Blog - Gluesticks Blog

DIY Jelly Soap is Fun and Easy to Make!

July 12, 2018 By Brandy 35 Comments

Jiggles like gelatin, but washes like soap! DIY jelly soap is a great project for kids! Use any kind of liquid hand soap for endless scent options!

If your kids like making simple projects like this, they'll love our homemade noise (fart) putty!, gelatin birdseed feeders, or DIY popsicle stick fans!

My girls love making homemade soap. We branched off from our easy glycerin soap for kids that we usually make and made jelly soap. It's jiggly, smells great, and suds up while washing with it! The best part was that we already had all of the ingredients.

Why I Like This Project

Simple supplies. Chances are, you already have everything you need in your pantry and cleaning closet for making your own jelly soap. If not, a quick trip to the store won't set you back more than a few dollars.
Easy for kids to make. This is a great project for kids ages 8+ to make. If your kids like making slime, they'll have fun making jelly soap---which is virtually mess-free.
Fun to use. This gummy soap suds up just like bars of soap, but it's way more fun. It's squishy, can be colored in any hue, and scented however you'd like. As with all soap: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN unless being supervised by an adult.

What Others Are Saying

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I may have enjoyed it more than the girls! We used bath/ shower gel, and it turned out great! ---Kelly

This was so easy, and the outcome was fun and perfect. ---Jenni (Pinterest comment)

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Tips and Tricks

Use 2 packets of unflavored gelatin. We've found that by adding an extra packet of unflavored gelatin, the soap is a bit more sturdy. You can make it with one envelope, if that's all you have, but if you have two, go ahead and use both! Here is our adaptation.
How to remove jelly soap from molds. Silicone molds are the easiest molds to work with when making soap, but you can use plastic molds, too. To loosen, run a butter knife around the edge and gently push from the back to loosen the soap from the mold.
Store gummy soaps in the refrigerator. You can keep the one that you are using out on the counter or in a dish, but keep any other soaps in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Do not eat. I feel like this doesn't need to be said, but I'll say it. These are not edible. Do not eat the jelly soap.
How to use jelly soap: The soap feels like gelatin jigglers and smells amazing! Use jelly soap the same way that you'd use liquid soap (wash hands, in the shower, etc). Jelly soap doesn't last as long as bar soap and dissolves quickly. If placed in a bathtub with water, it will dissolve after a minute or two and turn into a bubble bath. The soaps will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator before drying out.

Supplies and Ingredients

White bowl with a bottle of pink liquid soap and box of unflavored gelatin packets inside.

Unflavored gelatin: Gelatin is what helps the soap set up a bit and gives it the jelly texture.
Liquid hand soap: You can use hand soap, dish soap or body wash.
Soap coloring: This is optional, and purely for aesthetic purposes. If your liquid soap is already tinted, the color will show up when it turns into jelly soap. The soap coloring just makes it brighter.
Soap mold: I used a plastic mold, but silicone molds are often easier to work with.

See the how-to card at the end of the post for full information on supplies and quantities.

How To Make DIY Jelly Soap

Step 1: In a small pan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and give it a stir. Empty the packets of unflavored gelatin into a small bowl. Add salt water and stir until gelatin is dissolved.

Measuring cup of pink soap, bowl and whisk.

Step 2: Stir in liquid soap. Pour mixture into a measuring cup with a spout. Spoon off any froth/bubbles.

Step 3: Place the soap mold onto a baking sheet.

Pour the soap mixture into the soap mold.

Step 4: Pour the mixture into soap molds. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Step 5: To loosen from a plastic mold, simply run a butter knife around the edge of each soap mold and gently pull the jelly soap out. If you use a silicone mold, gently push from behind and pull the jelly out.

Jelly Soap FAQs

How long does jelly soap take to set?

Like gelatin, jelly soap needs to set up in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Can you eat jelly soap?

Jelly soap is not edible. DO NOT eat.

What can you use jelly soap for?

Jelly (or gummy) soap is fun to use while washing your hands. You can also use it in the shower! You can use jelly soap the same way you'd use liquid soap.

Elephant jelly soap on soap dish next to zebra jelly soap on table.

More Soaps To Make

MADE THIS CRAFT AND LOVED IT? 💛 Please leave a STAR rating and COMMENT below! Post it to Facebook or Pinterest to easily share with friends!

Print Pin

4.14 from 53 votes

DIY JELLY SOAP

Jiggles like gelatin, but washes like soap! These DIY jelly soap gummies are a great project for kids! Use any kind of liquid soap for endless scent options! As with all soap: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN unless under adult supervision.

Cook Time 10

set up time 2

Total Time 2 10

Author Brandy Nelson

Cost under $10

Equipment

stove
baking sheet
bowl
whisk
measuring cups/spoons

Ingredients

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup boiling water
½ cup liquid hand soap
soap coloring
soap mold silicone works best

Instructions

In a small pan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and give it a stir.
Empty the packets of unflavored gelatin into a small bowl. Add salt water and stir until gelatin is dissolved.
Stir in soap.
Add extra coloring (if desired).
Pour mixture into a measuring cup with a spout. Spoon off any froth/bubbles.
Place soap mold onto a baking sheet.
Pour mixture into soap molds.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
To loosen from a plastic mold simply run a butter knife around the edge of each soap mold and gently pull the jelly soap out. If you use a silicone mold, gently push from behind and pull the jelly out.

Video

Notes

Store in a container in the refrigerator. They will last 3-5 days.

If you use colored soap, you don't need to add soap coloring. Our soap was already pink in color and watermelon scented.

Salt Art Painting for Kids: Add color and texture with salt!

June 30, 2018 By Brandy 1 Comment

Have you tried painting salt before? Salt art painting is such a fun way to add texture and color to a project. Today we are making a fireworks picture, but you can make ANY scene you'd like!

The kids and I had a great time creating this fireworks salt art work of art. Salt adds such a fun texture and shine and is easy to paint on! I shared the tutorial on the Little Passports craft blog! a couple of years ago and it is a project that we still enjoy making!

Salt art is just about the most inexpensive craft to make with kids and it uses supplies that you probably already have on hand: water color paints, salt, white glue and paper.

Salt Art Painting for Kids: Add color and texture with salt!

Supplies:

black cardstock
water color paints
brush
salt
cup of water for cleaning brush

Step 1: Draw firework shapes on black paper with white glue.

Step 2: While the glue is still wet, pour salt all over design, liberally. Pick up paper and let excess salt fall off onto a cookie sheet or paper plate. Dont worry about letting the glue dry. You can color the salt while it is still wet!

Step 3: Dip brush in watercolor paints and dab the paint onto the salt.

Note: DO NOT BRUSH the paint across the salt or it will wipe it away. Just drip the paint over the salt. You could even use a tiny syringe to apply the paint!

Step 4: Keep dabbing until all of the salt is covered. It will bleed and create beautiful swirls and blends of colors!

Step 6: Let dry completely before picking image up. Once dry, you can apply a light layer of hairspray to help keep the salt from flaking off easily, but either way the colors will fade a bit after a day or so. Expert tip – ours lasted over a week before the salt began to flake off, these arent forever pictures, but my kids sure had fun creating them!

What other images can you create?

The sky is the limit! My 3 year old and I made dinosaurs the other day. You could also make candy canes, trees, pumpkins, hearts, shamrocks or bunnies for year around fun!

If you liked this salt art painting, you might also like these kids crafts!

Sidewalk Chalk Rockets: A science experiment, crowd pleaser, and boredom buster all in one! Sidewalk paint rockets! We made an entire rainbow of them and had fun setting them off and decorating the sidewalk in the back yard. The kids had friends over and everyone got involved with the mess!

Gelatin Birdseed Feeders: Birdseed feeders are easy for kids to make and require only a few ingredients! Hang them in a tree and take notes on the types of birds who come along to snack on them!

Goldfish Soap: This melt and pour gelatin soap has a fun toy surprise inside! A goldfish! Such a fun activity to make for kids and they can even make them to give as gifts to friends and family!

Veggie and Pork Kebabs

June 20, 2018 By Brandy 1 Comment

Veggie and pork kebabs in 30 minutes! Marinated pork chops from Walmart and fresh veggies are grilled to perfection for this quick and easy summertime meal! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.

Veggie and pork kebabs in 30 minutes! Marinated pork chops and fresh veggies are grilled to perfection for this quick and easy summertime meal!

Kebabs are one of my favorite things to make during the summer. There are so many delicious seasonal vegetables and fruits this time of year that can easily be made on the grill. Zucchini, bell peppers, onions, are just a few!

These pork kebabs grill up quickly because the veggies and pork are cut into bite sized pieces ahead of time!

I've bought my fresh pork from Walmart for years; pork chops, tenderloins, and ribs. They stand behind the quality of their meat with a 100% freshness guarantee and offer a nice selection meats that are always fresh, 100% All Natural and raised in the USA.

Veggie and Pork Kebabs

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Veggie and Pork Kebabs

Veggie and pork kebabs in 30 minutes! Marinated pork chops from Walmart and fresh veggies are grilled to perfection for this quick and easy summertime meal!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 292kcal

Author Brandy Nelson

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless pork chops cut into bite sized pieces
1 red onion sliced
2 bell peppers sliced
2 cup fresh pineapple sliced
mushrooms whole or sliced.
½ cup teriyaki sauce
12-16 bbq skewers

Instructions

Heat grill to 400 degrees.
Dice pork into bite sized pieces. Place in a ziploc bag with teriyaki sauce and let sit 15 minutes. In the meantime chop veggies into bite sized pieces.
Load your skewers with pork and veggies.
Spray the pork kebabs with cooking spray and grill 6-8 minutes or until pork is done. Veggies will cook quicker so turn frequently to prevent burning.
Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

To keep skewers from burning, soak in warm water for 20 minutes before loading up with meat and vegetables.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal

Tips for Grilling Pork Kebabs

You can use whatever veggie combination you like, but we love grilled pineapple, peppers, mushrooms and onions.

Load your skewers with pork and veggies.

Tip: if using bamboo skewers, allow skewers to soak in a pan of warm water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.

Spray the pork kebabs with cooking spray and grill 6-8 minutes or until pork is done. Veggies will cook quicker so turn frequently to prevent burning. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

You probably won't have any leftover, but if you do, wrap the pork and grilled veggies in a flour tortilla and add a bit of guacamole for a quick and easy lunch the next day!

5 More Delicious Grilled Recipes!

How to Perfectly Smoke Chicken Legs: Intimidated by grilling with charcoal? Don’t be! Here’s how to make perfectly grilled chicken legs in 5 steps!

How to Grill Pork Ribs: Step by step instructions for grilling up the perfect rack of ribs.

Grilled Corn for Summer BBQs: How to grill corn INSIDE THE COB for sweet and juice corn.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin: Moist and flavorful pork loin filet with grilled onions that come together in 30 minutes! Serve with grilled corn on the cob and fresh watermelon for the perfect summertime meal.

Grilled Fruit and Vegetable Recipes: A collection of delicious grilled recipes. What is your favorite fruit or vegetable to grill?

No Churn Cake Batter Ice Cream

June 14, 2018 By Brandy 11 Comments

Cake batter ice cream is absolutely delicious and this no churn variety comes together in just minutes. Loaded with sprinkles it is the perfect ice cream for any celebration!

School ended this week and we all felt like celebrating! The weather is hot and humid and ice cream is constantly in our thoughts. I surprised the kids with a batch of no churn ice cream when they got home from their last day of school. That, and a bucket of water balloons. Both were a hit!

Cake batter ice cream is exactly what is sounds like: cake batter (cake mix) + ice cream. My kids LOVE it. I was hesitant to try it, but it is actually very delicious! It's creamy, vanilla-y, and such a fun treat. It's one of our favorite homemade ice creams to make. This no churn variety comes together in just minutes, no ice cream machine required.

You can make it in the morning and it will be ready to eat mid-afternoon. You can also serve it earlier for a soft-serve texture.

I like using chocolate covered sprinkles and adding whipped cream from a can to top it off before putting it in the freezer, but that is totally optional! These are the sprinkles that I used. They taste like Sixlets.

No Churn Cake Batter Ice Cream

(scroll down for printable version)

Ingredients:

2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk

5 drops yellow food coloring

½ c. Funfetti cake mix (dry)

chocolate covered sprinkles

sprinkles

1 small can of whipped cream, optional

Directions:

Beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in condensed milk and food coloring. Stir in cake mix and chocolate covered sprinkles.

Spoon into a loaf pan.

Add whipped cream dollops all over the top. Cover with sprinkles.

Freeze 6-8 hours.

Wouldn't this be perfect for a birthday party?

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

NO CHURN CAKE BATTER ICE CREAM

Cake batter ice cream is absolutely delicious and this no churn variety comes together in just minutes. Loaded with sprinkles it is the perfect ice cream for any celebration!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 10

Servings

Calories 300kcal

Author Brandy Nelson

Ingredients

2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
5 drops yellow food coloring
½ cup Funfetti cake mix dry
chocolate covered sprinkles
sprinkles
whipped cream optional

Instructions

Beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in condensed milk and food coloring. Stir in cake mix and chocolate covered sprinkles.
Spoon into a loaf pan.
Add whipped cream dollops all over the top. Cover with sprinkles.
Freeze 6-8 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal

You might also like these ice cream recipes:

Bubblegum Ice cream (No Churn): This bubble gum ice cream recipe is super simple! Whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, bubble gum flavoring and gum balls, of course

Copycat It's It Ice Cream Sandwiches: This copy cat It’s It ice cream sandwich recipe is a family favorite! And the best part? The cookies are made from scratch, making them even better than the original!

Homemade Ice Cream Recipes:A collection of THE BEST frozen desserts for summer! Ice cream recipes, popsicle recipes, ice cream tacos, ice cream sandwiches and more! And best of all they are quick and easy and won’t heat up your kitchen during the summer months.

"I Wish I Met You Sooner So I could Love You Longer" FREE Download

June 11, 2018 By Brandy Leave a Comment

Download these free wall decor printables for your master bedroom! "I wish I met you sooner so I could love you longer." A beautiful quote to go above the bed. Perfect for signs, canvas, or frames. This post contains affiliate links.

After living here for almost a year I finally added something to our bedroom walls. When you compare that to the fact that after 16 years we are finally having the negatives from our wedding converted to digits, it actually isn't that bad!Why is it that our master bedroom always gets set on the back burner? When we moved into our home I got busy right away with the kids' bedrooms and the downstairs. I set up our room and I keep it clean and tidy, but I never really do anything to make it stand out. That ended last week!

I created this trio of canvases and had them printed at Canvas On The Cheap. They are simple, but the perfect sentiment for us. I have always loved this quote and have actually told this to my husband before. "Why couldn't we have met and dated sooner instead of wasting time with other people?" I believe we both learned from our past relationships so that we could truly appreciate each other when the time was right. But man, if I had known then what I know now about that handsome Coastie the first time I saw him, I would have ran right up to him and said, "I do!" haha.

"I Wish I Met You Sooner So I could Love You Longer" Free Wall Decor Printables

My canvases are 16" x 20", but you can use my wall decor printables (scroll down to download) to create other sizes too. I upgraded to a gallery wrap on each canvas so that they'd stand out a bit more from the wall. That was an additional $5 per canvas, but I really do love how they turned out! They were on my front porch in less than a week and turned out absolutely perfect!

If you use my link you can take advantage of their amazing sale going on right now! I was able to create all 3, with the canvas upgrade for $23 each! The sale price may not show up right away, but when you click on "Get Started" the sale prices will appear.

They offer different hardware for hanging the canvas on the wall, but I didn't upgrade to that. I kept the default brass hanger that came already attached, and it worked perfectly. You can also select a frame and other customizable options.

Here is the free wall decor printables that you can use if you'd like to make your own set!

Part 1 (I Wish I Met You Sooner)

Part 2 (So I Could Love You Longer)

Mac woke up from his nap and noticed the canvas right away. He pointed right to the picture of us and said, "Yeah." We love you too baby boy.

Must Have Craft Supplies

June 7, 2018 By Brandy Leave a Comment

Are you looking to pick up some basic craft supplies to keep on hand for seasonal projects? Look no further. Here are my top 20 must have craft supplies for kids crafts, summer boredom busters, and holiday crafts!

My husband grew up in a small town in Alaska, far from any kind of store that would sell party decor and stocking stuffers. Oriental Trading was a big part of his childhood! He still talks about the personalized pencils and trinkets that he looked forward to receiving every year. When we moved back to Alaska for a few years I started placing seasonal orders as well. I discovered that they sold so much more than toys and party box fillers and found it to be a great place to go when I needed to stock up on craft supplies too!

We've lived back in the lower 48 for quite some time now, but I still go to Oriental Trading for all of my crafty needs. We've placed dozens of orders over the years and I've compiled a list of some of my top 20 favorite products that they sell! If I had a post to accompany the item I shared it as well. Have fun browsing and be sure to pause when you get to the end for a fun giveaway for ya!

Must Have Craft Supplies

1. Popcorn Boxes

I found these darling popcorn boxes in a variety of colors that were perfect for our Zebra Corn (Copycat) recipe!

2.Ribbon, Charms and Tags

I keep my ribbon supply in stock by picking up seasonal ribbons and charms that are perfect for gift wrapping. You can get our recipe for crispy peanut butter truffles here.

3.Party Boxes and Fillers

I made these darling Random Acts of Kindness kits with the 8-11 year old girls at church and they were such a hit! I found an assortment of goodies and treats AND the boxes from Oriental Trading. We created a printable to go along with this, so stop on by this post for a fun and easy activity to do with the kids!

4.Seasonal Party Decor

We hosted a preschool St. Patrick's Day party 7 years ago and these little pots (that can be used for both Halloween AND St. Patrick's Day) were a total hit!

5.Plastic Mason Jars

6.Candy

Easter in a jar? Yes, please! We LOVE these plastic jars that Oriental Trading Sells. They are great for kids since they don't break and are about the size of a small peanut butter Jar. We used them for our Scripture Cookies in a Jar activity as well.

And their CANDY. Oriental Trading sells a huge variety of candy and we've been impressed with everything we've ordered. I love their butter mints, jelly beans, lollipops, and chocolate mint patties.

7.Grab Bag Goodies

I made road trip grab bags for my kids for our cross country road trip last summer to fight boredom on our 3500 mile trip.

8. Craft Supplies: DIY Ceramics

We've made pots, jewelry boxes and banks with their DIY ceramics! Each set comes with 12 and are perfect for parties. We made these puppy banks at Kaylee's Puppy Painting Party. A much more affordable alternative to Pottery studio bday party!

9.Party Tablescape Decor

How cute are those barn favor boxes? We filled them with rubber ducks, candy eggs, and other goodies at Ruby's Pink Piggy Party. And those cute pig ice cream cones? Click through for more details on those. The ears and nose are made out of bubble gum!

10.Finger Puppets

11.DIY Plastic Ornaments

Two of my favorite holiday craft supplies right here. I love their finger puppets. You can find them for pretty much every holiday and they are perfect for goodie bags! I used them in the next project that I'm sharing as well!

I made these Rudolph Ornaments for my Sunday school class for Christmas last year!

The plastic ornaments are easy to fill with candy and treats and you can customize them so many ways! Here's another fun ornament project.

12.Candy Tins

Again with those cute ornaments! We glued them to candy tins filled with a chocolate mint for our Reindeer Candy Tins. These tins are perfect for weddings, birthdays, baby showers and more.

Additional Craft Supplies:

Glue dots, plastic table cloths, personalized pencils, buttons, Sharpie pens, washable paints for kids, glue pens, pipe cleaners, unfinished wood crafts, Sunday school bookmarks and activities.

Dessert in a Mug Gift With Printable Tag

June 6, 2018 By Brandy Leave a Comment

Add this fun printable to a dessert in a mug kit for a fun birthday, teacher, or anytime gift idea! "Treat Yo'Self !" A quick 5 minute gift idea. This post contains affiliate links.

Are your kids still in school? My kids start school after Labor Day so their summer doesn't begin until the 3rd week of June. We have one more week to go!

I walked past these cake and brownie in a mug desserts at the grocery store and thought they were such a fun idea. A single serving dessert just for one! What teacher wouldn't want to treat herself to some chocolate after the last day of school. Even though it's been a busy week I added 4 to my shopping cart and headed to check out. I mean, this is literally a 5 minute gift idea. I can make time for that for one last show of appreciation to these lovely ladies.

Then I went to PicMonkey and made a printable to add to the front of each one. I even made a bunch of tags that aren't summer related so that you can use them year 'round! I have plain ones, birthday ones, etc. Help yourself!

Dessert in a Mug Gift With Printable Tag

I honestly haven't tried these before, but the reviews that I read are pretty good! I found them for $2.50 each at Walmart and each box comes with 4 mixes to make a brownie or cake in a mug. I've also seen single serving muffins in a mug, oatmeal, pancakes and other baked goods similarly packaged. So many options and ways to use these tags.

The printables are 4" x 5" and are just the right size for the front of the box, but you could easily use this as a gift tag for any summer themed gift. They print two to a page.

Just tape the printable to the front of the dessert in a mug box and wrap with bakers' twine!

Click the links below to download your free tags.

Treat Yo'Self Printable Tags

aqua/peach

pink/purple

Treat Yo'Self to a Great Day Tags

Pink/Purple

Blue/Green

Treat Yo'Self to a Great Birthday Printable Tags

Purple/Teal

Pink/Grey

Treat Yo'Self to a Great Summer Printable Tags

You might also like these gift ideas.

Back to School Teacher Gift

A quick and easy gift to bring to Back to School night. Give your teacher a “hand” with this calling card printable and hand sanitizer!

Thanks For Being So Sweet Tags

These “Thanks for Being so Sweet!” printable gift tags are the perfect addition to any ‘Thank You’ gift! Add one to a jar of candies, a bag of cookies, or a box of chocolates! An easy idea for Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation, or as a thank you gift for a baby or bridal shower!

Mini Succulent Planter Gift Idea

Brighten your teacher’s day with this darling Teacher Appreciation gift! Succulents are very easy to care for and add a pop of color to any desk or window sill. Tuck one inside a mini planter for a quick and easy gift!

Personalized Gift Ideas for Dad!

May 30, 2018 By Brandy 7 Comments

A collection of personalized gift ideas for Dad! Snack mixes, photo gifts, soda pop gift ideas, homemade BBQ sauce and more!

Today I'm sharing a quick round up of gifts personalized gifts for the daddy in your home!

I'm starting out with one that we actually bought him a few years ago. This one is just for fun. The perfect addition to a personalized gift from the kiddos.

A Tickle Monster Laughter Kit ! After reading the reviews I knew our family HAD TO HAVE ONE in our home too! This is such a fun gift for dad or grandpa. My kids laugh so hard and it was such a hit!

Personalized Gift Ideas for Dad!

BBQ Sauce Gift Set

Make dad a sampler set of BBQ sauces! One basic recipe, customize it several ways to create a variety. The kids had a great time helping with this! We share a basic recipe in this post that you can customize, but feel free to use your own!

Father's Day Trail Mix from Lil Luna

The dad in our home loves trail mix. This would be great to keep in his car to snack on on the way home from work.

Mini Tool Box

We made these little Altoid tin tool boxes as a Christmas gift one year. The kids were too small to write their own coupons, so I helped them. It was such a fun little gift to make and give!

Father's Day Treat CansA collection of personalized gift ideas for Dad! Snack mixes, photo gifts, soda pop gift ideas, homemade BBQ sauce and more!

Pop Top Treat Cans

We totally stumped our grandpa's with these fun treat cans. They were a bit confused when they received a can of pineapple for Father's Day. They shook it and could hear that it definitely NOT filled with pineapple. Too funny. These are so easy to make, it just takes a smooth edged can opener and a bit of glue!

Father's Day Key Chain from Grey House Harbor

Mac made me one of these when he was 2 years old in his church nursery class. It is a treasure! So cute.

Shirt Cards

I remember making a card like this for my dad when I was little. It was fun re-creating them with my own children.

Root Beer Sampler

This gift was just plain fun to make. I had to buy a bunch of 6 packs of root beer to make this, but have since found out that Cost Plus World Market sells individual vintage sodas....that would have been nice to know back then! They even have cardboard soda holders so that you can create your own 6-pack. Cheap and EASY!

D.A.D Photo Frame

My all time favorite Father's Day gift. We made this last year and the kids were really cooperative. It was a fun photo shoot and it makes me laugh every time I see little Ruby rolling out of the 2nd photo. Dallin held her in place and quickly moved away for the shot. She's a fast little one! They posed in the letters "D.A.D" and then I let them decorate the matte on the frame.

Father's Day Pop from Lil Luna.

A fun variety of snacks for dad in empty soda bottles!

DIY Beach Bag Made Out of a Beach Towel

May 29, 2018 By Brandy 7 Comments

A DIY beach bag made out of a beach towel! Grab a fun and funky towel and let's get started! The perfect bag for towels, sunscreen, and treats to share with friends at the pool this summer!

The summer heat and humidity has already arrived here in Virginia! While I'm happy to stay inside and enjoy my air conditioner when the temps heat up, the summer season is for being outside. It's for enjoying the gorgeous scenery, sun, and getting fresh air! We have plans to stay cool by hanging out in Virginia Beach, going to water parks, and playing with friends in their backyard pools.

I saw these fun and funky beach towels at the store for $5 and picked one up to make a large DIY beach bag! It was a quick and easy 20 minute project, and as always, I snapped a few pictures along the way! The beauty of using a beach towel is that the top hem is already finished for you! So grab a towel and let's get started!

For 60 more sewing projects just like this one, check out my sewing book for kids!

DIY Beach Bag Made out of a Beach Towel

Makes 1 beach bag (20" w x 18" h)

Supplies:

1 beach towel

measuring tape

scissors

pins

2 (56") pieces of 1" wide cotton webbing (medium weight)*

thread

sewing machine

*You can find cotton webbing at your local fabric store or online. It comes in many fun colors.

Fold the beach towel in half so that the finished hems are together on the top, and the fold is on the bottom.

Cut 2 rectangles that are 20" wide and 18" tall. (Cut through both thicknesses of the towel so that you only have to cut out one rectangle).

Place one rectangle onto your work surface. Align both ends of one of the pieces of wedding along the bottom edge, 6" from each side. Pin into place.

Sew close to the edge of the webbing, up the entire side, across the top and down the other side of each strap.

Repeat with the other rectangle and piece of webbing.

Lay both rectangles onto you work surface with the right sides facing each other, lining up handles. Sew along the sides and bottom using a ⅜" hem. Clip corners close to the stitching, but do not cut the stitches!

Note: If you don't own a serger (I don't own one) you can zig zag around the sides and bottom to keep the edges from fraying.

Turn your bag right side out.

I made it large enough to hold at least 4 beach towels and a few accessories like sunscreen or a box of ice cream bars!

If you liked this DIY beach bag you might also like:

Minion Tote Bag Tutorial: Make a DIY Minion Tote Bag that is perfect for trips to the pool, a library tote, or even a preschool book bag.

Sunglasses Case Tutorial: Make a sunglasses case sewing tutorial in 15 minutes to keep in your pool bag or purse this summer! A great use of scrap fabric and a practical way to keep sunglasses scratch-free!

Fluffy Flip Flops: Decorate flip flops with scrap fabric to make these fun and funky “Fluffy Flip Flops”. A quick and easy summer camp project for girls and a great way to use up fabric scraps.