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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Make These {Easy} Snowman Hat Ornaments!

These adorable little snowman hat ornaments are easy and fun to make, using recycled cardboard tubes and boxes.


Last year, on a trip to Arizona to visit family, I wanted to bring my sister-in-law a set of handmade ornaments with her kids' names on them. Of course, they weren't finished when it was time to travel, so I brought supplies and finished them when I got there.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Upcycled Altoids Tin Travel Spicy Farkel

A good friend was recently visiting from Colorado, and she gifted me with a Spicy Farkel game. This was the same friend who gifted me with a regular Farkel game a few months ago. I loved that game, and decided to alter a little round mint tin to make a travel Farkel game.


When my friend gifted me with the Spicy version of the game, I knew it needed it's own travel tin, as well.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Make This Scrappy Christmas Tree Card!

Do you need to send out some last minute Christmas cards? Did you run out of cards before you made it through your mailing list? Here is a simple card idea that does not require special Christmas papers or dies or stamps. Making these cards couldn't be easier!


Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Gift Card Holder From Paper Towel Tube!

Do you love making cute stuff, and love upcycling, too? If so, you will love learning how to make gift card holders from paper towel tubes.


Start by gathering some decorative paper (I used pages from an old music book), a paper towel tube, adhesive, ribbon or twine, and embellishments.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Make This Easy Pumpkin Card!


I don't seem to own any pumpkin or harvest related dies, but I wanted to make a pumpkin card the other day.  


Turns out, it's not too hard to make a cute pumpkin card for Thanksgiving, using just a few scraps of decorative paper and a card base.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Make These Easy Beautiful Fire Starter Gifts!

A year or two ago, my sister-in-law, Carinae, turned me on to Scentsy products. I was explaining to her that sometimes our beach house gets a slight musty, closed-in smell when we haven't been there in a while. While we do keep it heated and dried out all winter, and keep the air circulating all summer, it's hard to shake that hint of  Pacific Northwest mustiness.

Carinae explained that Scentsy wax pots are heated by those tiny little nightlight bulbs. Well, I leave nightlights on all the time, especially when we have guests, so I ordered several. Carinae recommended some scents that she thought would be a great counter to the musty smell.

The Scentsy does its job well. When we walk into the beach house, we now smell something refreshing and citrusy, or something cozy and piney, or something Christmasy!

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Quilting Retreat at a Franciscan Monastery

Around this time last year we were traveling in New England. We were having one of those rare vacations, where two of our children and our granddaughter were able to join us. Now that we're empty nesters, we grab at any opportunity to spend time with the kiddos!


When the kids were growing up, we liked to stay in interesting places when we traveled.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Easy Sugar Skull Tutorial




This post was originally published on House Revivals in October of 2015. Here is an easy last minute Halloween Sugar Skull project! This sugar skull project is suitable for bigger kids or adults. Basically, if you can use scissors and fold paper, you can do this craft.



I made my sugar skulls into an All Souls Day bunting, but you can use your sugar skulls singly, as well.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

How to Make a Stepped Card {With Template}

Here is another fun and easy "fancy" card idea, that will look like you spent more time on it than you actually did.


These "stepped cards are easy to make, with this template.

Friday, October 14, 2016

How to Make an Easel Card -- Easy!


I think we should all do something creative every day, but sometimes our schedules don't allow us to spend lots of time on projects. 


This is why I love making cards -- and the bonus? You get to send a friend a cheerful message!