Pinterest Friday

Yay! It's Pinterest Friday again!  I actually managed to get a bunch of things done this week that I found on Pinterest.  Then again, I forced myself to stay away from Pinterest itself!  (I usually am on Pinterest from the time Olive goes to bed until the time I go to bed, which is often entirely too late!)  I really can get a lot of stuff done when I get off the darn computer!

Click on the picture caption to link to the original Pinterest Pin:

Homemade Dryer Sheets

This is actually the second time I've done this.  I just took pictures this time!  I love this because: 1) It's economical - Disposable dryer sheets are so expensive and are, well, disposable and 2) It's eco-friendly - they can be reused forever.  Plus, they are a cinch to make.  Here's how:

Step 1: Gather your materials: fabric squares, bowl, liquid fabric softener.  

Fabric squares:  I took a couple of my daughter's old receiving blankets and cut them into squares (about washcloth size).   As you can see, it's a pretty rough cut and they are already fraying.  In retrospect, washcloths would have been a better choice and you can find packs of them pretty cheap at the Dollar Store.  Other choices could be dishcloths, cloth diapers, burp cloths, etc.

Step 2:  Put a few cloths into the bowl and pour some fabric softener inside. Squeeze the fabric to make sure that it is fully saturated.

Step 3:  Place wet, rung out fabric in a container and set aside.  Continue soaking and ringing out the rest of your fabric squares.

Step 4:  Hang your fabric squares to air dry.  

Step 5:  When your homemade dryer sheets are completely dry, fold in half and place in a lidded container.  I have two containers, one for NEW dryer sheets and one for USED dryer sheets.  As I use the dryer sheets, they get place in the USED container.

NOTE:  The dryer sheets I made last about 2 dryer loads, because they are pretty thin fabric.  If you used a thicker fabric, such as a washcloth, I would imagine it would last about 6 loads, a cloth diaper about 20 loads.  If you're not sure, just smell the dryer sheet after each use.  When it starts to lose it's fabric softener smell, it's time to put in the USED box.

When all your dryer sheets are in the used box, make them again - soak, wring, dry, ready!  This is the second time making them for me.  I plan to do it one more time and then throw them in the washing machine and dryer to refresh them a little before I remake them.  Also, I use these dryer sheets with my homemade laundry soap, which I'll post about the next time I make it!

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Unfortunately, I didn't get around to taking pictures of everything else I did this week, but here are some of the other pins that I managed to complete this week.  Click on the picture captions to link to the original pin from Pinterest.

Sensory Smelling Cards

Puff Ball Push-In

Colored Ice for Bathtime

Melting Crayons into New Shapes

I hope you have a pinteresting Friday and have fun pinning!