DIY Projects – Page 2

GLITTERY CHRISTMAS STOCKING HOLDER DIY

November 19, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I am in full on Christmas mode, and yes I will pause for Thankgiving next week, but I know that I need to get going on Christmas now because otherwise when we get back from Disney it will be 10 days of stress! And I absolutely love the holiday season, so I want to spread it out and savor it, and prepping ahead means I can do that and limit the stress. Last year I shared a DIY Holiday Wreath Tutorial and I was happy to get that out again this year. We do not have a fireplace, so no mantel to hang the stockings, and every year Santa has just found them laying out on our loveseat, which is fine but not very special. I had seen some adorable stocking hangers on Etsy, but decided that I would make my own. I was able to do this DIY for only a few dollars, and it didn’t take too much time either. If you’d like to see part of the process you can on my Daily Vlogs day 107-110. What I love about this is you can completely make it your own depending on your personal style or home decor. I hope you enjoy it!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

-1 Piece of wood to be the back of your stocking hanger (*Tip: I bought all of my wood in small pieces at Lowe’s!)

– 1 piece of wood for each stocking you want to hang (I used 5 because our family has 5 people)

-Screws

-Heavy Duty D Rings

-Various Spray Paints or Acrylic Paints (I used white spray paint, silver spray paint, gold glitter spray paint)

-Decou-Page or Mod Podge

-Mod Podge Glossy Acrylic Spray Sealer

-Gold glitter

-Gold Hooks (I found mine at Lowe’s and bought one for each stocking)

STEP 1:

Using screws attach the pieces of wood to the piece of wood that will be your backing. I wanted mine at various heights, so mess around with it until you’re happy with the look.

STEP 2:

Attach your D hooks to the back of the stocking hanger

STEP 3:

Spray paint the entire front and sides of your stocking hanger white and let dry.

STEP 4:

Spray your silver paint focusing on the bottom of your stocking hanger and releasing as you go up to create a gradient or ombrélook. I promise this is much easier than it sounds! You can do a few practice strokes if you want, but it doesn’t need to look perfect.

STEP 5:

Spray the very bottom of your stocking hanger with gold glitter spray paint. I did several layers because I wanted it to be opaque. Once again let it dry.

STEP 6:

Mix some Mod-Podge or Decou-Page with your gold glitter. I went heavy on the gold glitter, because I wanted it to be super sparkly, but be sure to add enough glue so that it spreads and sticks. I applied the glitter glue to only the very bottom of the stocking hanger.

STEP 7:

Spray with a glossy spray to seal the glitter and paint. I used one from Mod-Podge.

STEP 8:

Attach the hooks to the bottom of your stocking hanger once it is COMPLETELY dry! My sweet hubster did this which was a nice surprise : ) Make sure that you put the hooks as far apart as possible intead of in the middle of each board, it may not look perfect because it won’t look perfectly even, but once the stockings are hanging it will look better because they won’t be quite so close together.

STEP 9:

Hang your stockings and wait for Santa : ) : )

I really hope that you enjoyed this DIY project! I think you could do something similar to hang your house keys and that would be adorable year-round! Please send me pictures or tag me on social media (all linked at the top of this website or at the bottom of every blog post!) because I would *LOVE* to see them! Don’t forget to subscribe! Thank you!! xo

Homemade Glitter Playdough {No-Bake and 5 Ingredients!)

July 8, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Can you believe that it’s going to be the middle of July in a few days? We are finally getting some gorgeous weather here, but we have had some rainy days where we are stuck inside…blah! The kids get restless, FAST! Because I have 3 kids who are all so young going places isn’t a simple undertaking, and we usually are home on weekdays, so I LOVE this playdough recipe because it has all things that I have on hand. A lot of homemade playdough calls for heating the ingredients or ingredients that I don’t always have, so this one sticks out to me. The kids had a great time making this, and it works really well days later.

Homemade Glitter Playdough:

What You’ll Need:

1 Cup of Water

Food Coloring

4 Cups of Flour

1 1/2 Cups of Salt

3-4 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil

Glitter

Step 1:

Pour your water into a large bowl.

Step 2:

Add your food coloring and then stir! We made a purple-ish color.

Step 3:

Add your dry ingredients and stir. Next add your oil so it isn’t so crumbly, but not too much to where it’s sticky.

Step 4:

Add your GLITTER!!

Step 5:

Mix it up! We formed ours into balls & stored in plastic containers but plastic baggies would work, too.

Step 6:

Have fun!!

If you liked this, please share on social media! You can also “pin” it to your Pinterest account by hovering over any picture and clicking the “pin” button! I apprecaite the support so much!! Have a wonderful weekend : )

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas!

May 6, 2015 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Mother’s Day is THIS Sunday! You still have time to put together a wonderful gift for your mom, but you will need to move fast! #ThankYouAmazonPrime ; ) There will also be a few ideas that you can just purchase online, like subscription boxes! Let me know what you’re getting your mom in the comments, or if you’re a mom what you are hoping to get. I will be suggesting a few ideas for your mom or any special mom in your life down below (P.S husbands yes you should get a gift for your wife if your wife is a mother!).

GIFT IDEAS:

French Press

Savvy Infusion Water Bottle

Fruit, Cheese, and Nut Gift Basket

Erin Condren Life Planner

Sephora Gift Card

Gardening Kit and Stool

Lush Gift Card

PopSugar Must Have Box Subscription

Spa-in-a-Basket

A NAP!

A DAY OFF!

MOTHER’S DAY GIFT IDEAS VIDEO:

A big THANK YOU to all the moms out there! You are amazing and be sure to enjoy your day with your kids if you can and relax as much as possible! You deserve it : ) I love you all!!

How To Stretch Your Shoes?!

April 29, 2015 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

A few weeks ago I shared a beauty trick I that love (Milk of Magnesia Primer? Yes or No? My Thoughts) and after doing that post, I decided that I would share some more tips here and there. The trick I am sharing today is one that I read about several years ago, but until now hadn’t tried it out. I did a Target haul awhile ago, and one of the pairs of shoes I got is a bit snug. Now, if you buy a pair of nice shoes that are too tight you can go to a cobber (yes, they still exist!) or buy a shoe stretcher, but I decided to go with the “freezer method”. We know that when frozen water will expand, so it makes sense that it’ll give your toes a little more room, right?! : ) You can also simply wear your shoes around the house (duh!) or wear them with a pair of thick socks.

Freezer Method:

1. Fill a 1 quart freezer safe zip lock bag with water about 1/3 of the way and make sure there isn’t any air in the bag.

2. Put the bag into your shoe stuffing it all the way up to the shoe. You may use more than one bag if needed.

3. Keep the shoes in the freezer until completely frozen.

4. Remove the bags and see if the shoes feel better!

5. Repeat again if needed.

Now, I wouldn’t suggest buying a pair of shoes that are three sizes too small, but if you happen to get a pair that just feels a tad tight, this may be a great option for you! Have you ever streched your own shoes? Please let me know if you’ve done this or if you think you may try it out now!! Please be SURE the zip lock is sealed and has no tears, I don’t want any gorgeous shoes ruined on my account ; )

DIY Mickey and Minnie Easter Baskets!!

March 18, 2015 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for reading : ) I hope that you had a great Saint Patrick’s Day! If you tried my East Saint Patrick’s Day Beer Bread Recipe, let me know how it turned out in the comments!

Now that Saint Patrick’s Day is over, it is time to really start thinking Easter if you haven’t already, because it is only a few weeks away! This year I decided to go with a Disney theme for our baskets because we will be going to Walt Disney World in late 2015. Hailey, who is almost 4, knows tons of characters and is sooo exicted for our trip! Connor, who just turned 2, is really getting into Mickey, and Logan is only 2 months so he doesn’t know any of them…yet ; ) I will be showing you what is in the baskets in another post, but today I want to show you how I made these DIY Mickey (X2 in my case!) and Minnie Easter baskets. I saw a fantastic post done by Inspired by Dis and this is my take on her baskets, switching up a few things and using some of her ideas as well.

DIY MICKEY AND MINNIE EASTER BASKETS:

What You’ll Need:

Wicker Basket(s)

(*Tip: I found baskets that were already red at my local Walmart store)

Yellow, White, and Black Acrylic Paint

Red Spray Paint if using a basket that isn’t already red

Black Foam Paper (I needed 2 sheets for 3 baskets)

Red Polka Dot Ribbon (if making a Minnie basket)

Paint Brush

Glue Gun (or any glue you prefer)

Piece of Paper

Optional:

Sponge Foam Stippler to make uniform circles

I paid $5 for each basket, $.50 for each jar of paint, $.23 for each sheet of foam paper and about $3 for my ribbon.

Step 1:

Spray paint your basket red in a well ventilated area! I was so happy to skip this step, but I definitely lucked out by finding red baskets!

Step 2:

After your basket is dry, paint the handle and top of the basket black.

Step 3:

For the Minnie Basket:

Paint while polka dots all around the basket making circles that are about 1 inch around. Or you can use a sponge stippling brush to make more perfect circles.

For the Mickey Basket:

Paint long yellow oval shapes about 1.5 inches apart on the front of your basket. I didn’t trace this at all, but it would be simple to cut out a little stencil beforehand if that makes your more comfortable.

Step 4:

*Note: This is the hardest step, and it is pretty simple, so if you can do this you’re golden ; )

Using a pencil draw on a plain piece of paper first and make almost a whole circle, then a 1 1/2 or 2 inch line and then make another circle on the other end and connect it back to the first circle. Confused yet? Basically you’re drawing a dog bone and you make the circles as big as you want your Mickey or Minnie ears to be : ) Once you’ve checked to see that your template works on your basket, use it to trace out your ears.

Step 5:

Put glue around the edge and in the middle of each ear (be sure to pick the “good side” and put the glue on the other side if you have any dents or marks on your foam) and quickly wrap it around the basket EXACTLY where you want it to be. Do this with the other ear. If you’re making a Mickey basket you’re done!

Step 6 for Minnie Basket Only:

Decide about how long you want your bow to be and then cut double that amout of ribbon. Use your glue gun and glue the ends togther so that you have a loop of ribbon. Cut about a 2-3 inch piece of ribbon for the center of your bow. I cut this piece and then cut it in half because the ribbon I used is quite wide. Hold the loop of ribbon up to the front of your basket and wrap the other piece over the front and around the handle of the basket so the bow is formed and attached to the basket, then glue in place. Be sure to hold it tight and glue it well so that when you get go your bowl doesn’t sag or move. This sounds a lot harder than it was, and if you mess up you should be able to cut it off and start over.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this! If you have any questions, please reach out in the comments because I would love to help! What are your favorite Easter traditions? Do you make baskets, buy the pre-filled ones, or something else? And does the Easter bunny hide your baskets on Easter morning? : ) Let me know!

If it makes you happy…

January 12, 2015 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Who remembers that song “If It Makes You Happy” by Sheryl Crow? When I decided that I wanted to share a few things in my room that make me happy, I couldn’t get that song out of my head! I am a big believer in making life as beautiful, enjoyable, and special as possible…life is short! Surround yourself in pretty things! A quick DIY or some washi tape can completely change something from ordinary to fab!! Thank you for being here! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! *Hopefully* I have a brand new baby boy in my arms when you’re reading this, but as I write this he still hasn’t made his appearance. I will definitely be doing an introduction post to our new little man as well! Get ready for some picture posts!!

What pretty things do you surround yourself with? What have you been loving lately? I would *love* to hear from you! Enable me ; ) Have a great start to your week!! And please comment, subscribe, and share!!! It means SOOOOMUCH to me!

DIY SNOWMEN HANDPRINT ORNAMENTS!

December 10, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!! I hope that you enjoy this post and will stay awhile : ) Last year for Christmas my kids, Hailey and Connor, made some of our friends and family some DIY ornaments, and they turned out so well that we decided to make a fun ornament this year as well. I haven’t decided if this will be our gift from them this year, but we did have fun making some for our house!

DIY SNOWMEN ORNAMENTS:

What You’ll Need:

Large Clear Plastic Ornaments (*Tip: I found mine at Dollar Tree and Meijer, but most big box stores or craft stores will have these!)

Soft Snow Shimmer Flakes or whatever you choose to put inside your ornament (blue ribbon, glitter, or confetti would all be fun options!)

White Acrylic Paint

Assorted Acrylic Paint Colors

Paint Brushes (I used one medium sized one and one very small pointed one)

Step 1:

Paint your childs hand with the white paint and have them make a hand print on the bulb. For my 3 1/2 year old I just showed her how to put her fingers on the bulb and not wiggle them around, but for my almost 2 year old I found it easier to just hold his hand steady while pushing the ornament into his palm myself.

*TIP: If the fingers wiggle or the hand print doesn’t turn out I was able to quickly wash off the bulb, dry it, and redo the print!

Step 2:

Let the ornaments dry completely. I found that using small cups worked great for this so they wouldn’t roll.

Step 3:

Paint the details onto your snowmen! If you have an older child, they can do this part, or you can do it yourself. I had a lot of fun adding top hats, holly, earmuffs, scarfs, and of course that carrot nose! You could also use paint markers or permanent markers instead of paint to do this part if you prefer.

Step 4:

Let your ornaments dry completely!

Step 5:

Open the top of the ornament and put the snow flakes into the ornament. I found the using a funnel and a pen to shove the stubborn flakes down worked really well. You can put as much or as little in as you want, but I only filled mine up about 1/4 of the way.

Step 6:

Wrap to give away or hang on your tree!

TOOT TOOT! Seriously sorry for tooting my own horn, really it’s just a proud mommy moment, but how cute are these?! I know this is a SUPER popular craft on Pinterest right now (speaking of, “pin” mine if you like it!) but I thought it would be nice to show a simple step-by-step that was not intimidating. This *won’t* be a “Pinterest fail”, promise : )

Again, thank you for reading and have a great weekend!! XO

DIY CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!!

December 1, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!!

I hope that all of my American subscribers had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and families! Can you believe it is DECEMBER?! I am having an especially hard time letting that sink in since it means my baby turns 2 this month, we have Christmas of course, and our newest addition is due in early January.

Because we have so much going on this month, I have been trying to get as much Christmas shopping and crafting done early as possible, and today I want to share two simple but adorable Christmas gift DIY projects.

Christmas Sock Coffee Cozy

I love this and am planning to keep one for myself! Too fun : )

What You’ll Need:

A Pair of Christmas Socks

A Travel Coffee Mug (*Tip: Starbucks has the *cutest* holiday mugs this year!)

A glue gun or other strong glue of your choice

Optional: Chocolate to fill the cup with or a giftcard to hide inside : )

Step 1:

Cut the sock so it will be long enough to wrap around the mug (make sure to not use the heel part of the sock).

Step 2:

Glue the two ends of the piece of sock together so that you form a coffee cozy.

Step 3:

Put the cozy on the mug and fill the mug with chocolates, a giftcard, or whatever else you’d like!

Pretty Nail Polish Gift Bag:

I love the way these turned out and plan on making several more!!

What You’ll Need:

A Small Cellophane Bag

A Stapler

A Piece of Plain Paper or Christmas Scrapbook Paper

A Red Pen

Crinkle Paper or Confetti

Chocolate or Christmas Candy of Your Choice

Nail Polish

Step 1:

Fill the cellophane bag with the crinkle paper or confetti and then add in your chocolates and nail polish.

Step 2:

Measure the paper so it is the length of the top of the bag and fold it in half lengthwise so it will fit over the top of the bag, and then cut your paper. Write a note or greeting on the paper and then staple it to the top of the bag.

Step 3:

Pass out your cute little bags! These also make great stocking stuffers, and you can put other items like giftcards or lip gloss.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post! Please “Pin” it to your Pinterest account! It’s easy, just scroll over any picture until the pink “Pin” button appears or use the share buttons at the bottom of this post. Have a wonderful start to your week and MONTH! It’s time to get holiday ready!!

Easy Reindeer Candy Cane DIY and Elf On the Shelf Ideas!

November 26, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! And Happy Thanksgiving Eve (that is SO a thing! promise) : )

My 3 year old, Hailey, and I have so much fun making crafts together, and during the holidays it seems extra special. Today I want to share a very simple and very fun craft that we did last week together on one of her snow days home from school.

Because Thanksgiving is TOMORROW (already!!!), I know a lot of homes will have their Elf on the Shelf returning to visit on Friday or soon after, so I have enough Elf-y ideas for Black Friday through Christmas Eve to get you ready! Our elf, McJingle Toes, was VERY popular in our house last year, and now that our oldest is really into it, we have to up our game this year ; )

EASY REINDEER CANDY CANE DIY:

What You’ll Need:

Candy Canes

Pipe Cleaners

Tiny Googly Eyes

Small Red Pom Pom

Glue

Step 1:

Wrap the pipe cleaner around the top of the candy cane and shape into antlers.

Step 2:

Glue on the googly eyes and red nose.

Step 3:

Enjoy your cute little craft! These make great add-ons for holiday gifts or baked goods, and you can really make them your own! I think next year we will add some ribbon, brown noses for some of the reindeer…who knows what else!

ELF ON THE SHELF IDEAS:

1) “I’m Back” sign with door decorated like a present or balloons and if it’s your first year doing it have your Elf ask for name!

2) Elf head first into a holiday M&M bag

3) Googly eyes on fruit with “I’m watching you” sign that Elf is holding

4) New toothbrushes as gift with a note or smile written in toothpaste by Elf

5) Red noses drawn on picture frames with dry erase markers or small pom poms

6) Mustache on frame with dry erase marker and paper mustache on Elf

7) Elf hanging off Keurig or coffee pot to help make mom or dads coffee

8) Elf in a rocket ship made out of toliet paper tubes

9) Elf making a micro marshmallow (in hot cocoa section of grocery stores) or mini marshmallow snow angel

10) Make “Elf Milk” with green food coloring in fridge

11) Sled going down the coffee table

12) Elf playing Candy Land or similar game with “friends” like Barbie or stuffed animals

13) Make “Super Elf” with cape and badge

14) Elf inside a “snowglobe” made from Pyrex bowl and mini marshmallows

15) Elf hanging from a slinky

16) Elf with supplies to make Jesus a birthday cake or birthday party

17) Elf with directions for a shoebox donation or similar charity project for kids

18) Elf making a snowman scene out of marshmallows, frosting, tooth picks, etc

19) Elf being a pointsettia in a flower pot with construction paper around face to make him the flower

20) Elf setting up a fun craft project for kids like a gingerbread house kit

21) Elf making a pancake breakfast! This one is great for weekends. Make snowmen pancakes with bacon scarf, blueberry eyes, marshmallow snow, etc

22) Elf on a sleigh made out of 2 DVDs and 2 plastic candy canes filled with candy

23) Elf sitting on canned goods and a note to take them to a food bank or collection center

24) Elf with paper to write a letter to Santa

25) Elf laying on the beach with sunglasses, sun, and water made out of paper and sand made out of brown sugar

26) Elf in sink with water dyed blue with food coloring and aluminum foil boat or fishing in the sink for Goldfish Crackers

27) *Note: If you started the day after Thanksgiving and did it everyday this day #27 would be Christmas Eve

Put Christmas Eve PJs into a box with candy, popcorn, and Christmas DVDs to watch as a family that night and a goodnight note or sign from your Elf.

As always, if you have found this post helpful, interesting, or liked it PLEASE share it and “pin” it to your Pinterest account! All the buttons you need are at the bottom of every post!! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with loved ones! Please travel safely! Oh, and be kind to people on Black Friday, especially the retail workers!!

MUAH!

DIY Holiday Wreath Tutorial!!!

November 10, 2014 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!!

I hope that you all had a great weekend! We had our first “real” snowfall here and Hailey is pretty sure it’s because of the snow dance that she did ; ) Last year my friend posted on Facebook a picture of a beautiful wreath that she made, and I have wanted to make my own ever since. I am super excited to be sharing this tutorial with you today!! I love this project because you can absolutely make it your own and use it for any occasion! You can put bulbs all around the wreath if you prefer that look, and you can use different ribbon, like a burlap style, to completely change the feel of this wreath!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED AND WHAT I SPENT:

*Note: I purchased all of my supplies at Hobby Lobby but did it when all Christmas was 50% off…never buy stuff at Hobby Lobby full price!! The next wreath I make I plan to try getting supplies from Dollar Tree

Styrofoam Wreath $5

Red Ribbon $5

Wooden Letter $3

3 Different Sizes of Plastic/Shatterproof Bulbs $11

Holly and Pom Pom Accents $4

Hot Glue Gun

Total Spent: About $30

Step 1:

Wrap the ribbon around wreath and secure as you go with hot glue.

Step 2:

Begin gluing the bulbs with the part that you would use to hang the ornament facing the back of your wreath. Glue the first few bulbs on the inside of the wreath and then the outside. I glued the bulbs to the wreath and also to the bulbs they were next to. I used the largest bulbs for this step.

Step 3:

Start fitting more bulbs into the gaps and glue them as you go. Do not panic if it doens’t look great right away, I was really worried about mine but ended up LOVING the end result.

Step 4:

Glue your letter (or whatever other embellishemnt you like!) to the wreath and add your accent pieces. I had to cut my accent pieces with wire cutters before gluing them onto my wreath.

Step 5:

Hang up your gorgeous new holiday wreath!!

If you make this PLEASE PLEASE post a picture to Instagram with the hashtag #LeahTacklesChristmas or share it on my Facebook! And definitely, pin this post! It would mean a lot to me : ) Have a wonderful week!!

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