Single Serving Ointment Tubes

This is a fabulous idea that I wish I could take credit for.  It's a bit different than most of my how to's, but it's such a good idea with so many applications, and easily done inside of five minutes, that I felt I had to share it.  I literally went around my house and had everything I needed within about two minutes.

Because this was spur-of-the-moment, I only had a red straw.  It would have been significantly easier if it had been a plain clear straw.

Materials:

Ointment of choice (I used triple antibiotic ointment)
Plastic Straw (clear works best)
Needle Nose Pliers (if you have two pairs, that's even better, but not necessary)
Lighter

Simple, right?

Instructions:

At one end of the straw, squeeze in a portion of ointment.  You will probably end up wasting a bit, so put a little more than you want in your final tube.  I used a little under an inch's worth of straw length.  This is one way in which a clear straw would make things easier; judging how much ointment you are using.

Carefully pinch down the end of the straw to squish the ointment upwards, until you have enough empty space at the bottom for the width of your pliers plus a few millimeters.

Grip tightly with the pliers with the extra extending past them.  Make sure there is no excess ointment below the pliers, as this will interfere with the sealing process.

Using the lighter, carefully heat the end of the straw extending past the pliers until it melts together.  If you have a second pair of pliers, it can be helpful to pinch the melted strip while still hot to form a better seal.

Repeat at other end, either making a 'flat' or 'triangle' tube.  This is the other instance when having a clear straw would make things much easier, as you try to judge where to grip the straw on the other end.

That's it!


I can think of so many uses for these!  Throw a half dozen or so in your first aid kit instead of a full tube, to reduce bulk.  A hiking or car emergency kit.  Keep one or two in your purse or wallet for minor emergencies.  And that's just with the antibiotic ointment!

You can use the same process for sealing honey straws, which makes a fabulous single-serving to add to drinks or just enjoy for a sweet snack.  Single-use packets of lotion.  Bad Hair Day emergency hair gel.  Any fairly thick liquid, ointment, gel, etc. that you use a small portion of at a time is a perfect candidate for this method.  Just remember that if you use this for more than one type of product . . .  write on it what's in the tube!

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How-To: Easy Inexpensive Gift Plates

There are lots of easy, inexpensive treats available to make as Christmas gifts, like Super Simple No Fail Fudge.

However, that leaves the question of how to package your goodies to give them away; if you have to buy a tin or plate for every gift, this is often the most expensive part of the gift.

Not anymore!

This brilliant idea costs pennies, and allows you to adjust for any gift-giving occasion, all with supplies you probably already have in the house.

What You Will Need

1-3 paper plates (you can even get cute ones appropriate to the occasion, or decorate them yourself)
Approx. 2 feet of ribbon
Hole punch or Xacto knife

How To Assemble

Punch or cut a holes a quarter inch or so from the edge of your plate, about an inch to an inch and a half apart.  On the plate I used, I skipped two 'ripples' in between each hole (the last one was on the next ripple to the first, but that was fine as the bow goes there.)  If you will be heavily loading the plate, use two or even three together and cut through all of them at the same time so that they line up properly.

String your ribbon through the holes, alternating top and bottom.  This will be easier if you pull enough through the first hole to make it all the way around and tie a bow at the end, instead of trying to pull it as you need it.

Tie a pretty bow, cut off excess ribbon, and you're done!  If your gift will need to travel, wrap with cellophane and use the same ribbon to tie it shut.

How-To: Upcycled Pillow Boxes

I got the inspiration for these adorable little boxes on, I admit, Pinterest. However, while it said what they were, they included no instructions and it took me a while to figure out exactly how to do it. So, I decided to take the 'figure out' time out of it for future readers.

Here, then, is a step-by-step tutorial to go from – yes – toilet paper rolls, upcycled to adorable pillow boxes for small gifts.  You could follow the same basic instructions with paper towel rolls, either for long boxes, or cut into pieces for 'square' boxes, or any size in between.

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All you absolutely need is this:

However, I I found it was much easier, and the finished product much neater, to lightly score the tubes with an exacto knife.  After much searching around the house for 'the perfect circle', I found that the spool of ribbon I would be using to decorate the box with when it was finished, was the perfect size.

So, gather your materials.  Easy.

Now, squish your roll flat, but don't hard-crease the edges, so that it will pop back up partway.

Line your circle guide at one end of the roll, so that it goes from corner to corner with the tube squished.  Lightly score around the circle; keep in mind you aren't trying to cut anything, just make it easier to fold neatly.

Repeat at both ends, front and back.

Bet you can't guess the next step, huh?  Oh, wait, right...  So, fold down the flap.  If you have an 'ugly' side to the box, such as a glue strip, fold that side first, so that it will end up the bottom.  Repeat for all four flaps, first 'front' then 'back'.  You may need to squish and wiggle the little pointy corners a bit to get them lined up and shaped just right.

That's it!  That's your basic pillow box.  Decorate them, with markers or stamps or glitter....  wrap them with a little strip of wrapping paper (the huge benefit to this is you can just do it in the center, making the box complete with decoration reusable!), or just some ribbon, or a pretty bow...  get creative!