Simple Joys and a Gift Wrap Idea for the Holidays

Hey everyone! How is your December? Here are a few of my little joys:

Watching Annie Live! the live action musical version of the Broadway show and movie "Annie" on NBC last Thursday. Harry Connick, Jr. played Daddy Warbucks and Celina Smith played Annie (she was fabulous!). The little girls in the orphanage and even the dog (a real dog!) who played Sandy all deserved a standing ovation. I appreciated the diversity of the cast, the singing and choreography.

I saw "Annie" the movie (1982) when I was a little girl and instantly fell in love with the soundtrack. I even found a vinyl album at a flea market...TADA!

One of the Christmas traditions I started in 2019 was the Food52 Holiday Swap. Last year, because of Covid, we kept it safe and simple by exchanging recipes. But this year, we've resumed sending baked goodies and foodie gifts. This is just a peek into the box I prepared for Sue, my swap partner who lives in North Carolina. I made the gift tags and the hand towel is store-bought but there are cookies and other fun things at the bottom. I'll write a separate blog post for that and I'll include what I receive in the mail, too.

These stamps are my "gift to self." I got them at the Japanese Dollar Store and I fell in love with the designs: coffee-themed (my husband is a huge coffee fanatic) and bakery-themed (that would be my other passion apart from crafting). I'm excited to craft with these and I'll definitely show you the crafts I make!

Because the store just opened, I got a bag filled with these Japanese goodies...woohoo! What a fun surprise. I've been pining for a trip to Japan but this will have to do for now.  

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Now that we're in the thick of the holidays, who has time for crafting? But since many of us are wrapping presents, that's a form of crafting, too.

Here is a quick gift wrap inspiration:

This pretty package was given to me by a dear cousin. Inside is a bar of peppermint soap. I just love how it's wrapped -- like a door decorated for the holidays!

I can't get enough of the details like the brick wall, plants, and the cute bulldog. 

The wreath is just the lovely final accent.

So I took a white paper bag...

Sketched a few houses in pencil and traced the lines in black ink.

I now have a series of row houses like the ones in Amsterdam. 

I made a tiny wreath using leftover ribbon and greenery plucked from a garland. Then I attached everything together with hot glue.

I chose to position the wreath on top of the bag; that way I don't cover any of the houses.

And here's how I turned a plain paper bag from "blah to TADA!"

Here's another version using white cardboard.

I drew a door based on the ones I see in Brooklyn. 

Then I glued on the wreath. I'm using this as a gift card envelope. 

While I won't be doing this for all the gifts I'm wrapping, these two will qualify as a "handmade holiday project."

By the way, you can also try the idea on a plain box or mailing envelope...TADA!

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Advent Calendar Round-up

Anticipation...that's the word that best describes Christmas to a child. 

When I was little, I loved looking at the presents under the tree. I would even search for the ones with my name on them, making a mental note on how many gifts I was going to open come Christmas. All the waiting was excruciating! 

That's why Advent Calendars were created: to count down the days in Advent/December that lead up to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  

Below are some of the cutest ones I've seen:

These are hung on a wall and a surprise is tucked inside each of the pockets. A surprise is unwrapped daily, making the wait to Christmas more bearable.

This one takes a different form. It's a runner for the dining table:

The "gift" is moved from one day to the next to help the family keep count.

While you can put stocking stuffers or little gifts in the pockets, why not use an Advent Calendar to teach kids that Christmas is not just about presents? Use it to encourage sharing (ex. donations to "Toys for Tots"). Or to start unique traditions (ex. learn a Christmas carol, read a book or watch a movie with a Christmas theme, bake cookies, write and mail a card). That way, values and learning are involved, and family memories are created year after year.

This Advent Calendar tells the story of Jesus. Initially, the characters are in the pockets and are then added to the the Nativity scene using Velco-backing. I love this idea because Christmas isn't Christmas without Christ!

Sure enough, Advent Calendars turn the "blah" of waiting into "TADA!"

Does your home have an Advent Calendar? What do you put inside the pockets?

Thankful Thoughts

Hello everyone!

Thanksgiving is this week and I thought we should do a simple craft project. 

I saved this jar because it's rare to see one in a pretty amber shade.

After thoroughly cleaning and drying it, I painted on the word "Thankful" using acrylic paint.

I can use it to decorate my table by filling it with dried stems, fresh flowers, or strips of paper listing all the things I am thankful for...TADA!

I'm personally thankful to all of you for your regular visits to my blog! Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Salt Dough Pendants

Hey guys!

Last year, I made these little pendants out of salt dough:

I added one-word greetings using alphabet stamps and an ink pad.

They found their purpose as embellishments for gifts...TADA!

I made a few more pendants. But instead of using tinted salt dough, I painted them with several coats of acrylic paint.  

The stark black reminds me of a chalkboard, a blank slate, ready to be written on.

Here's how I turned them from blah...

...to TADA!

They are now keychains that I can give as tokens for the coming holidays.

I wrote the names with acrylic paint and a fine brush and let it dry for several minutes. 

I found the ring and chain findings at the craft store. 

I added jump rings to each pendant and attached the findings with the help of some pliers:

I am proud of my handmade and personalized presents, ready to be given away...TADA!

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Earrings Crafted from Paper Bag Handles

Crafty recycling is what I love to do on this blog. We can find materials everywhere and instead of chucking them in the bin, why not find a creative way to use them?

Let's take for example these paper bag handles made from cord:

I removed them from the bag and just by cutting, sewing, and dressing them up, they have new life as earrings:

Experiment with thread, findings, beads and baubles to create different looks as I've detailed in a previous post. What was "blah" is now "TADA!"

I rescued this white cord and here is how I transformed it...

I already had all the materials in my sewing and jewelry-making kit...TADA!

I hope this inspires you to make jewelry out of the most random objects. 

Happy crafting! If you'd like more "blah to TADA!" ideas delivered straight to your inbox, you may subscribe here.

Treasures from the Trash: A Side Table

Thanks for stopping by today!

I don't know if it happens to you, too, but I stumble upon free furniture all the time -- on the sidewalk, in the compactor room of our apartment building, and sometimes even on Facebook.

Here is my most recent find:

It's a cute side table.

I didn't take it home with me because there's really no room for it. But if I did, I would cover the glass in painter's tape and paint the legs in a matte gold. I would let the paint dry, take off the tape, and it would look something like this:

via first dibs

via Serena and Lily

via Scenario Home

Just a coat of paint will instantly turn this little table from blah to TADA!

It can be a nice update for the bedroom:

via Pinterest

via RG Daily

via Hunker

Just enough space to hold essentials like a lamp, books, a glass of water, and some decorative treasures.

It'll also be useful in the living room...

via Caitlin Wilson

via Lonny

via The Spruce

via 2 Ladies and a Chair

Working as a side or coffee table.

And it can be a welcome addition for the balcony or patio:

via Pinterest

 I would use the side table in place of the wicker stool to park magazines.

via Pinterest

In this set-up, the side table can hold candles and drinks. 

via Hello Blogzine

The side table can also find a home in this cozy outdoor hang-out.

I hope you liked these ideas! And if you come across some old furniture, instead of tossing them, find ways to turn them from blah to TADA!