Ugly Dress Christmas Gift

This year I had the great idea to gift my mom an ugly mother-of-the-bride dress just to see what happens. Rae helped me out and discreetly video recorded her opening the gift. Her reaction says it all... I'm sure she won't be wearing it to my wedding! Enjoy!

A Very Merry DIY Christmas: Dog Biscuit+Ball Jar

The temperatures here are dropping and we are just a few weeks away from Christmas! If you're anything like my family, it can be hard to buy for everyone. But, if you know any dog lovers, anything you get for their beloved pups will be a welcomed gift. This is a quick and simple glass jar stuffed with goodies and toys. Fill it with items from around the house, small bones, treats, balls, clothing... whatever your heart desires. I used a paint pen in white with a small rounded tip to write the quote. I used fonts "Cheddar Jack" and "DK Yellow Sun" as guidance. 

Memory Foam Dog Bed for Crate

These dogs keep us busy and need a cozy spot to rest! We recently got a new memory foam mattress topper so decided to recycle the old one into new dog beds for their crates.

I used plywood, no rip utility fabric, fleece, memory foam, and a staple gun for this project.

 Measure the crate and cut the board, foam, and fabric to fit.

 Staple down the no rip fabric tightly to the board. This will hold the foam to the board.

 I cut a fleece blanket in half to cover two boards for both crates and stapled that down to finish it off. I didn't bother making the underside pretty because no one will see it (besides you, haha). 

She loves it already!

If you don't quite trust your dog in the crate if they aren't potty trained you could use waterproof fabric underneath and make the fleece similar to a pillowcase slip so it could be washed. 

A Very Merry DIY Christmas: Hand Lettered Wood Signs

Hello and welcome to part three of my Christmas gift series! Of course these wood signs are fabulous for gifting for any occasion or holiday. I love that they can be used year-round. I got the wood from the Home Depot and they cut it there for me. These boards are approximately 12"x15". To see how we stained the wood, check out my last tutorial here. 

If you love the look of hand lettered signs but don't have the time or patience to create your own look, shop them on Brooke Gordon Designs. 

This first design is for my Hawaii family 🤗

I used basic acrylic paint and this brush set to tackle this project:

I used the flat brush for the thick strokes and finished with the rounded tip for thin lines and rounded edges. 

A Very Merry DIY Christmas: Fabric Cross Wood Sign

Welcome back to part two of my Christmas gift series! This beautiful (and easy!) fabric cross is a great piece for gifting. It is relatively inexpensive and thoughtful and you can put your stamp on it, or theirs, to personalize it. Here is what you'll need to complete this DIY: wood, stain, fabric, hot glue, fray-check, ribbon, and nails. A huge thanks to Brooke from Brooke Gordon Designs for helping me with the process! You can check our her wood signs on Etsy.

Check out the time-lapse and then keep scrolling to see the step-by-step pictures!

About Me

My name is Emma and I am a marketing graduate student. I started this blog to keep track of my favorite recipes, projects, and DIY crafts. I love trying ideas and sharing my ideas with all of you. Seeing and growing this blog has been a love of mine for years now and I can only hope to continue providing my followers with creative and engaging content. Outside of work and school my dogs and fiance take up most of my time!

Photo Credit: Henson Creative

A Very Merry DIY Christmas: Photo Ornaments

Welcome to part one of "A Very Merry DIY Christmas" gift series! My goal behind this series was to find inexpensive gifts that still show the receiver that you put time, thought, and effort into it. This is also a great option to add on to another gift, or even use it as a gift tag to identify presents under the tree. 

Here's what the project requires: 

-clear plastic disc ornaments

-photos

-thread/fishing wire

-printer paper

-ribbon

-decorative snow (optional)

My project started at a craft store where I purchased two medium/large clear plastic disc ornaments and three smaller ones. I used my local Walmart photo center to print 5 4x4 photo prints. You can always use photo prints you have around the house, too! 

Identify how much space you want your picture to take up in the ornament. I made mine approximately the size of the bulb to use most of the space. Trace out a circle and cut the same size for your picture and printer paper backing. I printed out the text for the backing to my ornaments but you can always hand-write anything in. Use sticky dots or a glue stick to secure the printer paper to backside of the photo (both right-side up!). 

Fonts (top): Bromello and DK Yellow Sunshine; Backtalk Sans BT
(bottom): Daydreamer; Bromello; Cheddar Jack

I used a needle to make a small hole in the top of the photo and used thread to attached the hook of the ornament. This step felt tedious but it's important because if you don't secure the photo to the top, your photo inside will shift and it could end up upside-down.

Roll the photo up and place it into the bulb. Using photo paper allows it to roll easier than using cardstock. You may have to give it a little shake and tap to get the picture to open up flat. Good thing our bulbs are plastic, right?! If you would like to give your ornament a snow globe feel, add some artificial snow. This also gives it more of a festive holiday feel!

I really enjoyed using the pictures of my great grandparents. One set I knew as a child- even knowing my great pap into my young adult years- and the other set I never met. It's a nice way to connect family, past and present, around the holidays. A warm reminder that they are always here with us.

Let me know if you have questions about the project! Be sure to save this on Pinterest and I hope you check out part two of the series next week!

Spooktacular Halloween House Decor

Tired of the inflatable characters, plastic skeletons and skulls to decorate this Halloween? Try digging into your closet to create unique and frightfully fun decor! My Nonna created these creatures to decorate her front porch. Hope these help inspire your Halloween decor...

Halloween Pet Costume Project

Haven is our sweet angel so it was only fitting to give her a pair of wings this Halloween. I found a cute image of coffee filter wings on Pinterest but there was no tutorial so I was on my own. The first attempt was a bit of a comedy. If at first you don't succeed, you might be trying to get too creative haha! 

First attempt on the left, final product on the right. LOL!

It worked out much better to fold the filters into quarters than to fold in half and fluff. I first cut out teardrop shapes from cardboard and then folded a few filters into quarters. I did a few half folds on the outer wing to give it a little more of a curve shape.

Start at the bottom of the wing

Half fold on the outside 

Work your way up going for a scalloped look

Glue (I used hot glue) the two wings to a rectangular piece of cardboard. Paint the back of the cardboard white. I used a thin piece of fabric to attach the wings to Haven's harness. I also got pipe cleaners for a halo but we're doing baby steps right now :) 

With the remainder of the cardboard box, I made a few DIY tombstones for the house. I just used regular acrylic paint. I used floral wire to stake them into the ground, taping the wire securely to the back of the tombstone.

Easy 5-minute Tombstone!

Hand Lettered Pumpkin Tutorial

I'm excited to share my first video tutorial with you all! I still haven't fully gotten used to hearing my own voice on camera, but I'll get over it :) Hope you all enjoy!

Here's a mock of what I envision the house numbers to look like. I used the font "EcuyerDax" for the numbers and "Ke Aloha" for the street. There are a whole slew of monogram ideas and some fall phrases on Pinterest you could incorporate!

Stick to YOUR Budget this Holiday Season!

The holidays are right around the corner and the stores already have Christmas decorations out! This year, more than ever, I need to make a budget and stick to it. I love gift gifting! My wallet- not so much. I can easily go overboard when I find the "perfect" gift for a family member or friend. Budgeting is nothing new, but I never considered how much to allocate for each present before. This worksheet helped me estimate how much I can afford and will help me ensure I don't go over.

If I get a gift on sale and save money on one individual, then I am able to reallocate that money for an additional gift or individual. Maybe yours looks a little different if you buy for kids, cousins, nieces, neighbors, etc. I grouped my friends and coworkers together and will spend no more that the calculated amount for the whole group. Making gifts, baking cookies, or small items is the perfect way to give without spending more than what you're comfortable with. Writing cards is a perfect way to show appreciation to individuals you might not be able to buy a gift for.

I use Pinterest to save ideas so I'm less likely to make an impulse decision at the store. Etsy is a great website to find unique items at your price-point; you can search for an item and filter by price. I have even purchased great gifts from eBay and Groupon. It's a great way to save but be aware who you're buying from. Read reviews, and if they are international sellers, be aware of long shipping times. If you're up for it, DIY! I made blankets one year and my only cost was fabric (check out the tutorial here). Happy gifting!

The Google Sheet can be viewed here!

Weekend Project: Bathroom Update

As a renter, there isn't much to be done in terms of updates to the property. However, there is still room for improvement! With a few nail holes, you can transform an entire space! Our downstairs half-bath faces the family room so it's all too easy to see into the plain space. I used the wooden floating shelf as inspiration for this update (check it out here). The wooden boards were very inexpensive, and not the best quality :). I made sure any marks or bumps would be on the bottom or against the wall. It took two coats of black spray paint to get the look I wanted. I also accidentally used black metallic on the first coat, oops! 

After letting both boards dry, I eye-balled where I wanted the shelves to be, and screwed in the L brackets (aka corner braces); first to the boards, and then onto the wall. There is about 2 inches of space on either end. From far away, it gives the illusion that the boards are flush with the wall. You can find those in the hinge and fasteners section of any hardware store. Because I am not placing anything heavy or valuable on the shelf, the two L brackets will hold it easily. If you are using heavier wood or heavy objects, check out some tutorials below. I used decorations I already had around the house and incorporated them into the design. This project took me less than an hour and makes a huge difference! I really feel that it gives it a more home-y feel and it doesn't look all that stark and bland anymore!

Here are a few more DIY floating shelves to inspire your next project!

Chunky Shelves by Desert Domicle

Corner Shelves by 4 Men 1 Lady

White Shelves by BlogLovin