Halloween wreath

Happy Halloween!  I whipped up this fun wreath over a 2 hour period. I had a bunch of deco mesh I bought last year on clearance. So I bought a wreath frame and mimicked another wreath I saw on a JoAnns ad. 

Let it Snow

I haven't posted on here for a very long time.  I can tell you excuses but mainly this is not my phase of life right now.  I did make this wreath last year (like 2013).  I wanted to post it because today it is snowing like crazy and it seems appropriate.  Hope you enjoy it.  I enjoy it every time I walk through the door.

My friend Meagan showed us how and even had some on her blog.  But it looks like she took down her blog and I don't have a link to that or the tutorial she used.  Either way.  I am sure you can find a tutorial to watch if you really want to make one.

A little "dirty" {Non-Alchoholic} Diet Coke Gift

Have you heard of a "dirty" Diet Coke? I had been hearing all about them in blog land and then found a recipe online. I posted about it on my recipe blog a while back HERE and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!

Seriously, SO good! {yes, I'm totally addicted and for now it's ok}.

Anyways, I was invited to a "favorite things" Christmas party and what could be more perfect than a "dirty" Diet Coke basket so I could share my addiction with someone else? Fortunately for me I found someone who I could copy. I got this idea from Thirty Handmade Days and she includes the printable and all the instructions! {I just printed it from her blog}.

I didn't paint the CD crate {although that would be cute too}, I just found a cute basket for 70% off at Michael's.

It was SO easy and turned out super cute.

Printable links

ALL Printables should have a link that works correctly now. If you are still having trouble getting the downloads, please email us and we will be happy to send you the file via email. Thanks and have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Thanks,

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas

Wow!  3 posts this month.  We are on a roll.  I made this cute sign based off of something I found on Pinterest.  It was pretty easy and now it is on the back of my Halloween sign.   I am loving my silhouette.  It is fun to play with and so easy to change things around.  This is actually wider then the 12 inches and so I had to cut each line separate and then paste them together.  I did a reverse painting technique, where you paint first white.  Then put the vinyl on, then paint again over the top with the red color.  Then take the vinyl off.  I only had a little trouble with the top part bleeding through.  So I just sanded it and now my white looks a little pink.  Although you can't tell and it looks like it was supposed to be that way.  Right?  Maybe with a little weather and sun it will look like it has been around for awhile.
Oh, and the green.  Before I added the vinyl I painted a section green.  It was fun to play with.

Here is the back.  I guess I have been to crazy busy with life to post it.

Sorry you can't see everything.  It says "Home of the Wicked Witch and all her Little Monsters."

Another EASY Neighbor Gift!

I found another great idea this year for a friend/neighbor/teacher gift. I always try to give something that is not just food {even though I do give some food} and not something that you have to store or keep. I like gifts that are consumable and you don't have to hang onto them forever {or feel guilty for giving them to someone else}.

This year I made this amazing Holiday Spice Simmering Potpourri. I found several ideas on Pinterest and combined what I liked best. I added all the ingredients to a cellophane bag and tied it with a ribbon. I attached the tag and delivered them to my friends. It was super easy and it smells AMAZING!!

I added:

1 orange
1/2 C cranberries
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1 nutmeg {for them to grate into the pot}
5-6 cloves

You could also add:

vanilla bean or lemon

The top of the tag says Merry Christmas and the bottom has the instructions. Don't worry, the download doesn't have my name on it, but you can add yours easily with Photoshop or Picasa {or any photo editing software}.

Basically, put everything in a pot and add water. Bring to a boil and simmer to make your house smell amazing. Be sure to watch the water and don't let it boil dry.

HERE is the Printable so you can print the tags. Merry Christmas!!

If that Link does not work, try this one HERE.

Burlap {or mesh} Wreaths

Our friend Meagan took over one of our craft classes and taught us how to make these AWESOME burlap wreaths....we made all sizes, shapes and colors...we might have gone a LITTLE crazy, but they all turned out SO cute! Because Meagan already wrote up all the instructions, I'm just going to refer you to her post. Find instructions HERE. {NOTE: we did NOT end up using the safety pins to pin the ribbon together, just hold it together, it works fine...also, we found that the wreath looks more consistent if you use a zig-zag pattern on the wreath form, going from the inside to the outside and back again...so put one inside, one in the middle, one on the outside, back to the middle, then the inside, repeat....you get the idea.}. If you want some pictures, HERE is another tutorial with the same idea she just didn't make hers as full as we did. {Let me know if you have any questions}

My only addition is to make sure you count your loops {6-8 works best} and make them approx the same size so your wreath looks uniform. Here is a close up of the zip ties. As you can see, if you leave them a little "loose" you are able to adjust the loops before you tighten them up and make it "final". 

Because it turned out SO cute in the burlap, I decided to try it in this awesome mesh. {purchased at Hobby Lobby}. You will need 2 of these {60 feet} total to make it full like mine.

You use the same idea to make this one, EXCEPT you need about 12 loops in each section of the wreath form. It will seem like it's not full enough, but when you are finished it will be. I added a big piece of candy, a big green bow and a bunch of Christmas picks. {just secure everything with zip ties too}. I LOVE how it turned out!

Thanks Meagan for all the fun wreaths! Now go make you one....or ten! ;)

Runner's Medal Board

YES, WE are still alive and we've been up to ALL sorts of crafting...unfortunately, we have been so busy making stuff that we haven't had time to blog about any of it. {maybe one day we will get it all updated on here}. For now, I have a project that I want to share:

I wanted to make a board to hold my running bibs and medals {even though I only have one right now, I am planning on getting more!}. I looked on Pinterest and got a few ideas, but I wanted it to be a little different so I made a few changes, of course....I can never leave well enough alone!!!

I started with a piece of pine that is 36" long and 5 1/2" tall. I took a chisel and roughed up the edges of my wood and then painted my board all black. After it dried, I painted it with two or three coats of turquoise. I love how the black shows through in the spots where I chiseled it. {I tried not to get the turquoise in those spots too much so I didn't have to sand them out}.

I also sanded the edges and then painted them with a little black paint on my finger. {Just to emphasize the black a little more}.

Then I had to do some math and figure out how it was all going to work....and I had to find knobs that would work for my medals {I didn't want just nails}, I wanted something different. I found these knobs at Wal-mart and they were PERFECT! {They were about $6 per package and I needed 3 of them}.

Amy helped me cut out the vinyl on the Silhouette, it says

"I RUN BECAUSE I CAN"

"The miracle isn't that I finished, it's that I had the courage to start" 

I LOVE how it turned out!!

I just measured our bibs and left about 8" on each end for the clips and the bibs, I put the knobs 2 1/2" apart across the board and got 6 knobs on it. 

I had originally planned to hang it in our living room above the desk, but I didn't like it there so we decided to hang it up in our bedroom {good thing it's turquoise too}. We LOVE it, and can't wait to fill it up with bibs and medals!!

And No, Jason hasn't run any races yet, but we are registered for the Downers Grove Turkey Trot together on Thanksgiving morning!! Should be fun. 

 

A couple aprons {ok, maybe 7}

I ALWAYS get carried away.....ALWAYS!!!!

I needed to make ONE apron for a friend....and I ended up making SEVEN!!! Yes, I have a problem! I should open a factory!! I LOVE how they all turned out!!

FULL APRON:

Take an apron you like {I used two different ones to get exactly what I wanted} lay apron on top of fabric you wish to use. Pin to keep in place. Cut exact pattern ADDING 1" to each side. {I didn't add to the bottom because I didn't want my apron any longer and I knew I would be adding the ruffle.}

From coordinating fabric cut the following pieces:

5 - 5" x 45" {2 for ties, 1 for ruffle}
1 - 4" x 22" {neck strap}
1 - 3" x width of apron {strip at top}

1 - 2" x width of apron {strip at bottom to cover ruffles}

1 - 8" x 16" {pocket}

Cut out apron and serge all around the edges. 

Cut all extra pieces. Sew the straps, turn and iron. 

I just serge all the ruffles and then ruffle hem with my ruffler. 

I surged the bottom ruffle on the apron, and then sewed the ruffles 1"-2" away from each other. {depending on your style, I did one of each and like the 2" better}.

Sew the neck strap together and finish the ends. 

Sew the pocket together, turn and iron. 

Assemble the apron as desired. 

SHORT RUFFLE APRON:

1 - 24x13" canvas/duck cloth/denim {this will be the back piece that you won't see

7 - 5" x WOF - 5 ruffles and 2 for the ties.

Serge the bottom of all the ruffles and ruffle the top edge. Sew the two ties together and then sew them in a long tube, turn and iron. 

Serge the bottom ruffle onto the piece of canvas. Sew with a zig zag stitch the other 4 ruffles 3" apart all the way up the canvas.

Sew the strap on the top of the apron making sure you cover up the top of the first ruffle and keep in lined up with the top of the canvas. 

A few vinyl projects

Amy helped me cut out some vinyl for a few projects and I wanted to share them with you...I found the original idea for this on Pinterest and just tweeked it a little bit {of course I did}. I wanted a shirt like this after the half marathon and knew that we could make it for next to nothing. LOVE how it turned out!!

I also had some vinyl that is supposed to be put on a board to measure your kids growth, but I decided to just put it right on the wall....to replace this system.....

LOVE how it looks now!! {I just used scrapbook stickers for the number and names}