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!