Category: Create

Butter for the Birds…

May 13
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We love to feed the birds!  It’s really a fun hobby and my whole family enjoys spotting new and unusual birds that visit our feeders!  We’re really just novices, but since we’ve been feeding birds for several years I suppose we HAVE learned a thing or two about what works for us in our yard.  Feed stores are on the “thumbs-up” list for both my husband and myself…a shopping trip that’s sure to be equally enjoyable for us both!  We find it fun to browse the new feeders and check out treats for all kinds of wildlife…and also investigate the protective features that keep out the critters we don’t feel like feeding!  And since my husband is pretty handy, he also likes to recreate some of the expensive feeder systems…I guess you could say he’s pretty good at DIY too!  It’s really nice to come up with cheaper alternatives since feeding birds regularly can get a tad expensive!  Last year I bought an adorable feeder at the seed store…and even though it was affordable it wouldn’t be difficult to create at home.  I love it because it’s so natural looking–made from a section of a tree branch with circular indentations to hold what the seed stores call “bark butter.”  At our house the birds go crazy over this “butter” and gobble up the entire feeder within hours…so you can guess that keeping this butter in stock is costing us a pretty penny!  But as luck would have it, I gave one of these feeders to my mom last year…and wouldn’t you know it, she figured out a recipe for “bark butter” that costs a fraction to make!  So you could also make the actual feeder…but today I’m sharing how to make what goes in it!  Take a peek at how simple and fun it is to make this delicacy for our feathered friends so you can enjoy…

feeding the birds!

Magnetic Mini Garden

May 11
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As I promised on Monday, today I’ll share how easy it was to make the darling succulent magnets that I handed out to my friends at breakfast on Saturday!  They make such lovely and useful little gifts…and would be wonderful as favors for any special event!  I think handmade gifts are so thoughtful!  I’m always touched when I receive something handcrafted which makes me love giving those heartfelt little gifts even more!  Take a peek at the extremely simple instructions for the mini succulent magnets…

let’s craft a tiny planter!

It’s a DIY Friday!

May 6
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This has been a very eventful week!  May Day celebrations started the first week of the month off in springtime style, followed closely by Cinco De Mayo, and ending soon with Mother’s Day!  And if all these holidays weren’t enough…I decided to host a breakfast tomorrow for some girlfriends who are on a committee with me for a school event coming up very soon!  I was thinking of having a celebration for them after the event was over…but the 7 day forecast this week made Saturday sound perfect for some coffee and treats on the patio!  And since Mother’s Day falls over the weekend, some school  activities are taking a break due to the holiday…so I figured most of us would be available!  I know it sounds like a lot to plan…but I’m actually celebrating Mother’s Day with my mom the following weekend when my parents come to visit, so the breakfast party fit perfectly into my schedule!  And another bonus, it’s kind of like a mini Mom’s Day celebration for us friends to chat over coffee and nibbles…maybe even a mimosa or two!  I’m so excited to have them join me so i can offer up some much deserved thanks for all their help!  So I’ve been crafting up some simple embellishments for our little gathering that you could use for a holiday brunch or any other special event!  And they’re so easy to create you’ll have plenty of time to whip some up for a special celebration…like Mother’s Day perhaps?

let’s get crafting!

Pint-Sized Pinata

May 2
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I’m getting so excited for my little family soiree on the 5th!  And as I mentioned last week, the beginning of May is packed with events…May Day, Cinco De Mayo, and Mother’s Day, making it hard to find time for all three!  But this year I’m determined to do it even though I also have the job of heading up the decorating committee for our school’s After Prom Party the weekend following Mother’s Day!  When you’ve got tons on your calendar it helps to prepare as much as you can before hand!  I really try to complete as many of my decorations ahead of time regardless of my schedule…it makes for an almost stress free set-up!  So with all these events looming, I’ve been working a little ahead for just about all of them!  Today I want to share another easy centerpiece that will compliment my balloon chandelier that I made last week…and it’s still looking good!  My Cinco De Mayo table is going to be festively colorful so what better to sit in the center than a tiny pinata!

fill a pinata…without candy!

Practically Perfect Patio Server!

April 29
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I can’t wait for Mother Nature to decide whether it’s spring or winter!  She needs to make up her mind quick and stop tempting us with a couple gorgeous days followed by the reappearance of Jack Frost!  But I guess that’s April in Ohio!  Spring SURELY will soon be here to stay, and I guess these chilly days mixed in between are an opportunity to clean up and dust off all the packed away patio items…maybe even make some new ones!  I’ve spent several of those cold and rainy days crafting up some fun things for the summer months ahead…and I’m so anxious to use them!  The summer-like weekend we had a while back motivated me to head to the garden shops…and while I was checking out all the blooming options, I decided to pick up some terracotta pots for my flowers AND some crafting!  It’s really easy to use items like these to transform into things that are useful, adorable, and resistant to the elements which makes them just right for patio entertaining!  Terracotta pots aren’t just for flowers anymore…there’s so many wonderful ways to use them!  They’re casually cute and come in loads of sizes so you can get completely creative in a multitude of ways!  Since my family lives around our fire pit (even when the temperatures are cool) I decided to make a server for outdoor entertaining that would be especially useful for campfire snacks!  See how simple it was to turn some terracotta pots and trays into a practically perfect serving station!  It’s Friday so it might be time for…

serving up some springtime s’mores!

Balloon Chandelier!

April 27
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I’ve been having so much fun with balloons lately…they’re so festive, inexpensive, and perfect for more than just birthday parties!  While preparing for some Cinco De Mayo merry making, I created a colorful, hanging balloon centerpiece for our little celebration.  And though May 5th is a week away, I wanted to share this decoration now since a whimsical balloon chandelier could work for any event!  It’s really easy to assemble and will last for days…maybe even weeks…so you can make it ahead and check one thing off the party to-do list!  So if you’ve got an occasion that could use some easy festivity…take a peek at how simple it can be to make

a colorful & festive chandelier…

May Day Delivery

April 25
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I hope everyone enjoyed the wonderful, springlike weekend we had!  It didn’t remind me of summer like the previous end of the work week did–but in my opinion, it was almost perfect!  Crisp air paired with hot sunshine…pretty much a dream!  And finally the garden shops are filling up with colorful flowers–just in time for May Day!  I know I got started a tad early last week reminiscing about this fun, and sadly, sometimes forgotten holiday…but if you want to deliver a sweet basket of blooms to someone special–you’ve got this week to get ready!  This Sunday is May Day…and as I promised last week, I’d like to share another really easy way to create a basket full of springtime joy!  So take note and see how simple garden supplies can transform into a smile-maker!

get ready to welcome May!

Memory in a Jar

April 22
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It seems to me that we have a huge accumulation of trinkets and souvenirs from several vacations and countless weekend and day trips that we’ve taken over the years!   Now that spring break season is over, I’m guessing that more than just family members returned from all of those get-away trips!   All kinds of treasure from the beaches, forests, amusement parks, and what-not shops will find its way into our homes!  If your family is like mine…we’ve brought back some interesting finds!  And what do we do with them when we get home?  Often times they go in a keepsake box in the kid’s rooms only to get shoved in a drawer or closet!  But there are some keepsakes that evoke the most wonderful memories and it’s a shame to tuck them away, never to be seen again…until we purge the closets!  Today I’d like to share a fun project that can highlight some of your favorite trinkets and bring back those sweet remembrances!  This can be a great activity for the entire family…so gather your souvenirs and get ready to create something so simple but so full of joy!

treasured memories captured…

April Showers Bring…

April 20
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Can you believe that it’s approaching the end of April already!?  We’ve had such a roller coaster ride with the temperatures that it really makes me feel like I don’t even know what season it is from day to day!  But the reality is that spring has sprung and May is on its way!  One of my favorite memories as a child is making May baskets with my mom and secretly delivering them to the front doors of neighbors and friends as a springtime surprise.  I love this tradition and still TRY to keep it each year!  Even though it may not always be in a basket or delivered as a ring-and-ditch, doorstep surprise…each year I choose a different friend and offer up a tiny bunch of posies to celebrate spring!  I’ve discovered that delivering May Day baskets is a tradition that is unfamiliar to some.   I grew up thinking it was as much a holiday as Valentine’s Day…and if you’ve never celebrated it before I guarantee that it’s as much fun to deliver as it is to receive!  Last year the May Day elves left me a darling gift hanging sweetly on my doorknob…and though I figured out the identity of the lovely girls who left it…part of the fun can be the wonder!  However, today I’d like to share a fun and easy way to offer up some springtime blooms that you can deliver by hand.  I decided to share this a tad early so you can be prepared for the fun…May flowers will be sure to brighten someone’s day!  See how easy it is to spread the love…

deliver a May Day bouquet!

Washi Wonder!

April 18
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It’s no secret that washi tape is good for almost any kind of crafting, decorating, or wrapping up pretty gifts and favors!  I LOVE that there are so many choices out there now in hundreds of colors and styles…making it so easy to find tons of favorites!  I use washi tape a lot when i entertain, i really like it for adhering food labels to tables or serving dishes and it’s wonderful for taping up banners and buntings since it won’t damage walls or furniture!  But I have to admit, I really haven’t done much else with it…even though I see fabulous ideas from fellow bloggers and on Pinterest!  So while I was shopping for some crafting supplies for a school event, I spied some sweet paper products including washi tape…and fell in love!  I’m telling you, washi tape is perfect for everyday celebrations…making ordinary events seem extra special with simple decorative touches!  See how this fun tape, combined with minimal party supplies made my simple movie night look marvelous!

never settle for wishy-washy…

make it washi-wonderful!