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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Christmas. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Christmas. Sort by date Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
How to Cut a Unique Gingerbread Snowflake
Just stopping in to share this quick paper snowflake craft that's sure to bring smiles. Have you ever cut Christmas themed gingerbread man snowflakes?
Thursday, July 10, 2014
4 Easy Bell Crafts for Kids
Right now we're in the middle of packing. Not going to lie, our apartment is looking like it's inhabited by crazy people. So my posts for the next month will probably be fewer and the crafts will be much simpler. This brings me to today's topic: crafting with bells. I love the sound of jingle bells. They remind me of Christmas, the cold, and reindeer. I know it's July and Christmas is miles away... but you can craft with jingle bells all year round? Right? Right! Here's how we've crafted with jingle bells:
4 Super Easy Bell Crafts for Kids
(This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!)
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Wreath Interpretations Exhibit
A couple of days ago, we went into the city to meet up with old friends and see "Wreath Interpretations." This exhibit showcased Christmas wreaths that were made out of nontraditional materials. After seeing all the artist's creativity, I definitely left with some ideas for next year's Christmas decorations (note to self- start saving milk caps!)
Now if you're in the city and you've got some time to spare, be sure to check the exhibit out! It's located on the 3rd floor of the Arsenal Building in Central Park. It's free (Yes!) and open from 9am-5pm, M-F until January 9th.
Here are a couple of my favorites from the exhibit:
(Psst- Wanna see what else we did in the city that day? You can find other photos from our trip on my Instagram.)
Keep reading to see more wreaths!
Now if you're in the city and you've got some time to spare, be sure to check the exhibit out! It's located on the 3rd floor of the Arsenal Building in Central Park. It's free (Yes!) and open from 9am-5pm, M-F until January 9th.
Here are a couple of my favorites from the exhibit:
(Psst- Wanna see what else we did in the city that day? You can find other photos from our trip on my Instagram.)
Keep reading to see more wreaths!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Yes Virginia letter
I recently got the chance to read that famous Christmas letter and response. I enjoyed reading it so much that I posted it down below (with my favorite bits highlighted in green.) Virginia's letter is just so sweet and the editor's response is so eloquent and touching. Does anyone write like this anymore?
Virginia's letter:
DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in THE SUN it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.
Editor's response:
Virginia's letter:
DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in THE SUN it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.
Editor's response:
| ||||||||||
Friday, November 30, 2012
Crapty Paper Fortune Cookie Advent Calendar
Can you believe that tomorrow is the first of December! Aiyah! How quickly the time flies.
I love advent calendars. I don't know why, but there's something immensely satisfying about moving a little figure from one day to the next.
We own one small felt snowman advent calendar, but I wanted to try making my own out of crap. (Why? Why not! I love crapting. There's just something immensely satisfying about transforming garbage and recyclables into something beautiful.)
I've always loved eating fortune cookies. (They're the best part about eating Chinese food!) So, I made my advent calendar look like paper fortune cookies. Unlike their doughy counterparts, these fortune cookies don't contain traditional cookie wisdom. Instead, each holds a Christmas-y activity that our family can do together or a way that we can serve others. Each cookie also holds a bible verse.
Hopefully these paper treats will help put us in the right frame of mind this holiday season.
Want to make your own paper fortune cookie advent calendar? Read on!
Materials:
- paper grocery bags (<--crap!)
- scissors
- cup
- pen
- computer paper
- glue stick
- gold paint
- paintbrush
- string
- tape
- Bible Advent verses
Directions:
1) Trace and cut out 24 circles.
2) Write down fun Christmas-y activities or different ways you can serve others onto the circle's backs.
3) Make your fortune cookies! Fold your circle in half, making sure your writing is on the inside.
4) While still holding your half circle, use your other hand crease the circle like so. (Thumb and middle finger on the edge while your pointer finger gently applies pressure and creases the paper.)
5) Keep applying pressure until you have your fortune cookie shaped.
6) To keep the paper in this shape, you'll now need to let go of the paper and dab glue onto center crease. (Or you can use one of those glue dots... but I'm cheap so I just used my glue stick.)
7) Now, refold your fortune cookie. Apply a bit of pressure to where the glue is to make sure both fortune cookie "arms" (no idea what they're called) stick together. Insert a bobby pin inside the "arms" so that they remain sticking together until the glue dries.
8) Repeat the process to create the rest of your fortune cookies.
9) Come back 24 hours later. (Or earlier if you wish. I just waited to make sure the glue was dried.) Paint half of the fortune cookie gold. While waiting for the paint to dry, write out your bible verses and corresponding numbers on thin slips of paper.
10) I wasn't sure how to string the cookies up, so I created small loops out of leftover paper and taped them to the inside of the fortune cookies.) String up your cookies and enjoy!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Light Painting with a Flashlight
Hubby and I love seeing things glow in the dark. We've taken photos with glow sticks (and then cut them up to see what was inside- muah ha ha), made our Christmas lights look like different shapes, and even made glow-in-the dark chalk.
This past Christmas our uncle gave us his old tripod (Thanks Tito Ric!), so hubby wanted to try light painting. We basically just waved around a flashlight in the air to make lovely "drawings" in the dark.
This past Christmas our uncle gave us his old tripod (Thanks Tito Ric!), so hubby wanted to try light painting. We basically just waved around a flashlight in the air to make lovely "drawings" in the dark.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
DIY Perler Bead Snowflake Ornaments
Every year I try to make a couple new Christmas ornaments for the tree. So far I've made hand and feet salt dough ornaments and felt and milk jug ornaments. This year I used Perler Beads and pipe cleaners to create easy snowflake ornaments!
These were so incredibly easy to make and the colors make me happy. Keep reading to see how you can make some of your own!
Perler Bead and Snowflake Ornaments
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!
These were so incredibly easy to make and the colors make me happy. Keep reading to see how you can make some of your own!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
DIY Birdseed ornaments
Today I'll be sharing how we created these lovely DIY Birdseed ornaments.
Back in Michigan, hubby and I put up a small bird feeder to feed the birds during the winter. Now that we live in the city, we don't have space to put a bird feeder up. (Plus, even if we did figure out a way to do it we'd probably just attract pigeons or rats. Ew and double ew.)
So, you might say that I was feeling a bit nostalgic after seeing this lovely tutorial from Saltwater Kids showing how to make birdseed ornaments. Luckily we have several family members that live in nearby tree-filled suburbs, so I made a bunch of these as small Christmas gifts. I don't know about you, but I could really just spend hours watching birds hopping or flying around. Hopefully this gift will keep the kids (and adults) entertained as they enjoy nature.
If you'd like to make them yourself, let me just first make two notes:
(1) The Saltwater Kids tutorial contains really lovely photos and clear directions. I totally copied their recipe. I'm a copycat. I fully admit it.
(2) I tried to be neat, but the birdseed got everywhere. Be prepared to sweep and wipe up lots of tiny seeds and sticky birdseed mess.
Still want to make them? Ok, here's how I did it:
Materials Needed to make DIY Birdseed Ornaments:
-3/4 C flour- 1/2 C water
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (Knox)
- 3 T corn syrup (I used dark... but I'm not sure if that matters)
- 4 C birdseed
- muffin tins/ molds (or cookie cutters)
- nonstick cooking spray
- drinking straws/ stirrers
- wax paper
- ribbon
Directions to make DIY Birdseed Ornaments:
1. Combine flour, water, gelatin, and corn syrup in a large bowl. Stir until everything is combined and resembles sticky goo.2. Add birdseed. Stir until birdseed is covered.
3. Spray muffin tins / molds with cooking spray.
4. Pack birdseed mixture into the molds. Use a measuring cup to pack and smooth everything down. (I had a bit of trouble with this, which resulted in rough edges.)
5. Push straws or stirrers through the birdseed. (Make sure to push them all the way through so that you have a hole to string the ribbon through.)
6. Let your birdseed mixture sit there for three hours. Then, take out your straws and slide/pop out the hardened ornaments out onto wax paper. (They easily popped out of the silicone molds, but I had to use a fork to pop them out of the muffin tins.) Flip the ornament upside down so the bottom gets a chance to harden as well. Let them sit out overnight.
7. Put ribbon or string through the holes and enjoy!
Merry Christmas feathered friends!
Update- I wanted to hang up ornaments with Baby Chuck around town, so I stored some in our apartment for about a week. Bad idea. When I finally remembered them, I saw that they had grown fuzzy with mold. So, make sure you use them as soon as you make them! Otherwise you'll end up with fuzzy black ornaments. Ick.
Interested in other ways to create birdseed feeders?
Create your own toilet paper roll bird feeders and ice bird feeders.Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Color me Christmas
Friday, November 28, 2014
Perler Bead Garland
The Perler Bead holiday crafting continues! A couple of days ago I shared how to make these super easy Perler Bead Snowflake ornaments. Today I'm over at DIYCandy sharing this quirky and unique Perler Bead Holiday Garland!
Happy making, friends!
Perler Bead Holiday Garland
You just need 2 materials: Perler Beads and Zip ties!
(And if you like the adorable Christmas trees in the photo, you can find the tutorial for mini Christmas trees here.)
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, friends! We're going black Friday shopping today with family! Wish us luck!
Let's keep in Contact!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Artsy Paper Bag Stars!
I've seen versions of these paper bag stars all over the internet for awhile now. And last weekend, we finally got a chance to make our very own version. Half art project, half craft, these artsy paper bag stars are such a unique way to showcase children's art and decorate your home!
Artsy Paper Bag Stars
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support! For my full disclosure policy, click here
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Finding beauty in the everyday
Heart shaped candy canes
(bent using this tutorial)Our current car collection
Christmas tree toys
Red and white rice krispy treats
White play dough on our black table
Happy Thursday friends!
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Free Printable New Year Agamograph
Can you believe that it's only three more days until the New Year? Time has sped by since Christmas and I'm stopping in to share this free printable New Year's Agamograph. :)
FREE Print and Color New Year's Agamograph
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
30+ Awesomely Unique and Fun Paper Plate Crafts for Kids!
It's no secret that I LOVE paper plate crafts! Wanna make my heart sing? Hand me a bunch of blank paper plates. Seriously. No joke. (Ok- Crafter confessional here- I've even snuck interesting paper plates out of parties before to craft with... shhhh... )
If you follow me on Instagram you'll see that I'm this week's #kidscrafts101 judge! Yup! Every week there's a fun challenge to craft with a different material. This week's theme is... drum roll please... paper plates! I know all of you and your kids have such creative ideas, so I'd love to see your ideas on IG! (Just use the #kidscrafts101 so I can see your great ideas!)
And in honor of this week's theme, I thought I'd also share my absolute favorite paper plate crafts!
This post contains affiliate links. This means I make a teeny tiny bit of money from any purchases made through the Amazon links below. Thank you for your support! For my full disclosure, click here.
If you follow me on Instagram you'll see that I'm this week's #kidscrafts101 judge! Yup! Every week there's a fun challenge to craft with a different material. This week's theme is... drum roll please... paper plates! I know all of you and your kids have such creative ideas, so I'd love to see your ideas on IG! (Just use the #kidscrafts101 so I can see your great ideas!)
And in honor of this week's theme, I thought I'd also share my absolute favorite paper plate crafts!
30+ Super Fun and Unique Paper Plate Crafts for Kids!
This post contains affiliate links. This means I make a teeny tiny bit of money from any purchases made through the Amazon links below. Thank you for your support! For my full disclosure, click here.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Christmas store
A couple of nights ago we ran across this wonderful store in Grand Rapids.
What luck! It was open. |
Isn't this stained glass beautiful? I love dogwoods. |
We stepped inside and were enveloped by Christmas magic |
Monday, December 22, 2014
DIY Star Washer Ornaments
Enjoy making things? Looking for a fun gift to give a DIY-loving friend?
How about these Star Washer Ornaments!
These lovely hardware ornaments are super easy to make and will look great on the Christmas tree too! You can check out my full tutorial on DIY Candy today!
And here are 3 other easy DIY Ornaments!
Let's keep in Contact!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Merry Christmas!
We wish you all a merry, merry Christmas.
May your homes be filled with love, joy, and peace this holiday season.
And in case you need a little extra holiday cheer, here are some goofy photos of Chuck and me wearing a lovely Santa/Gnome beard. (I just cut out a beard shape from felt and hot glued elastic to both sides.)
Happy Holidays! (And happy crafting!)
Happy Holidays! (And happy crafting!)
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Homemade gift: DIY Felt Board
Do you remember playing with felt boards as a kid? (Is that too old school? Maybe kids nowadays play with fancy touch screens instead ... hrmm....) Anyway, I remember using a felt board in school and LOVING it. So I thought I'd try making a homemade felt board for Chuck. After consulting a couple of tutorials online, here's what I came up with:
Now, in full disclosure, I wish I could say that Chuck loved it and played hours and hours with it while I took a nap on the couch. Errrm..... It didn't quite turn out that way. He played with the car parts for a bit, but then seemed much more interested in rolling around real cars.
But I won't call this a craft fail just yet. I'm hoping (cross your fingers!) that he'll grow to love the felt board as much as I did. But if not, no big deal. The entire thing only cost about 4 dollars to make because I already had most of the materials lying around the apartment. Score!
Now if you have a felt-loving child in your life, you can try making your own felt board too! (I bet it would make a great Christmas gift.) Here's how I made mine:
2. Take out the back of your photo frame. Discard the glass. Place the back on your piece of felt and trace it. Cut the rectangle out.
3. Optional: If your felt is a bit wrinkly, carefully iron it. (I turned my iron to a lower setting and placed one of those protective ironing pressing pads over my felt before ironing it so I wouldn't melt or burn the felt.)
4. Place your piece of felt directly over the photo frame back. Make sure the sides all line up. To help with the gluing, fold one side of the felt over the other. Then, use your sponge brush and brush a bit of Mod Podge right next to the fold. Press the fabric down over the glue. Then, spread a little more Mod Podge next to your new fold and press the felt down again. Keep repeating this procedure until one side is fully glued down. Then, repeat the procedure with the other side.
5. Once the Mod Podge dries, put your board back into the frame. That's it!
Now comes the fun part- making your felt pieces. Doodle your designs onto paper. Then, trace them onto felt and cut them out. I chose to make a set of Christmas tree felt pieces and a set of car part pieces.
Let's make a DIY Felt Board
(This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!)
Now, in full disclosure, I wish I could say that Chuck loved it and played hours and hours with it while I took a nap on the couch. Errrm..... It didn't quite turn out that way. He played with the car parts for a bit, but then seemed much more interested in rolling around real cars.
But I won't call this a craft fail just yet. I'm hoping (cross your fingers!) that he'll grow to love the felt board as much as I did. But if not, no big deal. The entire thing only cost about 4 dollars to make because I already had most of the materials lying around the apartment. Score!
Now if you have a felt-loving child in your life, you can try making your own felt board too! (I bet it would make a great Christmas gift.) Here's how I made mine:
Materials to make a DIY Felt Board:
- Large poster frame
- Felt (Background felt large enough to cover frame and Other pieces)
- Scissors (Fabric and normal)
- Paper
- Pen
- Mod Podge
- Sponge Brush
Directions to make a DIY Felt Board:
1. Clean your work area. Felt attracts stuff. (I worked on the floor, so I swept it first.)2. Take out the back of your photo frame. Discard the glass. Place the back on your piece of felt and trace it. Cut the rectangle out.
3. Optional: If your felt is a bit wrinkly, carefully iron it. (I turned my iron to a lower setting and placed one of those protective ironing pressing pads over my felt before ironing it so I wouldn't melt or burn the felt.)
4. Place your piece of felt directly over the photo frame back. Make sure the sides all line up. To help with the gluing, fold one side of the felt over the other. Then, use your sponge brush and brush a bit of Mod Podge right next to the fold. Press the fabric down over the glue. Then, spread a little more Mod Podge next to your new fold and press the felt down again. Keep repeating this procedure until one side is fully glued down. Then, repeat the procedure with the other side.
5. Once the Mod Podge dries, put your board back into the frame. That's it!
Now comes the fun part- making your felt pieces. Doodle your designs onto paper. Then, trace them onto felt and cut them out. I chose to make a set of Christmas tree felt pieces and a set of car part pieces.
Happy crafting!
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