Crafting with kids- DIY 3 ingredient ornaments

 

 

Crafting with kids: easy Easter egg paper art

  Welcome to day 3 of my Crafting with kids week, gearing up for Easter this Sunday. Did you see our paper daffodil flowers or butterfly snack baggies? My little man has come down with a cold, so we have been spending our mornings around the kitchen table with construction paper, glue sticks, paints, and anything we can find to help us create. It has been so much fun and it has definitely boosted his spirits.   Today we made some Easter art for the refrigerator, and a small banner with eggs and bunnies. There are endless possibilities for this art! We used all paper but using ribbons, yarn, watercolor painted paper or finger painting would be so cute as well. Have fun and let your kiddos use their imagination!

Crafting with kids: DIY butterfly snack bag

 

Today is day 2 of my week of Easter crafts. Be sure and check in with me on my INSTAGRAM so you don't miss out on any extra goodies I may only post on that account.

I am having so much fun already making extra time to craft with my little ones. If the words "craft" or "DIY" scare you, fear not! These are simple activities that I have my 2 1/2 and 5 year old doing mostly themselves.

I love giving my children reasons to use their imagination and creativity. In this day and age there is so much brain drain with TV, electronics and toys with instant gratification and entertainment.

I love to watch my children's faces as homemade projects come together and they are so proud of their work.

 

DIY easy yarn tassel for decorating

 

This past weekend I hosted a baby shower for my friend. Being the thrifty chick I am, I tried to make as many decorations from scratch as possible, saving me money and giving my party a unique and original look.

Sweet cherry Pocket Pies

 

 

Recipe: Sweet cherry pocket pies

Recipe source: Emmy in her Element

 

What you'll need:

1 can cherry pie filling

1 batch homemade pie dough or store bought dough

{For homemade dough you will need: 2/12 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup Crisco shortening, 1 teaspoon salt, and about 8 tablespoons ice water}

1 beaten egg

 

A heart shaped cookie cutter

 

Free Baby shower invitation template and floral wreath clip art

 

  Good morning friends! I have been busy designing a little invitation for a baby shower I am throwing in a few weeks. After making it, I decided I would clean up my version and make a generic card for you to use if you want!

Anniversary Questionnaire

Today is my anniversary! My handsome is taking me out to breakfast and I had an idea come to mind about starting a new tradition. I thought it would be fun to come up with a little "Anniversary Questionnaire" to document feelings from each year shared together. Feel free to (right click) save this to your picture library and print for your own use. I think it will be really fun to go back and read these memories when we are 80. Ok by then we will probably rather have a nap.  

DIY mini burlap trees

 

 Have you seen those darling mini trees at TJMAXX that you can use to decorate your mantel? I really like them but they are around 20$ each! I decided to make my own for much cheaper.

I think they would be so fun to hand out to friends instead of candy. They smell like Christmas and add a fun decorative touch anywhere they are!

To see some of my other Christmas décor go here.

DIY Christmas Burlap banner

 

 

Normally Christmas does not make any kind of appearance until after Thanksgiving at our house. This year? I broke the rules! I couldn't help it, the Christmas spirit got a hold of me early and up the tree went. I have enjoyed it's cozy glow every evening for two weeks now.

I am not much into cluttery décor, this year especially I have cut back and simplified everything.

I do not have a pretty mantle to decorate so instead a made this quick, easy and beautiful burlap banner to hang from my headboard. I love the simple hint of Christmas it adds.

I am going to show you how I did it so you can make one too. Wouldn't this be fun to hand out to friends?

DIY Halloween burlap banner

  Happy Halloween month! Isn't fall the best? I love this beautiful printed burlap from Joanne's Fabric. They have a great sale going on right now so scoot over and getcha some. I am going to show you how to make this simple no-sew burlap banner to add to your Halloween décor, or to display at your party that night!

Homemade {ALL NATURAL} Lavender Bath Fizzies for relaxation

 Have you ever tried using a bath bomb/fizzy to help you relax in the tub? Did you know buying them at a body shop can cost you almost $7 just for one?  

   I am a big fan of taking "Mommy time" and because I don't get very much time to myself, when I do, it usually means a bath. Its quiet, relaxing and FREE (in more ways than one).  Sounds like my kinda time alone.   I did a little research and found a few recipes for these bath fizzies. Turned out they are pretty darn easy to make at home, not to mention cheap compared to those shown above! I made a few batches of these for Mother's day, as well as some to hand out to my son's teacher and his soccer coaches. For a teacher or coach gift, just add a little tag that says "you're the bomb! Thanks for...." These fizzies are so fun you simply drop them into a warm bath, and watch them fizzle and slowly dissolve until you can smell the heavenly scents of your oils and feel them soften and moisturize your skin! If you are not a bath taker, these can work on the shower floor as well. You would benefit from the scents but obviously not from the skin moisturizers, and they don't last as long.  

Homemade Bath Fizzies {perfect for congestion and sore throats}

 

  Have you ever lived with a Man who has a cold? If not, let's just go ahead and say it like it is... giving birth is easier.  

How to make a 5 minute no sew table runner, plus a fun new centerpiece from collections around the house

I love to change my centerpieces up for the seasons. I'm not big on wall décor or setting out a bunch of cluttery trinkets when a new Holiday comes, but I find that a change in centerpiece every now and then is so fresh and fun.   I had some extra fabric that I had ordered to make a few pillows for my bed, and I thought a small strip of it on the table would be so darling. I love the polka dots and the neutral colors. This fabric is upholstery fabric so it has a fun texture and lays nicely.  

    I cut a strip about 2 feet by 40 inches. If I had a square or rectangular table, I would probably make the runner longer to go off both ends, but for my round table it fits perfectly centered. I knew I didn't have time (or patience) to get the old sewing machine out today, so I pulled a few strings (literally) and it was done in 5 minutes! All I did was fray each end and pull about 5-7 strings (as many as you want to make the fray long or short). I imagine as time goes on it will loose a few more here and there, but that just makes it better! If it snags a little half way through, that's ok, just trim it as you go and keep pulling. This fabric can be found HERE.  

 

 

As for the centerpiece, I gathered up a few things from around the house. A few pretty plates and a tiny china cream pitcher, a terra cotta planter with a fake thyme herb plant. A vintage book, because exposed book backs and pages make my heart skip a beat, and a pretty doily from Grandma. All on top of a sweet shabby tray found from Vintage Farm Furniture. All other items, thrifted.

 

 

 

How to plan an inexpensive party that still looks adorable!

 

 

I thought tonight I would share how I planned and executed a really cute and inexpensive party for my 4 year old little boy. This party doesn't have to just be for kids though, it would be super fun to do as a one on one or group date, for a family reunion or friend party!

 

I have struggled for ideas for fun birthday parties since there are less options for things to do in the winter weather. I was first inspired by this idea of doing an "at home drive in movie" on Pinterest, but with a little creativity, my husband and I were able to switch things up a little from the original posts I had seen. He suggested that it would be fun to have the kids color their own car instead of us doing all the work before hand. GENIUS!

 

Here are a few steps of how I put together the party, on a dime. I was able to borrow a few things, and use a lot of what I already had at home to make the decorations. Forcing yourself to get a little creative with things you already have can really stretch a buck. Plus we can even say we are going green by reusing what we have one more time... ok maybe it's a stretch but it's a start!

 

Here's a step by step guide to a party on a dime. Hope you enjoy!

 

THE INVITATION(as seen above)

I designed for free on picmonkey.com and then the prints were ordered through Costco for only 13 cents/invite.

 

THE CARS

The cars are made from cardboard boxes purchased from Home Depot for $1.30/box. We painted them with 1 layer of cheap white paint we had in our basement. I bought black paper plates from the dollar store (24 plates per package) and  with 2 packages I had enough for 10 cars and some leftover. Total cost, $2. Next, I hot glued them on for tires. I chose to use Vinyl lettering to add the children's names to the top of the car. I printed it myself so it was inexpensive, but to save on cost you could just paint or write the name in marker, and color two yellow head lights on.

 

 

THE TABLE SETTING

For the simple table setting, I used plates and cake holders to stack and add height to my table and to make it a bit more visually pleasing.

The balloons were about 99 cents a piece, and using gold blue and red added a more "circus-y, vintage-y" kind of feel. I had a tablecloth that I purchased from a spool of clearance fabric at Joanne's a few years ago. It's neutral brown color matches just about anything I do. If you have never looked at Joanne's section of tablecloth fabric, check it out!

The popcorn machine was a total hit, and it was no added cost because I borrowed it from a family member. A similar one can be found HERE at Shopko.com
I made the banner last summer for my 4th of July using scrapbook paper and gluing it onto twine. It happened to match so I thought it would add some extra color and help add height to my table décor.

 

 

Did you know that instead of buying labels you can just make your own cute ones in Microsoft word? UM YES PLEASE!

Its so easy Ill be making a post to share this secret very soon.

I made my own label, printed it and glued it to some old scrapbook paper I had in storage.

 

For the popcorn cups I did the same thing, and then just glued them to a clear cup so you can see the pretty golden popcorn inside.

I covered the original label for the licorice and changed it to "old fashioned licorice" to add more to the vintage feel. Adding it on top of a cake stand made it extra special!

 

 

 

THE CAKE

I thought it would be fun to just do a simple but creative cupcake for the party. After learning how easy it is to create a popcorn look-a-like cupcake, I knew this was the perfect compliment to my table.

To save money on the cake, bake your own made from scratch cupcakes, and homemade buttercream frosting. Frost the cupcakes once they are cooled, and immediately add your faux popcorn topping.

These are so dang easy you will laugh. All you have to do is take some mini marshmallows, cut them twice with kitchen sheers, and then brush a little bit of yellow food coloring (I used gel) on the tops. Let the gel dry for about 20-30 minutes before using so it doesn't get all over your fingers.

 

 

 

I bought these cute little cupcake covers at the same party store I purchased the balloons. They were only $2.39 for 12.

 

THE PARTY FAVORS

I made little baggies filled with "movie treats" for the kids using dollar store candies.

Then I filled other baggies full of stickers and crayons also purchased from the dollar store. Total cost for 100 crayons, candy for 10 kids, and 200 stickers... $11.00.

 

I found that putting them In individual packages for the boys and the girls helped the decorating process go very smoothly with no chaos! Just what a mommy needs :)

 

 

The kids got to watch Monsters University, eat popcorn, treats and decorate a car. Then we opened gifts and enjoyed cupcakes. Overall I think it was a hit, and I loved hearing the kids giggle and have a fun time together.

Benson even got to wear shorts... in November. :)

 

 

Happy 4th Birthday Benson, you are so loved!

xoxox

 

 

Wreath making tutorial {Part 2}

For part two of this wreath making series, I will demonstrate how to make a two toned burlap wreath. I made this wreath in both a large and small size. I will show you a few pictures from both.

If you missed part 1 of this post, go HERE

 

 

Supplies needed:

 

1. A foam wreath from Walmart or the Dollar store.

2. 2 yards or a large roll of regular burlap + 2 yards of a lighter color of burlap or roll of lighter colored burlap.

3. Hot glue gun and glue sticks for days :)

4. Embellishment's of your choice such as, leaves, raffia, fall flowers, fake gourds or pumpkin's, Christmas ribbons or poinsettia's.

 

Through trial and error, and cutting out A LOT of 5"X5" burlap squares, I discovered that it may be quicker and easier to buy the burlap on a spool. Check your local craft store for this. You should be able to find it and just cut 5" cuts in length down the ribbon. If you are unable to find the lighter tone in burlap, try getting a thinner burlap, so when you add it next to the thick burlap squares, it will create a new and pretty texture.

 

To start, make sure and wrap the full wreath with burlap so if there are any bald spots, you wont be able to see the foam through them. ALSO, hot glue does not stick to foam, it just melts it. You will need the burlap base to help glue the squares on.

 

 

 

Now take a 5x5 inch square, and fold it in half.

 

 

 

Put a little hot glue  down the center, and fold it in half again.

 

 

THIS NEXT STEP WILL SAVE YOU LOTS AND LOTS OF HOT GLUE BURNS ON YOUR FINGERS!

I discovered that if you take an extra piece of burlap, and set it over the top of the burlap square that you just glued on, this will save you from getting a glue burn (a popsicle stick works great too). The burlap has a lot of holes where the glue can come through. Hold the extra burlap over the glued piece for about 30 seconds. If you take the pressure off too soon, the square will open back up or fall off. Make sure to keep it on there long enough that it will be securely in place. Now remove your extra piece, and continue to do this all over the wreath until it is filled in and fluffy. There is no rhythm or rhyme about gluing the different colors, just try to spread them out evenly. 

 

 

 

As you can see, I wanted to see what the embellishment would look like before I finished the wreath.(I'm impatient like that.) I added some raffia, fall flowers and faux leaves from the dollar store. I think they look so pretty and there are so many different things you could add. I like to place my embellishments about 4 o'clock on the wreath.

 

Here are a few pictures from the larger one I made.

 



 

 

I think the red poinsettia looks so pretty against the neutral colors of the burlap.

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and I would be soo happy to see what you come up with in your crafting. Feel free to email me or ask any questions, and if you feel like you want to share your wreath, please post a picture on my Facebook page!

 

 

 xoxoxo