Easter Crafts and Decorating

Easter is still a month away, but when you are a crafter it takes a little time to make fun Easter decorations.  At Fashion Diva Designs she has 56 inspirational craft ideas for Easter.  All are wonderful and not sure where I want to start.  Then Minimoz has a tutorial for a very cute baby chick wreath.  Even though I no longer have young children in the house I love to make them a little Easter surprise and these burlap bunnies from Landeelu would be perfect to put treats in.
Fashion Diva DesignsMinimozLandeelu

Non Candy Valentines

Valentine’s Day can be a lot of fun for kids, but sometimes there are just too many treats.  Here are 21 Valentine ideas that don’t use candy from Lolly Jane.  If you are looking for more Valentines ideas check the categories on the right and click on Valentines, it will lead you to all the post I have made with Valentine’s Day ideas.

Valentines for Hubby

My husband deserves a wonderful Valentines gift.  That being said, it is not an easy task.  It needs to be personal, not too mushy, healthy and not bust the budget. No romantic get-away to the Caribbean as nice as it sounds. So I have been gathering ideas.  I think I will step out of my ordinary routine and first make him breakfast. (I would do it in bed, but he is an early riser) What better way to start the day than with bacon hearts.The Paper Mama

Then pack a lunch (again something I rarely do) in a fun take-out box. This one from Tammy Mitchell Designs is designed for a miniature take-out box, but I can enlarge the idea.  Take-out boxes can be found at your local craft store.

Then after a long day of work maybe something for soaking in the whirlpool tub.  Creating Sisterhood has a great recipe for Cinnamon Oatmeal Milk Bath.  Very easy and most of the ingredients can be found in your kitchen.Pretty sure he will like all of this, who doesn’t liked to be pampered once in a while?

Last Minute Gifts

We are down to the wire, Christmas is only 6 days away. I don’t know about you, but I find myself looking for something else to make this close to Christmas.  So I have put a list together of thoughtful gifts, easy to make, supplies found around the home or easy to purchase, and something I would like to receive.

Let’s start with spa gifts:

A great moisturizing cream from One Good Thing by Jillee.Sugar scrubs are so easy to put together and wonderful for dry, flaky winter skin.  The one is from Oh So Pretty.Now you could just give a jar of these wonderful things or put them in a basket with a candle and some chocolate or a pretty washcloth or scrubby and make it just a little extra special.

Let’s head to the sewing room:

This no-sew scarf couldn’t be simpler.  Most fabric stores have polar fleece on sale right now.  Just need a pattern and a sharp pair of scissors. This one is thanks to Cleverly Inspired. I would stitch around the outside of the scarf just to give it a little more detail.Love this twisted scarf (headband) from Yours Truly, G.  This one has a video tutorial.The Purl Bee has the easiest felt coffee cozy. No more burnt fingers and easy to stash in the car or purse.Now from the craft room stash:

These bracelets from Creating My Way to Success are quick and pretty.  I like the layered look.If you know a young lady who likes Mickey Mouse I would think this would be a perfect gift for them, from A Creative Princess.So head out in the yard and start collecting a few twigs for these pretty twig candle holders from Freutcake. I like the gold and silver added to the twigs, a pretty ribbon or piece of twine would look nice too.And for the fisherman in the family I really like these vintage lure key chains thanks to My So Called Crafty Life.I hope you get a few ideas from this post and have a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Crafts for Kids

If you are looking to have some fun crafting with your kids The Crafty Crow has links to 25 tutorials for ornaments to make with kids.  The Crafty Crow is always a good place to find craft ideas for kids and also book reviews.

Up-cycle Ornaments

When we decorated the tree this year I noticed a lot of bulbs that just stay in the box and never get on the tree.  Time to take care of all those little guys, but it just doesn’t feel right to toss them.  So I am up-cycling a few.  Here are some ideas I collected.

Decoupage and glitter renew this ornament from Everlasting Blooms.Holiday Crafts and Creations uses paint and Mod Podge in a unique way to get a terrific result.I haven’t used these paints from Martha Stewart, but Sand and Sisal’s results have me wanting to make a trip to the craft store.At The Picket Fence decorated a clear bulb with a gold paint pen and beads and achieved beautiful results.

Christmas in Felt

No secret that I like felt.  I have posted a number of felt ideas on my blog.  It is fun to work with, doesn’t ravel, comes in many colors and pretty economical to use.  You need sharp scissors and a steady hand to make felt decorations look good.  Don’t like little choppy edges. Felt can be found in the acrylic and wool.  Wool is my favorite and you can hand dye it to get fun colors.  You can also take an old wool sweater or piece of wool throw it in the washing machine with hot water and dry it in the dryer to make your own felt.  Felt lends itself to embroidery and beadwork.  Here are a few ideas for this Christmas season.

There is no tutorial for this Christmas tree ornament, but I think you can get the idea from the pictures at Made Stuff.This great garland comes from Molly’s Sketchbook.  This looks great in felt and I think it would also lend itself to polar fleece.  Polar fleece like felt doesn’t ravel, but it has a softer feel to it.All Things Hand Made has a garland made with felt circles. (could also be done with rectangles)These two are simple garlands, but you could make flowers, trees shapes, felt balls wherever your imagination takes you. For example:

Love these little Santas from Better Homes and Gardens.This design from Nana Company shows how a simple design can become elegant with a little detail work.

Christmas Treats

Christmas is a time to share wonderful treats with family and friends.  I have a few that I make just at Christmas time and I thought I would share the recipes.  Most are simple as I am not the type to take hours making something that gets eaten in seconds.  So here goes:

Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn recipe found at CD Kitchen.  This makes a big batch and is fun to have at parties. I air pop my popcorn.Microwave Peanut Brittle.  This one can be found at All Recipes.  Again very simple and turns out great.
Hungry Happenings has these cute little frosty the snowman pretzels.My favorite fudge recipe is  Nestle’s Toll House Famous Fudge.  You use marshmallows instead of the marshmallow cream. Yummy!

Christmas Decor on a Budget

  If you are trying to make a dollar go a long way and still want to decorate here are some great ideas from Leaf and Letter.  Popsicle sticks

Paper Star

Candy Canes

Jute Wreath

Framed Letters

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you get to spend the day with loves ones.  I am grateful for all the wonderful things my family does for me. I am loved by my heavenly Father,  have a terrific husband, outstanding sons that make me grateful everyday and family and friends that are always there for me.  Life would not be complete without them.