Holiday

DIY Light Up Halloween Porch Sign

October 8, 2014 by Bre 39 Comments

Hi, friends! I have such a fun post for you today! Remember back in August when some of my blogger friends and I teamed up for The Great Crate Challenge, and showed you how we each transformed a plan wooden crate from Michaels in totally different ways? Well, we’re at it again, but this time it’s with foam craft pumpkins as part of the Pick Your Pumpkin Challenge!

At the bottom of this post are links to everyone’s amazing projects, so make sure you check them out and find tons of inspiration on how to transform a plain craft pumpkin into something fantastic! Here’s a sneak peek!

For weeks I racked my brain, trying to come up with a new way to decorate a craft pumpkin, but unlike the other ladies who participated in this challenge, I just couldn’t think of something original. So I decided to keep mine plain, but to use it in a different way – on a sign! A LIGHT UP Halloween wood sign, to be exact! [Read more…] about DIY Light Up Halloween Porch Sign

Cozy Sweater Gift Jars: a Sweater Upcycle Idea

September 23, 2014 by Bre 14 Comments

Looking for a creative sweater upcycle or repurposing idea? Try making these cozy sweater gift jars! They’re perfect for fall!

I have never used a mason jar for anything in my life. Preserving, crafting, containing . . . nothing. Because mason jars are everywhere these days, I sort of feel like I should win some type of medal for that. Agree?

Being of German heritage (translation = I am stubborn), I declared that I would not break my mason-jar-free existence at any cost.

But, I am also a lawyer, so I easily found a loophole in this declaration, and am now able to present to you these cute and cozy sweater gift jars that do not use mason jars, per se, but instead, plain glass jars. (Is there a difference? Probably not. LOL!)

And, they’re an awesome way to repurpose or upcycle that ratty sweater from college. Win!

Gotta love loopholes (when they work to your advantage at least).

Anyway, these jars were really fun to make and I know they’ll be really fun to give, too. You only need a few simple supplies, which is a total bonus.

Sweater Jars Supplies Needed

Some of these are affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Note: when I published this post back in 2014, Mod Podge had a pre-tinted product that came in orange. It is no longer sold, but this tutorial has been updated to account for that!

Glass jars
Mod Podge in any finish
Orange acrylic paint
Old Sweater
Twine
Artificial Leaves
Mixing bowl and spoon

How to Make Upcycled Sweater Gift Jars

Start by mixing a small amount of orange acrylic paint with Mod Podge. Continue adding paint until you have a shade you like!

Next, pour a generous amount of Mod Podge into each jar. Then, swirl it around and coat the inside of each jar in its entirety.

Next, turn each jar upside down and let the excess Mod Podge drain from the jars. This took a long time – like hours.

(Remember: the Mod Podge shown in this photo is no longer sold, but this written tutorial has been updated to account for that!)

Once the excess product finishes draining, turn the jars over to let them begin drying out. The Mod Podge product will still be thick and opaque at this point.

If the Mod Podge isn’t drying as fast as you’d like, you can use a blow dryer to speed up the drying process. And, once the Mod Podge is dry, it will become translucent instead of opaque!

Here’s Another Great Sweater Upcycle Idea!

Sweater Embroidery Hoop Art

Next, grab an old sweater and cut parts of the sleeves off.

Then, put those sweater sleeves around the jars. The parts with the cuffs look best.

Finally, tie some twine around the sweater portion and add some artificial fall leaves to the twine.

Pop a little candy, coffee, or a gift card in there and you’ve got a cute little gift for someone special!

I’m handing my first one out tomorrow to thank a friend for helping me out with my daughter. I hope she loves it!

Twigs and Berries Fall Door Decor

September 8, 2014 by Bre 36 Comments

Like it or not, fall is in the air.

I like it. A lot.

So it’s no surprise that I am thrilled to be getting my home ready for the new season. Last year I barely plunked a pumpkin on my porch because all of my fall decor was in storage during our basement remodeling project. This year will be totally different! My home will look like a scarecrow vomited copious amounts of harvest-themed decor all over it.

One item that I already added to my backdoor was this cute little guy I made with some twigs I lifted from my neighbor’s yard.

OK, they weren’t actually twigs – it was actually more like a tree limb that I took from my neighbor’s yard. (Trust me – I waited until I was sure nobody was around to see me dragging this thing into my house. I looked like a lunatic. Even my daughter asked what was wrong with me. Look at her face – you can tell she thinks I’m crazy.)

Once I sawed my tree limb into twigs of appropriate sizes, I got to work making my door decor.

I used the following supplies (please note that some of these are affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)

First I hot glued my twigs together to form the letter I wanted. Then I wrapped the joints with twine to give some extra hold.

Next, I drew lines on my canvas so that I could paint stripes on it with my gold acrylic paint. You could obviously paint your canvas however you like.

When I filled in those lines, I loved how it looked! The gold was subtle but added a little interest to the plain canvas. Perfect.

Next, I hot glued a small artificial berry sprig to my letter, and tied some twine around the base. Then I hot glued the entire thing to the front of my canvas.

Finally, I cut two strips of fabric and hot glued them to the back of my canvas so that I would have a way to hang my letter decor.

So simple and so fun. I made this entire thing in just about an hour.

It is a perfect touch of fall for my back door.

If you have an unfortunate last name that begins with a curvy letter, you may not be able to do this project, or you may have to get super lucky and find some bendy twigs in the yard. I’ll cross my fingers for you.

– Bre

DIY Ribbon Wands: Glow-in-the-Dark Parade Wands

June 24, 2014 by Bre 1 Comment

Make your Fourth of July parade or fireworks experience even more special with these glow in the dark ribbon wands or parade wands! Kids love them!

Do you have your Fourth of July plans in place yet? I do not. I have no idea what we’re doing except that we will be watching fireworks at some point, somewhere!

I’m always a little nervous about the Fourth of July because my husband wants to set off like a million fireworks, despite the fact that we live in a congested area, and practically on top of our neighbors.

He also thinks that it’s okay for our little kids (ages 2 and 4) to use sparklers and those things you throw on the ground that snap, crackle and pop (no – not Rice Krispies . . . those weird smoke things).

Anyway, I can barely light a candle without freaking out, so I am not into my kids playing with sparklers and all that jazz. So . . . I made them some safe ribbon wands (or “firework wands”) that GLOW IN THE DARK! Perfect for use while watching the fireworks displays!

These patriotic DIY ribbon wands are also PERFECT for that 4th of July parade (or Memorial Day parade) you may be heading to! Of course any parade will probably be during the day, so you won’t need the glow in the dark feature for that.

DIY Parade Wands Supplies

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

Wood dowels
Acrylic paint (I used red craft paint and bright blue craft paint)
Glow in the Dark craft paint
Red, white, and blue ribbon OR scrap fabric
Small screw-in eye hooks
Foam stars
Paintbrush
Scissors
Hot glue gun

How to Make DIY Ribbon Wands for the 4th of July

These were super easy to make and my kids are really excited about them! My daughter wants to “share them with all of her friends.”

Paint the Dowels

Start by painting wood dowels the colors of your choice. I went with red and blue because, America.

Once that paint is dry, cover the dowels with the glow in the dark paint. And don’t worry – this glow in the dark craft paint dries clear, so it won’t distort the color of your parade wands!

Attach the Ribbon or Fabric

Next, carefully screw one eye hook into the top of each dowel.

Cut the ribbon or fabric to the desired length (and width, if necessary).

Then, push the ribbon strips or fabric strips through the eye hook, and tie all of the pieces into one knot.

Embellish the Parade Wand

Finally, fire up that hot glue gun and attach a patriotic embellishment to cover the knot in the ribbon or fabric.

I used foam table scatter stars, and they were perfect for making these ribbon wands extra festive!

Aren’t they cute?

I love that I was able to use up leftover fabric for these, but I think they’d be adorable with patriotic ribbon, too.

Have a safe, happy, and fun Fourth of July!

Patriotic Paper Straw Stars: Crafts with Paper Straws

June 10, 2014 by Bre 12 Comments

Looking for crafts with paper straws? Try these paper straw stars! This paper straw craft idea is easy for all ages.

I love America and all, but I don’t usually decorate for the Fourth of July.

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

However, while rummaging through my cabinets the other day, I found some red and white paper straws that I’d purchased for a baby shower two years ago. I looked at them and had a crazy idea that I could turn them into stars.

You Might Enjoy These Other Patriotic Craft Project Ideas!

So I cut some paper straws in half, threaded five pieces onto floral wire, and bent them into shape (tying the ends of the wire together and cutting the excess).

Amazing! I knew they were the start of something that would show my USA pride.

Feeling very proud of my paper straw stars, I then decided to play with fire and make a “firework” of sorts. (OMG. What a terrible joke.)

I used a large circular hole punch to make two large scrapbook paper circles, and then I glued portions of paper straws to one of the circles. I then topped those straws with the other circle and some sparkly letter stickers. BOOM!

And finally, I made some crazy curly fireworks by cutting a circle with my circle punch and then cutting the circle into a spiral.

I glued those paper curls onto paper straws to create these guys. They bring the party to the arrangement.

I stuck all my straws into one of those green floral foam blocks and topped it with some leftover Christmas wrapping paper shreds.

SO EASY, but I think Uncle Sam would approve of this Fourth of July decor – how about you?

5 Simple DIY Easter Hostess Gifts to Make

April 17, 2014 by Bre Leave a Comment

Looking for a way to thank someone for hosting you for Easter brunch or dinner? Here are six simple DIY Easter hostess gifts to make today!

Easter is right around the corner!

I’m excited to celebrate this wonderful holiday with people I love. I’m also excited that I’ve been trusted with bringing a vegetable dish to this year’s celebration. I’m now a “grown up.”

In addition to my vegetable dish, I will be bringing a hostess gift. This will further solidify my status as an adult, and will also show my mom how thankful I am for her hard work and her effort in preparing our special Easter meal.

If you’re lucky like me and don’t have to host an entire Easter brunch or dinner, perhaps you’ll want to bring an easy Easter hostess gift, too.

This post was originally published in 2014, but updated in 2023.

Easy DIY Easter Hostess Gifts to Make

I love DIY hostess gifts because I think they show that you put extra thought into what you are giving the recipient. And, there are plenty of simple yet beautiful DIY Easter hostess gifts to make: all of them easy!

DIY Easter Hostess Gifts to Make

Don't show up empty-handed this Easter Sunday! Here are easy Easter hostess gifts you can make to thank your host and show your appreciation.

Bunny Napkins

Purchase some adorable fabric napkins for your Easter brunch hostess, and fold them to look like bunnies! Not only will this gift work for Easter Sunday, but she'll be able to use them for any other occasion.

Customized Hand Soap Set

Surprisingly, this is a Dollar Tree DIY hostess gift! Use an electronic cutting machine, like a Cricut, to monogram a hand towel with the host or hostess' initials, and add some flair to a dollar store soap dish and soap - also with added embellishments.

Shop Easter Gifts for the Hostess

And listen, if you don’t have time to make something, there are plenty of lovely gifts you can purchase, too.

Here are several Easter hostess gifts you can purchase on Amazon for speedy delivery!

Scroll through the images and click on them to learn more and shop.

Happy Easter to you and yours!