Stocking Stuffers

It is snowing! We are only getting an inch or two, but it is blustery cold out and blowing snow, which really makes it finally feel like Christmas! And with Christmas only 5 DAYS away, I believe we are ready! I saved my stocking stuffer shopping for my last shopping event. I went to Walmart and grabbed everyones favorites.

Yes, we LOVE chocolate! Chocolate kisses, milky ways (Emma's fave), Hersheys (Laila's fave), chocolate Santas, Kit Kats.

 

Play doh for both girls

 

Poster crayons for Emma, glitter crayons for Laila

 

Goldfish for Laila, mini nutella for Emma

 

Gum and gourmet nuts for Daddy

 

Coffee for Mommy

 

John and I both grew up with an orange in our stocking on Christmas morning,

so of course we carry on the tradition, but with cuties.

 

And of course, baby carrots for Santas reindeer.

It even says right on the bag "Official Snack of Santa!"

:)

 

 

Once I load up on stocking stuffers, I'm never sure if everything is going to fit. For some reason, I always worry that I won't have enough to fill them, but every year I end up with too much. So when I got home, I got the stockings out and test-filled them to make sure.

Does anyone else's cats seem to always get comfortable on whatever it seems you are trying to work on? It doesn't matter what it is; pile of laundry, pile of coupons, pile of Christmas stockings...

Yep, there he is. Glaring at me thinking "oh, you didn't need these stockings did you? But they're so warm and comfy!" Silly cat!

Are you ready for Santa?

Yarn wrapped trees

Here is a very simple Christmas decor idea for ya.
Have you walked through Target's Christmas decor section lately? There are so many different kinds of super cute mini trees that are not cheap.  But there are lots of ideas on pinterest on how to make your own using materials at home.

I really wanted to make these twine trees:

but it takes a special kind of glue that is not available in a 30min radius of me, so I will wait and make those next year. For now, I resorted to yarn wrapped trees. This version I made is not the sturdiest, but it works for me.

I started with a paper plate base. This idea I found at Ashley Kaitlin here is the link to show you how to make them. I made a white one and a twine wrapped one.

 

I decided that poster board would make a sturdier base and make for a taller tree. I had black posterboard in the office, leftover from one of Emma's school projects. I rolled up a corner and used hot glue to hold it in the cone shape.

It just takes a little cutting and trimming to get the bottom flat, here is a look from the bottom (sorry for the horrible picture quality):

Then wrapped it in soft white yarn, starting from the bottom and working my way up:

Here it is finished:

I did happen to have a styrofoam cone base that I wrapped in red yarn. I honestly think the paper plate and posterboard ones worked just as well as the styrofoam cone one.

Then once I had them sitting together, something was missing. They just didn't look right. They definitely needed something to sit on, which I guess is why all the diy trees you see on pinterest are sitting on different candlesticks in varying heights.

See the difference?

 Final setting:

What do you think? Do they need some sort of topper?

If you really like this idea of making your own decorative trees, I highly suggest you check out The Creativity Exchange blog. There are tons of ideas and even patterns and tutorials you can purchase for making your own fabric covered trees! Really really pretty stuff! I think I might go a little fancier next year now that I've tried a few!

Christmas Decor

December is here and the halls are decked! I keep things somewhat simple but I do enjoy the lights, the tree, the music, the nativity, etc. here is a glimpse into our home, ready for Christmas.

The tree
We have a prelit artificial tree. We adorn it with sentimental ornaments. We started with the ones that John and I grew up with. Now we add to them every year with ornaments that the kids have collected. John's mom has gotten them one every year. Then of course there are the ones that they bring home from school, you know, the macaroni and glitter kind. Hey! That would have been a great blog name! Macaroni and Glitter!

 

Here is Emma's little corner of the tree where she clustered all her ornaments together.

I'm so glad I bought this Hallmark Countdown Ornament last year. We love it! It tells us precisely how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds until Christmas Day!

The tree skirt
John's mom gave us this special gift as soon as our family started growing. She had it embroidered with our names, and every year she takes the girls' handprints and stitches the outline onto the skirt so that we can show them how much they've grown!

Laila:

Emma:

Nativity Scene
Ok, we haven't graduated to a grown up nativity scene yet. Ha! Here is our Fisher Price Little People Nativity Setting that we still play with. I don't have a good explanation for why Joseph is at the top of the manger instead of the angel. I just left it the way the kids had it last time they played with it. I also just realized that a littlest pet shop dog visited baby Jesus too. :)

The pencil tree
Just a 5 footer, but the girls can practically decorate it by themselves!

The banister
I bought a 15 ft garland at Dollar Tree and it fit absolutely perfect from end to end! I added a strand of lights and ribbon. Then I used clear command hooks to hang our stockings. I am going to attempt to make new ones for John and I out of sweaters;  We shall see how that goes. If it goes well, you will know it because you will see a blog post on it. :)

The "mantel"...aka the china cabinet...since we don't have a mantel I get to improvise!

3 wine glasses filled with red and green berries

Glass bowl filled with red and white balls
(I believe the technical name for these is "decorative filler balls" in case you were dying to know)

Subway printable found HERE...

Centerpiece
Just some stuff put in a vase, nothing too elaborate.

Front door Wreath
I made this last year using red and white yarn. I also added 2 clear snowflakes on each side. They were table decorations from a friend's December wedding.

Christmas Card Display
I love to see how other people display their cards. I have this hanger from the Christian bookstore that has 3 pockets, but I don't like how I can only show the tops of the cards once they're down in the pockets. So I am trying to think of something new. Maybe some kind of frame with mini clothespins?

I also have plenty of snowmen around the house that get to stay out til Feb or March. That way, the house doesn't seem so bare when all the Christmas decor comes down. I'll spare you all the pictures of those since I'm sure you get the idea.


I also have a few things I want to make so we'll see how many crafts I get to in the next few weeks.

Tis the Season!

Thanksgiving Table Decor

Burlap Table Runner and Thanksgiving Tree

I never use freezer paper in the kitchen, but I do use it for crafting. It even says right on the box that it is good for arts and crafts! I guess their marketing department decided to reach those of us who are too busy crafting to spend time in the kitchen. Ha!

My first freezer paper stenciling project turned out well! I cut out the "Give Thanks" font using Cricut Craft Room - my friend Sarah showed me all about it and I used her laptop to connect to my Cricut so we could play around with it. I cut out the image on freezer paper (shiny side DOWN! - I must remember that next time) using my Cricut.

Then I ironed the freezer paper to my burlap, painted the letters, peeled the paper away, and my table runner was done! Very easy!

 

 

 

Then for a centerpiece, I punched out scalloped circles and asked Emma to write down things that she and her sister were thankful for. Then we attached the circles to sticks and used a vase to set them in.

Very simple but treasured project!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bathroom facelift

Sometimes you just need a change. I have been wanting a new shower curtain for awhile, but just hadn't made time to look for one. I strolled through the aisle at Target while shopping for back to school supplies, and found one I loved. Its crazy how I manage to find the best things not when I'm out looking specifically for them, but when I randomly happen to walk down an aisle and notice them out of the corner of my eye. Am I the only one that has weird luck like that?

When you have a small bathroom, the shower curtain is 50% of the room! So a simple update can make a big difference.

As soon as I was ready to put up my new shower curtain, I realized how ugly and worn the old rod and rings were. So I picked up a bronze one. But instead of buying new curtain clips I decided to use an idea I saw on pinterest. The pinterest link is only a picture, so the steps I used are below.

This was my inspiration:



This is my creation:



I had some silver beaded napkin rings that I found at Target a few Christmas seasons ago. They usually sit in the drawer of my china cabinet, but they are too pretty to be hiding in there, so I thought they needed to be brought out of their hiding place.



I had to decide on a ribbon color. I like my fairly neutral bathroom. It is mostly cream/white shades, so I decided I needed something bolder for my ribbon detail. I chose simply sheer black.

Steps:

First, place your napkin rings onto the rod and hang it up.

Cut your ribbon into 12 pieces. I made each piece 3ft long. So you'll need 36 ft of ribbon to achieve the same look as mine; more if you like longer pieces.

Singe the ends of your ribbon to prevent fraying. I just use a quick flick of a lighter.

Thread one end of your ribbon through a curtain hole. Then thread that same end through the ring. Then thread the opposite ribbon end through the ring in the opposite direction. Then tie your bow! Try to make sure you're pulling on each bow the same amount as you work your way across, so that your curtain hangs evenly. This is a picture of my ribbon right before I tied the bow.

Tip* Tie a piece of string to your curtain rod on 2-3 curtain holes just enough to hold your curtain up while you work on the other rings.

I love it! As Laila helped me put the rings on the rod, she said "they're so SPARKLY!" :D Yes, honey, we like sparkle! Sparkle is good!



I also have a vinyl liner on the inside that desperately needed cleaned. I followed the instructions on the 320 Sycamore blog.     And I couldn't believe how clean it got! Looks brand new! You do NOT need to buy a new one!



I couldn't stop with just the new shower curtain, so I updated my decor.

Hooks/Accents/Soap Jar

I added some new hooks for towels. In a small bathroom, towel rods stick out and take up room, and they are always falling off the walls on us. Plus the hooks make it easier for the kids to hang up their own towels!

To balance out the black ribbon , I added some black accent pieces. I had some old mason jars that I wrapped in twine! Then added a simple black ribbon.

I created a mason jar soap dispenser. I asked hubs (thanks honey!) to drill a hole in the lid. Then I spray painted the lid and rim black. And filled with soap! I just used the pump from an old soap dispenser.



My cost for the shower curtain, rod, ribbon, towel hooks, and decor was about $50.

Not exactly thrifty, but a very fancy easy new look without having to paint walls!

Linking up to...

Positively Splendid

I Heart Naptime

It's Overflowing

Repurposed calendar frame

Repurposed Calendar Frame!!!

If you happened to see my thrifty burlap curtain project, you might remember that I had leftover fabric that I was going to save for another project. With it, I decided to repurpose an old wooden calendar frame that I've had for years. I found that those holders really only work with one size calendar, and calendars come in so many sizes nowadays that the ones I want always seem to be the wrong size.

First I sanded, primed, and spray painted the frame part.

[caption id="attachment_712" align="aligncenter" width="199"] Supplies: Frame, primer, paint, chalkboard paint, cork, burlap[/caption]

For the bottom half, I kinda wanted to try out magnetic chalkboard paint, but did not read many good reviews on it. So I decided to just use regular chalkboard paint. Did you know that you can ask to have it tinted? And that there are 12 different shades to pick from? The hubs was on his way to Home Depot and I had asked him to pick up a can for me. Having no idea I could pick different colors, he sent me a picture via cell phone of the options on top of the box so I could choose a color. I chose garnet red.

I was a little surprised when I first opened the can of garnet red paint...umm it was very PURPLE!! I double checked the label and it was correct. I don't paint with dark colors very often, so I just kept in mind that paint always dries darker than it first appears, and crossed my fingers that it would turn out ok. I used a total of...several coats...{kinda lost track}. Even though I sanded/primed the wood real good, the paint did not go on as smooth as I hoped. But it still works and I think the texture of the wood just adds a little rustic charm!

For the top half, I wanted to use my burlap and I also wanted something that I could pin reminders and pictures to. So I decided I would cover some cork with the burlap so it would serve its function yet not resemble a typical cork board. I found a 4 pack of cork sheets for $5.94 at Walmart. I only needed 1 sheet but couldn't find just a single sheet, so technically I only used $1.50 worth.

 So I have 3 extra sheets to find uses for...hmm coasters? Teachers gift? We shall see.

Sometimes a DIY project takes a little extra work depending on what materials you may or may not have on hand. The cork came in 12x12 sheets but my frame's window measured 11x13. This was an easy fix...we used an exacto knife to trim 1 inch off the side and glued it to the top to make it 11x13. Then I wrapped my burlap around the cork and secured it in back with hot glue.

I jazzed up the mini clothespins with some ribbon!

There you have it...a calendar holder turned message board! If you're not much of a DIYer, even if you have never repurposed anything before, it's worth it to give it a try. Not only will you get the satisfaction of a DIY project, but you save $$ that you can invest in other projects around your home. Or in my case, more supplies! :) I found something similar on etsy for nearly $60 after shipping! That's my satisfaction, right there!

[caption id="attachment_743" align="alignleft" width="199"] Before[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_744" align="alignleft" width="172"] After[/caption]

Cost Breakdown:

Already on hand: The main frame and the almond spray paint that I used on it, primer, and burlap I had on hand. You could use any fabric you have on hand instead of burlap! Depending on which room you hang it in, you could use any coordinating fabric that goes with your decor in that room.

Tinted Chalkboard paint...$15

Cork...$6 but 3 sheets leftover for future projects

My cost...$21 but with this project, the supplies I did buy will cover the cost of future projects because I have some leftover chalkboard paint and cork. And this baby is 16" x 30"!...NICE size for a message board!

If you love this look of a chalkboard, and have a very small area to cover, and don't feel like dealing with the messiness of paint, you could try chalkboard vinyl. I have not tried it yet, but I probably will soon. You can pick up a roll of it at craft stores for around $8 (or less if you have a coupon!). I love the look of the chalkboard frig on "Good Luck Charlie" but not sure if I want it in my own kitchen, but this is what you'd use for something like that.

So where do you hang your calendar when you don't use a calendar holder? I tear out each month and hang it on the frig. I like it right where I can glance at it several times a day. Here is our May calendar...full of stuff.

At the beginning of the month, I fill it in with meetings, appointments, trips, school events, church events, birthdays, etc. Not too exciting, and probably not much different than anyone else's. But it allows my husband and kids to see what we have plans for and keeps me from missing things, or more importantly, overcommitting myself. Do you hear me moms?? That's hard to do. Even if we have the same thing every Tues at 6pm, I write it down on every Tuesday for that month. You know how easy it is to think all week "ok, practice on Tues at 6pm, practice on Tues at 6pm", and then all of a sudden you're reaching into the frig at 5:00 to start dinner, and suddenly realize that 6pm is less than an hour away? Am I the only one who has done this? So every reminder is a good thing, and having it right there on the frig is easy for everyone to see.

Whichever sort of message center you choose,

whether a calendar, chalkboard, memo board, or all 3!,

make sure to make it work for you and your family!

Linking up at...

Nifty Thrifty Things

Positively Splendid

I Heart Naptime

Fingerprints on the Fridge

The Frugal Girls

Naptime Crafters