DIY Life

I love strawberries, both as a food and as a motif.

Recently, two separate summery strawberry stitching projects were posted over at WhipUp within a couple of days of each other: a pattern and tutorial for felt strawberries from Mr. Monkeysuit, and a felt jam-jar topper with a strawberry applique by Amy at Lucykate Crafts.

Even though they aren't by the same person, they seem like a perfect pair to me! You'll find further suggestions for this adorable project, including links to supplies, after the break.

Join me each week as I explore the naturally aromatic side of DIY. Helpful recipes for your "scentual" pleasure: from essential oils, herbs, and other botanicals to soap-making, body care products, and other useful blends.

There's nothing like a cool drink to refresh on a hot summer day. Last week, we explored drinks made with fresh mint and essential oils. Now it's time to think beyond the mint.

Did you know that most citrus and herbal essential oils are sold to large food companies as flavoring? Hydrosols, which are the water left behind when plants are steam-distilled into essential oils, are also safe to ingest in small quantities when they're organic and top quality, according to Suzanne Catty, author of Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy.

Make sure your oils and hydrosols are organically grown and of good quality, then read on after the break for drink recipes -- citrus, herbal, and even some floral -- made with essential oils, herbs, and hydrosols.

Summer is here, and the pickin' is easy: the wild strawberries (and farm ones too!) are ripe and ready, the wild blueberry bushes scattered throughout the woods behind my house are showing off their green berries, and the raspberries are just threatening to come out, but they'll be here later in the summer.

What will you do with all of your summer berries? Chances are, we'll be baking with some, but most of them end up in our mouths before they even hit the bowl. If you've got some extras, now might be the time to try making your own wild berry wine.

Beyond a cup of berries, water, and a quart jar, you really don't need anything but a little time to shake it all up each day. After about two weeks, you should be able to enjoy your wine.

WikiHow has more details on your home brewing experiment, and instructions on how to make vinegar or age your wine. If you've got some berries to spare, let the brewing commence!

White teeth and a bright smile can change your whole appearance. This won't replace professional whitening, but If you're looking for a quick and easy way to give your teeth that Hollywood shimmer, this strawberry and baking soda solution may be all you need.

Mash up one ripe strawberry and add in 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda. Apply it to your teeth with a soft toothbrush. Leave it on for 5 min and rinse.

Though this does sound a little strange, according to Dr. Adina Carrel, "this is a fast, cheap way to brighten your smile." She does caution against using this every day. Malic acid, the active ingredient, can damage the enamel of your teeth if you use it too often. Still, once a week is fine and it's a great way to instantly whiten your teeth.

[via: dumb little man]