Christmas 2010

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Great Idea: Turkey Cookies

Ok...

This one is NOT from me! I've been loving all the fun Thanksgiving decoration ideas I've been seeing, but this one is going on my Turkey table this year for sure! I first saw these on Be Different, Act Normal.


I know. So cute, huh?

Click here to see the link to the fantastic step-by-step tutorial on Thrive, about how make these cute little guys! I can't wait to make a whole bunch with my own little turkeys this year! Bon appetite!

Feature Friday: Cowls

So today my Feature Friday is all about cowls.

They're everywhere. Really.

Until a year ago I didn't even know such things existed! (I mean...I did...but I didn't know there was a fashion trend surrounding them...I lead a sheltered life.)

If you're like I was then you may be asking yourself ,"What on earth is a cowl, anyway?"

Well, here you go (taken from Wikipedia):

"The cowl (from the Latin, cuculla meaning "hood and rope") is a hood worn by members of religious orders. It also refers to a long, hooded cloak, with wide sleeves, worn by some Catholic and Orthodox monks when participating in the liturgy. Developed in the Middle Ages, they became the formal garment for those in monastic life. They were worn to give warmth to people who often spent long hours in unheated and drafty churches."

Nowadays, however, cowls are usually a tubular scarf-like accessory, sometimes including a hood, which is worn around the neck to keep one warm, and trendy, during cold fall and winter months.

So here a few of my favorites from Etsy! (Click on the titles to see the shop listings for these items! And don't you just love how artsy the pics are!?! I know!)


Here's a nice hooded one, called Chunky Cowl in Oatmeal, by flutterbyhannah.



Here's one for guys, called Men's Crochet Wool Circle Scarf/Cowl, from mbgdesigns.



Here's a fabulous cotton one, called The Organic Cowl, by AnaidDesigns.



SO...I decided to try my hand at making one of these fashionable, trendy scarves using some fantastic yarn my friend gave me for my birthday! It's super soft, is this amazing mossy green color, and has a mohair look...without the itch...and it's washable! LOVE.

So this is what I made! It's a really simple mesh-style cowl. The yarn is stretchy enough that if you have a small head...like me...you can double it up, or wear it loose! It was surprisingly warm, even though it has a sort of open pattern, too! I've simply called it Chunky Mossy Green Cowl!



If you're into crochet or knit, I'm sure you can come up with some fun cowls this season, too! Feel free to share any links in the comments!

Things to Make: Indian Corn Magnets

I'm back! Yay! My craft fair went well...whew! Glad it's done! (Now I have to prep for the next on in a few weeks!)

I thought I'd do a little Thanksgiving craft today! This is one I got from Parent's magazine a few years back! It was really fun to do with the kids, and really easy! (If you're interested here's a link to the article from the magazine!)

Supplies needed:

Kid-friendly scissors
12-inch chenille stem
11mm tri-beads in red, gold, orange, and clear
Raffia
Tacky glue (or hot glue gun)
Small round magnet

"Cut the chenille stem in half and form an X. Wrap one stem around the center of the X twice, leaving a short length of the stem. Bend the three remaining stems to form an Indian corn shape." (It looks kinda like a little tripod for a camera!) Sorry I forgot to take pics of this part! Ooops!

"String beads on each of the three long stems, alternating colors. Bend the end of each stem to secure." I put a little dot of hot glue at the end to hold the beads in place better. Then I looped the 'stem' back over itself so I'd have a place to tie the raffia to.



"Knot a piece of raffia around the short stem. Glue a magnet to the back." Again...I hot glued the raffia and magnet to the back to make it a little more secure...this, of course, has to be done by an adult, but the funnest part for the kids is putting the beads on anyway...so they didn't care if I did the 'hard' parts! ;)


These would make cute party favors or Thanksgiving gifts to neighbors! Have fun!

Feature Friday: The Dizzy Owl

This week's Friday Finds features Heather of The Dizzy Owl.

Heather is my newest Etsy friend! We've been helping each other out with Etsy's Holiday Boot Camp! (There's a lot of info to take in and it's great to have someone like Heather to help me out!)

She makes these incredible button hair clips, headbands, pins, and other hair accessories! They are soooooo cute! Each one is truly unique...and I LOVE that she uses vintage buttons! So fun!



Regal Button Pin Back



Vintage Mother of Pearl and Purple Button Headband



Vintage Alabaster and Mother of Pearl Button Mini Hair Comb



Sunset and Stone Button and Hair Clip

Here's a little bit about her from her Etsy profile:

"I am an artist at heart, whether I am creating it or wearing it! I am married to my high school sweetheart, and we have a son and a daughter. Life keeps me busy but I look forward to sitting down with my buttons and creating something new everyday!"

If you are looking for a truly unique hair accessory go check her out! You won't be disappointed by the fantastic selection and quality of her work!

Things to Make: 2x4 Pumpkin Blocks

Today's How-To is a little short...we've had a bit of a family crisis, so this one is a quickie!

For this project I took scrap wood, leftover from our fence-building project, and turned it into cute little pumpkins! I've seen a lot of variations on this idea recently, and it's so fun to see how other people come up with such different and cute ideas!

Sorry...I forgot to take 'process' pictures...but I think you'll get the idea....

For these little guys I simple painted them orange, allowed the paint to dry, and then sanded the edges.

After that I sprayed them with spray on stain...one of my favorite touch-up products...and wiped the excess off.

After I allowed them to dry for a while I simply tied a wide piece of green grosgrain ribbon into knots, cut them apart, and hot-glued them onto the tops of my 'pumpkins.'

Easy as Pumpkin Pie (which, by the way, is NOT that easy! These are waaaaaaaaay easier that that!)


I think they turned out really cute! If you're looking for a really easy, fast, and cheap decorating idea for the fall...this is it! The best part is that this project cost me NOTHING!

(Well...obviously I purchased the wood, paint, stain, sandpaper, ribbon, and hot glue at some point, but I used things I already had on hand...so it was kinda like free!)

Anyway....... I came across a really fun craft blog called Lorajean's Magazine, where she's posting tons of links to FREE Halloween decorating and craft ideas! I was so thrilled to find it!! Check it out, by clicking the linky button below to see some really great FREE Halloween tutorials and crafts!!! Fantastic!

Feature Friday: Simple Halloween Decor Ideas

For today's Feature Friday I'm linking to several of my favorite Halloween Decor ideas from the past few weeks!

Dressed up Fall Gourds, from Abbi of My Garden of Eden!

These are simple, inexpensive faux gourds that she purchased, and then 'spiced up' by adding a shimmering metallic glaze over the top...so pretty! I love that these can be used through Thanksgiving, too!


Click here to see her full tutorial!

This cute dressed up light project from Crap I've Made, really tickled me...

She used sticky vinyl to cut out the cute bat shapes and then stick the to the light fixtures! A really fun temporary Halloween idea!


Click here to see her full process!


I LOVE this square Wreath idea from, Thrifty Decor Chick!

This was made by layering faux leaves over a cut out square foam core shape! The result is so elegant...and again I love that it can last trough Thanksgiving!


Click here to see her full tutorial!

I've seen several variations on this cute 2x4 pumpkin idea, but this one from Brown Paper Packages, is my fav!

I love the rustic look of it!


Click here to see her full post!

Things to Make: Glass Cake Plate

Ok...so this idea is NOT original to me...

The first time i saw this done was, when I had my wares at the cutest craft boutique, called Patina Market. Nichole, the proprietress made these fantastic cake plates from old candlestick holders and dinner plates! They were gorgeous! So...I recently decided to try my hand at making one of my own!


I picked up the candlestick holder from our recent yard sale endeavor. (It was my sisters...and I totally stole it off the table...so no one else could have it...tee-hee...)


I got the plate from a local thrift store for $1...I know. I rock.


The total cost of this project was: $1 - I'm sure the glue cost about $5..but I've literally had it for over a year now...so I don't think that counts.

You can use a variety of different things to make this, or similar, projects. Here is a fun example that my sister-in-law just did recently - so cute!

For mine I used the following ingredients:

Amazing Goop Glue (You can also use E6000)
Sandpaper
A large glass serving plate
A large glass candlestick holder


Here's the process:

I lightly sanded the top of the candle stick holder, and the bottom middle of the plate.

I applied a fair amount of goop to both surfaces. (Confession: I smoothed it out with my finger after I squished it out of the tube...not recommended unless you have gloves on.)



I let the goop sit for about 10 minutes, as directed on the label, to allow the glue to begin to cure.

When the goop had been sitting there for a bit, I put the two pieces together.


(Confession #2: After it had been sitting for a few hours I went back and wiped off the still jelly-like glue that had squished through the grooves in the plate. It took me a couple of tries. It had the consistency of dried rubber cement.)


Then came the hardest part: waiting for it to dry! I let it sit overnight (about 22 hours)...and here is the finished result!


It looks amazing! I love it!

Great Idea: Bulletin Board Frames Wall, by Shannon Staker

I've been searching for the perfect way to display all of my kids' art for a long time! My oldest has a desk FULL of her creations....and of course, needs to keep them all! ;)

Well I think I've found the perfect solution! Bulletin Board Frames! I've seen other ideas that were similar...like hanging frames with clips to hang art inside or mounting 'frames' on the fridge or using a curtain rod with clips to hang art from...but none of them really seemed to fit the bill for my family, or my style! Until today!!

These were made by Shannon Staker, of Shannon Makes Stuff. She also has a couple of Etsy shops, where she sells her crafty creations, and some of the cutest vinyl products I've seen!

Here is her before picture:


Here is her after picture:


I know. It totally rocks!

For her complete blog post about the project, and to find out where she got that great cork board, click here.

We have nothing hanging in the upstairs hallway or stairwell of our home right now, and suddenly I can see a complete kid gallery!!! I'm so excited...now I need to start collecting frames (too bad I just gave a bunch away!)...and get some of that great corkboard!

Also, if you get a chance, go check out Shannon's, Use Your Crap Challenge!

I've Been Featured on iVillage!

Check this out:

My Eat, Drink, & Be Scary Halloween Tags were picked to be in a Handmade Halloween: Scary Good Etsy Finds feature on iVillage! So. Very. Cool.

Click on this link to see the other cool picks that were chosen!

(I'm picture #8 in the line-up!)

Woo-Hoo!!