DIY

Thanksgiving Prayer Jar + Weekend Sales

November 2, 2018

Something Ryan and I try to do every day is start our day with prayer and gratitude. It is amazing how different things can look when you start the day being grateful for what you have than looking at Instagram at everything you don’t have. Can I get an Amen? When you really look around you, you start to see how truly blessed you are. I think it is even more important this time of year when we are being bombarded with wish lists, kids begging for every toy they see on TV, etc. We decided we needed to do something to help instill this discipline in our children. Hence, the Thanksgiving Prayer Jar!

Chic Holiday Bathroom and DIY Toilet Paper Decor

November 7, 2016

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

We are moving into our new house over the next couple of weeks. Because I just had our sweet baby boy, we are taking it a little slow and doing a little at a time. One thing I have been looking forward to the most is being able to decorate our own home for the holidays. I missed it so much last year and I have been counting down the days until I could get my hands on this one. Our new home is very light and airy which is much more my style and I am thrilled to finally begin the process of decorating. I figured if we were going to move our Christmas boxes and decorations in, I might as well get started instead of dragging it right back out in a couple of weeks. See? It’s completely logical to decorate early.

DIY Splatter Paint Pumpkins

October 6, 2016

It is officially my favorite month (technically a week in already) and we are just now starting on our fall bucket list! Better late than never, right? We have a really full next couple of weeks with lots of fun things going on including the pumpkin patch, holiday market, Ryan’s birthday, our anniversary, family coming to visit, etc. We are so excited for all of the fall fun to be had! We will be celebrating Hampton’s 3rd birthday, welcoming our new baby boy and moving into our new house at the end of this month/first week of November, so we have a lot to get in these next two weeks starting with a fun little pumpkin craft! These DIY splatter paint pumpkins were so much fun to make, and the whole family got in on it!

My nephew helped me paint the big pumpkin white, then my brother and Hampton helped me splatter the paint on the pumpkins after I covered them with Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen Trash Bags with Arm & Hammer Odor Control. I will say that painting with two little boys is no easy task. Sometimes I feel like I need John Cena out there with me to help wrestle them.

Here is how we made the DIY splatter paint pumpkins:

First, lay a Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen Bag on the surface you are painting on to protect it.

Second, paint the entire pumpkin white or black. After it dries, you will probably need to do a second coat.

Third, paint the stem the opposite color.

After the pumpkin completely dries, cover the top half with a Hefty Ultra Strong bag and rubber band to hold it in place. Put a little water on your paint brush and add it to the paint to help it splatter easier, and then begin to sling paint on the pumpkin. Have fun with it!

Take the bag and rubber band off of the pumpkin and let it dry.

It is a really easy DIY, but it does take a couple of hours because you have to wait for the pumpkins to dry completely before beginning the next step.

The kids enjoyed playing in between our painting and it was a really fun afternoon to spend with the family doing something we all enjoy! Of course, I couldn’t have done it as neat with those boys “helping me” if it had not been for Hefty! We bought our Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen bags in citrus twist scent and I love them because they have Arm and Hammer patented odor neutralizer and are the best bag Hefty has ever made at a lower price! They have active tear resistant technology for superior strength and have a break resistant grip drawstring. I am happy to report that not one drop of paint got on my white table, so I am a happy camper! Hefty was there to protect my table, and it was there for the big clean-up afterwards! We are also starting to pack a few things to get ready for our big move, and we have already filled a couple of bags with pillows and blankets for easy transport! There is no end to their usefulness. Be sure to get your $1 off coupon here!

Halloween Candy Corn Craft

October 27, 2015

Last week, I spent the entire week in zombie land. Ryan was out of town Tuesday – Saturday and the kids being a little under the weather/teething meant that neither of them slept. Needless to say, I didn’t get a whole lot done, and the time I did have to get stuff done, I just couldn’t seem to think or be able to get anything productive done. Have you ever been so bone tired? I’m so happy that it is a new week.

During nap time one day, I grabbed some gum drops and decided to play around with them a little bit. Again, I wasn’t very productive. I had some candy corn sitting out, so the idea struck me to make candy corns with gum drops and toothpicks! Because I used toothpicks, I definitely do not recommend this craft for kids unless they are older. I stuck myself a couple of times making these. I thought they turned out cute and they would make a fun little Halloween party decoration or activity.

Supplies:

Orange, Yellow and White Gum Drops
Toothpicks

Directions:

Using 6 toothpicks, make a 3D shaped triangle and hold them together with the gum drops.

That’s it! It is so easy, but it was fun. I’m always looking for cheap decor or easy DIYs to make our home festive. Bonus points when you can eat your craft!

How To Make a Burlap Wreath

September 3, 2015

Post contains affiliate links.

Last week’s cooler weather really got me in the spirit of fall. Over the weekend, I started decorating for my favorite season and even got a little crafty. I went to Hobby Lobby and grabbed a few supplies and decided to make a new wreath. I know it is technically a little early, but our home is almost ready to welcome the new season! Here is a really simple tutorial on how to make your own burlap wreath:

What You Need:
1 – 18″ wire wreath
60 feet of 5″ wide burlap ribbon or garland (20 yards)
1 – 18 foot spool of 1.5″ wide orange gingham wired accent ribbon (9 yards)
1 – 18 foot spool of 1.5″ wide orange Moroccan wired accent ribbon (9 yards) (or the ribbon of your choice)
– A 6″ Tin Letter
-A pumpkin floral accent
-Hot Glue Gun and glue

Let’s Get Started:

1. Tie the burlap into a knot on the back side of the wire wreath (I did it on one of the middle wires). Repeat with other ribbons.

2. Turn the wreath back around and begin weaving the ribbon through the wired wreath, alternating sides and ribbons. I created about a 4 inch loop (height) but you can make it smaller or larger depending on your preference.

3. Make sure to push the loops tightly together so you don’t have any unwanted gaps.

4. When your spools run out, go ahead and start a new one by tying the end of the ribbon in a knot on the backside of the wired wreath.

5. When you get to the end, tie the ends of your spools to the back of the wired wreath and fluff/arrange the loops to your liking.

6. Tie your letter to the top of the wreath using either twine or leftover ribbon. I chose to use my ribbon.

7. Place your floral pumpkin (or flowers) on your wreath and poke the stem through the wire. Twist it around the wire and then hot glue the back of the pumpkin to the wreath to hold it in place.

8. Hang your wreath and enjoy your newest DIY!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

May 8, 2015

I began making my own laundry detergent right after Ryan and I got married. We were looking for ways to save money and this was such a blessing because it saves us about $200 a year! I love that you can make one simple lifestyle change and it helps you so much financially. The recipe is simple and has been used for many years. Everyone has their own way of doing it and their special little additives, but mine is pretty simple.

Ingredients:
2 Fels Naptha Bars
1 box of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 box of Borax
Optional: Oxi-Clean

Directions:
Grate the Fels Naptha Bars very well. Blend all ingredients in a large tub. Use 1 tbs per load.

This mixture lasts us about 3 months. I love it because it doesn’t take me long to blend it and it saves us so much money! It works really well. We have never had any trouble with it. Our clothes are just as clean as they were before, AND bonus points: it’s safe for babies!

Have you ever made your own laundry detergent? Do you add anything different to yours?

A “Little Man” Themed Birthday Party

July 30, 2013

Today, my nephew is turning one! I can’t believe how fast time has flown by since he was born. What better way to celebrate our little man than with a “little man” birthday party?

Happy Birthday, Gage!

Cupid’s Arrow DIY

February 5, 2013

I got this idea from Celebrate Magazine. When I saw it, I knew I had to make them to add to my Valentine’s decor. It is an easy and cheap DIY project that I think you will all love.

Here is what you will need:

-Scissors

-Hot glue gun/glue

-Glitter scrapbook paper (I used red and pink)

– wooden sticks

-spray paint (I used gold)

– feathers (I used white)

First, Cut out all the hearts. I used a stencil because I’m terrible at drawing hearts.

Second, Spray paint the sticks whatever color you decide.

Third, Hot glue the hearts to the end of the stick with the point facing outward (to look like an arrow)

After it drys, hot glue another heart to the back of the other to cover the other side of the stick.

Next, hot glue a feather on to each side of the stick.

Then, wa la! Cupid’s arrow! I am putting them at each place setting in the dining room to make the room look festive.

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While I’ve got you here, meet my Double Venti sponsor, Megan!

Hi! My name is Megan. I blog at Just a Small Town Girl. I’m originally from a small town in Alabama, but now I live in the big city in North Carolina. At the center of my blog is my desire to help others and to share Christ’s love. I blog about my life and the things I think, do, and create along the way. I am married to my best friend and I teach 4th grade at a year round school. I love reading, crafting, blogging, baking, watching football, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.

I love to take long walks down memory lane so I recently started a link up called Throwback Thursday. It’s held the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month and you can link up a post about anything from your past. I’d love to have you join me this Thursday. I will be sharing about my childhood crushes.

I also have a heart for adoption and my husband and I hope to adopt one day. Until then, I enjoy helping others with their adoption and learning as much as I can about the process. This past fall, I hosted Ornaments for Adoption and I look forward to doing it again this year. Currently, a great blogging friend of mine, Christie from Satisfaction Through Christ, is in the process of adopting her second child. I‘d love to have you read about how you can help her family here.

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