-
Jelly Jar Recycled into a Votive Candle Holder
In keeping with the Spring themed projects, I created a votive candle holder to pair alongside my previous blog project; A Spring Inspired Butterfly Garland. Both were created using pretty floral napkins I purchased from Etsy. The decoupage technique I used on this project is perfect to apply to any container you want to decorate but still want it to be somewhat translucent for candlelight to show through. Any smaller jar will do when creating a holder for a votive candle. I had this small jelly jar I chose to use from my stash. I really like the size and weight of the glass. I cleaned it very well using…
-
Our Easy Method to Clean a Pea Stone Patio of Winter Debris Including Pinecones and Pine Needles/Rock Garden and Yard Cleanup
We love out outdoor space. We have a nice lot surrounded by woods, a pool and a pea stone patio and pergola we put in two years ago. We live in the Northeast so the canopy that covers the pergola during the summer months is taken down and stored during the winter months. This leaves the pea stone exposed to all the debris falling from the surrounding pine trees. Pinecones, when whole, are no problem to remove but when thousands of dried scales fall onto the patio and become mixed into the pea stone it is EXTREMELY difficult to clean. Not only is it messy looking, the scales can be…
-
Decoupaged Wood Butterfly Garland/Spring Inspired.
I’m so excited about the coming Spring. When on the the hunt for some new faux florals, I came across this cute pack of eight wood butterflies which included a string to hang them as garland. At the same time I found some beautiful floral napkins on Etsy and I started planning my next project. For $3.00 these were definitely coming home with me:) The napkins were approximately $.80 a piece and I purchased 6 of them. I knew I would want extra ones for future projects. After lightly sanding off any rough areas, I painted the wood forms, on the front and back, with white acrylic paint. This will…
-
Decoupaged Glass Bottle Using Rice Paper/Air Dry Clay/Spring Inspired
Between our large home projects I usually have smaller craft projects I’m working on. The upcoming seasons always motivate me to make home decor either for our home or to give as gifts to others. I find its such a great way to pass the time and get the creative juices flowing. Even simple projects such as this, made for no specific reason makes me feel good and starts me thinking about how I would like to change my house for the upcoming Spring. From blueberry pancakes to an empty glass Maple container comes my first spring inspired craft of the season. I love the shape of this particular bottle…
-
Vintage Accent Table Makeover/Homemade Chalk Paint
This vintage accent table was an antique store find many years ago. It was missing some of the trim and the finish on top was worn out in spots. It was one of the first pieces we thrifted after moving into our home. Originally I thought I would be using it only temporarily until I had found bigger and better furniture to fill our space but after living with it for a few years I realized how much I liked having a triangle shaped table to fit into the odd spaces in our home. When we bought this table we weren’t considering style or finish, however, we did appreciate that…
-
Easy One Pot Dinner/Use What You Have
I was clearing out my refrigerator before grocery shopping for the week and pulled out everything that either needed to be used before going bad or was a remaining ingredient that just didn’t make it into other preparations. I don’t like to throw away food and try my best to use EVERYTHING. The recipe for this pork stew can be found below. During these winter months in upstate New York, I prefer to prepare meals that feed my family multiple times a week from one day of cooking. I rely heavily on one pot meals like stews and soups. It’s also convenient for my family to have meals like this…
-
Home Decor During The Winter Months/Simple and Cozy
Hello, This is an unintended edition to my previous blog on packing and safely storing away our Christmas decorations but still keeping some decor throughout our home, during the cold months, that provide that warm and cozy atmosphere. Living in the Northeast is beautiful during the winter and I decided a few years ago to embrace the season instead wishing it away. That just makes the cold season drag on and feel endless. I like to keep the cozy feel of the holidays during the cold months without it looking like Christmas. Here are a few things I like to do to decorate for winter in our home. First: I…
-
Updating Couch Cushion Covers/Minimal Sewing Skill Required
I enjoy sewing and have experience making things like valances and envelope pillow covers. I love looking at all the fabrics and textures available when beginning a project. All the beautiful choices can be overwhelming! Recently I was lucky enough to score a beautiful couch at a nearby yard sale. The only thing I didn’t care for was the color. That I changed to more my liking with fabric dye. If you would like to see how I did this you can find the method and products in a previous blog I recently wrote. The couch that is the subject in this blog was still a very good piece of…
-
Beginner Friendly Decoupaged Ornaments Using Napkins, Glue And Chalk Paint
My relaxation during the holiday season involves personalizing gifts and making them myself. This can prove to be time consuming but by keeping them easy and giving them some consideration ahead of time, these crafts and smaller projects have become one of my biggest stress relievers. This project requires little skill and a few affordable materials. One of the things I look for when the holiday season starts are assorted shapes of wood ornaments. These bell shapes are one of two I came across this year at Michael’s. These are approximately 4″ x 2 1/2″ which is a size I enjoy working with. They aren’t to small where the picture…
-
Easy Holiday Accent Pillow Slipcovers Customized For A Gift Or For Your Home
My favorite gifts to give are the ones I make myself. I enjoy personalizing them for the recipient and making something that is functional. In doing so it has encouraged me, over the years, to sharpen my sewing skills and learn new crafts. This year I decided to make some holiday accent pillow covers and give them as gifts to a few of my family members for Christmas. I enjoy having seasonal slipcovers that can be changed along with the seasons. Slipcovers take up much less space then pillows so they are much easier to store. Here are the two pieces of precut fabric I found this year at Joann’s…