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Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath & Giveaway

December 24, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of fun spoon wreaths all over the internet, and if you’re like me you’re totally intimidated! I love them, but kept putting off actually creating one because I hate complicated projects. When I finally just bucked up and did one, I was happily surprised that it was really simple! Don’t believe me? Check out this beautiful Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath I made! Plus a GIVEAWAY!!!

Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor

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

I’ve been wanting something to go over Wonder Woman’s bed since I made her Frozen Bedroom. I originally put our wreath up there, but it was heavy and after it fell down right onto her pillow once (luckily NOT while she was in bed), I removed it. It left a big blank space that was designed for a nice focal point….yuck! So when I finally convinced myself to try making a spoon wreath, I knew exactly where it would go!

Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor

Supplies

  • Plastic spoons….LOTS
  • Spray paint(s) of choice
  • Gloves
  • Wire Cutters
  • Hot glue/gun
  • Cardboard
  • Mirror
  • Vinyl lettering/design
  • Paint
  • Ribbon, for hanging

Note: I did a really large wreath, and used about 135ish spoons.

Directions

  1. Using wire cutters, clip off the handles from your spoons. Wear gloves (like gardening gloves) to protect your hands from blisters! Careful, as little shards might clip off occasionally. Lay your finished spoons out and spray paint your base color. I did a light blue, then sprayed them all with a sparkle. (I finish the edges later with a silver, read on). Allow to dry, so they’re not still sticky!Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor
  2. I recommend spray painting your cardboard, in case there’s gaps. I sprayed my spoons over cardboard, so just cut my circle from that. You can also use foam board, if you prefer. Get your cardboard/foam circle and, starting from the OUTSIDE edge, hot glue your spoons into place. Work around the outside edge, then move in slightly for your next layer to overlap the bottom. Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor
  3. Just keep gluing, just keep gluing! Go until you have the center that will fit your mirror. Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor This is where I took my finished spoon part and just sprayed silver AT AN ANGLE towards the outside row. It gave it a little dimension!
  4. Once it’s all dry, work on your mirror. Get your vinyl lettering or design (I printed mine on my Silhouette Cameo) and place it carefully on your mirror. Paint over it and allow to dry. I did two coats to ensure smooth coverage. Make sure it’s fully dry before moving on!Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor
  5. Very carefully peel off the vinyl. If there’s any goofs, just touch it up with a tiny bit of paint.Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor
  6. Take little pieces of cardboard/foam board and hot glue them in a stack in the center of your wreath. This is so the mirror can go in place overlapping the spoons (to avoid gaps) and lay nicely flat. I had to use about 4-5 squares of cardboard to get mine the appropriate height. Hot glue the mirror down. Hot glue some ribbon to the back in a loop for hanging. Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor

I’m thrilled with how beautiful the wreath turned out!

Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor

Once I get to remodel my master bedroom, I’m totally doing another one! I love that you can customize these to fit your preference of color, design, size….even the center can be switched from a mirror to a photo, or whatever you feel like. Now Wonder Woman has a pretty focal point over her headboard, and it’s lightweight so I’m not worried about it falling down on her during the night!

Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor

More Frozen Fun from Get Away Today

Our friends at Get Away Today are full of Frozen excitement lately! First of all, here’s 3 Easy Frozen Inspired Ways to Give a Disney Vacation! They even have a free printable letter from Elsa you can print off. Super cute!!!

Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor

They’re also spilling the beans on More Frozen Fun coming to Disneyland in 2015! I’m super excited about this one because we’ll be going next October….Woot Woot! Head on over to their blog to learn all the ‘chillingly’ awesome details!

Frozen Inspired Spoon Wreath / by Busy Mom's Helper #frozen #wreath #decor

Win 2 Frozen Princess Dresses for the Frozen Fan in Your Life!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Head over to Get Away Today to book your next Disney vacation, and use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your package!

DIY Frozen Shirts / by Busy Mom's Helper #SouperPower #CleverGirls

Frozen's Olaf Treat Jar from Yahoo! DIY / by Busy Mom's Helper #YahooDIY #Olaf #Frozen

Frozen Birthday Party / by Busy Mom's Helper #Frozen #Disney #Olaf #Elsa #Birthday #Party #GirlParty

Filed Under: Disney Tagged With: Craft, Decor, Paint, Project, Rooms, Silhouette, Vinyl, Wreath

Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales

December 7, 2014 by Kelly Dedeaux

Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales / by Busy Mom's Helper

This post contains affiliate links, which help support this blog. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Despite working like crazy, my to-do list just seems to grow ever longer this holiday season! With everything to do, I’m not getting the quality family time I want. One thing I’ve been trying to do to help is find ways to cut down on time AND money, especially with my gift giving. Luckily, I planned ahead last year and was able to make some super adorable Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales!

Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales / by Busy Mom's Helper

Now, I’m not one of those people who hits the stores extra early the day after Christmas to get the best sales. One, I’m not brave enough to fight through the deal-hunting mobs and Two: I like my sleep. A lot! So I just get around to shopping after-Christmas clearance sales a day or two after that. Maybe I miss out on some great deals, but I still always manage to find the perfect things to make the next year so much nicer! Last year I was able to nab twenty or so of these cute ceramic holiday bowls….for $0.50 a pop!

Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales / by Busy Mom's Helper

Fun, right?! They’re perfect for pretty much any treat you want to give as neighbor gifts, whether it’s cookies, snack mix, wrapped candies or whatever. I wanted to make them a little ‘extra special’, though, so decided to get out my trusty Silhouette Cameo and add some vinyl! I chose some sayings like ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’ and the classic ‘Merry Christmas’. Plus images like a swirly Christmas tree or star.

Supplies

  • Holiday dish or bowl
  • Vinyl in text/designs desired
  • Cookies, candies, whatever you want to fill it with
  • Cellophane or pretty tulle
  • Ribbon for tying

Directions

  1. Make sure you measure the inside area of your dishes before getting your vinyl shapes, to make sure they’ll fit. After I cut out the vinyl designs really fast on my Silhouette, I put them on transfer paper and carefully transferred them to the inside bottom of each dish. Rub well to make sure it’s all smooth with no bumps or stuck-up edges. Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales / by Busy Mom's Helper Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales / by Busy Mom's Helper
  2. Add your filler, like cookies  or chocolate kisses (if you get the holiday colored ones, it looks even more festive) into the bowls. Wrap with your cellophane or tulle, then tie it off with a pretty Christmas ribbon. That’s it!!!

It only took me about 10 minutes to design and print my vinyl, then maybe 20-30 minutes until all 20-something of my bowls were done! This saved me so much time, they turned out fabulous, and I didn’t have to spend much! I’m so excited to hand these out next week, and know my neighbors will absolutely love their treats and holiday bowls!

Simple Neighbor Gifts from Clearance Sales / by Busy Mom's Helper

Filed Under: Gift, Holidays Tagged With: Craft, money, Project, Silhouette, Vinyl

Family Nest Framed Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale

May 3, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor

This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all! We’re all pretty darn sick, so today will be mellow at our house…makes us more grateful for when we’re healthy, though! Today I wanted to share a very simple, yet beautiful project I did with my Silhouette Cameo: this Family Nest Framed Art! Plus giving you a special promo code for Silhouette’s HUGE Black Friday Sale!

Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor

My twins’ preschool teacher has a print similar to this at her home, and I fell totally in love with it! I thought it was appropriate to share today because the thing I’m the most grateful for in my life is MY FAMILY! It also used my Silhouette Cameo, and I’m super excited to give you a promo code for their amazing sale for Black Friday!

Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor

Supplies Needed

  • Sheet of scrapbook/cardstock paper for background
  • Frame of choice (and paint if you need to redo it)
  • Vinyl in colors of choice
  • Silhouette/something to cut out the vinyl

Directions

  1. I wanted my frame a bright, pretty color so I just spray painted a frame I had on-hand, then cut out my scrapbook paper to fit into the frame. Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor
  2. Using my Sihouette Software, I got a swirly tree design and the shape for the birds from the Silhouette online store, then adjusted the sizes in the program. I chose my text/fonts, then printed them off on white and purple vinyl.
  3. Carefully transfer your tree onto your scrapbook paper, then your text. Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor Keep in mind the borders in case the frame will cover some edges…you don’t want some of your text to be hidden! Then add your birds onto the tree. I did a larger bird for Hubby and a slightly smaller one for me…and of course they had to be kissing! Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor Then four smallest birds for our kiddos. Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor
  4. Place the page in your frame, and you can display this cute piece of art in your home! Or make one up for friends/family to give as a wonderful gift!

Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor

 

Silhouette’s Black Friday Deals

I was fortunate enough last year to purchase my own Silhouette Cameo during the Black Friday deals, and am SO GLAD I took advantage of the great pricing! Seriously, it doesn’t get much better than this! I love my cameo, and have used it for LOTS of projects and to decorate my home. Now’s the best time for YOU to grab yours and begin getting your craft on!

Be Sure To Use Promo Code: BUSY

Portrait Bundle: Portrait machine & 1 free year to Club Silhouette for $179.99

CAMEO Bundle #1: CAMEO machine, Designer Edition software upgrade, Dust Cover, 4 Tools and $25 Download card to the Silhouette Design Store for $269.99

CAMEO Bundle #2: CAMEO machine, Design Edition software upgrade and 1 free year to Club Silhouette for $299.99

CAMEO & Portrait Bundle (One for you, one for a friend!): CAMEO machine, Portrait machine and 2, $25 Download cards to the Silhouette Design Store for $299.99

Already a Silhouette user?

Use my code ‘BUSY’ for 40% off at SilhouetteAmerica.com (*excluding machines, design downloads, download cards, subscriptions and gift cards) PLUS Free Shipping on orders over $25 for the lower 48 states

Filed Under: For the Home, Gift Tagged With: craft, Decor, Silhouette, Vinyl

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend

December 24, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

I was provided a free Pixscan Mat for review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more info. 

It’s no secret that I love my Silhouette Cameo. Until recently, though I used it basically for vinyl (a LOT) and cutting out some shapes I purchase in their online store. I’m branching out to their many different areas now, and I’m so glad I did! This is How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend!

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

Silhouette Pixscan

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

You probably saw my first try at Making my own Stencils a bit ago. That was totally new, but nothing like their amazing Silhouette Pixscan Mat! Seriously, it saved my butt….and by that I mean it saved me TONS of time! For a busy mama, that’s like saving my life, no joke!

With my daughter’s baptism, and tons of family flying into town, I had hours of prep work that I had to fit into about….maybe 20 minutes? Ya, I’m no miracle worker, so that wasn’t gonna fly with me! Luckily I’d just gotten the new Pixscan Mat and decided to put it to good use cutting out dozens upon dozens of designs for Wonder Woman’s special day (you can see all the details of the baptism and family fun here!)

To start, I quickly did my camera calibration for the program by following this quick tutorial. I then smoothed my first sheet onto the Silhouette Pixscan mat. It has a nice, semi-sticky (but not TOO sticky) surface so it holds your paper nicely. I shot my image head on, with plenty of light and the markings on the mat showing.

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

Then import it into your Silhouette Software by clicking the PixScan icon, then import it on the right.

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

Add your cut lines. I used the Trace Icon and pulled it over my entire sheet. Notice how some of the yellow lines (showing where it traced) are on the insides? I just want it to cut on the outsides so…..

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

…I selected ‘Trace Outer Edge’ then bumped the High Pass Filter up. You can adjust it and see how it changes where the trace lines are.

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachinesHow Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

I then went into Cut Settings and made sure the red cut lines were correct, selecting Cut Edge.

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

Feed your mat into your Silhouette Machine (mine’s a Cameo). Be sure the edge is lined up exactly on the lines indicated on your machine (see the arrow below)

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

Hit ‘send to Silhouette’ and let it go to work for you! When it’s done, you can easily pull up your cleanly cut designs!

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

Pull it up bit by bit first, or just pull out the large sheet. The sticky makes it a nice and smooth pull up.

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

See how quick that was? Maybe 5 minutes of my active time for an entire sheet of cut shapes….and it would’ve taken me a minute or two on just ONE of those scalloped edge circles alone…if I was lucky!

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

So instead of staying up even later than we already were with family to get this done, or missing out on our fun activities, Silhouette Pixscan saved my time, therefore my fun weekend with family and friends!

How Silhouette Pixscan Saved My Weekend / by Busy Mom's Helper #Silhouette #PixScan #CuttingMachines

The Pixscan makes it so easy to do any pre-designed cuts, which can be a huge time saver for anyone! Wonder Woman’s birthday party is coming up next weekend, and I’ve already got plenty of stuff to cut out. Looks like my Pixscan will be put to work again…and save me even more time! Woot Woot!

LDS Baptism Printables from A Pocket Full of Pixels / by Busy Mom's Helper #LDS #baptism #printables #etsy

Other Silhouette ideas…

Family Nest Frame Art + HUGE Silhouette Sale / by Busy Mom' s Helper #silhouette #homedecor

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Filed Under: For the Home Tagged With: Project, Review, Silhouette

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette

May 3, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Everyone knows I love stencils, especially when it’s something that will add a stylish ‘pop’ to a room in my home! I’ve done doors, walls, beds and more. This week I got to learn how to Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette!

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

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

I love using my Silhouette Cameo often, but mostly have used it for vinyl and cutting out shapes or designs. Like, a LOT! But the Silhouette has so many more options, and I was so excited to try something new with it, and was pleasantly surprised!

USE PROMO CODE: BUSY FOR BEST DEALS

Since we have a bunch of family coming this weekend, I wanted to make the house a bit more…presentable. We’ve lived in our home a year now, yet I only have a handful of decorations up. My kitchen is especially bland…nice and clean…but bland. I wanted a cute little pop of color, and decided a crisp red apple design on our pantry door was just the ticket!

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Of course, I wasn’t about to paint any sort of design free-hand because my drawing skills are…well..non-existent! This was the perfect project to try out my new stenciling material. Woot Woot!

One of my favorite things about Silhouette is that the program is super easy to use, yet can do so many different things! Their online shape/design store has pretty much anything you could want. I found the perfect apple shape for my pantry, along with a swirly leaf design. I laid it out nicely in the program….

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

….then just select the ‘Stencil’ material to get your cutting settings. It’s great at telling you what level to put your blade at, so it’s the perfect depth for whatever material thickness.

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Load your stencil material into your Silhouette machine, then hit ‘CUT’. Away it goes cutting out your stencils perfectly!

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Once it’s cut out, remove the cut-out shapes. It’ll leave you with your perfect-edged stencil!

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Now, did you know that Silhouette’s stencil material is adhesive? Well, it is! No trying to tape your stencil to your surface and hoping it stays on. Just peel the stencil off the backing, and apply it firmly and smoothly to your desired area.

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

See? It stays on securely so your hands are more free for the actual painting. Love it! Next comes the fun part…painting!

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

I even did a spot using the inverse of the stencil, for a fun little ‘outline’ instead of a filled in shape.

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Allow the paint to dry, then carefully peel off the stencil. Guess what? It’s reusable! Just make sure to store it with the backing so it doesn’t get all dirty or bent funny.

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Look at how it turned out on my pantry door!

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Seriously, I’m loving how easy this was to use!

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

And the inverse stenciled shapes? So fun and spunky! They did bleed a bit because the wall is very rough and bumpy, so just keep that in mind when choosing your area for a stencil.

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

My kitchen now has some pretty colors, and it only took me less than an hour from design to finish! I can’t wait to do more stencils with Silhouette, perhaps next time a border for one of our rooms, or maybe even some accents for a gallery wall! The possibilities are endless!

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Check out these other fabulous projects using my Silhouette Cameo!

DIY Welcome Fall Sign

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Elsa’s Frozen Chandelier

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Pirate Growth Chart

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

How I Organize My Blog Planning

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Painting & Vinyl: Make Stripes Without Stress

Make Your Own Stencils with Silhouette / by Busy Mom's Helper #stencils #silhouette #painting #decor

Filed Under: For the Home Tagged With: Decor, Paint, Review, Silhouette

DIY Kitchen Chore Plate

May 3, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

DIY Kitchen Chore Plate / by Busy Mom's Helper #chores #familychorechart #kitchenjobs

Do you get more or less organized during the summer months? For me, it’s a loud echoing LESS! I have piles of papers needing filing, random craft supplies are covering my kitchen island, and our regular chores have been all-but ignored! So in the spirit of getting back on top of things, I created a new way to switch our daily meal jobs…this super-cute DIY Kitchen Chore Plate!

DIY Kitchen Chore Plate / by Busy Mom's Helper #chores #familychorechart #kitchenjobs

I figure the only way to get our household organized and clean again is to just back on the chore-wagon! We started back with our Family Chore Chart this week, so I’m already feeling a little more on the ball. As for our meals and the disasters messes that accompany them, this Kitchen Chore Plate has helped us keep things in order easily, even for the young kiddos!

DIY Kitchen Chore Plate / by Busy Mom's Helper #chores #familychorechart #kitchenjobs

Sorry, but I had to blot out the names on the pins for these images 😉 Another bonus for this little craft? It cost me about $2! Say what?! Yup, totally budget-friendly and takes so little time.

Supplies

  • Plastic plate in color of choice (look for clearance or dollar store…mine was $0.50)
  • Clothespins (maybe $0.25 for all)
  • Vinyl lettering (maybe $0.50 total)
  • Sharpie or good pen to write names
  • Ribbon and hook for hanging
  • Hot glue

DIY Kitchen Chore Plate / by Busy Mom's Helper #chores #familychorechart #kitchenjobs

Directions

  1. Write the names of the family members on the clothespins. I did it on both sides, one right-side up and one upside-down. This way as it goes around the circular plate, you can flip it as needed and names will always be readable!
  2. Attach your lettering to the plate, adding some fun chore stickers as well. I cut out my vinyl using my Silhouette Cameo, which took me a whole maybe 10 minutes to design, cut and attach. Love how easy it is!
  3. Hot glue your ribbon onto the back of the plate, and hang. Clip on your clothespins to assign people their chore. Then just rotate easily!

DIY Kitchen Chore Plate / by Busy Mom's Helper #chores #familychorechart #kitchenjobs

See, it couldn’t be much more simple to create this Kitchen Chore Plate! We love it, and even the kids love as we rotate the pins and see what job they end up with next. If you’ve gotta clean up, may as well have fun with it, right?!

Filed Under: For the Home, Organization & Cleaning Tagged With: craft, Kitchen, Silhouette, Vinyl

DIY Harry Potter Book Bag

May 2, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Harry Potter book Bag
Good morning, y’all! The next few days I have some FABULOUS bloggers sharing their creativity with you….and today we’ve got Randi from Sowdering About in Seattle kickin’ it off with this uber-fun DIY Harry Potter Book Bag! So on to Randi….
There are three things you need to know about me.  One, I love coffee.  Two, I love to read.  And three, I love, absolutely adore, Harry Potter.  As a matter of fact, back in 2010, I read listened on audio to nothing else but Harry Potter.  All seven books on rotation.  For a year.
DIY Harry Potter Book Bag / by Sowdering About for Busy Mom's Helper #HarryPotter #Craft #SummerReading
Some people might think that is crazy, but honestly, I love how books can just take you away and when you are working in an accounting office, there is no better place to be than at Hogwarts.  But I digress…
This summer when the kids and I started visiting the library, I knew they needed something incredible to carry their books home with them.  I had been wanting to make a book bag like this for years now, and now I finally had a great excuse!
I downloaded the Harry Potter font from dafont.com (who am I kidding, I’ve had it downloaded for years) and I cut out my letters on contact paper using my Silhouette.  A lot of people use freezer paper, but I haven’t used it before, so I just stuck to what I know which is contact paper.  Contact paper isn’t difficult to use, but it can be kind of finicky so you just have to be gentle with it.

When it was all cut out, I stuck it to my book bag.  I carefully added the centers to the “b” and the “o’s” using an X-acto blade.  I then used a black fabric paint to paint on the words. To set the paint, I used my blow dryer on high heat.  This isn’t necessary, but I was in too much of a hurry to see my end result so I couldn’t wait for it to dry on it’s own.

When the paint was dry, I gave it a good hard look and decided it needed a “Deathly Hallows” symbol as well, so I drew it on with a gold paint pen.  It was the finishing touch that this bag needed.
The only problem that I have with this bag now is, do I give it to the kids or keep it for myself?

 


I’m Randi and I blog over at Sowdering About in Seattle.  I like to write about my crafty adventures in the Emerald City and all the usually stressful fun stuff I do with my kids.
Follow along on our adventure with us!
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Filed Under: Gift, Harry Potter, Kid Friendly Tagged With: craft, Guest post, Movies, Silhouette

DIY Pirate Sign

May 2, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam

*I received free product to use in this post. All ideas and opinions are 100% my own. See my Disclosure Policy for further information.

Ahoy, Matey! I’ve got another fun pirate-y project for you today! This DIY Pirate Sign is so simple to make, and your wallet will love you for it!

DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam

I don’t know about you, but I love when there’s a project I can make once, then reuse again and again! Call me lazy, or cheap…..but I’m all for saving time and money! This DIY Pirate Sign was the perfect decoration for our recent Pirate Party, and is now an excellent (and sturdy) fixture for the boys’ Pirate Bedroom!

When I began brainstorming for the bedroom makeover, I knew I wanted some sort of rustic, wooden sign. I did NOT want to deal with the cost, working with the wood itself (lots of sanding to make it smooth enough for the boys to play around) and wasn’t fond of how HEAVY it would end up being.

DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam

Then I met the fabulous team from FloraCraft at SNAP! Conference at the end of April. They had this AMAZING map board on the wall, which at first I thought was wood boards. Turns out, it was actually Styrofoam boards! Wonderfully lightweight (which meant easy to hang), versatile (we were able to stick pins and hang things onto it), and absolutely gorgeous! I knew it would be perfect for the boys’ bedroom decor, and they were kind enough to help me out!

Notes: The amount of boards, puddy and paint will depend on your desired dimensions of your sign.

Supplies

  • 1″x12″x36″ Styrofoam boards
  • FloraCraft Smooth Finish puddy
  • Brown paint of choice & paint brush
  • StyroCutter Plus (or other cutter for the Styrofoam)
  • Plastic knife, or other puddy spreader
  • Vinyl Lettering/images, or stickers
  • Long nails, to attach Styrofoam
  • If desired, sealing spray to hold the vinyl/stickers on better

Directions

  1. Cut your Styrofoam pieces. I cut one board in half hotdog-wise for the ‘post’, putting one piece up above the other. For the individual signs I did about 4 per board, varying the size of each (some larger, some smaller). I used the amazing StyroCutter Plus, which made it uber easy to cut the boards. Since it’s basically melting through it, the edges end up smooth and nice! DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam
  2. Use a plastic knife, puddy knife or other smooth spreader to spread the Smooth Finish puddy over the boards. If you want it smooth, this puddy can do that easily. I purposely made mine look more ‘rough’ and ‘old wood’ looking.
  3. Once the boards are covered in the puddy to the texture that you’d like, and it has fully dried, paint your boards. I found that the paint does go on a little lighter over the puddy than expected, so just keep that in mind. DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam
  4. I used my trusty Silhouette Cameo to print out my vinyl lettering and images (mermaid, crocodile, skull rock, etc.), then put the vinyl on the boards. I wanted them to stick better (and longer) so I sprayed an adhesive over the top to seal them to the boards. DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam
  5. To attach the individual signs to the long ‘post’ boards, I pushed a long nail (long enough to go through the top sign and then the ‘post, so I used about 1 1/2 inch long), through the sign, then used another nail and hammer to stick it in a bit further for extra security. To attach the ‘posts’ and signs to the wall, I got 3 inch nails (since the thickest part would be 2″ with the ‘post’ and signs), and did the same thing. Push it through the boards, then just hammer it into the wall. I did this a few spots on the ‘posts’, and then one in each sign just to be safe. That probably was a bit much, but my plan is the sign to stay put for a very long time. DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam

That’s it! Now you have a fun DIY Pirate Sign to use for your next pirate-y event or room makeover! So head on out and grab some fabulous FloraCraft products and get your DIY on!

DIY Pirate Sign on a Budget / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #pirates #boyrooms #partydecor #floracraft #styrofoam

Filed Under: For the Home Tagged With: craft, Decor, Project, Review, Silhouette, Vinyl

Family Chore Chart

May 2, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning

Since our kids are getting older and needing more responsibility, plus ways to earn money for their extra wants, I wanted a way to organize chores. After looking at a few different types of charts, I decided to put together this super-cute, but totally simple, Family Chore Chart!

Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning

For those that saw, I was part of the launch team for Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruz’s (Dave’s daughter) new book Smart Money, Smart Kids. It was PHENOMENAL, and has so many great tips for helping raise kids to be successful with money (and life)! If you missed my general review, check it out here. After reading it, I realized that I haven’t given my kids opportunities to learn responsibility, or any experience with money. That’s where this Family Chore Chart comes in!

Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning

Now, we do still love our Chore Rewards Treasure Chest, but the kids weren’t learning the money aspect, and it was difficult to separate the paid vs. non-paid chores. So we still use that to earn things for good behavior and ‘as a family’ type things, but for the normal chores this has now proven to work better for us!

Supplies

  • Large foam board (could use poster board, if you’d rather). I chose WHITE
  • Fun scrapbook paper for the top border and pockets
  • Vinyl (or markers) for the text
  • Scissors
  • Glue Dots
  • Popsicle Sticks
  • Pen/marker for sticks
  • Nail or something to hang board

Directions

  1. Use the BACKSIDE of the foam board to measure everything out. This way you know how things will fit and how you like the layout. Get your measurements from this. Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning
  2. Gather your scrapbook paper for your pockets. NOTE: I did a different color for the pockets, so I could then color the popsicle sticks to match, according to which one they belonged to. According to your measurements, cut out your pockets. I wanted to keep the commission (paid) chores separate from the normal ‘because you’re part of this family’ chores, so I did one pocket for each. I then did a 3rd DONE pocket, so they can put their sticks in there when the chore is completed. Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning
  3. Gather your scrapbook paper for your pockets. NOTE: I did a different color for the pockets, so I could then color the popsicle sticks to match, according to which one they belonged to. Fold the sides of each ‘pocket’ under, add glue dots to the sides and bottom, then attach it to the FRONTSIDE of the board. Add your vinyl to each pocket (mine says ‘family’, ‘paid’ and ‘done’) or write with markers.Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning
  4. Take your desired scrapbook paper and cut out a top border/banner for the top of your chore chart, and attach it with glue dots. Add your Title/Main Banner (for me it was Family Chore Chart) across the top, as desired. Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning
  5. I just ‘scribbled’ with colored pencils under where our names would go (different color for each person/row), then applied the vinyl names over that.
  6. Take the popsicle sticks and write a different chore on each stick. I colored the ends of the popsicle sticks to match which pocket they would go into. For example: Make Your Bed is a family chore, so I colored the end blue so the kids know it goes in the blue/family pocket. Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning
  7. I wanted to have extra jobs available for those times the kids want/need to earn some extra money, such as for an upcoming event that they must pay for. So along the bottom of my Family Chore Chart, I put vinyl saying ‘Work for Hire’ then just drew a cute little banner string. For the tags, I cut out a 1″x1″ square of scrapbook paper, used a ’rounded corner’ punch to make the corners nice and rounded, hole-punched each one and tied a string through. On each tag is listed an extra chore. Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning
  8. I used strong tape to secure some photo hangers, then from that I hung the tags. Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning

Note: On our chore chart, I do have my children’s ACTUAL names. I added their alias superhero names using PicMonkey to these photos, then after the pictures put the vinyl with their names on there. I don’t ALWAYS call my kids by their superhero names 🙂

Family Chore Chart / by www.BusyMomsHelper.com #kidschores #jobchart #cleaning

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Parenting Tagged With: craft, Home, money, Personal Life, Silhouette, Vinyl

Christ is the Reason Mantel…and a DIY Stocking Hanger!

January 3, 2018 by Kelly Dedeaux

Stockings were Hung sign, plus Christ is the Reason Mantel / Done with Sillhouette Cameo / Busy Mom's Helper
Phew – FINALLY, our stockings are hung thanks to this fun (and simple) DIY Stocking Hanger! I meant to get them up sooner, but then I bought a Silhouette Cameo (woohoo – seriously, can’t tell you how much fun I’m having with this thing), so waited until I could make up some vinyl with it. I got a little carried away and made even MORE decor: a Christ is the Reason sign for our mantel!
Stockings were Hung sign, plus Christ is the Reason Mantel / Done with Sillhouette Cameo / Busy Mom's Helper
My awesome Sis-in-Law designed it, then I got it all printed off the Silhouette. Pick it off the sheet, transfer it to vinyl….
Then put it on the painted boards. We then did nails for hooks, putting little jewels on the tip of each.
The kids were so excited…..until I told them it’s not Christmas Eve yet. Seriously – only a few days, they at least need to give me that to get ready! LOL
We also made this beautiful blue-and-silver themed mantel display with our vinyl Christ is the Reason for the Season sign. I wanted something central reminding us of the most important part of Christmas. I finally made use of some of that blank space above our Backpack Center!!!

 What do you use as a stocking hanger?

Filed Under: For the Home, Holidays Tagged With: christmas, Craft, Decor, LDS, Silhouette, Vinyl

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