Fun Friday: DIY T-shirt Infinity Scarf

The other day I grabbed a t-shirt out of my closet & noticed it had a hole in each armpit & on one of the sleeves. I was about to cut it up in pieces so my hubs could use the material for rags in the garage, when I suddenly thought about infinity scarves. Yep, right then was when I decided to save my old t-shirt from becoming just another garage rag & decided to give it a new life as an infinity scarf. And it only took my about 30 seconds to make it happen! 

Simply take an old t-shirt, cut below the armpits and above the bottom seam, then stretch it out as much as you can. You may get a better stretch if you treat it like a resistance band & step on it while pulling it up as far as you can with your hands. Either way, it's that simple!

Fun Friday: Christmas Tree Toothpick Frills

I'm a firm believer in the saying "it's the little things that count". And, it doesn't get much littler than these Christmas Tree Toothpick Frills! But you should know, that they get BIG reactions - most notably when they're topping a double chocolate & caramel filled muffin for breakfast. 

These are super simple to make & just require some toothpicks, green construction paper or cardstock & Elmer's glue. 

• Cut a strip of your paper & then cut fringes in it. 

• Starting near the bottom of your toothpick, begin wrapping the paper around a couple of times before gluing it in place & cutting away the excess strip.

• Repeat for several layers, making sure that the last layer covers the top part of the toothpick. 

• Take another toothpick to carefully curl the ends up slightly.  

*Note: If you'd like, you can also add colored dots as ornaments, & two gold star stickers at the top of the tree (one on each side).

Fun Friday: Felt Coasters Perfect for Fall

I keep reminding the hubs that his drinks need to go on coasters when they're in the living room or bedroom. But there's just one problem. My coasters have been disappearing! Good thing a little felt & some embroidery thread solves the problem. 

To make a quick coaster, just cut out the shape you want & give it some detail with a needle & a bit of embroidery thread.

Fun Friday: Pumpkin Planter

I'm usually not one to have houseplants because they tend to not survive in my care. But I do have one, which I actually split into three over the Summer (after all, it has survived a couple of years now). And while I was decorating for Thanksgiving, I decided to put one of them in their very own pumpkin planter. 

I just scooped out the insides as best as I could, sprayed it all with a bleach & water mixture (1:5 ratio) & let it dry for a few hours before placing my plant in it. The pumpkin turned out to be the same size as my pot, so it fit perfectly. And hopefully, with a few occasional sprays, the planter should last up to a week.

Fun Friday: Fall Wreath

It's November. That means that it's almost Thanksgiving. You know, that holiday between Halloween & Christmas that most people fail to decorate for. Of course I don't have many decorations for this time of year, but I do have some. And even though I had a wooden scarecrow that I usually hang on my front door, I decided to give this Simple Holiday Wreath a makeover instead.

This is nothing but some unrolled raffia paper, a few leaves from outside & some twine to hang it with. And since everything is lightweight, it only took a few drops of hot glue to hold it in place.

Fun Friday: DIY Zombie Costume

What happens when your kids get sick & you neglect to buy Halloween costumes? You make your own of course! But with less than two hours until trick-or-treat, your options are a bit limited (I don't care how many "quick & easy" costumes you saw on Pinterest). So you make due with what you've got.

Of course some white face paint, smeared eyeliner, fake liquid blood & crazy teased hair will complete the look. But if you don't have it, you can still rock it like you just stepped into the zombie apocalypse.

What You'll Need

•old clothes

•permanent marker

•scissors

•lighter

How To

•Start by having whoever is going to be the zombie, put the old clothes on. 

•Next, take the permanent marker & make quick marks where you plan on cutting. Doing this will help make sure that you don't end up leaving the zombie too exposed before going on a cutting spree.

•Have the zombie take off the old clothes & then start cutting on top of the permanent marker. 

•For a more zombie-like vibe, tear the cuts to distress the fabric a bit more. If you have a cotton shirt, you can take a lighter to it for a few seconds before extinguishing the singed parts by patting on them. (See below.) Be sure you do this step by a sink, just in case patting doesn't work & you need to submerge the clothing in water. 

Just don't forget the zombie walk!

Fun Friday: Cardstock Bats

When it comes to decorating for Halloween, I find myself giving each room it's own theme. Dracula always ends up in my bathroom, witches congregate in my kitchen, ghosts mingle in the living room & well, you get the point. But I've always wanted to find something to tie them all together. 

These Cardstock Bats are now flying all over my house! 

How To:
 

•Take a piece of black cardstock (mine was 12x12in.) & fold it in half diagonally (doing this will give you a bigger wingspan).

•With a pencil, draw out half of your bat shape. I did mine freehand, but you can always Google a template to use. 

•Cut out your bat & lay it out flat. 

•On the back fold, apply three bits of folded tape & adhere it to the wall. 

•For a three dimensional look, carefully fold the wings outward. 

Fun Friday: Fancy Glittered Pumpkins

We always decorate pumpkins at our house. But this year, I wanted to decorate my pumpkin a bit more grown-up-like. So I busted out the Elmer's glue & glitter! I know what you're thinking, but trust me, this Fancy Glittered Pumpkin definitely looks grown-up (not to mention it took a few grown-up skills).

I opted to keep this one pretty simple since I wasn't sure how it would turn out. (The next one, I'm painting the pumpkin & the stem beforehand.) But I've got to admit that it doesn't look too shabby. Shabby chic, maybe, but shabby, no. 

What You'll Need

•pumpkin (make sure it's clean)
•Sharpie marker (or any other permanent marker)
•Elmer's glue
•clean paint brush
•glitter
•newspaper or other surface to work on
•small cup of water
•paper towels or old rag

How To

•Start by setting up your work area so that everything you need is in arm's reach (once you get started with the glue, you'll have to work quickly).
•With the Sharpie marker, draw your design on the pumpkin. 
•Working one small section at a time, carefully trace over the marker with the glue. If the glue gets too out of hand, carefully clean it up with the paintbrush as best as you can before covering it in glitter. 
•Occasionally go back to check for running glue & clean it up, sprinkling more glitter if needed. 
•When all sections have been glittered & the glue no longer has a risk of running, take the pumpkin outside to blow off the excess glitter. 
•Allow the glue to thoroughly dry. 

 

Fun Friday: Spooky Paper Trees

Whenever a holiday rolls around, I always end up making some sort of decoration, which means that the kids usually do too. And I have to say, that not only did their Spooky Paper Trees turn out awesome, but they really had fun making them too.

All you need is a small paper bag, 1/2C. of rice or popcorn kernels, a small rubber band, scissors & a lot of creativity. 

We decided to cut the tops of the bags in strips (we used the bottom folded part as our guideline), before filling the bottom with popcorn kernels & sealing it off with a rubber band. 

Next was the fun part! The kids had to twist & fold the strips into "branches". I should probably tell you that it's a bit harder than it sounds since we didn't use any pipe cleaners to help us out (although you certainly could if you wanted to). And as a spooky finishing touch, I cut out a little black crow (at least that's what it's supposed to be), to sit on a branch.
 

Fun Friday: Cinnamon Stick Votive Holder

I love the smell of fall! It's pumpkins, caramel & cinnamon all rolled into one. So even though I'm a huge stickler for holiday decorations (you won't find any scarecrows at my house until November), I always have to make this Cinnamon Stick Votive Holder as soon as the season starts. 

As long as you have a few supplies, you can make this is less than 5 minutes. And that's including the amount of time it takes for your hot glue gun to heat up.


•glass votive holder with smooth sides (mine happens to be from a Glade candle)
•raffia paper (to make it easier to glue the cinnamon sticks on)
•cinnamon sticks
•twine or other kind of ribbon (optional, but it gives the votive holder a nice touch)

-Start by unrolling your raffia paper & cutting it to fit the size of your votive holder. Then glue it down with a line of hot glue. 
-Next, glue the cinnamon sticks in place on top of the raffia paper. 
-If you'd like, you can tie a bit of twine or ribbon around it all & secure it in place with a dot of hot glue. 

 

Fun Friday: Pom Pom Bookmark

Lately I've been on a huge reading kick. But of course, I have three very busy kids & it can take me a couple hours just to read a single chapter sometimes. But what's worse than taking forever to be able to read just a little bit, is when you go to where you left off, only you don't know where that is. Of course a bookmark is the most logical solution since I'm not a page folder. The only problem with that, is the fact that my kids are currently obsessed with bookmarks. They disappear constantly. So I decided to make myself a bookmark that would make it easy to tell when it got swiped. Bonus points for being "fun" so I usually catch the bookmark bandit playing with it moments later. 

 

Making this Pom Pom Bookmark was super easy! Just take some yarn & wrap it around your fingers a million times (This one is 120 & it is HUGE, but 50-90 would probably be more suitable). Then all you have to do is slide the yarn off your fingers, take a small piece of yarn,tie it securely in the middle & cut all of the looped pieces open. This is now the part where you tie on a tail, or tie it onto a paperclip. Once you start snipping away like Edward Scissorhands to give the pom pom it's round shape, it will be a huge pain to attach it to anything. Unless you make a monstrous one like me. Which is only necessary if you have a bookmark bandit at your house too. 

Fun Friday: Simple Holiday Wreath - Perfect for Labor Day!

Have you ever gotten the urge to make something, only to have nothing that you wanted to make it with. Yep, that was me earlier. I had the urge to make a holiday wreath, but had nothing on hand to make the one that I wanted. So I improvised & all it took was a cardboard box, some yarn & a pair of scissors. 

First I found a cardboard box that was a good size & cut one of the sides off. 

Then I did the good old pencil compass out of pen & a string trick (hehe) to get the circles. They're a bit off if you really examine it, but it was close enough for me.  

I did happen to have red, white & blue yarn (for all the times I decided I was going to knit or crochet something & never did because I don't really know how). To measure my sections, I used a very calculated plan. I did a full arm span (using both arms), three times & cut.  

All that was left was just tying the yarn on & wrapping it around. The back is a cluster of strings tied together to help keep them all in place. And a folded strand of yarn tied onto the back as a hanger. 

I have to say that even though this flat cardboard wreath resembles nothing of the burlap & wooden letter wreath I had wanted to make, I'm still pretty darn happy with it! 

The kids have now informed me that I can make one to look like candy corn for Halloween. (Although I may buy an actual wreath to work from on that one.)

Fun Friday: Boutique Bow for Soccer

One day I was mindlessly wandering through the crafting aisles at the store, when I happened to spy some soccer ribbon. At that moment, I knew just what I wanted to do! 

The only problem was that I had no idea how to actually make a boutique bow. So I did what anyone else would do...I went to YouTube! I came across what seemed like a million tutorials, but this one seemed to be the easiest for me. At least the easiest one at 11:30PM when I was looking through them in a semi-tired state. But regardless, that was the one that I stuck to.

As you can see, I actually made two boutique bows. The first is the recommended 18in. of ribbon & the second is 12in. Ideally I would have a soccer ball resin of some sort in the center, but I haven't made it that far yet since I wasn't 100% sure how it would all turn out. So instead I placed a black gemstone resin in the center. Then it's all glued onto a small French barrette hair clip.

I actually tried a different style with the two ribbons layered, but this one won. And Paige is excited to wear it for her soccer pictures tomorrow. She wanted me to make some for all of the girls on her team, which was my original plan. But I told her instead that if they wanted one, all they had to do was ask & I'd make it for them.

Fun Friday: Ivory Clouds

Is it just my kids that like to go outside & wallow around in the dirt & mud like pigs? My son has even been known to gather up a bucket of dirt, just to dump it over his head. But for all that they love to get dirty, they're definitely not fans of getting clean. Even with all of the character soaps available (those lose their awesomeness after one wash). But I finally found something that makes my kids want to take a bath. 

Not only is this a fun experiment to do with your kids, it will actually make them want to take a bath! 

•Place an unwrapped bar of Ivory soap on a microwave safe plate. 
•Microwave for 1-3 min. (depending on the wattage of your microwave).

That's it! 

Your kids will be amazed at how a bar of soap turned into a fluffy cloud. And you will be amazed at how quickly they ask if they can take a bath with it!  

Fun Friday: DIY Elastic Ribbon Hair Ties

Between my 8 year old & I, we have a decent collection of elastic ribbon hair ties. I love them because they don't pull or tear my hair, she loves them because they can double as a bracelet & come in a ton of different colors. But we wanted more! A lot more actually. Like at least two of every color or print (less fighting that way). But what I didn't want, was to pay anywhere from $4-$9 for a pack of them. So we decided to make our own! And let me tell you, it is so beyond simple, that you'll wonder why you ever paid for them in the first place!

All you need is some colorful elastic ribbon & a good pair of scissors. 

•First, start by measuring the ribbon by wrapping it around your wrist (just like a bracelet), but leaving a bit of excess to tie a knot.

•Then fold the ribbon in half, making sure the bottom side is facing each other, pull taut slightly & tie a single knot in the end. (At this point you can place the hair tie on your wrist & tighten the knot accordingly.)

•For the finishing touch, take your scissors & cut the end at an angle for a more polished look.

 

Fun Friday: Edible Kool-Aid Playdough

So the other day, I was digging through some recipes when I came across one for Edible Kool-Aid Playdough. I'm not sure where it came from, since it was scrawled down on a piece of scrap paper, but I decided I was going to make it since the temperature has cooled a bit & the kids have been coming inside earlier at night.

I have to say that when I was making this, it smelled amazing! So much so that I snuck a bite.Yea, it's edible. But it doesn't taste good. Which I guess is a good thing since you don't want to teach your kids that eating playdough is okay. After all, not everyone plays with edible playdough. Side note - My 8 yr. old told me that it tasted just like the playdough she ate when she was younger. That wasn't edible. *Sigh*


•1C. flour (plus extra for kneading)
•1/2C. salt
•1 pkg. Kool-Aid
•3Tbsp. vegetable oil
•1C. boiling water

- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt & Kool-Aid.
- Next add the oil & boiling water, stirring to combine thoroughly.
- On a floured work surface & adding more flour as needed, knead the dough until it becomes the perfect playdough consistency. 

*Store in an airtight container.
 

 

Fun Friday: Sidewalk Paint in a Bottle

I know I've shared sidewalk paint with you before, but this is a whole different way to use it. You just put it in a plastic squeeze bottle. Yep, that's it. 

 

You can see how much fun the kids were having (& me too)! Having the sidewalk paint in a squeeze bottle made it super easy to draw pictures. And the kids had a blast making "tie-dye"! 

Fun Friday: Painted Tin Cans

 

Have you ever upcycled? You know, when you take what would be something useless & give it a new life with a new purpose? I know quite a few people think that just the concept sounds too daunting. But it is surprisingly easy & fun! 

Tin cans come in a variety of sizes & can be useful even after they've been opened. I decided to paint them bright, fun colors for summer (Bubble Gum Pink, Spring Green & Pool Blue). All I needed after that was a little embellishment with ribbon or twine. 

I love the way the colors pop between the Pool Blue of the can & the bright orange of the Tiger Lily!

For a thorough coating, take a piece of sandpaper to scuff up the tin can a bit. Doing this will give the paint more of a surface to adhere to. Then just give it a couple of coats & top it off with a sealer before adding any embellishments with hot glue. 

What's great is that you can use these painted tin cans for quite a few things; like a vase, utensil holder, pen holder & even for potted plants. Just remember that the opening can still be sharp, unless you decide to sand that sown too of course.

Fun Friday: Rosette Accent Pillow

In my mind I have ideas for a million & one accent pillows. Unfortunately, I don't have a sewing machine. Therefore, the meticulousness of some of them have me giving up before I even start. But since I've been yearning to make a pillow for a while now, I decided I would make a simple square pillow with a bit of ruffles across one corner for either the living room or my bedroom. How on earth I ended up with a rectangular shaped roll of a pillow with rosettes in one corner is beyond me. But you know what, I kinda like it! 

•1 yard of desired fabric
•coordinating shade of thread
•small roll of quilt batting
•felt circles
•hot glue

- Start by cutting the fabric to fit around the roll of quilt batting.
- Stitch the underside together lengthwise, leaving the ends open.
- Flip the fabric right side out & insert the roll of batting, making sure to center it along the way. You should have a good couple inches on each end.
- To stitch the ends, fold them like you're wrapping a present, only use thread instead of tape of course. You can go on the underside to keep the thread from being visible. 
- Next, the rosettes! From the leftover fabric, cut long strips 1-2in. wide. I cut mine 2in. & then folded them to reach 1/2in, they were much easier for me to make the rosettes this way. Of course I also followed the instructions for DIY Fabric Rosettes from The Happier Homemaker.  
- Using hot glue, glue the rosettes onto felt circles (you can even do this while you're making them to help save your fingertips from getting burnt).
- Now simply glue the rosettes with felt bottoms wherever your heart desires. As long as it's on your pillow of course.

Fun Friday: DIY Seed Starter Containers

When it comes to planting a garden, I prefer to start them indoors from seeds. Sure it's a lot more work than buying some plants & plopping them in the ground, but it's definitely more rewarding to start from seeds. 

One of the dilemmas I'm constantly facing, is where to keep them. I've tried the big flats, but those have to be kept outside - where the squirrel ninjas live. So inside it is, but I'm limited on where I can keep them because of the kids. Basically my only option is a very long, but very thin, shelf under an equally long kitchen window. Which means that my creativity had to kick into high gear to find a solution that would work. 

I made the DIY Cookie Basket {made from a paper plate!} that I've seen on facebook a million times, to hold two sections from a cardboard egg carton. With some waxed paper & aluminum foil to help contain the water. The best part though is that they fit perfectly on my shelf! Now if only the shelf was longer...