Not only is it the weekend, but it is day 3 of the Pinterest project!! Since on Saturdays I get to sleep in and pretty much do what I want, I decided to be both crafty and try out a new recipe for a get together tonight. After finally waking up at 9am, doing laundry and then spending almost 2 hours reading the first book in the Hunger Games series (which I just started last night and am already addicted to) I decided to venture outside to Michael’s to get supplies for my next few crafts. I purchased beads for bracelets, different colored hemp strings, two canvases and a package of hot glue gun sticks.
DIY wrap bracelet – I was super excited about making this because I love the Chan Luu bracelets, but I can’t being myself to spend over $200 on one, although I actually almost purchased one on Gilt for $98 the other day, but at the last minute I didn’t (my mom should be proud of me!). I must admit, that making this bracelet was definitely not as easy I had anticipated, but that is probably because of the type of string that I used. When I was at Michael’s I had a hard time finding what I wanted and the store was so crowded, that finding a sales associate was impossible. The original website where this pin came from (‘Henry Happened’) said to use ribbon, and not the gift wrapping kind. The ribbon they were referring to is that satiny cord-like ribbon that you often see used in bracelets and necklaces. Unfortunately I searched the entire store and could not find it and string made of hemp was the closest thing that the store had. The hemp was much thinner than the ribbon I wanted to use, so the process was much more tedious.
Directions:
Cut the ribbon or string into three equal lengths, about 24-28 inches long. The more times you would like to wrap the bracelet around your wrist, the longer the ribbon needs to me. Start by braiding about 6 inches of ribbon and then secure the end with a rubber band. To keep my hemp strings in place, I taped the end pieces down to the table so I could braid them more easily.
Start braiding the beads into the bracelet my feeding one bead into the middle strand and tightly braiding the other two pieces around. This is where using hemp created a problem for me – the strands were so thing that I was having to hold the bead in place while trying to secure the hemp around it. Continue feeding beads onto the middle strand until you run out or get to the desired length. I used 27 beads total – 21 small beads and 6 larger beads. I made a pattern with my beads alternating 7 small then 3 larger beads. Once finished, braid another 6 inch section. Tie a knot at each end of your bracelet and you’re done!
The other portion of today’s Pinterest project consisted of me making Sangria for tonight’s get together with some friends. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a glass of cold, refreshing Sangria!
Sangria – This was actually one of the first recipes that I repined on Pinterest and was originally posted on the blog ‘Yellow song bird.’ I love Sangria, especially red Sangria, but that’s because I grew up in a family of red wine drinkers. This recipe looked amazing because of the fresh strawberries and oranges that were added, plus it was really easy to make!
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle red wine*, chilled
- lemon juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup sugar ((or less..to taste))
- 1/2 lemon, sliced
- 1/2 lime, sliced
- 1 small orange, sliced
- 1/2 cup strawberries, cut in half
- 10 oz. club soda
Directions:
Pour the bottle of wine into a large pitcher or bowl. I used wine from Whole Foods because I didn’t want to head downtown to the Trader Joe’s wine shop. What I used though is literally the Whole Food’s version of two buck chuck from Trader Joe’s and it is a steal at only $2.99 a bottle. Also, I used Merlot, but you could really use any red wine as long as it’s a little fruity and not too dry.
Stir in the orange juice, sugar and a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Slice the lemon, lime and orange, put the fruit in the pitcher and stir. Let the Sangria chill for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Before serving, add the club soda and strawberries.
Pour, serve and DRINK! The Sangria tasted amazing…not too sweet, not too sour, but just right! As a tip, make sure the club soda is cold before you pour it into the Sangria because otherwise it will change the temperature of the Sangria and it’s better the colder it is. Also, eating the oranges and strawberries at the end is a must! This is a perfect drink for a night with friends or a summer afternoon!
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