Peppermint Christmas!

Peppermints and candy canes are one of my favorite Christmas icons to decorate with.  I have managed to get my own Christmas tree to decorate however I want! For the past couple years it has been peppermint themed!

 I wanted something with big impact for the tree, but small impact on my wallet : )  So I came up with these big peppermints made from felt.  I actually made these a couple years ago for a garland, so I don't have step by step pictures; but they are easy and I have the peppermint pattern you can download!   These are made just like a pillow.

NO SEW Giant Peppermints:

1. Trace the pattern to make 2 white felt circles.

2.  Trace and cut the red felt pieces.  You'll need 8 red pieces per peppermint (front and back.)

3.  Hot glue (or fabric glue, or sew if you choose,) the red swirly pieces to the circles.

4.  Place the 2 circles right sides together and hot glue (or fabric glue, or sew) the edges together leaving a small opening to stuff with batting.

5.  Turn right side out, fill with batting and glue or sew opening shut.

6. Use clear cellophane to wrap the candy and tie the ends with some ribbon.  

 I also made these giant lollipops and added them to the tree.   I just took some styrofoam circles and painted different candy designs on each one.  I used a ruler and pencil to draw my design first, then added the paint.  I thought the Styrofoam was really easy to paint.  Then I hot glued a wood dowel into the circle, wrapped each one in clear cellophane, and tied some ribbon to secure it.  

I tucked pieces of red tulle into the tree and have some glittery red and silver ornaments on it.  I would have candy canes all over it too, but they don't last with my little ones : )   The little Santa suit ornaments are my newest - I couldn't pass them up!

I hope you're having a great Holiday Season so far!

Fresh pine and Burlap swag

My awesome father-in-law brought us a tree he cut fresh from some family property.  (3 years in a row - he's the best!)  I love real trees!  I prefer quirky ones that are cut in the wild.  I love the imperfections that really give them character and make them look so genuine.  Last years tree even had pine cones all over it!  There's always some branches at the bottom that we need to cut off and I can't ever just throw them away!  So they sat in our garage for a few days, then I walked past them for like the 10th time and it finally clicked!  I could make a swag to replace the wreath I have been feeling bored with on the front door.

 I bunched the branches to my liking and wired them together.

Then I formed a 5 inch wide strip of burlap into a bow like shape and used some jute and Christmas ribbon to tie it on.

 I cut the ends of the burlap and ribbon into that V shape that makes it look nice and finished. (Fold in half, cut at an angle on the fold.)

 Here's what it looks in the back.  I just used the red and green ribbon to hang it.

 I got some clear command hooks, and they work awesome!

 Ta-da!  I love how it turned out!

Pine and burlap are such a good combination!  Well... I tend to think burlap and anything is a good combination : )

Student Desk Makeovers

I'm developing an obsession with old school items; desks, maps, globes, old student chairs, chalkboard anything!  I found these student desks in great working order at a surplus auction site.  They were $2 a piece!  (I have since seen a few at thrift stores too.) I wanted to cover the tops with something awesome, so after lots of searching....

Here's the quick and easy process:
1. Clean with a good degreaser.

 2. Paint the edges (optional:)  Or let the 4 year old paint the edges (also optional: ), in her nice clothes because somehow it seems easier to buy new clothes that take 1 minute for her to change.  (We were lucky with this one-no clothing casualties.)

2b.  Please forgive my photography skills, she's obviously the fastest painter ever.  So it was nearly impossible to get a good shot with her in action : )

3. Mod podge the top and place chosen paper carefully.  Use a credit card or something similar to press out any bubbles.  This was the trickiest part.  Let that dry and then flip it upside down to cut away the overhang.

4.  Sand all the edges to get the perfect fit!

5. Finish with 2-3 coats of Mod podge.  This part was scary on the first one because it bubbled all over while the Mod podge was wet.  This is the biggest thing I have Mod podged so I didn't know or forgot it did that.  But don't worry!  It lays flat and smooth once it's dry.  Just as a precaution though I was totally using a rolling pin to smooth it out when it was dry to the touch.  I don't know if that was necessary : )

See?!  Nice and smooth! 
I really want to buy a whole pile of desks just to try all kinds of re-do's.  Paint, stencils, chalkboard paint, photos, kids art, wrapping paper (so many cute ones out there.)   I'd also like to use them as nightstands, sofa tables, grouped together for a big art station.  Too much?  Probably!
For now my 3 oldest each have their own homework station, and we are loving them! 

Printed burlap pillow

This is my new favorite craft discovery!  Printing onto burlap right from my home printer! 

Simply cut the burlap and a piece of freezer paper to 8.5 x 11, iron the burlap to the freezer paper and run through your printer.  Pull off the freezer paper and it's ready to use.  The design I did here was for my sister's bridal shower gift.   I made this into a pillow.

First  measure and cut the fabrics according to the pillow size you want, then lay them out to see how it will look (remember a seam allowance when measuring):

Then sew two of the sides onto the burlap piece:

Then sew the remaining two sides:

Then onto the back.  To make an envelope opening,  cut two pieces of fabric the same height as the front of the pillow, but about 4 inches longer in width:

 Hem the two edges that overlap.  Lay them on top of the pillow front, right sides together and lining up the edges.  Pin in place:

Sew around all four sides. Turn right side out and it's ready for the pillow insert.  Mine is 16x16 inch pillow.

Ta-da!  Seriously this was a quick and fun project!  I've got to make a couple for me now!

Mummy Halloween treats

Halloween is my favorite time to try new treats because messy and imperfect only adds to the Halloween look!  (Kind of like not dusting for the whole month of October : )  I had to try out some cake pops. 

Have you tried making cake pops?  Way easier than I thought!  What you need for these cute mummy pops:

1 cake mix, baked and cooled

1 16oz. ready made frosting

 White candy melts

White chocolate chips

M&M minis

Lollipop sticks

Styrofoam block

1. Once the cake is cooled, crumble into a large bowl or Bosch/Kitchen aid.

2. Add about 3/4 of the frosting container and mix until it forms a "dough."

3. Roll into 2 inch balls and place on wax paper.

4. Melt the candy melts until smooth (must be candy melts for this;  white chocolate chips are too thick and Almond bark is too thin.)

5. Dip one end of the lollipop sticks into the melted candy melts and insert into each cake ball about halfway.

6. Chill uncovered for several hours in the refrigerator or about 15 minutes in freezer.  They need to be firm but not frozen.

7. Roll each pop in the melted candy melts until covered.  Tap and rotate carefully on the bowl to drip off excess.

8. Place mini M&M's  for the eyes.

9. Insert into a Styrofoam block to dry.
10.  Melt white chocolate chips now for mummy wrappings.  (Thicker works well for drizzling.) Drizzle over each pop using a Ziploc with the corner cut, or a squeeze bottle.

Done!  See what I mean about messy and imperfect?  They really turn out so cute!

As long as we're talking mummy's;  I made these fun mummy juice boxes for a Halloween party.

They are cheap, fast and easy!  What you need:

Juice boxes, white crepe paper ( I only used 1 roll,) googly eyes, tape, glue gun.

 

Pull off the straws, we'll tape them back on later.  Fold crepe paper over 3 or 4 times and punch a hole for the straw.

Tape onto the top of the juice box, matching your punched hole with the straw spot of course : )

Tape the end of  the crepe paper onto the juice box and just wrap and twist until it looks mummified.

 

Hot glue googly eyes, re-tape the straw to the back and they are ready to go! 

Happy Halloween!

Burlap, and book page pumpkins

My fake pumpkins and  gourds needed a make over for my neutral piano display.  Book pages are a favorite of mine lately.  Burlap, can't go wrong!  And I covered two with a black and white chevron Washi tape.

Cut the burlap into strips that are narrow at each end.  Mod podge under and over.

Same with the book pages.

It works well in smaller pieces too, for a little different look.

I didn't take any pictures doing the black and white Chevron washi tape.  Honestly I wasn't sure they would look good, but I really like them!  They look great on my piano!  See how I made the SPOOKY banner here.

SPOOKY banner

This is my "mantle" display.  We don't have a fireplace but I love all the mantle displays I see all over.  I decided to just use my piano for a Halloween mantle display.

  How to make the SPOOKY book page banner.  

Then punch holes in the tops and string with jute or ribbon and hang!

I love how this turned out!