Category: General Crafts

How to Care for your Gemstone Bracelet

I’ve made hundreds of gemstone bracelets over the last two years. It has come to my attention that a few folks have been frustrated with their bracelets falling apart. Remember, the whole ‘bracelet’ fad started with plastic letter beads that were fairly indestructible. There were other fads that had string, cord or leather bracelets that could handle 24/7 wear. The stone beads that I use are just that…stones and crystals! They have their own individual properties that influence how they should be cared for. Each stone has a Mohs Hardness Score that provides some guidance about how it should be treated. When I create a bracelet that has several different stones, I’ve complicated the issue of how to care for the bracelet.

The following information is a general guideline for most bracelets that have more than one kind of stone. I hope it helps you keep your bracelets looking great!

How to Care for Your Gemstone Bracelet

Stone bracelets can contain a wide variety of gemstones, each with unique properties and care requirements. Common stones used in bracelets may include tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, malachite and lepidolite. Each type of stone has its own hardness and porosity which influences its care.

Avoid Water Exposure

While most quartz beads (clear, rose and smoky) can withstand daily wear in the shower, any stone with a Mohs hardness score of less than 4 or 5 may begin to lose its luster. The very soft stones like selenite and amber (Mohs Score of 2) will begin to dissolve over time. Since most bracelets have a mixture of stones, it’s wise to not wear your gemstone bracelets in the shower, the pool, the hot tub or the ocean. These bracelets are strung with an elastic cord that will also degrade over time with water exposure. If your bracelet gets dirty, gently clean it with a soft damp cloth to wipe the surface and dry with a lint-free cloth.

Cleanse Your Bracelets

Gemstones can absorb energies from the environment as they come in contact with other stones, objects or people. Because gemstones can absorb and store low-frequency energies, it helps to cleanse them frequently. Cleansing can be done with salt, smudging and moonlight. Using selenite is the easiest.

Selenite is a transparent, crystalline form of the mineral gypsum. It has a hardness score of 2 on the Mohs scale, which means it is soft enough to be scratched by a fingernail and dissolves in water. In crystal healing, selenite is revered for its high vibrational energy and spiritual cleansing abilities. It is used to clear negative energy from spaces, people, and other crystals. It is said to create a protective barrier against negative energies and psychic interference.

In general, you can easily cleanse your bracelets by placing them on a selenite plate or bowl overnight. These are available on Amazon and other rock shops on the internet. You can also place bracelets in a mesh bag with my Selenite Key Chain Accessory. My Key Chain Accessory is a small loop of Selenite beads that can be attached to a key chain or stored in a mesh bag. Your gemstone bracelets can be added to the bag overnight to cleanse them of any accumulated negative energies.

Recharge Your Bracelets

After your bracelet has been cleansed, recharge your bracelet with your intentions. Hold the bracelet in your hands and review the purpose of the bracelet. Refer to the intentions in the printout that came with the bracelet.

Storing Your Bracelets

When you are not wearing your bracelet, protect it from damage by storing it in a separate cloth bag, or arrange it so it will not be damaged by other jewelry. I like to see mine displayed, but I keep them separated from each other, away from direct sunlight.

Please email me directly if you have questions or comments. maryjkisner@gmail.com

Making Bracelets: How It All Started

My interest in making gemstone bead bracelets did not emerge overnight. It’s been over two years since I first started reading about these stones. It was a very different interest from all the other craft stuff I was already doing…sewing, fabric crafts, hand and body products with essential oils, cooking and baking recipes and gardening and preserving food each summer. When I first started reading about the gemstones, I wasn’t even thinking about bracelets!

I think it all started with an advertisement from Sedona Crystal Vortex, a rock shop in Sedona (https://sedonacrystalvortex.com/). We had visited Sedona several years before and enjoyed the shops near our hotel. I seemed to be on their mailing list! One of the ads showed a little bag of stones that could be kept in my pocket. It said if I carried them in my pocket and handled them frequently throughout the day, they would help me lose weight. Riiiight! I was intrigued so I ordered them. There were 5 little stone chips in a tiny mesh bag tied tight. I started learning about those particular stones and carried them in my pocket for quite a while. Nothing magic, but every time I put my hand in my pocket, I noticed them and remembered the reason they were there. This ‘intention’ kept my focus on why I should pay attention to what I was eating. The picture below shows three of those stones that are now in my collection. I’m not sure what the other stones were, but it doesn’t matter. Three seemed to be the number of items I could focus on.

Over the next few months, I built the beginning of my stone collection. They were pretty and I enjoyed reading about their histories and how they were used in the past. I was so afraid I would mix them up I tried to make sure I labeled each one and put them into little drawers with the information cards about each stone.

This led to a set of drawers:

I learned about each stone and usually carried two or three in my pocket every day. Luckily, I was wearing cargo pants with deep pockets so none of the stones got lost!

I also found quite a few books at Barnes & Noble bookstore about crystals and stones. Here are a few I still have on my shelf:

Finally, finding ‘The Book of Stones‘ by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian was a turning point for me. Besides color pictures of the stones, each description includes where and when it was discovered, where it currently comes from, its color and hardness number and many more details that I was not interested in when I first started reading about the stones That first year, I was reading about the stones, ordering more small samples and carrying them in my pocket. Crazy, I know!

On Etsy, I discovered a seller that made bracelets with 4mm beads, all the same stone… I ended up buying quite a few. It was a much easier way to take the beads with me, rather than a pocket of stones! However, many of the stones I wanted weren’t available as bracelets and the bracelets didn’t fit well, so they stayed in the drawers!

Then, the cultural shift of millions of folks following Taylor Swift around the world and instantly, beaded bracelets were all the rage! I thought how fun…a new craft! These friendship bracelets used plastic beads, often with letters to build messages. I tried a few, even some with PSU letters and blue and white beads…because I’m here in Penn State country! I had to buy letter packs of the whole alphabet! I could make about four bracelets with P S U and then I ran out of letters!

I tried making 5 bracelets with the words in a favorite poem but then I didn’t know what to do with them! Nobody cared about the poem except me!

Then I tried bracelets with a person’s name spelled out in Morse Code! At least then I could use some of the beads that I was learning about. That was fun, but once I’d given one to everyone I knew, I still wanted to know more about the stones.

At this point, my interest in the stone beads led me to make bracelets that would address a specific issue…like joy or courage. The first bracelet was my weight loss bracelet, using the same stone beads as the stones I carried in my pocket!

One of the most recent bracelets I’ve made had quite a few different beads, all to support motivation, energy, self-confidence and self-discipline. I made it just for me for days when I needed a kick to get me moving! It turns out several other people were interested in it also.

So, that’s how this all started! But…I have learned a lot…about how these stones were used in history, how they are still used in alternative health situations and how my creative mind can enjoy making these bracelets. My disclaimer with each bracelet reminds folks:

About Your Gemstone Bracelet

Each of the beads in your bracelet have meaning and together support each other for your well-being. They are described in the insert with your bracelet. You can wear the bracelet or carry it in your pocket. Each time you see it or handle it remember its intention as described on the tag, such as bringing you joy or lowering your stress level. Reminder: This bracelet is not a medical device. Its purpose is to help you focus and send positive energy to your mind and body. I have made your bracelet with love and the best of intentions for your well-being. Mary Kisner

I’ll try to not bore you with too many details about my bracelets. I do still cook, bake, garden, preserve food, sew, make soap, read fiction and now make bracelets! I’d love to hear from you, but remember to email me directly because too many spammers have drowned my website with junk!! I also post a link on my Facebook page to these articles, so you can comment there. Thanks! maryjkisner@gmail.com

Clear Quartz, Amethyst, Blue Aventurine, Blue Apatite

Making a Simple Car Air Freshener Repost

I posted this story 4 years ago! Can’t believe it! This simple air freshener works as designed and doesn’t overwhelm me…even when it’s cold out and the heat is blasting through the car!

December 8, 2021

I recently bought an air freshener for my car at the drug store counter. It clipped onto the vent on the dash. I lasted about 3 minutes before I threw it out…the scent was so strong and sickening I couldn’t stand it. It seemed like a good idea at the time!

Then I saw an ad online that showed some air fresheners made of a simple chunk of wood with a clip attached. You were supposed to add drops of your own preferred essential or fragrance oil. At least I could choose the scent!

I found some samples online by just typing in “wood air freshener for the car.” There were interesting shapes like flowers with a clip on the back, or slices of a tree branch meant to hang on the mirror.

I wasn’t sure the oils would soak in properly and then provide a nice smell in the car without being overpowering.

With Bert’s help, and a bag full of wood scraps that he uses for all kinds of little projects, we gave it a try.

First, I ordered the clips from Amazon…they were called “Square Head Car Air Vent Clips.” A bag of 20 clips were $6.99.

They were a very tight clip. Next challenge…finding some chunks of wood. Bert came in with some round fairly flat disks to see if they might work. The groove around the center could capture the oil until it soaked in.

He experimented with how to attach the clip to the back. Plain glue would not work because of the kind of stress it would be under to pull it from the vent. He found a way to put a screw on each side of the base, with the edge of the screw overlapping the base. It worked great for now. He had some other ideas for the next batch.

Now that the base was secured, I needed to add drops of scented oil…I chose Lavender fragrance oil…mostly because I had a big bottle of it, and I could stand the scent.

First, I had to figure out a way to keep the whole thing vertical so the oil wouldn’t drip off before it soaked into the wood. I had this small box that held the roller balls in shipping. The clip just fit over the center divider and kept it upright while I added the oil.

Using the dropper, I filled the center ring and let it soak in. I did that several times over the next few days. Then I put it in the car vent. It helped to be driving around with the heated air coming through the vent. The first day it was quite noticeable, but by the second day it was very pleasant. Not sure how long it will last, but when I can’t smell it anymore, I’ll pull it out of the vent, bring it into the house, add more oil and put it back in the car.

Bert did make me five of these so I could switch up the scents. I’ll store them in labeled zip bags so I know which one had which oil. Pretty slick! Try it yourself! Enjoy!

Please email me directly if you have comments or questions! maryjkisner@gmail.com

Christmas Favors Wrap Up

Thought it was time to wrap up my story about making Christmas favors for two groups of special folks. The first is the lovely group of about 14 women in the Ladies Auxiliary to the Boalsburg Fire Company. We will have our Christmas dinner next week at a local restaurant. The second group is from the State College High School class of 1964. Our group varies from month to month depending upon who is in town…often six to twelve folks. Next week we will have lunch at a local restaurant.

Obviously, many of these folks read my blog, so if you will be attending those events next week…shhh…please be ‘surprised’ when I hand out your favors. (smile)

I wrote about my preparations to make the Christmas favors two weeks ago (you can read about it at https://marykisner.com/planning-ahead-to-make-christmas-favors/) Now I’d like to share the finished products.

I decided to aim for 30 gift bags total to make sure I had enough. Each gift bag would have a small mesh bag of 3 small soaps, an eye pillow filled with flax seeds, a small bag of green and red M&Ms and a battery-operated votive candle. Just enough to take a relaxing break over the holidays! This was not an expensive gift bag…what I’m really giving is my time to make the soaps and eye pillows to some special folks. If nothing else, the items can be used up or re-gifted to someone else!

The Small Soaps

The first item that triggered my thinking for these gift bags was my extra Goats Milk Melt & Pour soap. The small soaps make great guest soaps and are easy to make. Most of the time is used waiting…waiting for the soap to melt and waiting for the soap to harden in the molds. Yes it’s a little tedious wrapping each tiny soap with plastic wrap, but it’s a necessary step. FYI…Melt & Pour soap is hydroscopic…and will eventually absorb moisture from the air and soften. Therefore, each tiny soap needed to be protected. (Regular hand-made soap bars made from scratch need to be open to the air to harden over a few weeks.)

The Melt & Pour soap just needed to be chopped up, melted over boiling water and poured into molds. The small molds worked well, but I had to make 90 individual soaps. That took a full day to melt the soap, pour it into molds, wait for it to harden and then pop out the soaps and wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Then I started over when the molds were free.

Here are the soaps ready for the gift bags:

When I was all finished, I had this pile of soaps left over. They may find their way to other gifts or Christmas stockings!

The Eye Pillows

The flaxseed-filled pillows can be heated in the microwave or put in the freezer. Very handy for tired eyes. I found cotton fabric at Walmart, but I had to order flannel from Amazon.

You can read about how to make the pillows at https://marykisner.com/making-a-hot-or-cold-eye-pillow-for-headaches-or-toothaches/

First, I cut out 30 sets of pillows…one front, one back and two muslin pieces for lining. The flax seeds have sharp points on each end and would poke right through the flannel without the lining.

The four pieces stacked like this:

I stitched around the rectangle leaving an opening on one end.

Turn the pillow right side out.

Top stitch all the way around the pillow…leaving the small opening. I used a funnel and a 1/4 cup measure to pour in the required 1 cup of flax seeds. Then, after shifting all the flax seed to the far end, I quickly sewed the opening closed.

I also wanted to keep each pillow clean in the gift bag, so I put each one in a gallon zip bag. That would help it stay nice between use, and would keep it clean if used as a cold pack when placed in the freezer.

The process to make 30 pillows took more than several days to complete. Thank goodness for Hallmark Movies to keep me entertained!

The Battery-operated Votive Candles

I’ve had this box of votive candles for several years. I used a few to put inside some clay candle holders I made out of polymer clay. So much for that project! I made a few and decided I didn’t need more than three…thus, there sat a box of candles on my shelf! (I did make sure they would still work before I put them in the gift bags!)

Red and Green M&Ms

I’m sure the M&Ms were not necessary but they just seemed like the perfect touch! This 4 lb. bag of M&Ms just made 30 tiny bags…one for each gift bag!

Time to fill the bags!

I think this display will count as my Christmas decorating for the season! Enjoy!

Please email me directly if you have comments or questions: maryjkisner@gmail.com

Planning Ahead to Make Christmas Favors

I’ve spent this whole week brainstorming what to make for favors for a group of 14 women from the Ladies Auxiliary to the Fire Company at our Christmas party in December. I have 4 weeks until I need them, but I need to decide soon exactly what I will put together. As I brainstormed, I ran all over town to see what I could get. Did I say how much I miss JoAnn Fabrics and how much I hate shopping?!?

I started with the container…I found small red gift bags at Michaels. I had to go to Walmart to get enough white tissue paper.

Looking around my various project supplies, I first started with soap. I have enough Goats Milk melt & pour soap base and small molds to make an assortment of small soaps. Two or three in a mesh bag will the first item in the bag of favors and suggested a gift bag for a ‘spa’ day.

Next, I found a box of tiny tea lights (battery-operated) that would be a perfect addition to the gift bag.

I wondered if I had time to make 15 hot and cold eye pillows. They are filled with flax seed and can be put in the freezer or microwaved. You can read about how to make them at https://marykisner.com/making-a-hot-or-cold-eye-pillow-for-headaches-or-toothaches/

This is what they look like…cotton on one side and flannel on the other. I have plain muslin for the liner (to keep the flax seeds from poking through the outer fabric.) I think I’ll have enough time…if I can get the fabric, flannel and flax seeds in time!

I found some nice 100% cotton fabric at Walmart but alas…no cotton flannel!

I even tried Michaels…no flannel of any kind! Luckily, Amazon came through and 2 yards of flannel will be delivered tomorrow!

Of course, the eye pillows will need flax seeds for stuffing…but 14 of them will require about 8 pounds of flax seeds (1 cup in each pillow). I had a small bag, but not 8 pounds!

Thank goodness, I could order a 10-pound bag from Amazon. It arrived today!

When I have all the components, I’ll get an assembly line going to crank out 14 eye pillows!

Last, but not least, how about some Christmas M&Ms to snack on while relaxing with a warm eye pillow! Amazon came through again! This bag will show up in a few days.

You can see that preparing these 14 gift bags required some lead time to assemble all the components! Just the brainstorming, sorting through my stash of supplies and running around town took several days. Now, I wait for things to arrive from Amazon so I can start making the eye pillows.

I really like how the focus is around being handmade. I don’t think I’m giving any useless stuff to my friends…the soap can be used, the M&Ms can be eaten and the eye pillow might be soothing during the Christmas season! If nothing else, the bag can be ‘regifted’ to someone else who needs it.

If you plan to have a handmade Christmas, plan ahead so you have time to enjoy the holidays yourself! Enjoy!

Please email me directly if you have comments or questions: maryjkisner@gmail.com.

Art in the Orchard Wrap

I hereby declare that the Art in the Orchard Festival was a success…for me at least! With temperature hovering about 100 degrees in the sun, I’m amazed I did so well. It was a long three days in the sun and I have the suntan (blisters) to prove it. However, I have $700 ready to deposit at the bank!

As a vendor it it entirely a different experience from being a visitor to a festival. Because visitors are constantly streaming by, I really could not wander too far to check our other booths. When I did leave our booth, I was on a mission to hit the restroom or grab something to eat from the food court trucks nearby. Having a good friend to chat with while we waited for the next visitor was a blessing. Yes, we had a cooler with ice for drinks and I had cut up vegetables and fruit to shack on…but how often do I get to snack on sweet kettle corn!

I was able to chat with the vendors on each side of our tent. The woman on one side had been doing festivals like this for 15 years and was debating whether it was time to stop; the young woman on the other side was brand new to being a vendor and her whole family struggles to figure out how to set up her tent! Beyond that, I have no information about how other folks were doing, what they were selling, etc. except by what the children were carrying as they went by our booth. I was grateful my booth-mate Toni was an experienced vendor.

It was so hot, I could hardly focus on taking pictures so I could write a decent story about the festival. I didn’t even get a ‘selfie’ of me! Lame, I know! So, here are a few pictures of our booth.

First, here’s the map of where our booth was located. I marked our booth (#4) on the map and the location of our booth last year…down a hill and on the opposite side of the field. Our location this year meant we were one of the first booths people saw as they came from the parking area. Many looked hard and then said they’d be back after they saw everything else! Many actually came back! So, we saw a lot of folks at the beginning of their visit and they were enthusiastic about the festival.

Toni’s company is called Paisley Art. She does impressive collages and sparkly sun catchers. Her “pictures” attracted a lot of attention as people walked by…and then they came in and saw all the sun catchers…and then they turned to go and stopped to see my bracelets! OR sometimes they say my sign and headed to the bracelets; then they turned around and continued to check out Toni’s stuff. It was very interesting to watch. Compared to the few other booths I saw, our inventory was limited and people seemed to be willing to check it out. So, here’s a brief tour of our booth:

Late in the afternoon on the first day, people walking by suddenly stopped and looked out the back of our booth. When we turned around to see what was so interesting…a beautiful hot air balloon was being inflated! For a fee, you could take a ride straight up a few hundred feet and look around…not sure what you could see, but the balloon was beautiful!

We did try to stay comfortable with the heat, but don’t believe the ads about the tiny air conditioners that seem to blow air over ice water and used a battery. The could blow moist air in our face or on our ankles for a few minutes. The could not keep up with the 100 degrees in an open tent.

By the third day, we were putting the melting ice from our cooler into a large zip lock bag and using it as a compress on our arms, legs, neck and shoulders. That worked the best! We were grateful for Bert’s help in setting up the tent, and then coming back on Saturday evening to help us tear down. This whole event was not a one-person job!

Check out Art in the Orchard Festival next year! I’d love to see you! If you have comments or questions, please email me directly at maryjkisner@gmail.com.

Prepping for the Art in the Orchard Festival

I’ve spent the last year looking forward to the Art in the Orchard festival. This year it will be held July 10-12, 2025 in the big field next to Way’s Fruit Farm on Rt. 550, just past Stormstown, PA. This is the same weekend as the Central PA Festival of the Arts in State College and the People’s Choice Festival at the Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall. Busy weekend for all.

Last year was quite a learning experience for me. Being a vendor is so different than just visiting an arts festival. I discovered how complicated it was to set up a booth, display my stuff and interact with the public for several days. Thank goodness I was with my friend Toni, who had done this before. She had the tent, the tables and the know-how to set everything up. Here was my display last year:

This whole year, my focus was on building my inventory of bracelets to sell. With just two weeks to go, I’ve had to stop making bracelets and figure out how to display things. I also knew I needed new business cards, some kind of sign and my own table with a cover. I would be providing the 10×10 tent and we just ordered the side walls. Next, we need to figure out how to assemble it ourselves.

I’ve been trying to make own business cards, but it’s been hard to design what I want with a Word program and card template. (I sure do miss PageMaker!). My original idea was this:

I couldn’t get the “beads” to center properly and I wanted a line to be the “string” holding them together. I could not get the circles to travel together!

I finally went to the printer and ordered cards…and tried to explain my issues with the program. This is what I ended up with:

Not quite what I had in mind…but I had 200 printed. I’ll revise for next year!

Of course, the vinyl sign I ordered matches the new card:

So now it’s time to assemble my display. (First, Bert had to show me how to open up the folding table!) The cover obviously needs to be ironed!

Last year I used baskets to hold each size bracelet:

This year that won’t work…I have too many bracelets!

I also need to figure out how to hang the sign…it kept falling off! The regular bracelets are on the right, and they will the closest to the visitors passing by. We’ll see how long they stay neat and organized! They will be $10 each and come in three sizes: 7″, 7 1/2″ and 8″.

On the left side of the table will be my specialty bracelets. They will be more expensive ($20) and also come in three sizes. There aren’t as many bracelets… 15 different topics from “Ease Arthritis Symptoms” to “Headaches and Migraines” to “Supporting Weight Loss.” They have become very popular but they use several beads together and have a print out of what each stone contributes to the Intention.

On the back of my card, that is included with each bracelet, is this disclaimer:

When it says “Bracelet with Intention” it means when I make the bracelet I’m thinking about how it might help you, and the beads themselves hold meaning. It is not a medical device but it can help you focus your mind to help with the intention.

Finally, I’m trying to get better at taking some pictures that look a little more interesting. I’d like to make a booklet of the various specialty bracelets I’ve made. Luckily, when I first started learning about the stones themselves I collected a variety that I can now use in setting up some pictures. I’m not sure I need to have more stones. I’ll have to worry about this project after the festival!

Most of my bracelets are made with 6mm beads. I’m now getting more requests from guys (my grandson Ben, age 18, is often asking for a bracelet to help with a specific thing, like clarity and focus when he starts Penn State this fall.) So, I’ve started adding larger beads (8mm) to my supplies. Geez…it’s starting to add up! Not a cheap hobby, but so rewarding.

I did have a question from a friend…did I make necklaces? So far…no. But I thought I’d give it a try to see if my elastic was strong enough to handle a necklace of 6mm beads. I made a necklace of a repeating pattern of chakra stones and then made a matching bracelet:

It looked pretty, but was it comfortable?

It was more comfortable that I expected but I had to use over 75 beads…enough for 4 bracelets! Maybe if I had enough of the 4mm beads it would be worth it, but for now I think I’ll skip necklaces! If you’d like to see more of my bracelets, come find me at the Art in Orchard festival July 10-12, 2025! If you have questions or comments about this post, please just email me directly: maryjkisner@gmail.com.

Gemstone Bracelets Update

Over the last year and a half, I have spent a lot of time and money to learn about, design and make gemstone bead bracelets. This hobby was perfect to satisfy my need to learn something new and provided the motivation to work toward a goal of selling the bracelets at a mid-summer arts festival. This festival was held in mid-July at Way’s Fruit Farm outside of State College. Last year I was able to make and sell $60 bracelets for $10 each. I also came home with a healthy respect for all the vendors who attend multiple festivals and fairs during the year. Sitting, standing and interacting with hundreds of people during three hot days last July was quite a challenge for me! I’m already thinking about which shirt and hat I can wear this year to protect me from the sun!

This year so far, I have about 130 bracelets in three sizes ready for sale. Each bracelet has a tag that identifies the stones in the bracelet and a brief phrase that describes the stone and how it could be used.

Additions for This Year

This year I’ve been learning more about how the various gemstones are used to help folks with specific health issues. I am aware that wearing a bracelet is not a medical device! I’m certainly not promising that certain stones can help ease medical symptoms. I see them as serving a purpose like the native American dream catchers. If they ease a person’s mind by wearing, holding or having a stone nearby, why not! And most of the stones/beads I use are pretty too!

I decided to add a statement to the back of my business cards that will be available with each purchase:

So, my next focus for research was how the stones I use have been used in history for various ailments. I did a search on “Best crystals for…” and typed in the ailment. Many different stones are recommended and described why they could help…of course if you believe they will help ease your worry about something, they might help! I now have a new way to design bracelets.

I’m now putting together bracelets that have a specific intention, not necessarily by color. That makes some interesting combinations! I have bracelets that could ease arthritis symptoms, ease inflammatory combinations and support better food choices which might help with weight loss. I’m hoping to offer a few of them at the Festival this summer just to see if folks might be interested.

I do not plan to sell these bracelets through this website…ever. You can come to the festival (Art in the Orchard July 11-13, 2025 at Way’s Fruit Farm near Stormstown, PA). If you have questions about the bracelets, please email me directly instead of leaving a comment on my blog…I now get over 100 spam comments a day from automatic servers. It takes me time to make sure I don’t miss a real comment. Use email…it’s quicker! maryjkisner@gmail.com

If you’d like to read about how I started this hobby last year, please see:

https://marykisner.com/gemstone-bracelets-good-vibrations-for-the-whole-family/

If you’d like to read about how the festival went last year, please see:

https://marykisner.com/coming-soon-art-in-the-orchard-festival/ and

https://marykisner.com/follow-up-of-the-art-in-the-orchard-festival/

Enjoy!

Making a Natural Bug Repellent for You and Your Dog

Spring is the time to start thinking about finding a good bug repellent for you (and your dog). Four years ago, I was deep into learning about how essential oils could be used, and one of the first products I made was a natural bug repellent for my greyhound friends (human and dog!).

My research started with making sure that the essential oils I used were safe for the dogs. Here are two books I started with, along with research on the internet.

Most recipes for a natural bug repellent had pretty similar ingredients…water, essential oils and an emulsifier to disperse the oils. The most important issue was making sure the specific essential oils were safe for your pets. Amazingly, most were fine for dogs, but only a few were safe for cats! I suspect this is because cats will lick their fur and ingest the essential oils.

You can read more about using essential oils with your pets at the end of this post. For today, I wanted to share the natural bug repellent spray recipe that I’ve found to be effective for you and your dogs! Once you’ve sprayed your dog and rubbed it into its fur, you’ll have it on your hands. Rub your hands on your arms and legs. An extra spray on your clothing can keep the bugs away from you too!

This bug repellent is safe for you and your dogs. It is not necessarily safe for your cats! Please check with your veterinarian for a safe repellent for your cats!

Here is my recipe for a natural bug repellent:

All of the ingredients in this recipe are available at Amazon. You can mix this up directly in an 8-ounce spray bottle. I’ve been mixing it up in an 8-ounce bottle with a screw top lid so I can more easily share it without having to worry about the spray bottle leaking in transit. I just include the empty 8-ounce spray bottle.

Here are the ingredients I use:

Here’s a close up of the Lavender Hydrosol label on the jug in the back row:

Labeling the bottle and/or spray bottle is important.

So try this recipe yourself! Enjoy the warm weather without the bugs or harmful chemicals!

ABOUT USING ESSENTIAL OILS WITH YOUR PETS

I found great information online from Dr. Maranda Elswick, who is a licensed veterinarian in Florida and Virginia. (For more information about Dr. Elswick see: https://iloveveterinary.com/blog/the-meowing-vet-dr-maranda-elswick/)

In another article, she provided a list of essential oils that are safe for dogs and a separate list for cats. Her information also included how to treat essential oil poisoning in dogs and cats. If you use any product with essential oils in them on your pets, please keep these lists nearby!

Essential Oils Safe for Dogs:

Cedarwood oil; Chamomile oil; Citrus oils (including lemon oil and orange oil); Eucalyptus oil; Fennel oil; Frankincense oil; Lavender oil; Lemongrass oil; Peppermint; Spearmint; and Rose Oil.

(I also researched Manuka Essential Oil and it was found to be safe for dogs. If you’d like to read more about Manuka Essential Oil see https://marykisner.com/manuka-essential-oil-fact-sheet/)

Essential Oils Safe for Cats:

Chamomile oil; Jasmine oil; Lavender oil; and Rose oil.

How to Treat Essential Oil Poisoning in Dogs and Cats:

If your dog or cat is experiencing mild respiratory irritation after inhaling an essential oil, move them to an area with fresh air.

If a concentrated essential oil came in contact with your pet’s skin or fur, wash the area with a pet-safe dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn.

If your dog or cat ingested an essential oil, consult with your veterinarian or poison control center immediately. Do not induce vomiting.

Essential Oils and Pets: Tips and Advice

Fortunately, the majority of essential oil toxicity cases carry a good prognosis with prompt detection and veterinary treatment. However, prevention is key. Pet parents can reduce the risk of harm to their dogs and cats by following these safety tips when using essential oils at home:

SAFETY TIPS FOR USING ESSENTIAL OILS AROUND PETS

    Only use pet-safe essential oils from reputable brands, and dilute appropriately with a pet-friendly carrier oil before administering to your dog or cat. Avoid use around animals more susceptible to ill effects. Never feed a highly-concentrated product to your pet or apply it topically.

    Never force an essential oil on your pet…even those deemed pet-safe…if they don’t appear to like it. Try the “smell test” to introduce your pet to the oil first.

    Do not add essential oils to your pet’s food.

    Keep essential oil bottles and products out of your pet’s reach or locked in a cabinet. This includes the reservoirs for diffusers and liquid potpourri, which pets can easily knock over if left unattended. Ingesting large quantities can be fatal!

    If using a passive diffuser, make sure your pet can get away from the area. Avoid use around birds.

    Avoid using an active diffuser when your pet is in the room, especially around birds and pets that groom frequently, such as cats.

    Limit your use of diffusers, sprays, and other essential oil products to a short period of time, and air out the room before allowing your pet inside.

    Avoid combining different oils (which can inadvertently raise the concentration), and avoid using pure products or blends in which the concentration is not specified on the label!

    STAY SAFE WITH YOUR PETS!

    Still Finding Joy in Making Bracelets

    It’s now been more than a year that I’ve been working with gemstone beads. While this hobby started with the “friendship bracelet” fad over a year ago…with words, letters and interesting shaped beads…I was quickly fascinated with actual gemstone beads. Learning about the gemstones and how they were used in history for jewelry, official ceremonies and technology encouraged my interest in them. When I started, I wasn’t clear if others would also be interested in what I was learning. Most folks enjoyed how pretty the bracelets were and were drawn to their favorite colors or their birthstones. You can read about how I got started in making these bracelets at https://marykisner.com/gemstone-bracelets-good-vibrations-for-the-whole-family/

    Many of the bracelets I made for the Festival last summer had just one or two kinds of stones in them. I sold 60 bracelets over the three-day festival for $10 each. I will continue to make bracelets like those for the festival this year. I made bracelets in three sizes and discovered the Large (8″) bracelets did not sell as well. Most were bought by or for men. So, I’ll make more of the Small and Medium size and make the Large bracelets with larger beads to appeal to men.

    Morse Code Bracelets

    Another kind of bracelet I’ve enjoyed making are custom-made to have a person’s name spelled out in Morse Code, using round black beads for the dots and small black cylinder beads for the dashes. The extra beads to finish the bracelet were chosen for a specific purpose…birthstone, favorite color or a specific bead to support a health issue. These could be White Opal beads to reduce stress and worry; Citrine for good luck; or Amethyst for overall good health. Here are some examples:

    I actually got pretty good at “reading” the Morse Code in the bracelets…maybe I should work toward my HAM radio license! You can read about making these bracelets at https://marykisner.com/making-morse-code-bracelets/

    Bracelets to Support a Health Issue

    A few months ago, I was asked to consider making a bracelet to support a friend’s health issue…headaches and migraines. I added a disclaimer that this bracelet was not a medical device! I am not a doctor (actually I am…just not a medical doctor…smile!). While some very sensitive folks can feel vibrations from the gemstones, that is not one of my talents. However, historically some gemstones have helped issues like headaches for some folks. Wearing a bracelet can be a reminder to rest, relax and think about releasing stress which is often the cause of a headache. Wearing the bracelet can’t hurt and the bracelet is pretty to look at. The stone beads are smooth and cool to the touch. Even putting the bracelet in your pocket and handling it now and then can remind you to release stress. Here’s the final bracelet:

    I now have several bracelets with specific stones to support a variety of health issues. I’m not sure if I’ll sell these bracelets at the festival, but I can explain them individually to folks. Because they involved more time to make, they will cost more than $10. Here are two other samples:

    Making bracelets for others continue to be a rewarding hobby for me. This focused activity helps me release MY stress! Look for me at the Art in the Orchard Festival in July and pick out a bracelet for yourself! If you have a request for a specific bracelet, send me an email and we can discuss it (maryjkisner@gmail.com). To read my post about the Festival last summer, check out this post: https://marykisner.com/follow-up-of-the-art-in-the-orchard/ Enjoy!