DIY Bow Tree Topper

Whether you need a big fluffy bow for a package or to top your holiday tree I've got a tutorial that will walk you through it in super easy steps.  They are really easy and if you use wired ribbon at a dollar store you can save money making your own bow.  Five steps and you'll wow yourself with your new talent.  

A St. Patrick's leprechuan, craft, recipe, book and all things green

My grown grand is going to visit Ireland this summer and in my excitement for her I asked my fellow bloggers for some St. Patrick's day stuff.  They delivered a wonderful variety of leprechuan crafts, recipes,and information to read that that I felt you could enjoy as much as I have.  St. Patrick day is a delightful holiday with Irish roots that even those of us with only a smidgen of Irish blood can embrace.  I'm making one of the Irish Soda Bread recipes this afternoon and the little grands are keen to make the Blushing Leprechaun Cookies. 

How I get ready for winter holiday guests

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PreparedWithCVS #CollectiveBias
Last summer we moved to our fixer upper retirement place.  When the family and friends started coming in for the fall and winter holidays it was a bit of a mess but I still managed to make it special.  This season I’m getting organized and stocking up with essentials to make my home “guest ready”.  There are new bed linens, pillows, towels, seasonal remedies and everything is looking so cute I can barely wait for my first visitors to show up!

Grinch painting

A last minute painting to hang by the front door because I like the whimsey of it.

Above a bowl of glittering red balls

Merry Christmas to all

Christmas Home Tour

I love driving through neighborhoods all lit up and I love holiday home tours, don't you?  This year we moved to a 1956 home we are actively renovating and I could barely contain myself to wait until after Thanksgiving to put out the Christmas decorations.  I'd love for you to stop by for an open house tour and then head over to my blog world friends for more seasonal fun.

  Ring the bell and come on in.  I'd love to give your a tour.

Christmas tree decorating tradition

Many people around the world are partaking in the tradition of putting up and decorating a Christmas tree.  From what I’ve read we owe this fabulous tradition to the Germans.  Thanks.

DIY Craft: Painting glass

Welcome to my first Craft Sunday at the 1956 Fixer Upper.  DIL asked if she could invite a couple of friends to our Craft Sunday and I happily complied.  This month we are going to try painting on glass so I picked up several pieces of clear glassware at a thrift store and spent an afternoon practicing so I could give at least a little guidance toward success.  My project is a pumpkin on a stemmed wineglass using flat acrylic craft paint.  The second project is also a pumpkin but using gloss enamel paint.  Pumpkins are all different, so don’t strive to make them so matchey matchey. Both paint methods were successful, but the enamel will be a more durable finish after it is baked and a bit more washable if I use it as a wine glass.  Read on for my success tips.

Bake, Decorate, and Create for the Holiday

Christmas crafts, Christmas foods, Christmas decorations, Christmas traditions are near and dear to most of our hearts.  It started when I was a kid hearing the season music, the smell of a fresh tree in the house and anticipating the Santa watch on Christmas Eve.  My Dad was very excited about the holiday and went to great lengths to make it special for all of us.  My grandmother made hot cocoa as we little kids waited anxiously and the uncles took turns guarding the door to the Christmas room increasing the excitement until everyone was present and ready.  In that spirit here’s a look back at some of my favorite December posts. Each photo is linked to the original post with recipes/tour/DIY’s.  I hope you enjoy it and hop around to some of the other blogger participants in our Look at Christmas Past.  Clicking on each photo will take you to the post.

Kid craft: Snowmen on a mason jar

It is a very cold day here and perfect for painting snowmen with the 3 (almost 4) year old.

A Thanksgiving table for the fall

I always enjoy seeing the beautiful table settings on Pinterest and blogs I visit.  Now that we have a formal dining area I get to dress up a table for myself. It was fun to pull together some fall items and know I get to leave it set up for several days.  This table started with a moss green fabric runner topped with a wide burlap ribbon.  The centerpiece is a green glass vase I picked up at Ross and large sunflowers from Michaels.  The acorn squash, butternut squash and pine cones are real but the acorns are not.  The fabric pumpkin is one I crafted last fall. 

12 Days to a White Christmas

Welcome to 12 Days of White Christmas in November.  The collection comes from some imaginative and creative friends with white in mind.  You can find the original blog posts with  more glimmering white ideas in plenty of time to inspire your holiday creations at the bottom of the photos.  Be sure to share your lovely whites with us.

DIY No Carve Pumpkins for Halloween

It’s almost Halloween so Little Grand is ready for a fun kid activity and to transform our Fall Pumpkin Display into fun and playful Halloween decorations.  I wanted to avoid carving the pumpkins so that after Halloween they can still be used for Thanksgiving décor.

How to make an easy Patriotic Banner

It’s all about the red, white and blue today.  This fun and easy patriotic craft is easy enough for a small child to create and quick enough to put together as a last minute party decoration.  Although this one has a patriotic theme, you can easily use this economical cupcake liners to decorate for any festive occasion. 

Spring Green decorations

Spring is a wonderful time of the year.  The mantel decorations are going green with pops of red, orange and blue for Spring.  I used bright wrapping tissue paper to make book jackets for a lively leprechaun to stand on next to a blarney heart shaped stone my daughter brought me.  An enlarged photo of big girl grand inspecting a spring wild flower in Central Texas and some candles adorned with pretty ribbon, a beaded bracelet and dragon fly charms were all easy, quick projects. 

If you’ve never

Holiday Home Tour

Welcome to my Holiday Home.  This year I traded in my huge tree for a smaller slimmer one.  It leaves so much more room for guests to mingle about.  I pulled a box of Santa’s from storage that I haven’t used in years. I had forgotten how sweet they are.  When I came across three hand painted Santa’s my late Aunt Gracie made I was really glad I chose Santa for this years tree.  She was a talented artist and loved the holidays.  I keep my decorations pretty simple because too much clutter makes me feel closed in.  I hope you enjoy this tour and please share with me how what your favorite decorating items are in your home.

A little red on the bed for the holidays

It didn't take much to add a little holiday to my white bedroom.  The wreath came from my sister, the quilt was purchased years ago and the pillow is a long scarf with a rolled bed pillow inside. Big girl grand thinks it looks like a roll of candy.  I secured the bed pillow in a roll using masking tape! Knots on the end of the scarf is all that holds it together.

DIY Refrigerator Snowman

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!  The fridge was cleaned for the holiday (you can use my how to and cleaning solution here) and ready to be decorated.  Snowmen are a fun decoration for the holiday because they are good through January.  And they are easy to craft with kids and grownups too!  This morning I put up a really quick snowman on the fridge.  He has a hat made from 2 bright greet lunch bags, eyes from a dollar store magnetic Halloween ghost kit, construction paper nose, magnet strips mouth and a twisted sheet of dark green tissue paper for his scarf...oh and some magnetic dots for buttons.   All things I had on hand.

Go ahead and put one up, or better yet, let the kids create him from stuff you have.  Now, show me what you made!

Cinnamon applesauce ornaments

One of my favorite holiday smells is cinnamon and apples.  These are the simplest things to make and the smell is so rewarding!

Start with one of those individual serving cups that is 3/4-1 cup of applesauce and start adding cinnamon until you have a nice workable dough -about 4 oz.   I made the first batch with what was left in a big container of apple sauce.  Add slowly and stir gently, there will be a cloud of cinnamon rising up! It will be slightly sticky, so roll the dough out between wax paper to about 1/4" thick.  They shrink very little, so what you see is pretty much what you get.  If it seems a bit too sticky, sprinkle some cinnamon on the surface of the wax paper.  Cut out the shapes you want and place them on a cookie sheet.

 Use a straw to cut out a hole for hanging.  Dry them out in the oven set at 225 F for about 20 minutes.  They will not be completely dry, but you will be able to pick them up and turn them over. If you prefer, you can let them air dry instead if you have a couple of days to spare.   When the area around the hole appears dry (you'll know by the color change) you can string them up on twine or ribbon and hang on the tree, or make a garland, or tie onto packages.  Let your imagination run wild!

The wreaths in our windows are made from fresh Rosemary.  You can see how to make them here.

DIY Christmas Sock Wreath

Our large family has gathered at our family home on the night before Christmas Eve to play games and socialize all our lives.  The night turns into a huge slumber party when we put the children to bed and the adults fill stockings for our Christmas Eve morning together.  Every year of my life my mother has hung up a Christmas sock for each member of our family to fill.  I don’t mean those felt creations; I mean the kind you wear; a pair of socks with Christmas patterns on them.  After all these years I have a drawer full of them.  There are too many to wear, even every day of December!  This year I determined to make some kind of craft with them. 

I spotted some pipe insulation and was quickly reminded of a Pinterest creation where a pool noodle had been used to make a wreath form.  With that inspiration, I took a wire clothes hanger and the pipe insulation and went to work.

Supplies:  Socks, clothes hanger, pipe insulation, scissors, pliers

Bend and reform a wire clothes hanger into a circle.

Unwind the hanger so the pipe insulation 

can be easily slipped onto the form.

Cut the pipe insulation the length of the hanger, 

leaving the hook exposed and slide it onto the wire.

Snip the toe out of the socks you intend to use
so that they can be slipped over the insulation. 
Push the socks together to make a “bunchy” look. 
If the heel sticks out too much, simply tuck it in. 
It took 6 pair to give the look I wanted. 
Alternate the socks for a pleasing color pattern.

Re-twist the ends back together and you now have a wreath form.  Add a bow and any other decorations you want.  I gave the wreath to my mother this week.  She loved it and as each sibling has come by I get the same happy reaction.

Thanks for stopping by and happy holiday crafting to you!

I like to link up here.

DIY Rosemary Wreath

Thanksgiving is over and now I get to put out Christmas decorations!  Yeah!  This year I am going to try using things that are easy, free and will clean up quick after the holiday.  We are putting our house on the market soon and everything needs to be visitor friendly. I started in the kitchen (okay, I admit it, before I left to mom's for Thanksgiving...) because that's where a lot of time is spent.  No better way to get in the spirit than in the kitchen with all those yummy smells!