Super easy leaf garland tutorial

For a while I have been wishing I had a garland of some kind to hang on the mantle.  I thought of making one out of paper or fabric but I wasn't really loving those ideas.  Then a few days ago I realized a garland with leaves would be perfect.  With no money to spend on a real looking fake one I looked to the dollar store to see if I could get away with a cheap one.  But I was disappointed with the leaves the dollar store had.  Then my daughter brought an armful of maple leaves into the house to make fairy stuff and it hit me, I could make one with real leaves.  That sounds so stupid like I hadn't ever though of that, I did, but because real leaves are so fragile and easily torn I was stumped.  Then the inspiration came to use straws! It sounds strange but you'll see what I mean.

This is a great last minute project, I made it in about twenty minutes. It turned out so pretty and adds that final touch the mantle really needed. I love it! If it lasts long enough I think I'll leave it up till Thanksgiving. The tutorial is below. :)

Here is what you need:

• straws
• leaves
• string
• tape
• scissors

The steps are pictured bellow.

here is is again

1.  cut straws into 3/4 inch pieces
2. tape straws onto back of leaves
3. run a string through straws

I told you it was super easy! :) This might even work with hot glue instead of tape, that way you can get the straw as high as possible on the leaf so they hang more vertical. My leaves tilt forward a tiny bit, I am still very happy with the way it turned out.

With two Halloween parties to prep (one at church and one here) I will probably not be posting till after Halloween. Witch is sad because I wanted to have shared my kids' Halloween costumes by now. Oh well, I'll post them in November I guess. Have a safe and happy Halloween everyone! :)

Edit: Today my leaf garland is very sad looking.  All of my leaves have curled up from drying out.  I thought that being hug up would make them stay fairly flat but no such luck. Unless you make it the day of your party, you will probably want to press your leaves before making this garland.

Halloween decorations

Welcome! Come on in, have a sip of cider, and take a look around at this years Halloween decorations.

My Halloween banner in the entryway greets all guests. The feather wreath I purchased at Christmas time last year is a perfect touch. I say perfect because is is perfect for this spot and also because it was 50 cents.
 Notice the hand crocheted spiderweb and the accumulation of figurines.  I had no idea I had so many.  Good thing I have a nook with exactly five spots. :)

 

The pedestal bowl filled with pumpkins and gourds is a favorite of mine. The mantle was unfinished till I added that. The masked busts are ready for a spooky party to be sure. Black beads adorn the chandelier and a dollar store crow makes it its perch.

Lastly I share the haunted mansion that my super talented girlfriend created from cereal boxes and masking tape. What a treasure.  I am so lucky to have it.

 

 Happy Halloween!!

Tribute to Fall

Gone are the warm autumn days where you sit outside all day.  It is supposed to snow tonight, and it has been raining all weekend.  Hopefully there still a few warm days left this year but I'm not counting on it.

This photo collage is my tribute to those warm autumn days.  I took all of these right from my front porch. :)

a fascination with fairies

If you walked by my house in the morning or late afternoon you would see a blonde little girl either lying in the grass staring at bark or taping leaves together. Her love for all things Harry Potter is not trumped, but put on the shelf for awhile while fairies consume her every free moment. When I have to put home-school on hold while I nurse the baby, she can be found building a fairyland in her room or drawing fairies in her sketchbook.

Pictured above are some of the things I have found lying around the yard.  The other day I found a pixie dust basket filled with glitter, made with leaves and washi tape.  It was so amazingly constructed, but sadly it was not around to be photographed. I assume it dried out and was crushed into dust. (Pixie dust perhaps?!) :(  It looked just like a real basket and if I were a fairy I so would have used that basket!  

When I was little I would lay down and stare into the grass looking at the world like a tiny fairy would have.  I would tape leaves to my dolls for clothes and I would even put the sprinkler on mist for an added effect. How fun it is to see her doing the same things I did as a kid. :)

Handmade Halloween invitations

When my printer stopped working earlier this month I was a little freaked out.  I'd had my heart set on printing out a bunch of my free printable ghost invitations I designed.  I thought and thought of what I could do instead but it was like my imagination was broken. All I could think of was ...beef...stew. (5 points to whoever knows that reference.)  Anyway, I wracked my brain and I just couldn't let go of the adorable idea of ghosts holding a flag banner.  So I went to my craft room got out my stamps, paint and paper and went to work.  What do you think?

I used my sewing machine to put it all together.

I am super happy with how they turned out. :)

I like to link up with these link parties.

Favorite gifts to give and get

Hi everyone! I was asked by Amberlee to participate in a post about my favorite gifts on Giverslog. If you haven't been to her blog yet get on over there. It is a great place to get inspiration on gift giving, pretty wrapping, or to just look at all the eye candy she posts!

 These boxes are made from re-purposed paper grocery bags and 12x12 scrapbook paper.  If you want to learn how to make one just watch my origami box tutorial video here.


What is my favorite gift to give or receive? I have to say hands down it's a handmade gift!  A handmade gift says, I am willing to spend the time, whether it's time wrapping it beautifully, time planing out what the gift is, or time making the gift itself.  My most recent favorite gift to receive was a skull and crossbones blanket my mother made for my son.  I love it because my son is obsessed with skeletons, & I love it because my mom went outside her own craft style just for him. (She's not the scull and crossbones type at all.) :) I also love it because every night when I tuck him in, he is reminded his grandma loves him.
Thanks mom!

 One tradition that I do is I make a plush food toy for each of my kids every year for Christmas. As a kid I loved to play store or pretend cook. My kids are the same. My daughter loves pretend cooking. At three years old she professed the desire to be a chef, now at 6 years old she still plays with the food toys I make. Throughout the years here is some of what I have made, a 3 layered cake, brownies, chocolate cookies, pizza, spaghetti, and a popsicle. (I may be forgetting some.)

Pictured  below are the food toys I made last year.

Wrapping the gift, for me, is just as fun as making it. A wile ago I fell in love with the cute packaging I was seeing at the craft stores.  But I was unwilling to buy them, I was bent on figuring out some way to do it myself!  And I guess I finally did. This simple origami box has changed my take on wrapping and gift giving. I am obsessed! (Yesterday I even tried to make one out of a 3x3 ft piece of canvas... it didn't work.)
Pictured at the very top are of some of the first origami boxes I made. 

 Here is what I love about giving handmade gifts:

• planning 
• creating
• wrapping
• scheming
• sneaking around
• surprising
• creating a gift that matches their personality
• creating a keepsake or heirloom gift
• giving something totally unique

 Here is what I love about receiving handmade gifts:

•  the flaws of a child's handmade gift
• remembering the giver when looking at the gift
• the fact the no one else has one like it
•  the time & effort they spent on it

What was your favorite gift to give or get?
 
I like to link up with these link parties.

Free Halloween Challenge {more free printables and a Link Party!}

For today's Free Halloween Challenge I have a few more free printables. :)  Also, the link party starts today! If you want to add a link just go to the bottom of this post and click "click here to enter".

Sadly my printer is broken so I have no photos of these lovelies actually made. :(   I have a free printable of some treat bags and a few more of Halloween cards. :) I hope you as much fun using all of these as I did making them!  Here you go.

Terms of use: 

for personal use, not for profit!

Don't post large image on your blog,

post a small one and link it back to me. :)

 

 

click images to view larger and save.

How to make the treat bags:

1. Print image on regular printer paper (not card stock)
2. fold bag in half 
3. fold bottom and side tabs in and glue to other side of bag
4. fill bag with goodies
5. fold and glue(or staple) top tab if you want a closed envelope look.

If you have any questions just let me know. :)

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Now on to the link party!!  

guidelines:
Post a button on your blog to link everyone here. (button code is on my side bar-->)
You don't have to add only your blog posts, if you find a post by some one else that inspires you, add it.  

People will be directed straight to that post so they are still getting the credit. Just leave them an comment letting them know you linked it here. (I plan on adding a few myself.)

The point is that we all have access to great tutorials and affordable Halloween crafts. :)
Just check and see if the one you are adding hasn't already been added.  I am leaving this link party open all month so come back and add as many as you want.

Remember to link to specific posts not the main page.

Click here to see what link parties I'm in