Gift Archives - Page 3 of 12 - Busy Moms Helper

How to Print on Burlap & Valentine Date Invitation Printable

February 2, 2018 by Kelly Dedeaux

This post was sponsored by BurlapFabric.com – as always, all opinions and ideas are our own.

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t always like burlap. In my mind, it was always a bland brown color that had fraying edges that were a mess, and you couldn’t do much with it at all. Wow, that’s sure changed! Now you can get burlap in several different colors, shapes, styles. You can get it as a napkin, a bag, ribbon, banners and so much more. I love the options! I also love that I now know how How to Print on Burlap & I’m sharing a fun Valentine Date Invitation Printable for y’all to use this month!

Isn’t this banner super fun? I thought it’d be unique to not only ‘invite’ my hubby to be my Valentine date, but do it by decorating with a banner covered with the invite – he’s sure to get the message that way, right? 😉

I got this 12-pack of burlap banner pieces for the project, and though I was a bit nervous printing on a weird shape, it turned out really simple and no hassle at all!

Supplies

12-pack of burlap banner pieces
Printer (I used inkjet, but I’ve heard this will work on laserjet as well – but haven’t personally tried that)
Scissors
Hot glue/gun
Valentine Invitation Printable -click on here & the 8.5×11 will download
Colored Burlap Ribbon – if desired

A side note – the reason I really love this burlap banner pack is that it already has a filmy backing to it. Otherwise, we’d need to do additional steps with freezer paper to create a backing for going through the printer. This worked great for me without the extra though because it was already there!

Directions – Printing on the Burlap

Cut just under the top folded-over area of the banner, removing the strip that holds the string – but save it, because we’ll reattach it later! Be sure to trim the edges a bit to get rid of any frays that could get caught in the printer.
Do a test page on your printer to make sure you know the proper direction to load your burlap. You want it to print on the non-shiny side. We designed the file to be 8.5×11 in size, but it’s laid out so it’ll print in the bulky area of these banners, with the top at the largest width of the banner – as you can see below. After your comfortable that you know the direction to load your banner piece, place it as needed in your printer and hit print.

Directions – Attaching Rope Back On

Use hot glue/gun to reattach the strip with the rope to the back of your banner. Don’t go very close to the sides, as you’ll need to trim a bit off so they don’t stick out.

An easy way to trim them WITHOUT CUTTING THE ROPE is as follows:
- Cut a little slit inwards (only on that back strip, do not cut the front triangle in any of these steps) so you can push the rope enough towards the center that it won’t get cut on the edge.
- Cut the excess strip off, keeping the rope away from your scissors – and remember to avoid cutting the front triangle piece, you’re just cutting the excess along the edges!
- Repeat for other side so they’re both hidden/flush with the nice triangle edges

I love this little ‘invitation’ and how simple it was to print on burlap – I can see a lot of fun projects like this in the future! I also used this red burlap ribbon for some added ‘color’ and accent with my banner. I think it really brings out the red text!

If you like it more simple, that’s perfectly great too – it still looks incredible, and almost makes the mustache part stand out even more which is fun 🙂

Whichever way you choose, this fun Valentine date invitation is unique, simple to make and a great way to catch the invitees eyes!

If you have burlap that doesn’t already have that film layer on the back, you’ll need to add it using freezer paper and an iron, otherwise it’ll have issues printing since there’s holes/gaps in the burlap:

Be sure you use freezer paper – NOT wax!
Trim a piece of freezer paper so it fits your burlap shape. Trim so it fits EXACTLY – don’t forget to trim any burlap frays as well.
Put the shiny side of the paper onto the ‘back’ of your burlap and use your iron to ‘stick’ the paper to the burlap.
Follow the printing instructions as above – always do a test sheet to ensure you have it loaded the correct way.
Once printed on, carefully peel off the freezer paper. It should come off easily, but if it’s sticking a bit too much, try rolling the burlap gently so it loosens it up more to peel off. Another option is putting it in the freezer, which seems to make the pieces unstick from each other.

What would YOU print on burlap?

Please note – printers and burlap may vary, so please make the best judgement when putting something other than paper through your printer. We’re simply sharing how we did it and what worked for us. We assume no responsibility if your printer/burlap is different and something gets ruined.

Other Valentine Ideas…

DIY Valentine Frame from Craft Sticks

January 30, 2018 by Kelly Dedeaux

Let this sink in for a moment – it’s less than a month until Valentine’s Day. Please tell me I’m not the only one in shock – I mean, didn’t it just turn 2018, and already we’re looking to February?! Well, whether we’re ready or not, the holiday is coming – so to TRY and get myself in the festive pink-and-red-everything mood, I wanted to share this fun DIY Valentine Frame from Craft Sticks that I put together.

It’s surprisingly easy, aside from getting the glitter off your hands afterwards (really, I need to find a reliable trick that will help me get rid of the random glitter that sticks around for days after a project because DANG it’s everywhere). You don’t even need a ton of stuff, and you can even let the kids make their own sweet valentine frame for a neat holiday craft.

I love that it’s 3-D looking due to the layer and stacking of the sticks, and that you can customize it to fit your own preferences. Hate pink? Don’t use it. Want larger sparkles instead of tiny glitter? Do it. This is YOUR Valentine frame, so make it your own!

Supplies

12 full craft sticks
6 full craft sticks cut in half (so 12 halves) – be sure to cut off the sharp edges
Hot glue/gun
Glue Stick
Glitter, sparkles, accents, ribbon, etc. as you see fit
Photo

Directions

If you haven’t already, cut the 6 craft sticks into halves (does NOT have to be perfect, just ‘ish’). Then, pour your glitter/sparkles of choice into a large plate or tray. I mixed a few colors to get a variety mix (silver, white, pink and purple). Rub one side of each stick (including the halves) with your glue stick – one stick at a time – then rub in the glitter mixture to coat that side. Set aside to dry as you continue with all the sticks.
Follow the following diagram below to arrange and hot glue your sticks together. 1: put 2 sticks on the left and 2 sticks on the right, connecting at the bottom point of the ‘heart’ (don’t glue in this step). 2: glue a stick on top & between the two sticks on each side (shown in photo 2 and 3 below). 3: glue 2 halves on the top right and 2 halves on the top left to angle in towards the top of the ‘heart’. 4: Turn over and glue 2 halves under the left and 2 halves under the right to do the final point down and in to finish the ‘heart’ shape. 5: Turn it back over and glue 1 half on the left and 1 half on the right to make the top center part more sturdy. 6: Glue 1 half to the left and 1 half to the right for the top ‘corner edge’ parts of the heart – again, to make it sturdy.
To finish it up, glue a ‘handle’ to the back & bottom of your heart shape with the last full craft stick piece!
Then all you have left is to carefully trace & cut out your photo so it fits on the back of your frame, then carefully glue along the edges so it stays in place.

That’s it! I know that may seem like a lot of steps, but it’s truly simple and takes hardly any time at all. In fact, doing the glitter on the sticks is what took me the longest of everything! Just be sure to follow that diagram photo so you have a visual to help keep it as easy as possible.

You can add accent pieces – like a little ‘jewel’ – or a ribbon, as you see fit. Like I said – make it YOURS! Or customize to the person you’re giving it to 🙂

I had to add the photo hubby and I had taken during family pictures last month because I absolutely LOVE it! Often us moms forget to get photos of us with our kids, and sometimes even less do we get photos with our honey. That’s something I’m trying to work on this year – more photos WITH those I love, not just of them!

One last tip – if you don’t want the ‘craft stick’ tan color showing through, you can use markers or paint before hand to color it, or just be sure to layer up the glitter a lot for full coverage. I kind of like the randomness and dimension to it, but that’s just my personal preference.

What photo would YOU put in this fun DIY Valentine frame?

More Valentine’s Day Crafts

14 Days of Valentines

January 25, 2018 by Kelly Dedeaux

February is next week – seriously?! New Years is long forgotten, and I’m actually writing 2018 properly on the date now. This year seems to be flying by already! While I’m sitting here a bit dazed about that fact, at least I’m ‘semi’ prepared with a special gift for hubby. If you’re looking to do a thoughtful 14 Days of Valentines gift, these cute and customizable envelopes are PERFECT! I love how simple it is, plus you can craft, decorate or fix them up however you’d like.

You can do the 14 days of Valentines starting on February 1st and work your way UP to February 14th, Valentines Day – or start it on that day and work from there, it’s totally up to you. I prefer working up to Valentines, and having the last envelope hold things for a date night or special dinner. You can include things like sweet notes, photos of memories, gift cards, a note saying where their gift is hidden (for example: find your new comfy gift in the dryer – and it’s a new blanket or slippers, etc.). You don’t need to spend a bunch at all, just focus on what you want to give your sweetheart that they’d really love and appreciate.

When I saw these envelopes on Amazon, I knew they’d be the perfect thing to use for this project – not only are they easy to fold up, but the little ‘tab’ has a heart shape! They’re also a great size – not too big and not too small, either. They come in a pack of 50 – so you have PLENTY! They’re that nice, clean manilla color, so you can paint, color with markers, write on, or whatever you want to make them yours. Below, I’m sharing the fun striped heart decoration I did for the back of them.

Supplies

Heart-tabbed envelopes
Red, Black and/or White paper strips (or color of choice)
Large sturdy paper for attaching
Glue
Scissors
Number stickers (1 through 14)
Photos, notes, gift cards, etc. to put inside your envelopes

Directions

Glue your strips randomly into rows on your larger sheet of paper. Trim off the edges that stick over, so all the area has that firm backing to it.
Draw/trace heart shapes onto your piece of striped paper, then cut out carefully.
Glue onto the back of your envelopes, also included a numbered sticker so you know what day goes with what envelope.
Close up your envelope with your gift/photo/note inside, then surprise your sweetie with a special 14 days of Valentines gift!

If you want to get extra decorative, you can even color (or put glue and add sparkles) to that little heart tab. I chose not to, but maybe that’s what you’d prefer for your own set.

If your gifts don’t really matter which order they’re opened in, you can skip the numbered sticker part. If you need to know what’s being opened that day – in case it’s a time-sensitive gift, or you need to place the actual gift somewhere – then be sure you have some way to know which envelope goes with what day.

Another fun idea would be a ‘scavenger hunt’ – so do all 14 envelopes/gifts at once, but have the first one hold a clue to find the second, then so forth until the 14th one is the BIG FINALE. The ones leading up can hold just clues, or also include small gifts or sweet thoughts/memories.

I’m considering doing random ‘memories of us’ notes in the extra envelopes I have and bring them out at unexpected times of the year for the special surprise for hubby. Maybe include photos of us and/or the memories the note is about. That’d be a good way to make your significant other feel loved all throughout the year, not just on holidays!

Now that I’m thinking of more ideas for these envelopes, I think they’d also work as class Valentines – have your child decorate each envelope as they want, then stick a gift (nothing bulky or too big, but like an eraser, sticker, even Pokemon card or something) inside. Cute and original!

What are you getting YOUR special someone for Valentine’s Day?

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit

December 20, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StockedWithLove #CollectiveBias

Why oh why do I let Christmas sneak up on me every single year? I thought I was *super* on the ball this year, having all the kids’ gifts done and wrapped shortly after Thanksgiving – but I completely forgot all their teachers! Between my five kiddos, we have 8 main school teachers (some switch half-day, so have two main teachers), plus several assistants, six dance instructors and four karate professors. Instead of blasting holiday music and curling up with some hot chocolate trying to ignore the fact I hadn’t gotten them gifts, I got creative. It’s super easy to customize cheap, plain stockings to make the perfect Teacher Gift Idea – a Survival Kit to help get them through the rest of the year!

Hover on the image below for some super easy shopping for the fun BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages holiday collection online!

Since I was extremely scrunched on time, and determined to tackle this last ‘big’ task I had before really relaxing for the holiday, I swung by Target to get everything I needed to create these fun teacher stocking gifts. While you should definitely get some fun items to stick in their stocking – like a gift card, cute mug, fun note pad or candies – be sure to stock up on stuff that are much-needed in classrooms. There’s several things that work for ANY type of teacher – be it school, dance, karate or whatever – such as packs of BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages. And guess what? Their festive BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages holiday collection is on sale in the ads during the week of 12/17! You can nab 2 for just $5, making them a very useful (aka necessary) classroom item for a great price.

Since kids have a tendency to get hurt even in the strangest of ways, any parent, teacher or instructor is smart to have BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages on-hand because they heal hurts faster and are the #1 doctor recommended brand. Target also has Paw Patrol and Star Wars BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages, which make for great stocking stuffers for the kids, so why not grab a few of those while you’re there?

Here’s some more survival kit ideas you can include:

Hand Sanitizer
Glue Sticks
Crayons, Markers, Pencils, Pens, etc.
Tissues
Room Scent Spray
Lint roller
Target gift card – to buy whatever else they may be needing!

Don’t forget the stuff that’s just for fun, as well!

To Customize Your Teacher Stocking

Supplies:

Generic Stocking in size of choice
Ribbon, Beads, etc.
Accent Decor (felt or thin wood shapes, sparkles, glitter, etc.)
Hot Glue/Gun

Directions

Use hot glue to attach a ribbon or strand of beads to create a line accent, – this can work at the top, around the bottom of the ‘cuff’ of the stocking, or even all around the edges of the stocking part. I did two as a strip at the top, then cut some bead strands to ‘dangle’.
Before glueing, decide on a pattern/style you want for the stocking by laying out your accent pieces/decor. Once you’ve found the spots/pattern you want, carefully hot glue them in place. Once dry, rub a little where there’s excess hot glue sticking out to help remove those loose ‘glue strings’ that sometimes occur.
Fill with teacher gift items- the fun AND the useful – and BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages.

See, it’s really easy to turn a simple, plain stocking into a personalized and fun gift packaging! You can even have your kids help pick out the decorations and design the gift, making it extra special. Just be sure to watch them with the hot glue, please!

If you have room in the stocking, you can even have your child write a few thoughtful notes or memories to stick in there as a special surprise that is sure to mean a lot to their teacher. I even put in a few from me, since I’m sure they don’t hear gratitude from the parents often enough.

Now that I’ve got gifts done for the MANY teachers in our lives, I think I’ll take this same idea and make miniature ones for people who very rarely get recognition – like the mailman or people that work the garbage trucks! It’s amazing how many people there are that have an impact on our lives – even if it’s ‘just’ delivering mail or removing our trash from the curb. I’m trying to show a little more gratitude this year, and love that I can easily do that in a fun way without taking up much of my little time. After all, the kids are out of school early Wednesday then it’s going to be a rare moment I’ll have much time at all until they go back in January – but I’m really looking forward to all the family time! 🙂

What other teacher survival kit items would YOU include?

Hubby Date Night Gift Basket with Free Printable

December 11, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. Product was provided by the client for review; however, all opinions are mine alone. #WorldsSmartestToothbrush #PhilipsSonicare #OprahsFavoriteThings #CollectiveBias

I don’t know about you, but I love choosing gifts for my family and friends, but have to admit that there’s a few that are always difficult to buy for – and often it’s the men! Since it can often be the best idea to give activities or experiences, I thought it’d be fun to make a Hubby Date Night Gift Basket – with Free Printable, of course. With this, you can include plenty of neat gifts into a creative basket, plus YOU get a date out of it, as well! You’re welcome 🙂

Click the little tag in the image below for easy shopping & to nab your own Philips® Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9300 Rechargeable Toothbrush!

When choosing what to include in your date night gift basket, keep in mind things that not only would be useful during your date – like a blanket, sparkling cider, gift card to a restaurant or movie passes, but also things to help your significant other get ready for your special night. I put some new shave stuff in for my hubby, knowing how he likes to have a clean shave before we get to go out (and he knows I love it, too!). He’s also really careful with his oral care, so I was thrilled to give him the Philips® Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9300 Rechargeable Toothbrush. The Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9500 Rechargeable Toothbrush was named one of Oprah’s Favorite things in 2017, so I was sure this one would be perfect, as well! I love seeing the items she includes each year, and know this will be a great gift for anyone on your holiday shopping list. You can even nab it off Amazon, so no need to go to the store!

I got my first Philips Sonicare for Mother’s Day a couple years ago, so have learned that they’re a great brand that I trust to follow there’s saying ‘There’s Always a Way to Make Life Better’. I can see why it’d be included on this year’s list, because the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean has 4 modes plus 3 intensities to let you focus on each aspect of your oral health, with the premium brush heads giving you exceptional results. We all have different needs, right? With this, the sensors and app help you perfect YOUR technique, giving you a complete clean. The Sonicare app even gives you real-time feedback and personalized coaching – that alone can be the perfect holiday gift!

Other ideas could be their favorite candies, a new shirt to wear on the date, a favorite cologne, or maybe a CD with music from when you started dating. There’s so many different things you could do, so feel free to customize it to your significant other – just like Philips Sonicare DiamondClean helps you customize your oral health care!

After you’ve decided on the gifts you’ll include in your date night gift basket, be sure to get a box, basket, or container that will FIT it nicely. I did a smaller basket inside a larger one to add some dimension – I’ve always been a fan of attractive gifting and wrapping!

Next, download and print off your Date Night Gift Basket Tag HERE

Don’t forget to sign your name at the bottom! For some extra fine, you can even write a sweet, thoughtful or funny message on the back of it! Sorry, not sharing a photo of my message to hubby 😉 Then get a ribbon and attach the tag to your date night gift basket.

That’s all it takes, and you’ve got SEVERAL gifts for your honey – plus the promise of a date night for you BOTH!

If you want to wrap it all up as a surprise under the tree, you could also do colored tissue paper inside cellophane wrap around it – making it one big, carefully wrapped gift to sit there and tease your hubby as to what’s inside! I didn’t wait until Christmas for ours, but love the idea of wrapping it up like that so he has no clue what it is. Oh – and don’t forget to line up a babysitter, if needed, so there’s no obstacles in your way for a wonderful date night this holiday!

Give the gift of superior sonic technology and even treat yourself to a great date night!

Learn more from Philips Sonicare on their Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or even Youtube!

20 DIY Galaxy Projects

October 9, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

I’ve seen a lot of things lately that are galaxy themed. Parties, decorations, and everything. I agree it’s a fun trend & I like the look of it! If you or your kiddos are fans as well, you’re going to love this list of 20 DIY Galaxy Projects! Personally, I really want to try those awesome-looking fingernails.

Oooh, don’t those diy galaxy bath bombs look cool, too? There’s just so many fun galaxy projects to try, I need like a whole day devoted to trying all of these fun things!

Lemon Lime Adventures – Galaxy Bath Bombs

Me Sew Crazy – Galaxy Moon Phases Wall Hanging

Doodle Craft Blog – Galaxy Pendants

Gloriously Chic – DIY Galaxy Shoes

Pink Stripey Socks – Painted Galaxy Umbrella

Some of This and That – Galaxy Ice Cream

A Subtle Revelry – Galaxy Balloons

A Beautiful Mess – Easy Galaxy Nails

Damask Love – DIY Galaxy Painted Notebook

Dream a Little Bigger – Galaxy Cross Stitch Cuff

A Kailo Chic Life – Galaxy Color Blocked Marble Coasters

Deco Art – Galaxy Ornament

Color Made Happy – DIY Galaxy Painted Rocks

DIY Projects for Teens – DIY Galaxy Eos

Pop Craft Art – Mini Galaxy Magnets

Life of a Razorback – DIY Galaxy Backpack

Hello Giggles – DIY Ethereal Glam Light Galaxy Goddess Dess

Kids Activities Blog – Galaxy Sugar Cookies

Doodle Craft Blog – DIY Painted Galaxy Painted Shoes

My Crafts – DIY Galaxy Diamond Painting

20 Halloween Crochet Patterns

September 27, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

I’ll admit, I’ve never learned how to crochet. I think it requires either a patience or a skill that I just don’t posses. That being said, I really admire anyone who CAN crochet, and wish I could just so I could whip up some of these fun, frightening and downright adorable Halloween Crochet Patterns! Maybe my girls will make some for me 🙂

I’m majorly in love with the tiny little bats & candy corns. My boys want some cauldrons to store their treats in – of course. My girls just want to tackle them all, so maybe I’ve got some mini crocheters in the family after all. If you’re in the mood for some Halloween crochet fun, pick one of these 20 great patterns and enjoy!

Petals to Picots – Crochet Ghost

Amigurumi Food – Kawaii Crochet Bat

Llittle Things Blogged – Crochet Pumpkin

Mama in a Stitch – Crochet Pumpkin Garland

Craftaholics Anonymous – Crocheted Candy Corn Bunting

Persia Lou – Candy Corn Trick or Treat Bag

Darice – Crochet Skull

Amigurumi Food – Amigurumi Candy Corn, Pumpkin, and Bat

Petals to Picots – Crochet Cauldron

Divine Debris – Crochet Pumpkin Earrings

Yarnutopia – Candy Corn Leg Warmers

Sewrella – Crochet Frankenstein Trick or Treat Bag

Yarni Gras – Crochet Eyeball

Repeat Crafter Me – Cuddly Crochet Candy Corn

Fairfield World – Crochet Ghost

Enchanted Ladybug – Amigurumi Halloween Black Cat

Darice – DIY Crochet Masquerade Mask

Amigurumi Food – Amigurumi Halloween Candy

Eye Love Knots – Crochet Large Striped Candy Corn Hair Bow

Petals to Picots – Crochet Spider

DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice Bath Bombs

September 18, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

I’m really in love with the fall season – the coloring of the leaves (although they were prettier in Utah than here in Texas), the cooler weather, and the SMELLS. There’s apple pie, cinnamon and pumpkin that I think of most when I think of fall. Now I can enjoy the fresh smell of pumpkin during a nice, relaxing bath with these easy DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice Bath Bombs!

Contains affiliate links that help support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure for more info.

These pumpkin bath bombs would also work great as a gift – put them in a cute container, or wrap in a little cellophane with a ribbon and it’s the perfect fall scent for a thoughtful present to a neighbor or friend!

Yields: 1 dozen

Supplies

Silicone mini muffin mold
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup citric acid
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
6-8 drops pumpkin flavoring or fragrance oil
3-4 drops peach or orange soap colorant

Directions

Preheat oven to 180°. Add the baking soda, citric acid and coconut oil in a glass or metal mixing bowl. (If your coconut oil is in solid form, melt it in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds before ahead of time). Mix well.
Add the pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin flavoring/fragrance and soap colorant. Stir until all of the ingredients are incorporated. The consistency will look and feel like wet sand.
Transfer the mixture into each silicone cup mold, filling up to the top.
Place the silicone mold on a baking pan and place in oven. Turn OFF the oven and leave the pan in the oven for 1 hour.
Remove pan from oven and allow the bath bombs to air dry for 6 to 8 hours.
Transfer to a mason jar or your favorite glass container for storage.
Drop 1-2 bath bombs into your next bath and enjoy the warm scent of pumpkin pie!!

See, they’re super easy to make – they just take a bit of time. You can even buy some fun-shaped molds so they’d be in cool shapes.

I think I want to switch out the pumpkin scent with some apple pie scent to try to make some apple pie bath bombs next – may as well, while we’re enjoying all that has to do with fall!

What’s YOUR favorite part of the fall season?

20 DIY Throw Pillows

August 17, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

It can be fun to add homemade decor to our homes, especially since we can customize it how we want to match our own styles and preferences. An easy decoration item that you can move around as needed are throw pillows – and we’ve got this great list of 20 DIY Throw Pillows to get the creative juices flowing for your next project!

Contains affiliate links that help support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure for more info.

I’m definitely loving the donut pillow – and know my girls would LOVE to have one on their beds, as well as the heart emoji one. My boys would get a kick out of the paint-by-numbers pillows, and would probably have a blast with the cat, too. There’s so many to choose from, how can you pick just one?!

Lolly Jane – Cloud Pillow

Make and Tell – Eye Print Pillow

Make It Love It – Donut Pillow

Lil Luna – Jean Hexagon Pillow

Supreme Fiber for Pillows

I Heart Nap Time – DIY Anthropology Inspired Pillow

Some of This and That – DIY Cat Pillow

Studio DIY – DIY Balloon Letter Pillows

The Crafted Sparrow – DY Cactus Pillow

Fabric Paint Set

Craftaholics Anonymous – DIY Deer Pillow

Polka Dot Chair – DIY Hit the Open Road Pillow

Sarah Hearts – Painted Pillows

A Beautiful Mess – Paint-by-Numbers Pillow

Simply Designing – DIY Gold Arrow Pillow

Momtastic – DIY Quote Pillow

Classy Clutter – Scallop Pillow

Brit.co – Geometric Pillow

Gold Lame Fabric

Little WhiteWhale – DIY Diamond Pillow

Little Inspiration – DIY Knot Pillows

A Beautiful Mess – Dollhouse Pillow

Studio DIY – DIY Emoji Heart Pillow

Which DIY Throw Pillow is your favorite?

Give the Gift of Gratitude: Dancer Gift Bag

July 18, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CelebrateAllSummer #CollectiveBias

They say it takes a village, and I’ve learned that’s also true with my kids’ activities, such as their competitive ballroom group. At their recent competition, I was blown away by the amazing support from all the teachers, family members and even just others in the dance group! From doing their hair to meet the rules of the competition, to carpooling rides and helping them warm-up, they had everything covered to make sure the kids not only did their best, but had a wonderful time doing it. I wanted to show our gratitude to them, so thought it’d be fun to do a Dancer Gift Bag full of meaningful cards, treats and some dancer-themed goodies!

You know that when I’m looking for a card to give someone, I always go to the American Greetings® section at Walmart because I know I’ll find the PERFECT thing for whatever occasion. They also have a variety of bags, wrapping paper, tissue paper and fun stickers that I can use when putting together a gift basket or bag.

I also love when they have special sales – like now you can purchase any American Greetings® Card at Walmart and earn $1 on Ibotta while supplies last. Each card must be priced $2.97 or higher (before tax) to qualify. That makes gift-giving even better, right?!

I nabbed just the right card for what I wanted – sweet, and even expresses gratitude to a teacher-type person. The bag selection was difficult to choose from, but in the end I couldn’t resist this sparkly, beautiful one that I thought went nicely with a latin ballroom teacher. After adding some color-matching tissue paper, it was all ready for our gifts to go inside!

Here’s some ideas for a Dancer Gift Bag:

Gift card to dress/costume shop
Gift card for dance shoes (or the actual shoes)
Hairspray and bobby pins (they go through a LOT of these)
Photo paper – to print their dance pictures on
Gift card for food or drinks
Snacks and treats
Jewelry or charms such as ballet shoes or music notes

There’s so many things you can include, but the main idea is to show how much you appreciate the people that go the extra mile to help you and/or your family. Another fun thing we decided to do while we were at Walmart grabbing some American Greetings® cards, was to get a couple just cute, fun and random ones for ‘Random Acts of Cardness’!

It can brighten someone’s day so much, or lift their spirits when they may be a bit down, or even make them feel great about an achievement with a random, thoughtful card. Let them know you love and support them, that you’re thinking of them or congratulate them. Or show gratitude to them with something like our Dancer Gift Bag! You’d be surprised how much a few simple words can mean – it can have a much bigger impact than we realize and doesn’t take hardly any effort on our part.

Who will YOU give a ‘Random Acts of Cardness‘ to?

20 Easy to Make DIY Bags

April 6, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

You know that we love a good craft project around here – and that starts with me ( that’s who Black Widow gets her love of crafting from, honestly) I absolutely love most crafting, including making fun clothing items and accessories. Recently, I had an itch to put together a fun bag for Spring/Summer, which I have yet to finish, but in the meantime am sharing this round up of 20 Easy to Make DIY Bags!

I gotta tell ya, my blogging friends are crazy talented and it was really hard to narrow it down to twenty favorites, but I think you’ll agree that these are so fun and creative. Some of my favorites? The budget friendly cross-body bag (hands free shopping anyone?), the skeleton flamingo tote and the fried egg zipper pouch- I mean, how super fun are they?!

20 Easy to Make DIY Bags

Damask Love – DIY Fried Egg Zipper Pouch

Aunt Peaches – Pom Pom Purse

Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom – No-Sew Rainbow Tote

Mod Podge Rocks – DIY Scrapbook Paper Image Transfer Bag

Kitchen Counter Chronicles – Drawstring Bag Tutorial

DIY Candy – Trendy DIY Sunglasses Case

Persia Lou – Skeleton Flamingo Tote

Flamingo Toes – Zipper Pouch Pattern

Chictopia – Leather Lunch Bag

Lemon Squeezy Home – DIY Sweater Bag

Clones n Clowns – DIY Paper Boat Clutch

Something Turquoise – DIY Clean and Dirty Lingerie Bags

See Kate Sew – Envelope Clutch Pattern

The Stitching Scientist – Overnight Duffel Bag

Crazy Little Projects – Messenger Bag

Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom – No-Sew Ruffle Tote

Damask Love – No-Sew DIY Placemat Clutch

Paper n Stitch Blog – DIY Budget Friendly Crossbody Bag

Ann Kelle – Panda Head Pouch

Sew Desu Ne? – Kitty Purse

Have you ever made your own purse or tote?

Easter Box Printables

March 6, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

With March going by so fast already, we’re starting to look towards Easter and all things Spring. One thing I love doing are fun printable boxes – you can fill them with candy or toys or notes, or just leave them empty and use them for decoration or a game. Either way, these Easter Box Printables are sure to be a cute addition to your season!

Contains affiliate links for your convenience. See our Disclosure for more info.

What makes these Easter boxes extra special is that they have stick-out ears on the bunnies and wings on the birds. Fun, right?! I think it adds just a little bit more to it, and the kids sure love it.

They print onto an 8.5×11 sheet of paper – I highly recommend cardstock to keep it more sturdy, and it cuts more cleanly on the edges.

I left them white – except the eyes, mouth/beak and wings/ears. That way you can use crayons, color pencils or markers to make it whatever color you desire! After all, Easter is full of bright colors, right?

Supplies

Downloadable & print out the free printables
- Bird HERE
- Bunny HERE
Crayons, colored pencils or markers – if desired
Razor or Xacto knife
Tape
Stuff to fill inside the Easter box

Directions

Print off however many bunnies or chicks you’d like onto 8.5×11 sheets
Color as desired
Cut outside solid edges. Use a razor or ??? to partially cut out the wings and ears, then bend.
Fold along the dotted lines. Tape edges together so it folds into a box.
Fill with whatever you’d like, or leave empty for a fun decoration or toy!

See, super easy to put together – and my kids have loved using them as ‘figures’, towers, and so much more. The stand-out wings and ears take them to a whole new level of Easter fun!