Friday, December 30, 2011

2011 Year in Review

As 2011 comes to a close, I want to let all of my readers know I am so grateful for you! Whether you subscribe via e-mail, check me out through a reader or just dropped in from Pinterest, thanks for reading! In 2012 I hope to have more great tutorials, craft ideas, recipes and green parenting tips to share. I hope you'll stick around for the fun!

And in keeping with year-end traditions everywhere, I wanted to share with you my 2011 bloggy year in review (as determined by readers!).

Top Five Posts of 2011

Four different styles of garden markers that are easy to make and fun to use in your garden


This syrup is easy to make and delicious! Give it as a gift or use it to make your own ginger ale.


Baby cinnamon rolls are easy to make in minutes using ingredients you probably have in your pantry or fridge.


Upcycle a jar you have on hand to make a travel mug that won't leach toxins into your drinks.


My #1 Most Popular Post of 2011:
A fun gift for a baby shower or just to make you giggle. 

I hope you found something you love that you haven't seen before. Don't forget to pin or stumble projects you love so you can remember to come back later.

Stay safe out there and...

Happy New Year!


Come recap 2011 at these great blog parties:
* Top Projects of 2011 at Southern Hospitality * Favorite DIY Project of 2011 at Addicted to Decorating * Favorite Post of 2011 at Home Stories of A to Z * A Pinteresting Link Party at Tutus and Tea Parties *

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Make Cute Alphabet Magnets!


We love magnets as a learning tool in our house. My son got a great set of animal magnets for his first birthday and they've really helped him learn the names of lots of different kinds of animals. He's beginning his journey into the alphabet so I wanted to get some ABC magnets for him.

Problem: Many alphabet magnets are plastic and have tiny magnets that fit into that back and pop out and become choking hazards. Also, we just aren't fans of plastic.

Solution: Make your own!

There are a few different great ways you could do this (a quick search of "Alphabet Magnets" on Pinterest turns up lots of fun options). Instead of starting totally from scratch, I decided to get a head start with the alphabet magnets they have at the Dollar Tree (they have number magnets in the same style right now, too!). I like these because the magnet covers the full back of each letter and cannot detach. Jazzing them up with paint gave me the opportunity to use more colors and also make them with interesting with patterns.

If you have older kids, this would be a fun project to get them involved with...especially if you have tactile learners!



Here's How You Do It:


Gather your supplies. You will need: 2 packs of full back coverage alphabet magnets from Dollar Tree  (I got two so I could spell things with double letters) and an assortment of craft paint and paint brushes. You'll also want newspaper or something to cover your work space.


Prep the magnets. Cover your workspace in newspaper. The magnets can get a little banged up and dusty from their trip overseas. Make sure you wipe them down as you lay them out so that the paint has a nice clean surface to adhere to.


Choose your base colors and start painting! The set I bought came in four colors: red, yellow, green and blue. I tried to paint over similar colors (using blue magnets for the ones I wanted to paint purple or yellow magnets for the ones I painted orange, etc) to avoid weird show-through and not needing to use as many coats of paint. I also painted the sides instead of leaving them raw as they came.


Add some patterns once the base coats are dry. I used a mix of dots, lines, squiggles, hearts, glitter and more. Really the sky is the limit! If you want them to all be shiny at the end, you can top them off with a glossy acrylic sealer.

That's it! Once they're dry, throw them on the fridge and enjoy!
 



I'm sharing my project with these great parties:
* Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog * Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Designs * Mad Skills Tutorial Party at Mad in Crafts * Time to Shine Party at A Diamond in the Stuff * A Pinteresting Link Party at Tutus and Tea Parties * Ta Da Tuesdays at Mommy by Day Crafter by Night * What We Wore and Made at Rae Gun Ramblings * Tute in Tuesday at Oops I Craft My Pants * The Inspiration Board from Homework * Pinsperational Thursday at The Artsy Connection * Shine on Friday at Happy Go Lucky * Feature Friday Linky Party at Blissful and Domestic *
Tip Junkie handmade projects

Friday, December 23, 2011

Last Minute Crafty Christmas Gifts

What's that you say? We're less than two days from Christmas and you still haven't figured out what to get for Aunt Mildred. Or Grandpa Eddie. Or your sweet little niece and nephew? You love handmade gifts but have run out of ideas and you might just buy a gift card.

Before you run out and drop your hard earned cash on a piece of plastic check out these great gift ideas that you can make (even last minute), sometimes even with things you already have on hand. You'll be able to give a clever handmade gift and look super thoughtful doing it.


Food Gifts
1. Homemade Chocolate Syrup from Small Notebook. Most chocolate syrup bought in store is full of ooky mystery or genetically modified ingredients. I love that you know everything that goes into this one and it's a gift any mocha drinker or parent of children who drink chocolate milk will appreciate.

2. Homemade Ginger Syrup (my recipe). This is super easy to make and is also easy to make in large batches so if you need to make a gift for several people, you can crank out several bottles of this with less than an hour of hands on time from you.

3. Cookie Mix in a Jar from Bakerella. This is another one that would be great for making in multiples. Just set everything up assembly line style and crank out a dozen in an afternoon.

4. Candycane Hearts from In His Grip. These look easy enough to make and would be a fun project to involve kids with, whether it's dolloping chocolate or sprinkling crushed candy canes on top. If you have a stoneware cookie sheet, make these even faster by freezing your stone for a a few hours and then making the hearts on parchment paper placed on top. This will set the chocolate even faster.




Gifts for Parents and Grandparents
1. Framed Art & Artist Photos from Southern Exposure. Let your kids create a masterpiece and snap a photo while they're doing it. Frame both together and you've got a winning combination!

2. Thumbprint Holiday Cards from Meet the Dubiens. Pair one of these with a store bought gift to add a personal touch.

3. Personalized Candles from A Girl in Paradise. Let your kids draw or decorate a design that you transfer to a candle with a little help from a grown up.

4. Front and Back Bookmarks from Having Fun at Home. Snap some pictures of your kiddo(s) from both sides, upload to a site like Shutterfly or Walgreens that lets you swing by to pick up the pics later and you've got a fun meaningful gift that will be used by a bibliophilic grandparent.




Gifts for Children
1. Mustache Binkies (my project). They only take minutes to make but they are tons of fun for both kids and grown ups.

2. Tool Belt or Art Apron from Outnumbered. Nikki writes a great tutorial for making a tool belt for play toys. You could also follow the same tutorial to make an art apron that crayons or markers fit into.

3. Personalized Board Book from Chef Messy. Raid your photo archives or scan facebook for photos of family members to make a personalized board book. If you don't already have a spare board book lying around, check out Dollar Tree as they frequently sell two-packs of small board books for $1.

4. Gingerbread Playdough from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle. Whip up a large batch of heavenly scented non-toxic playdough for all the kiddos in your life using ingredients you already have in your pantry..

Or just add some bling...

 
At the end of the day if you decide to give a gift card anyway, you can always give it a festive DIY touch by packaging it in a fun snow globe using this tutorial from The Creative Mama.


A big thanks to all the bloggers who shared their great ideas to help us procrastinating crafters come through with great gifts just in time!  If your project was featured, please feel free to grab a featured button:


Carissa's Creativity Space

<a href="http://creativecarissa.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yAdyxQgGNck/TsfgKuluvcI/AAAAAAAABeI/sweZPJUKVyE/s150/featured%252520button%252520150%252520px%252520copy.jpg" alt="Carissa's Creativity Space" width="125" height="125" /></a>

And if we don't see each other until then...


.Merry Christmas!


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

I'm Dreaming of a . . . DIY Play Kitchen

Edited 01-16-2012 to add: I've done it! I finally finished my play kitchen. Please come check out my DIY Play Kitchen Reveal here!

My son is 19 months old and is just beginning to discover imaginative play. A few months ago, he decided that his stuffed dog needs to be walked outside on a regular basis but that was really the extent of pretend play until last month. Over Thanksgiving while my sister and I were cooking in the kitchen and wearing our grandmother's vintage aprons, my son came in the kitchen and decided he needed to wear an apron, too. We happened to have the apron my grandmother made my brother when he was a little kid so we threw that on him and he was happy as a clam. A few days later, he was carrying around baking pans and pretending to mix things up inside. That's when it dawned on me: he would totally dig a play kitchen.

So I started checking out play kitchens (to purchase) online. Most of them where huge chunks of plastic OR super expensive. Not our style and not in our budget. So I did what any crafter would do: I turned to Pinterest...and then I cruised Craigslist for a week and bought this:
(This is the photo from the Craigslist posting)
Several bloggers have been making play kitchens at home from cast off furniture. A lot of them are moms to boys who needed non-pink play kitchens or green moms on a budget who didn't want to sink money into a huge piece of plastic. Since I definitely fall into both of these categories, I can learn from these ladies!

Reasons why I'm loving the idea of a DIY Play kitchen instead of one from a box:
  • I'm saving money
  • I have complete control over the look and color theme of the finished piece (which is important since the downstairs of our home, where it's going to go, is an open floor plan)
  • I can choose green materials to reduce toxins and VOCs
  • Way more love goes into making something than buying it

If you're dreaming of making of play kitchens, too, check out these awesome inspiration pieces. These are all links to real blogs that show awesome in-progress pictures as well.

Chelsea from Finding Joy made a great play kitchen for her son, Jarvis.


 Amy from Giggleberry Creations blogs about the awesome play kitchen her parents made for her daughter.

Britt from Britt & Her Boys blogs about the play kitchen she made for her son including how she did a lot of the details like the "granite" countertops.

Jenna from SAS Interiors made this great play kitchen from an old nightstand. Perfect if your kitchen needs to fit in a smaller space.

Read through the great links above (they all show useful in-progress photos) or check out my "Play Kitchen Palooza" pinboard where I'll continue adding great play kitchen and play food ideas. And of course don't forget to check back here over the next couple weeks (or better yet, subscribe by e-mail!) to see the big reveal of MY play kitchen and, of course, learn how I made all the details that's going to make mine unique.

Thanks, also to the great bloggers featured above who shared their work with the world. Please grab a featured button if you'd like:

Carissa's Creativity Space

<a href="http://creativecarissa.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yAdyxQgGNck/TsfgKuluvcI/AAAAAAAABeI/sweZPJUKVyE/s150/featured%252520button%252520150%252520px%252520copy.jpg" alt="Carissa's Creativity Space" width="125" height="125" /></a>

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Snowy Wonderland Christmas Ornament

I bought some great Christmas ornaments at Michaels a few weeks ago. I was actually looking for plastic ornaments (I do have a toddler) and thought that's what I bought....until I sat down to craft with them! I'm probably going to bring most of them back but I did really like the four pack of round, kind of flat ornaments I had and decided I'd make something...we'll just have to hang them up higher on the tree!

Here is how it came out:
Snowy Wonderland Christmas Ornament


I really like how painting the front and back of the ornament gives it some dimension. It's almost like you're looking across a snowy field to some trees in the distance.

Supplies
  • Glass or plastic Christmas ornament with removeable top
  • Martha Stewart self-adhesive holiday stencil pack
  • Paint brushes
  • Paint in the following colors:
    • Green satin finish
    • Green glitter
    • Metallic silver
    • Red
    • Clear with white or clear glitter (like 'sugar cube' from the martha stewart line)
  • Epsom salt
  • Funnel
  • Glass or craft adhesive
What I Did

Obviously not all the supplies are pictured, but this is what the stencil pack and the kind of ornaments I used look like (in case you need them for reference when you go shopping to make your own awesome ornament!). All these supplies are available at Michael's.

Paint the Tree Line
I cleaned the ornament so there was no grime that would keep the stencil or paint from sticking. I took the tree line stencil of the sheet and stuck it on the back of the ornament. The baseline of the trees was about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom. The self adhesive qualities of these stencils are great. They stuck to the curved surface really nicely and kept the paint from seeping under.

I painted the trees with a green satin paint and then painted over it with the green glitter paint while it was still wet. Then I peeled up the stencil and moved it over to do a second set of trees.

After I peeled off the stencil, I used my paint brush to fill in the gaps between the groups of trees, so it was one continuous foresty line

Paint the Front
Normal people would have waited for the back to dry first but I'm impatient. So I just carefully held the ornament at the top and bottom so I would not smudge the paint on the back (that tissue you see is actually on the floor...it's not touching the ornament).

I took the large tree and the "Merry Christmas" stencils from the same pack and placed them on the front. The tree line you see in the picture above are trees that are actually painted on the other side of the ornament...I didn't place the big tree on top of them.

I used the same satin green and glitter paint from the previous step. Painting on glass requires a little extra paint than on fabric so I made sure to use my visible brush strokes to my advantage by kind of feathering them out in layers to make it it look like layers of branches on the tree.

I peeled away the tree stencil and painted the Merry Christmas with metallic silver. Once I removed the stencil, I filled in some of the gaps with a fine paint brush.

Once that stencil had been peeled off, I painted a really thin coat of glitter paint to simulate snow (it's the "Sugar Cube" paint from Martha's glitter paint line) on the shoulders and across the back of the ornament. And by thin, I mean really thin. I dipped into the paint, wiped it off on a paper towel and blotted any glitter that remained onto the ornament. So kind of like dry brushing. But with glitter paint.

Let it Snow!
I really carefully removed the top and used a funnel to fill the ornament with epsom salt up to the level of the tree line along the back.

Finishing Touches
Once the salt was in, I decided the front looked a little bit too plain, so I added the date free hand using a thin detail brush and red pearl paint.

And while it probably would have been fine, I was a little nervous about how much more the ornament weighed now that it was 1/3 full of salt so I used glass and metal glue to glue the cap down once I reinserted the top/pin.

I'm really happy with how it turned out 



I'm sharing my project with these great parties. Many of them are a collection of great holiday ideas!  Come join the fun. 
* Christmas Cheer Party at Hi Sugarplum* Holiday Happenings at What Che Said * DIY Holiday Crafts and Ornaments at Centsational Girl * Time to Shine at A Diamond in the Stuff * Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog * Made by You Monday at Skip to My Lou * Mad Skills Party at Mad in Crafts * Dare to Do It Yourself at Newly Woodwards * Tutorials and Tips at Home Stories A to Z * Holiday Link Party at Momnivore's Dilemma * Handmade Christmas at Cup of Delight * Weekend Show Off Party at Ladybird Lane *

 Tip Junkie handmade projects 

full disclosure: I had been sent the Martha Stewart paint and stencils as part of a campaign they did last month, for which I wrote this post on how to make stenciled holiday place settings. I have not been compensated for this post, though I am using leftover free product from the previous campaign. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Friday, December 9, 2011

2011 Advent Tree

So I'm a little behind with my Christmas Advent Calendar. I'd had this idea (or something similar) a while ago but since it required purchasing 24 books (we only owned 1 Christmas book before starting) it took a little while to find an affordable way to do this.  FINALLY this week Dollar Tree got Christmas books. And even better...some of them came in a two-pack! Woo hoo! Fifty cent books baby!  *Ahem* Sorry. Let me stifle my inner book nerd and regain my composure.

Anyway, Dollar Tree finally getting Christmas books was a huge relief since even the books at my local Goodwill were more than I wanted to pay.

So what did I do with them?



I have 24 different books or small presents wrapped and numbered under a small tree in the corner. I could not find 24 books I liked, so I do have some small presents like bubbles, coloring books and markers for 6 of the items. Next year I'm hoping to have all books (Christmas clearance shopping here I come!).

So we get to open one present a day and after Christmas, we can pack them all books up to reuse next year.


What about the gift wrap?

The gifts themselves are representative of the gift that God gave us when he sent us His son to live amongst us and save us from ourselves

I used plain brown paper wrapping to represent the humble way in which the Christ child came into the world. Despite being a person of great value, He was born in a plain, humble way: In a manger and without fanfare or glitz

I adorned the humble packages with scarlet yarn. Scarlet yarn is talked about a lot in the Bible for the building of the tabernacle. When God gave instructions for how to build the Tabernacle, he had the artisans use scarlet and other colors typically reserved for royalty. So how fitting, then, to tie in the scarlet as we celebrate the time when God came to Earth to dwell (literally: "Tabernacle") amongst his people?

I wrapped the yarn in a different way for each package:





Here's my budget breakdown:
  • Christmas Tree- On Hand (from our first Christmas)
  • Tree Skirt - On Hand (just draped a red tablecloth around the base)
  • 24 books / presents - $12 (from the Dollar Tree)
    (you could also do this for free or supplement the books you already own by getting some from the library)
  • Brown Wrapping Paper - $1 (from Dollar Tree in shipping supplies section)
  • Scarlet Yarn - On Hand (although I did see some at the Dollar Tree while I was there
Total Advent Tree Cost: $13
(not too bad considering I can keep re-using the books and tree)


Credit where credit is due:
I love giving shout outs to the people who inspired me even if my stuff ended up totally different from theirs. So...thanks to KatherineMaries.com for sharing the great idea to use books to countdown to advent and Jessica from Mad in Crafts who is also doing beautiful scarlet Christmas decorations, though from a different chunk of scripture.

I'm sharing with these great parties. Come join the fun!
* Holiday Happenings at What Che Said * Holiday Link Party at Momnivore's Dilemma * Christmas Cheer on Hi Sugarplum *  Handmade Christmas at Cup of Delight *

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

A Green Family's Gift Guide

Have you seen the piece that Fox did this week on the 7 foods you should never eat? These are things green moms have been talking about for a while, so I'm glad to see it getting some mainstream attention! Seeing lists like this can be overwhelming, though. I mean, how do you live without canned tomatoes?! (ps I have an answer).  If you have a green family on your list who is interested in cleaning up their family's food act, these might be some great presents to consider giving (or putting on your own list for Santa!).

What: A Pressure Canner (and canning supplies)
Why? Commercially canned foods almost universally contain the hormone-disrupting chemical, BPA. High acid foods like tomatoes, cause even more BPA to leach into food than with lower acid ones. BUT you can can your own tomatoes, beans and more at home. In glass jars. This severely reduces the amount of  BPA that your family is exposed to - especailly if you are big on canned food items like diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Where to get it: This pressure canner from Presto  is affordable and basic. For a little bit more you can get a canning starter set that includes everything you need except for jars. You'll want to make sure you get a pressure canner that comes with a pressure gauge. You can pick up jars in varying sizes at your local grocery store.


What: A Glass Popcorn Popper
Why? Chemicals that line bags of microwave popcorn like PFOA are linked to human infertility and certain types of cancer. Manufacturers are promising to phase these chemicals out by 2015. But let's be honest. That's a long ways away. In the meantime, do microwave popcorn the non-toxic way with this rad popcorn popper  (which on my personal Christmas list this year). There are a variety of air poppers on the market, too. But this one won't blow a fuse and it can also go in the dishwasher.

Where to get it: This is pretty much the only glass popcorn popper I've seen on the market. Pair it with a sampler of different kinds of popping corn. You can pick up fun popcorns at Whole Foods or Target, or get a ready-made sampler from Etsy Seller DellCoveSpices.


What: A CSA Membership
Why? Many kinds of non-Organic produce like apples and potatoes still retain traces of the pesticides used to grow them on or even in the fruit or veggie itself. Plus when the fruits and veggies at your corner store had to fly halfway across the globe to get there, the carbon footprint is high and their nutritional value is reduced. Enter the CSA: CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture." You pre-pay a local farmer for a share of the harvest and every week you get a box full of locally grown (many times organic) produce and sometimes eggs or milk, too!

Where to get it? Check out Local Harvest for more information about CSAs and for help locating a CSA program in your neck of the woods.


What: Glass Food Storage Containers
Why? Even if you use BPA-free plastic containers for your leftovers, other hormone disrupting chemicals called phthalates can still be lurking. In fact, some BPA-free plastics have even higher levels of phthalates than those that kept BPA in the mix (read: bad news). In a world of green-washing and marketing hype, go with glass. Know for sure that you're keeping crazy chemicals out of your leftovers and use pretty containers that can also go in the freezer, microwave, oven and dishwasher.

Where to get it? The Pyrex set above is available online and at most department and home stores like Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond. Other brands make similar products but Pyrex is the one we use and love in our home.


What: Non-Toxic Nail Polish
Why? Most nail polishes contain a long list of highly toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, phthalates, actone and more (read more about it here). These chemicals don't just go on your nails - they get into your lungs even long after the polish is dry as the chemicals continue to off-gas for days. Keep toxic chemicals off your hands and out of your lungs by using non-toxic polishes like the ones from Piggy Paint or Gaiam.

Where to get it? Amazon sells lots of colors and gift sets from the Piggy Paint line. Also check naturals stores like Whole Foods or your local cloth diaper store (the Cotton Babies store in Vancouver carries these!). Hint: "Like" Piggy Paint on Facebook as they frequently post promo codes for discounts on certain colors or sets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope I've given you some great ideas as you shop for loved ones or put together your own wish lists. If you're a green mom or dad, leave a comment and share what you're jonesing for this year!

This is a non-sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine. No free products or compensation were given by the companies mentioned above for including their products or naming them in this guide. Some of the links above are my affiliate links. See my affiliate links note in the sidebar.

Friday, December 30, 2011

2011 Year in Review

As 2011 comes to a close, I want to let all of my readers know I am so grateful for you! Whether you subscribe via e-mail, check me out through a reader or just dropped in from Pinterest, thanks for reading! In 2012 I hope to have more great tutorials, craft ideas, recipes and green parenting tips to share. I hope you'll stick around for the fun!

And in keeping with year-end traditions everywhere, I wanted to share with you my 2011 bloggy year in review (as determined by readers!).

Top Five Posts of 2011

Four different styles of garden markers that are easy to make and fun to use in your garden


This syrup is easy to make and delicious! Give it as a gift or use it to make your own ginger ale.


Baby cinnamon rolls are easy to make in minutes using ingredients you probably have in your pantry or fridge.


Upcycle a jar you have on hand to make a travel mug that won't leach toxins into your drinks.


My #1 Most Popular Post of 2011:
A fun gift for a baby shower or just to make you giggle. 

I hope you found something you love that you haven't seen before. Don't forget to pin or stumble projects you love so you can remember to come back later.

Stay safe out there and...

Happy New Year!


Come recap 2011 at these great blog parties:
* Top Projects of 2011 at Southern Hospitality * Favorite DIY Project of 2011 at Addicted to Decorating * Favorite Post of 2011 at Home Stories of A to Z * A Pinteresting Link Party at Tutus and Tea Parties *

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Make Cute Alphabet Magnets!


We love magnets as a learning tool in our house. My son got a great set of animal magnets for his first birthday and they've really helped him learn the names of lots of different kinds of animals. He's beginning his journey into the alphabet so I wanted to get some ABC magnets for him.

Problem: Many alphabet magnets are plastic and have tiny magnets that fit into that back and pop out and become choking hazards. Also, we just aren't fans of plastic.

Solution: Make your own!

There are a few different great ways you could do this (a quick search of "Alphabet Magnets" on Pinterest turns up lots of fun options). Instead of starting totally from scratch, I decided to get a head start with the alphabet magnets they have at the Dollar Tree (they have number magnets in the same style right now, too!). I like these because the magnet covers the full back of each letter and cannot detach. Jazzing them up with paint gave me the opportunity to use more colors and also make them with interesting with patterns.

If you have older kids, this would be a fun project to get them involved with...especially if you have tactile learners!



Here's How You Do It:


Gather your supplies. You will need: 2 packs of full back coverage alphabet magnets from Dollar Tree  (I got two so I could spell things with double letters) and an assortment of craft paint and paint brushes. You'll also want newspaper or something to cover your work space.


Prep the magnets. Cover your workspace in newspaper. The magnets can get a little banged up and dusty from their trip overseas. Make sure you wipe them down as you lay them out so that the paint has a nice clean surface to adhere to.


Choose your base colors and start painting! The set I bought came in four colors: red, yellow, green and blue. I tried to paint over similar colors (using blue magnets for the ones I wanted to paint purple or yellow magnets for the ones I painted orange, etc) to avoid weird show-through and not needing to use as many coats of paint. I also painted the sides instead of leaving them raw as they came.


Add some patterns once the base coats are dry. I used a mix of dots, lines, squiggles, hearts, glitter and more. Really the sky is the limit! If you want them to all be shiny at the end, you can top them off with a glossy acrylic sealer.

That's it! Once they're dry, throw them on the fridge and enjoy!
 



I'm sharing my project with these great parties:
* Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog * Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Designs * Mad Skills Tutorial Party at Mad in Crafts * Time to Shine Party at A Diamond in the Stuff * A Pinteresting Link Party at Tutus and Tea Parties * Ta Da Tuesdays at Mommy by Day Crafter by Night * What We Wore and Made at Rae Gun Ramblings * Tute in Tuesday at Oops I Craft My Pants * The Inspiration Board from Homework * Pinsperational Thursday at The Artsy Connection * Shine on Friday at Happy Go Lucky * Feature Friday Linky Party at Blissful and Domestic *
Tip Junkie handmade projects

Friday, December 23, 2011

Last Minute Crafty Christmas Gifts

What's that you say? We're less than two days from Christmas and you still haven't figured out what to get for Aunt Mildred. Or Grandpa Eddie. Or your sweet little niece and nephew? You love handmade gifts but have run out of ideas and you might just buy a gift card.

Before you run out and drop your hard earned cash on a piece of plastic check out these great gift ideas that you can make (even last minute), sometimes even with things you already have on hand. You'll be able to give a clever handmade gift and look super thoughtful doing it.


Food Gifts
1. Homemade Chocolate Syrup from Small Notebook. Most chocolate syrup bought in store is full of ooky mystery or genetically modified ingredients. I love that you know everything that goes into this one and it's a gift any mocha drinker or parent of children who drink chocolate milk will appreciate.

2. Homemade Ginger Syrup (my recipe). This is super easy to make and is also easy to make in large batches so if you need to make a gift for several people, you can crank out several bottles of this with less than an hour of hands on time from you.

3. Cookie Mix in a Jar from Bakerella. This is another one that would be great for making in multiples. Just set everything up assembly line style and crank out a dozen in an afternoon.

4. Candycane Hearts from In His Grip. These look easy enough to make and would be a fun project to involve kids with, whether it's dolloping chocolate or sprinkling crushed candy canes on top. If you have a stoneware cookie sheet, make these even faster by freezing your stone for a a few hours and then making the hearts on parchment paper placed on top. This will set the chocolate even faster.




Gifts for Parents and Grandparents
1. Framed Art & Artist Photos from Southern Exposure. Let your kids create a masterpiece and snap a photo while they're doing it. Frame both together and you've got a winning combination!

2. Thumbprint Holiday Cards from Meet the Dubiens. Pair one of these with a store bought gift to add a personal touch.

3. Personalized Candles from A Girl in Paradise. Let your kids draw or decorate a design that you transfer to a candle with a little help from a grown up.

4. Front and Back Bookmarks from Having Fun at Home. Snap some pictures of your kiddo(s) from both sides, upload to a site like Shutterfly or Walgreens that lets you swing by to pick up the pics later and you've got a fun meaningful gift that will be used by a bibliophilic grandparent.




Gifts for Children
1. Mustache Binkies (my project). They only take minutes to make but they are tons of fun for both kids and grown ups.

2. Tool Belt or Art Apron from Outnumbered. Nikki writes a great tutorial for making a tool belt for play toys. You could also follow the same tutorial to make an art apron that crayons or markers fit into.

3. Personalized Board Book from Chef Messy. Raid your photo archives or scan facebook for photos of family members to make a personalized board book. If you don't already have a spare board book lying around, check out Dollar Tree as they frequently sell two-packs of small board books for $1.

4. Gingerbread Playdough from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle. Whip up a large batch of heavenly scented non-toxic playdough for all the kiddos in your life using ingredients you already have in your pantry..

Or just add some bling...

 
At the end of the day if you decide to give a gift card anyway, you can always give it a festive DIY touch by packaging it in a fun snow globe using this tutorial from The Creative Mama.


A big thanks to all the bloggers who shared their great ideas to help us procrastinating crafters come through with great gifts just in time!  If your project was featured, please feel free to grab a featured button:


Carissa's Creativity Space

<a href="http://creativecarissa.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yAdyxQgGNck/TsfgKuluvcI/AAAAAAAABeI/sweZPJUKVyE/s150/featured%252520button%252520150%252520px%252520copy.jpg" alt="Carissa's Creativity Space" width="125" height="125" /></a>

And if we don't see each other until then...


.Merry Christmas!


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

I'm Dreaming of a . . . DIY Play Kitchen

Edited 01-16-2012 to add: I've done it! I finally finished my play kitchen. Please come check out my DIY Play Kitchen Reveal here!

My son is 19 months old and is just beginning to discover imaginative play. A few months ago, he decided that his stuffed dog needs to be walked outside on a regular basis but that was really the extent of pretend play until last month. Over Thanksgiving while my sister and I were cooking in the kitchen and wearing our grandmother's vintage aprons, my son came in the kitchen and decided he needed to wear an apron, too. We happened to have the apron my grandmother made my brother when he was a little kid so we threw that on him and he was happy as a clam. A few days later, he was carrying around baking pans and pretending to mix things up inside. That's when it dawned on me: he would totally dig a play kitchen.

So I started checking out play kitchens (to purchase) online. Most of them where huge chunks of plastic OR super expensive. Not our style and not in our budget. So I did what any crafter would do: I turned to Pinterest...and then I cruised Craigslist for a week and bought this:
(This is the photo from the Craigslist posting)
Several bloggers have been making play kitchens at home from cast off furniture. A lot of them are moms to boys who needed non-pink play kitchens or green moms on a budget who didn't want to sink money into a huge piece of plastic. Since I definitely fall into both of these categories, I can learn from these ladies!

Reasons why I'm loving the idea of a DIY Play kitchen instead of one from a box:
  • I'm saving money
  • I have complete control over the look and color theme of the finished piece (which is important since the downstairs of our home, where it's going to go, is an open floor plan)
  • I can choose green materials to reduce toxins and VOCs
  • Way more love goes into making something than buying it

If you're dreaming of making of play kitchens, too, check out these awesome inspiration pieces. These are all links to real blogs that show awesome in-progress pictures as well.

Chelsea from Finding Joy made a great play kitchen for her son, Jarvis.


 Amy from Giggleberry Creations blogs about the awesome play kitchen her parents made for her daughter.

Britt from Britt & Her Boys blogs about the play kitchen she made for her son including how she did a lot of the details like the "granite" countertops.

Jenna from SAS Interiors made this great play kitchen from an old nightstand. Perfect if your kitchen needs to fit in a smaller space.

Read through the great links above (they all show useful in-progress photos) or check out my "Play Kitchen Palooza" pinboard where I'll continue adding great play kitchen and play food ideas. And of course don't forget to check back here over the next couple weeks (or better yet, subscribe by e-mail!) to see the big reveal of MY play kitchen and, of course, learn how I made all the details that's going to make mine unique.

Thanks, also to the great bloggers featured above who shared their work with the world. Please grab a featured button if you'd like:

Carissa's Creativity Space

<a href="http://creativecarissa.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yAdyxQgGNck/TsfgKuluvcI/AAAAAAAABeI/sweZPJUKVyE/s150/featured%252520button%252520150%252520px%252520copy.jpg" alt="Carissa's Creativity Space" width="125" height="125" /></a>

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Snowy Wonderland Christmas Ornament

I bought some great Christmas ornaments at Michaels a few weeks ago. I was actually looking for plastic ornaments (I do have a toddler) and thought that's what I bought....until I sat down to craft with them! I'm probably going to bring most of them back but I did really like the four pack of round, kind of flat ornaments I had and decided I'd make something...we'll just have to hang them up higher on the tree!

Here is how it came out:
Snowy Wonderland Christmas Ornament


I really like how painting the front and back of the ornament gives it some dimension. It's almost like you're looking across a snowy field to some trees in the distance.

Supplies
  • Glass or plastic Christmas ornament with removeable top
  • Martha Stewart self-adhesive holiday stencil pack
  • Paint brushes
  • Paint in the following colors:
    • Green satin finish
    • Green glitter
    • Metallic silver
    • Red
    • Clear with white or clear glitter (like 'sugar cube' from the martha stewart line)
  • Epsom salt
  • Funnel
  • Glass or craft adhesive
What I Did

Obviously not all the supplies are pictured, but this is what the stencil pack and the kind of ornaments I used look like (in case you need them for reference when you go shopping to make your own awesome ornament!). All these supplies are available at Michael's.

Paint the Tree Line
I cleaned the ornament so there was no grime that would keep the stencil or paint from sticking. I took the tree line stencil of the sheet and stuck it on the back of the ornament. The baseline of the trees was about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom. The self adhesive qualities of these stencils are great. They stuck to the curved surface really nicely and kept the paint from seeping under.

I painted the trees with a green satin paint and then painted over it with the green glitter paint while it was still wet. Then I peeled up the stencil and moved it over to do a second set of trees.

After I peeled off the stencil, I used my paint brush to fill in the gaps between the groups of trees, so it was one continuous foresty line

Paint the Front
Normal people would have waited for the back to dry first but I'm impatient. So I just carefully held the ornament at the top and bottom so I would not smudge the paint on the back (that tissue you see is actually on the floor...it's not touching the ornament).

I took the large tree and the "Merry Christmas" stencils from the same pack and placed them on the front. The tree line you see in the picture above are trees that are actually painted on the other side of the ornament...I didn't place the big tree on top of them.

I used the same satin green and glitter paint from the previous step. Painting on glass requires a little extra paint than on fabric so I made sure to use my visible brush strokes to my advantage by kind of feathering them out in layers to make it it look like layers of branches on the tree.

I peeled away the tree stencil and painted the Merry Christmas with metallic silver. Once I removed the stencil, I filled in some of the gaps with a fine paint brush.

Once that stencil had been peeled off, I painted a really thin coat of glitter paint to simulate snow (it's the "Sugar Cube" paint from Martha's glitter paint line) on the shoulders and across the back of the ornament. And by thin, I mean really thin. I dipped into the paint, wiped it off on a paper towel and blotted any glitter that remained onto the ornament. So kind of like dry brushing. But with glitter paint.

Let it Snow!
I really carefully removed the top and used a funnel to fill the ornament with epsom salt up to the level of the tree line along the back.

Finishing Touches
Once the salt was in, I decided the front looked a little bit too plain, so I added the date free hand using a thin detail brush and red pearl paint.

And while it probably would have been fine, I was a little nervous about how much more the ornament weighed now that it was 1/3 full of salt so I used glass and metal glue to glue the cap down once I reinserted the top/pin.

I'm really happy with how it turned out 



I'm sharing my project with these great parties. Many of them are a collection of great holiday ideas!  Come join the fun. 
* Christmas Cheer Party at Hi Sugarplum* Holiday Happenings at What Che Said * DIY Holiday Crafts and Ornaments at Centsational Girl * Time to Shine at A Diamond in the Stuff * Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog * Made by You Monday at Skip to My Lou * Mad Skills Party at Mad in Crafts * Dare to Do It Yourself at Newly Woodwards * Tutorials and Tips at Home Stories A to Z * Holiday Link Party at Momnivore's Dilemma * Handmade Christmas at Cup of Delight * Weekend Show Off Party at Ladybird Lane *

 Tip Junkie handmade projects 

full disclosure: I had been sent the Martha Stewart paint and stencils as part of a campaign they did last month, for which I wrote this post on how to make stenciled holiday place settings. I have not been compensated for this post, though I am using leftover free product from the previous campaign. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Friday, December 9, 2011

2011 Advent Tree

So I'm a little behind with my Christmas Advent Calendar. I'd had this idea (or something similar) a while ago but since it required purchasing 24 books (we only owned 1 Christmas book before starting) it took a little while to find an affordable way to do this.  FINALLY this week Dollar Tree got Christmas books. And even better...some of them came in a two-pack! Woo hoo! Fifty cent books baby!  *Ahem* Sorry. Let me stifle my inner book nerd and regain my composure.

Anyway, Dollar Tree finally getting Christmas books was a huge relief since even the books at my local Goodwill were more than I wanted to pay.

So what did I do with them?



I have 24 different books or small presents wrapped and numbered under a small tree in the corner. I could not find 24 books I liked, so I do have some small presents like bubbles, coloring books and markers for 6 of the items. Next year I'm hoping to have all books (Christmas clearance shopping here I come!).

So we get to open one present a day and after Christmas, we can pack them all books up to reuse next year.


What about the gift wrap?

The gifts themselves are representative of the gift that God gave us when he sent us His son to live amongst us and save us from ourselves

I used plain brown paper wrapping to represent the humble way in which the Christ child came into the world. Despite being a person of great value, He was born in a plain, humble way: In a manger and without fanfare or glitz

I adorned the humble packages with scarlet yarn. Scarlet yarn is talked about a lot in the Bible for the building of the tabernacle. When God gave instructions for how to build the Tabernacle, he had the artisans use scarlet and other colors typically reserved for royalty. So how fitting, then, to tie in the scarlet as we celebrate the time when God came to Earth to dwell (literally: "Tabernacle") amongst his people?

I wrapped the yarn in a different way for each package:





Here's my budget breakdown:
  • Christmas Tree- On Hand (from our first Christmas)
  • Tree Skirt - On Hand (just draped a red tablecloth around the base)
  • 24 books / presents - $12 (from the Dollar Tree)
    (you could also do this for free or supplement the books you already own by getting some from the library)
  • Brown Wrapping Paper - $1 (from Dollar Tree in shipping supplies section)
  • Scarlet Yarn - On Hand (although I did see some at the Dollar Tree while I was there
Total Advent Tree Cost: $13
(not too bad considering I can keep re-using the books and tree)


Credit where credit is due:
I love giving shout outs to the people who inspired me even if my stuff ended up totally different from theirs. So...thanks to KatherineMaries.com for sharing the great idea to use books to countdown to advent and Jessica from Mad in Crafts who is also doing beautiful scarlet Christmas decorations, though from a different chunk of scripture.

I'm sharing with these great parties. Come join the fun!
* Holiday Happenings at What Che Said * Holiday Link Party at Momnivore's Dilemma * Christmas Cheer on Hi Sugarplum *  Handmade Christmas at Cup of Delight *

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

A Green Family's Gift Guide

Have you seen the piece that Fox did this week on the 7 foods you should never eat? These are things green moms have been talking about for a while, so I'm glad to see it getting some mainstream attention! Seeing lists like this can be overwhelming, though. I mean, how do you live without canned tomatoes?! (ps I have an answer).  If you have a green family on your list who is interested in cleaning up their family's food act, these might be some great presents to consider giving (or putting on your own list for Santa!).

What: A Pressure Canner (and canning supplies)
Why? Commercially canned foods almost universally contain the hormone-disrupting chemical, BPA. High acid foods like tomatoes, cause even more BPA to leach into food than with lower acid ones. BUT you can can your own tomatoes, beans and more at home. In glass jars. This severely reduces the amount of  BPA that your family is exposed to - especailly if you are big on canned food items like diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Where to get it: This pressure canner from Presto  is affordable and basic. For a little bit more you can get a canning starter set that includes everything you need except for jars. You'll want to make sure you get a pressure canner that comes with a pressure gauge. You can pick up jars in varying sizes at your local grocery store.


What: A Glass Popcorn Popper
Why? Chemicals that line bags of microwave popcorn like PFOA are linked to human infertility and certain types of cancer. Manufacturers are promising to phase these chemicals out by 2015. But let's be honest. That's a long ways away. In the meantime, do microwave popcorn the non-toxic way with this rad popcorn popper  (which on my personal Christmas list this year). There are a variety of air poppers on the market, too. But this one won't blow a fuse and it can also go in the dishwasher.

Where to get it: This is pretty much the only glass popcorn popper I've seen on the market. Pair it with a sampler of different kinds of popping corn. You can pick up fun popcorns at Whole Foods or Target, or get a ready-made sampler from Etsy Seller DellCoveSpices.


What: A CSA Membership
Why? Many kinds of non-Organic produce like apples and potatoes still retain traces of the pesticides used to grow them on or even in the fruit or veggie itself. Plus when the fruits and veggies at your corner store had to fly halfway across the globe to get there, the carbon footprint is high and their nutritional value is reduced. Enter the CSA: CSA stands for "Community Supported Agriculture." You pre-pay a local farmer for a share of the harvest and every week you get a box full of locally grown (many times organic) produce and sometimes eggs or milk, too!

Where to get it? Check out Local Harvest for more information about CSAs and for help locating a CSA program in your neck of the woods.


What: Glass Food Storage Containers
Why? Even if you use BPA-free plastic containers for your leftovers, other hormone disrupting chemicals called phthalates can still be lurking. In fact, some BPA-free plastics have even higher levels of phthalates than those that kept BPA in the mix (read: bad news). In a world of green-washing and marketing hype, go with glass. Know for sure that you're keeping crazy chemicals out of your leftovers and use pretty containers that can also go in the freezer, microwave, oven and dishwasher.

Where to get it? The Pyrex set above is available online and at most department and home stores like Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond. Other brands make similar products but Pyrex is the one we use and love in our home.


What: Non-Toxic Nail Polish
Why? Most nail polishes contain a long list of highly toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, phthalates, actone and more (read more about it here). These chemicals don't just go on your nails - they get into your lungs even long after the polish is dry as the chemicals continue to off-gas for days. Keep toxic chemicals off your hands and out of your lungs by using non-toxic polishes like the ones from Piggy Paint or Gaiam.

Where to get it? Amazon sells lots of colors and gift sets from the Piggy Paint line. Also check naturals stores like Whole Foods or your local cloth diaper store (the Cotton Babies store in Vancouver carries these!). Hint: "Like" Piggy Paint on Facebook as they frequently post promo codes for discounts on certain colors or sets.

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I hope I've given you some great ideas as you shop for loved ones or put together your own wish lists. If you're a green mom or dad, leave a comment and share what you're jonesing for this year!

This is a non-sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine. No free products or compensation were given by the companies mentioned above for including their products or naming them in this guide. Some of the links above are my affiliate links. See my affiliate links note in the sidebar.

 
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