DIY

woodland fall wreath {tutorial}

Woodland Inspired Fall Wreath

If you’re anything like me you are getting all your Fall decorations up. I have been working over the past two weeks figuring out where to place all my decorations because it’s our first Fall season in the new house. I loved my Fall wreath at the old house but it has since found a new place indoors because we have double front doors. I wanted wreaths that could go through the entire season and stay up for Brayden’s birthday party which is also woodland themed. I settled on a design using fragile moss and grapevine wreaths that I found at Michael’s. The only problem I had was the price so after about five trips to Michael’s to take advantage of the 50% off coupon I had all the necessary items to make my wreaths.

Here’s what you need for one wreath:

1 – moss & grapevine wreath

($14.99 + 50% off coupon)

2 – Fall inspired sprigs

($1.99 each + 40% + an additional 15% off coupon)

1 – Woodland mushroom sprig

($3.99 + 50% off coupon)

twine

hot glue

scissors

burlap

You will want to work on a clean surface. This is a messy project because of the wreath and burlap threads. Take one of the fall sprigs and nestle it just about eight o’clock, you might need to bend or trim the stick. Next take the second sprig and nestle it right below the first.

You will next take the mushroom sprig and gently nestle it into the wreath. I cut about two inches off of the stick. On my first wreath the cap of the mushroom fell and on the second the stick came out, if this happens just simple place some hot glue on the area.

Find a piece of card stock and cut a small triangle. This will be your guide for your mini pennant banner.

Place the paper triangle onto your burlap, lining them up right against one another. Cut out your triangles. I used four triangles. I originally was going to write FALL on the triangles but opted for simplicity.

Next take your twine and line up your triangles. Simply place a line of hot glue on the twine and gently place the burlap triangle onto the twine. Repeat with remaining triangles. Leave enough twine at the ends to tie off and for some slack.

Next take your burlap. Burlap is fairly easy to cut. About two inches in width find a string in the burlap and cut it. Loosen that string and begin to pull towards you.

Pull the string until it comes completely out from the piece of burlap.

You will now see a straight cut guide.

Take your scissors and cut along the guide line.

For your pennant you will want to tie onto a twig that is sturdy. I tied mine at 11 and 2 o’clock.

Wrap your long piece of burlap around the wreath tying a knot at the top and then tying another at the top so you can hang it on a hook disguising the hook. I tied mine at the top twice and cut the ends on an angle.

Hang on your door and admire all season long with a yummy pumpkin spice latte in hand!

*Note – At select Michael’s stores they are carrying this wreath and matching owls, squirrels, mushrooms and birds. I had purchased an owl to place at 4 o’clock but it looked too busy. Mix and match and have fun with it!

I am linking up with:

live.laugh.{linky}

easy spring burlap wreath {diy tutorial}

last week when we went to my sisters house for my nieces birthday party we were greeted with this gorgeous wreath. the first thing i said to her was that she had to make me one. since i knew we were heading back to her house the following saturday for my nieces actual birthday we arranged to make it then. my sister found the tutorial via pinterest from top this top that.

isn’t it purrty? this is my sisters, let’s see how we made mine.

you are going to need:

– a wire wreath (any size can work, we used a 12″) $2.99

– a roll of 4″ burlap, roughly 10 yards $8.99

– scissors

– flower bunches $1.99 each (she bought two which was enough for both of ours)

– carrots (pier 1) $4.95 on sale for $4

– moss bunny (pier 1) $2.95 on sale for $2

tip: use a craft store coupon to get the burlap & wire wreath for less.

take your wreath and place it on a clean and clutter free work space.

start at the top of burlap and use the hook to secure the burlap.

loop the burlap through the top, middle and bottom opening.

keep looping. it doesn’t have to be perfect, you will fluff it at the end.

eat a cupcake while your sisters works away. . .can you tell i am the older sibling? 😉

fluff and even the burlap out.

take your moss bunny and wrap the stick around the wire wreath. fluff the burlap so you don’t see the wooden stick. take two sprigs of flowers and insert into the burlap holes.

secure the flowers with the piece of jute that wrapped the roll of burlap.

next, untie the piece of jute that comes on the carrots. tie the jute securely behind the wreath. stick the last two sprigs of flowers behind the carrots.

voila! you now have a pretty spring wreath. since the spring embellishments are just tied on you could easily replace these each season.

another cute use for the pier 1 moss bunny: you could add one of these to a bouquet to bring to easter brunch, or to a loved one or to decorate your table. plus, pier 1 is having 20% off easter and there is a $10 off $50 coupon.

if you make this i would love to see yours!

valentines day candy “machine” {diy}

a few weeks ago i raced through michael’s to purchase the items for a clay pot gumball machine. payton has been potty training and was going about 4-5 times a day so i wanted to make her a special treat jar for her potty rewards. when the three of us were racing through the store because my janky michaels had all their carts in use for stocking the abundance of crap in that store. so just picture me holding b in the carrier, p walking around wanting to pick-up every little thing. me continuously saying: gotta keep going, let’s hurry, it’s for your special candy jar. it worked. but they didn’t have the correct size votive candle holder so our globe is a little smaller then it should be. i knocked the treat jar out during nap time, wish i would’ve just slowed down i just knew that a certain toddler would want to see her pink chocolates in her potty jar as she woke-up so this mommy delivered.

here’s what you need:

clay pot, clay pot saucer, glass votive holder, acrylic paint, wooden balls, clear spray paint, paintbrush, hot glue, ribbon.

here’s how:

1. paint your pot, saucer and wooden ball with your acrylic paint. you will need to cover these with a few coats depending on the color you choose. i went with a baby pink so it took about three coats. let this dry.

2. if you desire a sheen, take your painted saucer, wooden ball and pot outside and spray a thin coat of clear spray paint. let this dry.

3. on a steady surface, place your pot upside down. apply a good amount of hot glue to the bottom of the pot. place the votive candle holder onto the hot glue. apply a good amount of pressure to ensure the glue/glass adhere to one another. let dry.

4. take the saucer and turn upside down. place a good amount of hot glue in the center and apply the wooden ball. let dry.

5. fill the globe with candy, tie decorative ribbon around the glass and decorate however you wish. my brown dots need to be touched up a bit.

and here it sits on our counter top. you can give these for valentines day gifts or use it as a reward jar like i did. i know my little toddler loves having her own special candy jar.

conversation heart wreath

do you love valentines day? love crafts? love anything lovey dovey?

i am linking up with hollie for love fest for all us lovein girls out there.

a few weeks ago, kim, of dish baby posted a conversation heart wreath on her facebook page. i just about died when i saw it. first, how stinkin’ cute and second, why didn’t i think of that? i set out that next day to pick-up the supplies and got 3/4 of the way done but hearing, mommy try, candy puuhhleeese, more and huh? why? over and over again made me stop. i had the wreath on my dining room table staring at me for over a week and a half. yesterday i bit the bullet and finished it during nap time. it was kinda fun, the house was dead silent accept for the conversation playing on in my head from the chalky pastel hearts. i am so pleased how it came out, well, until you look closely and see small nooks of styrofoam peeping through.

here’s what you need:

1 styrofoam wreath – $2.99
2 bags of conversation hearts – $3 for 2
1 spool of ribbon – $2.50
10-15 sticks of hot glue (this is what surprised me the most!)

directions:

line your workspace with newspaper. turn on your hot glue gun. once the glue is nice and hot make a line of glue and start sticking away. you can start a pattern but it gets tricky, just think of good ‘ole tetris while laying the hearts in the glue. when all the hearts are adhered to the wreath take a piece of ribbon around the wreath and tie a few knots and then a bow. voila! you now have a conversation heart wreath!

you need to hang it from a place where you know it will not fall because it is really heavy!

now, i need to figure out how to store it for next year.

UPDATE: I have now stored this wreath for two years. No issues. I have only lost a few hearts which is easily fixable. Hope you have made one!

you bedazzled your key?

well, that’s what my hubby said and then laughed at me when i showed him my new sparkly house key. i can never find my house key amidst the other four or five, i don’t even know what one of them goes to. i have two house keys because while we were out of our house one of the contractors busted our top lock so we had to replace our front door lock system making it different than our back door and side garage door. so, my new sparkly key matches perfectly with my other sd chargers house key my mom had made. it’s funny that my key to parents house is a pink jeweled princess key. ha ha. i also have my old la fitness barcode scanner on there, don’t know why i haven’t taken it off after a year of being with 24-hour fitness. i also have my good ‘ole albertsons reward card and my coach key chain which i bought like six or seven years ago. it always housed a japanese coin hubby brought back from japan to bring me good luck. it fell out last year. maybe that’s why our 2011 was so rocky? who knows. i should probably part with it or wash it. ha!

here’s what i did:

you’re going to need some: modge podge, a paint brush, glitter (i love the martha stewart fine pretty colored glitters but this .99 cent tube fit my budget), clear nail polish and a key.

take your brush and dip it into the modge podge and put a good coat on one side of your key.

dump glitter onto the glued key.

shake off the excess. let dry for a few minutes and repeat with the backside.

it already looks so puurrrty.

once both side are glittered up take your clear nail polish and paint a few coats onto each side to ensure the glitter won’t come off.

let the key dry and place it back onto your key ring. i have to say i do love my sparkly key. it also makes it easy to find the key in the dark because i can now feel which key is my house key and it sparkles with the light of the moon.

dude. why does my thumb looks so fat!?