Room Decor ~ 3 "Three-Step" D.I.Ys!

Hey!
It's me again, Beccy.
Miri is unable to post very regularly, but hopefully in the few weeks coming we'll see some action from her. 
In this tutorial I'm going to show you some super easy ways to make your room look gorgeous... and the best part is they will cost you next to nothing!

D.I.Y no.1
Jewellery Tree
I absolutely love this D.I.Y, it looks great and I've recieved many compliments from my friends about it. I feel it is the main feature of my room and it looks very stylish. I spray painted mine, but I've seen ones that are literally just sticks in a vase with jewellery hanging from it, and that looks super cute too.
So, without further ado, let's get started!

You need:
~6-10 Smallish Sticks (40-80cm)from your garden, it looks really cool when they're interesting shapes (you could also use a larger stick with lots of mini branches!)
~Newspaper
~Spray Paint (Metallics look really cool, but any colour is good!)
~A cute vase (You could pick one up from the dollar shop[U.S.A] or poundland[U.K] or similar, I got mine for three euros from a little craft store!)
~Some of your cutest necklaces and bracelets to hang on the 'tree'

[Tip:It would probably be a good idea to wear old clothes or a painting smock, it could get messy. Make sure to remove jewellery before hand, my watch ended up with silver paint flecks all over it!]

Step 1 
First you have to prepare for your spray painting. Lay out some newspaper on the ground outside or in a well ventilated area (Make sure to weigh it down if it's windy!!!) Lay your sticks out along the newspaper. If you are using more than one colour you should keep the different coloured paints seperate. 

[Tip:Before you paint, make sure your sticks don't have any moss on them or any bark falling off!]

Step 2
Use the spray paint to cover one side of your stick, but leave about 2-4cm paint free at the bottom (so you can hold it), then flip it over without getting covered in paint. Spray the other side and repeat with all your sticks.

Step 3
Once the paint has dried, you can arrange your sticks in your vase and hang your favourite jewellery from it, I think it just looks so cute and adorable!!!!


D.I.Y no.2
Pinboard Decor
I know how boring a pinboard can be... colourless, disorganised and ugly. But, with a little bit of paint, your corky disaster can become an adorable way of showing off photos, reminding you of events coming up and little memoirs of that time you went to that concert. It just needs a little T.L.C.

You need:
~A cork board, big or small.
~Paint (colours like white and grey are really nice)
~Tape (The papery kind is best)
~Stencils (usually you can pick some up from a craft store)
~Paint brush



Step 1
Place your stencil where you want it to go. Tape it down so it doesn't move.

Step 2
Use your paint brush to go over the stencil. The beauty of it is that you can go over the lines!

[Tip:You could find a cute stencil on the internet and print it out onto some paper, then cut out the parts you want to see]



Step 3
Now you can take your stencil off and wait for it to dry. You can either do more stencils, or you can finish there. The choice is yours! 

Omg all of these corkboards on pinterest are just adorable!!!!




I honestly think they all look so so cute especially the ones with the world map on them!


D.I.Y no. 3
Photo Garland
For the final D.I.Y of this post, I'm going to teach you how to jazz up your room, with just a few simple things. I really like this because it gives a wow factor each time you enter the room, and I can display so many great memories.

You will need:
~A Length of String. I got a cute brown spool from the local craft shop.
~Pegs. I got some little wooden ones that look so cute.
~Photos. You can usually get these printed out at a supermarket or department store. You could also use polaroids, or print them out onto plain paper.
~Hooks (Optional, You may already have hook-like things around your room, like a curtain rail. Make sure to check before screwing a hook into your wall, too!)

Step 1
Screw your hooks into the wall, or use hooks that are already there, and drape your string over it. Make sure to tie it and cut it so it's secure. You may want to leave enough excess so it hangs loosely (like the pictures shown)

Step 2 
Get all your photos, and decide where you want them to go. Peg them onto your garland one by one. You could do it in order, like a timeline, or just randomly. I also pegged up little bits and bobs (concert tickets, leaves, flowers, cut outs from magazines)

Step 3 
Look at it from a distance and decide where to space thing out a bit. Feel free to add and change part of it as time passes. Old memories are nice, but we have to remember to make room for the new!



Be sure to try out these D.I.Ys, I hope you enjoyed reading this post even if you don't, and I hope I've given you some inspiration for redecorating! I certainly enjoyed making them, and writing about it afterwards! Until next time!

Hugs and Kisses,
Beccy

Workout Routine and Tips!

Hey,Beccy here. 
Today I was feeling motivated. Summer is just around the corner and I for one am SO not bikini ready. I thought it would be a good idea to share some workout tips and tricks that are great to keep a healthy mind and body.
 I always find it really helpful to create my own workout routine, making it far out of reach for my (usually!) fairly unfit body, and my aim is to be able to complete it in a month. The point of it is the exercises get more difficult as you go along. If you feel like you won't challenge yourself enough, here's a routine I designed to get you started.
10 sit ups
10 push ups 
10 V sits
10 leg lifts
10 squats
30 second plank
30 second side plank (right side)
30 second side plank (left side)
15 sit ups
15 push ups 
15 V sits
15 leg lifts
15 squats
1 minute plank
1 minute side plank (right side)
1 minute side plank (left side)
20 sit ups
20 push ups 
20 V sits
20 leg lifts
20 squats
2 minute plank
2 minute side plank (right side)
2 minute side plank (left side)
30 sit ups
30 push ups 
30 V sits
30 leg lifts
30 squats
3 minute plank
3 minute side plank (right side)
3 minute side plank (left side)
as many sit ups as you can
as many push ups as you can 
as many V sits as you can
as many leg lifts as you can
as many squats as you can
hold plank for as long as you can
hold side plank (right side)for as long as you can
hold side plank (left side)for as long as you can

Remember, this is out of reach on purpose, unless you're already super fit. Don't be frustrated if you get tired. 

Tips for motivation and fitness: 
~ Look at pictures and quotes on the internet. It will inspire you and motivate you. You can even buy a pinboard and cover it with pictures and cut outs from magazine



~Use a notebook to keep track of the exercise you're doing every day. When you can't be bothered to work out get it out, read all you've done and realise how much progress you've made. It can make you feel so much better. You could even use a calender or a chalkboard.

~If you want to get into it for good, buy a nice pair of workout shoes and cute workout clothes. They'll make you want to put them on and use them.


~Drink and eat healthily. Put down that bottle of fanta and pick up a delicious healthy homemade smoothie or detox fruit water. You can find recipes online or purchase a book, or you can just put in your favourite fruits and vegetables. The choices are endless!


~Make a playlist on your mobile device. Find a bunch of upbeat, motivational songs that you love and put them on shuffle while you work out.Listening to music can be helpful for working out, it can make you work more productivly.

~Find a friend (or friends!) who wants to get fit too. You can workout together, hold competitions(weight loss or weight gain), motivate each other and make sure neither of you quits!
 
~Join the local gym!If you get yourself a gym membership card, there's no excuses for not staying healthy! And plus, you get access to all that great equipment!

~Join a new sport. It's a great way to keep active while having fun. You can make new friends that share the same interests, and you don't have to be amazing at it already. There are plenty of beginners groups everywhere. Consider netball, basketball, tennis, badminton, football, soccer, or volleyball.


Hugs and Kisses,
XX Beccy

DIY: Tattoo Choker

Hey!

The tattoo choker was a popular trend in the 90s, but it has faded out of fashion since then. Luckily for me, now it's back, and cuter than ever. You can get them in all kinds of colours and styles! Usually people buy them from the store though. But, did you know it's actually really simple to make them yourself? 

For this DIY you will need
~A hard surface, maybe a hard back book or a hard place mat.
~A binder clip/bulldog clip
~Scissors
~Elastic of your preferred colour, I got mine off amazon but you can usually find it in craft stores, make sure it's okay for use as a necklace before you begin. 

Step one
Measure out your elastic, about two lengths of your wingspan. (I know, it seems a lot but better safe than sorry, and you can cut off excess at the end). Fold your piece of elastic in half and attach the middle point of it to your surface with a binderclip, don't let your loop be too big, I made that mistake!

Step two
This is the point where you make your choker. The first thing you have to do is hold the two pieces of elastic hanging from your binder clip, and put on under the other, around, and through the loop you've created. Repeat the process on the other side and continue. When your choker is about 7 inches long take it off and measure it against your neck to check how  much longer you need. re-attach and continue, checking if it fits every inch or so. 


Step three
So your choker is the length you want it too be, it fits, and it looks great. The only thing left to do is tie it off. Make several knots in the end with your strings, and once it's secure, take it off your surface. Next loop one of your loose ends inside the loop at the other end, and tie both loose ends together, repeat until secure. You can now cut off the loose ends and put your choker on! the bit you tied off tends to be a little messy so make sure it's at the back of your neck. 

I think they look super cute and are a great addition to any outfit, whether you're just wearing it out shopping, or if you're at a party or at school (if your school allows jewelry)

Hugs and Kisses, 
xx Beccy

Lovely Lemonade

The weather is getting warmer so it's the perfect time for relaxing in your garden with a cool drink. 

In this recipe I will tell you how to make delicious homemade lemonade.

This makes a jug of lemonade, btw.

Ingredients: 

6 large juicy lemons
6 cups of water

2 - 4 cups granulated sugar (depending on your tastes)

I know it's not very many ingredients, but trust me, simplicity is key!:) 

1. Squeeze all the lemons using a lemon juicer and put the juice into a large jug. Add the water.

2. Add some of the sugar, mix it with a wooden spoon, and taste it to see how much more you'd like. Add, then stir until  completely dissolved.

Voila, tasty and refreshing lemonade!

If you like, you can put ice cubes in, too.

Store it in the fridge or drink it straight away.

Serve with a straw and one of those mini parasols for an cuter look!

Hugs and Kisses,

Xx Miri

Welcome to our blog!

Hello! Welcome to our blog, Bake, Make and Create - Smoothies and Sparkles. 

We're Beccy and Miri, and we are full to the bursting with creative ideas to share with you. Whether it's cooking, baking, room decor, DIYs, makeup/beauty tutorials, reccomendations or just getting motivated with fitness, we're here with tips to help you along.

You can comment any questions on any of our posts and we'll try to answer them at the end of our next post/tutorial. 

We are still studying for exams so we can't make any promises as to when exactly we'll be posting, but it's a hobby, so whenever we have free time and ideas we will begin to write.

We hope you enjoy the coming weeks ahead, because that's our aim. To make people happy, help them, motivate them and inspire them.

 

Hugs and Kisses, 

xx Beccy and Miri