DIY Winterberries

Hey, hey, it's nice to see you today! Care to join me for some holiday crafting?

During the winter months, when all the trees are bare, I am always drawn to this tree with red berries. I think it's called a Washington Hawthorne, but for any of my dear readers who are skilled gardeners or tree enthusiasts, please correct me if I got it wrong.  

I think of it as a fantasy tree where woodland creatures come to gather for some winter feasting. But that's just me. It's also inspiration for a lot of holiday decorations like holly wreaths, garlands, and holly centerpieces. 

It's easy to find bunches of these holly berries or winterberries at the supermarket. Just add them to a clear vase and your home will turn from blah to TADA!

This door decor looks so extra with all the berries and pinecones!

I'm now inspired to make my own winterberries.

I found these dried twigs with pea-shaped buds in the park. I don't know what they're called. They are lovely as is or if included in a dried floral arrangement.  

But if we painted the buds using some acrylic paint and a small paintbrush...

Don't they look like winterberries?

Paint a few stems, let them dry, and add them to a vase -- instant holiday vibes! 

Or why not add them to your holiday gift wrapping?

And that is how I turned some dried twigs from blah to TADA!

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Ornaments Made of Seashells and Salt Dough

Whenever I am at the beach, I can't help but collect some seashells. They serve as souvenirs of my day. When I touch their smooth surfaces or symmetrical ridges, I feel the energy of the sand, sunshine, water, and wind even if I'm at home, faraway from the shore.   

Here are some of the seashells I've collected:

I remember my Grandma had a similar collection but she had bigger ones like conch and nautilus shells. She kept them inside decorative glass jars on the coffee table. As kids, my cousins and I weren't allowed to touch them, "Look only," was the stern warning. I never asked my Grandma about that collection -- where they came from and what stories were behind each shell. But I always remember her whenever I see seashells.  

I don't particularly display my seashells but I often use them for crafting. I've used them to make jewelry like earrings, pendants for necklaces, and a bracelet...TADA!

I've also incorporated seashells in my embroidery...TADA! 

Today, let's make these seashell ornaments that we can add to our Christmas Tree.

Start off by making salt dough disks. You can find the detailed tutorial here.  

I painted the salt dough disks with acrylic paint and a small paintbrush. I chose this shade of pool blue. I used about five coats of paint (with some drying time in between each coat) and let them fully dry.  

This is not only a Christmas Tree ornament but a memento to remind us of which beaches we've visited. At the back of each salt dough disk, I wrote the names of the beaches from where the shells came from using a permanent marker. 

Then I added hanging strings (I used skinny yarn). 

These are the shells I'm using (I made sure to make a salt dough disk big enough to fit each one).

Attach the shells to the corresponding salt dough disk using a glue gun.

And that is how I turned seashells and salt dough from blah to TADA!

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Five Things for December

Hooray, we made it to the last month of the year! 

When the holidays come around, I hang a wreath on our front door. Every year, I give it a new look using ornaments that I already have on hand such as capiz parols from the Philippines, winterberries, foraged pinecones, a silver ribbon, and a butterfly. In the past, I've decorated it with a candy-theme and an all-red theme. I encourage you to tweak the look of your plain wreath and turn it from blah to TADA! 

If you have some vacation days that you need to use, visit a new town to check out their holiday decorations. The National Christmas Tree is located in Washington, DC., right across The White House and the Washington Monument. You can't see it in this photo but it's surrounded by smaller Christmas trees representing each of the United States. Some places I would love to visit are Bethlehem, Pennsylvania known as "Christmas City" or any of the cities on this list that are filled with Christmas charm.

The holidays are also an opportunity to learn about celebrations that we didn't grow up with. For me, it's Hannukah (Jewish Festival of Lights). Books like this one can be read to the young ones in the family and it would be fun to try out the recipes, too...TADA!

NVC Artisans of Hope

These Christmas tree ornaments are made of 126 discarded coffee capsules...TADA! They are crafted by a non-profit organization in the Philippines and the proceeds of their shop are used to fight hunger and poverty. May these inspire us to make our own ornaments using recycled materials or to consider charitable giving this season.   

My very thoughtful cousin gave me this vintage cookbook that she found at Argosy Books. Cookbooks like this give me a glimpse of the past. I am now considering making retro dishes and cocktails for Christmas and New Year's Eve!

I know December is hectic for many of us -- here's wishing you lots of energy and a little "me" time to relish the holidays!

DIY Advent Calendar Part 2

Hello everyone!

Last week, I turned an empty Advent Calendar Box from blah to TADA!

I received this Advent Calendar as a gift. It's a countdown to Christmas beginning December 1. You are to open a door every day and behind each door is a piece of milk chocolate in holiday shapes like bells and wrapped presents. It's a delicious tradition that creates anticipation.

But after all the chocolates were consumed, I kept the box and I just had to create my own Advent Calendar.  

I opted for something more permanent that can be used every year. I made tiny ornaments out of air dry clay that were inspired by botanical sun prints...TADA! The blue shade of the ornaments also match the blue box. 

There are a total of 24 blue ornaments and one white ornament representing Christmas Day. As with tradition, a door from the Advent Calendar is opened daily and an ornament is revealed.

Hang the ornaments on a small Christmas tree like this one (this was a purchase from Target many years ago).

Perhaps make a wish, say a prayer or set an intention as a new ornament is added to the tree. This quiet moment allows mindful reflection during the holidays.

Display the Christmas tree with its tiny handmade ornaments on a mantel or office desk and make unboxing of the Advent Calendar an annual affair.

We've created something meaningful and long lasting out of an empty Advent Calendar box. That's blah to TADA!

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DIY Advent Calendar Part 1

Thank you for stopping by! 

Today it's all about Advent Calendars. I know it's only November but because there's a good amount of preparation involved for this to be ready by the first of December, let's start early. 

Advent Calendars are boxes made of wood or paper that has 24 or 25 doors. The idea is to open a door each day before December 25 to count down the days before Christmas. There's usually a surprise tucked inside the door. It creates anticipation, helps keep track of days, and you are rewarded for your patience. You get to open a small gift each day until Christmas day when it's time to open the gifts under your tree.

There are many versions of Advent Calendars and the cute ones I've seen are those with jam, perfume, Lego, Play-Doh, and Sesame Street books.  

But the more common Advent Calendars (and less expensive option, too) are filled with chocolate: 

This was a gift from a dear cousin last year. Behind each door was a small square of milk chocolate. It's a perfect December tradition that I open after dinner where the chocolate serves as dessert.

But when all the chocolate has been eaten and the box is empty, you know that I won't throw it away just yet. I'll turn the empty Advent Calendar box from blah to TADA!

I'll repurpose the box into a new Advent Calendar but instead of chocolate, I'll put tiny handmade ornaments that I can use year after year.

I'm using air dry clay for this project...no baking involved! But as an alternative, you can use salt dough clay. 

I shaped the air dry clay into these tiny pendants. Each one is less than an inch tall and only a quarter of an inch thick. I also put them on a sheet of wax or parchment paper to make it easy to peel off in case they stick.

I used the back end of a paintbrush to make very distinct holes on each one. I left these out to dry and harden for a few days.

Don't forget to return the remaining air dry clay in its packaging and store in an air-tight container so that it stays pliable for next use. 

Sun prints via Etsy

I wasn't sure how I would decorate the ornaments but these botanical sun prints really caught my fancy.

Once the pendants hardened, it was time to paint. I used watercolor to add an indigo shade to the air dry clay ornaments. I like how the paint didn't dry evenly -- very similar to the sun print paper. 

With a small paintbrush and white acrylic paint, I drew on some botanical prints. I'm veering away from the traditional Christmas themes and colors, using spring references instead: ferns, flowers, and first blooms. These remind me of the Baby Jesus and the new life He promises. 

Here are my air dry clay ornaments...TADA! I made 24 blue ones and one white one for Christmas Day. The painting on this white one is an Easter lily, another symbol for birth and rebirth.  

With the aid of a needle, I strung on some white embroidery thread through each hole. 

The thread was long enough to tie into a bow. Look, the ornaments are more festive!

The Advent Calendar box came with this plastic tray. After cleaning the tray, I tucked an ornament into each square. 

Then I slid the plastic tray back into the Advent Calendar box.

If you peek in each door, you'll see the ornament inside...TADA!

Since the perforated doors have been opened, I used stickers (or washi tape) to keep the flaps in place and prevent the ornaments from falling out.

I found new use for an empty Advent Calendar box. I can share this with my family or pass it along to a friend so she can start a Christmas tradition.

That is how I turned blah to TADA!

Please stop by next week for a decorating idea using the ornaments from this Advent Calendar.

I wish you all a surprising week ahead and please subscribe here if you'd like my future blog posts right in your inbox.

Tote Bag Stories: A Tote Bag for Wine Bottles

When you're off to a party bringing a bottle of wine, how do you carry it? Do you bring it as is or wrapped in cute packaging? 

But if you were bringing more than one bottle? In my mind, a wine bag like this one would be ideal. It's made of sturdy canvas, has six compartments to keep the bottles from bumping into each other (less chance for breakage), and can be thrown in the washing machine in between uses. 

But why buy when we can D.I.Y.?

I own many reusable canvas totes and I chose this one because it has a food/dining theme.

I also like it because the fabric is thicker and it's gusseted, allowing the bottom of the bag to stand on its own. 

I'm going to make three compartments. I measure the bag and divide it into three equal sections. I use a pencil to make light markings on the bag.

Then I stitch the front part of the bag to the back part of the bag together with a back stitch. 

Use thread that matches the color of the bag or a totally different color to give it an accent. I sewed this by hand but you may use a sewing machine if you prefer.

The compartments snugly fit three bottles of wine (or non-alcoholic beverages)...TADA!

It's a clever idea to include a small corkscrew in the bag...TADA! 

Tuck the corkscrew inside a small canvas pouch and throw in a wine stopper or two just in case you don't finish the wine. A tight seal from the wine stopper will prevent spills and keep the wine fresher longer.

Reusable water bottles (one for each member of the family) can also fit in this bag.

With a little measuring and sewing, this canvas bag finds new purpose and is ready for any picnic, party, potluck or BYOB (bring your own bottle/booze/beverage) event.

This bag, together with the wine inside, makes a thoughtful hostess gift, too!

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