.

Now place the bowl or whatever you are using to melt the wax in, on or in the pot.  

Observe and keep the heat low to moderate, watching the wax as it melts.  

Do not overheat.

F)  As soon as your wax is melted, turn the heat off and drop the color into the 

wax using a few drops. ( At this point you may also drop a scented oil if desired) 

Use the popsicle stick to stir the wax.  Make sure you have 

something to protect your hands from getting burned to handle the bowl.  

G) Before pouring your wax, make sure that the mold is steady, I used a plastic bag 

closure pin to keep my mold steady since the bottom has a bump due to the sealant.

H) Pour the wax very carefully, it is HOT.

I) Now secure the wick so it is centered using the cloth pin.

J) Wait for the wax to cool, make sure you have a disposable plate or wax paper 

underneath for any leaks. 

K-L) Wait for the wax to solidify for about an hour or so.

M) After an hour or so, take a skewer and poke holes into the wax to get rid of 

any air bubbles.

N) Let it cool for a couple of hours. then top it off with more melted wax.

O-P)  Let it cool for several hours or leave it overnight.

When the wax is completely solidified and the outside is cool to the touch, remove 

the cloth pin.

Grip the mold and turn it over to remove the tape and piece of wax at the end.  

Untie the knot.

Hold the mold upside down for the candle to slide out, if it doesn't come right out, 

you can put it in the freezer for a minute or two and try again.  You may have to 

squeeze the mold a bit to loosen candle, then it should come out.  Cut the excess wick 

on the bottom end of the candle.

In order for the candle to stand straight, you will have to level it. There are a number 

of ways to level the candle so it stands up straight. One easy way is to heat an old 

frying pan or cookie sheet and slowly rub the base of the candle over the heated surface 

until the bottom is flat.  As a final step cut the top wick to a 1/4 inch until ready for use.

Enjoy your candle!

How to Clean Grout on Floor Tiles

Have I ever told you how much I dislike grout?  The reason I do not like grout is because it is very porous and a lot of dirt gets trapped in it.  After trying several different products, methods, and DIY recipes, I found that white distilled vinegar works wonders on "my floor".  It may not work for everyone, due to the type of grout that may be in place.  My grout had a light seal.

After trying one product for cleaning my iron, I should have known that one simple product would do the trick on my grout. All I used to clean the grout was a small old brush,  a rag, a small container to pour your vinegar in, and the white vinegar.


This is what I started with, dirt, dirt, and more dirt.  I grabbed an old toothbrush and a plastic cup to dip my brush and begun brushing the grout. The wonderful thing is, vinegar evaporates rather quickly, so there is no residue and no big mess.

Look at that!!  Got to love natural products for cleaning.  Can you see the difference below with the cleaned section and the dirty section?  It's magic!  The only bad thing about this is that your grout will get dirty again over time and may have to do this again just like cleaning anything in your home.  I love that there is no chemical odor. Bleach gives me a headache and other products trigger my asthma, so this is my to go cleaning grout product.

Have you tried this on your floor grout?  Do you have any natural home cleaning items that you use for your home?

How to Add & Sell a Pattern on Craftsy

(This post contains affiliate links which means I will be compensated if you purchase after clicking these links.)



Hello friends!  Today I'm excited to show those of you who love to sew or make patterns, how you may add AND sell your pattern on Craftsy.  I have posted about Craftsy & their wonderful classes and sources in the past.  In addition to wonderful online courses and craft supplies, Craftsy also has an independent online pattern store that lets anyone upload and sell downloadable e-patterns with no fee!  

How do you add a pattern to Craftsy and start your pattern store? It’s easy! 

1. Make sure you have a Paypal account. All pattern transactions happen through Paypal, and Craftsy requires that you have a Student, Premier, or Business account in order to sell patterns.

2. Put your pattern in .pdf format. You can’t upload any patterns to the online pattern store unless they’re a .pdf file format, so if they’re currently saved as a Word doc, .jpg, or other file format, you must convert it to a .pdf before you upload it to Craftsy.

3. Include a photo. All patterns must have at least one photo to accompany them, but you can add up to five photos. Colorful, interesting photos tend to work the best for catching our members’ eyes!

4. Fill out the pattern description. Craftsy will ask you some basic questions around your pattern making it easier for Craftsy folk to find your pattern and know what your pattern is for. Make sure you have info about your pattern handy for this step. 

For more information on how to sell a pattern through Craftsy, or to get started, visit Craftsy today!

Chalk Paint- Jaded Love Bird-New!

Look what's new at the shop!  CHALK PAINT!  This is the ONLY jar of chalk paint available right now and I figured that perhaps one of you will like to have the opportunity to buy it.  It is inspired by Annie Sloan Chalk paint and paints on beautifully.
Here are a couple of links on tips on how to use chalk paint on furniture, you may view them here and here.

Are you ready to give chalk paint a try, or do you already love it and want to paint something to give it new life?  Look at how the table below turned out?  Did I mention no sanding required?  Got to love it!

This piece of wood has one coat only, painted just to give you an idea on the color.

(image via)
Pretty isn't it?  What so you think about chalk paint?  Have you tried it and do you love or hate it?

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©2010. http://www.inspirationsbyd.blogspot.com. All Rights reserved.

How to Fix Bubbled Paint on Wood Surface

Have you painted something in your home, to then see the paint bubble up or splinter later on?

I painted my mantel and because of the heavy heat exposure from the fireplace, the paint bubbled 

on the top surface.  A quick fix to this problem was to remove the bubbled paint by scraping it off...

I sanded the area to thin out the paint and make it smooth.  Then I removed any saw dust and 

paint particles left behind with a moist towel.  Before doing anything else, I let it dry out completely.

When the surface was smooth and ready, I painted the area with primer.  Once the primer was dry,

24 hours later, I painted the area.  Now it looks good as new.  This was a small surface, so fixing it

was simple.  Larger projects may need more work.  Remember, all projects are different, due to

the type of paint and surface, so do your research before moving on to fixing a paint problem. 

Have you had paint issues?  How did you fix the problem?  Share your painting
projects in the comments below.

How to Clean Heavy Gunk Off Your Iron

You have probably read tons of advice on 

how to clean your iron, just as I have.  I tried them ALL, but

for some particular reason, none of them worked on my iron.  

My iron does not have the shiny surface that many others have.

I gathered all of these attempts from Pinterest:

I tried the vinegar & baking soda approach, and nothing.

I tried the toothpaste approach, nothing.

I tried the magic eraser, nothing.

I tried the salt approach, nothing.

I tried too many to mention.

Everything failed!

I got so desperate, I almost ruined my iron by trying other crazy ideas

which did not work; ex: SOS pad, yes I got really desperate folks.

Friends, I had lost hope until I tried this!

Yes it is, a Tylenol.  Who on earth would have thought?  There is NO COATING on this tablet!

If you try this at home, make sure to use pliers or metal tweezers to avoid getting

your fingers burned.  I rubbed carefully & used a small towel.

I was pretty skeptical, I honestly did not think a little pill would do the trick...

...but it was truly magic!

Good heavens, makes me wonder what's in that pill?

This gunk was thick and not budging.  I thought that I was going to have 

to live with gunk on my iron.  People, I think I heard a choir of angels 

singing when the gunk was gone.

 Sorry that the clip is sideways.

Now to clean the rest of the stain.

What I did:

1. Set the iron to high heat setting, about 4 or 5. Make sure there is no water in it.

2. Get large Tylenol tablet the white kind with NO COATING, NOT gel.

3. Grab pliers or tweezers to hold pill and rub off gunk.

4.  The pill will begin to shrink, use more if needed.

5. Wipe with damp towel excess gunk.

6. Done!  You may have some remaining stain as mine did,

just keep rubbing until it's all gone.

***NOTE***
Do not use any other tablet other than Tylenol to do this.
Make sure that it does not contain any
coating.  I've had two readers tell me that they had a toxic smell occur,
so make sure that you use the correct tablet.

Packaging Ideas

My shop remains open and as an online shop owner, I want to have pretty and presentable packaging 

for my customers. The presentation that I give is as important as my product.

I have changed the look of my packages a couple of times since I opened my shop.

Thanks to this site for helpful hints for handmade shop owners, I finally narrowed down what 

I was aiming for, a simple, clean and professional look.

I wanted to brand my items, so I invested in some plain stickers and printed out my own labels. 

I took the colors that I use in the shop banner and blog design and applied it to the labels and ribbons.

 Adding business cards with contact information to your packages is important to keep 

the buyer informed of where they made their purchase.

I also use an Eco friendly natural box for packaging.

The items that are purchased are packaged with care,

so that upon arrival, the buyer receives everything in one piece.

If you are shipping fragile items, make sure you wrap your items well to protect it during shipping.

When you order an item from the Inspirations by D shop,
 this is the packaging that you will receive in the mail.

If you own a shop and want packaging ideas for your business, here are a few to inspire you.

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Please be original and don't copy other sellers packages.
Being different is what makes your shop unique.

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I hope that you were inspired with these packaging ideas.

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Make Your Own Havaianas Flip Flops

Havaianas Women's Brazil Flip Flop,White

I am head over heels over this site called Havaianas where you can make your own flip flops!  Just in time for the summer.  You can mix and match colors, designs, add stones and much more.  Take a look at this:

They can become a little pricey depending on how fancy you make them, but they also have already made available at lower prices.  The Slim Season Flip Flop,Sand Grey/Golden Sun is one of my favorites, what's your favorite?  You can also find them on Amazon Top Mix Flip Flops.  Do you know they have them for men and children?  Yep, they sure do, it would make a great Father's Day gift.

Teams Men's Sandal (USA)

Can't wait to head down to the beach with my new flip flops.  

I totally love them.  Are you getting a pair?

Enjoy! 

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