Scrap Fabric Wreath for the Nursery

A few months ago I found a great idea on Pinterest for a scrap fabric wreath that I knew would be perfect for Olivia's room. We had lots of extra fabric scraps from the beautiful quilt my mom made for Olivia and needed to use them up. This project was inexpensive (the fabric scraps were essentially free and the wreath frame was only about $5) and the wreath was fairly easy to make. It took me a couple of weeks to finish the project since I only had 20-30 minute intervals to work on it while Olivia napped. Here are a few pictures of the finished wreath...

I love how this wreath turned out and it looks adorable in the nursery hanging above Olivia's crib!

Homemade Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub

A few weeks ago my mom found a really easy recipe in a magazine for making homemade sugar scrub for your hands. We have always been a fan of the Mary Kay Satin Hands products and this sugar scrub seemed very close and would cost us at least half the price to make it on our own. This scrub is only a few ingredients and easy to make and would make a fantastic gift for family or friends. This jar of the scrub was made for my best friend Laura to thank her for taking such amazing pictures of our family over the past few months.

 

Here is the recipe and directions for making the homemade sugar scrub:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 2-3 drops of Vitamin E oil
• 3-5 drops of lemon essential oil (or any fragrance you like)
• 16 oz glass container with a lid

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Transfer to a container and secure lid. The contents will settle, so be sure to mix before using. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes and then thoroughly rinse off the sugar scrub with warm water. Scrub can be stored at room temperature. 

This scrub feels heavenly on your skin and leaves your hands feeling silky smooth. With the winter weather being so harsh on our skin, this sugar scrub is a nice treat to pamper your skin and makes a great gift!

Monthly Onesies for Baby Girl

Last year I saw this adorable idea on Martha Stewart for monthly onesies to capture pictures of baby during the first 12 months. I made a set of these monthly onesies (in baby boy colors) for my best friend Laura for her baby shower and had such a blast putting them together and knowing her baby boy would look adorable in them! Once I knew we were having a baby girl, I had these on my list to purchase and make before she is born. I ordered this adorable set from the Etsy shop, myliltees.

I love the color scheme of these iron on transfers and love that the set comes with large circles for onesies and then smaller circles for either a hat or a bib. I will be putting these on white onesies in the coming weeks and can't wait to take monthly pictures of our baby girl in these and watch her grow throughout the year. I plan to use the pictures in a photo collage as part of her 1st birthday party... so fun! Once I have the onesies completed, I will be sure to share pictures here on my blog... so stay tuned!

DIY Family Pictures Canvas

Do you ever have those projects that you tell yourself that you will finish in a month and it ends up taking you a year? Well, this is one of those projects. Last summer, my Mom's family and Michael and I had family pictures taken and they turned out great. I knew I wanted a special way to display them and remembered that the wedding canvas I made with my Mom would be the perfect project. I bought the supplies and then procrastinated for months on finishing the project. With the baby coming in just a few short months, it was time to tackle some of my long overdue to-do list and this project needing finishing. Here are a few pictures of the finished product:

the canvas completed and adhered to the wall

the canvas is hung in our living room right above the bookshelf I refinished last year

This project is so easy to make. You start with a blank white canvas (found at Michael's) and paint a few coats of black paint on the front and edges. Then position your pictures and adhere with glue dots. Then cover the entire canvas with a few coats of mod podge and let dry for a few days. This easy technique gives your pictures a professional canvas look and allows you to position your pictures however you like. This project would make a great gift for family and friends or to commemorate an important event like a wedding or milestone anniversary.

I love seeing this canvas hanging on our family room wall and knowing that I can cross that craft project off my to-do list... feels good and looks great!

Berry Basket Gift Idea

I absolutely adore the blog Eighteen25 and they have amazing ideas for gifts! I found this project for a Berry Basket a few days ago and knew I needed to add it to my craft project to do list and feature the idea on my blog. 

 

This craft project is a great gift for friends, teachers, and even for Mother's Day. It is also an affordable craft since the goodies are all from Bath and Body Works and the cute little blue baskets are only $5 for 6 of them. Check out the project link to find the free printable tags and you have an adorable little gift pulled together in no time. Enjoy!

Homemade Marshmallows

Have you ever seen a great idea (recipe, crafts, home project, etc.) and thought, 'I could never do that..."? Well, I have said the same thing about homemade marshmallows for years and it was time to give them a try. One of my favorite cooking blogs, Our Best Bites, has incredible tutorials on how to make everything from great recipes, to unique baked goods, and very informative instructions on kitchen challenges like canning, cookie decorating, and making homemade marshmallows.

I wanted to make these adorable homemade marshmallows for Valentine treat bags for friends and family and was excited about packaging them up with some delicious hot cocoa mix. This recipe takes some patience but overall it turned out well and super delicious! There is just something luxurious about having a huge homemade marshmallow in your hot chocolate instead of the mini ones that come in the hot chocolate mix packets. This idea would be a great gift idea for the holidays or a winter birthday party (and they are really easy to package up). With the weather still being chilly and gray, be sure to warm up with some hot chocolate today!

Martha Stewart Craft Projects

I have been crafting since a young age and love planning adorable craft projects to enjoy now and to make in the future. I love being able to use my blog as a record of past projects and projects to complete in the future, whether that is this year or years from now. Shown below are a few craft projects I have discovered through watching the Martha Stewart Show and these ideas are truly adorable!

• Sushi Baby Costume - such a fun way to make a homemade baby costume out of a onesie, felt, and iron-on transfer sheets... so fun!

• Mesh Sponge Tutu (the picture of the girl on the left) - an adorable tutu made out of mesh sponges (also called loufas) that you can find at the dollar store. Click the link to watch the how-to video and learn this easy craft!

• Accordion Photo Wedding Favors - this idea is great for any major family event (weddings, baby announcements, anniversaries, or milestone birthdays). The tutorial is super easy to follow and a great project to mass produce for a large party... love this idea!

I hope these ideas have inspired you to get crafty and make something homemade for yourself, your family, or for a party. Happy Crafting!

Christmas Box of Goodies

I love finding adorable gift ideas on the blogs I watch, and the blog Eighteen25 has fabulous ideas! I found this idea for a box of goodies a few months ago and wanted to adapt it for my co-workers Christmas gifts. My team works in an office setting, so I thought the adorable office supplies and chocolate would be a great gift. I put together eleven of these Christmas Goodie Boxes that each have matching office supplies, matching chocolates, and a mini anti-bac hand sanitizer and lip gloss from Bath and Body Works. Then I decorated each box with decorative paper, die cut letters for their names, and matching ribbon to tie it all together. Here are just a few pictures of the finished project:

the inside of the dmc box full of goodies

the top of the box decorated with paper, letters, ribbon, and buttons

We celebrated Christmas early yesterday and the when I gave the girls their gifts, they were surprised and loved the idea! A few of the girls said over and over again, "I wish this would have been my idea!" I really enjoyed putting these gifts together but at the same time, I am relieved they are done and delivered. If you are looking for great DIY craft projects, check out the blog Eighteen25 (thanks for the inspiration girls)!

Adorable Christmas Crafts

The Christmas season is the perfect time to get crafty! It is cold outside, hot chocolate or hot apple cider is the perfect drink to enjoy, you can stay in your pajamas all weekend, and you can work on adorable crafts and gifts for the holiday season. Here are a few of my favorite 'Christmas Craft' ideas that I have found on the internet.

• Advent Pocket Calendar - the perfect way to countdown to Christmas and enjoy all of our favorite holiday season activities

 

• Sweet Christmas Treats - an easy craft (and chocolate treat) to put together for co-workers or friends

• Reindeer Food - a super simple and affordable craft to hand out to kids before Christmas (check out the link for the free printables in either red or green)

Can't wait to make a few of these for my home or for family and friends! Happy Crafting!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I have always been interested in the idea of making laundry soap from scratch, both to save money and to create a more green option for our household. While browsing Pinterest the other night, I discovered this blog with instructions from start to finish on how to make my very own laundry soap. 

This project only requires a few ingredients and a large bucket to mix everything in. This blog also suggests that you save milk cartons to bottle the batch of laundry soap (the recipe fills over 8 gallon milk cartons). I will be saving milk containers and laundry detergent bottles for the next couple months and then I should be ready to try this project. I am adding this idea to my winter to-do list and will post a review once I have made the laundry soap and tested it out.

Handmade Felt Christmas Bows

I love adorable craft ideas that are easy to make and very unique! These felt bows are from the blog Twig and Thistle and are perfect for holiday wrapping!

 

I will be visiting family for Thanksgiving weekend and these will be the perfect craft for my mom, my grandma, and me to make while the turkey finishes in the oven. The instructions are super easy to follow and the end result is a fun gift bow that can be reused for years to come.

 

If you are looking for a great quality felt to order for this project, check out Papertrey's website. You will need a rotary cutter, a cutting mat, a hot glue gun, and of course felt to complete this project. I can't wait to put together these precious bows and use them this year in my holiday gift wrapping!

Adorable Pumpkin Craft

Do you ever encounter an idea or a project and wish you would have thought of it before someone else did?! Well, that is exactly what I thought when a friend made this adorable pumpkin for me. 

This pumpkin craft only requires a few supplies and the result is perfection! This pumpkin was made from a piece of dryer vent that has been spray painted orange and formed into a pumpkin shape. Then a few artificial leaves were adhered (a hot glue gun works best) to the top as well as a cinnamon stick and raffia. This diy project is super simple and very affordable. I love the unique look and who would have thought that a dryer vent would be the perfect crafting material?! I plan on making a batch of these next year as hostess gifts and last minute party decorations for all of the events and gatherings in the fall. Enjoy!

Favorite Craft Projects from Mish

One of my absolute favorite craft blogs to follow is called Mish Mash from Michelle Wooderson. Her creations are inspiring and truly amazing! I look forward to her blog posts on a daily basis and have bought several items from her Etsy shop to add to my handmade cards and craft projects. I wanted to feature a few of her craft projects that are my personal favorites and have inspired me to get crafty! Check out these amazing pictures and click on the link below each picture to find the detailed post and project instructions on her blog. Enjoy!

 Friendship Jar Fall Fillers Teacher Card - I love the wrinkle ribbon and the twine tied together!

Sparkly Holiday Gift Sacks - the glittered mini clothespin is my favorite and the jingle bell is the perfect finishing touch!

Tea for Two Pretty Paper Pouch and Card - this adorable gift pouch includes a card and tea bags for the perfect tea time gift!

DIY Wedding Canvas

A few weeks ago my mom visited and we worked on this amazing craft project. 

My mom had several pictures from my wedding and wanted to make a diy canvas using a blank white canvas and modge podge. We first painted the white canvas using black craft paint and then arranged all of the pictures around the invitation in the center. Then you add a few coats of modge podge and you have a homemade canvas that look amazing! I plan on making another one of these in a few weeks using family pictures that were taken this summer. Check out this great picture of the project!

Pinterest

In the blogging world I am least a few months behind on finding a fabulous website called Pinterest. The amazing website allows you to browse thousands of pictures on topics like food, fashion, crafts, and photography. The pictures are incredibly inspiring and can spark great ideas for food, parties, or gift ideas. Here are a just a few pictures of things I will be making or creating in the coming months.

Red Velvet Cake Roll.... looks delish!

Adorable Hospital Kit for my Pregnant Best Friend

My Dream Crafting Closet

Be sure to check out this website and find some inspiration for yourself!

Tie Dye Success!

The tie dye party on Friday turned out to be a great success! It was so fun to get together with everyone at my office and enjoy a relaxing afternoon including a delicious potluck and tie dye time. I ended up dying two tee shirts and a pillowcase and they all turned out great. I would post pictures but my camera won't connect to the computer for some reason :( This was my first time tie dying and it was super easy and really not that messy (as long as you wear rubber gloves). The favors were a huge success... who knew so many people loved salt water taffy?! I love the feeling after a party when everything went perfectly and the afternoon was a great way to start the weekend! If you are wanting to throw a tie dye party for your family and friends, these are my suggestions: buy the kits from Hobby Lobby (only $7 after using a 40% off coupon from online), buy the tee shirts from Wal-Mart (only $4 each), use rubber gloves no matter what, and make sure to rinse out the clothing and then wash by itself in the washer for two full loads. Hope you have the chance to make your own tie dye shirts before the summer is over! :)

Picked Up the Party Supplies

I just got back to my office after picking up all of the party supplies for the tie dye party on Friday and I scored a sweet deal! One of my co-workers and I went to Hobby Lobby with our 40% off coupon and bought the entire tie dye kits for only $13 each. The kits make it so easy because they already come with the dye in the bottles, the rubber gloves, the rubber bands, and helpful instructions. We then went to Wal-Mart and picked up super cheap cotton t-shirts for only $4 each. I couldn't resist and bought two of them, a scoop-neck and a v-neck style. We are all set for the party on Friday and I just finished putting together the favors last night, can't wait to share these adorable bags of tie dye colored taffy with the group!

Tie Dye Party Favors

The tie dye party is a week from tomorrow and it's been a blast planning! I am excited to get together with my co-workers and have a potluck lunch and tie dye for the afternoon. I am a big believer that you can't have a great party without some adorable favors. I went to our local candy store and picked up a fun selection of salt water taffy in colors that matched the invite and most of them have a tie dye look to them. The favors will be a cellophane bag filled with about a dozen pieces of taffy with the attached favor card and some bright ribbon to tie it all together. So sweet!

I love handing out adorable and edible favors at the end of a party and I hope the office guys and gals will enjoy it too! I can't wait to post about how the party turns out!