Here's a round-up of 30 of Little Birdie Secrets' favorite Valentine's Day projects, crafts, decor, packaging, recipes, and more! Enjoy!
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Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
30 crafty valentine's day {tutorials}
Here's a round-up of 30 of Little Birdie Secrets' favorite Valentine's Day projects, crafts, decor, packaging, recipes, and more! Enjoy!
superbowl & valentine's chex mix {recipe}
Sweet Coconut Chex Mix. I'm not gonna lie--you will hate me for sharing this recipe with you. But I must. My sister-in-law made it at Christmastime and I was hooked. That's why it has been affectionately named "Christmas Crack." You will become addicted. No matter how much your brain tells you to stop eating it, your body will tell you to keep eating. And you will obey.
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Thursday, November 14, 2013
how to create a tablescape {thanksgiving}
The following is a sponsored post as part of Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft
Stores® Celebrate the Season campaign. All opinions are my own.
I was surprised to learn recently that my oldest son's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Not Christmas? I'm sure that's a close second, but after thinking about it I had to agree. Thanksgiving has all the warmth, family, and good food of Christmas without all the stress. So I decided to put a little extra into my Thanksgiving decorating this year. I give you my Thanksgiving tablescape! More than a centerpiece, a tablescape is a grouping of items that gives you an opportunity to really decorate a dining table, a console table, or even a entry or coffee table around a theme or season. If you haven't done it before, here are a few tips for creating a tablescape.
How To Create a Tablescape
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Thursday, October 31, 2013
happy halloween!
Happy Halloween from my bunch of ghouls to yours! Candyfest '13 was a doozy. My hot dog, ninja, and minion increased their candy intake this year probably two-fold. Heaven help me. Thank goodness for the ongoing "candy tax" imposed by Mom and Dad.
My big boys with their cousins headed to school this morning. Heaven help those teachers!
My favorite part about Halloween this year was my front porch. All the color made me so happy! I stole the Ikea orange and white polka dot rug idea from cute Jen at Tatertots & Jello, and the wagon full of pumpkins from Miss Sassy herself, Tausha at Sassy Style Redesign. Thanks for the inspiration, ladies! If you don't already follow them on Instagram, you should.
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Friday, October 18, 2013
halloween burlap table runner {tutorial}
Easiest. Project. Ever. This Halloween burlap table runner doesn't need much of a tutorial. It honestly took me about 10 minutes to make. And it really makes my Halloween table display pop.
I found this printed burlap fabric at Hobby Lobby and bought two yards. I bought 3 yards of pom pom trim from the upholstery section of the sewing department, but I only used about 2.5 yards. The rest I used on my burlap Halloween banner.
Using this easy cutting method from my burlap wedding banner tutorial, I trimmed the short edges to make sure they were straight and even. Then I overlapped the pom pom trim over the short edges and zig-zag stitched them in place. The edges were already frayed a bit so I left them that way. That is seriously it. It doesn't get much easier than that, my friends.
One of my favorite parts of my Halloween centerpiece is this adorable "Frank" doll made by my friend Dana Engemann. I love the bolts coming out of his head and the little zipper "cut" above his eye. Her owls are adorable, too! (If you're a Utah local you can also take amazing classes from Dana--check out her Web site.)
My other fave is this vintage Halloween book page art I made. Just take a piece of dictionary paper or other book page and print a vintage Halloween image in the middle and frame it. This bat image is from The Graphics Fairy (I used it on my Halloween tea towels, too!) I love fast and easy projects like this! I think you'll be seeing something similar on my Thanksgiving table. . .
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Thursday, October 17, 2013
burlap halloween banner {tutorial}
More last minute Halloween DIY decor! I saw the cutest burlap Halloween banner in the Pottery Barn catalog recently, but it's no longer available. So what are you going to do? Make it yourself, of course!
I decided to stencil the letters on burlap for an aged look. I used the same method as I showed on my burlap wedding banner with a few additions.
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Tuesday, October 15, 2013
halloween pumkin cauldron {tutorial}
I know I can't be the only one still looking for fun Halloween ideas, am I right? One of my favorite Halloween resources for years has been Martha Stewart's Halloween issue. I am amazed that her staff is still coming up with such gorgeous and creative ideas. I am especially loving this pumpkin cauldron from the 2013 Halloween issue, and Martha is letting us share the fun tutorial with you!
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Thursday, October 10, 2013
halloween burlap mini banner tutorial {how to print on burlap}
Most craft bloggers will probably tell you that it's not hard to create a project for a post (because that's the part we love), but for some reason that last step of actually creating the blog post takes a Herculean effort. Take this Halloween "boo" bunting I made as gifts for some friends I visited in Seattle last week. I was so proud of myself for getting 17 of these babies done before October even began, but it's now a week in and I still haven't posted the tutorial (editor's note: it has now taken me three days to finish this post!). Maybe I need to hire an assistant. . .
Anyway, you will be amazed at how quick and easy these little burlap Halloween banners are to create. I have been wanting to print on burlap for ages, but I was afraid it would gum up my printer and my husband would ban burlap from our house. I'm here (and so is my burlap stash) to say it was a success! I ran over 50 pieces of burlap through my printer and didn't have so much as one piece get jammed. I printed on paper right after and it was smooth as silk--no burlap fiber stuck in the ink or anything. Printing on the burlap saved me hours of stenciling like I had planned. Here's a quick tutorial for printing on burlap--you are going to love this!
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Sunday, March 10, 2013
spring decor idea {easter wreaths}
I finally got a little hope this weekend that Spring might actually be coming! I ran 6 miles on the trail (instead of on the treadmill) and it was glorious. I am so ready to get outside again!
I told you at Valentine's that my chairs looked naked after the Christmas wreaths were off the backs of my bar stools, so when I bought my Valentine's wreaths I also picked up these spring wreaths to use for the Easter season. (Please try not to notice the piles of mail, etc. on the counter--I was too lazy to clean it up!) They make my kitchen feel so much sunnier!
Adding a wreath to the backs of dining chairs or bar stools is such a quick and easy way to decorate for the seasons. These make me smile every time I walk into the kitchen!
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Saturday, March 9, 2013
spring table centerpiece idea {and a silhouette double-sided adhesive banner}
Instead of a tablecloth, which might have fought with the display, I used a long piece of kraft wrapping paper as a table runner. This is one of my favorite ways to dress up a tablescape because it doesn't matter if it gets dirty, and it's waaay cheaper than a good tablecloth!
Next, pull out all those apothecary jars you have left over from that candy centerpiece you did for your last birthday party or shower. I love using these for every season--just fill it with something colorful or symbolic of the time of year. Depending on how many you have, that could be your centerpiece right there. I filled this one with Robin Eggs candy. Dangerous, I know, but so colorful and cute!
I "filled" this apothecary jar with a decorative bird's nest with the sweetest blue robins eggs in it (non-candy variety). I stacked it on a few books to give it some height.
I loved this darling tin tub with burlap and "No. 4" stenciled on it. I found it at Taipan Trading in Utah, but you could easily reproduce it with a tub of your own, a small piece of burlap, a stencil, and a black Sharpe marker! I filled it with faux potted tulips (I added a few more after this photo because it was looking a bit bare, but you get the idea).
I also added a couple of other fresh-looking spring pieces (more silk flowers, a ceramic bird, and a moss-covered bunny), then anchored it with a green wreath in the center. After I had it all put together, I thought the wreath looked a little bare, and I also wanted to make it more of an Easter display rather than simply Spring, so I added an Easter bunting featuring the words "He Is Risen". Here's how to make one:
Cut the pennants out of book pages either by hand or with a die cut machine (I used my Silhouette SD). Next cut the letters out of double-sided adhesive paper (mine is from Silhouette). See this tutorial for more into on this great stuff! Then add silver German glitter glass to the adhesive letters and hang the pennants on some baker's twine.
And, since I"m completely incapable of simplicity, I added a few embellishments, like yellow pom-pom trim. . .
. . .and little paper flowers from Bazzill. But that is entirely up to you and how crazy you personally are.
Then I hung it on my wreath.
My poor family is getting used to eating at the table but not being able to see each other over the various vases and floral arrangements I've been covering the kitchen table with. I'm just too lazy to move it. Plus it just makes me so happy to look at my little piece of Spring while this winter drags on!
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Tuesday, February 12, 2013
valentine heart wreaths {dining chair decor}
For Christmas this year I hung wreaths on the back of my bar stools with red ribbon. A simple idea, but it really made a big impact in my room.
After I hung them, they looked a bit plain to me, even with red bows. So I raided my Christmas decor, pulled apart a sparkly Christmas pick I found for 50% off after Christmas, and wired it to the wreath, mimicking the heart shape.
Don't worry, I already found some spring wreaths to replace them next week. :)
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Sunday, February 3, 2013
valentine's heart wreath & chalkboard art {tutorial}
Valentine Heart Wreath with Chalkboard Message Board {Tutorial}
First for the chalkboard, which is easy as pie. Even the creating the beautiful text is easier than you'll believe. I've done a few chalkboard projects over the years (like the travel chalkboard, chalkboard speech bubbles, and the faux chalkboard labels, to name a few), but this one is my new favorite.
Chalkboard Sign Supplies:
*Wooden board or sign
*Chalkboard paint (I like Martha Stewart's)
*Foam brush
*Chalk
I started with a hanging sign that I found at Hobby Lobby on clearance, but didn't really like. First I sanded it lightly, then I applied two coats of chalkboard paint (wait an hour between coats, then cure 24 hours).
Next I covered it with a layer of chalk to prime it.
To get a clean, professional looking text, I cheated by printing my main word out on printer paper. Then I covered the back of the paper (behind the word) with chalk.
Tape your paper in place to ensure it doesn't move while you're working.
Using a pencil, trace the letters on the front of the paper, transferring the chalk on the back to your chalkboard.
Next, remove the paper. The word has been transferred, but it is not as dark or clear as I'd like. So I traced over the text with my stick of chalk.
Another trick for professional looking results: sharpen your chalk to a point. I used the side of a pair of scissors to shave the end of the chalk to a point.
Erase any mistakes with a Q-Tip. I also rubbed some chalk dust around to make my blackboard look more authentic. Then I added some other elements free-hand to pretty it up.
Here is my finished chalkboard--I was going to use it as a wall hanging. . .
. . .until I got working on my wreath. When it was done it just needed a little something.
Heart Valentine's Wreath Supplies:
*Heart grapevine wreath
*Silk flowers, I used pink hydrangeas and peonies
*Burlap ribbon
*Craft or floral wire and wire cutters
Originally I wanted to cover this wreath with hydrangeas, but I couldn't justify the cost for that many hydrangea picks, even at wholesale. So I chose five flowers and bunched a few at the bottom and a couple more on the opposite side.
Remove the stems and wire the flowers onto the grapevine wreath.
I made a big 10-loop bow with my burlap ribbon (it is wired ribbon, which makes shaping it much easier) and wired it to the top of the wreath.
I added my chalkboard sign with wire as well. If you need something to attach the wire to, try hammering picture hanging hardware to the back.
And that's it! I hung my wreath with a 3M Command Strip hanger, which is totally removable and won't hurt my door.
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