Mini Block Head Ornaments {and a peek at my other exchange ornaments}!!!

A miracle has occured here at my house.

And if you know me, you'd know it's a pretty big one.

I actually have my exchange ornaments done--and it isn't the day before the mail deadline either!

Did you feel the earth shake? My hubster will most likely go into shock, better not tell him.

Want to see...

Look familiar? He should!

I decided I couldn't get a better representation of myself than to mini size one of my blockheads.

I used a 1x3 as the block and then finished him just like his big brother adding an eye screw at the top to hang him and a bow and bell at his neck to dress him up for the holidays.

So fun! I want to do the snowman and penguin next!

I also participated in another exchange hosted by Stefanee from It's All in my Head.

Remember the scrabble tile ornies I posted last week, well I couldn't get over them...

I snagged a few scrabble games over the weekend and went to work.

I used two different backgrounds, the ones above are wood glued onto cut lengths of (wait for it...)

5 gallon paint sticks!!!

And the ones below are on cut lengths of a yard stick...

I had fun playing around with the bows and embellishments--so much so I kept a few for myself!

Here is the one thing I learned, when you've used up all the letters you have and have a bunch of random u's and i's left over, grab a sharpie, flip those babies over and write your own!

I ended up being able to use ALL of the scrabble tiles this way which made my final costs just about 50 cents per ornament!

Not to shabby.

Enjoy your day, happy crafting.



NEW KITS IN THE SHOP!!!

I'm excited to finally share a few new kits with you today.

They are already up in my shop if you really want to go check them out, otherwise maybe they'll inspire you to create a little {almost} December magic!

I haven't added a new word in a few months, so this one is indeed over due!

I'm really liking it, the colors are just fun and that ornament came out better than I was hoping for.

Because it's so close to December I'm only offering 10 of these. They are cut and ready to go so that you'll have them in time to enjoy them this season.

Check this set out HERE

And I've got two new blockheads to add to my list today...and one more tomorrow!

Up first the big guy himself:

And then his Frosty friend:

So fun! And jolly, I love this time of year!

You can find them both in the shop also.

(and maybe if I get my act together I can get a tutorial together--cross your fingers!)

Hope you like them because you have a chance to win some of them!

Krystal from Sassy Sanctuary is hosting a series of giveaways on

 Thursday, Dec. 1ST!!!

I'm up at 4:00 pm MST and am giving away 5 blockhead kits of your choice so you and a few gal pals can enjoy a winter craft night.

It's a great list of great shops giving away all kinds of great things! Some are even offering discount codes as well, so be sure to check it out. You just may end up with a free gift or two...

Alrighty, I'm on my way to dancing with my 4 yr old but will be back in a bit with today's ornament.

Happy Crafting!

 

Flowered Glass Ornament

I was having such a fantastically productive morning yesterday! I got the days ornament done plus two sets of exchange ornaments, a guest post project finished, my new shop kits done and photographed, a package of goodies packed to mail to my sister, and bought wrapped a birthday present--all before 10am.

I was so proud of me, I knew my post would go up late (I had to go to the birthday party) but I'd have it up by no later than 1. And then the afternoon hit and I didn't find myself at the computer until after my girls had gone to bed!

So the bad news, I missed a day, the good news...you're getting a two-fer today!

Yesterday's ornament was fun to figure out.

Pretty, huh?

And really easier than it might look. I saw this first in a boutique for a fantastic price and instantly my "I could make that for so much less" gene kicked in.

Here's the quick version of how I did it...

Start by stuffing a paper sized (8.5x11ish) piece of either fabric or tissue paper into the ornament.

Replace the cap and wrap the ornament tightly in a layer of tulle. Tie off the tulle at the top of the ornament and run a thick bead of hot glue around it to hold it tight.

Add the bows next. I did a wide ribbon, 3 loop bow, and a two-toned narrow ribbon 4 loop bow on each side. I added the little bell to cover up my glue spots.

Next, completely dissect a silk flower...

Starting with the big ones, snip the center hole so it will fit over the hanger on the ornament.

Add some glue to the ornament top and then slide the flower into place. Continue cutting and gluing until you've added all the petals.

After you've added the last petal, slip a thin ribbon through the wire loop and tie off to form a hanger.

Last, glue the flower's center back into place and you're done!

Not to bad, right? And seriously, so pretty.

I'll be back in a bit with today's ornament and also have my new December kits to share with you, a fun little announcement, and a quick reminder...

Happy Crafting.



Fabulous Glass Ornaments!!!

I knew I'd be pretty much useless today due to the festivities of yesterday and the fun of shopping today so I went on the hunt for a goodie from someone else's mind. And I'm pretty excited with what I found...

Isn't that beautiful!

And really, super easy to make. You can find the full tutorial at

The Sew*er, the Caker, the Copycat Maker

Here's a few more ideas to get you going...

Enjoy your day, happy crafting.



Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks for everything-

Kids Meal Toy Ornaments!!!

Today's ornament is a quickie cause well, I have some cooking {and eating}to do!

This is one of those things that I seriously can't believe I had to stumble across to even think of. But in my world it is brilliant!

I can't tell you the amount of money I have spent on ornaments for my girls that look so very similar to these, had I only known.

 The supply list is minimal.

You really only need a kids meal toy that your kiddo can't live without and a screw-in eye hook. Pliers and a candle make it easier and the ribbon just makes it pretty.  

That's it! Just think how many ornament possibilities are in your toy box right now.

Use the pliers to hold the end of the eye hook over the candle flame to warm it up, then press the hot end into the plastic toy to make your drilling point. Squeeze those pliers tight and start turning.

Once the eye hook has cooled you can finish twisting it in with your fingers.

Your little friend will look like this:

From there just add your ribbon to make a hanger and your in ornament heaven!

Your kiddos will think you're A-mazing, and they will have a ton of non-breakable ornaments that you won't care if they take off the tree and play with. It's a total win-win!

(They would also make a fun way to personalize a present. Just tie on a favorite character to the package your giving and again, you're super cool cause they just got a little bonus present!)

And hey, if you have issues like I do, you'll end up with a full series of "collector" ornaments in a matter of just a few lunches!

Enjoy your day. Enjoy your families. And make something great-

happy crafting.

Ornament Exchange Reminder...

Just a quick shout out for this year's Ornament Exchange!

Don't miss out on the fun of giving {and receiving} this holiday.

All the info is HERE, I'd love to have you join us!!!

Scrabble Tiles Anyone?

This is my favorite today...

From mamiejanes.blogspot.com

My latest obsession...super personalized anything. And these completely fit the mold. I LOVE them and feel the need to share them!

(Can't wait top make a bunch of these to use as present ties)

These are coming to you via Pinterest...cause Pinterest is awesome!!! I found a bunch of fun examples to share...

You can do names:

From etsy.com

Add them to a mini grapevine wreath:

From catnapcottage.blogspot.com

Or your favorite holiday words: 

From arttisbeauty.blogspot.com



From etsy.com

 SO CUTE! Keep your eyes peeled for a great deal on Scrabble games while you're out shopping this week and then come home and have some good ole' crafting time! Happy Crafting. 

Wrapped Picture Frame Ornament

A while back I ran across this cute yarn wrapped initial on pinterest. So super cute, I thought it would be fun and easy for my girls rooms (but I never got around to it).

find the how-to's and a great inspirational blog HERE

(this would make a cute personal ornament too...)

Then as I was figuring out what ornament to do today I got a bit sentimental when I found a fun picture of my husband's sweet grandma that we lost earlier this year and the two just came together.

I had a bunch of small wallet sized frames that I picked up at Walmart for $1 each that were the perfect sized.

I removed the glass and backing and then started wrapping. I used hemp cord from the dollar store-two packages. Then added a few paper flowers, ribbon and her initial. I stapled ribbon to the top of the frame to make the hanger and then added the picture.

I glued the picture onto a cut piece of chipboard and then just glued that back onto the frame as the glass wasn't about to go back in!

All done in about an hour. I really like it. What a fun way to share a few memories or favorite people this holiday-and bonus...it's super trendy! Wrapped anything is so popular these days.

Enjoy your day, I have 6 more frames to wrap!

Happy Crafting.

Ornament-a-Day Kick off!!! Last Year's Top 5...

I'm kicking off this year's series with a flashback from last year. A quick posting of the top 5 most viewed ornaments from last year...
{with a link back just in case you need the directions}

Leading the way was a two day combo.
My Yarn Snowman and Flood Light Angel:
 
Both of these started as a fingers-crossed, I hope this works idea. I was thrilled with both of them--can't tell you how many snowmen I ended up making...

Up next was my personal favorite, the Photo Memory Block Ornament:
(Yep, I'll be making another one for this year!)

This ornament even landed me on the pages of AllFreeHolidayCrafts.com--what a fun surprise! It's a great site for tons of free ideas and tutorials.

 

The third most viewed ornie from last year was a kid-favorite, the I-Spy Ornament:

 

 

 

This is such a great gift idea ornament. It goes together easy and because most of the items for the inside come in multi-packs you get a lot of ornaments for the $ spent.

 

The fourth runner-up is another super kid friendly project. My girls ask to make these every year--I feel it's purely for the "extra" marshmallows they get to eat, but it is also fun to see how the ornaments change as my girls grow...

 

 

Marshmallow Snowman 

I highly recommend this for a fun family night or class activity!

 

 

And last on this list is Santa! The country one anyway...

 

 

This Country Santa is adorable, and looks fantastic on the tree, in a wreath, or tied to a package.

 

 

So there you go, a quick re-cap of last year's favorites and the official kick off to this year's collection.

So are you an ornament junkie too? Then make sure you sign upon for this years

Ornament Exchange! You'll find all the details HERE.

 

Happy Crafting.