Berry Thanks

 2017

It's nice to help our teachers and staff feel loved. This year I re-did an end of the year gift I made in 2015. A berry basket filled with a mini Bon Maman strawberry jam jars (found on Amazon), a Fair Scone; freshly baked this morning and individually wrapped, and a plastic knife; for spreading jam and a tag to tie it all together.

To make the basket I used the Stampin' Up berry basket die cut for the Big Shot. This year I did it in Bermuda Bay colored card stock. Then I used the Apple of My Eye stamp set to make the tag. By turning the pear upside down and adding two of the medium leaves you can make a strawberry. I used Real Red and Bermuda Bay ink.

Then to make it easy to carry without squishing everything, I used a rimmed cookie sheet to carry it around the school while the kids passed them out.

2015

My computer crashed back in February 2017 and as a result I lost "My Digital Studio" (Stampin' Up's design program). I used it to make the tag for the baskets made in 2015 as well as the sticker on the scones. Other differences from this year are a wooden knife; which I couldn't get online fast enough this year, real polk-a-dot ribbon; instead of curling ribbon. And because I was extra crazy that year... I made tiny little strawberries to hang off the tag. The basket was made of Tempting Turquoise card stock.

School is out! Now go enjoy summer!!!

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him Advent

Being a mother of five children one advent calendar didn't seem like enough. So I needed to make another to help everyone get a daily turn to count down to the big day. Currently at the Wilson home we have the good old block count down. Where you rotate the blocks to show the right number of days 'till Christmas.

 We have a Christmas tree my mom and I made years ago where you put up a velcrow ornament each day. Each ornament is cross-stitched and took me a few years to complete them all, so if you don't like to cross stitch I don't recommend this one.

We have the "Usborne Advent to Color." We have used this a few years now since there is so much to color. I will probably end up making another more permanent countdown to replace it by next year. something to do with wooden trees in a scene. Stay tuned.

And then the classic get a chocolate a day advent. Which you can find at any local drugstore for a couple bucks.

But I wanted a more Christ Centered Advent for our home. One that would remind our children why we celebrate Christmas and honor our Savior. So with a friend of mine who has a vinyl machine we designed the following advent.

To make this advent go to home depot and get a pre-cut piece of sheet metal (make sure its magnetic). Mine measures 12" x 24" inches. Call up your vinyl friend, use your own machine or use my friend (Michelle Perry impressionsinvinyl@gmail.com). Slap on the vinyl! IMPORTANT NOTE: originally I panted the left side black and put the vinyl on top of the paint but the paint chipped off easily and the Vinyl wouldn't stay put. So the black square is also a piece of vinyl.

To make the advent squares go to Deseret Book or another Christian supply store and get 25 3x5 card pictures of the Savior. I went this route so the pictures we high quality and sturdy with a nice finish rather than print them myself from online photos. Cut them in 2" squares and put sheet magnet sticker paper on the back, cut a little smaller than the picture.

After that is done all you need to do is add on some brackets to hang with E6000 glue and let dry over night. I also put chair stickers on to protect my wall from the sharp corners of the metal.

Find a small box and put all your magnets in them. Then feel free to hide that box in a nearby arrangement. Or set it out with your decorations.

On December first put up your first magnet over the 25 and so on until Christmas day.

If you are feeling really amazing add some scripture references to the backs of your photos to help your daily family scripture study. I would recommend using a label maker to do this so the words do not wear or rub onto the advent board over time. I have not done this, but might in the future. 

Happy crafting and I wish you all a very Merry and Christ Centered Christmas!

Halloween Wreath

(click on the picture to see it larger)

 

This wreath really only took a few days. But it took me a few years to finally finish. I would find it unfinished over the last few years and I would be angry that I didn't have the time to get it done. I told myself I would get it done for this Halloween. I did! I sat and watched the LDS General Conference at the beginning of the month and finished making about 130 paper roses. Yes I must be crazy! Finally hot glued them onto a Styrofoam wreath that I painted black. And for the finishing touch I used spray Modge Podge to make it a little shiny. I had no idea that spray Modge Podge existed but it does and its awesome!

 Here is where I started.

 Here is the wreath done without Modge Podge

 

 

 Close up on the roses

 

After the Modge Podge close up

 

The top picture is the finished product.

Quick Father's Day Gift II

 

Mustaches are everywhere! So this year for our quick Father's day gift we spiced up the Dad's root beer with them. Added a Big Hunk and called it a day. I just looked for mustache templates on Pinterest. For fun we branched out on other flavors as well. Happy Father's Day.

 

 

Click here for the original Quick Father's Day Gift post.

Super-Teacher-Belt

 

This week is staff appreciation week at my oldest daughters school. The theme is super heroes. So we decided to make a super-teacher-belt, you know like batman has but only for a teacher. We thought about four fairly inexpensive tools teachers need and then set to work.

We used duct tape to make the belts. The best way to do this is to run the duct tape between to metal bar stools, or two kitchen drawer pulls, sticky side up (note: doing it on wood can ruin the finish of your furniture). Then slowly tape another piece of duct tape to the top, remove from stools and fold over ends.

Then make your super hero belt buckles. We used the school colors and the teachers initial. Make the shape you want and then trace it over and over for how many you plan to make. We chose the superman shield shape. An oval would work well too.  Cut out of nice card stock and glue together. Duct tape the buckle to the belt. We taped them together by using two pieces of duct tape behind the buckle, one at the top of the shield and one behind at the bottom, rather than a loop tape stuck to the back.

 

Finally tape your items to the belt. We used Sharpie markers, travel tissues, glue sticks, and Post-it notes. You could also use pencils, rulers, snacks, tin of paper clips, etc...

The teachers loved them! Some tied them on and some taped or stapled them on. They were about a yard and a half long for a one size fits all. NOTE: when buying the fancy duct tape you can only get about 5 out of that roll, with no mistakes. I'd stick to regular.

 

This idea could easily be adapted for a party favor for a kids birthday party. Instead of teacher gifts put on toys and candy or even super hero stuff. Some fun ideas can be, paddle ball, boomerang, licorice, punching balloon, a mask or those funny glasses with the nose and mustache.

Enjoy!

I'm Thankful Wreath

 

I was inspired by a wreath I saw in Family Fun this November. They wrapped a Styrofoam wreath in fun ribbon and had guests write on solid color leaves, of one shape, what they were thankful for and pin them on as they came. While I liked that idea I wanted something for the whole month that was specific to our whole family. So I came up with this instead.

 

To make this wreath I wrapped the Styrofoam wreath in burlap ribbon.

 

 

Then I picked out some patterned paper at our local Ben Franklin Store. Ben Franklin has multiple die cut shapes you can use for free with their die cut machine. So I chose three leaf shapes and an acorn to cut out.

 

 

I secured the leaves and acorns on the wreath with one, and sometimes two, straight pins.

 

 

 On the back I looped some ribbon and secured it with pins to hang it up.

 

 

 Then for Family Night last night we each took turns writing on flags, made of strips of paper, what we are thankful for. Everyone then chose a place to pin it. If you have less family memembers than us feel free to make two each or write a flag that says GIVE THANKS boldly and pin it near the top.

 

 

For storing purposes I plan to pull them all out and put them in a Ziploc so they don't bend. I will toss the flags and we will make new ones next year.

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Birthday Crown Tutorial

Birthdays are so much fun. In our family we have a tradition that I make my girls a birthday crown to wear on their birthday. They are two sided so they can use them for two years. But sometimes I just put their initial on it. Below are some pictures of the crowns I've made for some of my friends and family. The boy crowns Velcro and the girl crowns tie a bow in the back.

So if you are interested in making one for your child, here is how to do it!
First pick out two colors of fabric at the store; a quarter yard of the main color and an eighth for the secondary color. Cut out a 5 pointed crown shape from a 6" x 18" rectangle.

 Print out your letters or numbers in the size you want. (if you are fancy just do this with your cricut). Then thickly pencil over the letters.

 Flip it over and rub off the pencil on to a sheet of heat and bond paper.

 Iron them to the back side of your secondary color. Cut out.

 Place them on the crown where you want them and iron them down.

 Then stitch each letter or number or flower down one by one.

Cut out two thin layers of batting or one thick to match the crown.

 Cut out two straps about 1" by 5" for a boy and 1" by 24" for a girl.

 Sew the straps, good sides together, on 3 sides leaving one of the small sides open.

 First snip the corners of the sewn strap with scissors close to where you sewed the one end shut. Then using a pencil on the sewn shut end push up to invert it.

 Pull the rest of the strap down over the pencil. Then you can grab the good side and pull the rest down.

 Then either using the pencil from the inside or just rolling each of the sewn corners between your fingers, to make the corners more of a right angle.

 Place both of the finished straps between your two crown pieces. Make sure you have sewn your letters or numbers to one or both sides before continuing.

 Pin the straps in place so you don't accidentally sew them in the seam of another part of the crown.

 Sew around the whole crown leaving one two to three inch hole open on the end of the straight bottom side of the the crown. Snip close to the seams around the tops of the points and in the valleys of the points of the crown. This will help it be more pointed when turned right side out.

 Snip off the excess straps and trim the batting.

 Turn the whole thing right side out. Iron it after all your valley and points are straight and sew up the bottom to the corner. Lastly for boys add Velcro to the straps the more lenght of Velcro you add the longer they can wear it.

 Voila!