christmas ice decorations

  If you are looking for something to help you look forward to cold freezing weather maybe this will help.   I have always wanted to try these and last year we finally did.  They were very easy and can be made with anything you have at home or in your yard.  Ice can be frozen into luminaries, wreaths, outside tree ornaments, or any other ideas you can think of.

Supplies you will need:

Any kind of pans, dishes, molds, or containers

Berries, greenery, pinecones, orange peel, nuts, etc.

Water and freezing temperatures or a freezer

Bundt pans work great because they already have the hole in the middle.  If not you can place a paper cup or a tin can in the middle of the container weighted with stones.   I placed mine just outside our back door over night.  When you are ready to take it out let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and then soak the bottom of the pan in warm water for a few minutes.  Hang the wreath with a ribbon or place a votive candle in the middle for a festive center piece or a outside ice luminary.  

They can be very fancy and elegant but very inexpensive if not free.  This is my kind of decor.  We are excited to make them again this year. 

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.

flower bed flag

I love flowers and was on the hunt. I had this idea. Lets make of flower flag!

All you really need is flowers in red, white and blue and a little space for your flag.

I can't wait to see how it looks in a few weeks when all the space as filled in.

We had such a fun time doing this all together and take great pride in our family flag. We definitely feel more patriotic and are reminded of our blessing of freedom and grateful for the men and women who put their lives on the line for us daily. Thank you!!

kids picnic table

It is that time of year when all the backyard toys and gear come out of storage.  For us that means pulling out the kids picnic table that is stored flat against the wall in the shed.  We found the idea for this table including full printable instructions at Family Fun and it is a genius design! 

Here is why we love it:

--The entire table is made from one sheet of 4-8 plywood. 

--The pieces just fit together to create the table(no nails, screws, etc.) and can then come apart to store flat for storage. 

--It is portable.  There are two small pieces that will hold all the table parts together so that it can be carried to the neighborhood BBQ.   

--It is small and simple for children but it is big enough that adults can sit at it too. 

--It is durable and designed to hold up.  This one has been around for 8 years of picnics, tea parties, art projects, mud pies, garage sales(warning: people will want to buy it) and neighborhood BBQs.  Considering that we made it from a used, low quality plywood just to see if we could build it, it has done it's duty well.

Needless to say we have created several more since this one and will be painting a new smooth higher quality one in the next few weeks  even though we are not sure if we are ready to give this old one up yet. 

Tip: When we made additional tables, we chose not to cut the carrying handle hole in the table top because we found it was easy enough to carry without it and we didn't want the hole in the table. 

 

                          Family Fun Magazine  Table                                                 Our Family's Table

house number flower pots

I have seen several ideas for house (or apartment) number flower pots and thought it was such a great idea.  Every time I see them I love them.  I think that they add such cute character to your front porch or front yard.  They could be adapted to fit in any large or small space that you have.  I found this one I love at The DIY Show Off.  

Here is another great idea at Positively Splendid.  

made with love topiary

I love topiaries and I think that this would be a cute Mother's day gift. I found this great how to idea at design sponge. They have step by step instructions. You could also add some gardening gloves or supplies. So cute!

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.