How do you recycle Christmas cards?

Last year I shared how I recycled Christmas cards into gift tags.

 Well, I used them all this year so I had to do it again.  

I start by cropping the cards to save what I can re-use to make tags.  

 

I used "scraps" of scrapbook paper I had on hand to attach them to.

Aren't they fun?  I can't wait to pull them out next year.

I'm linking to the following parties:

Under $100 Linky Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence

Creativity Party @ It's Overflowing

Have a great weekend!

Petie

Desk makeover

My daughter's Christmas bedroom makeover is almost complete....everything except for some surprises Christmas morning!

I posted here with the new bedroom color, and mentioned the desk that needed some TLC.  

 

I like to show the after picture first - it's usually the prettier picture.

Here's how the desk started....

I found this big crack in it after lifting my sons 20lb gecko house off of it......maybe a little too much weight for an old desk???

This wood filler worked great to seal the crack.

Not my neatest work, but I got the job done :)

I let it sit this way for a couple of days just to be sure it dried and sealed well.

This is how it looked after sanding.

Next came the primer, a couple coats of white paint (swiss coffee), and a top coat of polyurethane.

 

My daughter really likes the teal blue color that is in some of the desk accessories, so I found this fabric with teal at Joann's and added a seat cushion for her desk chair.

Found this cutie at Staples and just knew her desk had to have it!

There is something about tape and 11 year old girls that go hand in hand.  She has tried to tape everything to her walls for the past few years.  I'm hoping this sophisticated tape dispenser will steer her into more mature taping adventures :)

It's wrapped and under the tree.

Can't you just see it on here?

Have a wonderful, family and friend filled,weekend!

Petie

I'm linking to the following parties:

Overflowing With Creativity @ It's Overflowing 

Homemade Artwork for Tween Girls

I've been updating my daughter's bedroom as part of her Christmas present.  She's wanted it blue for a long time.  You can see the color I painted it here.

I've also been working on some artwork.  She likes the "keep calm" stuff and has this on her ipod screen.

I turned it into this by printing the image from the web and using a piece of blue scrapbook paper as a backdrop.

It goes great with the colors in her bedding (below the artwork).

She also asked me to make a sign similar to something like this. 

 

She wanted the definition of the word, smile :)  

So, I went to work and started by printing the words off the computer for my template.

After pray painting the canvas this great chartreuse green color, I lined up my cut out wording

 the way I wanted it to look.

 

Good old fashioned carbon paper was the secret for transferring the words to the canvas.

 I taped everything in place so it wouldn't move as I was tracing the letters.

 

 A fine tip sharpie worked best for outlining the letters and then coloring in.  

A couple of flowers were added for a girly touch.  These were also printed from the computer and traced onto the canvas over carbon paper.

I added a little color for the flowers.  The pale blue is the color of her newly painted bedroom.

I finished the project with a little sanding over the whole thing to give it a softer look.

I hope it makes her "smile"!

  I still have a seat cushion to make for her desk chair and that should do it.

I can't wait to see everything pulled together in her room Christmas day!

(I'll post the whole room after Christmas)

I'm linking to the following parties:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm
Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug Blessings

Hope your week is off to a good start!

I know I hugged my kids twice as hard as they left for the bus stop this morning.  

My thoughts and prayers are with the families and community of Newtown, CT

this morning ~

Paint Stick Scrabble Ornaments

Quite the title for a post, huh?

Actually a quick craft made out of paint sticks and scrabble tiles.

The paint stores are very generous with their free paint sticks, so I usually have a few lying around. 

  I needed some filler ornaments for a small tree in our entry, and came up with the idea

 of painting paint sticks and attaching scrabble tiles with various holiday words.

You can use any paint for these, but I happen to have some extra chalk board spray paint so I went with that which gives the "ornaments" a whole other dimension for use.  

You could actually just write words on the paint sticks.

I used a saw to trim the sticks which required a little sanding on the 

edges, giving the stick a more weathered look.

The scrabble tiles are attached with this photo tape. 

 It comes off very easily if you decide to go with the chalk writing idea.

I love a simple craft.  

Have you been crafting some of your holiday decor this season?

 ~ Petie

I'm linking to the following parties:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm 

Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug Blessings 

Three Wreaths Are Better Than One

I decided to try something a little different this year with our front door Christmas decor. 

Three wreaths instead of just one!

 

 These are Dollar Store wreaths that I actually doubled for a little more fullness.   

They're taped together with florist tape.

I cut two small slits in the jute ribbon to run a tie through to attach the wreaths.

And, last but not least, I added greenery attached with a thin wire and popped in some 

red stems for a more festive look.

I was so glad to see the sunshine yesterday, but all the shadows really challenged my picture taking.

I'm linking to the following parties:

Holiday Home Link Party @ Centsational Girl

Link Party @ Somewhat Simple

Under $100 Linky Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence

Let the decorating begin ~

It's official - the boxes are out of the attic - let's decorate!

 A simple vine wreath, burlap bow and greenery.

Something about popping some greenery in here and there that makes me happy!

(maybe it's because the greenery is from the ground outside,

 and can be replaced weekly if necessary?)

So much more to do - hope you'll come back to visit.

 Have you started your holiday decorating?

I'm linking to the following parties:

Show & Share at Southern Lovely 

Whatcha Work Up Wednesday at DIY Crafty Projects 

~ Petie

Christmas Is Coming Early

My daughter is 11 years old (she'll be 12 in January) and she has developed some design ideas of her own when it comes to her bedroom.

She's wanted her bedroom painted blue for a while now (it's been pale green, lavender, and most recently, a neutral tan color....see here).  If you're doing the math, that's a new paint color every three years!!!

So, for her Christmas/Birthday presents this year....she's getting a blue room with a few added projects! 

We started on the blue bedroom this weekend.  It's kind of hard to tell here, but it's really more of a robins egg blue. 

 

She's also asked for a sign like this. 

She wants to have either the word SMILE or LAUGH defined. 

(Pottery Barn Teen)

And, she needs a desk.  

 This one has made it's home in my sons room for the past

 few years with a 20  gallon gecko house on top of it.  

Wonder if that's how it got the crack in it?

 (it's going to be painted white just as soon as I repair it)

I have a few projects to keep me busy this week!

I'm hoping to keep some of them a secret so she won't see everything before Christmas day :)  

Are you working on any handmade or DIY Christmas presents?

Petie

Dollar Store Clipboards

Another office organization project ~

No matter how hard I try to corral the paper in our house, there's always some flyer, application, schedule, etc that needs to be visible or it will be forgotten!

This is my latest solution ~ dollar store clipboards and scrapbook paper.  Cut the paper to size with an exact-o knife and attach with spray adhesive.

I had this extra large bulletin board in the attic.  

The clipboards are attached with thumbtacks.

Now, I should be able to see everything from the desk where I'm typing this post.

I'm linking to the following parties:

Show and Share at Southern Lovely

Link Party at Somewhat Simple

100 Ideas Under 100 at Beyond the Picket Fence
Saturday Style Linky Party at Scandi Coast Home 

Hope you're having a great week and looking 

forward to a great Thanksgiving with

family & friends! 

Petie