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14 Days of Valentines

December 28, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift

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.

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift 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.

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift

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.

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift

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

  1. 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.
  2. Draw/trace heart shapes onto your piece of striped paper, then cut out carefully.
  3. Glue onto the back of your envelopes, also included a numbered sticker so you know what day goes with what envelope.
  4. Close up your envelope with your gift/photo/note inside, then surprise your sweetie with a special 14 days of Valentines gift!

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #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.

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift

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.

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift

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.

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift

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!

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift

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!

14 Days of Valentines / A beautiful & thoughtful gift idea for that special someone! #valentinesday #giftidea #love #valentines #gift

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

Filed Under: Gift, Holidays, Holidays

New Year’s Eve Printable for Kids

December 26, 2017 by Keri Houchin

New Year's Eve Printable for Kids | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Get ready to ring in the new year with the family, including the kiddos. It’s time to look back on 2017 and plan for a wonderful 2018! Give the kids this New Year’s Eve printable to fill out their best memories and resolutions.

New Year's Eve Printable for Kids | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Do you make a New Year’s resolution every year? How about your kids? I think it’s really important to set goals, no matter how old you are. As parents, we can help our kids choose goals that are realistic and also fun to accomplish.

Whether you let them stay up until midnight or not quite that late, this New Year’s Eve printable can be a fun family activity. Sit down together and talk about your memories from the year and what things you want to do or are looking forward to next year.

New Year's Eve Printable for Kids | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

This printable is fun and would make a great keepsake.  The first section is a little “about me” to capture what your child loves now. The middle area includes three spaces for memories from the past year and at the end, there is space to make resolutions for next year.

I wanted to keep this simple and my kids really prefer to write with a prompt. I think making resolutions is hard for kids and adults when you don’t have guidelines. I mean, there’s so much you could do, right?

So I included little prompts on each line to get the kids started.

To print your New Year’s Eve page, click HERE.

New Year's Eve Printable for Kids | One Mama's Daily Drama for Busy Mom's Helper

Although I made this with elementary-aged kids in mind, I think older kids and adults will have fun with it too. I think it would be really fun to do these every year (so there’s no date on this printable!). I love being able to look back and ahead at the same time.

If you’re looking for something more goal-driven, this New Year’s goal printable is perfect for that. It has space to write in a single goal, plus everything you need to do to reach it. I think it goes really nicely with the New Year’s Eve printable for kids, if you want to use both.

How are you celebrating New Year’s Eve with your family?

Filed Under: Holidays, Organization & Cleaning, Printable Tagged With: fun for kids, holiday, new year's eve, One Mama's Daily Drama

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit

December 20, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

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!

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

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.

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

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!

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

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

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

Directions

  1. 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’. Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target
  2. 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.
  3. Fill with teacher gift items- the fun AND the useful – and BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages.

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

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!

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

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.

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

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! 🙂

Teacher Gift Idea: Survival Kit - customize cheap, plain stockings to make a super EASY, cute & fun Teacher survival kit - the perfect teacher gift to get them through the year! #AD #StockedWithLove @bandaidbrand @Target

What other teacher survival kit items would YOU include?

Filed Under: Gift, Holidays, Holidays, Kid Friendly, Products we Love

Ruffled Tree Skirt

December 7, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Oh. My. Gosh – this skirt was a LOT of firsts for me, and can I just tell you I’m SO IN LOVE with it!!! I’ve always wanted a Ruffled Tree Skirt, and now I can make one anytime I want! Originally shared December 2013.
DIY Ruffled Tree Skirt / Busy Mom's Helper
It turned out better than I had hoped, and actually ended up being a lot simpler than I originally planned (once I stopped TRYING to do it the hard way)! If you couldn’t tell by now, I love Blue and Silver Christmas. Don’t know why, it’s just B-E-A-U-tiful to me. Love. It.
Now, this tutorial is based on how I did MY skirt – you may want different sizes, pattern, materials, etc. Change it based on what YOU want, but I can only write from my experience with the one I made. I wanted a big skirt, so my measurements are all based on 52″-ish skirt.
Supplies Needed
Sewing Machine/thread OR Hot Glue (lots of it)
Fabric – amounts will vary based on your pattern and TYPE of fabric (see Step 6)
Good Scissors
Fabric Pen (I used a normal pen)
Fabric Measuring Tape
Ruler or Yard Stick
Directions
#1: Take a base fabric (flannel, cotton, scrap – it won’t show). Mark your center and pin the measuring tape there, then tie a pen to the 26″ mark on your measuring tape. Carefully draw a circle evenly (as much as possible) 26″ from the center all around.
#2: Using your Ruler or Yard Stick, draw a line from the center all the way to the edge, doing 90 Degree angles all around. Mark a noticeable X in the middle of the circle.
#3: Now mark 3″ out from the X in the center, doing a large 3″ circle all around the center.
#4: From the X in the center again, do a circle 7″ out. Then 11″. Continue, adding 4″ every circle until you’re to the edge – your last row may not be 4″.
#5: On one of your lines from the center to the edge, cut straight in. This will be where your skirt opens. Now cut out that 3″ circle in the very middle – this is where it will be around your tree bottom.
#6: This is where it gets a bit tricky and ‘guessy’. How much fabric you use will depend ENTIRELY on your pattern and what TYPE of fabric. For example, the dark blue I used ruffled more than the silver, so I had to use more to go further. Here is what I used on my skirt, using the fabrics and pattern I did. Measurements are what I CUT them, so PRE-RUFFLING
Center Row: 1 – 6″ x 52″ strip of dark blue
2nd Row: 2 – 6″ x 52″ strips of silver
3rd Row: 4 – 6″ x 52″ strips of dark blue
4th Row: 5 – 6″ x 52″ strips of silver
5th Row: 6 – 6″ x 52″ strips of dark blue
6th Row: 5 – 6″ x 52″ strips of clear/sparkly silver
Cut your strips – keeping in mind you may need more/less, depending on how they ruffle.
I did allow a margin of error when I cut mine – and also keep in mind if you’re going to hem them. I just did a cross stitch.
Note: You do NOT have to use expensive fabrics. I just chose these fabrics for my own. You could do it just great with cotton, flannel, sheets….make the skirt how YOU want!
 
 
#7: I did a cross stitch around all of my strips. You could also hem them (keep enough room when cutting). Your choice.
 
 
#8: Now for the gathering. I used a Gathering Foot on my sewing machine – first time ever! LOVED it! You could also do a basting stitch. Another option is to just HOT GLUE the pieces to the large circle piece, gathering yourself as you glue it on. I didn’t do this, but it’s an option.
 
 
#9: Now you sew (or hot glue, if you choose) the pieces to your large circle base. START AT THE OUTSIDE!!! Pin a few pieces at a time (VERY difficult if you try to do a large row all at once), then sew (or glue) them on…..

……Continue until the row is complete, going clear to the other end. If it hangs over the last edge a bit, that’s perfectly fine.

#10: Continue with all of the other rows, working your way from the outside towards the inside.

If it hangs off too much, like more than 1/2-1″, trim it off.

#11: When you’ve done all of the rows, take the edges (the long line you cut earlier towards the center, where it will open and wrap around the tree) and hem them under.

And you’re done!

Note: I left the little gathering edge in the center, because I liked the look. You can always hem that, or wrap a ribbon/fabric piece around it, if you’d like.


Seriously, I absolutely LOVE my skirt – the colors, the ruffles, the size – it’s perfect (for me)! I also love how much EASIER it was than I originally thought – I should’ve made this years ago!

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: christmas, Craft, Decor, Sewing

Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar

December 2, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar

Wow, this project is a bit late getting up today, but there’s a really good reason (I’ll explain at the end). Just goes to show that even us bloggers, who may appear to have it all together online, are as much a mess as anyone else…possibly more so! I’ve been really excited to share this tutorial on how to Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar, and hope you enjoy it!

Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar

Now, I ended up doing more than one, so please don’t be confused if the pictures show different fabrics. ALL the tutorial steps are done from the same stocking advent calendar, so it shouldn’t be hard to follow these simple steps. Our kids love it when we pull ours out at Christmas, especially because we do put treats in ours for each day. You can do small toys, notes with a special surprise or activity for them, or whatever you want that works for your family! The point is, it’s a really beautiful and fun holiday decoration, plus gives the kids a way to count down the days!

Supplies Needed

  • 1/2 yard Main color fabric (I’ve used felt, fleece and a silky one, you choose) – in the pics it’s the blue or the red
  • 1/2 yard Secondary color fabric for the pockets – in the pics it’s the silver or green
  • 1/4 yard lining (I use just a plain white, cheap fabric)
  • 1/4 yard Quilt batting or thin foam lining
  • Sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins, etc.
  • Ribbon for a hanging loop
  • Bell that fits into the little pockets
  • Ribbon/rope/cord to hang the bell
  • Ribbon for the trim along the top flap, if desired
  • If you don’t want to/can’t sew the numbers on, you can get iron-on numbers or use puffy paint (I don’t recommend the last option, but it’s up to you)

Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar

Cut out your fabric

  • Cut out your stocking shape…a total height of about 20″ and a width (toe to edge) of about 13″. This allows for the seams. What you will need of this shape: 2 Main Fabric, 1 batting/foam, 2 liners.
  • Cut out the top over-flap….it’s one piece, folded on the fat edge (toe side of the stocking). Total height about 4″ on the low side, about 6.5″ on the tall side. Total length of 26.5″. What you will need of this shape: 1 Main Fbric, 1 batting/foam, 1 liner.
  • Cut out your rows, about 11″ long and 2.5″ tall, this allows for seams.

The Pockets

  1. Sew a little hem along the top and bottom of each row, as well as the ends. Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar
  2. Either sew on your numbers now (you’ll need 4 pockets on the top 4 rows, 5 on the bottom two rows….leave more room on the two sides to allow for seams and such. If you’re ironing or using puffy paint, you can wait until the end.
  3. Sew each row onto the front Main fabric piece. JUST the bottom, since the top needs to stay open. Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar
  4. Then sew the edges up the side of the stocking, so they don’t fold over funny. Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar
  5. Going from the center, pin where you will sew DOWN the stocking, creating each little pocket. Keep in mind the edges will still be used in a seam, so allow room for that.  Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar

Put the Stocking together

  1. To sew the front and back of the stocking together, put the layers ‘inside out’….so the two white liner pieces will be on the outside. The foam/batting goes between the FRONT main piece and one of the lining pieces, and the other main fabric goes on the back. Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar
  2. Pin and sew all the edges for a pretty seem (once it’s right-side out it’s pretty).
  3. Making sure you keep the top OPEN (the stocking will actually be open at the top, so you can put things inside if you want) also hem the top edges around.
  4. Sew together the top ‘flap’ pieces….main fabric, then batting/foam, then lining. Hem the top edges really nicely, then sew the two side ends together. So the pieces would stay together nicely, I quickly stitched along the bottom. Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar If you’re going to add the trim to the flap edge, you’ll CAREFULLY fold the ribbon (so the middle edge) is sticking out between the main fabric and lining, then the edges sticking inside. It’s a bit tricky, but looks better. I don’t have photos of the trim, but will try to add some soon.Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar
  5. You’ll then sew the bottom of the flap piece to the top of the stocking, as shown in these photos… The stocking is inside out, then put together at the top like this.Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar When you fold the flap over, it will look like this. Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar And the inside will look like this.Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar

Finishing touches

  1. Take a loop of ribbon and just sew it inside the stocking, so it hangs near the top edge, as shown. Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar
  2. Also sew in one end of the rope/ribbon/cord for the bell. Attach the other end to the bell, making sure the entire thing can reach the bottom pockets on the stocking. Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar
  3. If you didn’t sew on the numbers, now you can iron them on, or use puffy paint.

THIS IS WHY I HAD ISSUES TODAY: I tried the puffy paint on this beautiful silver and blue Stocking Advent Calendar. It looked terrible….and we accidentally spilled some on one of the pockets so it smeared and looks AWFUL! I went to quickly remake that stocking, since I had enough fabric and such anyway….and my sewing machine decided to break. Until I can get that repaired, no ‘finished’ pics of the pretty silver/blue stocking 🙁

Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar

Having used various fabrics, I decided I prefer the felt/fleece best. It doesn’t slide around and wrinkle like the other shiny stuff. Go with what YOU prefer, though! We love our stocking, and can’t wait to get started on it in just over a week….so fun!

Make Your Own Stocking Advent Calendar / by Busy Mom's Helper #Christmas #Countdown #AdventCalendar

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: Craft, Decor, Project, Sewing

DIY Christmas Countdown

November 19, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

DIY Christmas Countdown - a great holiday craft that's fun, simple & quick to make!

We love doing holiday countdowns in our house, and I’ll admit we do have a decent few. I love that we can not only make it a fun activity for the kids – and it helps avoid being asked ‘how many days until Christmas’ since they can just check one of the countdown calendars – but that it also works as cute, festive decor for the home, too! This fun DIY Christmas Countdown is super simple & quick to make, and looks AMAZING for the holidays!

DIY Christmas Countdown - a great holiday craft that's fun, simple & quick to make!

It’s also great because it can use just a handful of items, and takes less than 10 minutes to put together. You can certainly mix up the colors and designs, making it into something other than a Christmas countdown, if you’d like! Remember our Disney Countdown that’s similar? Just like that, you can switch up the straw colors and designs, as well as the papers or frames, and add little accents as you see fit to really make this your own.

DIY Christmas Countdown - a great holiday craft that's fun, simple & quick to make!

Supplies

  • Frame of choice – paint if desired
  • Paper Straws (I used red/white polka dot)
  • Paper Scraps (I did white & green)
  • Clothespin
  • Number Stickers or Pen/Marker
  • Hot Glue/Gun
  • Scissors

DIY Christmas Countdown - a great holiday craft that's fun, simple & quick to make!

Directions

  1. Cut your paper straws so they fit snuggly inside the frame. You CAN glue them into place, but then you can’t switch them out – I prefer just making them fit tight so I can remove them later to reuse the frame if desired.
  2. Cut out your paper pieces – I like doing a little ‘banner’ type shape, with one color larger than the other to act as a border. Glue the smaller piece onto the larger one. Add your numbers, either with a sticker or write it neatly. The amount of numbers you’ll need will depend on the holiday – for our Christmas countdown I did up to 24 little banner pieces.
  3. Hot glue the clothespin onto the frame – if you want to reuse it, careful to just glue onto the straws, not the frame or you won’t be able to take it off.

DIY Christmas Countdown - a great holiday craft that's fun, simple & quick to make!

That’s it! Then start at 24 (or 23 or 25, depending on how you do your numbers and if you plan to go to Christmas or Christmas Eve), and each day switch it with the lower number. It’s great how much excitement it brings kids to do a Christmas countdown – probably helps them be more patient until the holiday, too!

DIY Christmas Countdown - a great holiday craft that's fun, simple & quick to make!

If you want to do a larger frame, you can fit 2 clothespins and just do single digit numbers (like a 2 and a 3 to make 23), but I wanted this particular one to be smaller so I just stuck with the one number set. This does mean making more banner pieces, but I was ok with that for mine.

DIY Christmas Countdown - a great holiday craft that's fun, simple & quick to make!

You could get a cute Santa hat of Elf shoes sticker or decal to put on the corners of your countdown if you want, or keep it more simple like this one. It’s up to you – it’s YOUR Christmas countdown, after all!

DIY Christmas Countdown - a great holiday craft that's fun, simple & quick to make!

What’s YOUR favorite thing about the Christmas season?

Filed Under: Holidays, Holidays

DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings

November 6, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Easy DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings / save money this holiday with these simple, diy place settings - even kids could make them!

Do you go all out for Thanksgiving when you host? I sure would love to – an elegant spread, name cards and centerpieces and the whole lot. The reality is that I simply can’t – between time, money and the 5 kids ‘helping’ with setting everything up, we’ve got to keep it simple. One idea is to get them involved and just have fun with it – like making these DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings! They’re super simple and quick, and even though they aren’t the ‘fanciest’, they’re still plenty colorful and entertaining for any holiday table.

Easy DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings / save money this holiday with these simple, diy place settings - even kids could make them!

Y’all know I’m a big fan of crafts that can be done using scraps, right? Well all this takes is scraps of straws, Popsicle sticks, paper and hot glue – easy-peasy! It’s even better if you have a variety of Thanksgiving colors, like reds, yellows, oranges, browns and golds. Just think of all those pretty fall shades!

Easy DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings / save money this holiday with these simple, diy place settings - even kids could make them!

You can totally customize these to be whatever size or shape you’d like, and get as creative with the letter (or full name, if you feel ambitious) as you’d like. I considered sparkles, but then realized we’d all end up with sparkles in our food so dismissed that pretty quickly. Add a cute, colored feather in the top corner, or a mini turkey sticker. Have fun with it, especially if your kids are helping you put them together (and be careful with that hot glue!).

Supplies

  • Straws
  • Paper
  • Popsicle Sticks
  • Hot Glue/Gun
  • Scissors

Directions

  1. Cut the straws to the size you’d like. We just did them in half. Cut the popsicle sticks so they fit behind your final shape, holding it together but not sticking out the sides. Easy DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings / save money this holiday with these simple, diy place settings - even kids could make them!
  2. When you have the straws laid out however you’d like (I tried to line up the stripes so it looked like a continuous, multi-colored pattern), add some hot glue on the back and carefully place your popsicle stick on it. Try to make it go all the way across the straws, so it’ll hold them all together. Cross them, or just line them up next to each other – the main point is that they are there to secure all the straws in place. Easy DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings / save money this holiday with these simple, diy place settings - even kids could make them! Easy DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings / save money this holiday with these simple, diy place settings - even kids could make them!
  3. Cut out (or use stickers) for the letters or names to go on each of the place settings – glue or stick them on.

Easy DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings / save money this holiday with these simple, diy place settings - even kids could make them!

That’s it – super simple, and you can get as creative as you’d like! Just place on your each plate/napkin for some colorful Thanksgiving place settings for everyone to enjoy.

Easy DIY Thanksgiving Place Settings / save money this holiday with these simple, diy place settings - even kids could make them!

What’s YOUR favorite Thanksgiving color? Mine’s probably the reds 🙂

Filed Under: Holidays, Holidays, Kid Friendly, Parties

16 Fun Candy Apples for Fall

September 20, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

16 Fun Candy Apples for Fall

I didn’t use to like caramel apples – they were just too hard and sticky for my taste. Since trying one at Disneyland a couple years ago, though I’ve learned that as long as they’re made right, they can be absolutely DELICIOUS and not too bad on your teeth 🙂 Since it’s fall, which seems to be the perfect time to enjoy this tasty treat, here’s a list of 16 Fun Candy Apples for Fall for you to bite into!

16 Fun Candy Apples for Fall

Personally, I can’t wait to try the apple pie or chocolate dipped ones – but maybe you’re more excited for the candy corn or Frozen themed ones. Whatever your choice, there’s a huge variety so you’re sure to find something for everyone among these amazing candy apples!

Red Hot Candy Apples | Nerdy Mamma

Mini Chocolate Apple Pops | 2 Boys + 1 Girl = One Crazy Mom

Decadently Dark Candy Apples | Parenting Chaos

Mini Caramel Apple Pops | The Happier Homemaker

Candy Corn Caramel Apple | The Classy Chapter

Copycat Disney Apple Pie Caramel Apples | Food, Folks and Fun

Chocolate Peppermint Apple with Melted Candy Corn | The Country Chic Cottage

S’Mores Caramel Apple | You Brew My Tea

Sliced Caramel Apple Pops | Busy Mommy Media

The Perfect Caramel Apple | Simply Kierste Design

Chocolate Caramel Apple | Refresh Restyle

Frozen Themed Caramel Apple | Midget Momma

Easy Homemade Caramel Apples | Thrifty Jinxy

Granola Coated Caramel Apple | Premeditated Leftovers

Oreo Caramel Apple | The Spring Mount 6 Pack

The Best Chocolate Dipped Spiced Caramel Apples | How Was Your Day?

Filed Under: Dessert, Holiday Food, Holidays, Snack

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers

September 26, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

Kids love Halloween because they get to dress up and get LOTS of candy. But what kind of makes it ‘eh’ for me is that it’s often the same candy, and nobody remembers where they got what. I want to stand out! This year I’ll be making these fun Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers to give our candies a little extra ‘spook’. Okay, they may still not remember they got these at MY house, but at least it’s cute and gives me a neat new craft to do for a bit 🙂

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

Aren’t they cute? Plus you can nab the printable for FREE, so it’s not a huge project of tracing or anything.

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

To make your Ghost Treat Huggers:

  • Download & print the document HERE – it fits on an 8.5×11 sheet (recommend cardstock)
  • Cut out the ghost treat huggers – you can hole punch or cut their eyes/mouth, if desired
  • Add a treat over their belly, then tape their arms over it so the ghost is ‘holding’ it
  • Gift away!

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

See, told you it was super easy. They come 4 to a page so they’re the perfect size for many of the popular Halloween candies.

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

You could also cut out colored paper and tape the back of the ghost on it for more of a ‘3D card’ type look, but I liked the simplicity and size of just the ghosts for my own.

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

I’m really excited to share this treat huggers with all the trick-or-treaters this Halloween, and know my kids will want to enjoy some themselves – of course!

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

What’s YOUR favorite treat or toy to give on Halloween?

Halloween Ghost Treat Huggers free printable

Filed Under: Holidays, Kid Friendly, Parties, Printable

11 DIY Fall Pumpkin Crafts

September 20, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

11 DIY Fall Pumpkin Crafts

I really do love the fall season – the weather cools down (well, a little, but I’ll take what I can), the leaves turn pretty colors and the holidays are coming up. It’s such a fun time of year! Another thing that seems to come out in bulk during fall are pumpkin everything, which I totally love. If you’re also a fan, give one of these 11 DIY Fall Pumpkin Crafts a try!

11 DIY Fall Pumpkin Crafts

There’s a bit of everything, from painting, to lace, to even using dryer vents. It’s crazy how crafty you can get with normally boring items. Whatever you choose to do, I’m sure you’ll love these fun pumpkin crafts as much as I am!

Decoupage Pumpkins | Today’s Creative Life

Burlap & Lace Rustic Pumpkins | Sparkles of Sunshine

Nautical Pumpkin | Mod Podge Rocks

Sweater Pumpkins | The Country Chic Cottage

Fall Flanel Pumpkin | Mom Endeavors

Rustic Fall Pumpkins | Thrifty NW Mom

Pumpkin Dryer Vent Craft | This Mama Loves

Pumpkin Succulent Planter | Gym Craft Laundry

Harlequin Pumpkins | DIY Candy

Chalk Paint and Gold Leaf Painted Dollar Store Pumpkins | The Happier Homemaker

Rustic Fall Leaf Pumpkin | Premeditated Leftovers

FUN BONUS: Hamburger Pumpkin | Shrimp Salad Circus

Filed Under: For the Home, Holidays

Free Halloween Printables

May 19, 2019 by Kelly Dedeaux

Free Halloween Printables

Some people go all-out for Halloween decorations, while others prefer to keep it simple. Whichever group you fit into, you’re sure to love these adorable Free Halloween Printables! Little witch or skeleton, friendly ghost and fun banners make these the perfect printables for decorations, gift tags, door signs and much more.

Free Halloween Printables

This little girl ballerina-witch is super cute, as is this fun skeleton-reaper boy all ready for trick-or-treating!

Free Halloween Printables

The ghost could be friendly or spooky, depending on what other decor is around to bring out his ‘mood’!

Free Halloween Printables

The kids and the Happy Halloween prints come in both the banner borders and the frame options.

Free Halloween Printables

Download & Print your free Halloween printables HERE

Free Halloween Printables

Start getting into the trick-or-treat mood with these awesome Halloween Printables today!

Free Halloween Printables

What are YOU dressing up as for Halloween?

Filed Under: Holidays, Printable

Free Printable Halloween Activity Pages

October 2, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Free Printable Halloween Activity Pages

I’ve done several holiday bucket lists before, but never one specifically for Halloween – and there’s so many fun things to do during this time! Not only do we have the bucket list, but also other Free Printable Halloween Activity Pages for you to enjoy for the next few weeks until Halloween hits, then the real craziness for holidays begins! I’m totally not ready – are you?

Free Printable Halloween Activity Pages

Whether you’re having a holiday party or just need an activity to keep the kids busy for a bit, these Halloween activity pages are just the ticket! You’ve got a fun Halloween bucket list, a word search, as well as a ‘challenging’ word scramble (with answers, don’t worry)…

Free Printable Halloween Activity Pages

Free Printable Halloween Activity Pages

Download & Print your Halloween Activity Pages HERE

 

Filed Under: Holidays, Printable

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