Blog 651 - School Holiday Project 47: Making An Earring Board
"Today's project is a very easy one to do with the kids. By the end of it, the girls will have a board on which to organize their earrings, while the boys will have a nifty gift to present mom, or grandma with on Christmas. It is not an expensive project and requires little enough skill for smaller children to participate. Even teen girls will enjoy making these handy earring organizers!"
Blog 652 - A Summary with References of Blogs 601-650
"A number of people have mentioned that they find it difficult to find specific blogs among the growing list of published blogs. This gave me the idea of publishing a summary of previously published blogs, with links and photo references. This way you only need to save a handful of blogs which can easily be accessed to navigate to the blogs you are looking for. This is the thirteenth of these Index Blogs."
Blog 653 - Making Chili Con Carne From The Lowlands
"I had a fabulous time visiting the Netherlands a couple of years ago and picked up a couple of very interesting ideas for preparing food. I still receive parcels from there every so often and one of these parcels included some lovely ideas for making Dutch variations of international favourites. I share the recipe for making Chili Con Carne in today's blog, but also tell you a little more about some lesser known gems to discover if you ever make your way over there."
Blog 654 - Making Mock Kapucijners From The Lowlands
"Kapucijners are Chick Peas (field peas), or Keper-ertjes, for my Afrikaans readers. Among the recipes I learned about while visiting the Netherlands, was this fabulously easy one for making a delicious Chick Pea and Mince meat dish. However, just as I was about to bring the whole dish together, I realized I was all out of chick peas and I quickly had to find an alternative. I added butter beans, which is not the same thing, but now you know why I call it a mock variation of the real dish. The rest of the recipe is true to the real thing and you can easily swap out my butter beans for chick peas. I also share some more of the wonderfully beautiful landscape I traveled with you."
Blog 655 - Baking Carta Di Musica Using A Sourdough Starter
"Today's bread is a paper thin flatbread that originates from Sardinia. This bread looks like musical parchment and derives its name from there. I told you in the past two blogs about some meals I learned about during my travel in the Netherlands, and today I show you what I served it with when I was back in South Africa. With this bread having Italian roots, we almost covered the globe with this interesting combination of dishes; Chili Con Carne, from Mexico, Kapucijners, with a strong Indonesian backbone, and both of these with a Dutch twist. All I can say is: Enjoy an international feast!"
Blog 656 - Mosaic A Simple Bespoke Frame
"I was playing around with some alternative ideas for displaying my art without actually framing it. Frames are often very personal and people have diverse likes and dislikes. For this reason I, and many other artists, choose not to frame art. However, it would be nice to have some options available for display purposes. I then stumbled upon an idea that involved mosaics. The art can be popped in and out in no time, or fixed permanently, depending on your own needs. Let me show you how to make this quick and easy frame."
Blog 657 - Covering A Shoe Box With An Attached Lid In Fabric
"I am an organizer by my very nature. I hate it when things are in disarray and will spend hours sorting through things and getting them neatly organized, labelled and stored. Are you like that at all? If so, you will probably find today's blog useful. I show you how to take an ordinary shoe box with an attached lid, and cover it in fabric, thereby creating cute and affordable storage space for some nick-knacks."
Blog 658 - Baking Seconds Pie With Pinda Satè
"Most of us would squirm if I suggested making a sauce with peanuts and eating it with your meat dishes or 'slap'chips. I was very skeptical about this when I was introduced to it as well. That is, until I tried it. It is unbelievable how well peanut sauce goes with strongly flavoured meat dishes! And chips! Pinda is Dutch for peanut and Satè means sauce. In today's blog I show you how to give your leftover meat dishes a new look by turning them into pies. However, not before we added some Pinda Satè. To top it all, I once again bake two different pies in one pie dish to save on electricity as well as dishes. I share another clever trick for doing this."
Blog 659 - Sewing An Off-The-Shoulder Dress For A Girl
"I had a whole lot of fun with today's dress. I had less than a half meter of fabric left and it had a bit of an old-fashioned print on it. I decided to turn this into a cute old-fashioned dress for my niece. I would drop the shoulders a little to make it look a little more playful. I also dropped the waistline, to take it straight back to the 50's. Makeshift sleeves and bias binding on the neckline, are all tricks that are discussed in the blog."
Blog 660 - Making Vanilla Fudge
"If there is a single sweet that I find hard to resist, it must be fudge. And nougat. And ... Okay, you get the idea. In any case, fudge is way up there on the list of favourites. I think we are all familiar with the quick and easy microwave fudge. (Or am I mistaken? Should I blog about it?). Yet, every so often, I crave proper old-fashioned stove-top fudge where the sugar and butter has taken its time to caramelize and give me that richly developed flavour that is unmistakable fudge. I share one of my favourite fudge recipes with you in today's blog. The old-fashioned way."
Blog 661 - Perfect Wood Fire Braai (Barbecue) Plan
"Have you heard it said that you can't build a wood fire in your kettle braai? You can. And what is more, you can use this fire to prepare a complete menu. No doubt you will want to swap out some of the items on my menu for your own preferences, but I share some tips for preparing your whole meal on the fire in today's blog. I bake bread rolls, cook 3 different veggies, 2 types of meat, sausage and 2 whole chickens in a pot on one single fire. Want to know how to stretch your fire? Come braai with me in today's blog."
Blog 662 - Bake Perfect Boerewors Roll Buns
"In the previous blog I shared some ideas for preparing a whole meal on your kettle braai (barbecue). Among the dishes I'd prepared for the braai were some mouthwatering delicious buns for making boerewors rolls. I have developed this recipe specifically to enhance the flavours of the traditional boerewors and everyone who has ever tasted it is in agreement that this makes the good old boerewors roll something noteworthy. Want in on the secret? I share my recipe for these flavourful buns with you in today's blog."
Blog 663 - Whole Chicken Pot On The Kettle Braai (Barbecue)
"In the past two blogs I have been sharing recipes and ideas for a braai with you. One of the dishes I prepared on the fire was a lovely green curry chicken in a pot. Whether you make this chicken on the braai, or in the conventional oven, it is sure to be a hit. I share the recipe with you in today's blog."
Blog 664 - Mixed Media Mosaic Mirror
"After making a mosaic frame recently, my fingers were itching to make something more creative in mosaics. I found a square piece of wood panel that I've had for a while. As I still have not settled on an idea for it, I decided I would mosaic something on this. Going through my stash of tiles, I came across a handful of mirror tiles leftover from previous projects. There and then I decided to make a decorative mirror, bringing together a number of differently sized and shaped items and tiles. I walk you through the reasoning and planning in today's blog, showing step by step how to do this yourself."
Blog 665 - Fringed Earrings
"I have a little girl in my life whose birthday is just a couple of days before Christmas. That means that, even at this late stage in the year, I am still having to think of gifts for birthdays, rather than simply concentrating on Christmas. Whatever you intend these earrings for, be it yourself, or someone else, I am sure you are going to love the movement of the fringe on these easy-to-make earrings. I show you how in a few short steps."
Blog 666 - Double-Dipped Brush Strokes on Prepared MDF Board
"I start with a raw MDF board in today's blog and show you how to treat it before painting on it. Once all of the groundwork is done, I show you a number of techniques for painting Folk Art type brushstrokes with a more contemporary twist. The aim of this exercise is to finally turn this plain plank into a decorative cake server, although you may have a much different purpose for your own double-dipped brushwork."
Blog 667 - Double-Dipped Brush Strokes on Prepared Masonite Board
"In the previous blog, I introduced double-dipped brush strokes. I continue along the same vein in today's blog, tackling more strokes and ideas. Today's surface is no longer MDF board, however, but the very cheap and light-weight masonite board. Our surface preparation is therefore slightly different from that of the previous blog."
Blog 668 - Cracked Pot Cake Stand
"Many years ago, for a very short period in time, my folks had a business venture where they made tombstones. Rummaging through a little used store room, resulted in my mom presenting me with two cracked pots, one left over from the time of the tomb stones. She handed these to me, saying she figured I could do something with it, but to simply throw it away if I couldn't. The challenge was on! I knew they would never again serve as flower pots, but that I would give them a whole new lease on life. I figured I could turn these old discards into centerpieces, by making cakes stands out of them. Let me show you how in today's blog."
Blog 669 - Multi-String Earrings
"I have yet another pair of earrings to make for the gift box I have been working on and I am sure you will love these as well as you did the others I made with fringe. I am still looking for dangling earrings with lots of movement in them to make for my little (almost) five-year old. These earrings were inspired by her Elsa dress, which she still wears on a regular basis. They match the colours of the dress beautifully and would make a much loved addition to the outfit. I show you step by step how to make these cute earrings in today's blog."
Blog 670 - Baking A Pizza Roll Using A Sourdough Starter
"Today's loaf makes absolutely the best sandwiches you can ever dream of. What makes this ideal, is that the flavour is baked into the bread, freeing your time up in the morning when rushing to get everyone out of the house. All you need do is to slap on a slice of ham and cheese and the sarmie is ready to go. It tastes like pizza and the rolled layers makes it very pretty to look at as well. I bake this with brown bread flour to make it that little bit more healthy. Your kids are gonna love this!"
Blog 671 - Making Pork Curry
"Pork Curry is not something that we are very familiar with, yet it is a very delicious meal. I bought a pork pack from the butcher's the other day and was rather disappointed with the cuts included. Aside from the roast and four chops, the remainder of the pack was filled with an assortment of very badly cut meat pieces. This is the ideal meat to put in a stew or curry. I opted for the last. Let me show you how to transform your unwanted pork cuts into a delicious curry that will have your guests coming back for seconds."
Blog 672 - Preparing Slow-Cooked Pork Roast & Potato Wedges
"I bought a pork pack with a beautiful leg of pork in it. This absolutely begged to be slow-cooked int a lovely roast. Once cooked, this meat is delicious if thinly sliced on sandwiches, or even for putting out on a meat platter. You can serve it hot, or cold and makes for the perfect meat to have ready in the fridge over the party season when scores of hungry children or unexpected guests can be known to flood the house at the little or no warning. I cook this roast in today's blog and show you how to make some deliciously crispy potato wedges while we're at it."
Blog 673 - Make A Memory Wire Bracelet & Matching Earrings
"I am still working on a gift for my niece who has requested earrings for her birthday. I have decided that it would be a good idea to not only include a couple of sets of earrings, but also to have some of them match up with bracelets and necklaces, etc. With this in mind, I made her a matching set of earrings and bracelet. I show you how in today's blog."
Blog 674 - Make A Beaded Necklace & Matching Looped Earrings
"We have done a couple of blogs on jewelry making already, but we have not yet covered all the techniques or materials by a long mile. In today's blog I share some more ideas and tricks that I have not covered in previous blogs. Most notably, I show you how to use crimp beads on both the necklace, as well as the earrings."
Blog 675 - Baking Curry Seed Knots Using A Sourdough Starter
"There is a recipe I have for making buns that has people returning to the bread table time and again. That is my recipe for curry seed knots. In essence this is a very typical brown bread bun that I have upgraded a bit. I add some delicious curry seeds to the dough and then tie the dough into adorable little knots before baking it. As always, I will be using my sourdough starter, but I also give hints for using alternative raising agents in the blog."
Blog 676 - Summary of Craft Blogs 101-150
"I have thought it a good idea to try and organize the blogs a little to make them more accessible to myself and my readers. With this in mind, I have started grouping blogs that have a common theme together in a summary blog. This blog is complete with links, headings, descriptions and photos. This is the third of these blogs on crafts in general."
Blog 677 - School Holiday Project 48: Make A Multi-String Necklace
"Girls will always love jewelry and making it themselves has been a popular pastime for centuries. In today's blog I show you a couple of very easy ways to put together different strings that make a pretty multi-string necklace when they are joined together. There is nothing intricate about this process and only a couple of beads are strung, making it the perfect project for both younger and older kids."
Blog 678 - Making Tassels From Wool
"I have a life-long love relationship with all things fringe and tassels fall smack in the center of this. I recently showed you how to turn fringe into tassels to be used as earrings, but today I will show you how to take plain wool to make your own tassels. I will show you a couple of cool ideas for using tassels in upcoming blogs that you may not have thought of before. But first, we have to learn to make our own tassels, so that we can personalize the upcoming projects to look exactly the way we want it to look, without being delivered unto what is available in the local shops."
Blog 679 - Make Tassel Angels For Your Tree
"When we learned to make tassels in the previous blog, I promised that I would share some creative ideas with you for putting these tassels to use. One of the ideas I had been brooding over, was for decorating the Christmas tree with. I use the tassel I made in the previous blog and turn it into an adorable angel, complete with wings and a halo in today's blog. These are very quick and easy to make and truly affordable. They also add a personal DIY touch to the tree, making it just a little bit more special than when all the ornaments are store-bought."
Blog 680 - School Holiday Project 49: Make A Beaded Necklace With A Pendant
"What is more spectacular than a pretty beaded necklace with a pendant of your choice? We make just such a necklace in today's blog. The necklace we make has a lot of repetitive actions. This may make it slightly daunting for younger kids. I would advise doing this one with kids of mid-primary school level and up, unless you are prepared to step in and finish the project yourself. Older kids should be able to master the tricky bits by themselves and will learn a couple of actual jewelry making techniques in the process."
Blog 681 - Jewelry Making: Make A Charm Bracelet & Matching Earrings
"Charms have fascinated old and young alike for many decades. I show you how to make a very quick and cheap version of this ever popular piece of jewelry in today's blog. I also walk you through the steps of making a couple of matching earrings. Mine is to be included in a gift for a little girl turning 5, but you can adjust your own version for any age, by simply swapping out the 'charms' to be more age appropriate."
Blog 682 - Making Date Balls
"I had some dates that had been forgotten in a stow-away container and when I rediscovered them it was obvious that I would need to use them urgently if I wanted to have any use of them. Fortunately it is the ideal season for snacks and sweet things, especially with the kids regularly coming to visit straight from the swimming pool. Date balls is a firm favourite with all and this was all the excuse I needed to make them. I share the recipe with you in today's blog, along with a neat trick for rolling those sticky balls."
Blog 683 - Baking Fruit Roll-Up's Using A Sourdough Starter
"Having made the date balls in the previous blog, I was inspired to make a few more things with dates in them. I love both Chelsea Buns as well as Cinnamon Rolls and these two traditional recipes inspired me to come up with my own version of a semi-sweet delight that reminds one of these delectable treats. I call these rolls my Fruit Roll-Up's and use my sourdough starter as raising agent. You will love these! I baked them with teatime in mind, and ended up having them for breakfast the next morning. They are that good."
Blog 684 - Baking Quick Pizza Using A Sourdough Starter
"I love pizza, but I seldom order mine from the shops. Sometimes, though, I simply do not have the time to wait for dough to rise. That is when today's recipe is absolutely wonderful. I show you how to mix your own pizza base in no time at all and then give you some ideas for toppings, although I hate being pedantic about this, as everyone has their own likes and dislikes. With not needing any time to rise, this pizza base is sure to be a favorite with the whole family."
Blog 685 - Turning Leftovers Into Rice Salad
"It is the time of year where we entertain and invite friends over for meals and snacks. If your house is anything like ours, you will also be sitting with small containers of little bits of leftovers. I show you how to turn those leftovers into a wholesome rice salad in today's blog."
Blog 686 - Home-Made Ginger Beer Version 3
"The days are long and hot and we have a bit more personal time on our hands. This is the ideal time for home-made ginger beer. I have shared my two grandmothers' recipes with you in previous blogs (see links in the blog), but have been reading and experimenting with a couple more recipes. I think I have finally nailed one that will be pleasing to the palette. Let me know what you think."
Blog 687 - Packaging Your Home-Made Jewelry Elegantly
"I have shared a number of blogs with you where I introduced you to the art of jewelry-making. However, the presentation of jewelry is as important as the appearance of the jewelry itself. Recall for yourself the grand boxes and containers that your own jewelry came packaged in when you bought it. I share a couple of inexpensive packaging ideas with you in today's blog, that will make your already pretty home-made jewelry sparkle even brighter. Am I still in time for your Christmas gifting ideas?"
Blog 688 - Making Bath Bombs & Bath Salts
"The hustle and bustle of the season is behind us and we are stretching towards a new year laden with its own ups and downs. We have a little bit of time left before we have to get back in the swing of things. Why not make the most of this time, by mixing yourself some bath bombs with which to relax? I show you how easy it is to make these little luxuries in today's blog. Fact is, you should have enough to be able to spoil a couple of friends as well."
Blog 689 - Making Shower Melts
"In the last blog I shared a recipe with you for making bath bombs and bath salts. Yet, if you are anything like me, you love a shower as much as a bath. The good news is that the aroma therapy of the bath bomb has now come to the shower in the shape of shower melts. These little cakes are placed in the corner of the shower where they will slowly dissolve, releasing their therapeutic aromas in the shower. This, coupled with the steam, will have a wonderful soothing effect on the body and soul. I share a recipe for making shower melts in today's blog."
Blog 690 - Baking Seeded Durum Wheat Loaves Using A Sourdough Starter
"Are you looking for a delicious recipe for sandwiches that has the power to sustain the kids while away from home until late in the afternoons? Today's blog offers you a brilliant solution. We bake a loaf where we combine three flours, of which one is low GI durum wheat, or semolina. We then add three seeds to increase both flavour and stamina, and add our sourdough starter to ensure the addition of natural pro-biotics. It doesn't get much better than this."
Blog 691 - Cardmaking: Deck Of Cards Birthday Greetings
"Today's card was developed around a young man's 18th birthday. It had to be grown-up, but with a bit of fun. I always like to think up interactive ideas and this card certainly covers that aspect. The deck has to be fanned open to reveal the hidden messages inside. I walk you through the steps to make this card yourself, in today's blog."
Blog 692 - School Holiday Project: Making Paper Mosaic Cards
"In today's blog we cut up an existing picture to expand it for use on a card. In the process the kids get to cut and paste as well as to put the 'puzzle' pieces together again. When we are done, we turn this expanded paper mosaic in to a lovely card by gluing decorations to it, and painting it with glitter paint. Once again the project is filled with developmental opportunities."
Blog 693 - Baking A Potato & Mustard Seed Loaf Using A Sourdough Starter
"I have promised you more bread recipes that incorporate veggies and almost forgot about this promise. I make true on my word in today's blog when I show you how to turn potatoes into wholesome bread. To make it a little more interesting, I add mustard seeds and a little turmeric to the dough to add both flavour and colour to this very tasty loaf."
Blog 694 - Using Palette Knives With Acrylic Paint & Impasto Medium
"Having crafted a frame in the previous blog, I was itching to paint something to fit into the frame. I have been wanting to get back to the lessons on using palette knives and this was the ideal opportunity. Many people believe that palette knives can only be used with oil colours. This is not true. Today I will show you how to use oil colour techniques when painting with acrylics. The result is that your acrylics will take on the appearance of oil colours. Nifty, indeed!"
Blog 695 - Bake A Rye & Dill Loaf Using A Sourdough Starter
"I love Rye flour and every so often I bake yet another rye loaf. Today's loaf has white bread flour added to make it slightly lighter, resulting in approximately 33 % Rye flour. I then add a couple of dill seeds to the dough for flavour. Dill and rye complements each other wonderfully. If you love rye, you are going to love this recipe!"
Blog 696 - Making Hanging Storage Boards For A Boy's Room
"I have a little boy in my life who enjoys his tools as much he enjoys his art equipment. When my mom gave me some remnants from a pair of old pants that had been cut up for rags, I realized that I could make him lovely storage space for his beloved tools of the craft. This blog combines a range of crafts, including sewing, painting, decoupage, and entry level woodwork. The result is storage space that is decorative, fun, and doesn't require shelf space. This sounds intricate, but it is actually very easy to do."
Blog 697 - Bake A Chicken & Corn Pie
"One of my favourite pies of all time has to be chicken pie. In today's blog, I combine this favourite with corn, rather than the expected mushrooms. I show you how to mix your own dough, but you can always simply use store-bought puff pastry, if you don't have the time to make your own dough. This deliciously wholesome pie has all the fatty parts removed and veggies added, making it a wonderful healthy alternative to the fast food versions."
Blog 698 - Sewing Conversions: Turning A Basque Into A Skirt
"My mom has this habit of passing all sorts of off-cuts and remnants my way. This is how I came to be in possession of a completed basque that was cut from an existing skirt. Rummaging through my sewing room boxes, I came across this forgotten item and decided it was time to do something with it. So, for today's blog, I show you how to turn this off-cut into a cute little skirt for a young lady."
Blog 699 - Sewing Conversions: Turning A Skirt Into A Dress
"Having seen what I did with the sewing conversion in the previous blog, my mom handed me a skirt from her wardrobe that she no longer wore. As my niece was already present to fit and model the skirt I had made, it followed quite naturally that this newly arrived skirt would also be converted into an item of clothing to fit her. We draped it this way and that and finally agreed upon a dress that we both liked. I walk you through the steps of converting an existing skirt into a girl's dress in today's blog."
Blog 700 - Turning Tatty Jeans Into Hanging Storage
"I had this old pair of jeans that was covered in paint and had holes in all the wrong places. It was time to turn this old jean into rags, but not before I recovered all of the distinctive bits that jeans are known for. I show you how to give your beloved jeans a whole new lease on life by turning them into hanging storage space. This time, no sewing is required!"
Follow these links to previous Index Blogs:
Blogs 1-50
Blogs 51-100
Blogs 101-150
Blogs 151-200
Blogs 201-250
Blogs 251-300
Blogs 301-350
Blogs 351-400
Blogs 451-500
Blogs 501-550
Blogs 551-600
Blogs 601-650
Blogs 651-700
Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy the books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.Blogs 51-100
Blogs 101-150
Blogs 151-200
Blogs 201-250
Blogs 251-300
Blogs 301-350
Blogs 351-400
Blogs 451-500
Blogs 501-550
Blogs 551-600
Blogs 601-650
Blogs 651-700
Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy the books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
For more crafty ideas and great products, visit A Pretty Talent on Facebook.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
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