Homemade Toothpowder - DIY Tutorial

Are you looking for my great, easy and cheap tooth powder recipe? It moved! Check out the new location at Pocket Pause!

Here's an excerpt:

As my long-term readers know, i like to save money and packaging by making all natural alternatives to common and oft-used around the house products. I make all our soap, i try to can or freeze most of our preserved foods, i buy bulk and use reusable handmade bags, and i especially like to keep my family healthy by keeping almost all commercially made body products out of our house. Products like tooth paste. Did you know that sodium laureth sulfate, the same stuff used to make commercial shampoos rather, is in most toothpaste? Have you read the ingredients on most toothpastes in the store... if you have you'll see lots of chemicals, flavors, colors and other artificial nastiness. And flouride. I have mixed feelings on flouride, but despite my dentist's opinion on the stuff, he checked out my teeth as 'problem free' in my last visit.... after i'd switched to making my own tooth powder. I've been using my tooth powder for about 1.5 years. My last dentist appointment was also about 1.5 years ago, before the tooth powder. I had 2 supposed cavities and gingivitis. Commercial toothpaste: cavities and gingivitis. Homemade tooth powder: no cavities or gingivitis and a clean bill of mouth health. Want to make some for yourself? I thought so: Homemade Tooth Powder

Sewing an Apron, and Creating the Pattern

We'll see if this works, and i hope it does!

I'm a huge fan of retro aprons. I have a little apron i wear to bake in, but it's old, christmasy, and fit a lot better when I was about 9.  So i popped by Hancock Fabrics the other day and bought some cute cotton fabric featuring my signature bright blue color (featured prominently in my wardrobe, on my toenails, and in my tattoos): a gingham type with little strawberries, and a polka dot of blue with white dots.  My goal is to create something like this:

with a little pencil pocket on the top bib, and a little 'put things in me' pocket down in the skirt area. Flouncy, pleated, ruffly skirt, with straps that loop over the shoulders and attach to the waste tie instead of looping behind the neck, which i can't stand.

Measuring isn't proving to be TOO difficult - but i sure wish i had some of that nice pattern paper stuff. i'm using some tissue paper which is okay. Soon forgoed the tissure paper and just drew on the back of the fabric using a pencil and a nice straight yard stick for the lines.

Alright, coming along smoothly. Top seems to be the right size. Skirt cut and hemmed with a nice little folded over hem to look more finished. Now i have to approach the 'dart' dilemma. Cool, instead of just doing regular darts that slide along the hem, i'm squishing them down to make a nice flat square type situation. i'm sure this isn't new to anyone who sews regularly, but i'm just figuring it out as i go. In fact, i think the husband just nailed it: pleats!

Just pinned the top and bottom together: thumbs up! Now i sew them together and then make the waste band and over the shoulder straps. Final step will be the pockets and lace at the bottom.


A. I wish i had an ironing board so that i wouldn't be crouching right now
B. I wish i'd done the hems on the top part differently... there are ravvly edges , i could have done inside out as it is double sided to have a nice finished edge. but no. wah wah. That would have even been easier to do. I know for next time i guess.

Alright! waist band turned out great: glad i got as many yards as i did. Now it's over the shoulder time, trickier i'm guessing. Straps worked out, a little irrritating and loose but good i think.

All in all the apron turned out great. the pockets are swell, the straps slightly less irritating if i cross them in the back. Next time i'd make the top differently, even with some added darts to the side it sticks out a little bit.  I like it so much, however that i made another one with just the skirt part and a pocket that has  little separate divider for a pencil.

Voila!