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Lavender hand cream provides a slightly scented, soothing balm for tired gardeners' hands that get the roughest treatment during the cold winter months. The Lavender oil used here adds a very slight perfume and is also a powerful healer and antiseptic in its own right. The white wax is bleached bees' wax, once upon a time bleached outdoors in the sun, and is sometimes available as granules which dissolve faster than a large block. If you can only get a block of wax then grate it on the coarse blades of a food grater or shred slivers off the block with a sharp knife. Gently warm the blade under hot water to make slicing easier. Coconut oil is extracted from the dried flesh of the coconut and has been used for centuries in preparations to moisturize and condition the skin and hair. Almond oil is one of the oldest known cosmetics and is a very light but effective oil which has no scent of almonds. It is still used today in many commercial cosmetics. The amounts needed in this recipe are measured in spoons so that you can choose the size of spoon according to how much you want to make.
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Ingredients
4 spoons sweet almond oil,
4 spoons coconut oil,
3 spoons white wax,
6 spoons glycerine,
Lavender essential oil (about 6 drops if tablespoons are used to measure)
Put the almond oil, coconut oil and white wax in a double saucepan or basin over a pan of hot water and gently dissolve them. Stir the mixture to blend it together and when everything has melted add the glycerine drop by drop. Take it off the heat and stir until creamy. Finally add drops of lavender oil and mix well. Put into pots and leave to set in cool dark place.
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This pretty, seashore-inspired windchime makes a softly musical sound with each passing breeze, and is incredibly simple to make from odds and ends. The terracotta shapes used here were Christmas decorations bought from a garden centre. Floristry departments in garden centres are also a good source of unusual objects that would work well, for example miniature flowerpots, shells and seashore shapes intended for inclusion in pot pourri. The antiquated-looking piece of 'driftwood' used here is actually an old hammer handle, found while digging over a garden border. Be inventive and cast a careful look over your button box, garden shed, bathroom and garage shelves before stepping into a shop. You probably have almost everything you need for this project already, and searching for alternatives is a major part of the fun. Some objects will need small holes drilled in them — the type of drill sold for miniature work is inexpensive, widely available and easy to use.
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Tools & Materials
Jute twine,
Clothes pegs,
Instant bonding glue,
Scissors,
Piece of driftwood, branch, well-worn hammer handle or similar,
Selection of objects such as shells, terracotta shapes and old buttons,
Drill and small drill it
- To make lengths of hairy jute twine easier to thread through objects, grip one end of the jute in a clothes peg and twist the twine tightly to reduce its diameter close to the peg. Drip instant bonding glue on to this tightly twisted end and hold the peg for a minute or so until the glue has dried and the twist is secure. When the glue is totally dry, cut through the glued twist and you will have a rigid, neat, unfrayingend, which will thread smoothly through your chosen objects.
- Tie the un-neatened ends of several lengths of twine on to the piece of driftwood, branch or hammer handle that is to form the top support of the windchime. Tie a further length of twine to the wood to form a loop for hanging the finished chime.
- Drill a small hole in each object to be threaded as necessary - for example in the bottom of each miniature flowerpot and in any shells that do not have naturally occurring small holes.
- Thread your chosen objects on to the lengths of twine, knotting them in place to secure. Knot collections of shells and buttons suspended from the pots to produce 'bells'.
- Continue threading objects on to the twine until you have a well-balanced windchime. Add new lengths of twine to the wooden support, if necessary, checking that they are sufficiently well spaced to appear uncrowded, yet close enough together to knock gently into each other when the wind blows.
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