be mine

Valentines Day is not to far off so why not get started with this fun project. I saw this and just had to share. This would dress up any Valentines Dinner and have your family talking.

Thanks to the Girls at the DIY Dish for sharing this fun idea. Not only for Valentines Day but what about other holidays as well. The possibilities are endless. I can't wait to start on mine.



temple picture gifts

Need an idea for Christmas gifts? I made these for my neighbors for Christmas this year.  And the fun part about it is that you can hand it on your tree and then hand it somewhere else to enjoy all year long. I also made them for my kiddos you hand in their rooms.

All you need

one 5x7 picture of the temple

one 5x5 block

Mod Podge

Black paint

Brush

Ribbon

Drill

Start by cutting your picture into a 5x5 square. Paint your block and dry. Once the block is painted Mod Podge your picture on to one side of the block.  Now that your picture is on and dried. Drill holes for your ribbon and lace the ribbon through.

For temple pictures visit my Blog. http://www.hollievansphotography.blogspot.com/  or my Etsy store HolliCycle and you can order them in many sizes. If ordering multiples in the same size I will give you 10% discount

pumpkin name settings

If you are in charge of Thanksgiving this year or want a fun get together with friends or family. This ideas is sure to get your guest talking.  This simple ideas was found at Better Homes and Garden. I love it because it is so simple and a fun gift for your guest to take home.

transform your pumpkin

What guest wouldn't love to serve themselves from this fun pumpkin punch bowl. Hollow out a pumpkin, scraping the side well to remove all the seeds and pulp before filling. Fill with cider and sliced apples. Serve in canning jars with a cinnamon stick.

This is such a fun way to serve chip at a fall get together with friends and family. So simple and so impressive that you will have your guest talking.

These are some of my favorite ideas to do with pumpkins that can use all season long. I found both ideas at Better Homes and Garden. They also have some more amazing ideas.

Now get creative we would love to see what you can do.



my family tree

Who doesn't love looking at pictures of your family. Well I was on a mission to find the perfect family tree for me. So I came a cross this idea at Studio 5 made by Kelly White from Heartland Paper. It is so fun! Plus I can use all of those Christmas cards with family photos on them for this project. It is also magnetic so that the pictures can be changed or added to.

I added a leaf to each picture to give it a three dimensional look, that includes their name . You can even included their birthdays too. The picture on the left better shows what the leaf looks like, and on the right the picture is on the tree.
to make this:

14 x 26 piece of sheet metal                                                    
2 pieces of scrapbook paper for background
2 pieces of scrapbook paper for border
scrapbook paper for tree
1 x 1 pieces of wood (to glue pictures on)
magnets
Mod podge
Letters for OUR FAMILY TREE (used Cricut)
glue stick
hotglue gun
Click Here for the tree pattern, and Kelly also gives a step by step instructions as well. (note: I made my tree twice as big. The pattern will fit on a 14 x 14 piece of metal so just cut the trunk on the fold and double the branches. You may need to make minor adjustments.)

Directions:  After you have cut all the pieces that will be needed. Mod poge on to the sheet metal.  I then glued every thing where I wanted it and mod poged the whole thing. Let it dry over night.  Cut and glue pictures on to the wood squares and hot glue magnets on to the back of each of the pictures. Cut out leaves and write names on them, then attach them on to the pictures as well. Once your magnetic family tree is dry add all of your pictures.

This is a great gift idea for all those people who seem to have everything. I made one for my grandmother and she loves it.

birthday pictures

OK so I have been working on teaching my kids a little more about our family history, and  since this week was birthday week. I thought that I would share what we have been doing.

This is our Birthday Board.

Every month we add the pictures of who has birthdays in the that month (past and present).  Then during that month we have a birthday night where we share some fun things about each person. We have a birthday cake in the their honor. It has been fun to learn all kinds of fun facts and learn to love our heritage.

There are all sorts of fun ideas that you can use this for. Such as filling it with pictures of just the birthday person from their past to the present. You can even put a treat in each of the holes instead of pictures. One treat for each day of the week until their birthday (like a birthday countdown). Be creative and have fun with it. I know that we have.

To Make this:

You will need 1  2x4 of your desired length. Mine was 12in.
scrapbook paper, modpoge, a foam brush, wire, nail and hammer.
Cut your 2x4, then you will cut and modpoge the paper on to your 2x4. Let it dry completely and with your hammer and nail, nail however many holes that you want. Then take your wire and make 2 loops and twist at the bottom of the loop. Leaving the desired length for the height of your picture. Glue your wire in the holes. You will slip your pictures between the two loops of wire. With the left over paper I made tags to show their name and their birthday.

easy shamrock decor

As I finally got around to putting away all of the Valentine's decorations I realized that I didn't really have any St Patrick's Day decorations. I didn't really want to spend any money so this is what I came up with.

I just cut a shamrock out of a piece of paper and then traced it onto some scraps of fabric that I had. I cut two per shamrock and then sewed them wrong sides together leaving a little hole to stuff them. My girls stuffed them for me and then we sewed them up. I tied a little piece of gold ribbon to the stem and here they are. After a few I just cut them out without a pattern and I actually liked them better. With the raw edges and each a little different size and shape they have fun character.

You could put them in a basket like this, use them on a table, hang them in a window or on a door, or hang them from your dining room light. They were fast, very inexpensive, and kid friendly.

lucky clover update

I think that they will make it in time. Here is what they look like today, 5 days later.

dollar store leaves

If you are looking for a easy and inexpensive way to bring fall into your home (who isn't), here it is. I found this pack of leaves at Dollar Tree dollar store. (Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the package. I was so excited I just ripped into them.) I had enough to use them in these three ways. I added them to some pumpkins (also from the dollar store) and some grapevine balls in a basket.

Add them to a mantle of top of a entertainment center.

Use them as table confetti.

You could also use these of a wreath. For $1.00 this was a great investment!
(I also found a glitter version of these at Walmart later for about the same price.)

fun fall projects

FALL MONOGRAM WREATH


I love fall. It is the time of year I finally feel like baking after a hot summer and I love to make our home cozy for the coming cold. I found this fun wreath and I loved it so here is what our turned out like. I had a grape vine wreath and some orange berries already in my fall decor box so I just wired these together. I found a fall floral bush and just sniped it into individual pieces and stuck it into the wreath. I didn't glue anything because I then can take it apart and use it for other seasons. I found my "S" at Michaels for $1.99 and I painted it white and then sanded the edges and rubbed some stain over it. I didn't have any wide ribbon on hand to hang it with so I used a strip of fabric. I learned how to hang it over at the Nesting Place.
I usually have some kind of wreath on our door and thought this was a fun and different look. It was very easy and I loved out it turned out.

RUSTIC WOOD PUMPKINS

These cute wood pumpkins are made from a landscape timber. It was cut into 4, 5, and 6 inch lengths. These timbers are usually tinted a cherry color but I sanded these to make them smoother and then painted them orange. Going over them one more time with the sandpaper gives them an antiqued look. A hole drilled in the top allows space for a small piece of a branch to make the stem. Then they are finished off with a fun green ribbon or piece of fabric for the leaves. This simple project makes a great centerpiece or mantle decor for this fun fall season.

REVERSIBLE FALL BLOCKS

These cute fall blocks do double duty. They spell out fall on one side and boo on the other. They are made from a 2x4 cut into 5 inch lengths. They are actually 3X5 when finished. A coat of black paint, some scrapbook paper, and vinyl letters finish off the project. Easy and simple but so fun.

growing up growth chart

Everyday kids are growing a little bigger. Some days it feels like a lot bigger.
This "life size ruler" growth chart is a fun way to track how fast they are growing.


Here is how to make it.

1" x 8" x 6' piece of pine wood -- I found mine at Home Depot pre-cut and ready to use.

Use paint or a wood oil (like linseed) to finish the surface of the wood.

Use paint, a sharpie marker, or a vinyl sticker to create the look of a large ruler.
A vinyl sticker makes the project a little easier and is available in our store. 
To apply the sticker:   Without removing the backing, tape the entire sticker into place with masking tape.  Pull back the bottom 12 inches and remove the backing.  Press this part of the sticker back down into place.  Now that it it secure, pull back the rest of the sticker, remove sections of the backing and press into place.  Be sure that the markings are staying aligned with the edge of the board.  When all the vinyl is in place, press on the markings to ensure that they will stick and then remove the top masking.

Start the lettering at zero if you want to just leave it standing on the floor. If you want to hang it on the wall, figure out how far up you want it.(ie. 6 inches from the floor) and start with that mark.

The fun part: Measure and mark kids heights.

Start a fun birthday tradition of measuring and marking the growth chart.

Many families already have a growth chart marked on a wall or door somewhere. Transferring that information to a board like this, protects it from the inevitable renovation or move.

I didn't start on this project until most of my kids were older. I used school and medical records to mark their heights from the past so we could compare everyone's as they grow.