DIY advent calendar with tins & handmade ornaments

I know, I’m late. An advent calendar on December 9? This project took way longer than I anticipated. Just drawing my designs by hand and editing them on the computer took weeks. I probably should start Christmas crafts in June next year. But I’m glad I stuck with it. My husband […]

2021-02-24T16:10:08-08:00December 10, 2020|

DIY string-art Christmas tree with lights + free pattern

I finally made my first string art project! It was super fun and easy. Wait, nailing 101 nails perfectly straight — all at a precise height — is fun and easy? Yep! I’ll show you my trick to save you lots of time and save your fingers from getting smashed by […]

2021-01-31T01:52:48-08:00December 10, 2020|

DIY fall pumpkin centerpiece ideas

For those of you who aren’t in a rush to decorate for Christmas, give your pumpkins one last hurrah before everything becomes tinsel and snowflakes. Remember: Fall isn’t over until December 22, and pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween.

Finish your centerpiece with a fall-colored table runner, leaves, green boughs, or more scattered […]

2021-03-05T02:34:03-08:00November 15, 2017|

DIY easy ribbon wreath

I originally made this as a Christmas wreath, but now that I see it again, it works just as well as a Valentine’s Day wreath. It’s the easiest project I’ve done so far.

Admittedly, it looks candy caney. But that’s the beauty of this project: You can choose any ribbons you want. […]

2021-03-05T02:22:02-08:00February 10, 2014|

Carpet samples = DIY Easter placemats

This stack of carpet samples has been hanging around my apartment for three years. I picked them up for free on Craigslist. My original plan was to let the girls at camp paint them to make fun prayer rugs. The problem was that cheap craft paint […]

2021-01-31T02:10:13-08:00March 30, 2013|

DIY Easter tree, egg ornaments & garland

My grandmother and great-grandmother were both crafty. My great-grandmother specialized in tatting, crochet, and ribbon roses. My grandmother dabbled in many handicrafts, including painting china, sculpting clay roses, découpaging, quilling, welding, and making 3D pictures (I’ll teach you the latter someday). She even made adorable […]

2021-04-03T20:22:22-07:00April 7, 2012|

DIY chicken wire jingle bell ornament

When I blogged about my wire mesh jewelry holders with beads, I mentioned that I planned to make a Christmas ornament out of wire. Here it is. But instead of ¼-inch hardware cloth, I went with chicken wire. Apparently, it’s called poultry netting these days, but my family raised chickens […]

2021-01-31T02:12:14-08:00December 7, 2011|

DIY recycled Christmas card advent calendar

Remember when I told you three years ago that I was going to make an advent calendar the same way I made my hanging postcard collage? Well, I finally did it! Apologies for posting so late in the season. You probably already made or bought an advent calendar this year. […]

2021-01-31T02:12:29-08:00November 30, 2011|

DIY sheet music Christmas tree ornaments

Homemade ornaments are so much more fun, rewarding, and cheaper than buying them. Especially when they’re made of paper — in this case, sheet music. That’s why I included so many paper ornaments in my handmade holiday gift list. For this project, I made stars, but you […]

2021-01-31T05:55:05-08:00December 8, 2010|

Angel Christmas ornament with pants

Don’t you just love Christmas lights? As an apartment dweller, decking the yard with lights isn’t an option, so instead my living room is almost as bright as day in the evening with all the strings of lights. They’re the next best thing to sitting beside a flickering fireplace. Check out […]

2021-02-23T06:25:23-08:00December 24, 2009|

DIY giant craft-stick snowflakes

I could hardly wait to show you this Popsicle stick craft! These snowflakes are fun, easy, and so inexpensive to make. The smallest snowflake is 12 inches across; the largest is 24 inches. I had some rhinestones left over from my Christmas tree advent calendar, so I glued some at the […]

2021-01-31T06:03:00-08:00December 8, 2009|

DIY craft-stick Christmas tree advent calendar with “origami” boxes

I was given a box of 1,000 craft sticks, and I had no idea what to do with them. I wasn’t about to start building 1980s Popsicle stick jewelry boxes. I eventually came up with some Christmas ideas. This is my first craft stick project. Click here for my giant […]

2021-01-31T06:04:19-08:00December 1, 2009|

Framing heirloom doilies for Christmas

I told you I have a lot of tatted doilies from my great-grandmother. I decided to frame a few more for Christmas. I bought these 12-inch square collage frames at Michael’s. I replaced the mats with $1/yard fabric from Walmart. I love how the doilies look […]

2021-01-31T06:13:17-08:00December 24, 2008|

Carving pumpkins with a drill

I’ve been dying to try drilling pumpkins for two years, and I finally did it. It’s fun, but after drilling three pumpkins, my hand got tired from holding the drill. But it was worth it. Those daisies are sitting in a jar full of water inside the pumpkin. How, then, did […]

2021-01-31T06:14:48-08:00October 29, 2008|
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