DIY mugs and coffee cake before winter sets in

By Britny [self-proclaimed craft freak]

After  being sick for almost two weeks I am just about caught up on everything except of course this blog. I'll be putting up one for this week on Thursday, but to apologize to you all I'm including two crafts- yay you! First thing is first though, some daily knowledge to go with the craft.

Last year in America we had one of the weirdest winters in a long time. It was oddly warm and barely snowed in some areas that usually get a pretty decent amount of snow. It was the fourth warmest winter in recorded history and one of the least snowy according to ESPN Action Sports. Forecasters are predicting El Nino to set in this winter which would cause the northern and western areas in the United States would have milder and drier than normal weather while the eastern and southern areas will have colder and wetter weather according to Mike Steinberg, meteorologist for Farmer's Almanac. Some meteorologists are also forecasting for the winter-like weather to hit earlier than normal according to an article by the Huffington Post. Just like the weather changes though, so do the predictions.

To prepare you for the cold, or at least somewhat colder weather, I've decorated some lovely mugs that I'd like to share with you along with an awesome recipe for single coffee cakes!

Decorative Mugs

      Materials:

• mugs [I bought some plain ones from Goodwill]
• Sharpies
• ID: solid stick [I got this from Hobby Lobby for about $4.]

      How To:

• Pick a mug and set your oven on 400*F.
• Using Sharpies decorate your mug.

• Use the ID: solid stick and lightly go over your decorations. This is like a coating for it. Don't wipe it or it'll smear.
• Put the mugs on a cookie sheet bake for 15 minutes. Let them cool once they're done.

 Coffee Cake

I got this recipe off of Pinterest from Prudent Baby. The only thing I added to her recipe is the cinnamon sugar because I felt like it needed more cinnamon.

      Materials

• A MUG [maybe the one you just decorated :) ...hint hint]
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon sugar

AND for the yummy topping you'll need the following:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Place the butter into the mug and warm it for 8 seconds, just so it's softened.
• Add the rest of the ingredients. You don't need to use all of the egg, only about half so maybe make another single coffee cake for your significant other!

• Mix all the toppings in a seperate container and then put it on top of the mixture inside the mug.
• Put the mug in the microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds and ta-da, the best coffee cake ever is now all yours!

Slasher T-Shirt Scarf Making

By Lindsey Riley (The Crafting-Challenged Blogger)

Hey everyone! First off, welcome to the weekend.

The recent and, in my opinion, sudden fall weather has caused some people to dust off their leather jackets, boots, and pull out their fall fashion accessories. Also, there are tons of stores that have placed their cooler weather clothing items on the sales floor and are using great sales to get you to buy those fall and winter items you already have or can create.

Well, why not save money on an accessory that can be used in the fall AND the winter? Scarfs are perfect for this time of the year and go great with any ensemble. Rather than spending $15 for a new scarf, we are going to make one from a recycled t-shirt. See, we are being green and saving green!

The scarf I am making I found on the blog "A Beautiful Mess." It says to use a t-shirt that has lycra or spandex and to have a pair of fabric scissors. I have neither, so I am going to use a cotton t-shirt and paper scissors.

 You then cut the t-shirt. I cut mine from arm to arm. Once you finished that, cut along one of the sides so you have one long rectangle.

 Now pick an end, any end will be fine, and start folding the rectangle like an accordion. Make sure that each fold is even or else you'll have an uneven looking scarf. When you're done with the folding, grab the scissors and begin cutting slits on each side. Make your cuts a good size but not too large. Also, try to aim the cuts on the second side in between the previous ones.

 Unfold your scarf. If you don't have something that looks like

<- this, you'll have to start over again. If you do have this, then begin stretching out each cut with your fingers. Only do one hole at a time, and don't stretch them too much or else you'll have a hot mess of a scarf.

When you're finished, you are have a scarf that is wearable and fashionable! That's at least $15 you saved by recycling an old t-shirt rather than buying a brand new scarf at the store. What I loved about this craft was it required no sewing. That is the one thing that I cannot do in life, and I made sure to find a way to make a scarf that required none of it. I hope you enjoy making this craft, and please feel free to comment with any opinions or questions.

Happy Friday, and have a great weekend!