![Spring Garden Party]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Apr 11, 2016 | Crafts, Natural Living
By Contributing Writer, Sobia Hussain
Despite the recent fluctuations in temperatures, spring is officially here in North America. It represents life, renewal, growth, and warmth–something to be happy about. After being bundled up in heavy coats and scarves for several months, it’s nice to be able to step out for some fresh air and sunlight without feeling cold. I might be biased to say so considering spring is my favourite season, but either way it’s a wonderful season and worth celebrating.
After our party last summer for Ramadan, my daughter and her friends were asking when I’d host our next party. So I decided to have a little Spring Garden Party with spring themed food and activities. It’s a happy season after all!
We had plenty of finger foods and snacks with some fun spring elements.
To make sure the kids don’t fill up on the sweets first, I offered the kiddos a variety of fresh vegetables and homemade sour cream & onion dip. Surprisingly, they finished it all. That’s a plus in my books!
Then came the meal. With tiny tummies, I opted to make mini chicken sliders with seasoned fries. The pinwheel toothpicks made a great final touch to the mini burgers. Each child took one home as a souvenir.
Finally, there was the cake that everyone was tempted to dig into before any other food. Luckily I was able to hold the girls off until after their food was eaten :).
My munchkin helped me make this chocolate dirt cake featuring worms and grass–all edible food ingredients, mind you! For the soil, we used the Oreo cheesecake crumbs. For the green grass, I used a special piping tip which gave the fun effect of fresh blades of grass. This tip can be found at any store offering cake decorating tools such as Michael’s. For the final touches, we rolled fruit leathers into long worm-like creatures. They looked a little too real because some girls asked not to have it on their cake! The brave gals, on the other hand, gobbled it up right away.
Once we wrapped up lunch, the kids moved onto our planting activity. I gathered some organic vegetable seeds, soil pods and mini cups to help them plant their own mini gardens which they can take home.
We planted some tomato, carrot and lettuce seeds in different cups. The girls were eager to take it home to show their parents.
Afterwards, we got a little messy with some crafty pom-poms, pipe cleaners, crown cutouts and headbands. The girls were making fairy garden crowns. I used a hot glue gun to stick everything together, keeping it away from little hands.
The girls got very creative and were happy with their new wearable creations.
Finally, when it was time to go home, each child was given a little party favour my daughter helped me pack up. It contained some little candies, animal-shaped pencil toppers, and homemade strawberry lip balm. Yum. They loved it!
I was happy to see the girls chatting about how they were going to plant the seeds in their gardens when they sprout and share the veggies with their families. Incorporating some mini lessons and life skills into the party is something I enjoy doing. I hope they enjoyed their day.
Sobia Hussain is a professional soap artisan who runs The Olive Tree Soap Company located in Toronto, Canada. She creates vegan natural soaps and skincare products with an eco-conscience. She is also Editor of Muslim Gift Guide and writer for various international publications. Sobia loves teaching creative Discovery Workshops designed to help children discover their inner talents and inspire creativity through explorations in art and science.
![Warm Up With DIY Soy Candles]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Feb 22, 2016 | Crafts, Natural Living
Winter came a little too late to many parts of North America this year. But when it came, it came with a big bang…and lots of snow. While some people were super excited, others were…well…not so much!
One thing I personally love about winter is the cozy atmosphere you can create inside the home. With thick blankets, extra pillows and heavier curtains, your room can transform into a warm safe haven during the blistery cold temperatures outside. Plenty of hot cocoa and coffees can do the trick, too!
During this season, I also like to make handcrafted soy candles to burn throughout the longer winter nights. The added benefit of using soy wax as opposed to paraffin wax is it lasts much longer and is better for the environment producing up to 80% less soot. Soy candles are very easy to make and I’ll show you how!
Here’s what you need…
Materials:
- soy wax flakes
- large mixing bowl
- large pot
- spatula
- medium size pot
- glue gun/glue sticks/hot plate
- small glass mason jars (or your choice of containers)
- clothing pins
- tabbed candle wicks
- drinking straw
- fragrance oil (phthalate-free is best)
The soy wax, tabbed candle wicks and fragrance oils can be found at your local craft store. I would highly recommend you use phthalate-free fragrance oils which are better for your health. The rest of the materials can be found at any dollar store. You can get creative with the type of jar or container you’d like to make your candles in. Old tea cups and small deep ceramic bowls can also be great options. For this project, I’m using cute mini mason jars.
Preheat your glue gun. To avoid surface damage, keep a hot plate or newspaper under the gun as it heats so the glue doesn’t drip onto your work surface. I have a small metal plate I’ve dedicated to this purpose.
To start, insert a tabbed wick into the straw. Using the hot glue gun, carefully add a small dab of glue on the metal tab of the wick. The straw helps keep the wick stable as you prepare to glue it into the jar.
Carefully, adhere the metal tab to the center of your container, using the straw as a guide. Press down and hold for a few seconds. Then gently remove the straw. Repeat for the rest of your containers.
.
Create a double-boiler by adding a shallow amount of water to your pot and placing the large mixing bowl on top. Heat over the stove on medium until the water gently boils. Add soy wax to your mixing bowl.
To measure the correct quantity of wax for your containers, fill the container with wax twice and empty into the mixing bowl for melting. This is enough wax for one jar. Repeat until you have enough for each of your containers. For example, I was making 4 mason jar candles so I filled the jar 8 times and placed it into the mixing bowl. This was enough for my 4 candles.
IMPORTANT: Have a mixing bowl and utensils reserved just for candlemaking. You do not want to use a vessel which is intended for eating. I have separate instruments, including bowls, spatulas, etc, I use for all my non-edible projects such as candles.
Once the wax has melted, remove the mixing bowl from the heat and add your fragrance. Add enough until you are satisfied with the scent. Make sure you don’t put too much oil as it will not mix into the wax. A rule of thumb is using 20-30% the amount of wax you have for our fragrance.
Using a spatula, stir the wax and fragrance oil until it is fully blended. The wax will look uniform in appearance.
Now, carefully add your soy wax into each of your jars. Do not fill to the top, leave about 3/4″ inch from the rim.
Carefully, center the wick with the clothing pins. Now let it rest for about 1 hour, until the wax has fully hardened.
Let the candles cure for 24 hours. Then trim the wick about 1/4″.
TIP: Always trim your wicks to 1/4″ for ideal and even burning.
Light your candle and enjoy hours of burning for an aromatic experience!
Now make yourself a hot cup of cocoa, wrap yourself in a cosy blanket and immerse yourself into good book with your candle nearby!
SH
Sobia Hussain is a professional soap artisan who runs The Olive Tree Soap Company located in Toronto, Canada. She creates vegan natural soaps and skincare products with an eco-conscience. She is also a writer for various international publications. Sobia loves teaching creative Discovery Workshops designed to help children discover their inner talents and inspire creativity through explorations in art and science.
![Pom-Pom Embellished Tea Towels]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Oct 16, 2015 | Crafts, Natural Living
It’s the little things in life which can bring the greatest smiles. It gives us a chance to pause and appreciate hidden gems in our busy moments. Taking an ordinary item and transforming it with tiny yet intentional details can really spruce things up and become something meaningful. It could be a fresh rose on a withered window sill, new shiny buttons on an old wool coat, or even bright, bold trims on your kitchen tea towels.
I was at the fabric store the other day and was delighted by the mini pom-pom trims available in all sorts of bright colours. I loved its subtle playfulness and miniature sized balls hanging from the ends. Suddenly, I remembered my black and white tea towels. Sure, I loved the patterns on the towels but these pom-pom trims would surely give it an extra jolt of colour. So, I went ahead with the idea and bought myself some bright red trim.
In my busy schedule, a simple project like this was ideal. It only took about 20 minutes to complete and I had a new set of tea towels to liven up my kitchen. You can use any coloured or patterned tea towels and trims – the combinations are endless! Try this super easy project one weekend or evening and you just might get addicted to embellishing your existing items at home and transforming them into something new!
You will need:
Materials
- 2 tea towels
- 2 yards mini pom pom trim (contrasting or complimentary color)
- thread (complimentary colour to trim)
- straight sewing pins
- scissors
- sewing machine
Pretty trims can be found at your local fabric or craft store. Feel free to be daring and try something bold and colorful. If you don’t feel like pom-poms, give another type of trim a try!
First measure the widths of your tea towels and cut 4 pieces of trims accordingly with 1″ extra per piece (which will be used to tuck in at the ends). Now, using straight pins, secure the trim 1/2″ from the edge of the tea towel’s ends (width-wise). Leave about 1/2″ extra on each end of the trim so you can fold it underneath and sew in the raw edges.
Carefully and slowly, sew a straight stitch along the edge to sew the trim and tea towel’s ends together. Remember to remove the straight pins as you go to avoid any damage to the sewing machine. Lock stitch when starting and ending your sewing to ensure the stitching doesn’t unravel. Then trim excess threads.
Repeat for each end of your tea towels and you are done! It was that easy – yet look how gorgeous these look!
Now you have what appears to be a brand new set of tea towels with an added life of color! Drying your hands can now be a delightful little experience :)
With a project this easy, you can be sewing up a storm and give some away to family and friends. You can also get very creative and wrap a freshly baked batch of Sweet Bread Rolls with your new tea towels tied with a large ribbon and gift them away to these special people in your life. They would love it – a gift from the heart!
SH
Sobia Hussain is a professional soap artisan who runs The Olive Tree Soap Company located in Toronto, Canada. She creates vegan natural soaps and skincare products with an eco-conscience. She is also a writer for various international publications and is Editor of the Muslim Gift Guide. Sobia loves teaching creative Discovery Workshops designed to help children discover their inner talents and inspire creativity through explorations in art and science.
![Repurpose Chic Bangles at the Dining Table]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Feb 21, 2015 | Crafts, Natural Living
It’s always exciting to receive exotic gifts from faraway lands I’ll probably never have a chance to visit. I felt that way when one of my friends gifted me a set of beautiful shimmery bangles to wear around my wrist. I’m not a particularly into a lot of glitz and glam, especially since I’m always working in the kitchen even when I have a party, but these bracelets were so so pretty, that I couldn’t wait to wear them.
The problem was that when I went to put them on, they were too tiny for my big bones. I should have known better, as I never can fit into much in the South Asian stores where the ladies are much more dainty than moi. But, I just couldn’t part with them and instead decided to repurpose them somewhere else- on my dining table.
Up close they’re even prettier than from afar. They’re not real, of course, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like these at department stores. I think my guests are going to love them during my next dinner party.
What do you think? Would you do this, too? Do you have any other tips you’d like to share about re-purposing things in your home that you otherwise couldn’t use?
![Hand-Stitch These Lovely Vintage Floral Coasters]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Feb 14, 2015 | Crafts
There’s a special place in my heart for vintage trinkets and all things handmade. Much of it has to do with the memories it holds. Growing up, I had a childhood friend who lived on my street whom I used to visit very often. Going to her home was like wonderland for my imagination. Her mum was an avid antique collector and her house was filled with vintage wallpapers, home decor and many handmade finds. She loved sewing and so dedicated a small room just for that. It was a simple room. As you entered, you would be greeted by an old farmer’s table topped with her sewing machine, an old-fashioned lace dress-form by the window and a large wicker basket collecting some very colourful circular quilt pieces. Every time I would visit, that basket would slowly fill up. I wasn’t sure what she was making from it but it was definitely fascinating and the floral-like appearance caught my curiosity.
A few months later, I finally discovered what it was my friend’s mum was creating. It was this gorgeous yo-yo quilt for her daughter’s bed. It was so intricate with open lace-like work throughout. What amazed me most was that it was entirely made by hand – no sewing machine involved! It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen and so I took a mental note to make something like this one day.
Well, fast-forward to 2015. I figured it’s never too late to revisit old visions and try something new. The quilt pieces are rather simple to make, so I’m giving it a go. I have begun my little collection using fabric left-overs to create my very own quilt. It may take some time until I can finally complete one but I thought there’s no harm in trying. Besides, it’s so lovely! As a little incentive and continued inspiration for this big project ahead of me, I thought I’d make mini “quilts” and use them as pretty coasters for my teas. I call them Vintage Floral Coasters.
Join me on this craft project and I’m sure you may be inspired to make your very own quilt, too!
Here’s what you need:
Materials:
- 3 coordinating cotton fabric prints or solids (1 yard each)
- sewing scissors
- coordinating thread
- sewing needle
- pencil
- yogurt container, empty and cleaned
Cotton fabric helps keep the quilt stable, presses well flat and is easy to sew. Do not replace it with any other fabric. The yogurt container will be used as a circle template you can use to trace your fabric pieces before cutting. If you decide to use another circle template, keep in mind that the finished quilt piece will be half the size of the original template. So, it should be as wide as a yogurt container’s opening (approx. 4.5″ diameter).
The following are some simple hand-sewing techniques we will be using to complete this project:
Running Stitch: The running stitch is the basic stitch in hand-sewing. It is worked by passing the needle in and out of the fabric(s). It can be used to sew fabrics together or as a decorative stitch in embroidery.
Right Side or Wrong Side of Fabric: Fabric usually has 2 sides. The right side is vibrant and is referred to as the “pretty” side of the fabric. The wrong side is usually faded and is not intended to be visible on a project.
Double Knot: Normally, when you make a knot, you go over the loop once with your thread. However, for a double knot, before pulling you will go over the loop one more time and then pull. This will fasten your hand-stitching securely and leave a clean finish.
Whip Stitch: This is used to join two edges of fabric or quilt pieces together. You simply pass the stitch over the edge several times using needle and thread.
With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, trace the circumference of the yogurt container onto the fabric. You will need to make 3 circles from 2 of the fabric prints each and 1 circle from the last fabric prints. This will make one coaster. If you wish to make more coasters, simply cut more circles accordingly.
Now, thread your needle and fasten the end with a knot. Using the basic running stitch, fold down 1/4″ of the edge of the fabric and stitch across around the circle.
Once you have stitched around the circle completely, gently pull the thread to form a gathering. It should like like a mini pouch at this point.
Continue to pull gently until the edge of the circle has gather in the center of the yo-yo quilt piece as seen in the photo above. If the opening is not centered, adjust it to even out the gathering and bring the opening to the center. Press flat with your fingers.
To fasten your stitch, make a double knot. To make a double knot, you would make a loop twice over your thread as seen in the photo. Gently pull until the knot has been made. Snip off the excess thread and tuck inside the opening of the yo-yo piece.
Repeat the steps to make the rest of your yo-yo pieces. Once complete, form the flower pattern as seen above. With your pencil, lightly mark the places where the quilts will join the center quilt piece.
To join the quilt pieces together, use the whip stitch. You will only need to make about 3-4 stitches to join each edge together. Make sure the stitches are small to keep them as discrete as possible for a clean finish.
Your finished coaster should look like this! Isn’t it lovely? If you’d like to make more coasters to make a set, repeat the steps above until you have the desired number.
Now make yourself a warm cup of tea or coffee, grab your favourite book and enjoy an evening with your new handmade Vintage Floral Coaster!
~Sobia Hussain
Sobia Hussain is a professional soap artisan who runs The Olive Tree Soap Company located in Toronto, Canada. She creates vegan natural soaps and skincare products with an eco-conscience. She is also a writer for various international publications. Sobia loves teaching creative Discovery Workshops designed to help children discover their inner talents and inspire creativity through explorations in art and science.
![Spa Day at Home: DIY Skincare Recipes]()
by Yvonne Maffei | May 28, 2014 | Crafts, Natural Skincare
Sobia Hussain, owner of The Olive Tree Soap Company, wows us again with these wonderful recipes you will want to make at home just because she makes them so simple and appealing to make.
Our skin goes through a lot of wear and tear from the many things we do throughout the day. Exposure to the sun, wind and temperature changes can also make your skin feel dull and tired. However, there are ways you can gently remove dead skin cells and help restore your healthy glow. And, the great news is you don’t have to go to an expensive spa to get treatments. Actually, you may not even need to leave the home with these natural DIY spa recipes. In this tutorial, you will learn how to make a facial mask, body scrub and massage oil using only 6 ingredients.
Invite some friends over, make some cucumber mint water and make it a spa day!
Here’s what you need:
All of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store and health store. The Organic Argan Oil and Lavender Essential Oil can also be found at The Olive Tree Soap Company.
The following recipes are best used on the same day that they were made. The facial mask and scrub can be stored in the fridge until the following day. Discard any mixes after the second day of use. The massage oil can be kept in a glass bottle in a cool dry place for up to one month.
Yogurt Oatmeal Facial Mask
If your face is feeling dull and tired, this facial mask is for you! You’ll look and feel rejuvenated.
Here’s what you need:
- 2 tbsp whole yogurt
- 2 tsp oatmeal, freshly ground
- 1 drop argan oil
- 1 drop lavender essential oil (optional)
Mix all of the above ingredients in a small bowl with a clean spoon or stir stick. If you have sensitive skin, you can omit the lavender essential oil as it may be too potent for some skin types.
When you are ready to apply, wash your face with warm water then towel dry. Keeping your hair tied back, apply the yogurt oatmeal facial mask to your face in a smooth thin layer. Let sit for about 15 minutes then wash off with warm water. Pat dry with a clean towel.
Sugar Body Scrub
To help soften tough dry skin, this scrub will help gently massage the skin and loosen dead skin cells promoting circulation and a healthy glow. You can use this scrub on your feet, elbows, arms and, if your face is not sensitive, then your face as well.
Here’s what you need:
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 drops argan oil
- 1 drop lavender essential oil
Mix all of the above ingredients in a small bowl with a clean spoon or stir stick.
When you are ready to use, simply take approximately 1 tsp of the scrub at a time and gently rub it onto the tough dry areas. The granulated sugar will help remove the dead skin cells without being rough on the skin while the oils will help moisturize it. Wash off the excess sugar and pat dry.
Relaxing Massage Oil
Finally, help retain moisture and relax the muscles from a long day’s work, you need to top off your at home spa with an aromatic massage oil. You can also try other essential oils such as myrrh and frankincense which have been used from ancient history dating back to the Egyptians. This makes a great massage oil for babies, too!
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 3 drops argan oil
- 1 drop lavender essential oil (or other essential oils)
Mix oils in a small bowl with a clean spoon or stir stick. Pour into a small, preferably a glass, bottle.
This oil blend is great to use all over. You can soothe a sore back, arms, legs, feet and even massage it into your scalp.
So, the next time you feel that you need a quick pick-me-up, give yourself some time to slow down and give these DIY spa recipes a try. Hopefully you’ll feel refreshed after some much needed R & R (rest and relaxation)!
~Sobia, owner of The Olive Tree Soap Company
