cake name bunting & candy corn bar

October 13, 2015

These days, writing a name in icing on the top of a birthday cake just seems so old fashioned! I don’t see many cakes with names piped on the top with icing these days. So, when I set out to make a birthday cake for some co-workers, I decided to make some buntings for the top and thought I would share the quick, easy way I did so.

My supplies were old book pages, alphabet rubber stamps, bakery twine, and some skewers.

I started out by folding some of the book pages. Then, I stamped each letter of the names I was creating onto the page, keeping the top of the letter close to the fold. I cut triangle shapes around each letter, keeping the fold intact. I arranged each triangle shape onto a piece of bakery twine and used a bead of glue to hold each one in place.

The final step was to tie each end of the twine to a skewer adding a dot of glue to secure in place. Lastly, I will add each of the skewers to the cake!

Wouldn’t the cake have looked so dated with the names piped on top compared to a cute name bunting?

Hope I inspired you to create a simple name bunting next time you bake a birthday cake! Play around with some materials and colors based on the tastes of your recipient. (My recipients were book lovers!) Or, you may want to add a little glitter for some sparkle! Have fun with it!

Where is the cake? Actually, still in the oven! And, why the candy corn bar? Well, can you really have a birthday celebration without candy?! ;)

Thanks for stopping by. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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50 shades of pink pumpkins

October 6, 2015

Usually, at this time of year, I am creating some pumpkins. It may be pumpkins made of velvet. It may be real pumpkins carved with sea-themed designs. Or, it may be my favorite white pumpkins enhanced with paint or decoupage.

Usually, though, at this time of year; I have given in to the idea of fall and have started creating some fun pumpkin crafts. This year, my time is particularly limited. Working three jobs and seven days a week leaves me little free time for fun projects.

So, in the interest of using my time effectively, I decided to use my pumpkin creativeness in a way that will serve as more than just fall décor. I am using my limited free time to paint pumpkins pink as a way to celebrate breast cancer awareness month. My goal is to paint 50 pumpkins in different shades of pink!

Armed with Antoinette, Old White, and Primer Red Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and some large drop cloths, I started my project – now just 6 pumpkins in! In this way, 50 homes will display a pumpkin that celebrates more than a decorative item. It serves as a way to remind our neighbors to practice good breast health. If one person sees a pink pumpkin and takes a moment to consider what it means, I think the painting was well worth my time!

So, instead of decorating pumpkins for fall décor this year, I am painting them to decorate a celebration of good breast health! Please consider displaying a pink pumpkin in front of your home this year to show that pumpkins can remind us of more than just Halloween!

Thanks for stopping by. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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celebrate fall with flowers in a pumpkin

September 25, 2015

It has been somewhat of a tradition for me to use the end of the season flowers from my garden for a flower display in a pumpkin. Each year, once fall arrives, I use the few flowers left in my garden to create an arrangement in a white pumpkin.

I guess it is my way of admitting it is, in fact, fall! Usually, the only blooms left in my garden are a few burgundy mums – planted to match the color of my front door – in the front yard and a few small white accent flowers in a couple of my potted arrangements.

This year I used a mini pumpkin for my arrangement since there are so few flowers left! I just hollowed out a mini boo and added an old flower frog for the flowers. If you create one, just remember that pumpkins are not always water tight. It is a good idea to trim a disposable plastic cup to line the inside of the pumpkin as a safe guard, before adding any water. The flowers can be added directly in the plastic cup or, some flower foam can be added and saturated inside the cup first.

An easy and fun way to celebrate the start of the new season!

Thanks for stopping by for Friday field trip!

Have a fabulous weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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diy mini mummy pumpkins

September 22, 2015

I was inspired by a Pottery Barn pillow to create some pumpkin mummies for a child’s Halloween display.

They are super simple to create and so darn cute! All you need are a few baby boos (mini white pumpkins), cheesecloth, a glue gun, and a black permanent marker.

Start by using the permanent marker to draw two eyes on the pumpkin – reference the photos here to guide your placement.

Next, cut a long strip from the cheesecloth, approximately 1” – 2” wide. This can be adjusted based on the size of the pumpkin.

Wrap the cheesecloth around the pumpkin, keeping it in place by attaching it with beads of glue from the glue gun as you wrap. Be careful not to burn yourself – don’t push down the cheesecloth with a bare finger – because the cheesecloth is so porous, the hot glue will go right through to your fingers!

Also, be sure not to cover the drawn eyes completely! They need to peer through the cheesecloth!

There you have a pumpkin mummy! It is sure to add some whimsy to a Halloween table! Make one or a whole bunch! Wouldn’t they make adorable favors for a Halloween party? Or, a great gift for a favorite teacher?

Have fun with it!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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painting acorns

September 18, 2015

For Friday field trip today, I am painting some acorns! This is my last ‘neutralizing fall’ element. After completing some pine cones and some leaves, the acorns are my final painting project.

These little fall icons are very easy to paint and they can be painted to match any décor. I don’t use paint brushes any more when painting these small pieces; I much prefer paint pens.

For this year’s fall display, I first painted the bottoms of all the acorns with white paint pens. After the paint was good and dry, I used a little piece of a clean rag to rub the white paint with gold metallic paint.

For the tops of the acorns, I used a cotton swab to add some clear paint glitter to give them a little bling!

That’s it! Now the acorns have been painted to match the rest of my ‘neutralized’ elements! I will team these elements up with some of my hand crafted velvet pumpkins and will add some white pumpkins of varying sizes throughout my home.

Thanks for stopping by for Friday field trip! Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. If you prefer velvet acorns, click here for a tutorial from my archives…enjoy!

Sharing at French Country Cottage.

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plaster of paris leaves

September 15, 2015

Last week I talked about ‘neutralizing’ fall and I demonstrated how to get started with some pine cones and bleach. This week, I am continuing on my quest to ‘neutralize’ natural elements for my fall décor.

Today, I am ‘neutralizing’ leaves! Actually, in this instance, the leaves are not natural elements – I am using super inexpensive fabric leaves. The way I ‘neutralize’ them is super easy and super messy! I use plaster of Paris to add a porcelain-like look to the leaves.

Plaster of Paris is one of those things every crafter should have in their workshop. There are so many uses for it and it is very inexpensive. Plaster of Paris is a dry powder that is mixed with water to create a mixture that hardens. It can also be mixed with paint to create homemade chalk paint.

To make the leaves, I simply mix up some of the plaster (2 parts plaster of Paris to 1 part water) and use it to cover the leaves. I use a disposable plastic cup as a measure and stir the mixture with a paint stirrer or plastic spoon in a disposable container. Believe me, you don’t want to keep any utensils you use for this project – it gets very messy! The plaster gets thick pretty quickly, so I don’t waste a lot of time as I dip each leaf to coat, one at a time, into the mixture. I also keep an inexpensive paint brush handy to add extra plaster as needed.

Once the leaves are covered, they are left on wax paper or parchment paper overnight to harden completely. A leaf can be draped over a plastic cup to dry with a curve, if desired.

The plaster leaves, once dry, can be enhanced with paint or glitter. I like to use metallic gold paint to paint the edges or create a ‘dipped in paint’ look.

These plaster leaves look great on a table, in a bowl, or as part of a fall display. Adding a name to a single leaf with a paint pen turns it into a great looking and unique place card! I use gold thread to make a garland of leaves for a window. (A hole can be added for hanging the leaf, but this must be done as a first step – before the plaster is added! )

I hope I have inspired you to ‘neutralize’ some leaves! Have fun with it!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Shabby Nest.

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neutralizing fall

September 11, 2015

It seems everyone is bleaching pine cones these days – and rightly so! For those of us with a passion for neutrals, pine cones can now be happily included in our fall decorating mix!

For Friday field trip today, I am demonstrating the start of how I ‘neutralize’ fall! Since I was in the woods last weekend, it was the perfect time to collect and bleach some pine cones.

I prefer a 50/50 bleach and water mix in a plastic bucket; keeping the pine cones in the solution 24 hours and drying them outdoors in the sun. If you haven’t bleached pine cones before, be warned that they close up when wet. It gets a little scary when you see them this way, but they open up as they dry.

Since the pine cones will float in the bleach solution, I put some paper plates on top of the pine cones and added a few rocks to be sure they were covered completely in the liquid.

That’s all there is to it! Those dark brown pine cones are transformed in a beautiful neutral hue!

I like to dip the tips of the bleached pine cones into some white or off-white paint or to add a little glitter (like I did with this batch) for some added sparkle!

I hope I have inspired you to do some ‘neutralizing’ of your own! Stop back next week and I will demonstrate how I ’neutralize’ acorns and leaves!

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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watermelon ice cream push pops

September 8, 2015

There are two big things wrong with Labor Day in my book. First, that it is called Labor Day…it is actually ‘No Labor Day’, isn’t it? Well, that’s what my friends and I celebrate each year. We get together and celebrate a day of no work. Over the years we have always joked about our celebration of ‘No Labor Day.’

But, the biggest problem with Labor Day is not its name. The biggest problem with Labor Day is that it signals the end of my favorite season! With Halloween décor in the stores and school back in session, it is hard to ignore the hints of the upcoming season. Fall is ready to pounce and I hate to think of summer as a thing of the past!

Maybe that is why I am still hanging on to all things summer. I know that ignoring fall (bite my tongue for saying the word!) will not make it go away, but I continue to try my best to do so.

Watermelon ice cream push pops are a great example of some last minute summer fun! They are super easy to make and just scream summer. I made some for my ‘No Labor Day’ weekend, but they are fun to make anytime!

Now that these plastic push up containers are readily available in stores, you can easily create your own push up ice cream treats. I love these containers for homemade ice cream because soft, newly churned ice cream slips into them so easily. But, no need to make homemade ice cream for these treats – softened store bought ice cream works just as well!

For a watermelon looking treat, use three flavors of ice cream. Pick something green, something white, and something red. For mine, I chose raspberry sherbet, pistachio ice cream, and vanilla ice cream.

I put each flavor in its own bowl and soften each up a little bit using a spoon. For the red flavor, I added some mini chocolate chips while softening, to act as my ‘seeds.’ The ice cream should be a little soft, but not runny. If it gets too soupy, it will start leaking out of the bottom of the plastic container. (I first learned this lesson when I tried to make Jell-O shots in these containers by pouring in the liquid mixture before set – epic fail!)

Holding the plunger all the way down (open) while doing so, I put in a small amount of vanilla – enough to create a thin layer – then a thin layer of the softened pistachio, and, finally, I filled the rest of the container with the raspberry sherbet I had mixed with mini chocolate chips.

Into the freezer they go to harden up, and that is it!

These are easy to decorate for a party. Add a ribbon to coordinate with your decor. They also look great with a round sticker – either purchase stickers or print some on your home computer – round ones look great! I hope I have inspired you to make some ice cream push pops. You can find the empty containers in any store that sells cake decorating supplies – usually sold in a pack of six.

Thank you for stopping by. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush.

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old window into necklace display

August 25, 2015

In a recent post, I demonstrated how I updated an old necklace holder. Today, I am demonstrating how to turn an old piece that was never intended for displaying accessories, into a display piece for necklaces! I started with an old window.

The first order of business was to find a way to make it stand up. I wanted it to stand at an angle in the horizontal position. I achieved this by using an old broom stick handle! Cutting two pieces from the handle and screwing them into the back of the window was perfect for holding the window at an angle for display. (It did take a couple tries to find the perfect angle for the cut.)

The window itself had a nice distress to it and I did not paint it at all. But, to give a nice contrast to the pieces I would be displaying, I knew I needed to do something with the glass panes. My decision was to use paper. I used two different ones – one had a script design on it and the other was a natural textured paper.

Although I liked the natural paper, it didn’t looked aged enough for this project. So, before I started adding it to the window, I ‘aged’ it by soaking it in some strong coffee.

After it was dry, I ripped pieces of both papers and positioned them on the inside of the glass panes.

Now all I needed was a way to hang the necklaces. For this, I just hammered some nails into the top wood of the window frame. I could use one nail or several to hang a necklace, depending on its length. I think the piece came out perfect for necklace display! This project can take on many variations. The first that comes to mind is to display old black and white photos on the glass. I am sure you can come up with your own ideas! I hope I have inspired you!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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diy garden wrapping paper

August 18, 2015

I very often create my own wrapping paper; particularly when I have a vision of something specific in my mind. This was the case with the tomato wrapping paper I made recently for a thank you gift I was giving a friend.

The gift was a book on heirloom tomatoes and I had a vision of a graphic of a tomato on brown paper. I knew I needed to make it! I decided on a classic potato print and set to work. I cut a couple notches into one half of a potato – that would be the main part of the tomato. I used the other half of the potato to make some greens for the top. Simple!

I printed it in two parts. First, the red in a random pattern on brown paper large enough to accommodate the book I was wrapping. After that was dry, I printed the second part – the green. Great! Exactly what I had hoped for! And, I would add tie it up with some natural raffia for my final touch!