31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 16} matthew 1:21

If you’d like to download a .pdf of Matthew 1:21, click here.

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 15} link love 10.15.2011

I’m getting this link love post up just in the nick of time, but here are a few great ideas for the holidays!

                                                                             Source: shanty-2-chic.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

I made a few of these ruffle trees as decorations for a boutique show booth last year...they were very cute and super easy to make.

                                                                    Source: icingdesignsonline.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Easy DIY hot chocolate stirrer sticks!  These would make great neighbor gifts for the holidays.

                                                                Source: thecreativityexchange.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Fabric-covered poster board trees…super cute and so affordable!

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 14} toss and learn bean bags

This is a post that was part of Edie's Twelve Days of Handmade Christmas last year, but I thought it would be a great fit for this series! 

These bean bags are a great gift for toddler...we play with ours all the time and have given them for birthday gifts to my little guy's friends.

On to the tutorial...

I love these “Toss and Learn: Colors” bean bags that I created a few months ago.  They are the perfect present for any toddler in your life.  Bean bags help with gross motor skills and sensory integration, and these help with color recognition…says the former teacher in me.  :) We all love bean bags, right?

Of course, we are talking about bean bags here, so they’re pretty simple to make.

Here’s what you’ll need:

8 different fabrics (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black).  

You could add more or less depending on how many colors you want.

      Coordinating or contrasting thread       

Printable fabric – this adds an extra little bit, but I think it makes these bean bags what they are!  This can be found at most fabric stores.  I bought mine at Hobby Lobby with the 40% coupon!

Beans – this takes more beans that you’d think! (A funnel makes this job much easier!).  I used pinto beans as they are sold in large bags at Wal-mart.  

Step One:
 Following the directions on your printable fabric, print the names of the colors on a single page.  If you’re interested in a .pdf of this, e-mail me!  The printable fabric that I used had to dry for a few minutes, so I recommend doing this step first.  Cut your color names apart – be sure to size them so they’ll fit on your bean bags.

Step Two

Cut your fabric into 6-inch squares.  If you have a cutting mat and rotary cutter, this step goes by quickly!

Step Three:
Lay out 1 side of each “bag”.  Pin the color name to one side of each “bag”.  Sew your color names on! You could use a fusible webbing to help secure it.  The printable fabric that I bought already had the fusible webbing on the back, so it made it a little easier. Be sure to back-stitch to secure it!

        Step Four

 After each color name has been sewed on, match up both sides of your bags and pin them together.  Be sure that the RIGHT SIDES of the fabric are together, and sew with a ¼ seam allowance.  Be sure to leave a 2-3 inch opening along one side of each bean bag – this is where we’ll put our beans in.

Step Five:
Clip the corners, turn the bean bags right-side out (be sure to poke the corners out), and iron flat.

Step Six:
Fill the bags using whatever type of beans you have on hand.  One cup seems to be a good amount to fill this size bag.

It helps if you have a trusty assistant!

Step Seven:
After you have filled the bags, pin the opening shut.  Then either hand-sew or machine-stitch the opening closed.  I like to machine-stitch it, and then top-stitch around the entire bag for added strength…we do have a 2-year old boy in the house!  If you top-stitch around your bags, you’ll have to move the beans out of your way as you sew.  This takes a little practice to move them to one side or the other, but you’ll get the hang of it!

Step Eight:
You're done!  Enjoy your Toss and Learn: Colors bean bags!

Step Nine:

Make your cute little toddler’s day by “letting” him practice his colors while playing with the bean bags!

You can take this concept of "Toss and Learn" and use it to teach all kinds of skills...letters, shapes, numbers, etc.  Start a little bean bag-making factory in your sewing room this weekend!

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 13} wrap around address labels

Do you send out Christmas cards?  I LOVE to send (and receive!) Christmas cards.  My goal is usually to send them by the first of December, but that doesn’t always happen.  I also like to hand write all of the addresses. I know, I might be a little crazy, but there’s something about writing all of the addresses out to our friends and family.  One of the things that I have done to make that easier was designing these wrap around labels.

I first used them on my brother-and sister-in-law’s wedding invitations a few years ago and have since used them for our Christmas cards each year. Here’s a look at our cards and labels from last year (I used white envelopes to mail our cards, but couldn’t find any of those!)

The labels are 2”x8” and are designed to wrap around an envelope.  The return address folds around to the back.  To make the card-addressing process quicker, I simply printed these 5 to a sheet on sticker paper, addressed them all, and then cut them out.  Then it’s just a matter of sticking them on the card.  The nice thing about these is you can have all of your addresses done while you’re waiting for your cards to arrive – if you order them from a site like Shutterfly, which I did last year.
To customize the wrap around labels with your return address, you can edit the label above in Photoshop (or Picnik) and then print them!  You can also print these on regular printer paper and attach them to your envelope using a glue stick.
If you’d like to download a full sheet of these labels, click here.
Let’s have another giveaway, shall we?  If you’d like your own sheet of customized wrap around labels like the ones pictured above, only with your return address added, leave a comment letting me know your favorite Christmas movie/TV show! The winners will receive a .pdf file of the labels to print as they wish– not a printed sheet.  I will use random.org to choose 5 winners!  The giveaway ends Saturday night and 9pm (Central time). 
**Remember, these printables are free for personal use only!**

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 12} book page angel wings

This pin has been popping up all over the Pinterest boards lately.  I couldn’t pin it fast enough when I first saw it…I loved it.  What’s not to love?  Book pages, twine, and Christmas décor all rolled into one beautiful picture.  The only problem was that I couldn’t find an original source for it anywhere!  I spent about an hour searching through Pinterest and the internet to no avail…so I thought I’d make my own tutorial. 
I completed this project with all things that I had at home.  I made my angel wings using a flattened cereal box, Mod Podge (I used regular Matte and Sparkle), book pages, and a little bit of ribbon.

I searched around for a wing template online that was similar to the wings in the pin.  I couldn’t find one so I sketched my own pattern right on the cereal box.
If anyone is interested in the template leave a comment and I’ll scan it and update this post with it.

I started to tear my book pages, but liked the straight edges of the book pages in the original.  I cut up 8 or 10 pages in different sizes.  I covered the “front” of the box with the pages so the back of the wings would be the cardboard color.
Using an old paintbrush, I brushed the Mod Podge on the cardboard, adding a square of book page, and covered the top with Mod Podge.  Repeat over and over until the wings are completely covered.

Once it was dry, I turned the wings over and trimmed all of the extra paper.  You could also wrap the paper around to the back, but I wanted a cleaner look on the back (in case anyone ever saw it).
After I trimmed the extra, I added another thin coat of Mod Podge just to give it a little more strength.  Following that coat, I added a coat of Sparkle Mod Podge for a little shine.

I found it helpful to prop the wings up in between two Mod Podge bottles to dry so it would be less likely to crack when I folded the wings in half.  I should also note that I made sure, when creating my pattern, that I lined up the fold on one of the actual folds of the cereal box.  If you were making this out of any other material, you might score that fold line before you add the book paper.
Once everything was dry, I tied one end of my ribbon around the back of the wings. I wrapped the rest of the ribbon and tied it off at the end to leave a loop to hang them by.  If you wanted it to look more like the original, you could use twine or crochet thread here.  I just used what I had in my stash!
I think they turned out great!  This pair is pretty large…I’m thinking that a few pairs of wings on a smaller scale would look beautiful hung on a Christmas tree. 

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 11} brownies for a crowd

I am going to post a recipe each Tuesday of this series that would be great to make during the holidays.  Last week I started with my favorite Crème Brulee French toast casserole.  Have you tried it??

This week I’m going to share a recipe that I stumbled upon this summer: Brownies for a  Crowd.  This really does serve a crowd – I cut mine a little on the small size and got 40 brownies out of the recipe!  YUM!

Do you know the trick to cutting brownies cleanly? Use a plastic knife!  It works EVERY time!

This recipe comes from the blog, Your Homebased Mom.  She got it from a friend’s cook book.   Add it to your recipe box…these brownies are delicious, easy to make, and bake in only 25 minutes!

Brownies for a Crowd
8 eggs
4 C sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. vanilla
2 C butter, melted
3 C flour
1 1/2 C cocoa
Frosting:
4 C powdered sugar
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C cocoa
milk

To make brownies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs in mixer until blended. Add in sugar, salt and vanilla and beat for 1 minute.

Add in melted butter and blend together well. In another bowl mix flour and cocoa and whisk until well blended. Add flour/cocoa mixture to wet mixture and mix until well combined.

Spread into a greased 12 x 17 jelly roll pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and then frost.

To make frosting:
Mix together powdered sugar, butter, and cocoa along with enough milk to make the frosting a good consistency to spread.

Spread over brownies after they have cooled for 15 minutes.
The frosting will melt, making it nice and even with the brownies. Allow to cool.
 
I didn’t make the frosting as these were used as the base for brownie sundaes…they were delicious without the frosting, but I’m sure they’d be even more decadent with it!

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 10} footprint ornament

Almost 4 years ago our Christmas present came a little early…in the form of this precious baby boy.  Truly a miracle boy.  Shortly after a very routine delivery, both of Grayson’s little lungs collapsed.  I’ll save the rest of the story to post on his birthday, but it’s a great story.                           



This was the Christmas card we sent out in 2007 – with all of Grayson’s announcement information on the back.  I can hardly believe the wild, crazy, fun-loving almost 4-year old boy was once that tiny.  Oh my heart, I love that boy. 

I like to make an ornament for our family every year and made this one with Grayson’s tiny little footprint:



I must love crafting, huh?  I was crazy enough to make these with a newborn who was fresh out of the NICU…but I’m so glad I did! It was such a simple project but such a sweet memory and great keepsake.  I simply took a 3 1/2 inch brown paper/cardboard ornament from Hobby Lobby (these are very inexpensive, but are often on sale for 50% off!) and painted it green.  I then painted the bottom of Grayson’s tiny little foot and “printed” it on the ornament.  After it was dry I added the “g” using a paint pen and hot glued a ribbon to the top.  The back is labeled with “Grayson’s First Christmas” and the year.

These would be great ornaments to make with your kiddos!  If there feet (or hands) aren’t tiny enough to fit on an ornament, how about having them paint the ornaments?  Pick out a color scheme that you like and let them have at it!

This is my favorite ornament to hang on the tree….what’s yours?

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 9} luke 2:13-14

  Imagine that sight...it must have been amazing.

If you’d like to download a .pdf of Luke 2, click here. I'd love to know if you download it - please leave a comment!

31 days of warming up to the holiday: {day 8} link love

Today’s post for 31 days is going to be a take on my usual Saturday post called “link love”.  I usually post links from around blogland that I love.  Pretty self-explanatory, I suppose. :)

Today’s “link love” will be all holiday-related….enjoy some eye candy!

                                                                               Source: craftinessisnotoptional.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

I love this raw-edged circle quilt. I plan to start on mine this week - although I will be hand cutting all of the circles. I wish I had an Accuquilt!

                                                                            Source: cluckclucksew.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Wouldn't these be cute in Christmas colors? Or reds and whites to resemble peppermints?

                                                                          Source: craftinessisnotoptional.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Very cute DIY Christmas stockings...

                                                                             Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

These are on my to do list...I think they would look beautiful hung on a tree or in a window! Maybe with some glitter or using Christmas sheet music?

Hope you have enjoyed the last 8 days of our 31 days!  Look for another printable tomorrow morning!

Missed any of the days?  Click on the button below to catch up.

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 7} photo gift tags

Pinterest is a treasure trove of great ideas…have you started pinning?  I came across this pin recently and thought it was a great idea for gift tags!  The tags that were pinned  were actual pictures that were die cut into a tag shape, with some scrapbooking elements added to it.  I loved the idea but really wanted to use digital elements for my gift tag.  Here’s what I came up with:



My Christmas tags measure 2 inches x 3 inches, so I can print about 12 per sheet of either cardstock or photo paper.  This is a great size to include “to” and “from” on the back with a room left for a message if you’d like.My plan is to punch a hole in the top, thread some baker’s twine through, and add it to gifts! 
You could easily come up with your own photo tags, too! I think this idea would be really cute for kid’s birthday gifts or goody bags for your own kiddos party.  Add a picture of your cute kiddo, substitute “Thanks for coming to my party!” for the greeting, and you’ve got some pretty cute tags.

 Let’s have a little giveaway, shall we?  If you’d like your own version of this same tag, leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas song!  I’ll add your photo to this tag (and e-mail you a printable .pdf file of 12 tags) for the first 5 people who comment!  We've received 5 comments!  If you'd like to purchase a .pdf of tags that have been customized with your favorite picture, please e-mail me!

***I designed these in Photoshop Elements and would be happy to share the .psd file for personal use!  E-mail me at 517creations(at)gmail(dot)com if you’d like the file!***

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 6} red number tags

Welcome to Day 6 of our 31 days!  I have designed several printables for the Christmas season and thought I’d share those with you each Thursday!  First up are these cute little red number tags .  These tags will show up in an advent countdown post next week but they have a lot of uses!  They are numbered 1-31 with several blank tags thrown in.  The tags measure 2” and can be cut out by hand or punched out using a scrapbook punch. 

Click here to download and print the tags!

**These are free for personal use!**

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 5} the jesus storybook bible

Looking for a great Bible to read through with your kiddos during this Christmas season?  The Jesus Storybook Bible is perfect.

The Jesus Storybook Bible isn’t your typical Bible in that it is written as more of a story, with each “chapter” leading to the next.  You won’t find books/chapters/verses, but this Bible doesn’t leave anything out, in fact it points children to the Big Story. As author Sally Lloyd-Jones says in the introduction:

“…the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne – everything – to rescue the one he loves . It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! You see, the best thing about this Story is – it’s true. There are a lot of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.”

The Jesus Storybook Bible is recommended for ages 4 and up. I would encourage you, as the parent, to read through each story before you read it to your child. Not because you’ll have to censor anything in the story, but because it’ll give you a totally different perspective on a lot of the “stories” we’ve heard growing up. In fact, Dr. Tim Keller (of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City) suggests,

“I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian--from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians! Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God's revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning--a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned.”

The illustrations are amazing, the words remind us that Jesus is the center of the Story, and that all of the stories whisper his name…in fact, here’s a little excerpt of the Bible as it tells us about Jesus’ birth:

“And there, in the stable, amongst the chickens and the donkeys and the cows, in the quiet of the night, God gave the world his wonderful gift. The baby that would change the world was born.  His baby Son.

Mary and Joseph wrapped him up to keep him warm.  They made a soft bed of straw and used the animals’ feeding trough as his cradle. And they gazed in wonder at God’s Great Gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.

 Mary and Joseph named him Jesus, “Emmanuel” – which means “God has come to live with us.”

Because, of course, he had.”

**The people behind the Jesus Story Book Bible have no idea who I am…I’m not being paid to share my opinions.  I just love this resource for my family and think it is a wonderful gift for the child in your life.**

31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 4} crème brulée french toast

Christmas for me growing up involved waking up very early to open presents at our house, getting dressed, and driving a few miles to my grandparents’ house for breakfast and more present opening! My grandma always had a fabulous spread of food, including a breakfast casserole or two. 
This Crème Brulée French Toast casserole would be a perfect Christmas morning breakfast.  I love the idea of putting breakfast together the night before, while Santa’s elves (or Daddy) are busy putting the last of the toys together,  refrigerate it, and bake it on Christmas morning. 
Here are the ingredients you'll need:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. corn syrup
• 1 loaf French bread, sliced (I get the fresh French loaves at Wal-Mart)
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt

The night before you want to serve your casserole:

1. Spray your casserole dish with a nonstick cooking spray.
2. Melt butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup together until blended. Pour in the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish, making sure the bottom is covered.
3. Arrange the bread slices in the pan over the syrup. Depending on the size of your slices/loaf, you might have to squish the pieces together. Mine don't usually end up in a single layer, but more overlapping each other a little. I like it this way, because then the bottom of the bread is gooey and the top is a little more crunchy.
4. Whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla, and salt. Pour over the top.
5. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down to make sure the bread soaks up all the cream mixture. Refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

In the morning:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bring casserole to room temperature. Bake for 40 minutes.
2. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of each piece as it is being served!

Try it...I promise that it'll be a hit and your house will smell wonderful on Christmas morning!

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31 days of warming up to the holidays: {day 3} thank you notes

As we creep closer to the holidays, the sales and online deals seem to get better and better!  One such deal is for photo cards.  I always see coupon codes floating around for free cards, free shipping, etc. and took advantage of one of these deals last year to make these photo thank you notes.  I am often needing to drop a quick thank you note in the mail, but I was always looking for a card to write on.  Now I have these cute (at least I think so!) 4 x 8 photo cards to write on! 



I simply uploaded one of my favorite pictures of our little guy from last year’s Christmas card “photo
shoot” and intentionally left some of the space blank on the right-hand side.  I added the words “thank you” on top of the picture and placed my order!  Now when I need to jot a quick thank you note, I have a cute card with about 2x4 inches of space to write in.

These would make a great gift idea, too!  So keep your eyes open for those photo card deals and make your own cute, custom thank you notes!

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