Cleaning and Reusing Candle Holders

We love to recycle and reuse every chance we get, so naturally I'm certainly not going to throw away a nice heavy candle holder when I can re-purpose it for other things.  I was in love with the Glade winter selection they had out around Christmas time, especially the Frosted Berry Kiss scent! Yum!  So I have many jars left over that I needed to clean up.

I use an old trick I learned a very long time ago to get them all clean and ready for another use again.  You will need a flat head screw driver, Dawn dish soap, a small amount of water, your microwave and a paper towel to get your candle holders sparkling clean again.

This is what is normally left over after the candle won't burn anymore.  You'll need to scrape out as much wax and the little metal wick holder that's stuck in the bottom of the jar.

Don't skip this step because your microwave will not like it if you put metal inside her!  Use your flat head screw driver to scrape out the wax and then very carefully lift out the metal wick holder.  It is stuck with glue to the bottom of the jar, so sometimes removing the metal piece is harder than others.

Drop in a few drops of soap and then fill your jar about half full with water.  Add water and soap mixture filled jars to your microwave.  Since all microwaves are different, start with small time increments and work your way up until the water is bubbling hot.  I have a 30 second button on mine and it normally takes a few times to get the water hot.  If you don't have a microwave, you can use boiling water instead.

Carefully remove the jar using an oven mitt or towel (they are HOT) and pour the water/soap mixture out.  Using a paper towel, wipe out the hot wax.  It usually all comes out with the first wipe like you see above.

Now, after you have all the wax removed, its time to finish cleaning the little jars for their next use.

Add another few drops of soap and warm water and clean up with your (old) scrubber sponge and then polish with paper towels until they are like new again .  NOTE: In case you missed last week's post when I shared with you my secret on how to make your stainless sink shiny, look HERE and see how.

Tah Dah! All clean and clear and ready to use around your house in some other fun project.  Or maybe you just want to add another votive candle to it and use it as a candle holder again.

I may use these three for my Valentine decorating or maybe to hold Valentine candies.  Hmm? The possibilities are endless!

I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Home Sweet Home

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Make Your Stainless Sink Shine - My Natural Secret Ingredient

Since we installed our new stainless steel farmhouse sink I've been kind of obsessed with keeping it shiny.  I normally wipe all the water spots off after I use the sink, but not everyone in our house takes the time to do that.   So.....let me tell you my secret to keeping it shiny longer using a natural secret ingredient.

This of course it how it looks after I've cleaned it and used my secret ingredient to make it all shiny and pretty!

We have very hard water, so this is what happens!  If you don't wipe it down right away, it gets all ookey looking like this! Yuck!  It drives me wild when its like this!

All these water marks are just not helping me think my new sink is pretty...nope at all!  Let's get rid of them NOW!

First I scrubbed the sink really good with a mixture of Dawn dish soap and vinegar (recipe here).  I used my yellow and green scrubber (use the yellow sponge side, not the green scrubber side) and spread the mixture all over the sinks.  Let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly and dry the sink with a paper towel.  NOTE: Sometimes if I have stains, I used my miracle cleanser, you can read about it HERE.

This is my secret to shiny! 100% olive oil.  Can you believe it? Have you ever tried it before?  It also helps to repel the water.  Like wax on a car it beads up and rolls right off and down the drain.  I read about its use HERE.

Careful, it doesn't take much at all.  Just pour a small amount of oil on a paper towel like you see above and get to buffing.

Using a circular motion I make sure to get it spread around and rubbed in so its not collecting dust and cat fur...oh wait, that's just our house huh?  Just keep polishing until you like it!

See! Shiny!  An no more water spots!  I have to be honest with you, it doesn't stay like this long, but while its looking like this....I love it!

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Home Sweet Home 

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Clover House's Top 15 Posts of 2013 - A Year in Review

WOW! What a year 2013 has been! We've done so much but still have so much to do! It took a bit of gathering of information, but here's our top 15 project posts of 2013.  Just click on the link below each picture to be taken to the original post and all the good information!  Enjoy! :)

#1 HOW TO CLEAN AN HE WASHER

#2 A CLEAN SINK'S FRIEND

#3 RV FLOOR UPDATE

#4 RAISED BED GARDEN PART 2

#5 RAISED BED GARDEN PART 3

#6 RAISED BED GARDEN PART 1

#7 LAUNDRY ROOM REVEAL

#8 RV CABINET UPDATE

#9 CROCKPOT CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN CHILI

#10 FENCE PICKET A/C UNIT COVER

#11 TILING THE KITCHEN FLOOR

#12 DIY TACO SEASONING

#13 ORGANIZE AND BEAUTIFY YOUR CABINETS

#14 KITCHEN CABINET PART 3

#15 EASTER EGG WREATH

I hope you've enjoyed browsing our past year of the top 15 posts!  Did you get some good ideas?  I hope you pinned them! Thanks to all of our readers for making it such an awesome year!  Keep watching in 2014 for more great ideas, recipes, tips and tricks!  :)

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:
Sunday
Under the Table and Dreaming by Stephanie Lynn
The Self Sufficient Home Acre 
The Chicken Chick,  Sew Can Do
Monday
Craft-O-Maniac, 
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Home Sweet Home
Keeping it  Simple 
The Dedicated House
Skip to my Lou
Home Coming
Tuesday
Not Just a Housewife
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Sugar Bee Crafts 
New Nostalgia 
It's your Life
BeBetsy
Fluster Buster   
Confessions of a Plate Addict
A Stroll Thru Life
Wednesday
Clean and Scentsible
Lady Behind the Curtain
Family Home and Life
Ducks n a Row
VMG206
Herrban Momma 
Family Home & Life
Oh My! Creative
Thursday  
Bloom
The Taylor House
52 Mantels
Domesblissity
4 You With Love
Sweet Haute
Artsy Fartsy Mama
From My Front Porch To Yours
Friday 
Lil’ Luna
Tatertots and Jello
Five Simple Things
Craftionary
Diana Rambles
I Heart Nap Time
Crafts a la mode
Saturday 
Angels Homestead
Positively Splendid,
Or So She Says
Your Homebased Mom
What's Cooking with Ruthie
Made From Pinterest

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Installing A Farmhouse Sink

Farmhouse sink? Yes please! I was all about a farmhouse sink for our newly remodeled kitchen, my honey was a bit skeptical on how he was going to get this monster installed!  But he did it and he did a fine job!

It was a bit more than cutting a hole in the counter top and dropping it in.  These things are HEAVY!  Ours is a Kraus stainless steel sink so its not near as heavy as the Firestone sinks, but its still very heavy.

This is our old harvest gold porcelain coated cast iron sink.  She served us well for the past 2 and 1/2 years.  I even showed you how to make her look new again HERE.

Here's our new beauty!  She's a Kraus Handmade 16-Gauge Double-Basin Apron Front Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink from Lowe's.com.  They do not offer these in store at our local Lowe's so it was a shot in the dark that we were going to love our sink when it arrived.  No worries! We loved it!

This is our old counter top and sink one last time.  It's a good thing I snap pictures of everything because until I looked at these pictures again, I had already forgotten what it used to look like.

On to the install of the new sink.  Note: throughout this post when I say we, I actually mean my honey.  (Love you baby!)  First, we disconnected the plumbing from the old sink.  Be sure to put down an old towel for the water that will leak out of the plumbing pieces.

Next, we removed the old counter top.  Remove brackets holding the counter top to the cabinets and it should just lift up and out.

We had to cut out the front of this cabinet so it could accept the new apron front sink.  We've found that our shop vac is our good friend during all the cutting going on inside the house.  This helps to keep things as clean as possible.

Next we built the support for the new heavy sink.  We used 2 x 4s to be sure it was going to be sturdy for the long haul.

Of course, your measurements will more than likely differ from ours so before you start, make sure of where you'd like your sink to rest permanently.  With this style sink, you can mount it under the counter top or above.  We chose above.

This final piece was to make sure the whole cabinet was sturdy and would support the weight it was about to receive.  I sat on it to make sure! LOL!

Next is the test fit.  Believe me, we held our breath because it was a snug fit. YAY! It fits!  You want it to be snug so its sturdy though. Great job Honey!

After we installed the new counter top, it was time to mark the spot to cut the hole for the new sink.  I taped around the top edge of the sink with frog tape to prevent the black sharpie marker from getting on the new sink, we wouldn't want that...oh no!

With the sink upside down and in the correct position you intend on installing it, mark your cut line with a marker.  FYI:  Measure, measure and re-measure and then cut!

We used a jig saw to cut the counter top.  It seemed to be the best choice for a more steady even cut.  It's also easier to see where you are going compared to using a circular saw which was the other choice.

At the corners we used a drill to make a hole so it was easier to turn the jig saw and keep the corners crisp and sharp.  Remember a shop vac comes in handy while the cutting is going on.  The person cutting can see where he's going a bit better and the mess stays lower.

Next, you say a little prayer, hold your breath and fit the new sink into the freshly cut hole.  YAY, it fits!  We used clear silicone around the sink to assure no water could get down to the exposed wood of the cut counter top.  This also adds to firming up the sink in its final resting place.

This is where we are now.  Since we didn't really know where the cabinet doors would be before we installed the sink and faced out the front of the cabinets, that chore (building doors) is still left to be done.....along with a good dozen more things to do before we're done!

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:

Sunday
Under the Table and Dreaming by Stephanie Lynn, The Self Sufficient Home Acre , The Chicken Chick,  Sew Can Do 

Monday
Craft-O-Maniac, Between Naps on the Porch, DIY Home Sweet Home , Keeping it  Simple , The Dedicated House, Skip to my Lou
Married Filing Jointly,  Home Coming,  The Princess and Her Cowboys

Tuesday
Not Just a Housewife, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia,  Sugar Bee Crafts,  New Nostalgia,  It's your Life,    Get Your Crap Together  ,  BeBetsy,  Fluster Buster  Confessions of a Plate Addict

Wednesday
Clean and Scentsible, Lady Behind the Curtain.  Family Home and Life,  Ducks n a Row,  VMG206.  Herrban Momma,  Family Home & Life  ,Oh My! Creative

Thursday
Bloom,  Two Yellow Birds Decor,  The Taylor House.  52 Mantels,  Domesblissity,  Redfly Creations,   4 You With Love,  Sweet Haute
Artsy Fartsy Mama
 From My Front Porch To Yours

Friday 
Lil’ Luna,,  Tatertots and Jello,  Five Simple Things,  Craftionary,  Diana Rambles,    I Heart Nap Time

Saturday 
Angels Homestead,  Positively Splendid,   Or So She Says ,  Your Homebased Mom ,  What's Cooking with Ruthie

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Organize and Beautify Your Cabinets

New cabinets call for some organizing and beautification to make them look even more pretty and functional.  Right?

What a jumbled up mess I had going on in this cabinet!  I just threw things back into cabinets to get them off the counter tops.  The clutter was making me crazy!

I wanted to put some shelf paper down before I reloaded the cabinets.  I was a bit too inpatient for the top cabinets (clutter makes me coocoo), but I did wait for my new green Contact paper to arrived so I could paper the bottom ones before I filled them up again.  I found my perfect paper at Walmart HERE.

This is how the lower cabinets looked before I lined them with my pretty green paper.  Before this picture and the new paint, it actually had some old shelf liner on each shelf.  I peeled the old stuff off and then cleaned each shelf with Murphy's soap and water.  I let it dry for about 30 minutes then started papering!

So fresh and clean!  I really love it and I still cant get over the color being so perfect!  I lined every shelf in my kitchen with one roll of paper and I still have plenty left over for the new pantry when it gets built.  The rolls are 18" x 75'.  Plenty of paper for our small kitchen.

Originally when we built the corner cabinet we planned for a lazy susan so on to the internet I went to look for one.  Oh I found one alright!  Yeah! 18 inches of spinning goodness! Do you see there where it says its for corner cabinets?  Our giant sized corner cabinet needed a giant size lazy susan and I found one at The Container Store HERE.  It holds up to 150 pounds!  I dont think my spices weigh quite that much, but you never know!

This is very awesome!  All my spices on one lazy susan.  I just placed them close to the edge with the labels facing out so finding what I need is always easy.  If I had two of something, I just lined them up one after the other so I know I have extras.

I even have extras space to add more spices if I want to.  And although its hard to tell in these pictures, there is still left over room around the lazy susan to put more stuff in the cabinet too.  I pushed the lazy susan all the way back to the back of the cabinet and then just pulled it forward a bit so it could freely spin.  Lots of leftover room!

Tah Dah!  So much spinny organization I can barely stand it!  Oh and pretty shelf paper too! Hey, I think the inside of that door needs a chalkboard painted on it!

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:

Sunday
Under the Table and Dreaming by Stephanie Lynn, The Self Sufficient Home Acre , The Chicken Chick,  Sew Can Do 

Monday
Craft-O-Maniac, Between Naps on the Porch, DIY Home Sweet Home , Keeping it  Simple , The Dedicated House, Skip to my Lou
Married Filing Jointly,  Home Coming,  The Princess and Her Cowboys

Tuesday
Not Just a Housewife, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia,  Sugar Bee Crafts,  New Nostalgia,  It's your Life,    Get Your Crap Together  ,  BeBetsy,  Fluster Buster

Wednesday
Clean and Scentsible, Lady Behind the Curtain.  Family Home and Life,  Ducks n a Row,  VMG206.  Herrban Momma,  Family Home & Life  ,Oh My! Creative

Thursday
Bloom,  Two Yellow Birds Decor,  The Taylor House.  52 Mantels,  Domesblissity,  Redfly Creations,   4 You With Love,  Sweet Haute

Friday 
Lil’ Luna,,  Tatertots and Jello,  Five Simple Things,  Craftionary,  Diana Rambles,    I Heart Nap Time

Saturday 
Angels Homestead,  Positively Splendid,   Or So She Says ,  Your Homebased Mom ,  What's Cooking with Ruthie

read more