Tutorial - Ornament Wreath

Fun wreath and so easy to make

So how did I make the wreath on my front door? 

Here is the tutorial from Eddie Ross. The best thing about this wreath is that it’s super easy to do. Go check it out and then come back and tell me all about the wreath you made ( I just know you will want to make one after you see how simple this is). Go ahead, I'm waiting.

FYI - I bought a package of shatterproof ornaments from Wal-Mart and had my son help me string the ornaments on. Needle nose pliers do make this much easier!

I just need to make a bigger bow to hide the hanger! Anybody know of any good bow making tutorials? I really struggle with making cute bows!

Happy Wreath Making to you,

Megan

Paper Snowflakes Tutorial

The cutest snowflakes

Wanna make your own paper snowflakes? 

Here’s the tutorial I posted a few years ago!

Happy Flaking to you,

Megan

All Dressed Up

Getting Spooky Around Here

As we continue to enjoy our baby (I can't believe he is almost 5 weeks), we are slowly getting our house ready for the fall!!! We have Halloween things up and will be getting pumpkins and corn stalks next week to further spread the autumn cheer throughout our home! I just love this time of year – I love the colors of fall, mixing spooky decorations with simple autumn items, the crispness in the air, pumpkins, and I’ll admit it – dressing up!!! 

Once Halloween is over, the creepier decorations are put away and the simplicity of pumpkins, Indian corn, and wonderful autumn colors all help us usher in the most thankful of times! I love decorating for both!

"The Witches Inn" - where you will find all sorts of poison and items to make the most amazing spells come true!!!

Bones, bouncy ball eyeballs, and skulls surrounded by Spanish moss make for a very witchy display

Crows have found their way to the topiaries! 

Bones are found throughout the house!

Just a note to you – almost all of the decorations that we enjoy for Halloween were found at the dollar store or the 99 cent store. Very affordable indeed.  

 
Happy Decorating to You, 

CSI Challenge - Wall Art

Window Picture Frame

I found this wood window frame on the side of the road with the glass still intact! I simply smashed out the glass; sanded; spray painted the wood frame; and added saw tooth hangers on the back. We then had the idea of using it as a picture frame and love to update it with our annual family pictures! So, for the price of half a can of spray paint ($1.47) we now have a cute picture frame for our front room. (The vinyl on the wall can be purchased from my good friends at http://ellemenopea.com).

Happy Decorating To You,

Linking this up to the CSI Challenge of the Week:

Is that ribbon in your gutter?

So I have seen vinyl rain gutter's used as book display shelves but I wanted to find a way to have easy access to my ribbon and to have an interesting way to display it. So why couldn't I banish my ribbon to the gutter?


Here's the finished look:

Supplies and the How-To:

*1 Vinyl Rain Gutter - 10ft (I got mine from Home Depot for about $5)

*1 Miter saw and miter box

*Gutter Braces/Hangers (also from Home Depot for about $1 each)

*Gutter End Caps (sold in pairs at Home Depot for about$6)

1. Measure the length you want your ribbon holder and then transfer that measurement to your rain gutter using a sharpie.  

2. Cut your rain gutter using the miter saw and box. You will need to use some muscle and be sure that the gutter is secure as it will slip.

3. Once the gutter is cut to size, slide the braces onto the lip of the gutter (see picture below).

4. After the braces are in place the end caps on each end - you can see part of the end cap in the above picture.

5. Place the braces at equal distances from the edge and then screw into the wall (you may need to use dry wall anchors if you are not screwing into a stud). Note: I placed my braces 10.5 inches from each end (the gutter is 52" long)

6. Send your pretty ribbons to the gutter! Please note that the larger spools of ribbon do not fit into the gutter but because I am a hoarder of ribbon (and fabric too) I still have a few (okay a lot) of ribbon still in drawers. 

* Because I still have over 5.5 feet of gutter left (and we purchased extra braces and end caps) I will be making some book shelves for my boys room! Maybe this will prevent the collection of books from appearing behind the bunkbeds - one could hope right?

Now get your mind out of the gutter and create something today,


Sharing the good stuff here:

Ta Da

... presenting, my new crafting area!!!! Happy Mother's Day from my boys!!!! Thank you so very much honey and my little ones for making this possible!

The desk cabinets were free (love Craigslist). We sanded them down, my youngest and I painted them, and my husband surprised me with putting them in my nook and adding hardware and the desk top! Trust me sanding and painting them was quiet a task seeing that I don't feel that well, but I was determined to have this finished.

My wonderful husband hanging the pegboard! He even added trim. 

This was waiting for me this morning. So spoiled and I am so indeed grateful for the love.

Ryan added a shelf, lights under the shelf and will install a vinyl rain gutter that will hold my ribbon!!! 

I love when my design sketches come to fruition and look so much better than I imagined. Thank you dear for helping me make the pencil drawings so beautiful in person!

I love the pegboard!!!! 

We just have a few more things to do to finish this craft area and then we will be able to move on to the nursery. Here's to hoping I feel less queasy soon so that I can take advantage of this space!!!


Happy Crafting to you,

Craft Corner in the making

To make room for baby, I had to find a place to move my craft/sewing room and we had the perfect spot that was being occupied by a broken piano (I had a piano tuner come out and tell me that it would cost as much as a new piano to fix it). So we had to get rid of this beauty. 

We were thrilled to find a smaller piano that we could put in our front room,

 ...hence making room for my craft stuff (or craft crap according to my husband ;-)

It is still a work in progress but here is what we have so far. Huge thanks to my supportive husband, IKEA cabinets, plastic storage bins from Target, and my handy-dandy label maker!

In between the cabinets I will add a table (on wheels), pegboard, and a few  shelves. I am getting so excited for it to be finished.

This is my sewing cabinet. It is so nice to have all my fabric and sewing notions in one place. The other cabinet is for all my craft/scrapbooking supplies (I am still in the process of organizing that one).

Happy Organizing to you,

Day One

I happen to love collecting and using Advent Calendar’s! They are a great way to take a few moments each day to get a yummy treat, or read a scripture, or do a kind deed for others as we count down the days until Christmas.

Here are some of the ways we count down the days and build the excitement for the day we celebrate our Savior's birth:

Candy Cane counter - take one candy cane each day (we rotate who gets the candy each day)

I happen to love the wooden blocks that I made last month at our Relief Society Craft Night

I love this pizza pie pan advent calendar that my good friends at Ellemenopea sale!

And my newest creation (well I copied the ideas from Blue Cricket Design and my friend Kim, but I still made them so that counts right?):

A Spiritual Advent calendar! I had fun using my new Cricut Expressions to make this new twist on an old tradition. Check out the link for Blue Cricket Design for the tutorial.

To make this advent a little more focused on the birth and life of Jesus I borrowed the Spiritual Advent Calendar that my friend Kim posted on her blog last year. So each night we plan to read the insert and hopefully take a few minutes to remember the whole reason for this wonderful celebration!

Here are the directions for the Spiritual Advent Calendar and what we did today:

Spiritual Advent Calendar
This is no ordinary advent calendar with little windows to open or snowmen to past on. You are the only moving part. This calendar reviews the Savior's entire mission from the premortal councils on through his future return as Lord of Lord and King of Kings.

Beginning on December 1st, each day you'll read one or more passages of scripture, moving from epoch to epoch across the vast span of the Redeemer's work.

Each day there will be a suggestion of something you can do to grow closer to the Savior. There will also be a hymn or carol to sing.


December 1st

Remember the Savior's promise!

Scripture:

Matthew 18:20

Suggestion:
Invite your family to join you in each day's reading and singing.

Song:
O Come all Ye Faithful
Hymn #202

Happy Counting To You, Megan