I may have solved (one or two of) your gift giving woes early this year (and for under $5 a pop). I know it is a little early, but I can't resist getting excited for the holidays especially when I saw these adorable paper Christmas Creatures.
You can purchase this print and make-at-home kit online at Mibo(for about $5), and they'll email you a PDF to just print on your color printer. like this:
Not only are these cute and festive, but they can be used as ornaments, name holders at place settings, or craft projects for you and the kids (or just you!).
If you're looking to put the final touches on your Halloween party or even if you're just getting started, there are so many fantastic decorations you can pick up or easily make to ensure your party is a smash. I've done some internet browsing and wanted to share...
Doctor up your wine/soda bottles with these haunted labels from Martha Stewart for Granin Road.
Do you remember any of your childhood birthday parties? If so, do you have a favorite? I honestly don't remember much about mine, but I do have a new favorite. A friend passed along this blog post from BirdDogPress and what Allison did for her son's 3rd birthday party puts those little paper hats from the drug store to shame. With the theme of yellow (his favorite color), she created an entire backyard party with classics and kid favorites like pin-the-tail-on -the-donkey, bubbles, and cupcakes.
I was chatting with a friend about house work this week. She has just returned to work after maternity leave and her stepson just began the schoolyear. Keeping up her house while adjusting to this new schedule has her feeling pretty overwhelmed. Under the misconception that I am some great housekeeper -- I am most certainly not! -- she asked for some advice. Here are my tips for faking a clean house -- you just need 30 minutes to do it.
Continue reading "How to Fake a Clean House (In Just 30 Minutes)" »
Last weekend we threw my dad a party for his 63rd birthday. Nothing fancy just a cookout with friends and family. We served your typical BBQ fare, but one thing I hated was see how much we threw away. Paper plates, plastic cups, napkins, and utensils. Even though you could recycle the plastic, people just tossed it because it made for easy clean up. I've learned while it may be easy to change your habits, it is really difficult to change those of others.
I wish I had seen this complete picnic set from Branch Home earlier. This is a complete biodegradable party kit for 50 people (which means it will be enough for a big party or get you through the rest of the summer impromptu cookouts with ease. The kit contains: plates, bowls, and trays made from bagasse (a fiber from sugar cane), utensils
made from potato starch, cups (see below),
recycled-paper napkins, and a few compostable waste bags for easy
cleanup. Everything in this set is biodegradable.
I've used these plates and utensil before and they are great and extremely durable. You can get the entire kit for about $50 -- so that is about a dollar a guest. Not only will you be thanked for hosting the party but you'll appear extra chic to have thought of Mama Earth too.
Maybe it is a child's birthday party, an office celebration, or just tonight's dessert -- not much can top serving cake and ice cream as far as pleasing a crowd. But inevitably, the service of the treat is less than delicious. You know the line of people with plate in hand waiting for their slice of cake or scoop if mint chip soon accumulates. Meanwhile, you have ice cream all over your hands and are debating a trip to the ER for a potential wrist stress fracture from the still frozen-hard dessert.
Continue reading "Entertaining Tip: Serving Cake and Ice Cream" »
Photo by Domino magazine
I don't know about you, but I have about one million presents to wrap between now and Christmas day. Yikes! And even though the gift-giving has been scaled down significantly, I'd still like to present them in way that suggests the thoughtful process taken to choose them. Here are my favorite ways to wrap.
Our Christmas tree ornaments are totally hodge-podge, and most of the other decorations around the house are hand-made from greenery (check them out here), so most of the "theme" color is found on wrapped presents. Last year, I thought pear green was the bee's knees, and this year I can't get enough of the combo of red and pale blue.
A solid roll of red and blue did the trick, and I've added pattern with a blue-red-brown plaid paper and by using patterned ribbon (the blue paper can be found here, and I picked up the red at Target). I always stick to paper without seasonal motifs so that what doesn't get used in December can be used throughout the year. That said, a candy-cane stripe is pretty hard to pass up!
I love to tie double-faced satin ribbon around my gifts. A simple bow (just like tying a shoe!) is all it needs, and my favorite is by Paper-Source. Sounds expensive, you say? Well, I have a dirty little secret. In many cases, I gather the ribbon after gifts have been reopened and take it home to use again next year. Tacky? Maybe, so I reserve this little nuance of my personality for close family (okay, so maybe a couple close friends, too), and hope that the rest of my recipients will appreciate the pretty embellishment enough to hang onto it as well.
Photo by Courtney Barnes
I am especially loving blogger Courtney Barnes' (of the blog Style Court) suggestion of tying gifts with fabric trim, like this fabulous Greek Key. A special treat for any lover of decor. Check your local fabric shops for more options -- I even spotted Greek Key at Wal-Mart recently.
Photo by Courtney Barton
Next, you'll want a pretty tag. Personally, I prefer a tag that hangs as opposed to a sticker. Simple, kraft paper tags are great, and can be used year-round. Personalize with a marker or rubber stamp for an added touch. Over sized tags (like Courtney's, above) can make enough of a statement that you may not even have to wrap the gift, just embellish the tag with greenery or extra ornaments.
And don't you just love that red and white string? Find some here.
Check out more creative ways to wrap in our Genius Gift Wrap Guide.
I've never considered myself a "crafty" person. I certainly have crafty aspirations, and I'm always looking at things in stores and thinking "I could make that. No WAY am I paying that much for it," but I'm mostly talk and dreaming, and very little action. Until now!
This is our first Christmas in our first house, so I wanted to go all-out to make it special. But our budget had other plans, so I set to work to find interesting, festive ideas that would be easy on the wallet. The moss wreath (above) definitely inspired an "I can make that" moment, and I decided to make it happen.
So, it was off the craft store. I bought an 18-inch straw wreath form and two packages of preserved sheet moss (though fresh sheet moss, or almost any other kind would do). I found some directions that suggested using wire floral pins to secure the moss, but I had a surplus of 20-gauge floral wire at home and decided I could "make it work" Tim Gunn-style by hijacking my husband's wire cutters.
After preparing my workspace (aka the dining room table) by disassembling a paper grocery bag, I set to work. I cut the floral wire into four pieces and then folded each piece in half so they functioned just like a pin. I started with large pieces and pined until my fingers turned blue, then filled in around the edges with smaller bits. After I was satisfied, I used a hot glue gun to reinforce any places that seemed loose.
Ta-da! I saved a little by opting out of wrapping it with ribbon, but did splurge in buying pretty double-faced satin ribbon to hang it. One small nail just under my ceiling is holding up just fine.
Total Cost: Around $15 (excluding the ribbon). I probably could have saved some had I not bought preserved moss, but I'm glad I did as we should be able to use it again next year once it's safely put away.
Tip: If you're using live moss, remember to mist it with water every few days to keep it looking fresh. If you'd like, you can remove the moss after the holidays and place it on a rock outside. With a little watering, it should reattach itself and would be ready to use again next year.
See that fresh garland? I made that too -- and so can you!
After we bought our Christmas tree at a local lot, we asked to take home any extra cuttings they had. This particular lot was also selling garland and wreaths, so they didn't have much, but on a tip from a blog friend, I knew that I could find some more at big-box hardware stores like Lowe's or Home Depot. Sure enough, dear husband came back from his (seemingly-weekly) Saturday morning trip to Lowe's with a car load of Fraser Fir branches. I bet his car still smells like Christmas.
Did I mention that they were FREE?! Oh yes, f-r-e-e my friends, all he could carry. You would have thought he came home with diamond earrings, I was so excited. Once again, I set to work (this time in the middle of the living room floor). Using that plethora of floral wire I told you about, I trimmed the branches and made little bundles, securing them with wire. Then I placed them together, using the next bunch to cover the wire, and wired them together.
I had enough to make a super-long garland that I put around our front door (wrapped in white lights, of course!), the smaller piece on top of the TV cabinet (or, as I like to call it, my mantle) and I'm going to attempt a wreath for the front door this weekend.
Total Cost: Around $3.00 (for three packages of 20-gauge floral wire from Wal-Mart)
Tip: If using fresh garland or wreaths, mist occasionally with water to keep it from drying out. And if the delicious smell begins to fade, crush a few branches with your fingers to release the scent again.
My last project is one I accidentally stumbled upon last year. Husband and I had been married about six months, and were trying to carve a home out of a 1940's apartment with leaky sinks and more hand-me-down furniture than I ever thought I'd see. Needless to say, I was going through my fair share of white matte spray paint trying to make things look cohesive.
I wanted to add some subtle Christmas cheer to our bedroom when I found myself in the middle of a 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby. I loved the simplicity of these mini grapevine wreaths and knew a little spray paint would really make them chic. It took about 30 seconds to give it a light coat and two more minutes to hang it over a mirror with a bit of ribbon from my stash.
This year, I brought my tiny wreath into the living room, gave it a mate and hung them from the curtain rods of two windows. I think I like it even more this year!
Total Cost: Around $5.00 (for two wreaths and a can of white matte spray paint -- though any color would do).
Happy Holiday Crafting!
I dont know what it is about the holidays but it always seems to make me nostalgic with childhood memories.
One thing I remembered today was making these orange cloves around christmastime. I remember making these at the beginning of December and they smelled great for weeks.
Here's a great idea I found from SupremeSpice to make a cute ribbon-tied orange clove.
And here's a tip I learned today: If you pierce the orange skin with a skewer first, and then push the cloves in, it will save you some sore fingers and prevent the clove bud (where all the good smelling stuff is) from being crushed.
Look on Instructables.com for tips on making your own orange cloves.
You can place your cloves over a warm lamp to diffuse the scent throughout your house!
What are your favorite christmas craft ideas! Let us know and we can share your ideas!
Christmas is officially here!
This season, save some money on gift tags by downloading them for free from MyHomeIdeas!
We have 12 different gift card options to choose from. Browse through them all and choose the one that suits your style!
All you have to do is pick your favorite tags and click the link to download the PDF to your computer. Print them out on a heavy paper like cardstock and carefully trim off the edges. Attach the card to your gift for a cheery and personal touch. It's the perfect final touch on the gifts for those you care most about.
