Wedding Planning Wednesday - Crepe paper rosette tutorial!

I'm so excited to finally share this DIY pomander tutorial with you all! I just love how it came out and I'm happy to show you all how I did it! I really, really wanted to do something fun and different for our flower girl because I'm not crazy about the whole basket thing. I was toying with the idea of a paper cone or a handmade pomander of some kind when I stumbled upon this tutorial on Pinterest for crepe paper rosettes. She used them to make a centerpiece (which is a lovely idea, by the way) but I decided to turn it into a handmade flower girl pomander! (The original idea came from Danielle Flanders and you can see a helpful video tutorial here.) These are pretty easy to make once you get the hang of it and you can use them to make a pomander like me, centerpieces, or even hang them from the ceiling at your next get-together! I am already planning to make more for a bridal shower and I think they'd be lovely in different pastel colors for spring!

Materials needed:

1 4-inch Styrofoam ball

2 80 foot rolls of crepe paper in your choice of color

Piece of wide, satin ribbon for the handle

Low temp hot glue gun + several sticks of glue

Glue stick

2 pushpins (optional)

The first thing you want to do is cut both rolls of crepe paper into strips at your desired length. You can play around with different lengths to see what you like best, but the longer the strip is the bigger the rosette will be. For the size rosettes shown, I did 24 inch strips. Once they are all cut, take the first one and crumple it up into a ball and then carefully un-crumple it. This gives it that 'shabby-chic' look. Then, fold the crumpled strip in half, length-wise. This is another thing you can play around with to see what you like better. You can leave them as-is, fold 1/3 of the way down, or fold them in half like I did. The wider the strip, the taller the rosette. I wanted these to lay pretty flat on the Styrofoam balls, but if you want more dimension you can leave the strips wider. 

When they are folded in half, start rolling them until you get a nice center piece. Once you have the center, keep rolling (not very tightly) and then start twisting the tissue paper every now and then to get the look of petals. If you are confused by this part (like I was) go watch the video tutorial to get a better look at how she twists them. The more twists you have the more textured the rose so just play with it until it looks right to you!

Keep rolling and twisting around using the whole strip until you end up with good sized rosette. Then, using the glue stick, dab some glue on the end and gently press together.

Repeat until you have used all of your strips and you should have a great big pile of rosettes. It will look like way too many, but trust me, it isn't!

Now it's time to glue! Cut a piece of wide satin ribbon to your desired length. This will act as the handle of your pomander (if making centerpieces, you can skip this step!). Then, using the hot glue gun, glue down each side of the ribbon to the Styrofoam ball. Be careful not to burn yourself pressing down! If you have 2 pushpins, pin the ribbon down over the glue for extra security. Once the flowers are on you won't be able to see the pins. 

Now start attaching the rosettes! This is where you use A LOT of glue... put a big glob on the ball, stick the rosette on, and press down gently to secure. Be careful not to put the tip of the glue gun directly onto the Styrofoam for long because it will melt! Continue gluing the rosettes until the whole thing is covered. Start with any larger or wider flowers and save the smaller ones to fill in at the end.  

When you're done, you should end up with something like this! Be sure to let it dry for a few hours before letting anyone play with it because it is delicate! There are so many different ways to decorate with these and customize them with any color... I am obsessed! Rosette balls for everyone! You can also use the rosettes to decorate other things like picture frames or scrapbook pages. The possibilities are endless!

My sister just finished making the flower girl dress so I got to see our adorable little flowers girl all dressed up holding this sweet pomander! I. Almost. Died. She looked like such a little fairy princess and everything is exactly what I pictured in my head! My sister is talented, people! I'm signing her up for the next season of Project Runway! 

I hope you all enjoy your Wednesday! Less than 2 months left until the big day and it's so surreal! Ahhh! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday - DIY mason jar centerpieces

 This last weekend Mando and I met up with our wedding coordinator at the LA flower market to pick out flowers for our centerpieces. I knew I wanted baby's breath and peonies but I was still looking for a 3rd option. I kind of have a love affair with florals after working in a flower shop so I was happy to browse around all morning. Peonies sadly were not in season yet, but I found some gorgeous spider mums to play around with in the meantime! I also found the perfect 3rd type of flower which are those white pom pom flowers you see in the ivory centerpiece. I'm all about texture so my main goal was to try and get the perfect balance and I really lucked out finding those at the last minute! I'm super excited to do my own flowers for the wedding. It's been a long time since I've worked with flowers at all, but it isn't something you really forget! I spent the rest of the weekend experimenting with different boutineer styles and bouquet wraps which was really fun! The floral arrangements aren't the only DIY project I have going on either.... I'm also making my own centerpieces. I knew I wanted to incorporate my love of mason jars (which goes perfectly with the rustic theme) so I came up with 3 different designs for each table.

1. Burlap & lace mason jars: Burlap and lace has been a continuing theme throughout the wedding so I knew I had to use them for the centerpieces! This is just a quart size mason jar with a wide strip of burlap around it and hot glued in the back. I then wrapped it with a piece of wide ivory lace ribbon and hot glued that as well. Super easy once you have all the strips cut out! The good news is that the strips don't have to be perfectly straight or even because the frayed edges just add to the rustic charm!

Ivory painted centerpieces: I wanted one centerpiece that was different than the others so I chose to do these ivory painted cans to mix it up. This is beyond simple and super inexpensive to make! I just started collecting large cans after we used them at home and then peeled the labels off. You may have to scrub them afterwards to get any glue redisdue off as well. Then, once they were completely dry, I spray painted them in this ivory color. They aren't super fancy, but that's okay... the more rustic looking the better!

Twine wrapped mason jars: Last but not least are these pint sized mason jars! I bought some thick twine at a craft store and wrapped them around the middle adding a dab of hot glue here and there to hold it together. Again, easy and inexpensive to make!

I really love how all of these turned out. They are exactly the look I was going for and I think they'll look amazing on the tables! You can't beat pretty centerpieces on a budget! Now I just have to finish the rest of them, haha!

Next week I'll (hopefully) talk about our invitations and even share a sneek peak! Almost time to mail them out, can you believe it?! Ahh! XOXO

Handmade gift idea: Peppermint hot cocoa

I love handmade gifts, both making and receiving them. For as far back as I can remember I've been making my own Christmas gifts, whether they be silly crafts for my mom when I was a little girl or more sophisticated gifts as I grew older. I think there's something really special about a gift that someone took the time to make versus just buying at a store. It can also be a great way to save money if you're on a tight budget! Now with my family, Mando's family, and our friends we have a lot of people to shop for so for the past 3 years I've been doing mostly handemade gift for our loved ones. This year I decided to do something that I knew everyone would love... peppermint hot cocoa! It's super simple to put together and who doesn't love to cozy up on a cold day with some hot cocoa? Here's what you'll need to put this gift together yourself!

• 12 pint sized mason jars
• 1 bag mini marshmallows
• 2-3 lbs hot cocoa (this will vary depending on the type of hot cocoa used)
• approximately 40 candy canes, crushed
• ribbon and gift tags to decorate (optional)

First, wash and dry your mason jars. Then, fill the first layer with your desired amount of hot cocoa. We used Starbucks hot cocoa found at Costco and I wanted 4 servings per jar so I did 8 tablespoons (2 tbl per serving). Next, fill the second layer with mini marshmallows. Lastly, fill the last layer with crushed candy canes. You can use a food processor or just put them in a ziplock and crush with a rolling pin. When your jars are filled, seal them and then put some ribbon and a gift tag for the perfect finishing touch!

I hope you've all been inspired to have a handmade holiday this year! Even if you lack the time/skills to make something yourself, try buying at least one handmade gift from a site like Etsy and support the handmade business! I don't know about you, but I'd rather give my money to a local business owner or work at home mom over a big corporation anyday! Happy Holidays everyone! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Crafty Craftersons

It's no secret that I love to make things. I mean, I love it so much I made a business out of it. Anytime I see something in a store that I like I automatically ask myself 'could I make that?' before buying it. It's a great way to save money and recycle/upcycle materials you have laying around! And when it comes to home decor, there are plenty of DIY ideas out there. I've been on the hunt for some wall art, specifically items to include in a gallery wall, and I've found some great ideas on Pinterest. Here are just a few of my [Friday] favorites!

I love this idea for a gallery wall. Whenever I go to antique stores or flea markets I always see old letters made out of brass or steel and I love them but I never know what to do with them. You could either leave them as-is for the weathered look or spray paint them a fun color and then just attach it to some scrapbook paper and pop it in a frame! If you don't have antique stores near you it's easy to make a large initial out of cardboard and paint it!

I love these yarn wrapped monograms and have been dying to make one. You can cut out the letter from an old cereal box or buy one made from wood or recycled materials from Michaels. Then just pick out yarn that you love and get to wrappin'!

Chalkboard paint is all the rage right now. I love this idea of making a countdown with it because you can use it over and over and customize it whatever way you want! Just get a 2x4, sand it, paint it, and attach vinyl letters that say 'days until'. Easy peasy!

This is one of my favorite finds on Pinterest. Find places on a map that you love or that you've gone to with a loved one, cut it out in a heart shape, and then frame it! It can be used as art in your home or given as a sentimental gift!I want to do this for Mando for the place of our first date, our first apartment, the place I gave birth, the place he proposed, etc.

This is one of the simplest projects I've seen... literally anyone could do it! Cut out pieces of cardboard in various sizes, cover them with pretty fabrics, and BAM! You have yourself a pretty little gallery wall! I think this would be a great way to decorate a craft or play room!

I've been looking for a wreath for my door that I can hang year-round so I was super excited when I saw this. I know Michaels sells these wreaths for pretty cheap as well as the wooden numbers. Slap some paint on the numbers, find some pretty silk flowers and you've got a pretty new wreath to greet your guests!

I challenge you next time you see something in a store to ask yourself if it's something you can make at home! You never know until you give it a try! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. I'll be spending it catching up on some crafting of my own! XOXO

Friday Favorites: Burlap and Lace

Yesterday, while searching for a Friday Favorites theme, I came up empty handed. I've been high on cold medicine for days and my brain just feels foggy so I hopped on Pinterest hoping to get inspired. (Seriously, what an amazing website. I blame Alana entirely for getting me hooked.) I did what I always do, which is look for wedding inspiration, and suddenly the theme came to me. I have always loved the 'rustic chic' look, farm backdrops, and the combination of burlap and lace. It seems so masculine/feminine to me, and I think they work so great together. I already had a ton of stuff saved and favorited, so this came so easily to me. So, without further ado, here is my rustic chic, burlap and lace edition of Friday Favorites!  

I've featured this Etsy shop before, because I honestly adore her stuff. Her burlap banners make me swoon, and I will definitely be purchasing one for my own wedding. I love this rustic, but elegant Just Married banner. It works so pretty with an outdoor wedding don't you think?

I adore this ring bearer pillow. The burlap and white combination works so well together, and the twine at the top adds the perfect touch. I also love how it can be re-used after the wedding as home decor.  

I don't normally wear jewelry, but this Stella ivory lace necklace is such a statement piece and I fell in love when I saw it. The lace and chain combination works so well together and it would be so pretty to wear to a Spring bridal shower or brunch. 

This linen and lace storage bin is beautiful and practical. It would be perfect for storing crafting supplies like yarn or ribbon don't you think?

This card was one of the first things I made for Mama Matryoshka. I am loving doilies lately, and I just love how it looks against the kraft paper.  

How gorgeous is this pillow cover? My sister inspired my love for skeleton keys and I just think it looks so dainty and feminine.

Coming from one of my favorite blogs is this gorgeous but simple garland made from stringing paper heart doilies over white Christmas lights. Genius, right? I love the charming effect it has.  

I love these simple, but beautiful DIY doily heart jars. Perfect for odds and ends laying around like paper clips, thumb tacks, or bobby pins. Find the full tutorial here.

I hope you enjoyed this week! It has definitely been one of my favorite Friday Favorites to date!

Friday Favorites: I heart Easter

I absolutely love the changing of the seasons and the different things that come with each one, and Spring is no exception. I don't know what it is this year, but I am just loving Easter! It's not really a religious holiday for me, it's more a fun holiday for the kids. This is Cayden's first Easter so of course I'm going all out. I can't wait to dress him up like a bunny and let him find eggs with his cousin in my mama's front yard. I've had his Easter basket done for a few weeks now, because I literally couldn't wait to get started. (More on that to come in a future post!) I have been trying to incorporate a lot of handmade items versus store bought, and I've been scouring the interwebs for ideas. I have found a lot of really unique and creative stuff, so I am dedicating Friday Favorites to lovely Easter!

 I am loving these sweet crocheted baby chicks. They would make such a great addition to your baby's first basket, don't you think? (The nest made out of twine is such a great touch, too!)

If you love Peeps, you NEED to see this post for a ton of sweet Peeps treats (try saying that 3 times fast)! I'm not even a fan and I think those chocolate covered pretzels look amazing!

 Coming from one of my favorite Etsy shops are these Easter wooly hatching eggs. The amount of detail on these toys are truly spectacular. You might think they are a little pricey, but when you read about the labor intensive process you'll understand why. (I also want their Matryoshka doll!)

This DIY paint chip Easter garland is one of the most creative projects I've seen. The cost? Practically free! You can find out how to make one here.

 You guys had to know I was going to plug my OWN Etsy shop, right? I still have these pretty and intricate Easter egg cupcake wrappers available (in pastel or the color of your choosing) as well as this sweet Easter card. I am also taking custom orders for cupcake toppers, banners, or any thing else you need to celebrate so make sure to visit! Also, today is the last day to take advantage of this 10% disount code!

 Last but not least, a quick and easy tutorial on how to make your own Easter grass. If you're like me and hate the plastic stuff make sure to take a look! 

I hope you enjoyed this post, and were inspired to celebrate Easter in a bigger and better way (not to mention handmade)! Tell me, what fun Easter traditions does YOUR family have? I'd love to hear!

Tutorial - Make your own chip board album

I wanted to make something special for my 2 big sisters this Christmas. My sisters are my world... Having a busy single mama, they were the ones who answered my questions and wiped my tears growing up. They taught me things, gave me advice, and have always been there for me to pick me up when I was down.

It's funny, because both of my sisters HATE to cook. They just have no interest in learning and couldn't be bothered. My mom always says I'm the one with the cooking gene. Regardless, I'm always trying to get them to try it out and encouraging them to make something. Cooking is so FUN! So I decided to make them a book of recipes. Not just any recipes, but our family recipes. The same side dishes that my mama has been making every holiday for as far back as I can remember (the ones I have finally mastered!). Sweet potato casserole, fruit salad, mashed potatoes, stuffing, deviled eggs, and potato salad. One day in the (far, FAR) future when my mom is no longer with us, I want them to be able to make these dishes and think of a time we were all together, sitting around the table and talking about horribly inappropriate things.

I have always loved chipboard albums, but they intimidate me. So much creativity and detail goes into making them and I never thought I could pull one off, much less two of them! Until a few months ago when my best friend made one for her baby girl and I saw the process step by step. I thought, I could do that! And although it was risky, I wanted to try it out for the first time and give them as gifts to my sisters. So here's a step by step tutorial created by me, for you. Don't be intimidated. Make one! They make a great gift for any occasion, or you can keep it for yourself. You can fill them with family photos, romantic keepsakes, or recipes like I did. There's so many options!


Chip board album tutorial. (Excuse the crappy point and shoot photos. As usual.)


You will need:

• pieces of chip board in your desired size (found at michaels or scrapbooking stores)
• scissors
• glue stick (I needed 2)
• hole punch
• nail file or emery board
• scrapbook paper
• ribbon
• metal rings that open and close (found at staples or office supply stores)
• distressing ink (optional)
• desired embellishments and/or photos

Step 1.

I found large square chip board pieces (looks like card board) at my local scrapbooking shop for about 30 cents each and bought 6 of them. Using scissors I measured and cut them into my desired size. Each piece would be 1 page of the album (and don't forget a front and back page) You can buy pre-made chip board albums ready to decorate, but they tend to be overpriced when it's so easy to make yourself.


















Step 2.

Once you have your pieces all cut you will need to choose your scrapbook paper. Because I was giving these as Christmas gifts, I decided to go with holiday themed paper. It's easiest to choose these all ahead of time and arrange them in the order of your pages. This was easily my favorite part. It's like choosing outfits for a fashion show; everything must be cohesive. Make sure to have paper for both the front and back of each piece of chip board.


















Step 3.

After your papers have been chosen and arranged you will need to trace the pieces of chipboard on each piece of paper and cut them out. If your paper has a white back (versus double sided paper) I would use that side to trace so you don't have to worry about erasing pencil lines. Try to get as exact as possible. This will make future steps easier.



















Step 4.

Once you have your chip board pages and scrapbook paper cut out, it's time to glue! Using a glue stick, cover the entire piece of chip board with glue (use a generous amount), line up the scrapbook paper and stick it on! Rub your hands on the outside of the paper to secure it. Once it's on, you shouldn't be able to move the paper in any direction. Glue pieces of paper on both the front and back of each page.

















Step 5.

Let your pages dry for 15-20 minutes. Then get your nail file or emery board and file each side of each page until the paper is completely flesh with the chip board and the sides are smooth. If you notice the paper coming off during this step just add a little more glue to that section and press down until secure. At this point you can choose to distress the edges of your pages or leave them as is. I actually did one of each because I couldn't decide which one I liked better. I don't have photos of the distressed album, but below is a photo of a distressed gift tag from Brown Paper Packages (she's the distressing master!) in case you're not familiar with the process.





















Step 6.

So now all your pages are done! Next you're going to punch holes on the left hand side of each page. Make sure to line them up and mark where you want the holes to be so they match up. You can do one hole in the top corner, 2 holes on the top/bottom, or 3 holes going down as I did. It's completely up to you! Then put your metal rings through the holes and tie a little piece of ribbon around each one. Normally I like the busy, cluttered look for this type of thing and would do 3 pieces of ribbon for each ring, but because I knew these were recipe books I only did one piece of ribbon per ring to be practical.





















Step 7.

This is your final step! It's time to embellish! There is no right or wrong way to do this... it's all personal preference! As I said before, you can put pictures, keepsakes, or recipes (or anything really) on your pages. Then decorate! I found rhinestones, stickers, scrapbook embellishments, buttons, and ribbons and just went to town on each page! Be creative and try things out! If you get stuck you can always look at other albums for inspiration (try Etsy for photos).


























































So there you have it! I think it turned out great for my first one! And most importantly, my sisters both loved them. I'm planning on making another one soon with pictures of Cayden. I'm thinking a nautical theme to go with his nursery. Really, the possibilities are endless!

If you end up making one of these (which I hope you do!) please, share pictures! I would love to see what creations you come up with!

Domesticated Delight Halloween Event - My DIY Halloween decorations and a tutorial.

This year I opted to decorate for Halloween with mostly DIY projects versus using store-bought things. Not only did I save a ton of money, but I had so much fun doing crafts and getting into the Halloween spirit! I do have a few store-bought items here and there, but for the most part everything was created by me, myself, and I! So come on in, leave your shoes by the door, and take a look around!

Spooky sign purchased at Michaels (7 dollars)

First we have my paper mâché pumpkins! This project was actually the monthly craft in my Crafty Mommies club. The original craft is posted here however I adapted a lot of it to simplify and use what I already had. (Tutorial below!)
















Next up are my glittering skulls! These are probably my favorite decorations because they’re SPARKLY! (Yes, I realize I’m 5 years old…) I bought 3 paper mâché skulls from Michaels for 3 dollars each and painted them orange, purple, and black. While the paint was still wet (very important!) I shook loose glitter (I like Martha Stewart brand because, obviously) in corresponding colors all over it. It’s best to do this in sections so the paint is still wet and the glitter sticks.
































View of my dining room































On the wall to the right you will see my handmade Halloween banner! I was looking for something to put on that blank wall without having to buy a bunch of stuff when I stumbled upon this free printable. I simply printed each letter and framed it on a piece of construction paper in a contrasting color. Then I matted the framed letter onto another contrasting color. After that I punched holes in both sides of each letter and used a bunch of different Halloween colored ribbon to string them together. Then I added some Halloween themed die cuts (my local scrapbook store has die cut machines that I can use) and hung it up! So easy and you can use it year after year!












































This is the only wall that has store bought items on it. The bats were sold in a pack (Martha Stewart brand of course) at Michaels (I believe they were 7 dollars) and I bought the witch at Target for 20 dollars.































Up next is my skull head centerpiece. I used the same paper mâché skull from Michaels and Mando painted it (he likes to help me with crafts sometimes… shhh!) white with black eyes and missing teeth. Then I just filled this glass bowl with glittery purple craft sand and plopped the skull inside. Simple way to add a spooky element to any room!

Other than that I just put tealights everywhere to give the place a spooky glow along with some pumpkins from the pumpkin patch! I decorated my whole apartment for around 50 dollars! Not bad for a mama on a budget!

Want to learn how to make paper mâché pumpkins for your own haunted house??

You will need:

• Balloons (I used 3 orange ones)
• White Elmers glue (I used 2 bottles)
• A paintbrush
• Orange and yellow tissue paper (try to find the thinnest paper possible!)
• A craft knife
• Scissors
• Flameless candles (can be purchased at Michaels)
  

First blow up your balloons to the size you want your pumpkins to be. I did 3 pumpkins: large, medium, and small, but you can do whatever you want.

Then cut your tissue paper strips (both orange and yellow) about 1 inch wide. They need to be long enough to go from the top of your balloon to the base. You’ ll need to cut several strips, enough to do 4 layers of strips for each pumpkin. (It goes faster if you fold the tissue paper and then cut instead of doing it individually)

Pour a good amount of glue onto a paper plate or in a cup. Then dilute with water. I did 2 parts glue to every 1 part water. Mix well.

Set your blown-up balloon on top of a wide mouth jar or cup. This will help hold the pumpkin when gluing the strips on.

Dab glue on the tip of your strip of orange tissue paper and attach it to your balloon starting at the TOP of the balloon. Then completely cover the rest of the strip with glue using the paintbrush and working your way down smoothing it out as you go. I used A LOT of glue so don’t be afraid to completely saturate your strip.

Continue this process all the way around the balloon until the entire thing is covered in strips.
Repeat until you have 2 layers of orange and then cover it with 2 layers of yellow. (You do not need to wait for each layer to dry before starting the next one.) You will think the yellow looks weird, but it doesn’t once your balloon dries. Trust me on this one.

Once all 4 layers are applied to each balloon let them dry over night. I tied a string to the knot of the balloon and hung it upside down to dry properly.

When your balloons are fully dry you can cut the knot off your balloon letting the air escape. This might cause your pumpkin to deflate a little bit, but you can blow air into it to pump it back up.
Using small manicure scissors, cut a circle at the base of your pumpkin until it can sit without rolling on a flat surface.

Using a pencil, draw or trace your jack-o-lantern face lightly onto your pumpkin. Use pictures on the internet or in magazines for inspiration! Then ‘carve’ the face using a craft or exacto knife. You can use small scissors to help you out in this step.

Once your face is carved you can either leave it alone or you can glue either yellow or black tissue paper behind the face to ‘ hide’ the inside of the pumpkin. I did yellow, but I think it would look better in black. I suggest cutting small parts of tissue paper to cover the eyes, nose, and mouth versus using one large piece. It will be a lot easier.

Then get a flameless flickering tea light, turn it on, and cover with your pumpkin. Turn the lights off and enjoy your new jack-o-lanterns!