Creating Christmas - A Year in the Works Mantle

Another day of Creating Christmas with The Girl Creative!  I'm having so much fun with this, and I really hope you are too!  Have you been checking out all the other lovely co-hosts?  I hope you do, these ladies have some wonderful ideas to share.  Check them out:

Que Linda Crafts, The Cottage Market, Love Lindsey, Domestic Mischief, Chicken Scratch, Love Sweet Love, Randee’s Organized Chaos, Musings of a Glamour Puss, Anastacia Knits, Southern Scraps, Modern Yet Old Fashioned, Broken Treasures, Alyssabeth’s, Domestic Deadline, Life on Walnut Street, 52 Mantels, The Glamorous Life

Today is Day 4, check out Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 if you need to catch up.

I decorated my "mantle" today.  We don't have a fire place but a large entertainment cabinet which has served as a mantle for us (plus a place to put things out of little hand's reach...).  I do try to change up this area with the seasons, much like one would do with a real mantle.  When I pinned this mantle 

Source: lisaleonardonline.com via Emily on Pinterest

by Lisa Leonard a few days ago, I knew it was perfect for me, after all, I'd been working on something similar for a year now.  I love the colors and while my trees might not be made from strips of fabric, I already had some made:

   

When I originally made these, I did avoid making them specific to one holiday with the intention of being able to mix and match them to use for Christmas and other holidays.  The feather one didn't hold up so well in storage, and of course I had to add a few more.  So here's my version:

I wrapped a few more trees in yarn and while I love the original version with white candle holders, I just went with some that I had on hand.  Here's a few close ups:

The red one in the back on the left (above), is made from a strand of the beaded garland, I wrapped the cone in red wrapping paper first.  I've been picking up candle sticks from the thrift store when I can get them for about a quarter.

IronFish's PhD book is a permanent riser on our mantle.  Had to point out a few things I like below:

The red petal tree is on top of an upside down pedestal bowl I picked up at the thrift store, just loved the carving.  The tree in the center, I found a few years ago at this really cute shop in our down town, Perennial Home, I just loved it and the garland is the same as the tree I covered in it.  The tree base of the tree on the far right is also from there.  Another item I just love.  Originally, it had a lamp shade on top but the lampshade was actually a candle.  When I changed the color in our living room, it didn't look right anymore and had seen better days.  So I unscrewed the top and have rotated other candles and now a tree on it.  I still love it.

Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to hang on the wall in the middle!  Any ideas?  Guess I'll be back on Pinterest soon!

  If you like what you see,

I’d love for you to follow me!

Peace be with you,

 

I'll be linking up to some of these parties, stop by and check out the talent!

M: Made by you Mondays, Made with Love Monday, Making the World Cuter, MMM @ CRAFT, Just something I whipped up, Organizing Mission Monday, Creative Me Monday, A Round Tuit, Motivate me Monday, Jam Hands, Must Try Monday T: Sew Cute Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesday, TCB, Topsy Turvy Tuesdays, Take-a-Look Tuesdays, Too Cute Tuesdays, Giggles Glitz & Glam W: We Did it Wednesday, Night Owl Crafting, Sugar & Spice, Tea Rose Home, We’re Organized Wednesday, What I Wore Wednesday, What’s Up Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Share the Wealth, Real Momma Real Style, Your Whims Wednseday, Whatever Goes T: Make It Wear It, Frogs & Snails, It’s Stinkin’ Cute, Making it with Allie, Things I’ve Done, Everybody’s Creative Endeavor F: Fun Friday Finds, Fingerprints on the Fridge, It’s a Hodgepodge, Chic on a Shoestring, Fantastic Friday, TGIF, I’m an Organizing Junkie, Spunky Junky, The Shabby Nest, While He Was Napping, Upcycled Awesome S/S: Get Schooled Saturday, KISS, Funky Fresh, Weekend Wrap Up, Nifty Thrifty, Creative Bloggers, Six Sisters

Creating Christmas - Patchwork Tree Skirt

 

It's Day 2 of  Creating Christmas at The Girl Creative.  If you missed my day one, check it out here.  What have you been making?

A good 20 years ago, I made a tree skirt for my mom for Christmas.  The previous one she had made but it was ruined in a minor basement flood.  I'm pretty sure she's still using the one I made; 5 feet in diameter made from 9 inch blocks and reversible.  Then a few years back, SisterBaby asked me to make her one for Christmas.  When I was visiting, we shopped for a variety of Christmas fabric, enough to make one for each of us... after all, if I'm going to make her one, I might as well make myself one right?

Flash forward to the present, and I'm still getting requests for them!  Bummed that I forgot to take a picture of the one I just shipped off...  I now keep a zip lock bag of pre-cut squares... whenever I have scraps of Christmas fabric, I cut the squares and tuck them into the bag until I'm ready to make another one. 

Below is the one I made for myself, SisterBaby's matches mine. We started with the penguin fabric and went from there.  Our Grandma Marj loved penguins and we liked the blues, this is the fun kid friendly side:

 

I like to make the backside one fabric, a bit more traditional.

 Both sides:

Tree skirts aren't just for Christmas anymore... I've been giving them for wedding gifts the past few years... and according to O-man it makes a great cape... I just can't get a good picture of him wearing it!

If you like what you see,

I’d love for you to follow me!

Peace be with you,

 

I'll be linking up to some of these parties, stop by and check out the talent!

M: Made by you Mondays, Made with Love Monday, Making the World Cuter, MMM @ CRAFT, Just something I whipped up, Organizing Mission Monday, Creative Me Monday, A Round Tuit, Motivate me Monday, Jam Hands, Must Try Monday T: Sew Cute Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesday, TCB, Topsy Turvy Tuesdays, Take-a-Look Tuesdays, Too Cute Tuesdays, Giggles Glitz & Glam W: We Did it Wednesday, Night Owl Crafting, Sugar & Spice, Tea Rose Home, We’re Organized Wednesday, What I Wore Wednesday, What’s Up Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Share the Wealth, Real Momma Real Style, Your Whims Wednseday, Whatever Goes T: Make It Wear It, Frogs & Snails, It’s Stinkin’ Cute, Making it with Allie, Things I’ve Done, Everybody’s Creative Endeavor F: Fun Friday Finds, Fingerprints on the Fridge, It’s a Hodgepodge, Chic on a Shoestring, Fantastic Friday, TGIF, I’m an Organizing Junkie, Spunky Junky, The Shabby Nest, While He Was Napping, Upcycled Awesome S/S: Get Schooled Saturday, KISS, Funky Fresh, Weekend Wrap Up, Nifty Thrifty, Creative Bloggers, Six Sisters

Creating Christmas - DIY Half Tree

It's Day 1 of Creating Christmas at The Girl Creative and I'm co-hosting with 14 other awesome bloggers!

As my family has grown, our need for every day storage has grown... this means the space for a Christmas tree has greatly reduced.  O-man is close to 4 but still very curious about, well, everything.  These two problems were resolved the past two years by using a 4 foot tree on top of a table, aka, out of his reach and small space friendly.

But, I've been promising the girls we would use a regular size tree again this year.  As I contemplated where to put our mammoth tree (artificial for us, allergies) I looked into getting a new skinnier tree.  Alas, it just didn't seem worth them money, especially since what I really wanted was a flat back/half/wall tree (different places called them different names).  Have you seen these things? So cool and totally space saving.

Wait a minute... my tree comes in multiple pieces, it shouldn't really matter if I use all of them, right?  Well, since the tree I ultimately wanted was $400, I figured it was worth a try!  Since it worked, I wish I'd taken step by step pictures.  But, I didn't so I'll give you the directions.

Step 1:  If your branches are not pre-sorted (thanks IronFish) from putting it away the last time, sort them by size now.  In my fake tree experience, they are color coded and usually come with a diagram which basically tells you, the largest ones go on the bottom and the mini tree looking thing is the ready to go top.
Step 2:  Assemble your base and center pole (we store our center pole as one piece since I wrapped extra garland around it when we first got it, otherwise it would break down into 2 pieces).  Push it back into a corner or against a wall as close as it will get to the wall(s).
Step 3:  Find the very bottom row where the longest branches are supposed to go.  Now put those branches back in the box, and the branches of one row up also.  Look at all that space you've saved already!  My bottom row has a diameter of over 5 feet, not using the bottom two rows saved me 2 feet in diameter.  The first branches we are going to use will be the normal 3rd row.  My picture is labeled with the new rows.
Step 4:  Remember that very bottom row, leave it completely empty.  More space under the tree for presents (or the 3 year old playing under it).  Our new bottom row is the next one up.  Take those 3rd row branches, put half on the new bottom row and half on the new row 2, only on the front.  Fluffing your branches as you go.
Step 5:  The original 4th row branches are the new row 3, use half of your branches again on the front half.  Put the rest away.
Step 6:  The height of your tree will determine how many rows you have.  As you move up the tree, you will be using the next size up, but only half of them.  My rows 4 and 5.
Step 7:  Now, my tree is pushed up against a cabinet.  I did a little rearranging so we can survive the next month without accessing what is inside, it just has to be there, I have no other place for it.  Since my tree is not completely against the wall, I used all the branches of rows 6 to 7, you may want to depending on how it looks.
Step 8:  Put your top on and decorate!!!!!

IronFish has a system for putting the tree together.  This definitely didn't follow his system, but I'm happy to say, he was very pleased that we managed to make the tree more space saving.

I know, the decorations are pretty interesting, O-man started adding his toys right away and they have just been so proud, I've let them continue to play with the tree.  Christmas should be a joyful time, so if moving toys around makes them happy, I'm not going to complain:

He's most proud of this decoration:

 

Don't worry, it's clean, I gave in and got him his own, he invents all kinds of games with his plunger.  

If you like what you see,

I’d love for you to follow me!

Peace be with you,

 

I'll be linking up to some of these parties, stop by and check out the talent!

M: Made by you Mondays, Made with Love Monday, Making the World Cuter, MMM @ CRAFT, Just something I whipped up, Organizing Mission Monday, Creative Me Monday, A Round Tuit, Motivate me Monday, Jam Hands, Must Try Monday T: Sew Cute Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesday, TCB, Topsy Turvy Tuesdays, Take-a-Look Tuesdays, Too Cute Tuesdays, Giggles Glitz & Glam W: We Did it Wednesday, Night Owl Crafting, Sugar & Spice, Tea Rose Home, We’re Organized Wednesday, What I Wore Wednesday, What’s Up Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Share the Wealth, Real Momma Real Style, Your Whims Wednseday, Whatever Goes T: Make It Wear It, Frogs & Snails, It’s Stinkin’ Cute, Making it with Allie, Things I’ve Done, Everybody’s Creative Endeavor F: Fun Friday Finds, Fingerprints on the Fridge, It’s a Hodgepodge, Chic on a Shoestring, Fantastic Friday, TGIF, I’m an Organizing Junkie, Spunky Junky, The Shabby Nest, While He Was Napping, Upcycled Awesome S/S: Get Schooled Saturday, KISS, Funky Fresh, Weekend Wrap Up, Nifty Thrifty, Creative Bloggers, Six Sisters

Give Thanks!

My family has already started our Thanksgiving vacation... IronFish got home on Sunday from 10 days in India only to drive with the rest of us out to Indiana... sorry, babe.

We arrived safely after a completely uneventful 12 hour drive where I must say, even the 3 year old was pleasant 11.5 hours of the trip, amazing!  We'll spend this week visiting family and friends in Indiana and Ohio before heading back to the east coast on Saturday.

I just wanted to pop in and say thank you to all my followers and bloggy friends out there.  I'm approaching a year of blogging and it has been quite an adventure.  Starting this last fall really helped me to get through what is typically a tough time of year for me as dreary weather tends to effect my moods.  I hope you'll continue to stick with me as I continue to create and share my life and family with you all.  For you I am very thankful.

I promise to be back next week with some fun projects and I'm so excited to participate in The Girl Creative's Creating Christmas Event!!!!!

The long car ride has given me time to think of some fun projects.  I hope you will join me.  Now, I'm off to Wal-mart to buy tooth brushes because I (and all three kids) forgot to pack them!

Peace be with you,

Guest Post on Get Your Crap Together

This post has been moved to the new Domestic Deadline.  Stop by and check it out!

Happy Memorial Day 2011!

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day!  We started our Memorial Day out the way we have the past several years, marching in our local parade with our church.  I thought I'd share a few pictures.

Fun hair flowers I made for the girls and I:

Last year I made these as dresses for the girls, they were tunics this year!  JuneBug is closing in on 5 feet tall at 9, next year it might be a belly shirt on her.

Here comes our crew!

My girls took turns carrying the crosses and the banner

We are always one of the last groups since everyone wants to take a shot at making a basket.  Here's IronFish giving O-man a little boost.  He is a huge basketball fan, he's even been known to sleep with a few basketballs in his bed!

Thanks to all who have served our country, past, present and future.  God Bless America!

Now it's pool time, baby!
Peace be with you,

Patriotic Wreath

I'm still in the start of summer mode.  My spring wreath needed to come down and replaced with something more fitting for the season.  Hmmm, something tells me I have a few million yards of ribbon just waiting to be used...

Gather your supplies:
A few miles of ribbon, scissors, lighter or candle, wreath form or refrigerator conduit, duct tape

Wait, doesn't everyone have packages of refrigerator conduit laying around?  Be creative folks, unless you have a wreath form laying around.

IF you are using some sort of wire or, like me, refrigerator conduit, use the appropriate tool to cut it, such as a pipe cutter, don't use your good scissors (or they will become your crappy scissors pretty quickly).

Use some duct tape to form your wire/pipe into a circle, I like to then cover the whole thing with duct tape... it's just so much fun to use!

I cut my ribbons 6-8 inches long, you may need to go longer if your wreath is thicker than mine.  Just cut tons.  Then cut a few tons more...

Once you have lots of ribbon cut, seal the edges by touching them to a flame quickly, I have decided a lit candle is the easiest way for me to do this.

Start knotting your ribbons on.  Yes, I'm a little Type-A and have to try to balance out the placement of my ribbons, trying not to get too much of the same too close.

Then cover the whole thing in ribbons, squish them together and squeeze some more in there.

Hang up and enjoy your 3-day weekend!

There you have it, super easy, super cute and super stashbusting!

Peace be with you,

PS - I'll be linking up to several of these parties, stop by and party with me!

Memorial Trees

Thankfully the weather man was wrong today, it was beautiful!  But alas, my back is bothering me, so I laid low today.  O-man has been patiently watching the workers get the pool by my house ready and it occurred to me that this weekend is Memorial Day... which means that pool will be open this weekend!

With Memorial Day approaching, I decided to spruce up my "mantel" with a more summer-y theme.  We don't have a fire place, but we do have a TV cabinet in our living room with a nice big surface on the top so this acts as my mantel.  I've taken to changing it out periodically and since blogging, by season and holiday!

Many of my various holiday decorations are stored right inside my couch in the living room itself, so I pulled out a few of the trees I made for Valentine's Day, red and white.  Now we just needed blue.  In March when I made St. Patty's Day decor, I picked up some of the blue clothes line from the dollar store.  Glad I remembered today that I'd thought ahead! 

Now my "mantel" is sporting the right colors for the first half of the summer... I'll have to think of some new trees for after the 4th of July!

Peace be with you,

Easter Decorations

Easter is less than a week away.  The kids are on Spring Break here and this year we will be home.   When the girls got home from school on Friday, we decided to make a few decorations, stashbusting style!  Nothing we did is new to blogland, most of what we did is copied from something we've seen but we had fun and I promised the girls I would show it off.  (I'd give credit, but many people out there have their own versions, it would take forever to go back and find all the sites I've seen similar things on!)

Here's what we used that was all on hand:  Mini and regular sized Styrofoam eggs, fabric strips, glass jars, old book pages, yarn, mod podge and glass candle holders.  I did buy blue spray paint, but I needed it to finish two other projects, so the $2.50 the mini can cost was well worth it.  Some of the supplies I had bought shortly before stashbusting began, and of course didn't get to the project until now, but it's out of my stash!

Take a peek:

The girls had a lot of fun making the book page eggs, we have about 20 of them!  To make it easier on them, I had them wet the paper and then paint mod podge over top.  I did smooth them a bit before they were dried.  I should go back and put another coat or two on them, but I probably will just find another project to do instead!

Sorry, the egg in the middle was something I picked up on clearance a few years ago, but it would be really easy to make if it hadn't been about 50cents!  I just liked the way it looks with the mini egg tree and the rolled rosette tree.  What doesn't show up in the picture is that we covered the tree with a course yarn about the same color as the nest on the large egg.  I did it that way to coordinate the three pieces together

Peace be with you,

Luck of the Irish

I'm not Irish.  I've never decorated for St. Patrick's Day.  I have however celebrated the day, big time!  A friend of mine is from Ireland and every year she has a party.  Yesterday I was marking her party on my calendar and decided I would make some decorations for my house, in her honor.

Since I was making a quick trip to Dollar Tree for a few potty training bribes, I picked up this:

The trusty glue gun and more of those cardboard trees from my basement stash came out.   My assistant was more interested in playing today, so in about a half hour I had this:

I thought about trimming the feather one to be more symmetrical, but I kinda like the wildness.  The little one in the front is the flowers from the lei.  This one's my favorite:

I simply wrapped and glued a green clothes line around it!  I have a few more supplies and that wreath form to do something with yet.  I kept them solid green and they will be usable for my field of Christmas trees come December.  I'm very excited to make some things that are usable for multiple holidays.

Peace be with you,