Category Archives: How To

Do It Yourself – Create Your Own Center Piece or Gift: Vintage Picture

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Are you looking for that one-of-a-kind centerpiece for either a graduation, wedding, party, or even just a house decoration?  What about creating your own vintage picture.

Supplies You Will Need:

How to Create:

Step 1: You will need to begin with the Mason Jar, Picture, and Glue. Glue the picture into the mason jar.

Step 2: From there you will need to add vegetable oil. The vegetable oil is what makes the picture look vintage.

Step 3: (Optional): Now you can add decorations to the Jar. You may either add dried flowers, pebbles, or anything else that would make the centerpiece more memorable (like pieces from the time frame).

Step 4: It is now time to finish. Place the lid on top of the mason jar and tighten the lid.

Now it is time to decorate. You may also use this vintage picture as a gift for any occasion.

Vintage Picture

Vintage Picture Supplies

How to Make Garden Stepping Stones

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Stepping stones are a great way to dress up your garden, but can be quite pricey. So why not spend an afternoon making your own garden stepping stones? They are super easy and fun to make for the whole family!

There are tons of different kinds of stepping stone, weather you want to add them to your garden or just accent a walkway into your backyard stepping stones make cool landscape accessories. They can also make great gifts, although they may be a little heavy to wrap!

What you will need:

  • Concrete (you can find this in your local Rural King store or special stepping stone concrete at a craft store)
  • Plastic mold (you can also find these at craft stores, but you can also use a pie pan or a plastic pot drainage saucer which is also found in our Rural King stores.)
  • Decorations such as paint, shells, marbles and glass beads or pieces of a wind chime.  

What to do:

  • Put on a pair of plastic gloves and lay out a few sheets of newspaper to cover the floor.
  • Pick which mold you’ll use to make your stepping stone.
  • Mix the cement according to the instructions on the package and pour it in the plastic mold container. It should be at least two inches thick.
  • Depending on how you want to embellish your stepping stone, start decorating it while the cement is still soft or wait at least 24 hrs for it to dry before removing it from the container. 

Stepping stones: before the cement hardens, you can make a hand or footprint, stick on shells and glass beads or use cookie cutters to make cool shapes. You can use anything lying around your house to jazz up your stepping stones. If you’re more of a painter, then wait for the cement to completely dry before you paint your stepping stone!

Bite me NOT!

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Mosquito Trap

Tired of annoying mosquito bites? Avoid the cost of mosquito traps at the store and just make your own! It is quick and simple. All you need is an empty 2 liter bottle, yeast, sugar, and water.

What to do:

1. Cut off the top of the bottle, just where the the top curve ends
2. Add mixture of:

– 1 tbs of yeast
–1/2 c of sugar
– Luke warm water

3. Put mixture in the bottom of the bottle
4. Place the cut off top of the bottle up-side down into the bottom of the bottle
5. Make sure the the mixture doesn’t touch the up-side down piece of the bottle. (This is so the mosquitoes can’t find their way out.)
6. Tape or staple the end of the bottle together to secure the hold.

Simple as that and your DIY Mosquito trap is complete! The mixture gives off Carbon Dioxide which is what we breathe out and attracts mosquitoes to us.  That gives them something else to dive into that doesn’t cause us irritation!

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Mason Jars

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Don’t you just love mason jars? But wouldn’t they be better with some color?  I sure think so.  I have most of my house decorated in mason jars.  I use them for almost everything: pin holders, candle holders, toothbrush holders, I even have a jar full of buttons (super adorable).  Although, sometimes just a plain old mason jar won’t work. I need some color in my life.  So, I tinted my mason jars!! It is super easy and you will get tons of compliments.

All you need is:

  • Mason Jars
  • Mod Podge
  • Food Coloring
  • Little Bowls
  • Stirring Stick
  • Newspaper or Paper Towels 

You just put some Mod Podge in the little bowls with your desired food coloring and mix it up really well with the stirring stick and then pour it into a mason jar and turn the jar around to where the colorful goo has made it all over the jar.  Once the whole inside area of the jar is covered just lay it on top of the newspaper (bottom side up).  You can mix up another color and get to working on another jar.  Once you are done you need to set out another area of newspaper (just in case there is still a mess) and flip the jars right side up onto the new set of newspaper.  From there you just let them dry. I could take up to a day to get completely dry.  After that it is up to you to decorate however your little heart desires!!
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How To Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

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Making your own laundry detergent is easier than you think. Some people make their own to save money, some to protect their family from dyes and perfumes. Whatever your reason for making your own, Rural King makes it easy for you by carrying all the products you need.

Ingredients

Directions

Mix Grated Fels Naptha Soap with 6 cups of water in sauce pan, heat until soap melts.
Add washing Soda and Borax to Sauce Pan Mix. Mix Well until Washing Soda and Borax Dissolve
Pour 4 Cups of Hot Water into Bucket and add mixture from sauce pan.
Add another 1 gallon 6 cups of water and stir well.
Allow 24 hours for soap to gel.

Use 1/2 a cup of soap per load, recipe produces approximately 50 loads

*We recommend using a dedicated sauce pan for this recipe. Keep soap and ingredients out of reach of children and keep bucket sealed when soap is not in use. A double recipe may be produced with the Rural King 5 gallon Bucket.