Corner Table Makeover

I'm Back, Yay! 

So I have been procrastinating on this project for a while, I purchased this chalk paint a few months ago. I love the icy blue shade and wanted to paint everything with it! I settled for this darling corner table that my awesome in-laws gave me. 

                         I thought it was very cute and had great potential.  

I searched on YouTube for some chalk paint tutorials, and the process is actually quite simple. There is no sanding or priming required with chalk paint. That is great for me! 

This is the chalk paint that I got on amazon. It got good reviews and was inexpensive. I thought it would be great to start with .

Ooh, what a pretty blue!

I painted one coat, let dry for about an hour, then did my second coat. After the second coat dried, it was time for the wax! 

Chalk paint needs wax to seal and protect it. I got this wax on amazon. This got great reviews also and it is very easy to use. 

I have seen wax brushes to use with this, but I actually used a soft, lint-free cotton cloth, I buffed it in a little at a time into the surface. This needs time to dry, or cure. Only one coat all over the piece is needed. 

                                                                       Finished!!!

I am quite happy with how this came out. I had knob that I thought would be perfect for this and give it a chic new look. Very French, no? 

Wallpaper Art.

Wallpaper Art.

As spring is nearing, I wanted to make a craft to brighten up my house. I love doing simple DIY projects, and this is very easy.

I just framed some wallpaper samples. That's it! An easy DIY, and I'm using things that I have around the house.

You could also frame wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, tissue paper, leftover wallpaper; any kind of decorative paper you have on hand.

I got these samples online. I ended up using only four prints, and saving one for another project. 

I kept the two prints in the black frames for my hallway, which needed a little sprucing up. I gave my mom the other two, because she needed some artwork for her bathroom. See, they make good gifts too! 

Enjoy! 

Speckled Oatmeal Cookies

This is a great cookie for making on a snowy day, and we have lots of that here in New England!
Ever clean out your pantry and start baking with what you find? A little this, a little that, maybe some experimenting? That is what I did on Sunday! I had some oats, some chocolate chips, brown sugar, you know, cookie stuff! Here is what I came up with.

Speckled Oatmeal Cookies
3/4 cup of butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 3/4 cup of flour
2 cups of rolled oats
3/4 cup shredded chocolate*

*The shredded chocolate in this recipe was used because I wanted something different, and I wanted to stretch my chocolate chips. I placed my semi sweet chocolate chips in the food processor until they looked liked this:

You could also take a large chocolate bar and grate it with a grater. I just used what had on hand.
My oldest son thought this was funny. He is the one who named these speckled cookies!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F
1. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium until it is light and fluffy. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping sides occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour. Turn off mixer and stir in oats and chocolate by hand.
2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons on a ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 8 to ten minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Light Up Snowman Ornament

I absolutely LOVE snowmen. They are my favorite part of winter and the holiday season. These Christmas ornaments are quick, easy, and inexpensive! They make great teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, and items for craft shows too.

What you will need:

Battery operated tea lights
Black Sharpie marker
Ribbon
Hot glue gun
Optional: orange sun catcher paint

I got my tea lights at the dollar store. Two came in a pack.

1. Start by taking the strip out that comes in the back of the battery compartment. Also, now is the time to test to make sure the lights work!

2. This is optional, but I then painted the "noses" of the snowmen with orange sun catcher paint that I found it at the dollar store. I realize that not everyone will be able to find this, but I wanted to paint the noses orange to look like carrots. They also look great not painted either. It is up to you!

I did about 3 coats.

3. Draw a cute little snowman face on the tea light. You want the switch to be at the bottom of the ornament, so have that in mind when you draw the face.

4. Hot glue some ribbon on the back of the ornament

The finished product:

Have fun with these and remember that you can dress these up anyway you want! 

I wrapped them up in clear plastic bags with a piece of white taffeta, and tied it with a ribbon.  

 Enjoy, and Happy Holidays! 

Almond Joy Pretzels!

This is a quick and easy snack to make if you have company coming over. Crunchy, smooth, sweet, salty; this treat is many things in one!

Ingredients:
1 bag of milk chocolate chips
1 bag of sweetened tender flake coconut
1 bag of sliced almonds
1 bag of mini pretzels

1. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave for 30 second intervals, until melted.

2. Add the pretzels to the melted chocolate.Stir well to coat. I didn't add the whole bag because I wanted to leave some more room for the chocolate, but it is all a matter of taste. Add as many pretzels as you like.

3. Stir in half of the coconut and almonds. You will need the rest later. 

4. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.Top with remaining coconut and almonds

5. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours to get firm, then break into pieces. 

Store in a container with a lid. It will stay fresh for a few days, if it lasts that long!

Snowman Key Ornament!

Brrrrr, it's cold out there! All this cold weather makes me think of snowmen!
So here is a very simple and quick ornament using some stuff that you might have around the house.

What you will need:
. Old keys (that you do not need anymore!)
. White spray paint
. Black Sharpie marker
. Orange Sharpie marker or orange paint
. Cloth or ribbon
. Hot glue gun
. String
. Scissors

I chose two circle keys

 Start by spray painting them white. I did two coats. 

When dry, draw a cute little snowman face on the key with a black Sharpie. 

Then paint a carrot nose on the snowman. You can also draw it with an orange Sharpie if you have one. 

Cut your cloth or ribbon to make a little scarf for your snowman. I fringed the edges to make it more scarf-like.

Hot glue the scarf to the snowman ornament. 

Add string, and there you go! 

An easy and cute ornament for your Christmas tree! These also make great gifts! 

DIY Holiday Gift Card Holders

The Holiday season is creeping up on us!
I love making homemade gifts for Christmas. I also love recycling things to make new things. This project combines both, and it is something practical and decorative for gift giving. It is an easy and inexpensive project too, and the kids can help!

What you will need:
. Empty Altoids tins
. White spray paint
. Decorative tape ( I used "laser" tape, but you can also use Washi tape)
. Holiday stickers
. Scissors
. Mini stick on bows

Start by wiping out the Altoids tins real well. I chose to decorate 6 tins. 

Spray paint the tins with white spray paint. If you would like to paint the tins a different color, just make sure that you paint them white first. This way, the color will show up better. I kept things simple and just used white.

I sprayed the tins a let them dry for a couple hours in between coats, and then overnight on the last coat. I recommend spraying 3 to 4 coats.

I know that you can still see the Altoids logo through the paint, but we are going to be covering it up with tape and stickers. So don't worry! 

Now for the tape. I was originally going to use Washi tape, but I came across this at the dollar store. It's called "laser" tape. I thought it was more festive and sparkly, and it turned out to be easier to apply. The width of the tape was perfect to go around the tin!

I also found these Christmas stickers in my craft box. I thought the would be cute to decorate with. You could also use scrap booking embellishments and just glue them onto the tins. 

So first I Taped around the bottom edge of the box. No trimming necessary, it fit perfectly! Don't you just love when that happens? 

I then went around the top edge of the box and folded down the extra tape. You might have to do a little manipulating with the tape until you get it looking just right. I did a little snip at the corners so the tape wouldn't bunch up. 

Then I started taping across the tin to cover up the white, and cut it to fit. 

My middle son helped me decorate them with stickers!

I found some sparkly tissue paper and put it onto the tins.

Here are the finished tins:

Snowman 

Tree and Wreath 

Penguin 

Snowman & Snowflakes 

A Christmas present. For this one I just put tape around it to look like a present and then added a mini bow. 

Santa Claus! 

So there are my DIY Holiday gift card holders. Feel free to adapt this project with items that you have on hand. The possibilities are endless!