Thursday, December 10, 2015

Vintage Christmas Lights Wreath DIY


I've had this box of vintage christmas lights laying around for about 4 years.  I got them at an estate sale because... it was a box of beautifully colored vintage light bulbs.. why else??  And for four years, I've had the intention of making this with them and never did it until now.  This is such an easy project and such a great way to use lightbulbs that don't work anymore!

All you need is a high-heat glue gun and sticks, a foam wreath and a strand of twinkly lights.

Once you glue the bulbs to the foam, wrap it with the twinkly lights and hang!  It looks like a super expensive Christmas decoration and in reality, it cost me MAYBE $10.  






Love you all!! xoxox

Monday, December 7, 2015

A Christmas-Y Rosemary Tree Floral Arrangement DIY


Fresh flowers are my favorite thing. Ever. I also love fresh herbs and the absolutely heavenly aromas that come along with live fresh herbs.  So I decided to combine those two to make the perfect holiday arrangement.  


The Rosemary Tree was purchased at Trader Joes.  So cute, right??  The rest of the flowers, so beautiful, you can find here.  They have the perfect selection for the holidays!

I encourage you to step out of your floral comfort zone and play with different ways of displaying your favorite flowers for the holidays.  They may not last as long, but will be such a show-stopper for your Christmas gatherings!





#handcraftedxmas





Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Wrapping with Craft Paper & Yarn (for odd sized and shaped gifts)


I struggle all the time with wanting cute wrapping for things that are weird sizes and shapes, don't have boxes, or are just so plain on their own that a little something extra in the packaging would go a long way.

This tutorial shows you how to make a gift bag of any shape and size using only craft paper, yarn, a weaving needle and scissors.  No tape, no glue.


First you need to cut the size of paper you want that will fit whatever object you're wrapping.


Second, fold it in half and along the folded edge, cut the corners off.  This will box out the bottom for you.


Third, while folded in half, place your paper on the carpet and stab through both sides, up along both edges.  Then fold the shortest sides to create the roll at the top of the bag and stab completely through the roll.


Fourth, snip the folded edge (the bottom) once on either side by the corner you cut.  We will thread the yarn through here to support the weight of whatever is in the bag.


Now start threading!  Make sure to do the bottom first.  You want the yarn to be on the outside of the bottom to support the paper.  Thread both bottom holes first and make sure you have enough yarn on either side to thread all the way up and create a handle.



Now go on up the sides.  


This is what it will look like once all the holes are threaded!



Now to add some extra flare, I added some calligraphy to the front.  You can always use sharpies, or stamps, or paint.


This bag is perfect for this huge infinity scarf I crocheted.  What's more perfect for a handmade gift than handmade wrapping??



I also made one for a wine bottle and I'm obsessed!



Check out all the other awesome holiday tips and tricks from the other #MichaelsMakers!




Wednesday, November 11, 2015

A Veteran's Day Tribute

Today is an amazing day. We recognize the sacrifice and risk taken by those who have fought for us, for our freedom, for our comfortable lives. I’m sure all of us have someone in our family that is either currently serving or has served. I find it incredible that so many in our nation take such pride in defending what we believe in.

And I am SO thankful for it.

My grandfather, Charlie, served in WWII in the Marines. He never spoke of it to me or my siblings.
We only knew he had seen things during that time that he didn’t want us to know about. Even after the war ended, after his service concluded, he was still fighting for us, keeping those terrible memories to himself to protect our tiny naïve minds from the horrors he witnessed while defending our country and helping to give us a good, happy, care-free life.  
One of my fondest memories of my grandfather, Pops, was how every time I'd see him I'd sing "Jesus Loves Me" to him and he'd give me a quarter. Then there was the Lava Monster game. My grandparents had this horrid mauve carpet (because it was the 80s and that was the thing, I guess)... but my brothers and cousins and I would pretend it was lava and lay a path of cushions down. The goal was to get through the living room without touching the lava... if you did, the lava monster (Pops) would grab you and tickle you until you peed yourself.

Then there were the trips to Myrtle Beach every year... Pops would put me on his shoulders and wade into the deep water, making sure the waves never crashed over my head.  And the trips to Disney when the exhaustion would get the best of me and Pops would carry me for hours through the park.

I never saw Pops as a soldier, but I always saw him as my protector. And even now, though he's not with us anymore, I know he's still my guardian angel.  

Find a vet… someone you know or don’t… and try to imagine the things they’ve experienced in order to preserve our amazing lives… then tell them “Thanks”. 

They deserve it more than you’ll ever know.























































Happy Veteran's Day!






Friday, November 6, 2015

"Kiss Me I'm A Vet" Sticker + FREE DOWNLOAD

Veteran's Day, to me, is one of the most underrated, under-recognized, under celebrated holidays in the US.  We so often fail to see the sacrifices that so many have made so we can live our amazing lives.

I designed these stickers so the people that deserve to be recognized and deserve the honor they've earned by their sacrifice can be given the proper thanks on Veteran's Day.  You can either use this with your Cricut or simply print it on sticker paper and cut it out yourself.  So easy.  Just download my image here.


Monday, November 2, 2015

Autumn Pumpkin Vase Flower Arrangement


I know I'm not alone in this, but I MUST have fresh flowers in my living space on a regular basis.  I don't know what it is, but they just make me so happy.  This bouquet from Pro-Flowers is the epitome of fall gorgeousness to me.  The colors are absolutely breath taking!   You can browse all of their fall bouquets here. I thought they would like even more stunning in a spur of the moment vase made from a craft pumpkin.  Honestly, one of the easiest DIY vases ever!  All you have to do is cut a hole in the top and depending on the size of your pumpkin, add a glass or vase or jar to hold the flowers.  Easy peasy!







That's my parents' dog, Bear.  He's only a year old and is the size of a small moose.  He desperately wanted to be in the photos!

Can we talk about the absolute perfection of my mom's styling skills of this area of her kitchen?



The best part of this pumpkin vase is that it won't rot.  You can leave it out all season long and store it until the following autumn.



Sunday, November 1, 2015

Michaels Makers Dream Tree Challenge 2015


It's that time of year again!  Nope, not Halloween.  Nope, not Thanksgiving.  It's time for the annual Dream Tree Challenge with Michaels!  **cue applause**

Last year, my tree was dripping with faux taxidermy and tartan plaid.  I adored it!  This year, I'm sticking with the rustic theme, but I wanted something more natural, more earthy this time.  I thought, "If I lived in the middle of the woods and had no access to a store, how would my tree look?"  

Well, this is what I came up... and let me tell you, this is the first time ever a tree I've decorated has given me goosebumps.  I decided to put this up at my brother and sis-in-law's new house.  The kiddos helped and it was such a blast.  I know they will enjoy having the tree up for a few months.

For the tree skirt we went with mother earth's natural ground cover and used moss.  I love love love the way it looks!  For the topper, I used leaves and feathers.  

Everything on this tree was bought at Michaels.  (except for the pine cones, which were bought at an estate sale.)

Most everything is found in the floral section.  Browse it HERE!
And in case you don't have a tree and need one, you can get free shipping at Michaels!  Go here...

I really hope you find some inspiration here for your own tree.  If you need some extra, check out the 49 other AMAZING Michaels Makers for some more awesome ideas.  Merry Christmas my friends!

















Of course, it's Halloween weekend, so a nephew dressed as a puppy just HAD to photobomb the tree.  That's okay.  I think he makes it look even more awesome!