Affordable DIY Jewellery Board

A while ago, I posted a DIY Earring Holder that you can make for under $5 (click here if you haven't seen it yet!). Today, I’m coming at you with another affordable DIY for your jewellery. While the other DIY was targeted towards earrings, this one is targeted towards your necklaces and bracelets.

I came up with this idea when I found an old pinboard in our apartment that was going to be thrown away. I used to keep my necklaces and bracelets in big plastic containers that had dividers. It was designed for beads but I used each section to store a different jewellery item to stop it from becoming tarnished. The only this was that I forgot what I had and would stick to the same pieces over and over again. I thought the pinboard would allow me to see what I have and it’s now much more fun picking out my accessories for the day!

Materials

•       1 large pinboard
•       Clear push pins
•       Acrylic paint in colours of your choice
•       Paintbrush
•       Sponge

Method

Step 1

Ensure that there is no dust on the pinboard. Clean it with a damp cloth and allow it to dry.

Step 2

Get painting! I chose to paint the corkboard blue and the frame green. I started off with a paintbrush but since mine was too small for the massive pinboard it was taking f.o.r.e.v.e.r. If you are in a similar situation, cut up a clean kitchen sponge and apply the paint that way. It’ll make the process A LOT quicker.

As cork absorbs quite a bit of paint I required 3 coats on the corkboard and 2 coats for the wooden frame. Make sure you allow the paint to dry in between coats.

Masking tape is recommended for this step to prevent paint from getting onto the frame and vice versa, especially if you’re using quite contrasting colours If you don’t have any masking tape use a small paint brush for the edges and perimeters.

Step 3

Let it dry! I know it’s tempting to use it straight away but seriously, control yourself!

Step 4

Arrange the push pins however you like. I recommended using clear push pins to keep the overall look clean.

Step 5

Hang up your jewellery and find the board a home :)

That’s it! Super simple and affordable. The great thing about a pinboard is that you can always rearrange the push pins to accommodate different necklaces. This board makes it so much easier for me to see what I have, use pieces that have been neglected due to my previous box storage, help me identify what pieces I don't need and what pieces I need to/want to invest in (primarily the latter of course!).

Happy DIY-ing!

Jess

Xoxo

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Quick and Easy DIY Earring Holder

I made this DIY earring holder a while ago. It's a great DIY and could cost you less than $5.00, depending on the frame you buy! I picked mine up from Ikea for $2.99 and is an A4 size. So you know those tights which sit in your drawer with runs through them? It's time to put them to good use, so whip those out again!

 

Materials

Photo Frame

Tights

Scissors

+ a lint roller (not pictured)

...that's it! 

 

Step 1
Remove the glass or in this case, the plastic from the frame.
Take one leg from your tights and cut a line straight across the thigh area (make sure you're left with a length that is long enough to fit the frame, plus 20cm each side.  

Step 2
Slide the tights over the glass/plastic.

 

Step 3
Make sure you have an even amount of overhang on each side of the frame.

Step 4
Secure the tights in place with a simple double knot. 

 

Step 5
Lint roller your tights to get rid of all those 'fuzzies', as I like to call them.

Step 6
Place it back into your frame and close it up!

Step 7

Flip it over and voila! It's a simple DIY earring holder which took you no time at all. 

Step 8 

Get decorating! Poke your earrings into the 'netting'. You can also hang your necklaces over the frame too. 

Step 9
Find your DIY Earring frame a home. Mine is kept on my 'jewellery dressing table'. 

Let me know if you guys try it! 

I have another DIY coming up soon, so keep an eye out! :) 

Jess

xoxo

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DIY Body Scrub - The Winter Edition

I posted a DIY Coffee Scrub recipe here a couple of months ago. However, the winter season has seen me alter the recipe to make it more wintery and cosy.. if that's even possible with a scrub. Personally, I love the smell of warm spices in the winter. Think chai, mixed spice. Doesn't the thought make you feel a tad warm and fuzzy? 

Materials
1 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of almond oil
2 heaped teaspoons of mixed spice
1 heaped teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 container to place your scrub it. Make sure it is sealed, we don't want any water from the shower getting in! Mine was only $2.00 from The Reject Shop. 

Method
1. Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. 
2. Transfer into your container.
3. Scrub away!

You can always alter the scrub to suit your preferences. If you prefer a less grainy texture, add more almond oil and more sugar if you prefer it more coarse. Just eyeball the consistency. If you prefer the scent to be stronger, add more mixed spice and the opposite if you would like the scent to be more mild. 

The almond oil in this scrub will leave your skin moisturised and the sugar will leave it smooth. 

Enjoy! 

Jess

xoxo

Fuelling my candle addiction...

In the past couple of years I have grown to love candles. I love the way they fill the apartment with an amazing aroma. I particularly love candles in the winter. There's something so homely and cosy about lighting a candle and drinking a cup of tea, coffee or even a hot chocolate! The best candles I've tried are the Glasshouse Fragrance Candles and love Bordeaux and Monte Carlo the best. Bordeaux is described as a vanilla, dark-chocolate and hazelnut scented candle and Monte Carlo is a fig and guava scented candle. However, at $39.95 for a 350g candle they are not the cheapest things to buy. I find it hard to justify almost $40 for a single candle. 

So in comes the little DIY-er in me! I purchased all the necessary bits and pieces (e.g., wicks, jars, soy wax, fragrance) from Aussie Candle Supplies. Shipping was reasonable and didn't take too long to get to me in Melbourne from Perth. The site has instruction sheets that tell you how to make your own candle. Turns out making a candle isn't as simple as melt the wax, add in your fragrance and pour. You have to work out the % of fragrance load that your wax, your pouring temperature, melting temperature etc. 

This was my second attempt at making a candle. The first time I made a candle I used only 1 wick but I found that it didn't burn nice and evenly. Candle-making is all about trial and error I've found. I will make a more detailed blog post after I work out the best method with my supplies. The one burning here is Hot Fudge Brownie which smells amazing! I purchased this fragrance from Live in Spirit - a candle supply shop here in Melbourne. 

Now that I've had a taste for making candles I want to make more in all different scents! I think I have a new addiction...

Have you ever tried making your own candles before?

Jess

xoxo

My Skin Saviour: Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

I've stated in a previous blog post that my skin gets extremely dry during winter. I received a sample of Lush's Ro's Argan Body Conditioner in a monthly subscription box and was extremely impressed with the results! It usually takes consistent moisturising on a daily basis to make sure my skin doesn't get to that ugly dry state. To be honest, I can find moisturising every night to be quite laborious (talk about lazy!). 

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is like a hair conditioner, but for your skin! You apply this at the end of your shower on damp skin and let it sink in for a couple of minutes before washing it off. It leaves your skin soft and moisturised, so say goodbye to that dry skin of yours because it literally disappears after one use! And the best part? You totally don't need to moisturise after! Big win! The texture is like a thick moisturiser and it smells like roses, so if you don't like the smell of roses I'd probably stay away. But for me, I love the scent. I use it on a weekly basis, but more if my skin needs some added moisture. I will usually use my DIY Coffee Scrub (Link to my recipe!) to exfoliate, followed by my Soap & Glory Clean on Me Shower Wash (which smells amazing!) and then this body conditioner. The result? Baby soft skin :)

At $32.50 for the 225g tub, it's not the cheapest thing but it does it's job extremely well and lasts a decent amount of time! I've had mine for a couple of months and I haven't even hit the halfway point. Definitely check it out if you suffer from dry winter skin blues like me!

Jess xoxo

What's on the breakfast menu?

I have been making this toasted museli fortnightly for almost the last year now. I love museli, but I find that the ones in the grocery stores quite expensive for the amount you get and I never feel that there are enough of the good stuff (i.e., dried apricots!). So hence, I sought out to make my own. It works out cheaper and I can add what I like in it. The following recipe is my preference; however, tweak it to your liking! 

Ingredients
- 3 cups of rolled oats (I use Lowan Wholegrain Rolled Oats) 
- 1/2 cup of shredded coconut (I use Macro Shredded Coconut which you can find at Woolworths
- 1/2 cup of pepitas
- 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup of almonds
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 2 tbsp of 'honey syrup' (1 tbsp of honey melted with 1 tbsp of hot water)
- 1/4 cup of dried fruit (I use a mixture of sultanas, dried apricots and dried pears)

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius 
2. Add the rolled oats, shredded coconut, pepitas, sunflower seeds, almonds and cinnamon into a bowl and mix together
3. Add in the honey syrup and mix well
4. Lay the museli out onto a baking tray in one even layer 
5. Bake for 10 minutes and then stir the museli around to avoid burning it
6. Bake for another 5 minutes; however, keep checking back on your muesli - you don't want it to burn!
7. Let your toasted museli cool
8. Finally, mix in your dried fruit
9. Enjoy!

Mine lasts for 1-2 weeks in my household :)

Jess 
xoxo

DIY Coffee Scrub!

As promised, here is the recipe for my DIY coffee scrub! 

I love my coffee, it's a fact. Having a love for coffee generally means that there is endless supply of coffee grounds available in my apartment.. so instead of throwing these out, I turn these grounds into an amazing body exfoliator!

What will you need?

-   ½ cup of ground coffee

-   ½ cup of brown sugar

-   2 tablespoons of almond oil 

-   1 tablespoon of cinnamon

-  mixing bowl

-   spoon

-   jar for your scrub!

Benefits

Now before we get started, let’s quickly run through the benefits of these ingredients. First up, coffee. Caffeine has been reported to remove impurities, decrease inflammation and redness, firm and tighten the skin, decrease appearance of cellulite and improves skin complexion. Ah-mazing!

Next, almond oil has been reported to delay the process of skin ageing, smooth and soften skin and improve your skin complexion. 

Lastly, cinnamon has been reported to reduce inflammation and stimulate blood circulation. 

Putting it together! 

Okay, so now let’s move onto making the scrub! This is so simple you probably could do it with your eyes closed! My recipe is a rough guide. You can add more oil if you prefer that consistency, increase the amount of coffee grounds and brown sugar if you prefer a more grainy texture, or increase/decrease the amount of cinnamon. 

1.    Mix the coffee grounds and brown sugar together in your mixing bowl

2.    Add the cinnamon (leave this out, if your skin doesn't agree with cinnamon as it can be an 
       irritant to some people)

                                     

      

      3.     Stir in your almond oil

      4.   Mix till well-combined

      5.   Fill your jar up with this amazing scrub!

Voila! Your DIY Coffee scrub is done. It is definitely super easy to make and is just as effective as all those expensive scrubs in stores. Just lather your skin up and scrub away!

Other Variations

Mocha body scrub
Add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder instead of the cinnamon 

     
Peppermint mocha scrub
Add 1/3 cup of cocoa powder AND a couple of drops of peppermint oil  

     
Let me know if you try it and if you have any questions just comment below or email me on yourdailybreak@gmail.com

     
Happy Monday everyone! 
Jess 
xoxo

Winter is upon us...

There is no doubt in my mind that winter is looming. Melbourne days are much shorter, the frequency of grey clouds is increasing, the cold chill that bites your face in the morning is appearing and the rain has started to fall. 

This is when I start wishing for summer to come back again! It's funny really because when we have those scorching hot summer days I wish for winter.. and now that winter is coming I am wishing for summer! I'm sure everyone gets that feeling!

Nevertheless, there are some great things about winter including hot chocolates, fuzzy blankets and pyjamas, oversized knit and ankle booties. Those are the things I love about winter! I also love watching the Tour de France. Call me crazy but watching those men race in lycra is actually really interesting and entertaining, particularly when they are racing towards the finish line. I blame the bf for this (recent) interest...

One thing I also love during winter is using my DIY coffee body scrub. My skin tends to get extremely dry - face, body and lips. This scrub helps keep the dry skin at bay. I will be posting the recipe for my coffee scrub very soon so keep an eye out! 

What are some of your favourite things about winter?

Jess
xoxo