Finished project: another felt pillow cover for Christmas

I had already completed two felt pillow covers earlier this year except for this one. It took a little while longer as I had to do the little holes in the centre by hand.

I made this the same way that I made the other two covers. Festive, eh?

Finished project: Painted nutcrackers

These are my nutcrackers that I bought from Michael's Boxing Day sale. I love these kinds of projects because I can paint them any color that I want and they will go with my decor.

Here is my red nutcracker that goes with my decor in the basement.

Here is my purple nutcracker for my office at work.

And my pink nutcracker to go with my mom's pink and green decor.

A blue one for my kitchen:

And lastly, three little ones for my tree.

The Snowflake Pillows

This post is a little late but that's alright. I bought some die-cut felt snowflakes from Michael's Boxing Day Sale this past year and I knew exactly what I was going to do with them.

For this project, I used 1 package of felt fabric from Micheal's (it measures 36 by 36 inches), 2 die-cut felt snowflakes*, matching red and white thread, a sewing machine, a seam ripper, a measuring tape, a fabric marker, pins and a needle for hand sewing. 

*Note that these snowflakes came already cut. If you want to do this yourself, I am sure that you can find a snowflake design on the internet, print it, cut it out then use it as a template over felt. It can be pinned to the fabric then cut out using a craft knife over a self-healing mat.

To start, I measured a pillow with measuring tape to get the height and width. I folded the felt over lengthwise and smoothed it out so that the edges touched and I would get a clean line. I added 1 cm of seam allowance on both sides and cut the felt up the middle to create two pillow covers that measured 18 by 18 cm.

Pillow #1:

I pinned the snowflake to the center of the pillow on the first layer and pinned it down on all six sides so that it wouldn't move. Then, I sewed the snowflake to the top layer of the red felt pillow cover. This was painstakingly long but completely worth it to achieve a quilted look.

To move around the corners and curves, I would move the fabric quickly or stop sewing with the needle in the fabric, move the fabric, then continue sewing.

Pillow #2:

For this pillow, I cut the snowflake into three pieces for the corners after doing some measurements.

I pinned the main corners of these snowflakes to one layer of the red felt in these positions. Then, I sewed each snowflake to the felt pillow. Again, this was very long, arduous work but it's completely worth it to see this pillow.

For both pillow #1 and #2, once the snowflake was sewn on, I pinned down two of the cut sides and most of the third with a gap for stuffing (as I folded the felt over, I only had three cut edges instead of four). I sewed it all down so that I was left with a pillow cover with a hole for stuffing.

I took an old pillow, cut it open and reused the stuffing for this pillow.

I pinned the open seam then hand-stitched the hole with matching thread and a needle. 

And here is the finished product!

Estimated time for this project: about 3-4 hours. It took a long time to quilt the snowflakes on each pillow but the actual work of cutting, filling and such didn't take long. it's all worth it for a great result.

Notes:

• I was seriously considering dying both of these fabrics before sewing. I was going to dye the red felt burgundy and the snowflakes cream to match my usual Christmas decor colors. The red is a little bright for me but I am sure that I will find a home for it. 

Ideas:

•  Any color combination would work! I did red and white but it's not limited to that.

9 Christmas gifts you don't have to buy

Well, it's that time again. It's time to go shopping for presents for our loved ones. We stand in long line-ups then race home to wrap it all. It's very stressful as we hope that the recipient will like what we bought them.

I'm not denying that I do this but I have been undergoing a transformation as of late: what about giving presents that you didn't buy? You may think that I am crazy but sometimes the best presents are ones that don't come from the store. What do I mean? Well, here are some ideas that might spark your imagination.

1. Jewelry: an item that was worn by a relative or important family member means more than buying the latest rock. I still get tears in my eyes every time I think of my necklace - it came from my great-aunt. I never take it off. Nothing that was bought can replace that connection.
2. Used hobby items: last year for Christmas I got my great-aunt's old knitting needles and it was the best present ever. Of course, I could buy an entire set into a craft store but she actually used these over the past 50 years. Now I am using them. All my mom had to do was fish them out of the closet! Other great items are pinking shears, scissors, pins, crochet hooks, yarn, fabric, books, patterns and such. If they are sitting around and you know someone who is interested in these items, gift them!
3. Dishes: for our wedding, we received a butter dish from an older lady who had originally received it for her wedding 54 years ago. This became a treasure in my house. Dishes last for such a long time and can be passed down in the family -- especially if they come with a special story.
4. Photos: old family photos are a real treasure. Sometimes everyone wants a copy of each photo, so why not go and get copies made of the old family photos and give those in a nice photo album?
5. Recipe cards: look for the old recipe cards that your grandmother or other family member wrote on. To make this present extra special, include the card (or a really good scan of the card) along with the item itself, made from the recipe. For example, grandma's fruitcake recipe with a fruitcake that you made.
6. Ornaments: just like dishes, some ornaments are treasures that were given to you by someone special. This is a great idea for whenever a grandparent passes away to give your children an ornament that they gave you one year. Perhaps include a few pictures of the grandparent and you with the ornament.
7. Furniture: if you have an item that was passed down in the family or bought from an antique furniture store, why not give that? It could be grandma's dresser or end table that will make someone else's day.
8. Articles of clothing: vintage clothing is very popular right now and you may have some items that you inherited or that you bought a long time ago but don't wear anymore. Some great ideas are purses and accessories but also shirts, dresses and such. I know that even if I don't like the item, I can remodel it and it is still something that my mother wore.
9. Blankets or quilts: family quilts are heirlooms. So are blankets, especially ones made by a grandparents.

10 frugal ways to decorate for the holidays

The holidays are approaching and it's time that we deck the halls to celebrate. Sometimes that stuff is expensive or the decorating ideas that we have cannot be realized with the budget. But, no fear! Here are 10 ideas of how to decorate on a tiny budget.

1. Pine cones: take a trip to the local park or an area that has lots of pine trees with a few garbage bags or boxes and collect the nice pine cones. Really look them over for bugs, mold or any imperfections before bagging them. Bring them home and wash them in a sink of hot water (when I did this, they closed up but reopened as they dried a day later). Then, use them in leftover planters, vases or jars tied with ribbon.
2. Cookies: make a few batches of sugar cookies and decorate them with icing done in your Christmas colors. Before baking them though, put a hole in the top with a wooden skewer. Do designs like snowmen, reindeer, snowflakes, ornaments, or words. Once the icing is dry, string them up with leftover yarn, ribbon or twine and decorate the tree with them. Or, just display them on nice cake stands on the table.
3. Food: create nice displays around the house with clementines, apples, or other seasonal fruit and vegetables. Use vases, jars or cake plates and place them carefully. If you really want to get into this, cover the items with powdered sugar or salt to create the glittery effect.
4. Stockings: make this year's stockings out of old sweaters, t-shirts or button-up shirts. If they aren't the right color, you can buy fabric dye and follow the package instructions to dye the fabric. Sew up with a sewing machine and decorate with ribbon or felt accents.
5. Centrepieces: take some mixing bowls and fill them with Christmas ball ornaments, pine cones, greenery or other items. Or, pack them with a mix of Christmas ball ornaments, apples and other items. Place in the centre of the table. Also, add bowls or planters of ornaments to end tables, magazine tables and other places around the house.
6. Wrappings: try some of the tips in my post about green wrappings along with embellishments like yarn pompoms, Christmas ribbon made from old shirts and other festive touches.
7. Tree: get an artificial tree with lights so that you buy it once and use it for at least 10-15 years. Decorate with ornaments, cookies, gingerbread men, pine cones or (if you want to be really traditional) strings of popcorn or cranberries. You could also decorate with paper snowflakes made out of white paper, dolls, clocks, etc. The options are endless, but start with your favorite colors and a theme.
8. Table: use a clean white tablecloth and use your best dishes but have little touches here and there like candles, decorated paper tags for guests, napkin rings, etc. The food should speak for itself, you don't have to have the table fully decked to the nines.
9. Rooms: add a little touch of the holidays to every room like a special cup towel in the kitchen, or towels in the bathroom. As long as everything is clean and organized, it looks fabulous and doesn't cost hardly anything. You could even do this with well-placed Christmas cards that you received.
10. Outside: depending on your location, try LED lights and topiaries. Or, you could make a wreath out of leftover strips of fabric in your color theme wrapped around a Styrofoam wreath form. You can also put out bowls of ornaments by the entrance.

10 holiday movies to watch

Time for a nice warm blanket, a mug of hot cocoa and one of these movies on Christmas Eve! What could be better?

1. It's A Wonderful Life (1946).
2. A Christmas Carol: and there are many versions to choose from! Many people prefer the version from 1938, while others prefer the one from 1951 or the one that the Muppets did in 1992. It's up to you!
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) or How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) with Jim Carrey.
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) .
5. A Christmas Story (1983).
6. Home Alone (1990).
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
8. Elf (2003).
9. Christmas Vacation (1989). 
10. Lady and the Tramp (1955) - the scene at the end.

10 (mostly) paperless ways to wrap presents

Christmas is so exciting but usually after all of the presents are opened, this is the scene:

Eco-guilt sets in. Especially in some parts of the world where this paper is sent to the dump instead of recycling. Well, what else can we use? Here are 10 mostly paperless (and re-usable) ideas for wrapping presents that can work for almost any holiday (not just Christmas):

1. Old paint cans: Clean them out well and take the label off. If you need to remove any sticky goo then you can get a product to do that. Get two cans of spray paint: one a primer and the other in a color of your choice. Then, spray the paint can first with the primer, allow it to dry, then paint it with the second color. After drying, find a present and some embellishments!
2. The wrapped box: instead of ripping the wrapping paper off of a box, pick some that have lids like shoeboxes and wrap the box. Wrap each part (the box and the lid, or just the lid) separately so that you can reuse it every year. Tie it shut with ribbon, twine or yarn and add a tag and embellishments.
3. The colorful box: you can buy boxes in almost any store (Zellars, Walmart, Dollarama) that have a decorated lid and a bottom. So, instead of wrapping it like the above option it is already done for you.
4. The paper bag: try this tutorial that I did for painting a paper bag.
5. Fabric bags: try this tutorial that I did for making reusable fabric bags.
6. Felt gift bags: try this tutorial that I did for making felt gift bags.
7. Mittens, scarves, hats, etc: wind a scarf around a box and tie it with ribbon or stuff a mitten and carefully fold it over. This way, the present (and the wrappings) are one and the same!
8. Dishcloths, dishtowels, etc: In addition to mittens and scarves, try wrapping the smaller presents in dishcloths and tie shut with twine, ribbon or yarn. You could also use towels, shower curtains, tablecloths or bolts of fabric for the larger presents.
9. Storage boxes or cubes: try buying a set of these (that are part of the gift), add the gift, close and wrap a ribbon around it. If you are gifting a cube, basket or such then cover the top with fabric to hide the gift then add the tag and an embellishment.
10. Reused materials: every Christmas, save the gift bags and wrapping paper so that the next Christmas, you can reuse them. We do this at home and these materials are used to wrap presents (mostly stocking stuffers) for the family.

10 things to do with clementines

It's the holiday season and clementines are in season! What can you do with them?

1. Eat them! Just peel the zipper skin and eat them as is.
2. Boil the peels with some spices in some hot water to perfume or humidify the house.
3. Mandarin cheesecake: try fresh, peeled clementine sections instead* with a little more sugar.
4. Stuff them in the toe of your stockings to eat Christmas morning.
5. Make a fruit salad with clementines, apples, pomegranate seeds and kiwi.
6. Add the peeled sections to a nice spinach salad with a poppyseed dressing.
7. Try making a clementine juice* mimosa.
8. Substitute* mandarins for sectioned clementine in this beet salad recipe.
9. Try this fruit dip with sectioned clementines*.
10. Add the peeled, sectioned clementines to your cranberry sauce instead of orange juice.

*Substitutions: mandarins are sweeter than clementines so you may need to add sugar to achieve the same result.


Of course, no post on clementines would be complete without addressng the wooden clementine box! What on earth can you do with that?

1. Come spring, use it as a planter in the garden or as a window planter.
2. Break it up, remove all of the plastic, paper and staples then use it for kindling in the fire (if that is allowed, double check in your area).
3. Use it in your home organization. Remove the plastic, staples and paper and sand down any edges that could give you splinters. Add items, a label and put on the shelf.
4. Make mulch out of it. Remove all of the plastic, staples and paper then give it to someone who makes mulch out of wood. Once it's all crushed, it can be used on flower beds in the spring.

Here are some more ideas:

• eHow: how to reuse a wooden clementine box
• Clementine box crèche
• apartment therapy: What to do with Clementine boxes
• fun in the making: category: reuse clementine box

Stenciled cup towels

Yet another project that adds a touch of Christmas to every room! This time, it's my kitchen. I bought these simple white cup towels and stenciled them with blue paint, almost the same way that I did my shower curtain so I won't bother repeating the instructions.

Cup towel # 1:

Cup towel #2:

Notes:

• As these cup towels are now painted, I don't think that they can be washed -- even by hand. So, sadly, these are decorations only and cannot be used. They look nice though! I will work on an idea that is washable for next year.

Glamorous glittery ornaments

These are some wooden die-cut ornaments that I bought from Dollarama last year. They come in sets of 4 in various wordings (Noel, Peace, Love, etc.). I got the idea of making these brilliant glittery ornaments from looking at a magazine with some similar ornaments on it. I just thought: those are so lovely...I can make those myself!

For this project, I used the wooden ornaments, acrylic paint, paintbrush, an orphaned container to hold paint/glue, glitter glue, fine glitter in color of choice, a 1/4 teaspoon or small spoon, newspaper, and ribbon or embroidery floss for hanging. I also used a second container which held water when I was painting.

To start, I cut the ribbon off because it didn't match the style of these ornaments. I will restring it later. 

Then, I painted them. I had to do it in two coats and allow drying time in between. I had a system of side one, dry, side 2, dry, then edges. Then I did it all again.

Then, it was time to glitter! The fun part!

I used a smaller paintbrush and painted a thin layer of glitter glue onto the ornament in sections - one letter at a time.  I was moving pretty fast because I couldn't let the glue dry.

I added the glitter to a 1/4 tsp for dusting on the glued part of the ornament.

I dusted the glue part all over with the glitter.

Then I shook off the excess. I reused that glitter over and over until I needed more from the container as I painted each letter with glue then glittered.

Here is the glittery masterpiece! (I only did the front). 

Then I used some leftover brown yarn and strung it up using a wool needle, or knitting needle. Done!

Estimated time for this project: two evenings (about 3 hours each). It took a lot of time to for the painting as it had to dry on all sides. Also, painting the inside curves took more patience. Glittering took time as well but it went fast with a great movie playing in the background.

Notes:

• These were cheap wooden ornaments from Dollarama but this could probably be done with foam cut-outs too, but perhaps skip the painting part. 
• I used acrylic craft paint. 
• After the glitter has adhered to the glittery glue, it should not come off. Whatever excess comes off will come off, but don't expect for it to peel off or anything. Although, some comes off on your fingers when you touch it (that is to be expected though). 
• You could use some spray sealer after glittering to be sure that nothing comes off. 
• Once the season is over, simply wrap these in tissue paper and store away for next year. Fabric wrappings aren't really ideal as they can make the glitter come off.

  
Ideas:

• There are so many color combinations out there for this one! I used a paint and glitter that matched for a glamorous look but you could try a color and glitter that are different colors (ex. white paint, pink, blue or red glitter). 
• You could keep the original tag if it matches your decor more. It might be more difficult to paint around though. 
• You can use many things for threading these ornaments: thin ribbon, embroidery floss, yarn, twine, and metallic string.

Secret Santa Gift Ideas

Are you running a Secret Santa this year? Or, you can't think of anything to get for the event? Well, here are some gift ideas that may inspire you this year. These are also some great gender-neutral ideas if you are searching for gifts for relatives and friends as well.

1. Gift cards: this could be for the grocery store, department store, theatre, coffee shop or a restaurant.
2. Stainless steel coffee travel mug.
3. A coffee set with a mug and a bag of coffee beans. 
4. Box of chocolates, shortbread or candy: this one is harder as so many people have food allergies but you could ask beforehand if anyone objects. You could also make these at home instead of buying them. 
5. Office gift box: think of something that everyone in the office uses and constantly runs out of, like pens, pencils, card clips (if you need a pass that you clip to your clothes), silverware, etc. Just buy it separately and put it together in a basket or something like that.
6. Bottle of wine or other spirits.
7. Gourmet cooking set of flavored olive oils, vinegars and jams: If you are crafty, you can make this at home.
8. A USB key or SD card.
9. A nice photo album or photo frame.
10. A box of homemade Christmas cards with envelopes.
11. A fun new calendar for their desk. Perhaps one of those daily or monthly ones.
12. The latest best seller (hardcover or soft cover) on a topic that everyone enjoys or a book on a topic that everyone enjoys.
13. A holiday-themed candle (I'm always surprised how many men dig candles).
14. A sick kit: pack a basket with cough drops, Neo-Citran, and other things that you use when you are sick. 
15. A set of nice wine glasses (shot glasses, or bourbon glasses). 
16. A nice Christmas ornament. 
17. Any cooking or baking equipment: mixing bowls, baking sheets, cookie cutters, whisks or other utensils. 
18. Small appliances like a kettle, toaster oven, coffee grinder, power whisk, etc.
19. A nice throw or blanket for the house. 
20. A DVD of a movie or TV show that everyone enjoys or one that fits the season.

10 things to do with eggnog

'Tis the season for lovely eggnog! I'm so excited! Here are 10 ideas for how to use up that eggnog this holiday season.

1. Steam some eggnog instead of milk and add it to your coffee for an eggnog latté.
2. Eggnog cheesecake -- or try eggnog cheesecake bars. You could probably take this very recipe and cut it into bars with caramel on the top.
3. Grog -- add a shot of dark rum to some eggnog for a spirited drink. Or, try an Eggnog Russian.
4. Try making homemade eggnog.
5. Drink it warm with some spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.
6. Make a smoothie using eggnog as the liquid instead of water, juice or milk!
7. Make an eggnog punch! Here is a recipe for Peppermint Eggnog Punch.
8. Eggnog truffles.
9. Eggnog cookies.
10. Eggnog fudge.

Or, you could take any of these ideas and put them into Google Search to find other recipes.

Restringing Christmas ornaments

I bought some lovely wooden ornaments for my tree but I absolutely hated the flimsy little string that came with it. It didn't match my decor and I knew that I had to restring them with something stronger.

For this quick project, I used the wooden ornaments, scissors and jute twine (bought from Dollarama).

I cut the string that came with the ornaments with the scissors:

Then restrung the ornaments with jute twine that I cut to the proper length then tied a knot at the top:

Then I was done!

I did these ones too:

Estimated time for this project: about 10 minutes. Perhaps less than that to cut then restring each ornament but 10 minutes total.

Notes:

• You can do this with any ornaments. Now I am looking at my collection for other ones where the flimsy string just doesn't fit the style of the ornament. This also works for heavy ornaments with tiny strings.
• This was so easy and logical that I thought it would be silly to post this but you'd be surprised how many people don't buy ornaments because the strings are too thin. So, here is an idea for all of those out there.

Ideas:

• I used jute twine but you can easily restring ornaments with embroidery floss, ribbon or anything else that fits your theme. It all depends on how you decorate.