Christmas

Michaels Dream Tree Challenge 2018

23 · Nov 1, 2018 · 2 Comments

+ This post brought to you by the amazing folks at Michaels +

I am beyond honored to be able to participate in the Michaels Dream Tree Challenge again this year. I LOVE getting to put together my perfect tree and share what I’ve created with you guys. This year’s tree is standing majestically in our entryway and it looks beautiful!! I love how Michaels makes it so easy to create a cohesive holiday look. Michaels holiday décor collections make it easy to find your holiday style and bring your vision to life! From the perfect tree and trimmings to creative gifts and DIY supplies, Michaels has all the ingredients to create wonder-filled memories for family and friends.

I had so much fun working on this tree! Several of the decorations on the tree were made with inexpensive items that you will find at Michaels that have been crafted into something simple and timeless for the tree. For example, we’ll start at the base of the tree and work our way up. I purchased this bucket at Michaels a little while ago and spray painted it a bronze-like gold and that is what I am using for my tree stand. I removed the official tree stand from the tree and fill the bucket with styrofoam cake rounds from Michaels to secure the tree in place. Then I filled the bucket the rest of the way up with matte white Christmas balls.

I wanted the tree to look nice and full regardless of the fact that it is a pencil tree so I filled in the tree with batting to make it look like it has been out in a glorious winter snowfall.

It’s crazy how the batting can add so much to the look of the tree. I wanted this tree to have a farmhouse style and what’s more farmhouse than some greenery? I wanted to think a little outside of the box and add greenery that isn’t the typical evergreen that you find during the holidays. I opted for different types of eucalyptus and some other basic greenery that you can find in the Michaels floral isles. I also tucked some wood snowflakes in as a base element for the tree.

Now for the extra fun part! This year I made my own clay ornaments out of oven-baked clay that you can find at Michaels.

I rolled out the clay and cut out stars and circles with cookie cutters that I found at Michaels. Then, I used a leather alphabet stamp set to imprint words into the clay. I will have a full tutorial on how to make these fun ornaments in the next few days. Stay tuned!

One of my favorite parts of the tree are the ball ornament clusters.

Instead of just hanging the balls on the tree, I hot glue them together in clusters and then wire them to the tree with floral wire.

This little trick can take your Christmas tree to a whole other level. It makes it look like a professional decorated your tree for you. Also, making ribbon picks by folding a 6-inch piece of ribbon in half and then wiring the ends together also make your tree look professionally decorated.

Then there is the star! I made mine using 1 inch unfinished wood balls that I found at Michaels. I did have to drill holes in them myself but, that was totally fine. I wanted a nice large wood ball for this star tree topper. I will have a post shortly as well for how to make this classic Christmas star.

And, finally… The fabulous Christmas Farmhouse decor that I just HAD to add to my Christmas scene. You guys REALLY need to check this stuff out. They have come up with some fabulous collections for this season! This is the Fireside collection that I used for my tree inspiration.

photo credit | Michaels Instagram

I LOVE the Advent House that is huge and will be a Christmas treasure from now on in our house. the reindeer, the wood presents and the pillows! Michaels has fabulous holiday pillows right now. AND then… there are the signs! You guys, enamel signs!! Metal signs!! So many incredible signs!!

All you need is to stock up on some Command Strips and you can add all kinds of great holiday signs all over the house! Are you excited to start your holiday decorating?! I know that I’m loving my entryway tree corner and can’t wait to put up my main Christmas tree in a few weeks! I can’t wait to see what you guys create this year!

Snowflake Lantern Holiday Gift Idea

854 · Oct 17, 2018 · 7 Comments

I’m not sure if there is anything more glorious than the thought of the first snow each year. I don’t care if you love or hate snow, the first snowfall of the year is always a fun event.

The autumn is full of fun treats like all things pumpkin, apple preserves, hayrides through the pumpkin patch and so much more.

Towards the end of the autumn festivities there arrives a great anticipation in the air… when will it snow? I feel like no matter what part of the country you live in, snowflakes are truly magical. I’m thrilled that this season’s Ball® Keepsake Collectible Holiday Jar is an ode to the stunning snowflake!

I decided that a fun way to use this fun collectible jar is to make snowflake lanterns that are perfect for dressing up your home for the winter season or, as a fabulous holiday gift.

I can just imagine an army of these snowflake lanterns lining the walkway up to your home this winter season, warmly inviting your friends into your holiday gathering.

Won’t that be pretty? Let me teach you how to make them.

Snowflake Lantern Supplies

This project is pretty simple and doesn’t really require much in the way of supplies. Here is what you’ll need.

There are three different options for the Ball Mason jars. You can get a 4 pack of Keepsake Ball Mason jars, an 8 pack of regular Ball Mason jars, or a 12 pack of Snowflake Holiday jars. Now that I’ve redone this project a few times, I recommend the Snowflake Jars.

You can make these every Christmas! The snowflake jars add a really nice touch.

Ball® Snowflake Holiday Jars (12 Pack) This is the best option!
Regular jars in a set of 8
Regular jars set of 4
decoupage glue & Foam Brush Kit
Epsom salt – 1/2 cup for every 4 pack of jars
2 1/2 inch circle vinyl sticker (optional)
decorative sand filler (optional)
small candles
3/8” black ribbon
greenery with small berries
hot glue gun with sticks

Snowflake Lantern Instructions

This first part of the project will be super fun to do with your older kiddos. Grab your Ball® Keepsake Collectible Holiday Jars, decoupage glue, foam brush, stickers (if you are using them) and Epsom salt.

You’ll want to protect your work surface and have some type of container big enough to fit the jar into along with a large spoon at the ready.

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Fill your container with the Epsom salt half way.

Place your sticker over the snowflake to protect that area from the decoupage glue and Epsom salt.

If you don’t want to bother with the sticker, that’s totally fine. I made mine using my Cricut Maker or you can order them online. I prefer the sticker method because it creates a nice crisp line for the circle window of the lantern.

You are more than welcome to freehand a circle around the snowflake with your foam brush. Just know that your lines won’t be as perfect.

Cover your jar from below the rim down with the decoupage glue. Do not place glue on the bottom of the jar or on the jar threads.

Using your large spoon, carefully cover the jar with the Epsom Salt. Make sure not to touch the surface of the jar with the glue on it. It will make for uneven coverage of “snow” on the jar. I also found that rolling the jar in the Epsom salt really didn’t give the desired effect as well. You really want to pour the “snow” over the decoupaged jar to create the nice snowy effect.

Let your jars dry, undisturbed overnight.

This is a great project to make an assembly line. Grab a friend or your older kiddos and go to town and make a bunch of these fun gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers, bosses… I could go on and on. I LOVE that it could be a great holiday gift that doesn’t involve sugar!

The following day, carefully remove your vinyl sticker. You may want to use a toothpick or tweezers to help get the sticker removal started.

Also, you may want to wear eye protection, the Epsom salt tends to fly in this stage of the process. I managed to have a little piece fly into my mouth and it was NOT tasty. So…eye protection and keep your mouth closed.

Now you’re ready to decorate your jar. Fire-up your hot glue gun and prep your ribbon and winter greenery. I found my greenery at Michaels. It was a little wreath that I disassembled, and it worked perfectly.

I hot glued the greenery just above the lip of the jar that leads into the jar threads. I found that a little hot glue dot helped to secure the bottom section of the greenery to the jar creating it a nice frame around one side of the snowflake window.

Next, I tied the ribbon around the top of the jar, covering the hot glued section of the greenery, and tying a little knot. After that, I snipped off the ends using the inverted point technique.

Then, fill the bottom of the jar with a 1/4 cup of either Epsom salt or decorative sand.

I found the Ball® preserving funnel came in handy here.

After I placed the little candle into the jar, I lit-her-up!

These snowflake lanterns made from the Ball® Keepsake Collectible Holiday Jars look snowy and beautiful. All ready to usher in those Hygge winter nights!

Christmas Gift Ideas and Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags

14 · Dec 14, 2017 · 1 Comment

UPDATED POST with new updated label originally posted December 1, 2015

Madly looking for gift tags for your friends and neighbors? These stylish gift tags are perfect to print on label paper and stick on really any cute container and make them look fabulous!

One of my favorite things to do is creating fun new little ways to show your friends and neighbors how much they mean to you during the holidays. It doesn’t need to cost a lot, nor does it have to take a whole lot of time & effort.

I went to Michaels and found some fun mugs and cute cups to create some easy, fun gifts. Then I created some stylish tags to add to the mugs and cups.

You can download the free printable gift tags HERE

You can print them on white label paper or you can print them on Printable Gold Foil (I love this stuff!) You can find it at Michaels too. All you need to do is download the PDF file and print out your labels…

I’m cutting these out with just a simple pair of scissors, no cutting machine required.

Now, I know that a lot of people love their sweets when it comes to Christmas, but not everyone appreciates ALL of those sweets. I thought I would come up with a non-sweet gift that will still be a fun gift to receive.

Everyone’s in love with the Buffalo Check this year and Michaels is right on trend with these fun cups. They even have some awesome Buffalo Check socks in the dollar section… PERFECT! I placed some matching socks into the cute cups and added the “Merry Cozy Christmas” Label on the front of the cup… 1st gift finished! Can’t get any easier than that!

Next up, the classic hot cocoa mug with a cute little twist.

I filled a large cone shaped cellophane bag with some hot chocolate mix and tied it with some buffalo check ribbon. I put it into a large buffalo check mug and then I added a cool battery powered set of star lights to the mug to add a little whimsical element. I love how it turned out… 2nd gift complete!

Last but not least I found another mug at Michaels that’s a great plaid mug. I noticed some Lindor Truffles up at the front of the store that matched the plaid pattern on the mug. I thought it would be a PERFECT pairing with the plaid mug.

Adding the gold foil gift tag just makes it look so classy! 3rd gift down and it didn’t take any time at all. All three are great, stylish gifts that anyone would love!

Spa Inspired Holiday Survival Kit with Buffalo Check Jars

26 · Dec 5, 2017 · 1 Comment

With the craziness of the Holidays, who couldn’t use a spa inspired holiday survival kit? It’s full of homemade sugar scrub, shower bombs in stylish Buffalo Check Ball Jars, one of my favorite Yankee Candles®, even a cute little Ball® jar filled with matches. It turned out so cute, come learn how to make some kits of your own to give give to friends and family this Christmas. You could even use it as a Secret Santa gift!

+ This post brought to you by the folks at Newell Brands, makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products +

I know when I’m working preparing all of the Holiday magic that comes this time of year, I can easily get a little run down. Nothing major, nothing a nice aromatic bath with some candles couldn’t cure. With that thought in mind, I thought it would be fun to put together this Holiday season to give to my friends, neighbors, teachers… Basically, anyone who could use a little pick-me-up as well.

Sharing Jars

I love the mission of the Ball® Sharing Jar. When you purchase the Sharing Jars your purchase will benefit Feeding America® – the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. For every package of Sharing Jars purchased, Newell Brands will donate 4 meals*! I LOVE it when I can help support a worthy cause when buying stuff I would normally buy any way.

*Newell Brands® will donate $0.36 per package of Sharing Jars sold, up to $150,000 provided to Feeding America®. $1 helps provide 11 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks.

Sugar Scrub Recipe

Before you can start assembling your Holiday Survival Kit, you’ll need to mix-up some simple sugar scrub. This couldn’t be any easier. You can mix this by hand or with a mixer. Either way is totally fine. Here’s what you’ll need.

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
10 drops of peppermint essential oil

Add sugar to your mixing bowl and slowly add your coconut oil until you get the desired consistency. I don’t like to add any food coloring because I don’t like to add extra chemicals and keep things natural. Plus, you don’t want to accidentally spill on something and have the color transfer.

Finish up by adding the essential oils and package in your Ball® Sharing Jar.

Shower Bomb Recipe

The shower bombs take a little more patience. These little guys are very similar to the Snowball Bath Bombs I made the other day. They are made with baking soda and you want to make sure you don’t activate it while you are in the process of mixing up your shower bombs.

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/2 cup corn starch
2-3 tablespoons water
3o drops peppermint essential oil

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add baking soda, citric acid and corn starch. Put water and essential oil into a small spray bottle and slowly spray dry mixture while mixing on low. Continue adding water/oil mixture until you achieve a nice wet sand consistency. DO NOT rush this process.

Add mixture to a silicon mold like the one below and press firmly.

Let mixture sit in mold for 4-5 minutes and then carefully unfold. Let the shower bombs sit on a flat surface overnight to dry.

Fill the other sharing jar with the shower bombs and attach printable tag to jar.

Buffalo Check Jars

These buffalo check jars are a true gem! I have a feeling I’ll be using these year-round. Here is a quick post to show you how to make them.

Printable Gift Tag

If you know me at all, you know I LOVE to design all kinds of printable. These may be some of my favorite thus far.

You can download the tags HERE

Match Jar

Alright, I am so in love with this little, itty-bitty Mini Ball® Storage Jars. They are only 4 oz. and they are just too darn cute!

They are the perfect size for a little match jar for your Holiday Survival Kit. I filled the jar with matches, thenI cut a strip of the matchbox striker and glue it to the side of the jar.

I also cut some vinyl on my Cricut that looks super fun on the jar…

You can download the cut file HERE

Holiday Survival Kit Assembly

Now, all you need to do is assemble your spa inspired Holiday Survival Kit…

I grabbed a Yankee Candle® Small Tumbler Candle to go with my match jar and a little box and I assembled my Survival Kit with he printable tag glued on the front of the box. I also tied the gift tags on the jars with some leather that I bought at my local craft store. Now, it’s giving time!

Secret Santa

I am super excited this year to participate in the Ball® Home Canning Products Secret Santa Program! Their lovely crew assigned me to an amazing talented blogger, Almost Makes Perfect. I adore her style and was thrilled to send my Spa Inspired Survival Kit to her. I can’t wait to see what she thinks of it.

I was lucky enough to receive a Ball Secret Santa gift from Jamie of C.R.A.F.T. She sent me this cute little candy jar set…

How fun is that? Adding some twigs as antlers and a belt to the jar to look like Santa. Honestly guys, creating with Ball® Canning Jars is so much fun! What can you guys think-up for this Holiday Season?

Disclosure + I am a paid partner for Newell Brands, makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.