Tag Archives | diy

Memorial Day & diy Red, White & Blue Magnets

May 24, 2014

{print Memorial Day… Thank God … freedom, Here}

Fun Patriotic magnets to adorn bulletin boards or the refrigerator this Memorial Day and into the coming months {flag day, 4th of July ….. }

Supplies

• Mod Podge {matte-mat}
• Mod Podge {dimensional magic}
• Q-tips {or disposable brushes}
• Toothpicks
• Scissors
• round magnets {¾”}
• Red, white and blue tissue papers {cut into small ½- ¼ inch strips}
• star paper punch {optional}

Before starting the project, protect the surface area you will be working on with disposable paper or other materials.

Step 1 With a Q-tip as the brush, dip it in Mod Podge matte-mat and apply a light coat on the top side of the magnet. Start adding the little pieces of tissue and layering them on top of each other. Use the tip of a toothpick to hold the tissue pieces in place while apply Mod Podge. Finish it off with one last coat of Mod Podge. Let it dry for 30 minutes.

.Step 2 Apply glue and tissues to the sides of the magnet. Let it dry for 30 minutes. These magnets are completely done…. just wanted to show the side view.

Step 3 The last step is to apply the Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. The liquid will come out of the bottle cloudy/milky and dry clear and glossy in 24 hours. Start at the center and move out to the edges of the magnet. Add enough liquid to form a dome shape {it will not spill over easily}. Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles and to move the liquid closer towards the edges if needed. Let it dry for 24 hours.

I like how the Mod Podge Dimensional Magic adds a shiny 3-dimensional surface to the magnets.

{Printable Memorial Day mini banner and other cutouts ….. Here}

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Memorial Day Printables
{Thank God … freedom, Here}
{mini banner and other cutouts ….. Here}

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posted by: Kay

0 comments

Mother’s Day Flowers & Fran’s Chocolates

May 9, 2014

For Mother’s Day … I shouldn’t … but I do… like to help Bill with ideas. The simplest things to give are sometimes not obvious for him to think of. When Bill has a great plan, the kids think he’s pretty cool. That’s why I like to ….. ~~but I shouldn’t~~.

Flowers and chocolates are the classic combination to give for any occasion. Putting a simple twist on the idea can make it more special and personal. Find a few pretty containers and fill them with Mom’s favorite flowers. Arrange the flowers by grouping the same ones together. Then top it off with her favorite chocolate truffles.

I look forward to these gifts again and again.

A great thing about simple flower arrangements is that they are easy for the kids to help out with and put together. Each one could be moved to another part of the house, wherever Mom wants to enjoy it. .

Simply beautiful ranunculus, I could be quite content with just that.

. .

Fran’s Chocolates have been a favorite of mine for 20+ years. I remember going to the tiniest chocolate shop {about the size of a walk-in closet…maybe just a tad bigger} to buy some of the best chocolate truffles. Often times Fran Bigelow would be in the back room making it. Fran’s Chocolates have outgrown that space and expanded to three retail locations throughout the Seattle area. Today, Fran Bigelow is very well known and is considered one of the best chocolatiers in the country. .

Fran’s Chocolates are made with the highest quality ingredients, hand made in small batches from start to finish. The chocolate truffles are rich and creamy with a crispy thin outer shell. Their salted caramels are dipped twice in a special blend of chocolate made by Valrhona and carefully sprinkled with gray or smoked salt.

The attention to detail is utmost from the start of the first ingredient to the beautiful hand-tied satin ribbon bow on the package.

Having fun with this picture of Bill at Fran’s Chocolates in Bellevue.

Fran’s Chocolates, truffles, smoked salt caramels and other confectionery are available at many specialty retail stores throughout the United States. To find the best selection go online at Fran’s Chocolates or visit one of Fran’s Chocolates boutiques.

Fresh flowers with chocolate truffles is a wonderful combination to give for Mother’s Day.

images/sources: Fran’s Chocolates packaging 1 / packaging 2

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posted by: Kay

4 comments

Easter Table Settings and Decorations

April 12, 2014

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This past Sunday I had an unexpected and wonderful surprise from a friend. Hannah helped my good friend Ruthie put together an event and afterward she came home with a large tray of wheat grass and daffodils. Ruthie knew I would enjoy decorating with it.

Thank you Ruthie!

Wheatgrass is available at most grocery stores in the produce department and some home and garden retailers. While I will be decorating with it, most people will buy and use wheatgrass as nourishment for their bodies by juicing it. In terms of nutrition, it is rich in chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. A multipurpose plant to enjoy as a drink and for decorating.

Here’s how I used wheatgrass and daffodils to decorate my house…

The containers wheatgrass came in were not the best for displaying. A simple solution was to wrap a long strip of white paper around the sides to cover it up. A white tray was used to hold two containers together.

Simple arrangements of wheatgrass and daffodils lined the center of the table.

The plastic containers were removed and replaced with bowls and cups from my kitchen for this display.

Fill a large bucket with wheatgrass and scatter a few eggs on top to greet visitors at the front door on Easter Sunday.

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posted by: Kay

5 comments

Packaging, Chocolate Carrots

April 9, 2014

Found these mini crispy chocolate carrots by Palmer at Target recently and I thought they would be a cute addition to the Easter treats. I took the carrots out of their original netting bags and repackaged them in small plastic bags {3″ x 3″}. To make the chocolate carrots look like they were poking out from the ground, I added chocolate rocks and brown paper grass.

Another simple packaging idea for these chocolate carrots is to put them in a clear cello bag and tie it with a ribbon.

fun treats & simple packaging

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posted by: Kay

0 comments

Decorating with Eggs

March 29, 2014

Easter will soon be upon us along with coloring and dying Easters eggs. But for now to welcome Spring, I like to simply use and display eggs without any {or very little} adornments and in their natural pure form. Here I have filled a large white platter with an assortment of eggs with a sprinkle of feathers from my chickens as a center piece for a gathering or other entertainment.

Placing eggs in a small ceramic crate egg holder is another simple and easy display to do. Having a few eggs on the kitchen counter is a pretty sight. I love seeing the many beautiful shades of cream, brown, and green eggshells. It’s always handy to have some nearby for cooking and baking too.

To show off a particular egg {in a subtle manner}, I placed it on a white plate with a bed of green moss, a paper nest, and covered it with a glass dome. This little light brown egg with tiny dark speckles came from one my chickens. I kept the eggshell along with a few others as an inspiration for possible paint colors and for other uses. A great way to display and protect a fragile egg.

Over the years I’ve collected quite a few antique egg prints and one of the ways I like to display the collection is to group them together. This will bring attention and cohesiveness to the display wall.

Interested in collecting vintage prints, a good place to start your search is at the website, Panteek. They have a wide variety of egg prints and many other vintage prints to choose from.

{print vintage egg print 1 Here, print vintage egg print 2 Here}

Another source for egg prints and many other vintage prints is the website, Vintage Printable. All are free for you to print/dowload till your heart’s content. The two vintage egg prints above came from there. I changed the background and made it lighter and sharpened the images slightly. Feel free to use these egg prints however you like.

For an Easter table centerpiece, my friend Lynn put this together using a variety of baby lettuce plants, pansies and moss. Tuck a few eggs randomly in the centerpiece to add a touch of playfulness. After Easter, it can go outside to be enjoyed a little longer and the lettuce leaves will be a wonderful addition to a mixed green salad or a sandwich.