DIY Natural Bug Repellent

Hello Summer! It’s time for the pool, BBQ’s, and all sorts of outdoor fun.  It's also time for mosquitoes, flies, gnats and all kind of other buggy invasions-especially this summer in Texas.

Sabrina & Jenny, of The Pig and the Peacock are here to help you out giving you all natural ways to keep the bugs at bay. Today they are covering essential oils that you can easily get at your local natural grocers that target annoying outdoor bugs. Read on for more info and a recipe to make your own!

Peppermint Oil

With its strong scent and tingly sensation, it is great for repelling lots of different types of bugs. The minty clean aroma of peppermint repels mosquitoes, ants, fleas, beetles,flies. It will even repel spiders! There are a number of ways to use peppermint oil, you can make a spray, burn a candle, or soak cotton balls with the oil.

Lemongrass Oil

Lemongrass is a natural bug repellent. Spend a lot of time in you yard having parties or grilling? Plant some lemongrass around your yard to keep the pests away. You can also make a spray and use this in your home to repel fruit flies (and leave your house smelling oh so citrusy)!

Lavender Oil

If you don’t already have a bottle of Lavender Oil at home, run and get yourself a bottle asap! This magical oil has been used for centuries for a plethora of things, including keeping bugs at bay. In addition to keeping moths out of your closet, it will keep mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks at bay outdoors. Bonus that it smells so good!

Tea Tree Oil

Like Lavender Oil, Tea Tree Oil is another must have around the house with many beneficial properties in addition to repelling bugs. Using Tea Tree Oil either in a spray or on a cotton ball can keep flying insects, spiders, and even lice away.

How to use these oils? The best part about these four Essential Oils besides being easy to find and buy is that they all blend well together.What you’ll need is Lavender and Peppermint Essential Oils, a 2 ounce fine mist spray bottle, witch hazel or vodka,  an eyedropper (if your essential oils did not come with one), and a small bowl or cup. 

To make, take your spray bottle and put it in your bowl or cup to prevent spills. Pour 1 ounce of your witch hazel or vodka into the spray bottle. You could also use rubbing alcohol or a light oil, like sweet almond here too. 

Next, add 10 drops of peppermint oil and 20 drops of lavender oil. If you will be using this on small children, cut the amount of essential oils to 25% as their skin is more sensitive. 

Finally, shake it up to mix it well and put a label on it! Not only will this recipe help keep bugs away but you will smell great too! 

Kid-friendly Work Tunes with Molly

Hey friends, Molly from Tokodots here, part-time stationery addict and full-time toddler mom, to share the soundtrack of my life these last few months if you need to get out of your music rut but you have little ones with big opinions on music.

Now that summer's here, you might need some appropriately upbeat tunes to get moving on a hot day, so check out my kid-approved playlist below. All the songs have been enthusiastically recommended by my music loving 2-year-old but are fun for mom and dad to listen to as well. I wouldn't recommend letting on that the songs can be individually repeated though, lest you find yourself listening to one of them on an endless loop (please learn from my mistake on this one). This music is best suited to creative endeavors like coloring and hand-lettering, but just as good for house cleaning, dancing before naptime or as a soundtrack to a backyard splash in the pool. Enjoy!

Creativity Camp: Basic Shibori Dyeing

Welcome back! This week, we are making over some old white cotton shirts with shibori, a Japanese folding technique to create dyed patterns in fabric. You can use this folding method with any type of modern dye, or the beautiful, traditional indigo vat. For simplicity's sake, we are using Rit Dye on the stove top this time.

Gather your supplies, and keep reading for the tutorial. We need a bottle of dye, half a cup of salt, a squirt of dish soap, a gallon of water in a large pot, tongs, fabric or clothing, and rubber bands/clips/pipe cleaners/popcicle sticks.

First, let's do an accordion fold on your item of clothing. Fold your item in half. Then fold the top half back to line up with the edge. Flip over your item and fold the other side back and match the edge again. Now fold the sleeves back. The goal is to make all the edges line up evenly for the next step. (You can stop here, And move on to rubber bands or keep on like the photo.) Now, fold one bottom corner to the edge to make a triangle. Flip the item over, and fold the triangle up along the edge. Flip and fold, flip and fold triangles all the way to the end. 

Use rubber bands, bottle caps, clips, pipe cleaners, and popsicle sticks to create resist patterns. Now let's prepare the dye.

This part is for adults or older kids. Be careful! Turn your stove on high to boil, and add the salt. Once dissolved, add the dye and a small squirt of dish soap. (We are using black on small items for saturated colors, so we only used half the recommended water.) Reduce your stove to medium heat, and dye your items for 30 minutes.

Use your tongs to remove your folds, allowing the dye water to drain as much as possible.

Rinse your items in the sink until the water runs mostly clear, then remove your rubber bands and clips.  (Don't use dye in porcelain or porous sinks, it will absolutely stain! You can take them straight to the washer, but your whites may not be as white.)

Wash your items on cold with detergent, and dry them. From left, the patterns are the square accordion fold with popsicle stick resist, the pipe cleaner resist, the triangle accordion fold with bottle cap resist, and the binder clips resist.

I hope you enjoyed this project! Now you can make tea towels, napkins, pillow cases, wall hangings, and all sorts of good stuff! Be sure to tag us @etsydallas #EDCreativityCamp if you try it! 

P.S. Use gloves! Lol! 

Creativity Camp: Chalk Pastel Fireworks

Happy Monday, folks! We have an explosive 4th of July inspired project today, and an introduction to drawing with pastels. You are going to need a set of chalk pastels, some black paper, and a reference photo of some fireworks. Google a good one, and meet me back here for instructions.

Now that you are ready, pick a color and make a smoky haze by lightly rubbing the side of the pastel in a circular pattern on the paper. This is a great time to map out your composition. Chalk pastels are highly pigmented, so they seem to glow against dark backgrounds. 

Use your finger to rub the pastel into smoke. 

Find the center of your circle, and work your way around it with short organic lines.

Choose another color, and draw more lines. Be aware of the direction you drew your original lines and try to match the angles.  

Keep going and alternating colors and building lines until the explosion looks full. A little imperfection in the lines makes it look more realistic, so allow your lines to be different lengths.

Begin and build your other fireworks the same way. 

Use lighter colors on top of darker colors to connect areas and create highlights.

It gets really fun when the lines start overlapping! 

To finish, use your finger to smudge some of the ends of the lines as though you were continuing the lines. This will soften the edges and create areas of focus in your composition. 

That's it! Happy Independence Day! We wish you all a safe and exciting 4th with your loved ones! Be sure to tag us @etsydallas #EDCreativityCamp, we would love to see! 

Creativity Camp: Marbled Clay Monogram Charms

Today's project is a gateway technique, you've been warned. You can make anything with polymer clay! Until you get the hang of it, start small with simple, rewarding projects like coasters or beads. There are tons of videos on YouTube for inspiration. Google "polymer clay cane tutorial" and prepare to be amazed. For this project, you'll need some Sculpey in a few different colors, a fine tipped metallic paint pen or metallic acrylic paint, an x-acto knife, toothpicks, a nickel, a nail file, and a necklace chain with a jump ring or string.

First, make three "snakes" with your different colored clays. 

Then, twist your snakes together.

Fold, break, and smash the clay. 

Keep going until everything is mixed, but not so far that the white disappears.

This looks like a good place to stop. Now, smash with a book or roll it flat with a rolling pin.

Pick out a section you like, and set your nickel on top. Use your x-acto knife to cut around the nickel.

Spin a toothpick in the top to make the hole for the jump loop. 

Carefully lift your polymer clay "coins" and place them on a lined baking sheet. 

Use your x-acto knife or toothpick to press in a letter. You could also use a rubber stamp.  Bake your pendants at 275°F for 15 minutes.

Once they have finished cooking, sand off the rough bits with a nail file, and use your metallic paint pen inside the letter and around the edges. 

Let the paint dry and you're almost done! Use nice string or a jump loop and chain to turn this into a little necklace. Seal your pendant with varnish or polyurethane to make it more durable. Attach your jump loop,  string it on your chain, and voila! Your handmade marbled clay monogram necklace is finished. We made several to share with some friends.

Thanks for joining us again this week, we hope you are having fun! Remember to tag us @etsydallas #EDCreativityCamp if you give this project a try!

Creativity Camp: Faux Watercolor Painting

Hello! Welcome back to our Creativity Camp. I hope you are enjoying this series, and that you and your kiddos are feeling inspired! Today, we are beating the rainy day blues with some colorful faux watercolor paintings. All you need is some watercolor paper (or heavy paper), tissue paper, tape, washable markers, and a water spritzer. Follow along!

Wrap your watercolor paper with the tissue paper, and tape on the back. 

Use the markers and tape to draw circles in all different colors around the paper. Leave a little bit of white space for a more interesting composition.

Once you have finished, it is time for some color theory magic! Use the water spritzer to lightly spray the colored tissue paper.  Watch the colors merge and change!

Try not to over-wet the paper, or it will muddy the vibrancy of the colors. Tap it down, and allow your piece to dry. 

Once the water has dried, you get to unwrap your painting like a present.

Surprise! Check out your abstract watercolor painting! The areas where the tissue paper was lifting off the paper remained white. 

This is an easy technique for such sophisticated results. You can frame it as is, use it as a background for drawing, or use shaped punches to make scrapbooking or card making elements. I decided to frame mine, after she signed of course. Pretty good for a five year old!

If you give this project a try, be sure to share with us @etsydallas #EDCreativityCamp. See you next week!  

Creativity Camp: DIY Superhero Costume

Happy Monday! This week's craft takes minutes, and costs nothing. Yes! That is my kind of crafting! It also brings up an important topic with your kiddos... recycling. Getting creative with something old is a wonderful way to recycle. Rummage through some colorful old t-shirts, and grab your scissors. This afternoon, we are becoming superheroes! BOOM!

First, use chalk to draw out lines on the back of your shirt, and around the neckline where you will cut. WHACK!

Next, cut along the sides and those chalk lines. Be careful not to stretch the jersey or the edges will curl. BAM!

Now, find the longest length in your remaining fabric, and chalk out a strip for the mask. We used the design from the front of the shirt to create some interest. You can also use the design on the cape instead! SWISH!

Cut out the mask, and chalk and cut the eye-holes as well.  Tip: it's easier to cut circles if you fold them in half. BANG!

You could stop here, or take it to the next level with a little fabric paint and a sponge.

My daughter came up with a clever super hero name, The Galigator! So, we picked a green shirt, and I cut a sponge into a triangle so she could stamp spikes down the back.   It may help to mark out the design in chalk first to keep things straight. SPLAT!

Let the paint dry, and your imagination run wild! You are brave, and strong, and bright! KA-POW!

Thanks for joining us! See you next Monday for another fun project. We would love to see your little superheroes in action, so tag us on Instagram! @etsydallas #EDCreativityCamp

Handmade Father's Day Gift Guide with Heidy

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18th. Do you have your present yet? We’ve shopped through the best of local Dallas Etsy artists to find unique, handcrafted gifts for Dad and gathered our favorite fifteen here.

From left:  Kat French Designs, Tokodots

But first, the card. Designer, Kat French on her inspiration:

“I made this card thinking of my own dad and my husband who labor all week long then give it their all on the weekends taking care of the house, cars, yards and do it all without complaining.”

And Tokodots’ card is, of course, perfect for anytime you want to thank Dad.

The Top 15 Handmade Father’s Day Gifts

Clockwise from left: Jenny N Design, Mesa Blue, Wingbean Woodworks 

​1. The Professional Backpack from Jenny N Design, $253

2. Leather Wrap Bracelet from Mesa Blue, $25

3. Drink Local Bottle Opener from Wingbean Woodworks, $35

 Clockwise from top left: Piece of Shards, Expressions Bracelets, Rhapsody Letterpress, A Cheery Blossom

4. Docking Station and Organizer from Piece of Shards, $59.95

5. Best Dad Ever Keychain from Expressions Bracelets, $15.95

6. Fahrenheit 451 Literary Quote from Rhapsody Letterpress, $20.00

7. Personalized Leather Notebook from a Cheery Blossom, starting at $30.00

Clockwise from top left: mini-Fab, The Pig and the Peacock, Sasha’s Hand-Poured, Big T Woodworks 

​8. The Trio Multi-tool Pocket Beard Comb from mini-Fab, $34.99

9. Tobacco and Leather Scent Soy Wax Candlefrom The Pig and the Peacock, $10.00

10. Beard Balm from Sasha’s Hand-Poured, $18.00

11. Paduak and Zebrawood Beard Comb from Big T Woodworks, $28.00

Clockwise from top left: Joy Street Maps, Wandering Paper Co., Vinyl Revamped, Mush Tushy 

12. Hand Drawn Map of Dallas Print from Joy Street Maps, starting at $25.00

13. Dallas Skyline Linocut Block Print from Wandering Paper Co, $20

14. Jimmy Buffet Lyrics on Reclaimed Vinyl Record Wall Art from Vinyl Revamped, $15.95

15. Dallas Cowboys Inspired Wall Art from Mush Tushy, $55.00

Happy Father's Day to all our wonderful dads, and thank you for all you do!

Join Us Every Monday for Creativity Camp with Etsy Dallas

Summer has finally come again! The kids are out of school and excited about their relaxed routine, and spending more time with family and friends. To celebrate, we would like to officially invite you all to participate in a weekly project all Summer long! Each Monday, we will post a fun for all ages tutorial to help you put away the screens, learn something new, and make some memories. We can't wait to see your pics, so be sure to share with us on Instagram, @etsydallas #EDCreativityCamp.

To begin, let's get out our paint and brushes, and collect some smooth rocks to make some cutie painted rock family portraits! We found a bag of river rock at At Home, if you can't find some in nature.

First, paint your rocks white so we have a solid base for your colored paints. 

Once they have dried completely, take a sharpie to carefully draw the hairline and chin line. I used semi transparent acrylic paint. Choose or mix colors for your hair, skin, and clothing, and fill in those areas.

Depending on what paint you use, the sharpie may show through, so be conscientious of your lines.  This is a great way to add visual texture to hair and clothing.

Our rocks are starting to look familiar! Use a small brush or paint pens in white to create clothing details. Allow each side to dry before working on the other side.

Use a fine tipped black paint pen, or liner brush and black paint to draw the eyes and mouth. If your family member has glasses or facial hair, paint it on next.  Use the back end of your paint brush to dot on tiny pink dots for the cheeks.

Paint your rocks with a clear sealer, and place them in your front garden to enjoy for years to come.

Thanks for crafting with us! See you next week for another fun project!

DIY Personalized Notepads with Katrina

Katrina of Rhapsody Letterpress here with a little paper tutorial this morning! Looking for a fun, inexpensive and personal teacher appreciation gift? These homemade monogram notepads are an easy and pretty project you can make with relatively basic supplies you probably already have at home. Pair it with some cute pencils and a nice thank you note, and you will have a personal and practical gift that your kid's teacher would actually use. Check it out!

First, set up your monogram layout on your computer using Word or a design program and print 50 sheets. Remember to print on paper the size you want to make notepads, or cut it down after printing. 4x6 or 5x7 are good standards sizes that most printers can print. I have a guillotine cutter, so I printed on letter paper and cut it down to 4x9 after binding. 

Gather the remainder of your supplies. You will need binder or bulldog clips, cardstock that is cut to the same size as your paper, and rubber cement.

Collate your paper, sandwiching the card stock on the top, the printed paper in the middle, and two pieces of card stock on the bottom. Tap the end of the stack on the table to create a flat edge, then use the binder clips on both sides to secure a tight binding. 

Brush on a liberal layer of rubber cement, and place more binder clips over the area you just glued to keep the edge tightly bound. Allow the rubber cement to dry, and do another layer, placing the binder clips on again to let it dry once more. 

Repeat on each notepad. Allow the cement to dry until it is no longer tacky to the touch, about two hours.  

Once the rubber cement has dried completely and set (overnight or twenty-four hours), carefully peel off the top and bottom layer of card stock, and there you have it! (I used my guillotine to cut mine down in this step.) 

Pat yourself on the back for being so thoughtful and crafty!  Your teachers are going to love it!

Spring Bash recap with YLK Photography

YLK Photography

We were so lucky to have Yony, an Etsy Dallas alumna and a professional photographer, as our official Spring Bash photographer. Her photos are beautiful. We love YLK Photography! Yony is self-taught. She specializes in lifestyle and portrait photography.

You can follow Yony on Facebook or Instagram to see more of her amazing work. She is a true talent. Here are a few of our favorite photos she captured at the Bash ...

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

Made By Rori

Today we are excited to introduce Rori Callaway, who you may know from the notebook and journal shop Made by Rori. What you might not know about Rori is that she has been managing social media for the Etsy Dallas Team since 2015 and has this year come onto the Leadership Team as Social Media Director.

Despite all the volunteer time she has put into our blog and social media lately, Rori still maintains her own shop selling unique notebooks and journals that have the option to be personalized.  Her attention to detail in sending carefully packaged items and personalized notes has won the hearts of her followers for good reason.  

We all have Rori to thank for the hard work she's put into the Etsy Dallas social media presence across many platforms in the last few years. It's given us the opportunity to reach so many new followers and promote both our members' work and the handmade movement in DFW.  Give Rori a virtual high five by finding Etsy Dallas on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or follow her Instagram account @MadeByRori for more insight into her process and photos of her adorable family.

Thank you for supporting the 2017 spring bash

Thank you hearts to everyone who came out to the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash! Our amazing artists, shoppers, volunteers, sponsors and advertising partners made the day a success. 

A special shout out to Katrina of Rhapsody Letterpress for keeping the blog looking fabulous. And another special shout out to Lesia of Surly Bunny for creating the beautiful new artwork you may have spotted on our Bash Bags, volunteer shirts and buttons. 

We appreciate all the support of local, handmade art and artists. And we are already hard at work preparing for the Jingle Bash. Stay tuned for a save-the-date announcement soon. 

Chalkboard Floral Motif Drawing Tutorial

Everyone is working really hard preparing for the Spring Bash on Sunday, myself included. Watch the video below to see one of the many details that goes into making our handmade bashes truly handmade. Can't wait to see you this weekend!

Spring Bash Artists Featured on Good Day Fox 4

Our Etsy Dallas vice president SaRatta Murphy visited Good Day Fox 4 to talk about some unique items for sale at the upcoming Spring Bash this Sunday. Watch the clip below if you missed it, and scroll down for more details on the artists featured in the piece.  

http://www.fox4news.com/news/252637591-story

mini Fab

Matt McCoy of mini Fab uses wood, leather and cork for his creations. He creates personalized beard accessories, including all natural beard balm as well as wallets, cuff-links, flasks and bottle openers. 

Joy Street Maps

Kim Dresdner of Joy Street Maps creates one-of-a-kind maps with watercolor and ink, featuring the local area and beyond. Prints and originals will be for sale at the Spring Bash.

MushTushy

Emily Curtin of MushTushy started out creating sock monkeys which eventually evolved into wood art, metal art and custom pet portraits. Most of her wood and metal designs are crafted from upcycled wood and license plates.

Odin Leather Goods

Odin Clack of Odin Leather Goods is known for using vintage baseball gloves and mitts to craft some of his most unique one-of-a-kind pieces. From key chains to handmade leather briefcases, each piece is designed and stitched in his local studio. 

The Pig and the Peacock

Jenny and Sabrina at The Pig & The Peacock create handmade bath luxuries using all natural ingredients. Check out their line of soy candles made from recycled and etched wine bottles. 

Tokodots

Molly Lam created Tokodots, a stationery and gift brand, after spending nine years in Japan. Look for her care package gift certificate for a unique high school graduation gift, along with other colorful cards and prints this weekend.  

We can't wait to see y'all at the Bash! 

Win $50 in Bash Bucks from Dallas Child

We shared our love of Dallas Child the other day and now we have some exciting to share with you. They have are giving away $50 in Bash Bucks for the Spring Bash! Just hop over to their contest page for all the details on how to enter. We can't wait to meet the winner. Good luck!

Sponsor spotlight: Whipped Up Wonderful

We love Whipped Up Wonderful’s amazing line of bath bombs, bubble bars and perfumes. Alexis is a top seller of bath bombs on Etsy for a reason. You’ll love her items, all made with biodegradable and renewable ingredients. Everything in her shop is cruelty free and most are vegan. 

Be sure to stop by her booth and treat yourself at the Spring Bash this Sunday, May 7, at Gilley's Dallas. We will be there 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Alexis took a quick break from whipping up all the things for a Q&A with us ...

What are you most looking forward to for the 2017 Spring Bash?

Shopping! I always look forward to getting to meet some local makers. 

Is your shop offering anything new/special/different at the Bash?

I’ll be offering some debut products, like my rainy days bath bombs , my bath macarons, and hopefully my new Jelly Bean Bath Melts.

What is your favorite part of prepping for the Spring Bash?

I love planning my booth. Spring and Summer require different looks than Fall shows, so I get to really have fun and experiment. Also the time crunch - nothing makes you more creative than a deadline!

What makes this event special for you?

This will be the first year I’m attending the show not only as a vendor, but as part of the Etsy Dallas Leadership Team! I always make time for the Bash’s any way (being that they are the best independent handmade art and craft show in Dallas), but being such a part of making this show happen makes it all the more special.

Sponsor Spotlight: DallasChild

Dallas-Fort Worth is booming! We live in such an exciting city with so much to offer, it can sometimes be overwhelming to keep up. Enter Dallas Child. Etsy Dallas is so happy to have a long standing relationship with this awesome local resource. I have sung their praises a few times before. If you have a family, and live in the area, you need to check out their site and publication! You will never have to wonder what you might be missing, or who the best doctors in town are, or which Summer camp is right for your kiddo again. 

Sponsor spotlight: Expressions Bracelets

The Spring Bash countdown is on, y’all. You don’t want to miss the Expressions Bracelets booth at the Bash. SaRatta's hand-stamped jewelry makes the perfect gift. Be sure to stop by to see her beautiful work and get your story on some jewelry. 

SaRatta took a moment for a quick Q&A with us …

What are you most looking forward to for the 2017 Spring Bash?

The Bash Bag line. It is so amazing to see people lined up and excited to get their Bash Bags. I mean, I would be excited too, there are a lot of cool items in those bags!

Is your shop offering anything new/special/different at the Bash?

eb will have some really cool mantra cuffs for moms and girl bosses. Cuffs with phrases such as, Raising lil humans, MOTHER HUSTLER, Nevertheless, She Persisted, BOSS LADY and our most popular phrase Be Badass Everyday.

What is your favorite part of prepping for the Spring Bash?

Planning my booth layout is my favorite part. It is the time where I get to shop for and create cool additions to add to my booth. From new banners to creating product displays, it is a whirlwind of excitement. 

What makes this event special for you?

Our dedicated shoppers. The shoppers make this event special. They help to create the excitement. Some come to look for your booth and talk to you. It's like catching up with old friends.

Etsy Dallas 2017 Bash Mothers Day Gift Guide with Heidy

Mother’s Day Gifts Guaranteed to Make You the Favorite.

On Sunday, May 7th, the crafters and creatives of Texas are descending on Gilley’s in Dallas to sell unique handmade wares at the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash.  It’s a shopping experience like no other – great music, free make & takes, multiple bars + a restaurant on site, and don’t forget the famous Bash bags – you won’t want to miss it!

While you’re there shopping for yourself, don’t forget to get a gift for mom that she’ll cherish. (Because Mother’s Day is May 14th, *hint, hint*)  We’ve put together a few of our favorite gift ideas for you.

Because you’re the reason why she needs wine and bubble baths:

Whipped Up Wonderful

The Pig and the Peacock

Sasha's Hand Poured

Luna Tigre

My Dearest Danae

For the Nature loving mom

Glass House Collection

Heidi Miller Lowell

Sweet Tees Shop

Valerie Morgan Designs

Whispers in the Glen

For brand-spankin' new moms:

Bebe Mine Boutique

Precious Little Tot

For the mom who loves lounging and breakfast in bed:

Alexandria Dayne

Scribbles Lettering

Sweet Marcel

For the mom who loves travel:

Alohomora Design

Wanderlust Wares Shop

Carry It Well

For the spiritual mamma:

Expressions Bracelets

Live Bree

Woodworx

Because jewelry is always a good idea:

Sarah Briggs

Shop Daisy Made

Gabrielle's Little Secrets

Adorn Goods

Mesa Blue

Dandelion Leather Co

Earrings by Eryn

Dawn Franklin Designs

The Distillery

For the mom who likes to pretty her nest:

Joy Street Maps

Jude Landry

Shadow Box Gems