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Tag Archive: Do-It-Yourself Experiments

January 10, 2015 | Crystal Paine

DIY Experiment: A quick fix for scratched hardwood floors

A quick fix for scratched hardwood floors

When I saw this post on an Easy Fix for Scratched Hardwood Floors, I knew I had to try it. Our floors in our rental are very scratched up and I’ve been on a mission ever since we moved to figure out ways to improve how they look.

I bought some of the Howard Restor-A-Finish on Amazon with my Swagbucks credit and was excited to try it out this week.

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I chose a spot that was pretty bad but also in a fairly inconspicuous place. See above for the scratches before I tried Restor-a-Finish on them.

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And here is how they look after using Restor-a-Finish on them. I can’t tell that much of a difference up close, but I think it looks somewhat better from a distance.

I think this would work even better on wood with darker finish. I also would recommend starting out pouring on less of the Restor-a-Finish to make sure you’re happy with the results in a small area before you dump a bunch on a larger area. 🙂

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve scratched hardwood floors? Did you try an do-it-yourself projects this week? If so, how did they turn out for you?

33 Comments
April 8, 2014 | Crystal Paine

Homemade Cough & Cold Syrup

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I tried my hand at making Homemade Cough & Cold Syrup last week.

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It was really easy to make (ignore the fact that I didn’t use raw honey or fresh lemons — I’m all about using what I have!)

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The end result was a little less syrup-y than I expected, but I warmed it up a bit and then it looked just perfect.

Overall, I was really happy with how the Homemade Cough & Cold Syrup turned out and am anxious to try using it the next time someone has a bad cough around here!


18 Comments
February 3, 2014 | Crystal Paine

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

This Homemade All Purpose Cleaner was so easy to whip up! It literally took me maybe three minutes total, including getting out and putting away all the supplies!

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

I was really happy with the end result. It’s a little strong on the vinegar side — but that may also be because I used Apple Cider vinegar instead of white vinegar (that’s what I happened to have on hand).

If you wanted to make it a little less vinegar-y, I think you could cut back on the vinegar and add more water instead. Or, you could add more essential oil.

The spray seems to work very effectively and this is definitely a homemade cleaner recipe I’d make again.

>>Download the Homemade All Purpose Cleaner recipe instructions.<<

More Homemade Cleaner Recipes I’ve Tried:

13 Comments
January 7, 2014 | Crystal Paine

Homemade Lavender Bath Salts

These DIY Lavender Bath Salts are SO easy to make as a frugal gift idea!

This recipe for Homemade Lavender Bath Salts has been on my list of do-it-yourself ideas I want to try for a few months. After making them yesterday, I can’t believe I waited this long to try it.

This recipe is SO easy and fun to make and you could try using different essential oils and food coloring colors to change things up.

Homemade Lavender Bath Salts

  • 1 cup Epsom salt
  • 1/2 cup sea salt
  • 10 to 15 drops of lavender essential oil
  • 4-8 drops food coloring, optional (I used blue.)

In a mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients until well blended. Transfer to an airtight container and let rest for a few days to give time for the oil to infuse the salts.

To use: Add 4 to 6 Tablespoons of Lavender Bath Salt to warm running bath water. Enjoy a refreshing and relaxing bath soak!

Recipe adapted from uTry.it


43 Comments
December 6, 2012 | Crystal Paine

I finished the scarf… finally!

After way too many months, I finally finished the scarf I’ve been slowly working on knitting. Yes, I may be the world’s slowest knitter, but I’m really happy that I actually finished it.

Now I’m going to try and make mini matching scarves for both of the girls… and I’m hoping that I actually finish them before their high school graduations. 🙂 Actually, I’m shooting to finish them by Christmas, but I may be shooting for the stars considering my current knitting pace track record. I’ll keep you posted!

Are you working on any craft projects right now? Have you finished anything recently that you’ve been working on for a long time? Tell us about it in the comments!

45 Comments
June 12, 2012 | Crystal Paine

Homemade English Muffin Bread

This homemade English Muffin Bread will save you so much money on store-brought English muffins! And it's SO easy to make and super delicious!!

As one of my do-it-yourself projects for 2012, I planned to make English Muffins. However, after some blog commentors suggested I try English Muffin Bread instead, I checked it out and it looked much, much easier to make.

I’m so glad I tried the recipe. It’s a winner. So easy to make, so frugal, and so good.

My husband isn’t a huge bread person, but he absolutely adores this bread. He has raved about it repeatedly and is often asking me if we can have it with dinner — or he’s just getting some slices out from the freezer and making them for himself!

Speaking of which, this bread freezes beautifully! I made the loaves and sliced them, packaged them in freezer bags, and froze them. Then, we just take out however many slices we want at a time!

Next time, I want to try making this with at least half whole-wheat flour to see how it turns out. Has anyone tried that before?

English Muffin Bread

  • 2 1/2 cups warm water
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 Tablespoons salt
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar (or raw sugar)
  • 5 1/2 cups flour (I used unbleached all-purpose flour.)

Mix together all ingredients in a KitchenAid or by hand with a wooden spoon. Cover bowl with a cloth and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled (skip this step if using rapid rise yeast).

Punch down and spoon dough into two well-greased loaf pans (dough will be extremely sticky). Let dough rise again in pans until it reaches the top of the pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven. Brush with butter.

Cool completely before cutting. Best served warm or toasted with butter and jam/jelly or honey.

Makes two loaves.

To freeze: Let loaf cool completely. Slice and put in an airtight ziptop freezer bag in the freezer for up to six weeks.

To thaw: Remove the desired number of slices and let thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes to one hour (or thaw in the microwave). Warm in the oven or microwave or toast.

Recipe adapted from One Good Thing By Jillee

83 Comments