Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

1.29.2014

Crafting with an insomniac

It is 5 am and i have yet to go to sleep , thank you chest pain and heart palpitations for reuniting me with my good friend insomnia! Instead of wowing you with a 5 am selfie starring my lions mane and golf ball sized eyes I figured I'd spare you all and share a tutorial for my fav DIY gift: personalized wreaths
                

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What you'll need:

twig wreath
artificial flowers 3 large or 2 large and 2-4 small 
wooden letter or word of your choice
acrylic paint
wire
burlap ribbon 
glue gun

                            
Step 1: Cut down flowers so that the stems are long enough to pierce through the wreath and leave about 1/2 inch sticking out 
Step 2: Paint your letter or word with a color that pairs well with your flower choices. A neutral tan is a good choice because it goes well with most color schemes and keeps that rustic feel
Step 3: While your painted letter is drying start assembling your wreath with the flowers. Stick the stems through the twigs in an arrangement that is visually appealing. The stems of fake flowers will be secured by the twigs so there is no need for glue of anything for this step
Step 4: Glue small pieces of fabric (I use pieces of burlap ribbon) and wire together then glue to fabric wrapped wire to the back of your letter or word
Step 5: thread wires through the twigs of your wreath and twist in the back to secure your letter to the wreath
Step 6: create a bow if you'd like and thread wire through the back of the bow and twist into twigs just like you did with the letter








and there you have it , the perfect gift for any occasion and a quick project to beautify your front door:)What crafty projects have you been working on lately?
While your here check out the Beauty Bag Swap Kayla and I are hosting! Its a fun way to meet new bloggers and score some new polishes ! Help us make our first swap successful by sharing our button on your blog :)
JOIN US!

12.22.2013

Christmas Cheer .. Cookies and DIY gifts


CHRISTMAS COOKIE EXTRAVAGANZA:

This years cookie tins were filled with Cranberry Bliss Bar copy cats ( I wish Starbucks sold them all year long!), Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies,Lemon Ricotta Cookies, and Mint Oreo cookie balls.The Recipe for Starbucks Copy Cat Cranberry Bliss Bars can be found here . They turned out so good! The only thing I would recommend is using some sort of triangle cookie cutter to help you achieve uniform sizes.







These Chocolate Chip Cookies use a package of instant vanilla pudding which keeps the cookies light and airy. I used red and green chips just to keep with the Christmas theme.







These are quite possibly the best cookie/candy combo I've ever tried! Simplicity, Oreos, Chocolate and Cream Cheese.....nuff said!


Ingredients: 
15 regular Oreos
15 mint Oreos
1 package of softened cream cheese (8 oz)
2 packages of melting chocolates -2 flavors
( I used dark -mint chocolate and candy cane white chocolate )

Instructions:
1.Crush Oreos in a food processor of by placing them in a ziplock bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
2. Mix the cream cheese with the Oreo crumbs
3. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls
4. Place balls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for an hour
5.Melt which ever type of chocolate you will you use for dipping. Dip the tops of the balls in chocolate
6. Refreeze for 30 minutes
7. Melt the second type of chocolate and place in a piping bag . If you don't have one you can pour the melted chocolate into a zip lock bag and cut off one of the corners
8. Drizzle tops of Oreo balls with chocolate
9. Keep in freezer until ready to serve

                             



The recipe for my cousin Nicole's delicious Lemon Ricotta Cookies an be found on my Foodie Friday post from a few weeks ago. My family just loves these!
My mom and I tackled four types of cookies and 2 days of baking and we've got 17 tins all ready to roll :) I hope all of you have been enjoying the holiday season! What is your favorite tradition?
Hope ya'll have a great holiday!

Sharpie Mugs Tutorial

The past week since I've been back from Texas has been going really well. I have been working on my home treatment program on a daily basis and my symptoms have been slowly improving. This weekend I was able to do a few of my favorites...crafting and baking. I've been wanting to try the "Sharpie Mug " project ever since I pinned it on Pinterest a few months ago. A few weeks back my blogging friend Tearsa posted a tutorial with a few hints and tricks to achieving the perfect mug. I bought these plain white mugs at the dollar store and the Sharpie Paint Pens for just $3 at the craft store. I added a fancy candy cane and a pack of hot coco and voila a cute little DIY gift to go with the Christmas cookies.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash mugs
2.Find a pattern or design that you like and use an Oil-Based Sharpie Paint Pen to create your masterpiece
3. Bake mugs at 350 for 30 min after the mugs are completely cooled bake for another 30 minutes to ensure that the paint adheres to the cup
                         Here are a few of my completed mugs . Which one do you love?
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