How to Make a Christmas Card for the Holidays

With Christmas coming up I thought it would be a good idea to get going on my Christmas cards.  If you know me at all you know that I am totally last minute.  I’m usually quickly throwing some Christmas cards together on Christmas Eve right before I go to bed.  However, this year I will have my cards done before Thanksgiving, and it’s my goal to have them written in long before Christmas Eve.  That way I can just enjoy the Holiday season with my family.

I put this Christmas card tutorial together today so you can get going on your Christmas cards early too.  These cards are easy to make and can be thrown together really quickly.  Here is what you need to do.

Items you will need:

Cardstock for Card(color of choice)

Christmas Scrapbook Paper

Paper Cutter

Christmas Stamp

glue dots

To Make the Card:

Before beginning this card make sure you have all the products you need.  I got all my paper and card stock supplies at http://www.craftdirect.com/cricut/accessories/paper/cardstock.html, they usually have pretty good deals! I had a few stamps on hand that I used for the writing on the cards and used my old paper cutter.

The first thing you will want to do is make a  bunch of blank cards.  I usually just make a stack of them at the very beginning.  That way you only have to do this step once.  To start take an 8.5”x 11” piece of paper and cut it in half horizontally.  each piece should now be 4.25”x 5.5”.  I had to make 12 cards so I cut 6 pieces of cardstock in half.  I used white paper but you could also use red or green for this step.

Once your blank cards have been cut to size, fold them over in half, and then they are ready to go.

The next step is to cut out your Christmas Ornaments for the card.  I picked some of my favorite scrapbooking paper and cut them into circles.  If you have an electronic cutting machine you could use that instead of scissors to cut your circles.

Next, cut out your ornament toppers.  They are similar to the shape of a square.

Once all your ornaments and ornament toppers are cut out it’s time to put the card together.  Take your glue dots and attach each piece securely to the card.

After your pieces are nice and secure, you can either draw or attach a ribbon to the card for your lines like shown in the picture.

Then take your Christmas stamp and stamp it wherever you want.

After you place your stamp on your card you are done and ready to write in them.

These cards are super cute and totally easy.  You should give them a try!!

How to Make Apple Pie Caramel Apples

Every Fall my family takes a trip to Park City.  As tradition, everytime we go there we visit the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and purchase their popular Apple Pie Caramel Apples.  This year I decided that it would be fun to bring our own ingredients to make our own version of their caramel apples.  I purchased the ingredients ahead of time & brought them on vacation with us.  These apples seriously turned out amazing and were almost just as good as the originals.  Here is how you can make them at home.

Ingredients You Will Need:

• 5 Granny Smith Apples
• ½ C. Brown Sugar
• ½ C. Sugar
• 1 TBSP Cinnamon
• Concord Foods Caramel Apple Wrap
• Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips
• Wax Paper

To Make the Apples:

First, set your oven to 250 degrees & then wash and dry your apples.

Next take out your caramel apple wraps & carefully work each wrap with your hands until it is loose & can fit around your entire apple.  Continue to do this until all of your apples are completely covered in caramel.  This step can take quite a while & should be done with care.

After your apples are covered in carmel place them in the oven for 5 minutes.

While your apples are cooking mix both sugars and the TBSP of Cinnamon in a bowl.  Then set it aside until you are ready for that step.

After 5 minutes take your apples out of the oven and let them cool.

While your apples are cooking, place your entire bag of white chocolate chips in a microwave safe container.  Melt your chips completely, taking them out to stir occasionally during the melting process.

Once your chocolate chips are melted & your caramel apples have set up a little, take a rubber spatula and rub white chocolate all the way around your apple.

Then take your cinnamon sugar mixture and make a nice even coat all the way around covering the chocolate.

After your apple is completely covered place it in the fridge to set up.

Once it’s set up you are ready to eat and enjoy!!

I totally love these caramel apples!  They were a big hit on our vacation.  Not only were they good, but they also saved us a lot of money from buying some at the store.  This is definitely a recipe I will use again and again.

How to Make Harvest Word Blocks with Your Cricut Machine

Recently while setting up my fall decor I came across one of my very favorite decorations.  Last year my sisters and I had a craft party and made a bunch of fall and winter decorations.  We made these Harvest word blocks that night and I forgot that I had them.  I love how these blocks tie all my decorations into each other and how easy they were to make.  I thought it would be great to share the tutorial on how to make them with you today so you can make some of your own.

Items You Will Need to Find:

Orange Paint(Or Color of Your Choice)

Sander(Electric Works Best)

Cricut Machine

Brown Vinyl Paper

Embellishments

Paper Cutter

Hot Glue Gun

Mod Podge

2x4 Cut into Block Sizes of Your Choice

Scrapbook Paper

Glaze

To Make the Blocks:

Step 1:  To start out, take your 2x4 and cut your blocks out into various size pieces.  I usually design this step on a piece of paper before cutting out my sizes.  That way I can make certain I have the design I want.

Step 2:  Take each of your pieces that have been cut out and sand them.  I have an electric sander that I use and it makes this step so much quicker.  Sand each piece until they are completely smooth.

Step 3:  After your blocks are totally smooth it’s time to paint them.  Take out your paint and one layer at a time paint each block.  Be sure to paint at least a couple layers so your paint job looks professional.

Step 4:  After your blocks are completely dry use an old rag to rub a dark brown glaze or stain onto your orange blocks.  This step is optional, but will give your blocks a more rustic look.

Step 5:  For best results let your blocks dry overnight, or at least a couple hours after applying glaze.  While your glaze is drying you can cut out your HARVEST letters.  Use your Cricut machine to cut out your Vinyl paper.  If you don’t have a Cricut machine you can find one at http://www.craftdirect.com/cricut/machines/explore.html for a great deal.

Step 6:  While your blocks are drying you can also cut out your scrapbook paper that you want to attach to the front of your blocks.  Be sure to measure each piece of wood so you know what sizes to cut your scrapbook paper.

Step 7:  Once your scrapbook paper is cut out attach it to your blocks with mod podge, let it dry & then attach your HARVEST letters.  After your letters are in place apply a thin layer of mod podge over the front of them to give your block a finished look.

Step 8:  After your Mod Podge has dried attach any embellishments, ribbon, etc, that you want to your blocks.

Step 9:  Display it for all to see!!

These blocks are very fun to make! They really do add to the fall decor in your home and are just the thing you need to put the finishing touch on your decorating design.

How to Turn a Plastic Pumpkin Into Something New

I cannot tell you how excited I am that fall is here.  My husband has a rule that Halloween decorations cannot go up until October 1st.  You better believe the morning October 1 hit I was out setting up all my fall decorations the moment I woke up.  After all my decor was set up I felt like a few things were missing.  After searching online I came across a blog http://www.whitelightsonwednesday.com/2013/10/plastic-pumpkin-bucket-makeover/ where a lady turned a plastic pumpkin into a trendy burlap pumpkin and I couldn't wait to try it.  This decorative pumpkin was cheap to make, fun to create & turned out amazing.  Here is how to create it.

Products Needed:

• Plastic Pumpkin
• White Spray Paint
• Newspapers or Plastic Bags for Stuffing
• Duct Tape
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun
• Burlap

How to Make the Pumpkin:

Step1:  Take your pumpkin and stuff it with newspapers, plastic bags, etc.  Stuff it until it is completely full, then take your duct tape, tape the hole on top of the pumpkin completely so that it is covered and no stuffing can come out.

Step 2:  Use your White spray paint and spray your entire pumpkin so that it is completely white.  Let your pumpkin dry at least 12-24 hours before moving onto the next step.  You don’t want to place your burlap on wetpaint.

Step 3.  Attach some kind of stick to the top of your pumpkin.  I used hot glue to attach mine to the top.

Step 4:  Now it’s time to wrap your pumpkin with burlap.  I used 2” burlap ribbon but you can also cut a burlap fabric bolt into ribbon.  Measure your pumpkin from the very top to the very bottom and cut your ribbon into a handful of pieces that size.  Then take each strand of burlap and glue it onto your pumpkin starting at the top and working your way down just like the picture above.

Continue that step all the way around your pumpkin until it is completely covered in burlap.

Step 5.  The top of your pumpkin where all the burlap comes together will be a little rugged.  You can use some twine or jute cord to wrap around the very top of your stem until all your rugged ends of burlap are covered.

Step 6:  Add embellishments.

Step 7:  Enjoy!

This pumpkin really is so simple to make and can be a lot of fun.  I created 3 of these pumpkins to add to the decor in my home.

Creating with Simple Stories Scrapbook Supplies

Simple Stories scrapbooking accessories are seriously the best!  There are so many great things you can do with them.  I’ve recently been putting together a scrapbook for Steele and love how easy their products from http://www.craftdirect.com/simple-stories.html are to use.  It’s like they created their products with me, Amy Mower the novice scrapbooker in mind.  Since I’ve started using their products I’ve found myself finding more time to scrapbook & love what they have helped me create.  

Today I thought it would be fun to share with you some tips on how to get started making a scrapbook with Simple Stories products.  I’m hoping that these tips will help you to start documenting your lifes most important events.

Simple Story Journaling Cards

I cannot say enough about the Simple Story Journaling Cards.  They seriously make it so easy to write down important events the moment they happen.  From the day Steele was born until now I have kept a pile of these cards on my nightstand.  Each night as I go to bed I write down important events that happened that day, cute things Steele did & learned or my experience so far as being a mom.  

Steele just recently turned one and it was so fun to go back through all the Journaling Cards I had created and read them.  There were so many things I had forgotten.  The Journaling Cards made it easy to keep record of these events.

Simple Story Insta Pockets

The Simple Story Insta Pockets are seriously designed to make scrapbooking easier.  Their line of Journaling Cards are made to easily slip into their Pocket Pages without any fuss.  This takes time out of cutting, gluing & even slicing.  All you have to do is slip your Journaling Cards right in.

Since I had previously wrote on my journaling cards throughout the year when the time came to put my scrapbook together all I had to do was slide my corresponding pictures in with the Journaling Cards I had created.  It was seriously just that easy.  Something you could definitely do while watching TV relaxing at night.

Simple Story Binders

The Simple Story Binders are made to make your life easier.  Each of their Pocket Pages fit perfectly into their binders without any problems.  Not only are they easy to use, but totally trendy.  Their Chevron Print pocket pages are seriously so cute.  When they came out with that line I went and bought a handful of them.  You will love all the options there are to choose from with Simple Story Binders.

Using Simple Stories to help you with your scrapbooking is one of the best ideas ever!  I’m totally not a scrapbooker at all and feel like I can finally do it thanks to them.

Documenting your history is so very important to pass on to your loved ones after you have gone.  A scrapbook is a great way to do this.  Follow my simple tips above to help you create a great scrapbook with the help of Simple Stories.

Delicious Pumpkin Pie Squares

It’s been a while since I have blogged.  I started school this last semester and life has gone from a little crazy to totally crazy in a matter of weeks.  With fall approaching I thought it would be fun to share with you my very favorite pumpkin dessert.  It’s my go to whenever I need to bring a yummy treat to a party during the fall time.  It’s always a hit & I’m constantly getting asked to share the recipe.  Because of this I thought it would be fun to share it with you today.  

Ingredients:

• 1 Small Can of Pumpkin
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Can of Evaporated Milk
• ½ TSP Cinnamon
• ½ TSP Cloves
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cube Margarine
• ½ TSP Salt
• ½ TSP Nutmeg
• 4 TSP Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 Yellow Cake Mix

To Make:

Mix your can of Pumpkin, Eggs, Milks, Salt, Spices and Sugar all together.  Beat until it is nice and smooth.  Once you have everything completely mixed pour ingredients into a greased pan & set aside.  In a new bowl mix cake mix & nuts.  Once it’s mixed together sprinkle the cake mix mixture on top of the cake batter that is in the pan.  Melt butter and drizzle over the top of the cake.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.  Cool & refrigerate.  Once your dessert is nice and chilled it’s ready to serve.  Top with cool whip & share with your friends and family.

Once you discover just how amazing this simple dessert is you will find yourself craving it on a regular basis.  I seriously look forward to this time of year every year just to make myself some delicious Pumpkin Pie Squares.

For more great pumpkin recipes check out http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=pumpkin

How to Make a Ric Rac Flower Bow

I cannot get enough of Ric Rac ribbon.  It’s seriously the best!! Recently a friend needed some flower bows for some upcoming family pictures.  We got together and decided to try making our own Ric Rac flower bows instead of buying some.  I absolutely love how they turned out and can not wait until I have a little girl to use them.  The process to make these flowers is very easy and can actually be done in very little time.

Products Needed:

• Ric Rac Ribbon(I've found that http://www.craftdirect.com/embellishments/ribbons.html
   has the best deal on Ric Rac ribbon.)
• Hot Glue Gun
• Hair Clips
• Felt
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine
• Clothespin

Step 1:   For every 2” flower you want to make, cut a 40” long piece of ric rac.  You will then fold this piece of ric rac in half and start weaving the two pieces together.  Continue to weave the pieces together all the way until you reach the very end.  This should leave you with a 20” long piece of weaved ric rac.

Step 2:  To hold your weaved ric rac in place you will need to sew a straight stitch down the middle. Take your ric rac, place it in your sewing machine & sew.  If you don’t have a sewing machine for this step you can also glue the pieces together so that they won’t come loose.

Step 3:  In this step you will need to begin making the flower.  Take one of the ends of your freshly sewn strip of ric rac.  Wrap the strip around the end of the ric rac.  Continue to wrap around and around.  As you are wrapping be sure to add some hot glue so that your flower will stay stuck in place.  Wrap until you have a complete 2” circle or flower made.  

Step 4:  Once you get to the end of your ric rac strip and have a complete flower you will need to finish off your work.  Take a 1 ½ inch circle of felt and glue the it underneath your felt flower to hold the pieces in place.

Step 5:  Use your glue gun to attach a hair clip to the back of your newly made felt flower.  Don’t use too much glue for this part as this piece needs to be attached to your hair.  To be safe just use a tiny pinch of glue for each hair clip you attach.

Step 6:  Place in your hair & enjoy!!

These flowers are seriously so easy to make and don’t take much time at all.  I can’t wait until I have a little girl to put all the different bows I have made on.  Until that day I have used these flowers in my home decor, on cards & even on gifts.  They are very versatile.  By following my simple steps above you can make some felt flowers like a pro as quickly and easily as possible.