Holiday Wreath-DIY

Friends, this past weekend has taken a toll on the whole family.  Rordan came down with a cold, that ended up transferring to me and John, by Monday.  Needless to say, we are all exhausted, and praying we are all over it before Thursday.  The only good part, is that Rordan has done quite well being sick.  Something I'm always thankful for.  My number one priority, is to make sure he is happy and healthy, so when he's down, it hits me in the gut.  Still, I thank God for his overall health, and pray for it to continue.

Well, since I couldn't manage to even keep my head up for very long yesterday, I am very happy to say that I have actually been up and about today, and managed to complete a craft I've had brewing in my mind.  So many times, I visit our craft stores, and see overpriced, even though they are beautiful, wreaths.  I mean, I get it.  Some people don't have the time to make one themselves, or the "skills" to make one, but I simply don't believe that's true.  This wreath cost me well under $20 to make, and took me about 15 minutes, and that's only because I managed to burn my fingers with the glue gun, and had to treat them.  As for skill, yes, I believe some people have an eye for things, but honestly, you could just copy one that you have seen in a magazine, or even up on those walls in the store.  What I'm trying to say is, YOU CAN DO IT!

I hadn't planned on making a tutorial, but then it hit me, in the middle of making this wreath, that some people just don't believe they can do this, so why not show them how easy it really is.  So as far as materials for this wreath, I already had the glue gun and glue, but I had to purchase a regular sized, plain green wreath from Michael's, as well as red ornaments, a red bow, and the little "filler" balls.  Almost everything is 50% off at Michael's right now, so that really helped keep the costs down.  Hobby Lobby almost always has 40% or more off their items too.  If those places aren't near you, run to your nearest Dollar Tree, or Dollar General for cheap materials.  Trust me, most people won't be able to tell the difference.

When making a wreath, I like to lay out the decorations before securing them to the wreath, so I can tweak anything I might need to before hand.  For this wreath, decided I'd like to alternate between the larger ornaments and the little balls, with a red bow at the bottom, to tie into the rest of the décor where this wreath is going to be placed.  Once I decided on this layout, I started to glue them down.  Just a little glob on each of the smaller balls, and a good sized glob on the larger ornaments.  I like to make sure stuff is secure.  I'd hate to pass by one day and see something hanging off or missing completely.  Like I said before, I managed to burn my fingers while gluing these down.  It was one of the little balls that got me, so please be careful. 

And there you have it!  A finished wreath, that anyone could enjoy, for under $20!  I hope you have taken away from this tutorial, just how easy it is to make a wreath yourself.  The possibilities are endless as far as patterns, and materials.  Just do what suits you, and I'm sure you will love the outcome.  Thanks for stopping by! 

                                                                                                 ~Iris



Update & Free Printable

Whew! This month is flying by! I'm so glad I chose to prepare for Christmas early. Since we aren't having Thanksgiving at our house, I've started to put up decorations in the living room, including completing the mantel, and putting up the Christmas Tree. They both turned out a bit different than I had intended, but that's the best part of decorating!

So it seems that today is "free printable" day, in the blog world. So many wonderful bloggers, sharing their craft. It's wonderful!  I myself have been planning on sharing this with you guys for about a week now, and figure what better day than today! I started messing around with some ideas last week, and drew out the pieces I wanted to include in my printables. Everything you see, is my original artwork, so if you'd like to share it, I'd appreciate it if you credited me when you do.  You can share my blog link, or my Instagram profile if you do.  I'm so excited to get back into drawing, and hope you like what you see enough to incorporate it into your holiday decorating. Have a wonderful week my friends!

 

 

*prints best at 4x6*

*hightest print size is 5x7*

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Christmas Craft: Snow/Feather Ornament

If you are anything like me, you love a good craft tutorial.  Well, today I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful snow and feather filled ornament for your tree.  Actually, these are so beautiful, you could use them just about anywhere! Hold on to your hats, because this just might be the simplest craft you'll ever do! 

I've been obsessing about feathers for quite some time now, and thought they would be perfect for DIY ornaments!

 

 

 



 

Supplies Needed

Plastic or Glass Ornament: Mine are from Michael's, but you can also find them at most craft stores.  I've purchased some from Hobby Lobby this year, as well. 

Fake Snow:  I found mine at Target for around $2. 

Feathers: I found my pack of feathers at Michael's. 

 

All of these items can be found at most craft stores, so don't stress about getting to one in particular.  Just be sure to take advantage of their discounts, when you do go!

 

 

Step1:

Fill the ornament with your fake snow.  I used a funnel to make it easier, but you could easily roll up

a piece of paper for the same effect.

 

 

Step 2:

Take your feathers and insert them into the snow filled ornament. 

I chose the prettiest of the bunch, and of varying sizes too. 

I like to swish the feathers around in the snow, because it creates

a more natural look.  Besides, trying to place them in the perfect spot

would almost be a waste of effort, because as you move these around the house

you will find that they will move around themselves anyways.

 

 

Step3: 

 I didn't actually include this in the supplies, or pictures, but you can choose to tie twine, ribbon, or just use hooks to hang the ornaments.  I find it's such a personal preference, and mostly depends on your color scheme for the season.

 

 

 Here is another look, with a sneak peak at my next tutorial.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and find that you'd like to attempt it yourself.  Please stop by and leave me a comment, or picture if you happen to do so.  I'd love to see what you come up with!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Tablescape & My Thoughts....

Though I've opted to start Christmas crafting early, it doesn't mean I am going to skip Thanksgiving.  No way!  I love Thanksgiving!  It's probably the only time of the year that has continued to be the same for going on 15+ years.  We always have lunch, or dinner, depending on when the turkey is done, at my aunt's house.  She's always been excited about holidays, so when you enter her house, you are greeted with the smell of the season, good food, a wholesome warm feeling, and an amazing amount of seasonal décor.  Even with all of the changes in our family, having people move away, pass away, or just not able to attend, it somehow always feels the same to me.  That may be the one thing I'm most thankful for about Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving, itself.  
I figure one day, as my family grows, we may host Thanksgiving at our house, but that's one day, when my aunt is too tired to host herself anymore.  In the mean time I am practicing my table scaping skills to be sure that I'm prepared.  Oh, and it's a lot of fun too, so maybe that's another reason. 
I've found that as I get further into this thing called parenthood, I seem to be very nostalgic, and I want to make sure my son is growing up with experiences that will stay with him throughout his lifetime as well.  I think it's made me stray from my very simple, very minimalist ways of before, and has catapulted me into this comfortable, warm, fuzzy world of decorating.  I'm not going to lie, sometimes, I get scared of how much I love this stuff, but I am enjoying it so much, and I really think God has sent me on this journey for a reason, so I'm going with it. 
The following shots are taken at different parts of the day.  Some are taken during dreary stormy weather, and others when the sun was out.  Also, because I just wasn't satisfied with all my shots, I went back this afternoon and took more.  It's amazing the mood the lighting sets.  I think I just might want to eat Thanksgiving dinner from now on, instead of Thanksgiving lunch, after seeing the pictures I took. 
So enough of my blabbering on about me and my thoughts.  Here is what you came for....PICTURES!

 

 



I had been eyeing the beautiful decorative fruit, Target is offering, for a while, so when they went on sale for less than $4 each, I just had to get some.  I think it was meant to be, don't you?

 

 

I forgot to mention that we got new chairs, for the dining room, a few weeks ago.  I have been wanting some larger chairs to set on each end of the table, and I've always wanted them to be lighter in color.  That was the dilemma we had to overcome.  We decided to take our chances, and took advantage of World Market's sale, and purchased both for well under what we ever expected.  We are not disappointed!  We LOVE them!  Oh, and they have proven easy to clean, if needed.  Between the three of us, it's definitely needed.  LOL! 

 

 

We found our flatware, and wine glasses at HomeGoods.  Somehow, we have managed to keep old bent flatware from our younger years, around, but now, they are on their way out to the trash.  These new babies, are beautiful!

 

HomeGoods offers such a wonderful variety of napkins, that it was easy to find the perfect ones for this setting.

 

 

See that pear?  $2.50, from Hobby Lobby!  Hello!  I had to have two!  Well, an apple, and a pear.

 

When I see this photo all I hear in my head is, Love, Love, Love! (Imagine the Beatles singing all you need is love.)

The lighting just screams Autumn to me, and I am so happy to have captured it.

 

 

 

 

When John's grandparents passed away, we inherited a beautiful set of salt and pepper shakers.  They are always displayed in our dining room, and I felt they were perfect for this setting.

 

 

 

Our plates and bowls are all from Marshalls.  I love classic white dishes, and I got them all on sale, so basically at a discounted, discount price.  Can't beat that!

 

 

 I was surprised to find the perfect placemats at Walmart of all places!  Their Better Homes & Gardens line is A-MAZING!  Be sure to check it out, if you haven't already.

 

So there it is in all its glory!  My first ever, Thanksgiving table scape.  I hope you enjoyed it! 

 

Oh, and come back soon for more Christmas/Holiday crafts!

 

                                                                                              -Iris 

 

 



Pottery Barn Inspired Christmas Village

With a two year old, and all the other stuff going on in my life, I just know that waiting until December to start my Christmas crafting will result in a whole bunch of supplies piled up in the office, mocking me because I never got around to using them.  Believe me, I know this from experience.  I have quite a bit of stuff from last year, including an unfinished yarn wreath that is still tethered to the yarn ball, that I run across on a regular basis.  It's sad really.  So with that in mind, I've decided to start crafting in November!  I've already started making decorative ornaments that I will share a "how to" for you all, here on the blog in the near future.  Some of you from Instagram, may have already seen a couple of the finished products.  I just want to say how much I appreciate all the love I got from everyone about them.  Sometimes, the things you think nobody will take note of, get the biggest response!

So like most of you, I have received my Pottery Barn Holiday catalogue, and have torn through it for inspiration.  I mean they have amazing stuff, but I'm a firm believer that if I don't have to pay full price for something, I shouldn't.  Instead, I opt to buy discounted items, or make my own version of what I've been inspired by.  That's what happened when I saw these little houses.  How adorable is this village?  I want them all!
 

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/german-glitter-houses/?pkey=e%7Cchristmas%2Bvillage%7C2%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C48%7C%7C2&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules

 

So I had two options on how to make these floating through my mind.  One required me to cut paper, and glue, and even though that might seem easy, with a two year old, I just couldn't see it not being extra hard to manage.  So on to the other idea.  I have visited the Dollar Tree quite a bit in the past month, for Halloween decorations, and the last time I visited, I saw that they were setting out their Christmas Village items.  I didn't need them at the time, but as soon as I saw the Pottery Barn village, I knew they would be perfect for this project. 

 

This morning, Rordan and I took a quick trip to the Dollar Tree, and purchased a few of the houses, and churches.  Then, a quick trip to Michael's, for supplies that I didn't have at home.  I'll list everything below for you all.  This really wasn't hard to do, and I'm very happy with the outcome.  I just might make another trip for more, now that I know they turned out well.  I hope you like them!

 

 

 

 

Supplies Needed:

Christmas Village Houses and Churches (Remember, these are only a dollar at the Dollar Tree!)

White Paint (I opted to use spray paint.)

Sharpie Markers (I used the metallic series. LOVE!)

Glitter (Simple metallic, or wild colors, pick whatever makes you happy!)

Hot Glue/Hot Glue Gun (If you don't have one, you could opt for glitter pens, or puff paint.)

 

 

Here are the buildings before.

Some of the supplies needed.

 

I took them outside and spray painted them with white Krylon paint. 

They dried fairly quickly, and so I was ready to take my Sharpie markers and outline the details of the buildings that I wanted to stand out.  Honestly, I think they could have stayed this way and I would have been happy with them, but I had a goal, and so I moved on to the next step.

Here's an example of what I outlined. 

So being the crazy new blogger that I am, I didn't get a picture of the next step, but I did get a picture of the supplies!  Ha!  So at this point, you just take the hot glue gun, add the glue to the roof, and trees, and sprinkle glitter on top. This is the easiest part of the entire project, and you get to have a nice little snow globe experience in your house, if you are anything like me.

 

So that was it!  Easy, easy, easy!  Anyone can do it, and to top it off, I only spent around $15 for all the supplies that I didn't have.  Considering Pottery Barns village pieces, cost at minimum $29 each, I think I've saved a lot of money, and achieved a similar look.  I hope you take a shot at recreating this, and if you do, please come back and share it with me.  Happy Crafting!