homemade glitter glue

Remember how we were the 3 Amigos for Halloween?

I never did get around to sharing how we made our costumes for under $25.
But now that the holidays are over and we'll be keeping ourselves busy with indoor crafts, now is the perfect time to let you know my little secret. I used what clothes we already had first and then picked up the rest of the pieces at a thrift store.The real key to making them so cheaply was by making my own glitter glue.

Seriously, who wants to spend $4 for a tiny tube of glitter glue? 

I knew I would use a ton and I wasn't about to fork out a fortune for glitter glue.

So I made my own. It was really easy and super cheap.

All you need is: Elmer's glue and glitter.

Mix the glitter and glue together in a bowl until it reaches your preferable consistency.

Scoop it into a bag and then snip off a corner of it to apply.
Or you can really splurge and buy a frosting applicator in the cake section.

Apply it to fabric*, paper, or anything else!
Plan ahead because it will take overnight to completely dry.
This is how our costumes turned out with our Homemade Glitter Glue.

* I wouldn't recommend machine washing any fabrics that have homemade glitter glue on them.
Spot wash by hand only. 

pom pom tree garland [DIY decor]

I've been sprucing up my Christmas decorations this year and this Pom-Pom Garland

was near the top of my list. It's tradition to get tin ornaments every year. Even though the tin ornaments are silver and gold, this garland does not take away from the classy look that I love, but gives it just the right amount of  modern pop with its bright colors.  

What you'll need: 

1" or larger pom-poms (Hobby Lobby had the cheapest) 

stitchery thread

needle

Simply thread the needle and sew through each  pom-pom.
I did mine about 2-3" apart so I wouldn't run out, but it could also look good with them closer together. 

Hang on your tree or use on a mantle or to decorate for a holiday party.

Also, don't forget to put your shoe out by the tree tonight for St. Nicholas. 

If you are new to the tradition of St. Nicholas day, read about it here. 

a happy birthday package

I whipped up this mini fabric bunting for a little birthday gift.

It matches a birthday banner I finally got around to making. I'll post about it soon...

mini s'more kits

I was putting together a birthday package for my little sister when I realized that I needed to put something out of the ordinary in there. Since she won't be able to have many campfires on her own this summer (since she is serving a mission for our church), I thought a mini s'more kit would be just the perfect thing.

Never heard of a mini s'more? I think they are just about the cutest thing. Not to mention, they are fun to make. Let me tell you how to make them.

First, you need gather a tea light, toothpicks, mini marshmallows, golden grahams cereal, and chocolate chips.

Then, you light the tea light. Put a marshmallow on the toothpick and then roast it over the flame.

Once it is roasted to your liking, put it between 2 golden grahams. And don't forget to add a chocolate chip in there, too!

Now you have a mini s'more. Pop it in your mouth and make s'more!

I packaged all the contents up to make this mini s'more kit:

This would also make for a fun date idea or activity to do with friends during a game night. Or how about a party favor or gift? The possibilities are endless!

mini chocolate trifles [recipe]

I've been loving mini things lately. Maybe it's because I hang out with a baby all day and I can't get enough of his mini fingers and toes and clothes. Anyways, I made these mini chocolate trifles for a baby shower and they were a big hit! They looked fancy, but were actually quite simple. Aren't we all about simple?

I used a recipe called Chocolate Divan that I got from my festive cousin. My contribution was making it into mini trifle.

Mini Chocolate Trifles
1 Devil's Food cake mix
3 cups milk
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large box chocolate instant pudding
1 container cool whip
chocolate grated and/or chocolate kisses or fresh berries for the top

Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Bake cake in cupcake pans. Let the cupcakes cool. Blend softened cream cheese and 1 cup milk together. Once that is mixed well, add 2 cups milk and chocolate pudding mix. Mix with a whisk until it starts to set up.

To prepare mini trifles, cut each cupcake in half horizontally. Take the bottom and place it in small clear plastic cup. Spoon chocolate mixture on top. Then place top of cupcake on chocolate layer. (You could also add cool whip layer before top of cupcake to make it look prettier.) Then add another chocolate layer and finally a cool whip layer. Garnish with grated chocolate, chocolate kiss or berries. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve. Refrigerating them overnight is preferred.

*You could make any trifle using this method.  A berry one would be fun for summer!

flower arranging 101

I learned how to arrange flowers the other night. There is actually a method to it as opposed to just putting a bunch of flowers in a vase. I won't be going into floral design anytime soon, but I wanted to write down what I learned before I forget.

1. Use special flower tape to make a grid across the opening of the vase. This will help keep the flowers standing straight up.
2. Fill the vase 3/4 full of water and add plant food to prevent bacteria from growing.
3.Use 2 different kinds of greenery. Make sure you clean off the stem so no leaves get in the water.The greenery should be shorter than any of your flowers.
4. Decide what color scheme you will go with. Monochromatic, complimentary, etc.
5. Use 2 vertical flowers to create height.
6. Choose one flower to be your focal point.
7. Fill in with other flowers. Use different types to create pops.
8. Add in more greenery if needed.
9. Finish off by adding a bow to tie everything together.

valentine's BINGO

A fun game for all ages to play at your Valentine's party: BINGO!

It is always a hit.

Download your own BINGO cards here.

valentine's for the guys

For all those men out there who are in love with anything hot...

this is a Valentine's idea for them.

(can also use with Red Hots, Hot Tamales, Spicy Cheetos...)

DIY: Fancy Summer Strawberries

It's June! That means summer is just around the corner.
I have lots of fun summer things coming up,

First up...Fancy Summer Strawberries

What you'll need: 

fresh strawberries, peach yogurt, cool whip, melted chocolate

First, clean the strawberries and let drain on a paper towel.

Then, cut out the center with a peeler or knife. 

Mix together the yogurt and cool whip. 

(There is no magic ratio--just mix until it tastes how you want it)

Then, fill the center of the strawberries with the yogurt mixture.

Cut the very tip of the bottom off so the strawberry will stand up on the plate. 

Finally, drizzle the melted chocolate over the strawberries. 

Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Perfect for a summer BBQ or dinner party.

DIY: Flower Cookies

 What you'll need: sugar cookie dough, wood skewer sticks, large gum drops, frosting (optional)

 First, make some sugar cookie dough. 

Next, cut the dough using a flower cookie cutter.

Before you bake it, take a skewer and make a small hole in the middle, like this: 

 

Bake according to the recipe and let cool.

If you want to frost the cookies, do so now.
I used the glace icing recipe from Our Best Bites.

Cut the gumdrops in half length-wise. 

Take the bottom half and slide it down about 1/2 inch on the skewer.

Then slide the cookie down.

Then put on the top of the gum drop. 

Repeat until all the cookies are done.

Put them all together in vase and you have a Springy edible bouquet!
It's perfect for a centerpiece.