How to Celebrate the Holidays on a Budget

I know, I know, it feels a little early to start writing about the holidays. But friends, it's the perfect time to start thinking about the holidays. Especially if you want to celebrate without falling into the trap of overspending. I'm here to show you that you don't need to break the bank to have a memorable holiday season with your loved ones. You can be generous and frugal all at the same time! I'll be sharing creative tips and ideas on how to celebrate the holidays in a budget-friendly way without compromising the holiday cheer! The secret is to start planning now!

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DIY Pampas Grass Christmas Tree on a Budget

I have a love/hate relationship with Pampas Grass {more like pompous grass as my husband likes to say!}. Heck, a few years ago I didn't even know what it was called. I just knew I had to stop on the side of the road and cut some for a fall wreath I created. It created a heck of a mess, which is why it hung outside. Who knows, maybe I started the boho pampas trend and I didn't even know it. Only kidding. 
About this time last year, I started dreaming up the plans for a Pampas Grass Christmas tree. Most of my plans start early because I like to do things as thrifty as possible. I think I succeeded because while I recently saw Pampas Grass at a local flower shop selling for $9 a stem, I ended up creating this whole tree for a quarter. Yep. How's that for a budget DIY. I'm sharing with you all my tips and tricks so you can start planning now to make a DIY Pampas Grass Christmas tree of your own!

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Turtle Holiday Hot Cocoa Bombs

Hot chocolate bombs are literally the HOTTEST thing right now. Ask your teen or young adult if they've heard of them and I'll bet you they have! Hot chocolate bombs are simply just chocolate spheres filled with hot chocolate mix and your favorite variations of hot cocoa stir ins. You release the bomb into a mug and pour steaming hot milk over the top and watch the chocolate melt away and the insides open up to create the most fun hot cocoa you've ever had! These are so much fun to make and they make great gifts too! Here is everything you need to know to make your own hot cocoa bombs. This one comes with a little turtle {caramel and walnut YUM!} twist.

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5 Reasons I love my Cricut Explore Air 2 for Holiday Crafting

When I got my first cutting machine for Christmas in 2010, I think the words I said were "man, this is really going to up my crafting game." And it has! I've found that the more I've used a cutting machine the more I realize how much the machine can help me in my everyday life. I used to think that cutting machines were only for crafters, but in the years that I've had one, I have seen countless needs it could have met. From teachers in the elementary school to junior high projects, for fundraising activities and everything in between. I can't even begin to tell you about every project I've created because there have been so many, but I can tell you 5 reasons why I love my cutting machine, and recently, why I'm enamored with my newest cutting machine, the Cricut Explore Air 2, especially for holiday crafting.

Stick around for the tutorial for the DIY Santa Snack Holiday Tray. 

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Santa's Magic Key Plus Free Printable

Not everyone has a house with a chimney and this time of year that can be quite disturbing. Not because it's some DIY project you should put on your to-do list, but because of Santa, that's why. Parents with inquisitive kids know this can create quite the conundrum, so why not explain that there is a "magic" key that will let Santa enter into your home on Christmas Eve when he can't go the traditional chimney route. If you've got a concerned kiddo, put their mind to ease with Santa's magic key.

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Thinking Outside the Box: Gifts for Tweens and Teens That They Will Love!

This blog post is sponsored by LEGO. All opinions are my own.
I'm not sure I ever outgrew my love of toys. I had dolls on my Christmas list well into my teen years and then transitioned to working at a toy store through high school. In college, I got a bachelor's degree in child development and that really just allowed me to spend time playing with and observing kids until I had my own children. So if you're following me, I never quit playing with toys. Nope.  With the advance in technology, the time spent in childhood seems to be shrinking but thankfully, there are brands like LEGO that encourage kids to be kids. It's a brand that most of us grew up with and now we get the chance to share that with our children. 
Finding fun, engaging and unique toys for tweens and teens can be a bit challenging. There are plenty of toys that cater to younger children, but the market just seems to drop off. So how can you think outside of the box and come up with toys and gifts that will engage those tweens and teens? I've got a few ideas for you!

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Rudolph Repair Kit Printable with Free Printable Bag Topper

There is nothing more fun than the magic of Christmas. Kids love to use their imaginations and they love the traditions that the holiday brings. I know when my kids were younger, I was always looking for easy holiday gifts to give to their friends or to stuff in stockings, and these Rudolph repair kits are the perfect thing for this time of year. You can easily create enough for a whole classroom celebration, for a simple and fun craft for a group or make a few just for fun. They are easy and everyone is sure to love them!

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DIY Faux Hand-Lettered Holiday Scroll Wall Hanging

I know this isn't a new confession if you are a long-time blog reader, but Christmas music is not my favorite. There are few songs that make the short list of allowable holiday songs, but O Holy Night is one of them. Every year it seems a different line of that song sticks out to me as one to focus on and this year, the line "and the soul felt its worth" is that line I can't shake. What a powerful line! So much so, that I wanted to hang it in my home somewhere. I was shopping at a holiday market and saw some beautiful kraft paper scrolls and knew that I could replicate it quite easily for a fraction of the price using a line that was meaningful to me. So with packaging paper from the dollar store and a few supplies I had on hand, I made a DIY hand-lettered sign minus the hand lettering. 

As much as I try, I can't seem to make my writing produce the beautiful script, and I revisited a chalkboard hack I shared with you years ago to create this faux hand-lettered scroll wall hanging. See how I created this large holiday wall hanging for around $1!

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DIY Flocked Christmas Tree Using Supplies from the Dollar Store

Being from the midwest I am a fan of a white Christmas. It doesn't happen often around here, but I love it when it does. Couple that with childhood memories of a sweet flocked Christmas tree that was deemed "the kid tree" and I decided to try my hand at flocking my own tree this year. I walked into the local Dollar Tree {you all know how much I love that store!} and picked up all the supplies I needed for under $5. I think the end result is pretty spectacular! Keep reading to get the full tutorial on how to flock an artificial Christmas tree using supplies from the dollar store.

Don't miss my whole series on What Not to Buy at the Dollar Store

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Easy DIY Christmas Tree Basket Stand

Growing up my uncle had a Christmas tree farm. One of my favorite childhood memories was going up to the farm to pick out two live Christmas trees every year. While my parents were setting up the trees in their various locations around the house, the kids had an artificial flocked Christmas tree we used to set up in the hallway upstairs. We would surround it with our stuffed animals and it was something we could easily decorate on our own, unlike the 12-foot-tall trees we got for the other parts of the house. I loved that we had a tree that was all our own. 

I can't seem to shake the feeling that it isn't Christmas if I don't have more than one tree decorating the house. I picked up a small artificial tree this past summer at a garage sale for $2 and I decided that it was the perfect tree to work some magic on. I loved the idea of our old flocked Christmas tree, so I did a little DIY flocking. {more on that tomorrow! You aren't going to want to miss that tutorial.} All of the supplies were from the dollar store and it was so fun and easy.

Another recent trend that I'm loving is using baskets as a base. I saw a few Christmas tree collars lining the shelves at the store, but I was pretty sure that I could DIY a basket for a similar look. And I did. I just love how it turned out. Read along for the full tutorial on how to create your own Christmas tree stand basket.

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DIY Coordinating Christmas Ornaments and Wrapping Paper the Easy way!

I love the look of coordinating decorations at Christmas time, don't you? Unfortunately, this look can get expensive and require you to replace what you have. I found a way to work with what I had and create coordinating Christmas tree ornaments and wrapping paper and you can too! I'm sharing how you can do this with the purchase of just a few items and a few minutes of your time.

 

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Mixed Metal Mirror Duck Tape Wreath

Remember how gold anything made us gag like 10 years ago? Now I can't get enough. Especially around the holidays. My absolute favorite part about Christmas {besides the cards} is the twinkly shiny everything. Twinkling lights on the tree, shiny ornaments and now, my new favorite Christmas decoration is this mixed metal mirror Duck Tape wreath. What's that you say? This is Duck Tape??? Stop it!!! Yep, it doesn't look like it because it's too busy looking like a million bucks that's why. 

I'm sharing the tutorial with you so that you can add some beautiful sparkle in your home. Plus, this stuff will have your mind running a million miles an hour thinking off all the amazing things you can cover with Duck Mirror

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Sheet music wreath

Easy to Make Sheet Music Wreath Tutorial

On Monday, I shared with you how I made my sheet music Christmas trees.

Today, I will be sharing with you how I made my rolled sheet music wreath.

Isn't it beautiful?!

I started with a large piece of sheet music.

Roll the sheet music lengthwise.

I always knew I had a good roll when I would end up with a triangle in the middle of my cone.

Glue the end of the paper in place with your glue gun.

I used a Styrofoam circle from the Dollar Store.

You all know how much I love the Dollar Store!

I marked the center with a dot, but I don't think it really matters one way or another.

Once I rolled a fair amount of cones, I was ready to start gluing them on to the Styrofoam circle.

I made a large cone pattern to start off with,

then slowly starting to fill in the spaces as equally as possible.

Once I finished gluing the cones on as full as I could, this is what it looks like from the front.

I did the same thing to the front of the wreath filling in the Styrofoam with cones until I was pleased with the fullness of it.  The center needed to be finished off with something, so I decided to attempt to make a sheet music fan for the center.

I took 3 sheets of 2 inch wide paper for the big fan

and one sheet of one inch wide paper for the small fan

Small fan tutorial

1. fold the small paper accordion style

2. glue one end to the other end and place on it's side

3. carefully gather and pinch the end pushing down in the center to make a flower.  Place a small piece of glue in the center to hold it together.

Large fan tutorial 

1. fold the three sheets accordion style

2. glue each end to one another

3. form a circle with the paper

4. pinch and glue the inside together 

 I glued the big fan and the small fan together, and then glued it to the center of the wreath.

You could also glitter the edges of the fan if you wanted to.

 That's it!

Glue a ribbon to the back and hang your wreath in your favorite spot!

As you can see, I really love sheet music. Have you made anything beautiful with sheet music?

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Last minute crafty gift ideas

I know, I know, Christmas is in two days, but I couldn't help but squeeze in a few last minute gift ideas that you can make in case you have a few last minute presents to whip up.

I actually had all of these supplies on hand, so no special trip was required to a craft store. But I am a craft supply hoarder, so perhaps you are much more organized and less in need of craft supply intervention than I am.

Regardless, these gift ideas can all be whipped up in under an hour and most of them can be made in under twenty minutes.

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Snow and Christmas trees to make a fun holiday decoration

Last year, one of my favorite Christmas crafts that I made were these die cast cars with snow and mini Christmas trees. They were huge hits at my local craft bazaar last year, so I kept my eyes peeled this year as I did garage sale and thrift store shopping for more things that I could add faux snow and trees to.

I found a few things, and this time, they were even bigger than the little die-cast cars I used last year!

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Vintage tablecloth turned into Christmas tree skirt

I love Christmas! I love decorating for Christmas and I love unpacking my Christmas boxes every single year. Every year I add to the boxes with handmade ornaments like I featured all last week in my six days of handmade. Sometimes, I add big items, sometimes I add small items.

This year, one of the new items I added to my Christmas decor was a new tree skirt. But not just any tree skirt. It's a tree skirt that I made out of a pretty amazing vintage round tablecloth that we got from my husband's grandmother's estate just after she passed away this summer.

I actually see round tablecloths like this at garage sales and estate sales quite often, so in case you are like me, you can pin this or tuck this away and remember when garage sale season starts back up again to keep your eyes peeled for a round tablecloth to make a no sew Christmas tree skirt.

It took me under 5 minutes and I promise, there is really no sewing to make this tablecloth into a Christmas tree skirt. Want to see how?

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World globe vintage map ornament

Welcome back to the sixth and final day of six days of handmade ornaments. I don't normally post on Saturday's but I wanted to make sure I finished out this fun week of handmade with a bang!
In case you missed it, check out the scrabble tile ornaments, typewriter keys, Christmas tree in a jar, woodland diorama ornament and yesterday's clay antler ornament. 

Today, on our last day, I am sharing with you a vintage world map globe ornament. You are going to love it!

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Handmade clay antler ornament

Welcome back to day five of the six days of handmade ornaments.
In case you missed it, check out the scrabble tile ornaments, typewriter keys, Christmas tree in a jar and woodland diorama ornament. 

Today, I will be sharing with you a handmade clay antler ornament.

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Deer and Christmas tree ornament

Welcome back to day four of six days of handmade ornaments. I hope you have enjoyed seeing all of the fun homemade ornaments so far. In case you missed it, check out the scrabble tile ornaments, typewriter keys and Christmas tree in a jar.

Today, I will be sharing with you these snow globe diorama ornaments. I had a half a dozen of these adorable little deer that I bought for a quarter a piece. They were floating around in the bottom of my purse just waiting for glitter, when my purse got stolen from a Starbucks parking lot. So some bad guy probably has some deer they are making diorama ornaments from too.

These were really easy and fun and the possibilities for them are endless! Let's get started!

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Christmas tree with Mica snow in a jar

Welcome back to day three of six days of handmade ornaments. I've been showing you easy and inexpensive ornaments that I have made this holiday season.  

Today's ornament is more about show and tell, and less about full tutorial. Mostly because nearly everything for this ornament was bought at a garage sale. Though hopefully it will inspire you.

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