Santa napkin holder

So here we are, the time is speeding by. Christmas is right around the corner, and we are frantically trying to get everything done.
STOP and take a breath. We need to enjoy this time of year. Instead of getting crazy, get happy!
Make a list, check it twice. Not to see who is naughty or nice, but to check that we are not forgetting anything. Then sleep peacefully and wake to another fun day of getting ready for the most fun time of the year!
I made these cute napkin holders that I told my guests that they were welcome to take home as gifts. Simple and easy and quick. You can make a ton and give away. My mom gave me the pattern and the supplies which I just found hidden amongs my other Christmas stuff this year as I was searching for something else. Thanks mom, we love you and miss you, but are carrying on many of your traditions for this time of year. xoxoxoox

Today project is:
Santa Napkin Holder
you will need:
white felt
pink felt
red pompons
green sequines
red napkins
tacky  glue

(Again, I'm very frustrated about my pictures getting tipped over.

ArG!)

Anyway, The strip across the top is 7 inches. and the bottom of the beard to the top of the strip is about 6 inches.

So make your own pattern, the beard is not an exact science. Then cut a hole for the eyes and nose.

You will glue the pink square behind the 'hole' for the eyes. Use Tacky Glue, it works best.

Then glue eyes and nose onto the front.

Then when dried, bring the flaps together in the back and staple it together.

Slip a red napkin into the back and VOILA you have a cute santa napkin holder.

 

tip of the day:

When you get Christmas cards, rip off the return address label from the envelope, that way you have a record of who sent you cards. You can then make sure those people get a card from you.

 

Happy Christmas preps....

:D

 

 

 

happy Thanksgiving

Well, it's that time again...
The year has zipped by, where were we?? So many things have happened this past year.
Life has brought us to the holidays, and are we ready? I am! (hee hee)
Sorry, not to gloat, but I've been stashing away gifts and looking forward to this time of year, for 11 months.

I love Christmas...everything about it (except snow and cold).
I love thinking about others, what they might like, I see things throughout the year, and buy goodies or better yet...make things (when I hear a hint about what my dear ones might like).
I love to looke forward to the look on their faces when they open a gift that is especially made for them.
And the funny thing is, I end up with more than I thought (sort of life's 'lay away').
But that's okay. Here it is Thanksgiving. So many activities surrounding the holidays, and so many crafts to try. Every magazine has tons of ideas, recipes and things to do.

Today's project is a simple one that focuses on the Thanksgiving table. A simple napkin holder. But creating an addition to the festivities is always fun. This picture is just plain cardboard. YOU have to find that special paper with special prints to accent your table.

LEAF NAPKIN HOLDER

Find double sided card stock, or use a gift box (you get from the dollar store) and glue decorative paper on the plain side.

Draw and cut out the  1/2 leaf shape onto each end of a long rectangle. Make sure you cut the two slits (on opposite sides) to connect the ends together. When you attach the ends, it will make a maple leaf. (right now, it looks like a spiky dachshund with two heads, ha ha)

This is a fun, quick and funtional craft that adds a handmade touch to the holiday dinner.
That way you are contributing to the day, even if you are not the chef!

IF you are traveling, be safe! Have fun and stop every once in a while, breathe and enjoy!!!!

tip of the day:
Soup is great this time of year. And most of the leftovers you have from dinner, can be combined into a great soup. V-8 is a great base for soup, add some chicken broth and throw in the veggies and turkey pieces.  Freeze it for future frosty days. (remember to leave 1/2" space in the container for freezing bloat.). We might not eat so much, knowing that our yummy leftovers will be enjoyed later.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
:D

ribbon roses

My oldest daughter (by 1/2 hour of her twin sister) is getting married in 2 weeks.
We are all so excited, it's hard to contain the happy atmosphere that surrounds her right now.
You can't help but smile when you see her face.

I did a lot for her sister's wedding back in 2004 (happy anniversary Bets!, eight years, whoa!)
from bouquets to table decorations, etc., but this time I am living 4 hours away. And it's not MY show.
It's tough to let other people take over, and I feel like I'm in the "outer" circle for the first time and being the mother of the bride, I have learned to just let it go.  Hard? yes.   Impossible? no.
Danzy, this effort is for you!

I did snag the flower job: bouquets, boutonnieres & corsages. So I have to revisit my previous job of choosing flowers, buying flowers, wiring flowers, preparing flowers, making flowers, then cooling off flowers three days ahead of time so they don't wilt and all my effort is for naught! Ah, the pressure!

Well, Dana showed me a quick and easy way to make little ribbon flowers. So this week's project is:

Ribbon Flowers

You will need:
satin ribbon, 3/4" - 1" wide
needle and thread

I used a different width of ribbon for demo to make it easier to view:

take about 24" of ribbon and toward the middle make a right angle fold. You will then fold the 'bottom' ribbon over this fold. You will continue with the other side until you have folded about 10 times.

You will be folding (at right angles) over the previous fold.

When you have your ten folds, pinch the corner of the bundle and let go of the top side (right hand side)

The ribbon bundle will pop out, but just keep pinching tightly so the whole thing doesn't fall apart, and with your free (right) hand pull gently the ribbon that is hanging down.

The rose should start to bunch up and start forming a flower shape. If this doesn't work to your satisfaction, just unravel and start again.

Some ribbons work better than others, and some widths work better than others. We tried with the 2" demo ribbon in the beginning, and it was too big to form a nice rose.

Once you have a nice rose shape, take your needle and thread and sew the bottom ribbon part together so it doesn't unravel.

tip of the day:
If you want to keep your towels as dry as possible, (perhaps you live a moist climate and have trouble drying things out)  try this tip:
Use a small washcloth in the shower (or bath) after you are finished and wipe off with this small towel first. After you have blotted down you will be surpised how much water you can squeeze out of this little washcloth. So think of all this moisture going into your bath towels that have to struggle to dry out.
My hubby gave me this tip, cuz in the army they gave the guys a little washcloth and one SMALL towel.

That's all for this week!
:D

Light 'er up!

I love making new things from old stuff!

Thanksgiving is over, and now we all start thinking about Christmas. Well, those of us who love to make our gifts and decorations better get busy, if you haven't already.  Here's a project that anyone can do, even kids, if they are old enough to hit a nail with a hammer, and not their fingers.

For that 'country' Christmas feel, it's nice to use everyday items instead of buying expensive decorations. And you get the satisfaction of recycling and making something yourself. Like this one...

Project of the day:

Tin Can Luminaries

You will need:
~empty (clean) tin cans (any size will work)
~hammer
~large nail with a large head (easier to hit, and makes bigger holes)
~towel

This project needs a couple of days preparation. You will need to start collecting your empty tin cans (not aluminum pop cans), of course. I found some canned corn that comes in a can that has gold colored metal on the inside. This makes the candle really glow. The cans can be any size, large chili cans down to small tomato paste cans and everything in between.

Then when you have several empty cans and they are washed thoroughly, and the labels have been taken off...you need to fill them with water to about 1" from the top. Put these in your freezer overnight until frozen solid. It is a good idea to put several in the freezer at the same time. That way you can alternate the hammering part. I'll explain that later...

After the water has frozen in the can, take it out and lay it on a bunched up towel. You want to make a 'nest' for the can, so it does not roll away as you hammer. It can be slippery. Also the towel will absorb any melting water. Don't do this project on your lovely glass top coffee table, or your bouncy couch. A hard surface is best.

You can make a pattern or just random holes. Random is best, don't be too fussy.
Keep in mind that the candle's light will show through these nail holes. So you don't want to just dent the can, you want to puncture the metal, and punch into the ice.  Older kids (especially boys) love this project because they can hammer, hammer, hammer away. It would be nice to send them outside if the weather permits.

The ice inside will keep the can from caving in when you bang on it. But after a little while, you will find the ice starts to melt (on the larger cans), so put this can back in the freezer and take out another one, and start hammering again.  If you get tired, leave the cans in the freezer for another time.

You will keep making holes all around the can, starting at the top and working downward. Now keep in mind, if you plan on using real candles, don't puncture holes too close to the bottom of the can. You don't want any wax oozing out. But on the other hand, you don't want a row of holes around the top only, you will not be able to see the candlelight at the bottom very well. Especially if you are using tall cans.
When you are done, leave the cans in the sink or bathtub so the rest of the ice can melt.

You can line your walk with these luminaries, and since they are metal, you can use real candles if you wish.  You can also make a nice centerpiece for your table, but if you do, I would use battery powered fake candles. The Dollar store sells them, as well as most other places now. They won't heat up the can, the table surface, or leave wax anywhere.

tip of the day:
IF you have a  paper shredder at home, which more and more people do have, start saving all those little paper pieces. AND throw in some green and red papers (construction paper, magazine ads, etc.) for some festive colors.  You can use these in your Christmas gift wrapping. Even if the item is not fragile, it looks much more special when surrounded with 'frou-frou' papers.  You are renewing and reusing. These are also great if you have to mail gifts to those far away friends and family. Pack them in your shreddings~and keep recycling!

That's all for today!
Dee

Punkin' head

I love making new things from old stuff

Hi!
Well, things around here are looking very Halloweenie!
My neighbor and BFF Gianna was wavering between being a dragon and a knight.  So cute! I love to help out with costume dilemmas! I gave Allie, her mom, an old blouse that was silver and sparkly for her knight's chain maille cowl. And found G's dragon costume at a resale shop. Afterward I had my favorite Kindergartner Gianna over to help me with this great, simple holiday project. I found it in Family Fun magazine, and embellished it.

Today's project is:

Jar Pumpkins

You will need:
~old jars, no lids (labels off)
       pickle, olive, jelly, etc.
~orange paint (acrylic or tempera)
~green raffia, green silk leaf
~votive candle or battery candle
~painter's tape, or masking tape

To remove the labels, I soak a paper towel and wrap around the jar. Let it stand for a few hours, re-wetting periodically. The label should come off easily. You can use a single edge razor blade to scrape off any remainder.

Cut eye, nose and mouth pieces from the tape and adhere to the dry, clean jar.

Paint over the whole thing, on the outside. Not the bottom, but do the top edge.

When it dries, remove the tape to reveal the face. I sprayed it with fixative to help keep the paint from scraping off, but you don't need to do this, if you are careful with surface.

Take the green raffia and wrap around the top several times, and tie securely. Take a leaf and glue gun it to the raffia. (optional).

Put the candle or battery operated candle in and let the punkin' glow! The painting part is so easy, any age can do it. Gee had a ball, and loved her pumpkin family (she made four different sizes). These look great on the front porch steps, or grouped on the fireplace mantel.

tip of the day:
If you ever buy a cake or pie or veggie tray and it has a sturdy plastic lid, don't throw it away. Take off the paper. This is great for using under a large planter pot to catch the excess watering.  I have used these for a salad or casserole that I am taking to a potluck, and don't care if I get the container back.  It holds candy for Halloween trick or treaters and lots of other uses. Be creative and recycle!
that's all for today!
Dee

You "CAN" do this!

I love making new things from old stuff!
 I gave a party a couple of weeks ago, and wanted to use a harvest theme.
So I decorated my hanging light with canning jars with lights in them.
And I made an awesome: Can-da-lier !

Today's project is:

CANNING JAR DECORATIONS

You need:

~canning jars (used is fine)

~leaves (go out and gather)

~spray paint (autumn colors)

~rims for the jars (not lids)
~small battery powered "fake" votive candles
~wire, 20 or 24 gauge (black preferred, but any color will do)

If you don't have a hanging light, or ceiling fan to use for hanging these candle holders, don't bother cutting the wire into the long lengths.

I gathered some leaves and spray painted them (outside on newspapers). Let these dry.

Then cut different lengths of wire. Some were about 20" others were about 30" and sizes in between.
These measurements are not critical. Bend the wires in half, and place each end on the outside of the jars. Then screw on the rims, catching the wires inside. I left some wire extending below the rim, so I could bend it upwards, for added strength.

I added a small wire to the leave stem, and stuck through the leaf, and bent it around the wire near the jar tops. (this works best with a finer gauge wire, i.e. 24 or above)
You can make a leaf garland by using twine or raffia and attaching these leaves along its length. I didn't have time to make one, so I used a garland from the Dollar store.

Then I hung up the wires from my light, and added the fake votive candles. I first used real candles, but since the jars are at an angle, the wax melted off to one side, the flame went out, and left a big mess inside the jar. But if you are using these on a table top, you could certainly use real votives. I like the small ones with the metal bottoms, to catch the melting wax. No mess in the jars. You can scatter some of your painted leaves on the table, around the jars also, for a real autumn look.
(I used the garland idea here, because I wanted to drape it around and hanging down from the light. But next time, I think I'll make some for the table top also, and scatter the leaves around. I LOVE LEAVES ! )

I received very many compliments on this and really love the look of
Country- Canning Jar- Decor!

Another great idea came from my friend Bonnie McAskin (Sierra Candles). She took these jars (with the rims on), added a base that was a candleholder, and sells them as "Hillybilly Wineglasses". They are a riot. And would go perfectly with the 'canning jar decor'. Here's her contact info. if you'd like to purchase some: bmcaskin@comcast.net

tip of the day:
For those of us contact wearers, it seems we always have a couple extra cases lying around. If you don't wear contacts, perhaps you know someone who does, and you can use one of their extra cases.
These little babies make perfect spice containers.
Fill one side with pepper, one side with salt.  OR one side with salt and one with sugar. Hey...any spices you like will do!
But be sure you use the screw-on tops, as the flipper tops may pop open (what a mess that would be).
So if you are picnicing or packing a lunch or taking a road trip with yummy traveling food, you may need a little seasoning to go!

That's all for today!
Dee