Eat at Allie’s has created a sweet treat with a disappearing act that is a perfect pairing for the story of the Easter Holiday. Her Resurrection Rolls are as easy to make as they are fitting for the big day!
Mission: To create yummy pastries while teaching the kiddos the resurrection of Jesus. My Sons says “Jesus is a nice guy you know”- I couldn’t agree more
Details:
This recipe is very easy to follow and the items are all usually on hand in my kitchen!
I used both crescent rolls and biscuits. I found that the biscuits were easier to stretch and fit a large marshmallow with breaking or tearing the dough.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Make sure you seal or crimp your ends tightly. Some of my seals broke open and created a huge sticky mess on the bottom of my oven.
Pros:
Very easy recipe to follow and super tasty. Cinnamon and sugar is a plus in my book.
Cons:
The mess in the bottom of my oven!
Conclusion:
Jesus has risen indeed! What a fun recipe and a great way to incorporate a Bible lesson at home with the kids – and did I mention it was a delicious treat!
Mission: Bake up some gooey, doughy goodness while entertaining the kiddos.
Details:
I used all the same ingredients and methods suggested in the original post minus the parchment paper. Clearly I was not paying attention there.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
The parchment paper would have made a huge difference in serving and how well the little balls stayed intact since they would not have been baked onto the sheet so firmly…. which would have improved cleanup time as well.
Pros:
We all had fun making these. The kids were excited and so was I! Such a simple idea and very kid friendly.
Cons:
They didn’t turn out as lovely as Allie’s. In fact my kids kind of picked at the gooey center (mine did not turn into magical syrup like hers’ either) and then asked if they HAD to eat them.
Conclusion:
Not a winner in the taste category but they really were fun to bake. I don’t know that I would make these again in this method but might consider adding a bit of chocolate and mini marshmallows for a s’mores-like knock off. Pretty sure I could get everyone on board with that idea!
Mission: To make a yummy treat for the kids…oh and me!
Details:
I had all of these ingredients on-hand, which made this recipe even easier from the get-go – I love when that happens!
I melted the butter in a glass dish, got the cinnamon sugar mix ready, put the marshmallows in a bowl and started prepping these. I have a silly phobia of things that “pop”, such as balloons, fireworks, guns AND crescent roll tubes…so I secretly hate using these. My husband has a good time making fun of me for this fear of mine. But, I power through opening the tube and forge ahead.
Anyway, once I was all set up, the process of making the resurrection rolls was very quick and easy. Outside of getting my hands coated in butter and sugar, it was a smooth process.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Make sure to tightly secure the crescent roll around the marshmallow to avoid having it spilling out the sides as mine did. It ended up being messy and not as cute as they should have been once baked.
Pros:
Minimal ingredients and delicious!
Cons:
A bit messy to create, and if you didn’t secure them tightly enough, messy to get them off the cookie sheet.
Mission: I was hesitant with this project at first. It was definitely something I personally wouldn’t have picked out to try.
Details:
I got the marshmallows and crescent rolls at the grocery store and had everything else on had.
It was really easy to put together!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Definitely put some effort into pinching the dough closed, I didn’t do this very well and as you can see, melted marshmallow all over the pan!
These are tastiest right out of the oven, don’t let them cool before eating because they get hard and very sticky.
Pros:
These tasted really good!
Cons:
Sticky melted marshmallows all over the cooking pan. Made it difficult to get the rolls off the pan without pulling them apart!
Conclusion:
These turned out okay, but I don’t know if it is something that I would make again. The story on the blog is really sweet and would be fun to tell to kids while making the rolls.
Mission: Make some fun, vibrant neon eggs…with going to the drugstore to get a PAAS kit.
Details:
I have to admit, I didn’t include my kids in making these. I didn’t have the patience.
I ended up using gel food coloring, instead of regular food coloring. 1 tsp of gel food coloring did the job. Just make sure you whisk it well.
Mission: Have some fun on an activity I haven’t done since I was a kid!
Details:
Bought a package of liquid Neon Food Color and the old school egg dying kit
Used a cake rack for drying
I didn’t have regular vinegar on hand so I used Apple Cider Vinegar
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Have patience…I failed at this!
Wear gloves, my hands looked a mess after! Be careful on anything you touched…the dye may stain (although then you could try out the Homemade Shout Stain Remover)!
Pros:
Fun and easy project! Can’t wait to do this once I have kids.
Loved the vibrant, neon colors and the vinegar is supposed to make it even brighter!
Cons:
If you are looking for perfection you must have patience! I didn’t have patience to wait for a deep color or to let the eggs dry 15 minutes between dipping.
Conclusion:
Definitely had fun with this project! Mike joined me and was getting into the different colors!
Great project for kids…just be careful with the dyes!
Mission: To create some adorable Easter eggs with the kids.
Details:
First off, my son was beyond excited to try this – he had been asking to open the dye for days! So, once my youngest went down for her nap, we set up shop and got going.
I was able to find the PAAS Color Cupsand the neon food coloring easier than I expected and of course found them both at my second home, good ol’ Super Target. Seriously, I live at this place and sometimes more than I am at home. It is one of the few places I can take all three children and keep them contained as I shop.
After placing a paper bag on the table and taping it down with masking tape, I prepped the colors as specified. The neon food coloring I found was a four pack of purple, pink, teal and orange. The kids dunked their eggs all the way under for an all over color result while I tried unsuccessfully at making mine more mod with white space and such.
I hadn’t expected the neon dyes to stain – but should have read the label on the food coloring a bit further. My son put almost his entire hand into the teal dye and will have Smurf fingers for a few days.
When we were pleased with our dying job, we then set the eggs on a cookie rack over a muffin pan to dry.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Follow her directions and use rubber gloves if you want to avoid any staining of your hands. If I haven’t mentioned before, I am sometimes horrible at following directions to a “T”, and I grazed over this mention somehow! Oops!
Pros:
Beautiful and intense colors when finished – just gorgeous!
These bright colors make me so excited for spring and the Easter holiday.
Cons:
The food coloring will stain your fingers and clothes, so be prepared for that if you are working with wee ones.
I tried using the egg dipper at first, but it just wasn’t working well for me so I resorted to my hands…hence more staining.
Conclusion:
These don’t look like my momma’s Easter eggs! This project was such a fun spin on a tried and true tradition for this holiday. You must give this one a try! Plus, having fun colored hard-boiled eggs helps to get your kiddos to eat them up!
I happened to run into Easter egg dipping cups for $.99 at Menards. These cups were great for holding the vinegar, water and dyes and can be reused!
The original directions called for t-pins, foam and brown paper bags. I do not use any of these items. I covered my work surface with wax paper and used my cake drying rack. This worked perfectly!
Also, the longer you leave the egg in the dye mixture, the more vibrant your color will be. I left my eggs in the mixture for about 10 minutes max.
Pros:
Very east to follow the directions. The eggs turned out vibrant and colorful.
Cons:
The dye mixture stains! Be sure to wear gloves and cover your work area. The tips of my fingers were purple for days.
Conclusion:
I couldn’t be more pleased with how my eggs turned out. I love bright colors. It reminds me that Spring is on its way!
Although, my kids were desperate to get involved and help, I decided that this project was best left to the adults because of the staining factor.
Mission: Create Easter eggs in Spring’s hottest hues: NEON!!
Details:
Gather supplies, most of which I had at home: white vinegar, eggs, Neon Food Coloring, containers to place eggs in for dying, a drying rack, newspaper, and gloves to protect your fingers from becoming neon, too!
Boil the eggs, let cool and then get to dipping!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Follow suggested amount of dye…I used probably half as many drops as suggested and my neon colors were muted…but still pretty!
Martini glasses used to hold each dye color worked really well for this project!
Pros:
Who doesn’t love dying eggs for Easter?
Cons:
NONE!
Conclusion:
This childhood favorite is still fun! The possibilities are endless…let your creative juices flow!
Your Homebased Mom has cracked the code on Micky D’s ode to the Irish, the Shamrock Shake! It looks just like the real thing and uses only a handful of ingredients that may already be in your fridge!
We needed to see if this milkshake brought the boys to the yard…
Please click here to visit Your Homebased Mom and see the instructions that we followed!
Mission: Shamrock Shakes? Love those things! Although after being “displaced” for 7 months I am on a sabbatical from fast food joints, so if I want some Shamrock Shake action, I’m going to have to make it myself!
Details:
I popped for the Monin Green Mint Syrup after the customer reviews convinced me that I would be noshing on fancy desserts and sipping pinky-up French beverages if I did. I’ll let you know how that goes.
I halved the recipe only because I accidentally saw the Nutritional Information on the side of my container as I was shoveling it into the pitcher.
I just love my Cuisinart Smart Stick. It is the best kitchen gadget ever. I have a little pitcher from IKEA that is always the perfect size for blending smoothies and now milkshakes! Just dump everything in and blend with hardly any cleanup!
Pros:
Tastes just like the real thing but with an even better texture – like from a malt shop!
Cons:
I halved the recipe. I wanted more.
Conclusion:
I loved this thing, it was even better than the real deal!
Mission: Recreate the infamous McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.
Details:
I had all the ingredients on hand and had some eager taste-testers.
Although I did not have mint syrup, I used mint extract and Crème De Menthe. Close enough, right?
Tips & Tricks Learned:
This recipe is pretty straightforward. Add ingredients to blender and blend away. I used a bit more milk than the recipes calls for.
Pros:
Very easy to make and most kitchens will have the items on hand.
Cons:
Not a huge mint fan, but the kids loved it!
Conclusion:
I have never had or tasted a Shamrock Shake before, as I am not a huge fan of mint. I was pleasantly surprise how good this tasted. This will be a great project to make for St. Patrick’s Day!
Mission: I love mint. Mint chocolate chip is my absolute favorite ice cream. However, I have never before had a McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. I figured this would be a great time to give it a try.
Details:
The great thing about a milk-shake…it’s very simple to make, add ice cream and milk.
I had to go to three stores in search of mint extract or mint syrup. Peppermint was easy to find, but the recipe requires “mint.” I finally found mint extract and stopped at my local McDonald’s on my way home for my Shamrock Shake comparison.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Don’t forget to put the top on the blender! I learned that lesson when I was 8 years old.
Pros:
A quick and easy treat, and definitely festive for St. Patrick’s Day!
Cons:
Finding mint extract. (Oh and a small Shamrock Shake has 530 calories)
Conclusion:
I have to be honest; I wasn’t really crazy about it. However, the recipe holds true and is well comparable to the McDonald’s shake. I ended up making green vanilla shakes for my crew and they were thrilled! So if you are a fan of the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake then try this recipe, it won’t disappoint!
Mission: Get my hot glue gun out and make something purdy that my kids will love year after year.
Details:
This little project was fun because I recently finished another felt project (mermaid tails for my kiddos) and it inspired me to go wild and pick up some embellishments like sequins,ric rac, felt hearts and felt heart stickers.
I purchased all of my supplies at Joann and since some of them were purchased previously I could only estimate that I spent roughly $15.00.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
A toothpick will save your life. Okay maybe not your life but for sure your fingertips! I decided after the first few lines of rick-rac that my fingers were not going to make it through this project so I busted out one of my fancy appetizer toothpicks (they are thicker and more sturdy). It worked beautifully and allowed me to really push the embellishments into the felt without severe burns.
I also advise that if you have not worked with felt and a hot glue gun before beware of the amount of glue you use. Less is more! You will find that if you have too much glue when putting your envelope together it will show through and you will then be forced to cover it with some kind of decorative embellishment.
I used my handy Rotary Cutter whenever possible and it worked SO WELL! I am really anal about this and found that it created the easiest straight line with little effort and zero frustration. After the first round of measuring and cutting I had it down pat but since I had two helpers my concentration was limited. Good thing this was pretty easy to fudge if I measured incorrectly in some areas. I ended up cutting one of the envelopes down just a little to get everything to line up and it was just fine!
Pros:
Cheap, cheerful and really just a sweet tradition to fill every year for Valentine’s Day.
I am considering making one for each of my kids teachers too, since I still have felt and embellishments left over.
Cons:
The only con I can come up with is just the hot glue gun being a little messy but I think if I upgraded to a proper crafting glue gun, things would be so much easier!
Conclusion:
Loved this project and the idea behind it. I think it would have been nice to have had stiffer felt but using some that I already had was just so handy.
I recommend this to anyone with a loved one that they like to give goodies to on Valentine’s or any holiday really. You could change up the colors and embellishments. It would be fun to do a birthday envelope too!
Mission: I always find wonderful and fun things for the kids when I am skimming through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog. They always have the best holiday gifts. I always tell the boys that the best gift ever is love. Not toys…just love. We like to have a little valentine celebration each year to remember that. These envelopes are perfect for our party. Much like Christmas stockings and Easter baskets, I can fill these envelopes with notes of love, and remind them how special they are. I might even sneak in a couple of chocolates.
Details:
While embarking on this project I really wanted to make my envelopes a little more masculine. I found this great red felt that had an alligator skin texture. The boys loved it!
The instructions provided by The Crafting Chickswere easy to follow. A bit tedious having to measure everything seeing I was making 3 envelopes, but it went by faster than I presumed.
Once the envelopes were put together (thank you hot glue!), we got to be creative. I let the kids pick out their own decorations.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Don’t try gluing the entire envelop at once… one half at a time so the glue stays hot.
Pulling all the little spare hot glue strands off everything! Darn you hot glue gun.
Conclusion:
I actually really enjoyed making these and the kids love them! They can’t wait for our Valentine’s Day party. The project actually got me missing cross-stitching. I haven’t done that since I was kid. I can’t wait to hang them and fill them with little notes and some Hershey Kisses. They are now requesting I get more alligator felt to make stuffed animals…I’m frightened, that requires sewing.
I began the process by cutting out my felt to the correct shapes according to the directions. I was unable to find the larger sheets of felt, so our envelopes were made of three 9 x 12” felt sheets, which worked great!
After prepping the envelope forms, I let the kids go to town with the felt stickers – they would place them and then I would adhere them with the hot glue gun. The kids then picked out what ric-rack and sequin details they wanted and I helped by gluing them on as well.
These were done in no time, though the kids wanted to continue to add stickers to theirs which is why some of them turned out a bit chaotic. After we were finished, I added lace to the back so they could be hung in our home.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Felt is very forgiving, so don’t stress if things are cutting perfectly.
If you want to do this with your children, pick up some of the felt stickers – this allowed the kids to have a big part in the creation.
Pros:
You can use your hot glue gun – I have an addiction to mine!!
And, these turn out adorable and are a great parent & kid craft project!
The kids had a BLAST with this project and have been toting them around the house since we made them. Though my kids won’t receive many Valentines this year since they aren’t school age, it was a great project!
Cons:
I honestly can’t think of any. If I were more skilled in hand sewing, I would have tried the hand-stitch for another cute finished look.
Conclusion:
I absolutely LOVE the end result and even made an extra one to send to my niece for Valentine’s Day!
This project is pretty straightforward. You could certainly use your sewing machine to create smooth edges, but not necessary.
Pros:
Quick and easy and the different possibilities are endless!
Cons:
None! Although I am not great at making a straight line with hot glue.
Conclusion:
What a great project! Who doesn’t love getting mail, especially in a cute envelope! I have decided to make one of these envelopes for each of my kids, 4 Nieces and 2 Nephews. 8 total! Well, maybe that might be a lot of work.
Domestifluff has the recipe for perfectly modern Valentine decor with her Felt Rosette Wreath. Faux rosettes of felt create a simple and chic way to celebrate Cupid’s big day!
Please click here to visit Domestifluff and see the instructions that we followed!
Traced my circles with a Water Soluble Marking Pencil in White. This worked, sort of. This kind of lead breaks constantly and tugs at the felt, making little fuzzies. Poo.
I trimmed those little fuzzies off when the circles were folded with my Fiskars 4″ Curved Scissors. For the main cutting, I just used my super sharp Scotch Scissors. Represent!
I used plain, silver Dressmaker Pins. I was too lazy to walk down the stairs and get a thimble to protect my thumb, but I survived.
Pour yourself a glass of wine and pull up a chair, it’s going to be a while! I was certain that I had cut at the very least, my first 30 circles. Nope. It was 12. I was feeling very dramatic. Cut two at a time, and break it up into little chunks, like every time you go in the kitchen, cut 30 circles. This was my plan of attack and it was a piece of cake!
I was so afraid to cute all of these circles, that I went and bought the Martha Stewart Circle Cutter praying that it could cut my circles for me. Nope. Not going to happen.
I used about 330 circles. I also packed them in a little too tight. I ended up pulling them randomly from around the wreath to fill in the last couple of inches.
Oh! Almost forgot! After reading the bit in Domestifluff’s post about not covering the backside, I decided to cover the back with felt, adhering with my hot glue gun. This way I can hang it on a window and it won’t look strange from the back.
Lastly, I used Upholstery Twist Pins to attach the ribbon to the back of the wreath! I don’t think that this project took more than a combined total of 3-4 hours. Tah Dah!
Pros:
SO incredibly easy I can hardly handle it. I love this wreath – it’s so cute!
Cons:
Just cutting a lot of circles, which really, was no biggie once I got going.
Conclusion:
I absolutely love this wreath! It is so pretty and festive without being over the top or too girly. I might even try for another one sometime!
Mission: To use one of my favorite craft materials, felt, to create a darling wreath for my front door.
Details:
I know many of you have heard me say this before, but seriously, I LOVE felt! It is such a fun material to work with and it is so forgiving for those of us that seek perfection in our craft projects.
I decided to go with oatmeal colored felt and picked it up at my local JoAnn store. I wanted to make this project a little festive for the month of love – February – so I also planned to use any left over pink and red felt I had from another Crafty Collaborative project.
I began the process by marking my 3” circles onto my felt using a coffee mug and a pencil. I decided to cut long strips of my felt, doubled up, to allow for three circles across in a row and approximately ten columns. This allowed me to cut approximately 60 circles each time. I ended up using a grand total of 290 circles, 250 in the oatmeal felt and 40 in the red and pink felts. This process took much less time than I had anticipated, so I was able to start the wreath in no time.
I decided to put my felt rosettes pretty tight together on my wreath form, I just really like the look! Also, I love when designs have something offset, so I decided to add my pop of red and pinks on the lower right hand-side. I really like how it turned out.
After I felt I was finished adding rosettes, I placed some gold ribbon on the back for hanging – I secured it with about 6 pins just to make sure it would stay in place.
This darling wreath is now adorning our front door!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Felt is very forgiving, so don’t stress if things are cutting perfectly. Double up your felt so that you are cutting more than one circle at a time – this was a great time saver for me!
Pros:
Super easy project once you get set-up and it was a lot of fun to do.
Cons:
Slightly time consuming, but so worth it! My fingertips are slightly sore from pushing all those pins in the wreath form.
Conclusion:
I love this wreath project and really enjoy the simplicity of the final look. Because I went with a relatively neutral color, I may even try swapping out the colored section for other holidays. Maybe I’ll add shades of green in for the month of March!
Mission: First thoughts, “This looks so cool!” Reading the blog post made me think this project would take ages.
Details:
Bought navy blue felt, foam wreath and straight pins at JoAnn.
Also picked up a white ink pad to use for my stencil. I found a cup at home that had a 3″ diameter, which worked perfectly as my stencil.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Fold the fabric in half when stenciling and cutting. This project is very forgiving, the circles do not need to be perfect.
I used about 190 circles…but cut about 300. What to do with all of those extra circles still boggles my mind. Start with about 200 circles and go from there.
For the 300 circles cut, I only used about 1 yard of fabric. Honestly, I didn’t need the extra 1/2 yard.
Buy the white/colored ink, it will save your sanity.
Pros:
Thankfully, it really didn’t take as long as she alluded to on the blog, it really only took me about 3 hours, plus I was doing laundry and watching a football game at the same time. I love to multi-task! It turned out really cute, I love it!
Cons:
I have a ton of extra navy blue felt…what to do, what to do.
Conclusion:
This is a perfect year-round decoration, or can be made specifically for a holiday. Very modern and very inexpensive. I loved this project!
Mission: Felt is the magic word for me. I will always jump at the chance to work with it.
Details:
This project took 224 cut felt circles, styrofoam wreath and straight pins.
For the life of me, I could not find a white wreath so I settled for green. I was a bit worried that you would see it between the felt, but it turned out great. You could also spray paint the wreath white if needed.
I also used white and hot pink felt because I love the contrast and dimension.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Instead of tracing and cutting a million 3” circles on felt, I used a spool of ribbon that exactly measured 3” and used it as my cutting guide. I would then use my spool and cut 2 circles at a time. This saved a bunch of time and patience, which I ran out of. Ha!
Pros:
The completed project is so rewarding and beautiful.
Cons:
You need a lot of felt and time for this project.
Conclusion:
This was a fun weekend project for me. After taking a few trips to Michael’s for felt, and purchasing things I did not need, I feel that my wreath is beautiful additional to my Valentine decor. Or the perfect gift!
Mission: Create a festive wreath out of some leftover felt I had from other projects.
Details:
Once again I am going to coin myself as the lazy thrifty one. I used leftover felt from previous projects so I honestly haven’t a clue just how much I used in total but can tell you that I used 236 circles. I cut out 250 to be safe.
My wreath form was the exact same one used in the original post and is the perfect size as far as I am concerned! I can’t imagine it being any bigger. I think I would have given up.
For my circles, I used a good ole plastic IKEA children’s cup (it may be discontinued as I had zero luck when trying to locate it online to show ya’ll). It was the perfect size. I also stole my kid’s giant stamp pad and busted 250 circles in no time!
In total I would say that once all the circles were cut out it took about 1.5 hours to put the wreath together. I am sure I could have been quicker but my kids were still awake. Enough said.
You definitely need a small and very sharp scissor to make cutting out 250 circles slightly less painful.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Don’t worry about perfection! This craft is very forgiving. I definitely didn’t have perfectly round circles and it still looked great. I also ended up being just slightly short on my grey circles (about 4 inches remaining on my wreath form) so I ended up pulling some of the circles I had already pinned from random areas on the wreath and placing them in my gap. You can’t even tell! I just fluffed and tugged at the remaining pinned circles and it filled in the gaps left by where I pulled some. No biggie!
Pros:
Pretty, could be fairly cheap (I guess my supplies ended up costing roughly $15-$20) and after the prep work is done you could practically assemble it in your sleep.
Cons:
Oh just the occasional finger jab is about all I could complain about. It was otherwise a craft dream!
Conclusion:
I will definitely make this again or at least use this method. I am considering using it for other tasks like on a tree form or even a ball for holiday décor. It could be really cool used in a shadow box too!
Mission: To make a darling holiday décor piece and use everything I already had on-hand!
Details:
I was on a mission to find everything I needed for this project in my holiday supply storage – and boy did I find it! I have more ornaments than necessary in my basement storage! Then it was to my closet to find a wire hanger – mind you, I don’t have many of these on-hand as I really hate using them for their purpose of hanging clothes.
Once I got everything out of storage, I set up shop in my kitchen. I placed all of the ornaments in bowls and got my glue gun fired up. I love any project in which I get to use my glue gun!!
I started by unwrapping the wire hanger and put my best effort into shaping it into a circle. This was the hardest part of the project for me and I still don’t think it is circular when looking at the finished product. Oh well!
I then glued each of the ornament tops on to tightly secure them and started the process of stringing them onto the wire. This was an interesting process, but fun to see it begin to take shape.
When I was all done with the ornaments, I hooked the two ends of the hanger together and added some ribbon to finish it off. It is now adorning our home for the holidays!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Pinch the end of the wire hanger so that you have a finished edge so your ornaments do not fall off as you are stringing them on.
When you are finished, you can then pinch the other end and hook them together. I did this and then put my finishing ribbon over that area so that it was hidden.
Pros:
Beautiful end product and very reasonable to pull-off. Looks like an expensive piece when finished!
Cons:
Hard to do this one on your own, so if you think you may have issues, have a friend handy! And, my wreath got pretty fat due to the larger ornaments I used and I wasn’t able to fit it on our front door as it was too big to fit between the door and our storm door.
Conclusion:
I’m really happy with the wreath and love having it up for the holidays. A fun holiday project!
Ornaments: 62 Red Balls from IKEA, cost me about $15
A hanger, piece of string and ribbon that I had on hand.
Some twinkle-y pinecones and seeded spray from JoAnn.
I used my beloved Craftsman Mini Pliers and some kind of twig clipper that I found in the garage.
One furry little Quality Assurance Supervisor named Rosie.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
No matter how much you think that you have enough ornaments, you don’t, buy more. 62 ornaments was not even enough to totally fill up one wire hanger. My completed wreath is about 15″ wide.
No matter how much you think those tops are secured onto the ornaments, pull them off and re-glue them back on! This will save you a lot of frustration and several F-bombs.
Having said that, if you manage to break the little loop off in the process (like I did several times) you can pull a slick MacGyver move like I did and glue an ornament hook inside the ball (photo at right).
In perfect OCD fashion, I laid out all of the ornaments, organized by size and then lined them up so that they would be evenly strung by size on the wire. Yep, I admitted that.
I used my pliers to make a little loop on each end of the hanger and then strung the two ends together with a piece of string. Tah Dah!
Pros:
A relatively easy project with terrific results! I love this thing!
Cons:
3rd degree glue gun burn on the fingertips. Happens every time.
Conclusion:
This was an easy project and I really love the end result! I think that I’ll give it another shot on a larger scale!
I can’t wait to hit up JoAnn at the end of the season and score some more ornaments at a steal!
Mission: Have always wanted to create this project and was so excited to try it out!
Details:
While I was out browsing IKEA, I happened upon their Christmas decoration section and found perfect ornaments for the project. The total cost came out to be $15, with no extra money spent for the wire and glue, which I already had.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
Choose a wire hanger with thick, sturdy wire. I didn’t think about this at the beginning and the wire I used probably won’t keep its circular shape through the holidays. Also, make sure you pick ornaments that have a few different sizes, as the smaller ones can fill in a few open spaces.
Glue those ornament hooks. You may think that it is a step that you can neglect, but really you shouldn’t. Those suckers pop off!
Try not to get (too) frustrated. Having an extra pair of hands nearby is helpful as it is awkward holding on to it and finishing the ends.
Turn the ends of the wire with pliers to create two hooks that you can use to finish the wreath (see picture).
Pros:
Turned out great! Such a simple, unique decoration to make and is a perfect way to add some BLING to the holiday decor.
If you have some ornaments on hand that you don’t use any more, this would be a perfect way to use them.
Cons:
It was frustrating at times, just because it is awkward holding on to all of those balls without dropping it!!
If you are a perfectionist, it can add time and frustration to the project if you don’t like the way it looks and you want to rearrange.
Conclusion:
This wreath is pretty awesome, and much unlike the normal wreaths that you usually see during the holidays. I like how mine turned out, though I could think of a few things that I would do next time I make it, such as using stronger wire. Mine will be an oblong wreath by the end of December!
When you make this (which you should and will make!) wait until after the holidays are over and get some ornaments on sale and plan to make next year! Happy holidays y’all!
Mission: Okay, let’s just get it all out on the table. I have a major love/hate relationship with Holidays. The love part… decorating! I get so excited about making my home feel festive and cute! I also love the warm glow of a glass votive or luminaire, so I was really excited to try these little lanterns out.
Details:
I got together with some of the other Crafty Ladies to do this project! We split up a case of Kerr 1 Pint Mason Jars… and some beers!
After my first attempt at this project, I had to start over. I then used the following products:
First, since I washed my first round of paint off, I cleaned the jars with rubbing alcohol. I remembered this handy tip from our review of Enamel Painted Vases… both of them.
I used Painter’s Tape to keep the treaded part of the jars from getting painted.
After I determined that my OCD couldn’t handle painting these lovelies with a brush, I tried out the fancy Martha Stewart Spray Paint Kit in a Gloss Finish. This product was super cool, but also super pricey. I think I would just get spray paint next time… although the finish was really light and pretty on the glass. I even layered my two shades of orange for a little depth. I got excited.
If you are anal retentive, just admit it (I hear that’s the first step) and use spray paint. I did really love this look in the end, but if you are doing this project with kids, that would sort of take the fun out of it for them.
Be careful with your jar before spraying with the clear gloss, as the paint can easily scratch off.
Pros:
Fricking love these things. They are so cute!
A super plus – acrylic paint washes easily off of glass, so if you screw up you can just wash it off and start over.
Cons:
None, unless you think you have the ability to paint without brushstrokes.
Conclusion:
Despite my initial frustration with the brush stroke situation, I really liked this project! I am already excited to put these out next Fall at our new house. I also really like that you can put an LED Tea Light inside and forget about them!
My mind is already thinking of other cute jars to paint such as snowmen for Winter (would be super fun for kids on a too-cold day) or even American Flags for the 4th!
Don’t fret! The paint really does look best when it is sort of rugged and imperfect. My kids did a great job at achieving this. Only one coat was needed.
Also, I didn’t have them do the faces (the Type-A in me couldn’t let the entire project go) so I waited a solid day before painting on the faces. I didn’t draw the outline first though. Just threw caution to the wind and freehanded it.
Pros:
Simple. Truly easy to create and a really fun project to do with kids.
Cons:
Don’t expect perfection when working with kids and remember these are glass. VERY breakable.
Conclusion:
I plan to make some myself that are a little more detailed! This could be a great project for every season and with a flameless candle in them they are ideal for use around kids or pets.
Mission: A fun Halloween project to enjoy with the kids. Enjoy being the key word. Some are just easier to do together than others. It is also a great opportunity to use up some of the mason jars that we discovered in our basement when we moved in.
Details:
A simple project really. We painted the exterior of the jars with acrylic paint, and they dried surprisingly quickly. Maybe not quick enough for a five year old, but not to the point where I was completely annoyed.
We then drew faces on the luminaries with a Sharpie.
A quick spray of Krylon Clear Spray and they were done. Time to wait till dark to light them!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
A little tip…use a sponge brush. Works so much better than a regular paint brush. I got a bag full of them for only $1.50. I just tossed them after the project.
Pros:
Super easy and the kids can each do their own. No arguing!
Cons:
None!
Conclusion:
The whole family enjoyed doing this project together. We planned it all out together. We wanted a pumpkin, a ghost, a witch, and a bat. We truly had a ton of fun. There was no arguing about who’s cracking the eggs, or who gets to lick the last bit of batter. We each had our own jar and did our own thing. It was super easy and our neighbors love them! The kids were thrilled! Another great thing, we can pack them away and use them again next year. We also talked about making reindeer and snowmen in winter.
Mission: To deface my beloved Mason jars…in a fun way of course!
Details:
A few of us Crafty Collaborative ladies did this craft together as well – it’s always more fun in groups!
I have a TON of Mason jars in my house – I always keep them around, they are great drinking glasses. Did I mention that I love whiskey and it goes great in Mason jars?!?!?Anyway, the jars I have on hand are pretty standard Mason jars with lots of ornate design on them. Since we were to be painting these, mine weren’t really of use as there was not a flat surface on any of them. All we needed were some “clean” Mason jars, and luckily Kristy was on her way over so she quick grabbed those up for us!
Because I always like to put a spin on things, I opted to do my jars as more of a fall feel vs. the jack-o-lanterns. I painted my jars in a reddish-orange tone and a yellow and then painted them with freehand leaf patterns. This is NOT my best quality…freehand painting that is. My leaves look like crap, but it was all in good fun.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
If you desire a very clean paint job, you may want to try cleaning the Mason jars before you start painting them. I opted for the more “rustic” look so did one coat of paint on each of my jars and honestly didn’t even think about cleaning them prior.
Have long matches (the kind you use to light fires in your fireplace) on hand to light your tea light candles once your jars are dried and ready to adorn your home. I tried using regular matches first and almost burnt my hand!
Pros:
Cheap, easy and could be a great kid project – though I opted to do these on my own.
Cons:
If you like perfection in your projects, this project just might drive you crazy!!
Conclusion:
Cute way to add some décor – but I don’t foresee myself doing this one again. It was easy and fun, but not my favorite end result.
I recommend only one coat of paint to have a more translucent jar for the light to shine. If you decide to do two coats…let dry overnight before adding the second coat of paint.
I used a sponge brush for one jar and then I used Maren’s awesome paint brushes which I think turned out the best! The brush gave the jar a more even application of paint! Loved those brushes!!
Don’t travel with them before spraying with gloss or glaze as these scratch too easy. They need that protective coat!
Pros:
Easy and there so many ways to change up this project with various pumpkin or ghost expressions! Just be creative!
Cons:
Scratch easily before the clear coating so be careful! Also very streaky and I want it to look perfect!
Conclusion:
Perfect way to dress up your house for the holiday! Line the pathway to your front door to light the way for your little trick-or-treaters!
Happy Halloween!
The darling Halloween Painted Jar Luminariesand their photo by Crafts by Amanda
Mission: I love fall and decorating with pumpkins, witches, etc! It is such a festive time of year so I knew these pumpkins would be a mess worth taking on! I got my girlfriend, Heather, on board and we tackled this project together!
Details:
I found two plastic pumpkins from Joann’s that were half price… so sweet! I was in Target a few days later and found mini plastic pumpkins that would have been a perfect addition at $1 a piece but I was all glittered out at the time.
The original blog post had recommended glitter glue but we changed things up a bit. Heather planned to tackle hers with spray glue and I used a Foam Brush with the leftover Mod Podge from the tray I made. Mod Podge is awesome… multiple uses such as water base sealer, glue and finish.
I also purchased two 2 ounce containers of extra fine glitter, one in Topaz (pumpkin orange) and Chocolate Diamond (brown for the stem). I loved the look of the extra fine glitter!
Tips & Tricks Learned:
If doing this indoors, line your table with a garbage bag then lay newspaper on top for easy clean up. After sprinkling, funnel glitter with the newspaper in a cup and reuse until you finish the entire pumpkin. Glitter the stem last, maybe even the next day!
Be careful with the Mod Podge, if you are focusing on one side and lean the wet side against the table you will create a streak in your glitter… not the look I was going for. Also don’t touch the glue brush to the previously glittered portion as it will remove the glitter.
Pros:
Very easy, but takes a bit of patience so you don’t make a glitter mess.
Be creative! You can add glitter on more than just pumpkins and in a variety of colors.
Cons:
Even after my pumpkins were dry, I have a fear of removing the glitter.
I may look for a clear coating to protect the finish. Storing this for next season definitely worries me! Any ideas? Please share if you do!
Conclusion:
I loved this project; it was fun to do with a gal pal. We both were for and against the glue! She liked the ease of the spray glue and I liked the thickness of the Mod Podge which I feel allowed the glitter to stick better to the pumpkin.
I will definitely be out and about finding more fall décor to glitter after this project. BTW, the pumpkins fit perfectly on my new mod podge tray! Picture perfect!
Mission: First thoughts on the project: Super cute and simple idea, but I knew right away I didn’t want to make a set of pumpkins to decorate my apartment. I just don’t want a ton of decorations because I am tight on storage space at my current digs.
Details:
I made a stop at Joann’s and found that a lot of their fall stuff was on sale. I decided on a wreath and a few smaller pumpkin and acorn pieces. I also found feather picks that I thought added to my fall inspired wreath.
Wreath: $4.99
Assorted pieces: $4.95
Green Ribbon: $1.99
Glitter (4 color combo pack): $6.99
Glitter glue: $3.99
Pheasant feathers: free (from my bro-in-law)
Tips & Tricks Learned:
With the size of items I had that were to be glittered, I put the glue on all areas that I wanted glittered before glittering. Thats a lot of glitter in one sentence.
The specific glitter glue isn’t necessarily required, but the cap has a brush attached that made it oh-so-easy to use!
Prep your area beforehand…use wax paper to cover your area and a pan with raised edges is perfect for catching the excess glitter. Know that as you pour the glitter over the decor, there is going to be a lot of glitter that falls onto your work area. Just funnel your wax paper to pour the excess back into the container before each color change.
Pros:
Easy! Had fun arranging the pieces on to the wreath.
Cons:
Kind of messy, but nothing that a little vacuuming can’t fix.
Not sure how I’m going to store these without all of the glitter falling off.
Conclusion:
This wreath is Minnesotan-inspired thanks to the added pheasant feathers! The larger pumpkin versions would be super cute to decorate a fireplace or entryway.
This glitter process could easily be applied to any other holiday inspired decor or even picture frames. Thumbs up on this project!
Mission: I absolutely love the fall and the fun décor that comes along with it – plus I love working with glitter. It takes me back to my childhood! This project looked like a lot of fun to do and a fun way to dress up my fall décor.
Details:
I first looked in my existing fall décor to find any plastic pumpkins I had on-hand. I unfortunately only found one, but it helped with the budget of this project. The other two I found at JoAnn Fabrics and they were 40% off, which always helps!
I picked up the glitter glue and glitter at JoAnn’s as well. I had a difficult time finding the Martha Stewart Glitter Glue and Fine Glitter that was recommended, but was happy to find an off-brand glitter glue. Though I do think this is probably an unnecessary spend, it sure did make this project less messy and a smidge easier for me.
I opted for gold, orange and black glitter for my pumpkins. Once finished, I do feel that the black glitter looks slightly navy in color, but I still love it. I also glittered up a small accent piece which had a gourd and a pumpkin on it to add to the fun.
Tips & Tricks Learned:
The glitter glue was a saver for me – less mess and stress.
In addition, I used a cookie sheet as a workspace and though I was pretty much out of wax paper, I used what little I had left and then newspaper to save the glitter as I coated my pumpkins during the glitter stage.
Pros:
Adorable, adorable! I really like the sparkle and sheen these add to our fall décor.
Cons:
A bit more costly than I expected – I ended up spending around $30 in total for this project.
Conclusion:
Love the end result of these and adding some sparkle to our home.
I later decided to follow Janet’s lead, and add some sparkle to a tired wreath that we had in a box of decorations! I am so happy that I did, now our front door shines with the season.
Join us tomorrow evening for a review that will have you hustling your buns to the hardware store in time for a little Mom's Day delight!about 1 week agofrom Facebook
Reviewer #1 - Alicia
Reviewer #2 - Amanda
Reviewer #3 – Sarah
Reviewer #4 - Janet
Reviewer #1 - 
would be perfect for this project.
and the neon food coloring easier than I expected and of course found them both at my second home, good ol’ 
after the customer reviews convinced me that I would be noshing on fancy desserts and sipping pinky-up French beverages if I did. I’ll let you know how that goes.
If you don’t have one, you need one.
out and make something purdy that my kids will love year after year.
whenever possible and it worked SO WELL! I am really anal about this and found that it created the easiest straight line with little effort and zero frustration. After the first round of measuring and cutting I had it down pat but since I had two helpers my concentration was limited. Good thing this was pretty easy to fudge if I measured incorrectly in some areas. I ended up cutting one of the envelopes down just a little to get everything to line up and it was just fine!
Details:
and love.
This worked, sort of. This kind of lead breaks constantly and tugs at the felt, making little fuzzies. Poo.
For the main cutting, I just used my super sharp 
Represent!
I was too lazy to walk down the stairs and get a thimble to protect my thumb, but I survived.
praying that it could cut my circles for me. Nope. Not going to happen.
This project took 224 cut felt circles, styrofoam wreath and straight pins.
and some kind of twig clipper that I found in the garage.
to keep the treaded part of the jars from getting painted.
and they were done. Time to wait till dark to light them!
Works so much better than a regular paint brush. I got a bag full of them for only $1.50. I just tossed them after the project.
for this project, as well as my handy dandy 
I am a sucker for great packaging…it will get me to buy a product over another any day.
It worked well and I bet I will find more uses for this spray!
which I think turned out the best! The brush gave the jar a more even application of paint! Loved those brushes!!
is awesome… multiple uses such as water base sealer, glue and finish.
and 
that was recommended, but was happy to find an off-brand glitter glue. Though I do think this is probably an unnecessary spend, it sure did make this project less messy and a smidge easier for me.
