InspireMe Crafts

Gotta Bake It: Peppermint Chocolate Pretzel Sticks

Easy, easy, easy. The peppermint chocolate pretzel sticks are so easy your 4 year old can do it J. But just because your 4 year old can do it does not mean that the adults will not enjoy the final treat. The peppermint pretzel sticks are a yummy treat for all ages and great for little gifts around the holidays. That perfect mix of salt and sweet. In fact, I wanted to package them all cute and write a post about different packaging ideas, but the chocolate pretzel sticks did not last long enough in our house for me to even attempt some different ideas. I guess I'll have to make them again – oh bummer ;)

INGREDIENTS:
Pretzel sticks
Candy canes
Peppermint flavored chocolate (I found my baking chocolate at Jo-Anne's Fabrics, but Michaels carries it too)

STEP 1: Crush the peppermint sticks/candy canes…choose preferred method below

This was truly the most amusing part of the process for us and gave the Lil Man and myself the giggles. I thought I was having a smart mommy moment when I suggested that we just get one really big candy cane stick instead of a whole bunch of little candy canes. I thought there would be less wrappers to take off and less crushing. Well, I was wrong. The smaller candy canes would have been much easier to crush. We had the darndest time trying to crush the big candy cane as you can witness from the pictures below.

Idea 1: Put in gallon Ziploc bag and bang it with rolling pin. Failed.
Idea 2: Put in gallon Ziploc bag, tighten the grip on the bag just around the candy cane and bang the heck out of it onto the kitchen counter. Failed.
Idea 3: Use the Pampered Chef Chopper. Yay, it worked! However, beware of this because it did ruin my chopper a little.

Learn from our mistakes…go with the small candy canes J

STEP 2: Melt peppermint chocolate in microwave using the package instructions.
STEP 3: Take Pretzel sticks and dip into chocolate, using a swirling motion

STEP 4: Roll peppermint chocolate pretzel stick into the crushed candy canes. We did half with candy canes and the other half just left them with the chocolate.

As you can see below, this is so easy your 4 year old can do it while he enjoys a pretzel!

STEP 5: Place on wax or parchment paper to let them harden.

STEP 6: Package and give away.

{Insert photo here of how you think you would package it since we thought they were too delicious to make it that far in the process}

If you decide to give these away for quick and delicious Christmas treats, we'd love to see some of the different ways you package them. Just email them to inspiremecrafts (at) yahoo (.) com.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Paper Christmas Wreath

I'm re-posting this because I just pulled it out of the Christmas tub to hang up last week and I still love it as much as when I made it.  It put that smile on my face so I thought I'd share.  I hope you are enjoying the fun and stress of the holidays as much as I am :) ! 

"Joy to the World"

Accidents happen...sometimes good and sometimes bad.  Luckily, this accident was good.  I was playing with some paper trying to come up with less labor-intensive paper tree ideas and ended up with a paper wreath!  I added some special photos and it is adding just the right amount of unique Christmas decorations to our house!  I used the same scrapbook paper that I used for my Christmas Paper Tree . I purchased the scrapbook paper at Target in a pack.  It included all 5 coordinating designs and plenty of it!

MATERIALS:

8x8 paper (10 pieces)
scissors
glue
stapler
Scotch Tape
ribbon
embellishments
photos

THE STEPS:

I tried the best I could to explain it...I'm still working on describing my steps as clearly and detailed as I can.  Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about it!  I love to get comments on the post or you can email me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

The Holidays are here and Christmas is only 9 days away!  Its hard to believe, but that's what I saw on a sign today!  Take care....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!

Gotta Make It: Button Christmas Tree Tote

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other".  ~Burton Hillis

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and had plenty of yummy food and time with family and friends! Now that my lazy turkey days are coming to an end, it is time for me to break out the Christmas decorations and let the holiday season truly begin. My first Christmas craft project this season is fun, inexpensive, and festive...you can't ask for much more than that! Use this Button Christmas Tree Tote as a gift bag or bring it with you to do all your holiday shopping… or even give it to a child to use as a school bag in December. Head to the store and pick up the following for the project…

MATERIALS:

tote bag
buttons ( I used 9 small, 12 large, 1 star – silver and gold)
thread
ribbon

HOW-TO:

1. Lay out buttons to resemble Christmas tree shape next to tote bag. I used small and large as well as gold and silver buttons.
2. One by one start to sew each button on to the tote in the shape that you laid out next to the tote.
3. Continue until you are done J.
4. Tie a ribbon in a bow and sew to where the handle attaches to the tote.
5. Use your bag as a gift bag or tote it around town.

I'd love to see your finished button tote bags and variations that you come up with! Just email to inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com and we'll share your creativity.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Happy Holidays!!

 

I know I'm a few days late wishing everyone a Happy Holiday season and Merry Christmas, but this has really been the first chance I've had.  The hubby and I came down with the flu right before our holiday guests arrived so that put us behind on just about everything.  Luckily lil man didn't catch it, but we quickly realized that's just as bad because he's running around wild while we can't even get off the couch.  Luckily it was only a couple days and then the lil man had his partners in crime back in action :).  We are extremely thankful that we were healthy for the holidays so that we could begin some new holiday traditions and carry on the ones from our families.

We started off by decorating a mailbox for Santa.  Lil man then told me what to write to Santa and personalized his letter by drawing what his daddy use to call "bookas" a.k.a circles, circles and more circles.  We put the letter in the mailbox and on Christmas morning he went to see if Santa had taken it.  Of course he did :) and left him his special ornament to add to the tree.  He also made cookies for Santa, or should I say a plate full of sprinkles?  I can't believe the sprinkles actually made it to the cookies because lil man has a natural reflex that takes the sprinkles from the hand to mouth over and over again. 

I hope your family and friends had a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year to you!  Now that our house is in the transformation of post holiday chaos back to regular chaos, I should be able to post some more ideas for you shortly.  Until then have a fabulous New Year!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It...with the Kids: Button Snowflake Ornament

"Let it Snow!"

 

Here's an easy one for you!  Just a few supplies and your little ones will create some masterpieces to showcase on your tree.  They will be so proud of their button snowflake ornament they'll want to make one for everybody.  Hang them on your tree, attach them to the ribbon on gifts, or if you don't think you'll see real snow this year, just hang several from your windows! 

MATERIALS:

Popsicle sticks (3 for each ornament)
Buttons (I chose white ones so I wouldn't have to paint them)
White glitter
Glue
Ribbon

HOW TO:

1.  Glue the popsicle sticks together one on top of the other, attaching at the middle.  Space them out to make the shape of the "snowflake".  Let the glue dry.
2.  Spread glue over the top of the popsicle sticks.  Apply the buttons.  Let dry.
3.  Spread a light coat of glue over the buttons or use a spray adhesive.  Apply glitter.  Shake excess glitter off.
4.  Glue ribbon in a loop at the top of one of the popsicle sticks. 

Enjoy and maybe you'll get to see some real snowflakes this Christmas!  In the meantime, we'll keep dreaming for that White Christmas :) !

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Clever Gift Ideas for Christmas

“A hug is the perfect gift; one size fits all, and nobody minds if you exchange it".

 

Now's the time where you may need some ideas for those little gifts for co-workers, teachers, mail person, babysitter, etc.  Below is a list of some simple, cute, and cheesy (of course) ideas that are sure to make that special person smile. 

1.  Measuring Cups with a note that says "Wishing you joy beyond measure".  This is actually a great gift because there are so many cool new measuring cups out there (I never thought I would say that).  Whether you pick the person's favorite color or the cool new collapsible ones, the thought will surely be appreciated. 

2.  Cookies with note saying "Wishing you a wonderful Christmas from your "crummy" neighbors (co-worker, students, boss, etc)

3.  Popcorn with note saying "We just 'popped' in to wish you a Merry Christmas".  You could purchase one of those plastic tubs that look like movie popcorn bags from the DollarTree and fill it with bags of popcorn, movie gift certificates, candy, etc.

4.  Pencil & Notepad with note saying "Hope your Christmas is something to write about".

5.  Cookie Dough with note saying "Here's a little extra dough for Christmas".

6.  Basket of Bath Items with note saying "When you feel like a basket case, take a break and slow your pace". 

7.  Muffins with note saying "You're getting muffin for Christmas".

8.  Fudge with a note saying "Fudge a little on the calories and enjoy the holiday season". 

I wish I could take credit for these ideas, but I've come across them at Craft shows, the internet, and magazines so I'm not even sure who to give the props to.  I'm sure there are plenty more so if you'd like to add to the list please leave a comment for send me an email!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Paper Christmas Tree

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."  ~Roy L. Smith

 I decided to take a moment to review some of the Christmas craft projects from last year to see if they sparked any new and exciting ideas and I thought I would share the Paper Christmas Tree again since it was such a hit last year.  If you decide to make it please send pics to inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com!  I'd love to share all the various versions with the readers!

Here's what you need:

-Favorite patterned paper (I chose 5 different ones)
-Tree shaped craft Styrofoam (find in floral section of craft store)
-Scissors, glue (I used glue gun), ruler, pencil
-Stick (smooth and rounded)  Can find at craft store.  Size depends on Styrofoam
-Ribbon and other embellishments (optional)
-Spray Glitter (optional)
-Terra cotta pot (optional)
-Small piece of craft styrophoam to put in terra cotta pot (optional)
-Glass marbles (optional)

Now the To Do's:

1. I used 8x8 scrapbook paper since my Styrofoam base was relatively small (around 5 inches tall).  I measured and cut it into 2cm wide strips.  I then cut the 2cm wide strips into thirds.  You can adjust the width and length depending on what size styrophoam you choose.  The bigger you go the bigger strips you'll want otherwise this will truly turn out to be a loooonnng  project.  The is the part that takes awhile so if you have kids who are old enough to cut and measure....for goodness sakes get them to work!
2.  Take a cut strip and attach the ends together with glue.  Don't fold it though...you want to keep the other end rounded.
3.Attach the glued ends to the Styrofoam with glue.  Start at the bottom.  Continue this all the way around.  When you finish one layer move up and start on the next level. Indent where you start on each new level.  A few tips:  If you have more than one child helping you on this it would go extremely quickly if you have one gluing the ends together and then the other gluing the finished piece to the Styrofoam. Next tip:  I layed out my 5 different cut papers in piles and lined them up in the order I wanted to attach them. For the most part I used that same pattern.  However, sometimes I came across areas that had too much red or too much green so I did change it up a bit when needed.  So go with what your eye tells you. If it doesn't look right...change it up.

4.  Attach any embellishments.  For example, I added a star to the top along with ribbon hanging down.  I also used a star punch and red scrapbook paper to make "star ornaments" that I glued to the tree.  At the end...spray the tree with some spray glitter to give it that extra ummphh.

5.  You could call it quits here and your paper tree would still 'wow' everyone as a unique Christmas decoration.  But if you want to do it like the picture I show then keep going.....

6.  Take a stick and stab it into the bottom of the tree.  I put a little glue around it with the glue gun to make sure it wasn't going anywhere.  Confession:  The stick I had was too short.  Being lazy and not wanting to go to the craft store again I started looking around the house.  I had a red colored pencil.  So I took it and used it.  It worked out great and I didn't have to paint it or anything!

7.  Put the small piece of Styrofoam into the terra cotta pot.  Take the other end of the colored pencil and stab it into the terra cotta Styrofoam. I once again used the glue gun to make sure it wasn't going anywhere.

8.  Take some glass beads/marbles and put them around the "trunk" of the tree and to cover up the Styrofoam.  You could also use fake snow if you wanted to.

9.  I added a large red ribbon to the terra cotta pot.  If you choose to paint or decorate the pot any other way it would probably be easier to do before step 6.

Well....there you have it.  It really is a fun Christmas craft project and rewarding when you finish.  And who says you have to use red and green?  Use the colors that go with your Christmas home decor and get creative.  Instead of paper star cutouts for ornaments why not use some buttons?  You always get those extra buttons with your clothes...so put them to use!

Anyway, I enjoyed sharing this with you and will be bringing some more. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Dollar Diva: Tin Advent Calendar

"Life is a constant Advent season: we are continually waiting to become, to discover, to complete, to fulfill. Hope, struggle, fear, expectation and fulfillment are all part of our Advent experience."

 

Thanksgiving is over and now that the beginning of December is upon us its time to start the countdown to Christmas. And of course we have to do it in a fun, creative, and personal way and that is how the Tin Advent Calendar was born.   While doing a little online research I found out that the word 'Advent' comes from the latin word 'andventur' meaning 'arrival'.  Ahhh...itall makes sense to me now!  Now that I'm responsible for teaching the little man some important stuff I figured that I better fill in some of those blanks in my information bank so when the lil man asks "Why" or "what's that" I'll be equipped with something besides "I dunno" or "Go ask your dad".  Hence the little research. I love the internet :). 

I finally got to my project and as you might notice its not quite an Advent Wreath like I had planned, but more of an Advent calendar.  The original plan was to cut out a circleout of some cardboard I had and then add the tin cans around the circle like wreath decorations.  But as I sat there decorating every tin I decided to change my game plan.  I really liked how they looked next to each other so I wanted to keep them in the grid.  Lucky for me the DollarTree came to the rescue again!  The circle tins, cookie pan, and ribbon are all from the Dollar Tree.  The paper that was used was all left over Christmas paper from last year.  This creative and fun Advent Calendar can be made for under $10 if you already have paper and stickers and could probably still be made for under $15 if you need to buy paper and stickers.  Here's what you need:

MATERIALS:

Circle Tins(I found mine at the DollarTree in packs of 4.  They can also be found at Michaels for a lot more money)
Cookie Pan
Ribbon
Paper
Stickers
Glue Gun
Tape
Pencil
Scissors

HOW TO:

1. Trace the circle tin onto a piece of heavy cardstock.  Cut it out.  Use this as your template.  Trace around 24 pieces of paper and cut out.  Have fun!  This is where the kids can help if they are old enough.
2.  Once the papers are cut out lay them out in a color grid that you like.  Then apply number stickers. 
3.  Keeping the papers in the order you like start inserting the paper onto the inside of the tin.  You may need to tape them in place on the inside.  Put it back in its grid place and move on to the next.  Do with all 24.
4.  Take your cookie pan and arrange all the tins onto the cookie pan so they are equally spaced.  Start using your glue gun to glue the bottom of the tin to the cookie pan.  Continue with all 24.
5.  Use your glue gun to attach the ribbon to the back of the cookie pan.  You can make a bow or just a loop to hang it. 
6.  Fill your advent tins with lots of treasures!

This year we are going to do a treasure hunt advent calendar.  Since Lil Man is 2 and not the brilliant girl on the Today show that can already read, we are going to simplify it for him.  We are going to take pictures of places where the present might be hidden and he has to go find it.  For example, we may take a picture of shoes so that he has to go look in the closet to find his gift.  We're doing a combination of this and putting little surprises in the tin like chocolate and stickers.  Other ideas might include inspirational quotes, a little part of the Nativity Story, chocolate, stickers, or clues to where the little gift might be hidden. 

Enjoy and YAY! for the Holiday season!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Holiday Letters - JOY, BELIEVE, HOPE

 

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving and are now ready to get in the full blown Holiday Season!  To start off the wonderful season I wanted to introduce you to my Holiday Collection.  I currently have three letters available "JOY", "BELIEVE", and "HOPE".  I have one of each ready to ship at this time!  I can also do a custom order and mix and match designs and words.  Please check them out at MY ETSY SHOP and to purchase.

I'm currently working on an Advent Wreath that I can't wait to share with you.  I'm trying to finish it ASAP but something always seems to come up!! :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Gotta Make It: Decorated Tin Candle

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared" - Buddha

My baby sister graduated from high school on Friday and it still hasn't quite sunk in.  When my hubby and I met she was only 11 and most of the time that's how I continue to visualize my sis. That is until I got her senior picture in the mail.  Holy Moly!  She looked like she was 27.  I was mixed with emotions.  I know she has to grow up, but I'm always going to remember that once shy little girl.  Maybe its just hard because it makes me realize that I too am growing up.  I've gotten married, had a son, moved to 3 different states, yet I still see myself as being 23.  I'm not sure when it will sink in that I'm just not quite that young anymore. :) 

I'm very proud of her and I know that there are many more adventures to come, but at the same time I remember some of the not so fun adventures and the hard times.  The big sis comes out in me and just wants to be there to protect her from all that junk.  But part of growing up is overcoming all that junk.  If someone had protected me from all the hardships and road bumps and provided me a free ticket, I would not be the woman I am today - far from perfect, but certainly trying to be the best I can be. I give props to my parents for that.  So many 'kids' are being coddled these days and they are not allowing their children to figure it out and learn to work hard to get what they want.  (I could go on in a whole new post about that and the effect on the work force, but I'll try to stay focused for you!).  So I guess I am just going to have to let go, let her enjoy, and just standby for when she reaches out for a helping hand or a listening ear.

I couldn't make her graduation so I sent a little "Care Package" to start college off.  I included this personalized tin candle that I made.  I found a plain tin candle at the DollarTree and used my favorite papers to decorate it. As simple as that!  No "How-To's" needed.  I loved this idea so much that I am thinking stocking stuffers for Christmas!  They could also easily be made into wedding favors, bridal shower favors and even baby shower thank you gifts!  The ideas are limitless...so let that creative side start flowing and go stock up on these tin candles!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Gotta Make It...with the kids: Thank You Card

"There is always, always, something to be thankful for."

We've finally recovered from Christmas and our house is looking pretty plain without all the decorations.  However, all the new toys for our son certainly add more decoration in his mind.  We're going to have to work on some storage solutions for the overflowing baskets of play phones, balls, blocks, books, tools...you name it he seems to have it.  As my aunt puts it - "He's not 'spoiled'...he's 'indulged'".  'Indulged' does not imply that he is brat or rotten.  I like how she thinks...indulge it is. 

My son was indulged this Christmas from every relative we can think of!  For all the indulging done we figured it was best to get our thank you notes out as quickly as possible.  These thank you notes were quick and easy.  I bought a pack of pre-cut cards.  These were purchased at Michaels and came in one pack.  On the front, I used a hand stamp to represent my son's signature.  I embossed it with gold powder.  Then on the back I embossed a "Thanks!" at the bottom.  I then let the lil bugger color and decorate the blue front with stickers.  On the brown back, I wrote the thank you.  I like this idea because it included all of us (and gave the lil bugger a project to do one cold afternoon when we were stuck inside) and it was easy.  There are tons of adorable handmade cards out there, but sometimes they just take too dang long to make...especially when you have a LOT to do! I didn't pretend like Caleb had written the thank you, but he still got to add his special touch...isn't that what its all about? 

Not familiar with embossing?  It is super easy!  All you need is a stamp, embossing ink (near the stamp ink), embossing powder, and a heat source. They are all found in the same section at your craft store (usually).  You pat the stamp onto the embossing ink pad, then stamp your paper.  Cover the stamped area with the emobossing powder.  Shake off the powder.  Then take your heat source (they sell them for about $20) and hover it over the embossing powder.  Before your eyes, in a matter of seconds, it will turn to that finished embossed look.  It really is fun!  Have questions?  Just let me know!

Valentine ideas will be coming soon so stay tuned!  I hope now that the holidays are over you have time to...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Please share any ideas and projects that you did with me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

Gotta Make It: Muffin Gift Box

"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect.  It means you decide to see beyond the imperfections."

I SOOOOO wish I could take credit for this super cute and clever idea...but I can't!  My mom purchased this at a Holiday Bazaar in Washington State and unfortunately the talented  and creative mind behind this didn't leave too much information for me to give her credit.  All I know is her name is Regan Denke and she goes by Ms. Crafty's Creations.  Like I said...I wish I had more info.  She made a tag that said "You're getting...muffin for Christmas!!" and in the inside of the box she included directions for Blueberry muffins along with the mix and some holiday cupcake liners.  The papers she chose are adorable and she used bells on the bottom of the box as little leg stands...how clever!  She gets an A+!!!!

If you've seen an adorable and clever ideas please share and email us at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!!

Gotta Make It...with the Kids: Ornaments

"The Star that led the Wise Men then still shines to guide the hearts of Men."

I'm not much of an "organized group" type of person.  I never did the sorority thing or joined any clubs.  I have nothing against them at all - it just wasn't for me.  I'm not sure why and this post certainly isn't the place to delve into my psyche to figure out why I am the way I am.  However, it does bring me to the point that I forced myself to get out of my comfort zone and try out some "organized groups".  I went to my first MOMS club event today with my son.  I won't go into all the details, but my son had a blast and we made some really cute ornaments that are super easy.  In fact, I am just going to share the pictures, because I am sure you can figure it out from there!  Have fun with the family and get crackin because the countdown continues.....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Ornaments

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away".

Trying to find time to experiment with glass ornaments was not as easy as I thought. Between baking for holiday parties, chasing around my son, trying to keep our house from looking like a tornado zone, and getting ready for guests it was luck if I could squeeze some time in when my son was napping or sleeping.  But thankfully I did because I like how our ornaments turned out...and enjoyed the laughs of the ones that didn't stand a chance. Its a good thing that I had a couple packs because for the four that are actually presentable there were another 5 that weren't.  Don't worry....I'll be sure to share the failures so you can either give me advice or steer clear of my ah-ha moments that were really 'duh -that won't work' moments.

So lets get started with some of the things you'll need:

MATERIALS:

glass ornaments (I had normal round ones and a pack that were flatter on the front and back so its easier to decorate)

matte photo paper and your favorite photos

glitter (I used Martha Stewart glitter and loved it!  The colors are gorgeous and the pictures don't do them the justice.  Worth the extra money)

Spray Adhesive

Krazy Glue

Pen

Round Stickers or blank photo paper/cardstock to cut out circle

tweezers/pliers/wood skewer

ribbon

embellishments

beads/wire

HOW TO:

These directions are for the three ornaments with the picture.  I used the flatter glass ornament on all three of these.

For the beaded ornament I simply applied spray adhesive to a round glass ornament.  I then applied my glitter and shook off the excess.  I took a piece of wire, twisted one end, and added all the gold beads.  I then attached the wire to the top of the ornament by twisting the wire.  I coiled the beaded wire around my finger to give it the spiral effect and then hung it!

So now to the good stuff...the failures.  First failure.  I put stickers spelling "Love" onto the ornament.  Then I applied embossing ink around the ornament and sprinkled the embossing powder on.  Do you see where I am going with this?  If you are familiar with embossing then you know that the next step is to apply very HOT heat.  Well, I guess I forgot my 4th grade science when they teach you that glass is a heat conduit and will quickly burn your fingers...not good.  My thought was to have an embossed ornament and then remove the "LOVE" stickers so that it was clear there.  Not one of my brighter moments.  Failure #2.  I tried the same general idea as above, but just used glitter.  When I removed the stickers, I could hardly tell what it said and it just didn't have the effect I was looking for.  Failure #3.  I cut out a snowflake to use as my cutout around my picture.  I held it over the picture ornament and sprayed the fake snow stuff.  I'm not familiar with the snow stuff....but I found out that it didn't really dry.  As a result...just a complete mess.  Plus when I removed my snowflake cutout, you couldn't even tell what it was.  It would have been neat, but I guess I need more of a froster rather than a fake snow spray.

There you have it...those are some of the best failures.  I am really glad that I took the time to do these ornaments because they really did add that special touch to our tree full of store bought ornaments.  Make  sure you stay tuned because I will have some ornament ideas in the next couple of ideas that you can do with your kids and you don't need the glass ornaments!

If you have any ornament ideas, I would love to hear them and see picture!  Email me at inspiremecraft@yahoo.com

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!

Gotta Make It: Photo Gift Tags

"Every time we love, every time we give, its Christmas"

You'll be so proud of me...we got most of our holiday shopping done this weekend and I even got the presents wrapped.  Although, in the midst of wrapping I realized that my gift tags looked so TACKY!  I went the old school route of using wrapping paper scraps to fold in half, write the name, and slap it onto the present.  And to be honest....writing three names in the "from" portion is just so much more work than one!  So that little brain of mine went to work and came up with the photo gift tag.  The photo gift tags make your gifts so adorable and it took me about 10 minutes to make 15....that is so worth it!  Luckily, I had some of the luggage tags that I love so much.  You might recall that I used them in the Thanksgiving banner (which making one that says Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Peace, Hope, Joy, etc....would be adorable).  So I measured the luggage tag and sized my picture appropriately on the computer.  Use copy and paste to put as many as you can on a page and then print a few pages. I then took my luggage tag and traced the shape around the picture.  I cut out the picture and used spray adhesive to attach it to the luggage tag.  I used the hole from the luggage tag as my guide to punch a hole in the picture, ran my ribbon through it, wrote who the present is for on the back and voila!....you have an absolutely adorable DIY photo gift tag that will not only save you writing who the present is from, but will be a great keepsake for that special gift recipient!

I hope you enjoy the idea and ...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!!!

Gotta Make It: Photo Magnets and Decorated Tins

"Christmas is not in the presents, but in the presence"

Our kitchen table is officially a disaster zone.  I decided I couldn't procrastinate any longer on getting all the presents made if I wanted any chance of being at the post office less than an hour.  I'm not sure if that is possible this time of the year, but I am sure going to try.  So if you are like me and both sides of your family are huge and leave you a zillion aunts, uncles, and cousins to think about for Christmas presents than this is the perfect gift for you to make!  Its inexpensive and relatively quick!

Go to your local craft store and pick up the following:

Small tins (like the Altoid tins) or Already decorated tins (I found the tin in the 3rd picture at the Dollar Tree)
Instant Krazy Glue - Brush On (trust me...the others don't work)
Magnets (I used ProMag - they come in various sizes and are circular)
Clear Marble Accents with a flat side (make sure they are clear.  The best ones I found were at the Dollar Tree....better price and clearer than the ones at Michaels)
Circle Punch or Circle stencil
Favorite Paper, Accents, and Ribbon
Favorite pictures, photo paper, etc

Ok- so now that you have all the supplies lets get going on the How-To's.

1. Using your circle punch or stencil cut out your favorite photos or designs from paper.  (Note:  I glued a plain piece of photo paper to the back of my picture and scrapbook paper to make it thicker and so you wouldn't see the magnet.)

2.  Using the Krazy Glue Brush, apply the glue to the flat side of the marble.  Quickly apply the picture face down to the marble.  This next step is key:  Press down firmly for 30 seconds with your thumb and fingers.  You want to make sure the glue spreads out and that you don't have any bubbles.  I had quite a few that I had to toss because I wasn't doing this step well enough.  You might want to have nail polish remover (to unglue you) near you because this glue is strong and there were a couple of times I thought I glued my fingers together....ooops!

3.  After letting the picture and marble dry for a couple of minutes, take the magnet and apply the Krazy Glue to one side.  Then attach that magnet to the back of the marble.  Hold firmly for 30 seconds and let it set for a couple more minutes.

4.  Voila!  Your magnets are done.

5.  Now decorate your tin. I used spray adhesive to attach my paper to the tin and then Mod Podged the top (I did a couple coats).  I added some ribbon around the bottom of the tin and some embellishments.

6.  Place the magnets in the tin and you have completed one of your gifts...good for you!

Like I mentioned before, if you want to make this a quick present you can find some cute tins at the Dollar Tree.  I purchased the "Paris" tin from there and decided to go with that theme for the magnets so I just used leftover black and white scrapbook paper.  I also used scrapbook paper for the wine magnets and then created my own photos and "I love U" magnets in Microsoft Word.

I hope this idea gets you moving on getting those Christmas gifts all done.  This would make a great stocking stuffer along with presents for all those extended relatives and friends!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Christmas Candy Jar

"Always keep Christmas in your heart"

As the day quickly approaches when our guests will start arriving, I am running around trying to get "organized".  In the process my Christmas Candy Jar developed.  I finally decided to keep my empty spaghetti jars knowing that they will be put to use (...someday).  So after a couple washes in the dishwasher to make sure the spaghetti smell doesn't linger it was ready to go.

I added some of my favorite ribbon, painted a star, attached it (used double sided tape so that I can re-use the jar later) and Voila!  You have a candy jar to store all those goodies you will be receiving for the next month.    But of course there can be more uses!  This would be a great idea for a DIY Christmas gift package.  Add some holiday candy or bake some cookies and give it to that special someone this holiday season.   Or decorate it and place a candle in it for a rustic candle holder.  Let your imagination roll and look around your house to see what you need and ask yourself if that empty spaghetti jar could solve that problem!

This is sooo easy, soooo quick, and soooo cute....so you have to do it!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Have It: Glitter Letters

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air"

We declared after our holiday traveling fiasco last year that we were not traveling this year.  And guess what?  A lot of family is coming to us!  This is my first time hosting a Christmas and to be honest...I'm losing sleep over it.  I keep thinking of all the "To-Do's" and have to constantly remind myself to relax...its not that big of a deal.  But to me it is.  I want it to have a nice Christmas feel, for our guests to be comfortable, for our home to be everyone's home away from home, and to cook a kick-ass Christmas dinner! (this is where my mother would tell me that no boy would want to marry me with a mouth like mine....see - moms aren't always right).

We really haven't accumulated a lot of decorations since we are a young married couple so I am looking for decorations while making sure we have enough sheets, towels, and figuring out how to make a turkey...ahhhh!!!! And keep in mind we are budget conscious.  So not only am I here to share some Christmas ideas, but when I find some good deals I HAVE to share them with you too because I just get so excited.  So in the picture you see my little "JOY" creation.  Two stops - JoAnn Fabrics and Dollar Tree.  The glitter letters are from JoAnn Fabrics and were a dollar each.  They come in gold or silver.  For some reason they were all spread out in our store so I did have to do some hunting to find the letters I wanted, but for that price it was worth it.  The round cranberry wreaths were found at The Dollar Tree.  Now I originally didn't buy these Christmas decorations for this project.  The cranberry wreaths were hanging as just some decoration.  I tried hanging the "JOY" letters with ribbon around one of our windows but it just wasn't working for me.  So that is when I had my ah-ha moment.  You know you get those...you just have to think outside the box.  I took the ribbon and tied it to the cranberry wreaths and voila!  A quick, easy, and inexpensive Christmas decoration.

I'll tell you now.  Go to the Dollar Tree.  Go with out the kids so you can take your time going through there.  There are some great basics that help you make adorable inexpensive gifts (you'll see in the days to come) and decorations that won't break the bank.  Who wants to spend loads of money on decorations that you may change next year?

Until later....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Christmas Cards….made by the kids

"We make a living by not what we get but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

Brace yourselves because today's post takes some major talent.  Done right, you may have a true Picasso on your hands.....and he/she may be as little as 18 months.  As you know, I love projects and have been anxiously awaiting the time when my son was old enough to participate in some with me.  I decided to give it a try.  As of now the most art he does is coloring....and we haven't even mastered that.  We aren't even worried about lines...we're just battling staying on the actual page and not using the walls, table, chairs, floor, etc as his blank canvas. 

So I decided my 18 month old could handle some foam stickers.  The Dollar Tree actually has some great stuff right now including a bag of 300 pieces of foam Christmas stickers, pipe cleaners, and some cotton balls for snow.  All I did was lay out the blank cards, remove the sticker backs and place them on my fingers.  That way he chose the one he wanted and bam!....he put it where his little artistic fingers led him.  Then we decided to attempt the coloring part again.  And what was I thinking?  I let him use glitter markers....it just seemed more Christmas-y.  To my pleasant surprise he stayed on the paper - for the most part.  To finish it off, I wrote "Merry Christmas" and "2007" on the front.

So you really aren't learning anything new and exciting today, but my point is that sometimes simple is just right.  These handmade Christmas cards will be just the right touch in a stocking stuffer for Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and whoever else is important in your child's life.  Let them have fun and be creative...and worry about the mess later.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!   

Gotta Make It: Paper Christmas Tree

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."  ~Roy L. Smith

I'm here, I'm here!  I have been wanting to share some Christmas craft ideas for awhile, but the combination of being out of town for most of November and trying to make our house all "Christmasy" has left me a sparse amount of time to spare.  But now the lil bugger is down for the night (hopefully) and the husband is working late.  Ahhh...peach and quiet!  What more can you ask for?  Maybe a glass of wine to go with that....

So here it goes.  I have been working on this Paper Christmas Tree.  I say "working" because it did take me a few days.   I did it in bits and pieces when the lil bugger was down for naps.  However, if you have some older kids who can help you out you'll finish it in no time!

Here's what you need:

Favorite patterned paper (I chose 5 different ones)
Tree shaped craft Styrofoam (find in floral section of craft store)
Scissors, glue (I used glue gun), ruler, pencil
Stick (smooth and rounded)  Can find at craft store.  Size depends on Styrofoam
Ribbon and other embellishments (optional)
Spray Glitter (optional)
Terra cotta pot (optional)
Small piece of craft styrophoam to put in terra cotta pot (optional)
Glass marbles (optional)

Now the To Do's:

1. I used 8x8 scrapbook paper since my Styrofoam base was relatively small (around 5 inches tall).  I measured and cut it into 2cm wide strips.  I then cut the 2cm wide strips into thirds.  You can adjust the width and length depending on what size styrophoam you choose.  The bigger you go the bigger strips you'll want otherwise this will truly turn out to be a loooonnng  project.  The is the part that takes awhile so if you have kids who are old enough to cut and measure....for goodness sakes get them to work!
2.  Take a cut strip and attach the ends together with glue.  Don't fold it though...you want to keep the other end rounded.
3.Attach the glued ends to the Styrofoam with glue.  Start at the bottom.  Continue this all the way around.  When you finish one layer move up and start on the next level. Indent where you start on each new level.  A few tips:  If you have more than one child helping you on this it would go extremely quickly if you have one gluing the ends together and then the other gluing the finished piece to the Styrofoam. Next tip:  I layed out my 5 different cut papers in piles and lined them up in the order I wanted to attach them. For the most part I used that same pattern.  However, sometimes I came across areas that had too much red or too much green so I did change it up a bit when needed.  So go with what your eye tells you. If it doesn't look right...change it up.

4.  Attach any embellishments.  For example, I added a star to the top along with ribbon hanging down.  I also used a star punch and red scrapbook paper to make "star ornaments" that I glued to the tree.  At the end...spray the tree with some spray glitter to give it that extra ummphh.

5.  You could call it quits here and your paper tree would still 'wow' everyone as a unique Christmas decoration.  But if you want to do it like the picture I show then keep going.....

6.  Take a stick and stab it into the bottom of the tree.  I put a little glue around it with the glue gun to make sure it wasn't going anywhere.  Confession:  The stick I had was too short.  Being lazy and not wanting to go to the craft store again I started looking around the house.  I had a red colored pencil.  So I took it and used it.  It worked out great and I didn't have to paint it or anything!

7.  Put the small piece of Styrofoam into the terra cotta pot.  Take the other end of the colored pencil and stab it into the terra cotta Styrofoam. I once again used the glue gun to make sure it wasn't going anywhere.

8.  Take some glass beads/marbles and put them around the "trunk" of the tree and to cover up the Styrofoam.  You could also use fake snow if you wanted to.

9.  I added a large red ribbon to the terra cotta pot.  If you choose to paint or decorate the pot any other way it would probably be easier to do before step 6.

Well....there you have it.  It really is a fun Christmas craft project and rewarding when you finish.  And who says you have to use red and green?  Use the colors that go with your Christmas home decor and get creative.  Instead of paper star cutouts for ornaments why not use some buttons?  You always get those extra buttons with your clothes...so put them to use!

Anyway, I enjoyed sharing this with you and will be bringing some more.   In fact, go check out the Paper Wreath I just finished!  Until then....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Have it: Unique Christmas Cards

"Everyday is a gift"

Its that time...where your mailbox starts overflowing with Christmas cards and those infamous 2-page letters of all the good things their family has been up to start pouring in  (Well, at least its time to start thinking about what you are sending out). I think this year, I am going to write all the "stupid" things we did...everyone will enjoy that more and definitely get a laugh because we are never short on stories that make fools out of ourselves. But if you are looking for a humorous idea for this Holiday season you can do what we did a couple of years ago.  The title of our card was:

"Top 10 Reasons Why Christmas will be Different for the YOUR LAST NAME Family this Year....."

Have fun with this!  Here are some examples of our 10:

1.  Marty's mishap on the "to be faithful line" in the wedding ceremony was not a Freudian slip and not a cause for annulment.  We are still happily married 9 months later....

2.  Cougs win National Championship...well, at least on PlayStation 2.

3.  Went to St. Croix on our honeymoon and found out that you can replace water with beer and still survive.

4.  Since TyAnne's eating for two, she won't feel guilty going back for seconds thirds at Christmas dinner.

5.  We have been working to take four letter words out of our vocabulary.  Oh....get your mind out the gutter!  We mean words like jerk, dumb, Dawg, Duck. (You'll get this if you're a fan of any Pac-10 teams)

You get the point.  Make them fun, but they still give everyone a hint of whats going on in your life. 

If your looking for more "mainstream" Christmas cards consider checking out finestationery.com and tinyprints.com.  Here are some examples that I love from those two websites.

The following cards are from finestationery.com:

The below darling Photo Christmas cards are from tinyprints.com:

 

OK - I better stop there because I could go on and on. Like I've said before...I LOVE stationery and cards and could get lost on both of these websites FOREVER!  I hope you find something you like!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!!

Gotta Make It: Christmas Ornament & Magnet

"Marriage requires falling in love many times...Always with the same person"

Ok - this is one of my favorite projects lately.  It really did turn out beautiful.  This creative handmade picture ornament is for a wedding gift for our friends.  It has two different purposes.  First, since they are having a winter wedding I decided it would be nice to make them a Christmas ornament for their first Christmas tree together.  And second, I put a magnet on the back so if they want to enjoy it all year round they can put it on their refrigerator.  The magnet also has another purpose... of course!  It holds the actual ornament in place since the container is a tin.  Ok ...this is how we did it.

You'll need:  your favorite paper, tin, ribbon, circle stickers, frame embellishment, stick-on magnet, and any other embellishments, glitter, etc that you might use.  I found everything at a Seattle boutique last time I was home called Packaging Specialties.  It is an absolutely wondeful store and I wish I had one where I live now.

1.  Find some paper and embellishments you love. I've had this beautiful gold and baby blue paper forever waiting for the right project and I finally found it!

2.  Using a plain piece of card stock I traced the bottom of the tin for a template.  I cut out the template and placed it inside the tin to make sure it was the correct size.

3.  Take the template, trace, and cut out two of them on your favorite paper.  ( You could skip the template part if you're only making one, but since I am going to make some for Christmas gifts I decided to use a template to save me time)

4.  Mod Podge one piece of paper to the inside of the bottom part of the tin.  Set aside and let dry.  Mod Podge the second piece of paper to the top outer part and set aside to dry.

5.  Find a ribbon that compliments your design, cut to size, and attach to top of tin. Do another layer of ModPodge and let dry.

6.  Take your circle sticker and stick it on top of the ribbon once the Mod Podge has dried.

7.  Place an embellishment in the middle of the circle.  You could also run the stickers through the printer and make your own design if you are savvy with the computer.

8.  On the inside sticker I used a stamp, embossing ink & powder, and an embossing heater to get the raised gold look of "happily ever after...". Again, you could use your computer or any embellishment there as well.

9.  Find your favorite photo.  Size to fit inside the frame embellishment (these can be found in your scrapbook embellishments section at your craft store).

10.  Tape the photo to the mini-frame on the back.

11.  Take your ribbon that matches the front and glue it to the frame.

12.  Then take a magnet and cut it to size.  I bought some that are business card size and you just remove the protective sticker and then stick it to your item.  They worked great!

13.  Put your ornament into the tin and the magnet will keep it in place.

14. Voila!  All done.

I love this idea because you could use it for almost anything.  For a baby gift or a baby announcement, you could put their picture in it and then on the inside circle sticker you could put their birth weight, height, etc.  This would also be a beatiful and unique wedding favor that would have all your guests talking.  So have fun with this one....

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!