Favorite Christmas Quote

I LOVE this quote.  Our home is decorated in Nativity and advent calendars for Christmas and this quote fits right in.  And in all honesty the only hints of Santa are a few ornaments on the tree and my baking apron.  This year has been SLAMMED with so much happening that the only thing I could do was print it off and put it in a frame.  I do however have plans to cut this out in vinyl, put it on a board and hang it up in my home.  I may even leave it up all year as it really is my favorite quote and every time I read it, it helps me put my life back into perspective.

Press & Seal Life Hack

This is in no way a craft.  In fact, it's not even cute.  But it IS creative and in all honesty, I don't want to forget it, so I'll post it on here for future reference.  It's one of those "duh" things that my husband came up with.  

We are currently living in an apartment in Colorado.  And this particular apartment door is a disaster.  Seriously the door is practically useless when it comes to keeping our "bought" air inside the apartment.  When it's sunny you can see right through the cracks to the outside world.  After talking to the complex about this problem, they informed us they couldnt' do anything and good luck. 

So after re-weather stripping the door (which didn't seem to help at all), my husband came up with this GENIUS idea.  Ok so it's ugly, but holy guacamole does it work!  

We press and seal our door.  Thin strips of press and seal around the edges when it's closed and suddenly my heater is only working half as much!  Seriously, it was amazing how quickly my home became warm when that door was sealed up.  During the days, when we go out, we just pull the press and seal off, attach it to the middle of the door and reuse it again when it's closed.  Thus far we've been using the same strips of press & seal for a week and they are still going strong.

This was CHEAP, practical and has made a HUGE difference for us when it comes to keeping my home warm.  I can't wait to see the difference on my heating bill.  Since it has worked so well for the winter, I know it will work just a great in the summer when we are trying to keep the AC inside!  

Altered Recipe Tin

My friend Tanya made one of these for a co-worker of mine (before I knew her) years ago.  I fell absolutely in love with it and BEGGED her to make me one too.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  Seriously, probably one of my favorite things I've ever gotten.  Every time I look at it a huge smile comes across my face.  I've loaded it full of my favorite recipes (pre Pinterest) and it looks so cute on my counter.  I especially love all the tiny details she put into it.  

Each divider is unique, cute and ageless.  (And yes we know Desserts is spelled wrong).

The top has a crackle finish, the ribbons are all color coordinating and there is even a charm hidden in there.  Seriously, what is there NOT to love about this?!

I've made several recipe boxes based on this example.  This works great as a card box too as it's the perfect size for most cards!

Items Needed:

Tin Box

LOTS of ribbon

Coordinating paper

Embellishments

Letters

Computer/Printer

Paint

Crafting tools - paper cutter, modpodge, scissors

Ink

Directions:

Use your imagination and design and create fun boxes filled with recipes, cards or even photos!  The ideas are endless.  If you can't find this kind of tin, then use another.  Just remember to have fun!

Baking Soda & Vinegar

Remember how cool those volcano science experiments were?  I do.  Not only were they cool, but they were also super fun!  And my 2 year old also thought it was pretty fun too. In fact, it's one of her most requested activities for rainy/snowy days.  

Our fun has two parts.  1) Pouring small amounts of the vinegar into the baking soda and watching it bubble and 2) Once all the baking soda is covered with vinegar and no longer bubbles, it's super fun to squish with your fingers and feel the goo as it slips right through.  This activity will literally keep my toddler busy for 30 minutes to an hour each time.

Oh and don't forget to color the vinegar with food coloring so they can see better where it's been.

Items Needed:

Baking Soda

Vinegar

2 Dishes (I use a pie dish & Tupperware bowl)

Spoon (I use a tablespoon)

Directions:

1.  Pour vinegar into bowl (I use Tupperware)

2.  Put a few drops of food coloring.  One or two will do.

3.  Pour baking soda into the other dish (I use pie dish)

4.  Show child what to do.  Strongly emphasize that they should NOT put baking soda INTO the vinegar.  ONLY vinegar into baking soda.  If they do put baking soda into the vinegar mixture, then the entire bowl will bubble over and the vinegar will no longer be active.  

Bath tub painting

I discovered very quickly, that when it came to my daughters love of painting, it also came with an the expense of a LOT of paper.   So instead of endless reams of paper, I'd pop her into our tub with some watercolors and a paintbrush.  And sure enough, she loved it.  So much so that we did it a LOT.

It's CHEAP, clean up is a breeze and kept my daughter busy for a very long time.  

Few things to note:  Porcelain (or non porous) tubs are best for this.  The paint literally washes right off.  It also easily comes off of non porous tile as well.

I've also done this in plastic tubs.  The plastic though sucks in the paint and holds onto it.  It will come out with some elbow grease and magic erasers.  Just be prepared to work for it.  

Oreo Turkeys

I have been making Oreo Turkeys for 11 years now.  This year, I got my 3 year old daughter involved in making them too.  She loved it, I loved doing a craft with her and we both loved sharing them with our neighbors afterwards!  Here's how I make mine!

Items Needed:

Oreos Regular Stuffed

Icing and an Icing bag (I use a ziploc with the tip snipped)

Cordial Cherries (I like to ensure every turkey comes with a heart)

Red Hots (the ones in the baking isle are smaller and work better - 

my store was out of them so I used the boxed candy kind which are much larger)

Candy Corn

Directions:

Before you begin, cut/break off the white tip of a candy corn to be used as a beak.  

Cut off two yellow ends of candy corns to be used as feet.

Red Hots will become eyes

Cordial Cherry will be a nice plump body 

1.  Twist open your Oreo! 

2.  Eat the broken ones!

3.  Put a medium dollop of icing in the center of the half with the most cream.  

4.  Put a small dollop of icing on the side of the half with the least amount of cream. 

5.  On the small dollop (less cream) side, gently squish down your cordial cherry.

6.  On the side with the medium dollop, squish down 5 candy corns in a fan shape.  

White tip down, yellow tip out.

7.  On the back of the cordial cherry, put a thick layer of icing down on the 

Oreo and up the back of the cherry.  

8.  Squish feather oreo side to back of cherry side.

9.  Put a 3 small dollops of icing on the cherry as shown below.

10.  Place red hot eyes onto cherry.

11.  Place Beak on cherry between the red hot eyes.

12.  Put icing on the yellow candy corn feet.

13.  Attach feet to turkey.

Ta Dah!  A cute little turkey that even the littlest ones will love eating!

Mummy Jars

I love quick and easy crafts.  I received these from my friend Jennifer and as soon as I opened the box I was so excited at how cute and easy these were.  These can be made in a matter of minutes and will jazz up any home.  I used mine as candy jars, though I think a candle inside would look super cute too!  

Items Needed:

Quart Jar (or any size really)

Gauze

Googly eyes

Adhesive such as Mod Podge

Directions:

1.  Clean & dry jars thoroughly.

2.  Glue end of gauze to to top of jar (under rim).  

3.  Wrap gauze around jar up and down to give mummy criss cross pattern.

4.  Glue tail end to jar/gauze.

5.  Glue googly eyes to car.

That's it.  How easy was that and how CUTE are these?!  

Crocheted Pumpkin Hats

My friend Joanna made each of my children a crocheted pumpkin hat for fall.  These were BEYOND cute and we received so many compliments every where we went.  My favorite part was the curly cue stem that hung from the top.  Getting these made me want to learn to crochet because they were soooo cute!  Though I don't have her exact pattern, I did find a similar free pattern HERE.  

Wedding Dresses Turned Blessing Outfits

The idea isn't something new.  Turning your wedding dress into a blessing outfit for your child.  But I remember that even on my wedding day, I knew that one day, the very dress I wore would be one that my own children would wear.  After telling my mom my idea, she happily gave me her wedding dress too.  

So when I was pregnant with my daughter (6  years later) I began to take apart mine and my mothers wedding dresses.  I then asked my Mother In Law if she would sew the dress and make a bonnet to go with the dresses so that I would have a little something from all three of us included in this special dress.

The dress itself is made from my wedding dress.  The lace and buttons are from my mothers wedding dress (the lace had begun to turn cream over the years but was originally white)  My MIL who is an amazing crocheter/knitter made the bonnet.  I have never seen my dress look so amazing.  Unfortunately, though followed to a T, the dress was HUGE on my daughter on her blessing day.  I have later discovered this to be a blessing.  She was able to fit into and wear this dress until she turned 3.  It's been well worn and well washed and I hope one day she will want to pass it along to her daughter, adding her own embellishments to it.

When my son was blessed my MIL also made him an outfit.  The vest is from the lining of my wedding dress, the pants from the skirt of my dress and the bow tie and buttons from my mothers wedding dress.  PERFECT and sooo handsome!

 

Once my daughter turns 8 and is baptized (if she chooses) then we'll make her another white dress out of mine and my mothers dresses again.  Same goes for all my children.  There is more than enough fabric and hopefully she'll love this idea as much as I do.

And then hopefully there will be little scraps of fabric leftover that I'll be able to make each of them a hanky or purse or something small that they can cherish on their own wedding day.  This way they'll each have a little piece of us with them and know how much we love them each day. 

Like I said, the idea has been around for ages.  Heck, I had it 10 years ago.  But if you've not thought of what you are going to do with your wedding dress, this might be something you too consider.

Ribbon Board

In a Christmas swap, my friend Ann Marie made me this ribbon board.  It will look great with all of our cards tucked into it for the Holidays.  I have seen them at the store, but never thought to make my own. After looking at hers and THIS tutorial I found, it seems VERY simple and creative to make!  

Burp Cloths

My friend Sarah made me a few burp clothes when my daughter was born a few years ago.  As you can see, they are still in excellent shape and going strong.  Ever wanted to throw together a quick baby gift that has that extra touch of homemade?  These are great.  

Items Needed:

Sewing Machine

Flat Cloth Diaper

Cute Fabric

Scissors

Directions:

Head on over HERE for a tutorial on how to make your own!

Pillow Cases

First thought when you think of 50 Shades of Grey?  Yep, that was the theme of one swap I participated in.  For someone who has never read the books (but obviously knows what they are about), I had a hard time trying to come up with a craft.  My friend Tanya though knew EXACTLY what to make and then I felt like DUH, that is an awesome and obvious gift!

She made me two grey pillow cases since most of the book is spent between the sheets.  And now I want matching sheets!  I love the patterns she choose and how well they all go together.  I've never made a pillowcase but after seeing hers, I now want to tackle them.  They seem easy to make and are SUPER cute!  

Patriotic Canvas Picture

In a craft swap, I made my friend Angela this cute canvas print.  I originally saw the print on Pinterest but it was only a lame picture, not the actual printout.  It took me a few weeks to find the ACTUAL printout an when I did, I fell in love with it.  I love the simplicity of it and hope she did too!

Items Needed:
8x10 Canvas

Print out of desired picture. 

Modpodge & sponge brush

Modpodge SPRAY - clear acrylic sealer matt finish

Cutting Board

Directions:

1.  Print out desired picture.  If you like the photo I have above it can be found HERE.

2.  Cut photo to size of canvas.  

3.  Using a sponge brush, glue picture onto canvas.  You may want to turn canvas over and press out all air bubbles that may attempt to stick around.  You want ZERO air bubbles.

4.  Once glue is dry, then using the Modpodge spray adhesive spray on MULTIPLE coats. Allow each coat to thoroughly dry before applying another coat.  I have an inkjet printer.  So my ink smears when I try to brush on modpodge glue.  I learned that the spray on works amazingly well and does not make my ink run! I applied 5 thick coats.

Rag Baby Quilts

In a craft swap titled "Random Act of Kindness" my friend Jenine made me these two quilts.  One is for me to keep and one is for me to give away as a random act of kindness.  She wanted to do something that tied into my having a baby and a baby quilt was the perfect idea.  

For anyone who knows me, I have a HUGE obsession with homemade quilts.  I LOVE THEM!  Seriously, nothing brings me more happiness in the world than receiving a quilt that someone took hours to create.  It shows me just how much they care an how thoughtful they are.  And seeing as how it's not my strong point (sewing), I certainly LOVE to receive them!  

I decided to keep the brown and blue polk a dot quilt as (unknowingly to Jenine) matches my baby bedding perfectly!  And some lucky person (unknown yet) will receive the green and yellow.  

This type of quilt is called a Rag Quilt and can be  be used with any kind of fabric.  

A great tutorial can be found HERE if you are interested in making one too.

Felt Board Pictures

My friend Alicia made my daughter some flannel board photos for a craft swap.  They are so cute and she even used photos of our family in them.  And the best part is that they are SUPER easy to make.  Seriously when she told me how she did them, it was one of those "duh, why didn't I think of that" moments.  These work great for story time, quite activities or even for Church as they'll stick to the back of the bench!

Items Needed:

Pictures - can be printed from computer or photos or magazine cut outs.  

Flannel of any color

Clear vinyl table cloth

Sewing Machine

Scissors

Directions:

1.  Cut out or print out any pictures you wish to use.

2.  Lay picture onto flannel. 

3.  Lay clear vinyl table cloth on top of photo.

4.  Sew around the edges adhering the vinyl table cloth to the flannel.

5.  Cut out around shape of picture.

*Note:  You can also precut the flannel and table cloth before sewing.  The choice is up to you.

Leather Cuff

My friend Tanya made me this leather cuff.  To say that my "cool" status went up about 10 notches would be quite the understatement.  This bracelet is the coolest thing I own.  Seriously,  I feel so hip when I wear it.  She made the entire thing and even stamped my name on the side.  Don't ask me how she did it though.  It all involved special leather stamps, ink and a lot of conditioning of the leather.