personalizing homemade party crackers

December 26, 2014

Party crackers are nothing new. But, last year when a family member used them as wedding favors, I started giving them a little more thought. Why not make my own personalized version of a party cracker? So, I had been thinking about them for a while…I even saved all my empty toilet paper rolls (for over a year!) to use in creating some of my own.

For my research, I spoke to my friend from London. Julie filled me in on proper party cracker etiquette. The three required items that must be contained in the cracker – per tradition – are: a toy, a paper crown, and a joke. I planned on following tradition, but for my version, I decided to substitute a treat for the toy.

I had the design aspect in my head and I was pretty sure I could come up with a good looking cracker as well as the right combination of contents…but, what about the noise the cracker makes when it is opened?! That was the part I wasn’t sure about! After looking around online, I found the ‘crack’ was actually a thin strip of paper that contained a little bit of gun powder called a cracker snap. I purchased the cracker snaps from Olde English Crackers and found a video they posted on the assembly steps to create the crackers. Click here for the instructions. (Note: I did not use the rollers shown on the video and had no trouble making the party crackers without them. I did find it was very useful to make a center line with a pencil on both the toilet paper roll and the wrong side of the decorative paper to use as guides. )

Since my first set of party crackers were being created for New Year’s Eve, I decided the outside of the crackers would be black (with an added hint of green for an accent color) to coordinate with a set of black dishes I planned to use for New Year’s Eve dinner. If you decide to make some crackers, think about what color(s)/pattern(s) would look best on your dinner table!

I bought sheets of decorative paper at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store (on sale) for just pennies a sheet. I chose coordinating black patterns with stripes, stars, and script writing. I personalized some circle gift tag stickers with ‘2015!’ from Tiny Prints (click here for website) in my black and green color theme and I used a green sparkle ribbon to tie the ends of the crackers.

For the inside contents of the crackers, I decided on a neutral color scheme. I printed jokes on my home computer that I found online – adding a little embellishment with a gold marker. I crafted the paper crowns from a pretty taupe and white patterned tissue paper. And, for the treat, I made up little bags of champagne flavored candy that I found at Williams-Sonoma…so elegant and so appropriate! A little handful of homemade confetti added a little extra touch of gold to the contents!

Party crackers are so much fun to create – personalizing them is the best part! The only limitation is keeping your contents within the confines of the inside space of an empty toilet paper roll!

I hope I have inspired you to try your hand at creating some party crackers on today’s Friday field trip! I already have some in mind for my 4th of July party this summer! If you need help with some ideas or have questions, send me an email and I’d be happy to help!

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

Sharing with The Shabby Nest and Elizabeth & Co.

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forest in a jar centerpiece

December 19, 2014

Originally, holiday 2014 in my house was intended to have a sea glass theme using aqua as an accent color. But, as you know if you read my blog, I was so wrapped up in last year’s outdoor theme that I had to continue it for one more year…I just had too many ideas left to use! The sea glass theme is being pushed out to 2015…can’t wait!

You may also know, one of my fascinations this year has been with jars, bottles, (even salt shakers) …any type of glass container. I just can’t seem to get enough! Putting some favorite items in a jar can really elevate them to the status they deserve and it puts a smile on your face in the process!

Case in point – my favorite trees from Terrain this year. The trees are just so beautiful, I wanted to highlight them in some way. I decided to make a very simple forest in a jar! Rather than use the typical snow for the bottom of the jar, I used white beans. I love the simplicity of the design!

The jar? I bought it at Target. In fact, I bought quite a few. They come in 3 sizes and are very reasonably priced – ranging in price from $3.99 to $14.99.

Then, I got so stuck on the forest in a jar idea, I made one out of cookies also! On this one I used sugar ‘snow.’ I made gingerbread cookies and let them sit around for a while so they got really rigid before I used them – better for standing! The cookies can easily be decorated to match your decor!

Happy planting! What will you use to make your forest in a jar?

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed Friday field trip’s quick and easy way to create a holiday centerpiece! Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at House of Hipsters, The Shabby Nest, Crafts a la Mode, and Craftberry Bush.

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diy feather ornaments

December 16, 2014

It is hard to believe Christmas is only a little over a week away! But, there is still some time to make some ornaments as gifts. I am sharing two easy DIY ideas on making feather ornaments. A woodland holiday theme needs to include feathers, nests, and birds – don’t you think?

One way is to put a feather or feathers into a clear hollow glass ornament. I did this in three different variations this year:

1. I used a clear drying glue to add silver glass glitter to the outside bottom of the glass globe and added a spotted feather inside the globe.

2. I used a cotton swab to add dots of clear drying glue and glued white glass glitter to the dots. When dry, I added a white feather and a pinch of silver glitter inside the globe.

3. I dipped two feathers into some silver glass glitter before placing them into the globe. To keep them positioned correctly, I used a glue gun to glue the tops of the feathers near the top of the ornament. This doesn’t show, because the place where the feathers are glued is covered when the metal piece for hanging the ornament is repositioned on the ornament top.

The second way isn’t using an actual feather, but rather… using heavyweight cardboard to create a feather design. Simply draw or trace a feather onto cardboard (I made mine black for purposes of demonstration – it is best to use the same color as your glitter so a different color will not show through). Cut out the feather shape using a craft knife and cut a hole for adding a string or ribbon. Use clear drying glue to cover the cardboard with glass glitter – one side at a time.

Add a ribbon or string for hanging. I used black and white baker’s twine because I am giving my feather ornament as a gift, and the black and white color scheme best reflects the taste of the recipient.

I decided to package it with a favorite Emily Dickinson quote. I used my computer printer to print the quote onto a clear label and used the label to seal the ornament in a clear cellophane bag. I think it makes a thoughtful gift.

I hope these ideas have inspired you to create some ornaments using feathers. Have fun with it!

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

Sharing at Elizabeth & Co., Sand & Sisal, and Coastal Charm.

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salt shaker snow globes

December 12, 2014

With the current bottle and jar love I have going on for my holiday décor, this post should not surprise you!

Remember a few years ago when Anthropologie carried salt shakers with little trees in them? Many crafters were inspired by this cute idea and I saw a number of versions created soon after the little beauties hit the Anthro stores.

I didn’t hop on that bandwagon and create a batch of salt shaker inspired items back then. That changed recently when I inherited quite an extensive salt shaker collection…(don’t ask – that interesting story is for another post!)

So, now in possession of so many salt shakers, I was prompted to create some salt shaker ‘snow globes’ and I am sharing some of my creations on Friday field trip today. (Okay, so technically they are not snow globes since I haven’t added water.)

And, because of my preference for neutrals, I made my salt shaker snow globes with natural bottle brush trees. I just added a little ‘snow’ and a tree to make a wonderful little favor or piece of holiday décor. (My recent inheritance gives me enough salt shakers to fill a mantle a couple of times over!)

Salt shakers are easily found at thrift stores or can be purchased very inexpensively at restaurant supply stores. Cute, aren’t they?

The best thing about them is that each creator can add a personal touch by choosing a favorite tree and ribbon or embellishment. For example, in one of my creations, I hung a little snowflake from a piece of thread. The variations are obviously endless! Create something that matches your decor. The stainless tops to the shakers can easily be spray painted with an oiled bronze or rusty look finish if that is your preference…or, spray in a glossy red or green! You can also tie on a rusty jingle bell or other favorite item around the top of the shaker. Or, glue a little ornament to the tree like I did with the Santa ornament my friend Phyllis gave me below. ;) Group a bunch together and add some lights for a wonderful glow! :)

I hope I inspired you to create some salt shaker snow globes that coordinate with your individual taste and décor. You don’t even have to ‘hold the salt’ – you can use it for the ‘snow!’

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

Sharing at Thoughts from Alice, Finding Silver Pennies, House of Hipsters, Coastal Charm, Crafts a la Mode, Shabby Nest, French Country Cottage, and Craftberry Bush.

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zip code pillow gift

December 9, 2014

I love using zip codes in gifts! Giving a gift with the zip code from a special place – a hometown, the location of a new home, a vacation or honeymoon spot, or a college town – is such a thoughtful way to recognize a favorite or significant place of the gift recipient.

You may remember the decorative zip code tray I made a while back. (Click here for instructions to make a zip code tray.) Today, I am sharing instructions on how to add a (no sew) zip code to a homemade pillow!

I made a pillow with the zip code for Breckenridge – one of my son’s favorite snowboarding places in Colorado – to add to a group of snow themed pillows I had made for his apartment.

I had planned on using an iron-on fabric adhesive to keep the zip code numbers in place and then to add decorative stitching around the edges of the numbers. As it turned out, the instructions on the adhesive I choose said “do not sew” on the instructions so, I ended up not including the decorative stitching to my design.

I chose linen for the pillow and gray felt for the zip code numbers. I used a product I purchased at a fabric store called HeatnBond Ultrahold to adhere the numbers.

I decided on a 12” x 16” finish size for my pillow and cut the fabric appropriately. (If you decide to use a pillow form for your pillow, be sure to create a size that will accommodate it. If you are using polyfill to fill your pillow, you obviously do not need to be exact in your measurements.)

So, before proceeding to make the pillow, the desired zip code needed to be added to one of the pillow pieces. This was not hard to do, but took a little time and patience.

First, I printed out numbers from my computer in a size and type style that looked appropriate for the finished pillow size. I cut out the five numbers from the computer paper. (Cut only one paper number for a duplicate number.) I cut a piece of felt in an appropriate size to accommodate the five numbers I cut out. Following the instructions on the fabric adhesive, I used an iron to adhere the fabric adhesive to the BACK of the felt. Then, I flipped the numbers and traced them onto the paper of the adhesive. BE SURE to trace the numbers BACKWARDS (flipped on reverse side) so that they will come out the appropriate way when cut! I carefully cut out each number from the tracings. I removed the adhesive backing from the felt numbers and positioned them onto the right side of the linen piece I was using for the front of the pillow. Following the instructions on the adhesive, I ironed and bonded the numbers to the fabric.

Zip code complete! I then proceeded to finish sewing and stuffing the pillow. It is perfect for the snow themed holiday gift for my son…the perfect addition to a snowboarder’s apartment! Now I am thinking I should make more – so many snowboarding states, so little time! I also made one for a new home owner. (For my own home I am thinking zip codes from favorite beach towns in neutral and sea glass hues!)

Love a themed gift! It’s snow much fun! ;) I can’t wait to coordinate the wrapping!

Note: The snow pun pillows in this post were ordered from Tiny Prints. Every year when I order my Christmas cards, I go a little crazy ordering other products I see on their site…this year; I couldn’t resist all the wonderful pillows that were available to personalize. If you want a zip code pillow and would rather not sew it yourself, you can easily personalize one using this website (click here for website)…or, even add a photo to a pillow. If I had a photo of my friend’s new home, I could have made a pillow with a photo of the home on the front! Next, I may order a pillow with a photo of my son snowboarding to add to his gift! Another option to create a zip code pillow is to buy a pre-made pillow cover (Ikea has some nice ones) and follow the instructions I’ve provided to add a zip code. I hope I have inspired you to create a themed gift for someone special!

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

Sharing with Thoughts from Alice, Elizabeth & Co., House of Hipsters, and Sand & Sisal.

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diy book a day advent calendar

November 25, 2014

I love to read.

So, I guess it won’t come as a surprise to you when I tell you that books have always had a place as part of my holiday celebration.

In my home, reading holiday books is as much a part of preparing for Christmas as leaving cookies for Santa or trimming the tree. Every November, the stack of holiday picture books packed away with the rest of the holiday trimmings, makes its way downstairs.

A great tradition I am sharing with you today is to create a more formal celebration of holiday books by making them into an Advent calendar. Wrap up 25 holiday books to stack by the fireplace or a cozy couch and have the children open one to read each evening during Advent.

The books don’t need to be about the holidays in the literal sense. You can choose stories of love, family, friendship, travel…or, even cooking –all appropriate themes relating to the holiday season. There are so many great books – you don’t need to limit yourself to How the Grinch Stole Christmas or ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. If you need some suggestions, here are a few titles we have enjoyed to get you started:

Santa Calls by William Joyce
Christmas in New York City by Roxie Munroe
The Finest Tree by John and Anne Hassett
Penquin and Pinecone: A Friendship Story by Salina Yoon
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Tree that Came to Stay by Anna Quindlen
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

Be sure to include some titles with beautiful illustrations:

Old Turtle by Douglas Wood
Santa’s Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki and Ivan Gantscher
Simon and the Snowflakes by Gilles Tibo
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Also, it is fun to include titles that promote activities:

I Spy Christmas by Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo
Snowmen by Peter Cole, Frankie Frankeny, Leslie Jonath
Recipe for Adventure Series by Giada deLaurentiis and Francesca Gambatesa
Kids in the Holiday Kitchen: Making, Baking, Giving by Jessica Strand

When wrapping the books, you can choose a color theme to match your décor, holiday theme, or favorite color of the child(ren). I used kraft paper this year to wrap the books and added stickers I personalized with ‘book a day advent’ at Tiny Prints (click here for the website). Their stickers are great – so many cute designs to choose from, they can be personalized as you wish, and a set is very inexpensive. I added numbers to my personalized stickers using rubber stamps and added one to each wrapped book.

When adding the numbers, be conscious that you can be strategic by coordinating number placement with book selection. Number an activity book for the weekend, time a relative’s visit with an appropriate theme/title, or read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas on the appropriate evening.

You can use books you already own and/or library books for this activity…no need for it to be an expensive project! Your local children’s librarian can help with your title selection if you need it. And, if you own the books, when opening your gifts this year, use the discarded wrapping paper to wrap up the books for next year’s book calendar!

I hope you are inspired to create a book Advent calendar this year! Have fun with it! I would love to hear your favorite titles! The children will love this activity – and, what better tradition than one that promotes a love for reading? :)

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

Sharing with Finding Silver Pennies, House of Hipsters, Thoughts from Alice, Crafts a la Mode, and Sand & Sisal.

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tiny houses diy advent calendar

November 18, 2014

I love Advent calendars! Every year I end up making a least a couple! I’m not one to make a hanging calendar…I much prefer the 3D variety. The first one I am sharing with you this year uses a collection of simple paper houses. (Last year I shared one made from baby food jars, remember? Click here to see.)

I used white card stock to cut out a two piece house. I had planned on using gray card stock for the roofs, to create a nice contrast against the white ‘snow,’ but since the copy center was out of gray, I ended up painting the white card stock gray for my roofs. I used rubber stamps to add the numbers to the front of each house (and added a little glitter). I then added glass glitter ‘snow’ to the roofs…

You don’t need a mantel to display an Advent village…here is the village on a birch bark lined tray…

Or – you can use any shelf, table, or little corner in your home to add these tiny houses. To make them really magical, they need some snow and lights…don’t you think?

I am keeping mine pretty simple…just the houses with some snow – and, to go with my woodland theme, I added a white birch log…

So easy and so pretty! This is a wonderful project to create with children. I have another Advent calendar in the works to share soon!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush, Sand & Sisal, Thoughts From Alice, and Finding Silver Pennies.

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diy tree in a bottle xmas ornament

November 11, 2014

Yes, I have admitted I am going through a little bit of a bottle obsession phase of late…creating holiday décor with little bottles has been really fun! Today, I am sharing a really easy DIY ‘tree in bottle’ Christmas ornament.

Like these Thanksgiving place card holders I shared, I used miniature bottles to create these tree ornaments. I have added a little ‘snow,’ and a miniature tree inside the corked bottle to create the cutest ornament!

The little bottles and trees are easy to find in a craft or dollar store. I chose a natural colored bottle brush tree for my creation since I have a passion for neutrals. For the ‘snow,’ use your favorite glitter, salt, or artificial snow.

To be able to hang the ornament, I screwed a tiny screw eye into the cork and added a length of brown and white baker’s twine. (The screw eyes are easy to find in the hardware section of your local Home Depot – you can buy a package and will have enough to make several ornaments.)

That, my friends, is it! Easy, right? And, so cute!

I hope you enjoyed today’s easy Christmas ornament DIY.

Thanks so much for stopping by and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with The Shabby Nest, Sand & Sisal, and Thoughts from Alice.

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for the love of hazelnuts ~ homemade spread

November 7, 2014

When I was a kid, one of the best parts of Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house was cracking and eating nuts! My grandmother would serve a basket of mixed nuts in the shell, providing a metal nutcracker so that we could open them ourselves. It took so much longer to open the nuts than to actually eat them, but then I guess that was what contributed to the fun – all that hard work!

My first exposure to hazelnuts was when they were in the Thanksgiving nut basket…of course, I had no idea they were called hazelnuts at the time. ..the same was true of pretty much all the nuts (including the silly looking Brazil nuts) in the assortment – except for the more familiar walnuts.

As I got older, and was able to identify the individual nuts and their flavors, hazelnuts were one of my favorites! So, it is no wonder that I had an instant love for Nutella …chocolate and hazelnuts? With these two flavors, how can you go wrong?!

This year, I thought about trying to make my own hazelnut spread. Of course it would be much easier to buy it prepared, but I wanted to taste a fresh batch of homemade! When I realized there was a hazelnut spread recipe in the Mast Brothers cookbook, I knew I had to try it! So, come into my kitchen for today’s Friday field trip to make some spread!

roasting hazelnuts for chocolate hazelnut spread pleasure in simple things

Roasting hazelnuts to use in homemade chocolate hazelnut spread.

I have included the recipe adapted from the Mast Brothers in this post and I will be giving away a copy of the Mast Brother’s cookbook as November’s giveaway selection. (If you leave a comment on this post, you are automatically entered to win!) Since I will be making several of the recipes in this wonderful chocolate cookbook to give as gifts this holiday season, I thought some of my friends may want to do the same! The Mast Brothers are chocolate masters, and I am hoping to use some of their expertise to create some of my own chocolate edibles this holiday.

When I buy nuts in bulk for recipes – like pistachio, pine, or hazelnuts – I usually purchase them at Trader Joe’s since I have always found they carry a good quality product that is reasonably priced. So, when I needed recipe ingredients for my hazelnut spread, guess where I shopped?

I had fun making the spread and I am eager to test out some recipes using hazelnut spread. I packaged up my spread in jars and plan on giving them as Thanksgiving gifts. Maybe I will make copies of some of the recipes I find to include with the spread and add a tie-on tag.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you will try making your own hazelnut spread…it has such a great, fresh flavor! If you should have any great recipes using hazelnut spread, I would love to hear about them!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

(If you’d like to see my Friday field trip to Mast Brothers Chocolate, click here.)

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thanksgiving diy place card holders

November 4, 2014

So many things look so much cuter in miniature, don’t they? Today, I am showing you how to use a miniature bottle to create an easy DIY place card holder for your Thanksgiving table. Reminiscent of a fairy garden, these mushroom place card holders are refreshingly different than the standard turkey motif! A small piece of moss, a tiny faux mushroom, and some bendable wire are the only other supplies needed to create a little mushroom in a bottle…so small, and so adorable!

Small corked bottles are easy to find at a craft or dollar store. I found a great selection in the jewelry supply section of my local craft store. (They are also great for displaying small pieces of sea glass and hanging from a chain!)

Any little piece of moss will do inside the bottle…you may be able to find some outdoors. You won’t need much! Then, add your mushroom. If you have any trouble manipulating the mushroom into the bottle, try using a pair of tweezers.

Use a small length of bendable wire – these come in many different finishes in the craft store – and shape a couple circles to use to position the place cards. Leave a little piece of the wire at the bottom to push into the cork stopper.

Now, just repeat the process for the number of place card holders you wish to make! They don’t all need to be the same exact size or shape.

Aren’t they adorable?

I hope you enjoyed this easy DIY for Thanksgiving place card holders. I can’t wait to share my Christmas version! I’ve been busy making holiday items using bottles and jar/containers…so much fun!

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

P.S. If you can’t give up on the turkey motif, you may also enjoy this cutie for your Thanksgiving table!

Sharing with Sand & Sisal, Elizabeth & Co., Coastal Charm, Finding Silver Pennies, Craftberry Bush, City Farmhouse, and Thoughts from Alice.

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for the love of hazelnuts ~ homemade spread

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