Ever since I built a mantel a couple of years ago, I'm always on the hunt for fun new ways to decorate it. So as I browsed the paper aisle at my local craft store, it hit me - a folded paper tree forest! I'm a big fan of non-traditional colors, so I bought a few of my favorites and got to work. Click through to check out the full tutorial.
Though real Christmas trees are wonderful, not all of us have the time, space, or energy to deal with them. So if your tastes lean to the more industrial, minimalist side of things, you can make your own little Christmas trees out of cement. These concrete Christmas trees are reusable, require no maintenance, and you don't have to worry about ornaments or lights. Of course, there's no reason you can't have both a real tree and some of these mini ones. They're pretty quick and addictive to make, so go ahead and make a whole forest.
Home Alone will forever be one of my favorite Christmas movies because it was an important piece of my childhood! Of course, we can't forget the iconic line from the fictional movie Kevin watches in the sequel when the character says "Merry Christmas ya filthy animal" after shooting someone. If you're looking for a quirky addition to your Christmas decor this year that will fulfill your 90s nostalgia, this colorful "Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal" bunting printable is for you! Cut out each flag and arrange them on string to decorate your walls, a bar cart, a door or a food table for a holiday party!
A few weeks ago I took a woodworking class to familiarize myself with some new power tools. The class involved making a simple wood cutting board, much like this one. I was so excited with how mine turned out, and with how quick it was to make! Since it's the holidays and everyone could use a little help coming up with gift ideas, I'm sharing this DIY wood cutting board tutorial with you today. Keep reading to see how to make this thoughtful and special gift!
I love a unique Christmas tree. Don't get me wrong, a classic evergreen tree with white lights and red ornaments is great too... but there's something so exciting about a non-traditional tree with interesting colors and unusual decorations. So today I'm going to teach you how to decorate a Christmas tree with ribbon! Read on to check out my tips and tricks for creating a stunning, colorful ribbon tree.
Ready to go full boho with your Christmas decor this year? This fun pom-pom wreath will set the tone on your front door, and prepare your guests for even more color inside. But of course the color scheme is up to you, so feel free to put your own twist on this project and make your pom-pom wreath in your favorite holiday colors.
Every winter, it's the same story. I get a handful of thoughtfully selected, lovingly written cards for the holidays...and, I have nowhere to put them.
Tacked on the fridge with the grocery lists and unpaid parking tickets? Jammed on a shelf between the dusty knick-knacks and piles of unopened mail? Ok, my house isn't THAT disorganized (most of the time), but I'm sure you feel the pain of receiving beautiful mail and having nowhere to display it.
This year, I decided to take matters into my craft-loving hands and make a simple, pretty DIY branch holiday card display. It only requires a few basic supplies to make, can be made as small or as large as you want, and will make your home smell like a pine tree, which is obviously the best reason to make your own. Keep reading to see how to make a DIY branch holiday card display!
When it comes to the holiday season, I like to start small. I'll start by introducing Christmas socks into my wardrobe, playing Sufjan Stevens' holiday records on Pandora, and I usually change the wallpaper on my smartphone. This year, I'm sharing a festive design in a few color schemes, depending on your holiday preference! You can download them as a wallpaper for your phone or desktop, or, keep reading to find out how to print and use as a festive iPhone case.
If there's one thing that I think needs to be personalized for everyone in the family, it's Christmas stockings! Come Christmas morning and everyone is swapping stockings, it's the perfect way to organize whose stocking belongs to whom (and to make sure that Santa doesn't get confused, of course). With this simple embroidery stitch, it's easy to personalize stockings for only $5! Whether you're sewing your own Christmas stockings or buying your favorite color at Target, the personalized embroidery makes them elegant but cute for everyone in your house!
It's hard to believe, but it's that season again... gift giving time. It's tough to find the perfect present for everyone on your list, and even harder to try to secretly figure out what size the recipient is. But we've made it infinitely easier - just print out a few of our free gift giving cheat sheets and have your family and friends fill them out and you'll have their information at your fingertips whenever you need it.
It's the holidays and, SURPRISE! Everyone is stressed.
Be it the in-laws, end of year deadlines, travel, or all the shopping, this is a time of year that just makes us crazy. And as hard as it is suffering from burnout ourselves, it's even harder watching it in someone you care about.
There are two little words that can help: self-care! (The Oxford Dictionaries just declared "toxic" the word of the year, but they must not spend much time on Pinterest. The word of the year is clearly self-care).
Today's gift idea is for that special someone, your S.O.S., Stressed-Out Spouse (or Partner, or Bestie, or Sibling, or Other Significant Person who needs help). This self-care gift basket will help remind them to slow down and be good to themselves.
I've broken this gift basket concept down into four different elements that are important for centering: sleep, stress reduction, mindfulness, and me-time. The best thing about putting together your own gift basket is that you can scout your local shops for unique, handmade items and support those small businesses.
Boston locals, I purchased everything for this self-care gift basket at Cambridge Naturals in Porter Square, my favorite source for organic and natural products. And of course, I'm including online sources for the rest of you!
Ready to see how you can put together your own epic self-care gift basket for the holidays? Don't worry, I won't judge if you end up wanting to keep it all to yourself!
Keep reading for our tips to make the most relaxing gift ever!
Although it's hard to believe, it's almost that time of year when holiday parties start occupying most weekends. Most people's go-to gift for these kinds of events is usually a bottle of wine, but sometimes it's nice to surprise your hostess with something different. Here are 60 fantastic DIY hostess gifts that you can start thinking about ahead of time to avoid excessive holiday stress.
Are you ready to start the countdown?! Come December 1st, it's time to break out the advent calendars and find a little surprise every day as you count town toward Christmas. Advent calendars were a staple of my childhood, so I still try to make a DIY advent calendar every year to make the countdown more fun! This time, I used plastic fill-able ornaments to make a hanging ornament advent calendar that's easy to open and reveal a candy or small trinket inside (my parents often used to use give my pennies). With a variety of sizes and colors, you can use materials that fit your style and hang it anywhere in your home for a Christmas decoration that's functional and FUN!
As winter approaches, so does more required time indoors. All that time inside makes my home feel stuffy, cramped, and stale. In essence, my house feels like it's full of bad energy. I recently discovered palo santo, and I'm really enjoying the way it seems to cleanse the spaces around me, and even purify my own energies. Keep reading to find out more about this holy wood, and how to make a minimal palo santo holder.
When it comes to the holidays, there are lots of things that I look forward to. The seasonal desserts, the quirky traditions, and the festive decor, just to name a few. There is one thing that I dread, however, when family and friends gather: small talk. Maybe it's because I'm an introvert, or maybe it's because chatting about the weather makes me want to barf and yawn at the same time, but the idea of casual chatting-while-eating gives me anxiety. Now, the whole notion of conversation starters might make you want to groan, but what if those conversation starters were paired with a bit of mystique and excitement? Enter these Thanksgiving crackers.