Magnetic Play and Decorate Snowman

Recently, I had the opportunity to be a guest host at My Craftily Ever After, where I shared a tutorial for this Magnetic Play and Decorate Snowman. Not only is it a great decoration to get you through the winter, but it also doubles to give your little ones the opportunity to manipulate its parts in any way they choose. If that's not enough, most of the materials used for this project can be found at home or purchased at your local dollar store. In fact, the entire project cost me under $3.00! Here's how you can make one of your very own...

Materials:

-stove burner cover set (I found mine at my local Dollar Tree and got a 2 piece set for $1 in 8" and 10" diameters!)

-white, acrylic paint

-foam brush

-hot glue gun/glue sticks

-3-5 large buttons

-1 sheet of black foam

-felt sheets or scraps-orange (nose), red (trim of hat), black (eyes and mouth)

-material for scarf (approx. 18" in length)

-brown, pipe cleaners (3)

-magnetic strips or discs

Instructions:

1. Paint the insides of the burner covers with white paint (they actually are already off-white in color, so you could leave it as is, if you want. I chose to make them more of a snowy white).

2. Using black foam, cut out a top hat for your snowman. Embellish the hat with a strip of felt in any color your little heart desires.

3. Cut out a carrot nose using orange felt. Create eyes and a mouth out of black felt (or any color you'd like-Its your snowman, Go nuts!)

4. Cut two, brown, pipe cleaner in half. Wrap one half around the end of another pipe cleaner to create a branch-like arm. Repeat this step to create the opposite arm. Hot glue the arms to the front of the large, burner cover, placing felt scraps over the ends of the cleaners to adhere.

5. Place magnetic strip or discs on the backs of the carrot nose, eyes, buttons, and mouth with hot glue

6. Using hot glue, create a loop at one end of the ribbon and glue to the back of the felt hat. Below the hat, place hot glue on the ribbon and adhere the front of the smaller burner cover to it.

7. Below the small burner cover, tie the material around the ribbon to make it look scarf-like. Under the scarf, place hot glue on the ribbon and adhere the front of the larger burner cover to it. Trim any excess ribbon below the large burner cover.

8. Encourage your little ones to arrange the magnetic pieces to the snowman however their little hearts desire and hang to display!

Hope you've all enjoyed a wonderful, holiday season and are ready to begin a crafty, new year!!!

Mickey Mouse Gift Bucket

My sweet nephew, Royce is obsessed (actually...what do you call the level beyond obsessed??? He's that!) with Mickey Mouse and the entire Clubhouse gang, so I knew I would need to theme his birthday gift accordingly. After purchasing Mickey-themed letters to spell his name and making him a Toodles pillow, I just needed a container in which to put these gifts. I found a cute, red bucket at the Dollar Tree and jazzed it up using felt and a low-temp, glue gun to make a personalized, Mickey Mouse gift container that can be used again and again! I'm also including a printable for you to use to make one of your very own. Here's how...

Materials

-red bucket

-printable template

-straight pins

-yellow, black and white felt sheets

-fabric scissors

-low-temp glue gun-glue sticks

-adhesive felt letters

Instructions

1. Print out template, cut out shapes and pin to coordinating felt sheets

2. Using a low-temp glue gun, glue buttons to the middle of the bucket, about an inch apart.

3. Glue feet to the bottom of the bucket so that they are sticking out about 3" beyond the bucket

4. Glue ears to top of bucket so that 3-4" of felt stick up above the bucket

5. Adhere letters to top rim of bucket. Using a black, permanent marker, draw four "button holes" in the middle of each button.

From start to finish, this project took me about 20 minutes. How awesome is that?!?! Enjoy!

Revamped Stocking Hangers

 

As much as I love my house and am grateful for it, Christmastime makes me realize each year how much I regret not having a fireplace to display stockings, decorations, flowers, etc., not to mention having to eventually explain to Claire how Santa gets gifts into our house without a chimney. Good thing I have some sweet, improvisation skills! I have always wanted to use weighted stocking hangers that can be found at any department or craft store but refuse to pay the prices they typically ask. Fortunately for me, I have a dollar store within 2 miles of my house (Yikes!) and a surplus of craft supplies to adapt my findings. See for yourself...

I found these little gems for $1.00 each and, while they are definitely not my style, I could definitely see their potential, so I got crackin' (literally...I had to really do some breakage to adapt these the way I wanted)!

Materials:

-stocking holders

-washi tape (I used red and green for festive funsies)

-small frames (mine were about 2"x3")

-glue gun/sticks

-scissors

Directions:

1. Remove the decorative tops of the stocking hangers (may need to use some tough love to really get the job done)

2. Wrap washi tape around the base of the hanger, starting with the hook itself. Cover the base with tape entirely, using scissors to cut any excess.

3. Remove backing and glass from frame. Cover the front and sides of the frame with washi tape.

4. Replace glass and back of frame and glue the top of the frame to the base of the stocking holder. Note: The opening of the frame should be available to insert pictures.

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5. Print and insert pictures into frames and proudly display!

Poinsettia Napkin Holders from Shower Curtain Rings

Its the most expensive wonderful time of the year!!!

As much as I love how well my holiday decorations are coming along, I can't get over how quickly their expenses add up! Between the purchase of a pre-lit tree (which I love and don't regrey buying at all), outdoor lighting, wreaths, and lots of odds and ends, I think its safe to say my wallet took a massive beating this Christmas...and that's without adding in the cost of presents! Yikes! Needless to say, I am extremely grateful for projects like this one that add to the seasonal decorum without breaking the bank! Here is how I transformed curtain rings, craft wire, and poinsettias into beautiful napkin rings using washi tape:

Materials:

-curtain rings (I found 12 for $1 at my local dollar store)

-washi tape (PS-Costco is currently selling a washi tape holder and 20 rolls of tape for $19.99! Merry Christmas to me!!!)

-artificial poinsettias

-floral embellishment (I purchased 2 small bundles of frosted berries at Michael's)

-craft wire

-wire cutters

Directions:

1. Wrap washi tape around four curtain rings, covering them entirely

2. Place two small sprigs of frosted berries on each side of a poinsettia and connect using craft wire, making sure to leave a 4-5" tail of wire to wrap around curtain ring

3. Wrap remaining wire around curtain ring, securing the flower to it tightly

4. Cover any exposed wire with additional washi tape

5. Place napkins inside of rings and display proudly!

Wishing you a table filled with family, food, friendship and (as always) fun!!! Happy Holidays!

Ribbon Turkey Vase

With turkey day fast approaching, I thought I'd add a little throwback project into the mix! While putting out Thanksgiving decorations, I came across this little gem I made a few years back for an online competition run by The Dollar Tree (2nd place, what what?!?!) using items found at their stores. The coolest part? The vase used as a base for this project gives this turkey a huge number of possibilities: add lights for extra sparkle, use it as a candy holder, the sky is the limit! Here's how to  make an adorable gobbler of your own:

Materials:

-scissors   
                                    
-1/2” width red ribbon spool                      

-1 ½” width brown ribbon         

-glue gun and sticks

-1 ½“ width orange ribbon

-pipe cleaners                     
      
-large google eyes

-glass vase

Instructions:

 

1.    Wrap brown ribbon around the glass vase in a criss-cross fashion, adding dots of hot glue to secure

2.    Cut two “wings” out of brown ribbon and glue to the sides of the vase.

3.    Using the brown and orange ribbon, cut four feather shapes out of each color. Cut pipe cleaners to the length of the feathers and glue along the middle of each “feather” so that they are now sturdier and more flexible (the pipe cleaner side of the feather will be facing away from the turkey when pieced together)

4.     Fan out the brown and orange feathers and glue towards the opening of the vase on the side that you have designated to be the back of the turkey.

5.   Using the orange ribbon, cut off a 4” piece and fold in half without creasing. Glue the ends of the ribbon together to form the turkey’s “beak” and glue the opposing end of the ribbon to the front of the vase near the opening.

6.    Fold and glue red ribbon into “B” shape and glue beside the beak for the “gobbler”

7.    Glue google eyes toward the top of the vase