home made valentine cards

don't get me wrong the store bought pre-made valentine cards are good.  however, don't you think that making valentine cards with your little ones mean so much more?  these were simple.  i found some cute scrap booking paper and cut hearts out and we glued them with a glue stick to card stock paper.  with a couple little cupid like phrases written in..... we are good to spread our love to all of our classmates!  brady had a great time punching out the hearts with me and gluing them on.  the best part of this project was how many times he said, "mommy i love you, you are my valentine."

valentine garland and letters

the heart garland idea, i stole from here.  it was super simple to make.  start with any kind of string you have in your house.  i used twine.  then take a heart puncher and punch out hearts. (don't have one?  do the old fashioned way by folding paper in half and cutting out half a heart shape.)  i chose colorful pages out of an old magazine i had laying around.  you could use scrap book paper or other fancy stuff (if you so desire.)

then fold the hearts in half.  then i used a glue stick to glue three together, leaving the center open so you can string your string through it.  (only glue the outside edges of the heart.  leave closer to the fold unglued.)  the end result is the garland strung along my mantle above.  the cost.  minimal to almost free :)  the boys also had fun cutting out hearts with me and helping me glue them.

i wish i could take credit for the above it is a great idea.  i actually found these at a thrift store for $3 when i was crafty shopping.  someone took a two by four and cut four pieces all the same size.  then they painted them a pretty red.  after that they glued on some pretty scrapbook paper and then cut out letters in paper and glued that on top of the paper.  when they were done they mod-podged the front.  the end result.  super cute display letters.  perfect for the holiday.  i love, love, love these.  what have you done to decorate your home for valentine's day?  i would love to hear!

diy wall letters

i was at a craft sale one day and fell in love with the idea of uniquely covered wall letters.  you can use them anywhere in your home.  the vendor at the show wanted something like seven or eight dollars a letter.  in my true fashion i studied them and then went to the craft store myself to create.

you start with wall letters sold at any craft store.  there are wood letters or there are also compressed card board letters.  they are on sale quite often and you can pick them up anywhere from fifty cents each to upwards of two to three dollars.

then visit the scrap booking section and pick out your favorite patterned paper.  i was making these for a cousin of mine who did their nursery in owls.  hence the adorable owl paper.  however you could make letters for your family room or kitchen.  they have a fantastic selection of vintage paper these days.

you then glue the paper to the letter. after the glue has dried use and exacto knife to cut around the letter.

once it has been cut out you can use sand paper or a nail file to sand around the edges. you can even sand the front of the paper to give it a worn look.

when finished you can hang on your wall, set them on a shelf or you can tie up with some old fabric and give them as a gift!

diy - valentines day wreath

here is a fun little valentine's day diy wreath project for you.  so simple and inexpensive. start out with any heart shaped wreath.  i found this one at my local thrift store for $2.

cut a strip as a template and test tying it around the wreath to make sure that you have the desired length and look you like.  i purchased cheap linen fabric.  i bought a yard of each color and had a little left over.  i chose white and light pink for my wreath but you could choose any colors or patterns you would like.  then start tying them until you get all the way around the wreath.  i alternated my colors.

the finished product is a cute little wreath for your front door so cupid knows where to stop!  total cost of this project was $8.

boys train party ideas

my son logan just celebrated his 2nd birthday.  like most boys he is really into trains.  i thought i would share with you some ideas for a boys train birthday party.  it was fairly easy to put together and relatively in expensive.  for gift bags i used brown paper lunch sacks.  i have a cricuit machine but called a friend to borrow her cartridge that had a train engine on it.  (being the good friend she is, she cut all the trains out and put them together for me.)  thanks e!  i then glued them onto the bags.  if you don't have a cricuit you could use a train cookie cutter as a stencil and cut them out or even print out trains off the internet and cut them out.  i then wrote their names on the train and tied the bags closed with red ribbon after punching two little holes in the top of the bag after it was folded over.

ideas to fill your party favor bag.

train cookie cutter

playdoh

thomas pez dispenser

(these are the things i used.)

i always make my own cupcakes and these were super simple.

first of all don't over complicate.  i used box cupcake mix.

i do make my own butter cream frosting

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE

1 stick of butter.  beat until it is fluffy.

turn mixer on low and

then add 3 and 3/4 cups confectioner sugar. 

slowly add 3 to 4 tablespoons milk and

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

continue to whip until nice and fluffy about 30 seconds to a minute.

for the trains i used the following ingredients.

tootsie rolls

mini m & m's

mini peanut butter cups

you will use one tootsie roll for the engine, then cut another tootsie roll into thirds.  you will use one third as the engine cab on the back of train.  then use another little piece (about and 1/8 of a tootsie roll)  for the smoke stack. (i rolled my little piece between my fingers to make it round long and skinny.)

then cut a mini peanut butter cup in half and use it as the cow catcher.

you will then place three mini m & m's along each side of the train.

i then took chocolate icing you buy in the tube at the store pre-made and made little train tracks in front of and behind the train.

the kids loved them.

wrapping with fabric scraps

wrapping gifts is a perfect time to get rid of fabric scraps you have lying around from old projects.  (for the record my burlap fabric is almost gone.)  i think it makes your gift look that much more thoughtful.  i also made my own tag with a "have yourself a merry little christmas" stamp i had laying around. so when wrapping this season use up what you have or go get some fabric and have fun wrapping!

recycle

logans new lamp

the material that i will make his window valance out of.

i was given the above lamp by my friend meghan. the shade was originally covered in a green material. i have been struggling to find a cute monkey lamp to go in logan's room. i found this great material and decided to cover the shade with it. i also found coordinating material for his window valance. i am so excited. i feel like i have done the environment a huge favor by recycling something as well as my pocketbook! it really turned out cute and it only took me 10 minutes to put together. logan's room is coming together slowly but surely.