holidays

  • St Patrick's Day floral arrangement using dried lentils to create the irish flag St patrick's Day crafts
    Crafts,  holidays

    St. Patrick’s Day Flower Arrangement With Dried Lentils

    Subtle is not an adjective usually paired with St. Patrick’s Day but this St. Patrick’s Day flower arrangement has a more subtle nod to a holiday I absolutely adore. No leprechauns or pots of gold in sight. That’s kind of a shame. I could really use a pot of gold. The star of this St. Patrick’s Day flower arrangement is not the flowers. Although, they are lovely. The star of the show is the vase! The vase finally gets its moment to shine. The vase is filled with dried lentils to mimic the design of the Irish flag. I used roughly equal amounts of green split peas, white rice, and…

  • st valentine shrine at whitefriar street church in dublin st valentines remains are in dublin
    holidays

    From the Archive: St. Valentine’s Remains Are In Dublin

    Editor’s Note: I originally wrote this in 2018 but it is still relevant today because guess what? History is still in the past and not much has changed on this topic between 2018 and 2024. I think you’ll enjoy this wild romp through history. Hold onto your pink teddy bear and open up your box of mystery chocolates because I have an interesting Valentine’s Day story for you! The actual saint that kicked off this entire multi-billion dollar holiday is St. Valentine and his remains (or part of them) are indeed located in Dublin. Ireland is usually all about St. Patrick, so this St. Valentine connection surprised me. I read…

  • 2x4 wood hearts for valentine's day rustic wood hearts wood heart craft
    Crafts,  holidays

    2×4 Wood Hearts for Valentine’s Day

    Do you have a 2×4 or scraps from a 2×4 lying around? Then you can make gorgeous 2×4 wood hearts and use them to decorate your home for Valentine’s Day. The options for how you finish these 2×4 wood hearts is endless. I chose to stain mine because that goes with my home decor a little better. However, you could paint them, decoupage them, bedazzle them, or even apply a stone-like treatment to them. I also like the idea of adding a name or names to the hearts. Instead of carving initials in a live tree, how about adding them to a 2×4 heart? Or you could turn the 2×4…

  • valentine's day terracotta gnome how to make terracotta gnome for valentine's day craft
    Crafts,  holidays

    Valentine’s Day Terracotta Gnome

    We are going to combine three favorite things, terracotta, Valentine’s Day, and gnomes to make something amazing – a Valentine’s Day Terracotta Gnome. What’s that? Gnomes aren’t one of your favorite things? Understandable. Oh, and you’re iffy on Valentine’s Day too? Give me a second. *deep breaths* Can we all agree terracotta is amazing? Even if we don’t know if it’s one word, two words, or a hyphenated word? Alright, here’s the deal to save this craft. We’re going to combine ONE favorite thing with two questionable things. You’re going to have to trust me that love will bloom when you feast your eyes on this Valentine’s Day Terracotta Gnome.…

  • giant navy blue snowflakes made from gift bags christmas reflections 2023
    holidays

    Reflections This Christmas 2023

    There are just a few more days until Christmas. Nobody panic! I suspect that if you’re not panicking it is either because you’re got everything under control or you don’t but you’re just too tired to panic at this point. My kids are still in school, so I think that makes it easier navigate this lead up to Christmas when we’re still operating with our normal school and work schedules. I have spent some time this month, while the energy of Christmas swirls around me, reflecting on our year. Our life this year has been, I’m sure, similar to other people’s lives. The horrors persist, but so do we. Hahaha!…

  • baby grand piano with origami trees christmas decor a touch of christmas in our music room
    holidays

    Christmas In Our Music Room

    Music is an integral part of our lives. I, alone, listened to 47,000 minutes of music on Spotify last year. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there’s a touch of Christmas in our music room this holiday season. And I don’t mean from the holiday carols being played at the piano. Although, you can bet your holly jolly that’s happening regularly too. When I say there’s a “touch” of Christmas in our music room, that’s code for “I got carried away folding origami trees and they needed a place to go.” Do you know how many origami trees you can fold while watching a movie? Since this is…

  • pink and navy christmas tree with handmade origami ornaments, paper snowflakes, and mini wood trees set against stained glass window doors
    holidays

    Pink and Navy Christmas Tree With Handmade Ornaments

    Nothing says Christmas like pink and blue, right? Ha! It might not be traditional, but my pink and navy Christmas tree is certainly making our home feel festive this Christmas season. The best part, to me, is that other than the ribbon, every single ornament on the tree is handmade by yours truly. I’m the only elf in this workshop and I’ve been busy. I painted the mini wood trees. I cut the paper snowflakes. I folded the origami trees. Tis the season to be crafty! If it isn’t abundantly clear by now, let me lay it out very plainly. I really just like to make things – all different…

  • origami tree christmas mantel origami trees made from brown kraft paper used to decorate a mantel for christmas
    holidays

    Origami Trees Christmas Mantel Decor

    A forest of origami trees has sprung up on my Christmas mantel. Teach me how to fold paper into origami trees and I won’t stop until I run out of paper or my mantel is all decorated for Christmas. I’m not even exaggerating. What else does one do with an ever-growing collection of origami trees besides decorate a Christmas mantel? Was there any other choice? I suppose… I know this might sound far out there but hear me out. I suppose I could have learned how to fold something other than trees. Nah. That’s crazy talk! I’m content to be the one hit wonder of origami. While I may only…

  • the cutest painted wood tree ornaments made from mini unfinished wood trees
    Crafts,  holidays

    The Cutest Painted Wood Tree Ornaments

    No matter if you’ve been naughty or nice, I have tree-t for you today: painted wood tree ornaments made from mini unfinished wood trees. These are so satisfying to paint and customize. Without a doubt, the craftspeople who made these mini wood trees on their wood lathes so you and I could turn them into ornaments are on Santa’s nice list. No coal for them! Like all of my best crafty ideas, this one is quick, easy, and completely customizable to your color scheme. Let’s get started. Supplies needed to make these painted wood tree ornaments: mini wood trees (comes in a 30-pack) paint (craft paint or house paint works)…

  • paper tree ornaments with wood star toppers fold paper tree ornaments using a wood star bead as the tree topper
    Crafts,  holidays

    Paper Tree Ornaments With Wood Star Topper

    I love making Christmas ornaments and today I have a fun one for you – paper tree ornaments with a wood star topper. It is amazing what you can make from a humble piece of paper. Plus, it’s pretty satisfying to create one or fifty of these. Not that I got carried away or anything. The thing that really sets these ornaments over the top is the wood star topper. Every Christmas tree needs a topper and I found the perfect wood star beads for this task. What I really like about this craft is that it is completely customizable to your Christmas decor colors. You’ll notice from the pictures…