New Neighbor Gifts/Paper Gift Bag Tutorial

We have new neighbors!

Since moving is always such a tedious and stressful time, I like to put together a little package to welcome new neighbors when they settle in. Over the last week, we had two sets of neighbors move in to the houses on each side of us! I made some Rice Krispy Treats and stacked them up in large cellophane treat bags. I thought it would be cute to make a couple gift bags to dress up the packaging a little.

Paper gift bags are actually super simple to put together and can be done quickly once you get the hang of it. They can be used for anything from gifting to party favors. And the best part is that they can be completely customized.

 These little bags can be made from just about any kind of paper but I love using a pretty printed card stock. I found this card stock stack at my local craft store. It's usually $19.99 for 48 sheets but I picked this one up when it was on sale for $6.99! Some of the sheets have glitter and foil for added dimension and texture, which look great on any project. The only downside I found with these particular sheets is that they don't score quite as neatly. It didn't make too much a difference with this project though. If you want to make your own paper gift bags, here is a quick and easy tutorial.   


Paper Gift Bag Tutorial

For this project, you'll need:

*Paper (I'm using a 12x12 piece of printed card stock for the bag and smaller card stock to make the tag) 

*Scissors or a paper cutter (Pinking shears can also add some fun detail.)

*Hole punch

*Ribbon

*Double-sided adhesive roller (Tape or glue will also work.)

*Tag and/or Embellishments

Start by cutting across the top edge of your paper. I used pinking shears to create a scalloped edge but you can keep yours straight if you prefer.






Fold and score this edge down to create the top of your bag. This is where double-sided card stock would be adorable! It adds a fun contrast to the top of your bag. I kind of wish I had used it myself on this one but the white looks great too. As I mentioned, these bags are customizable, so the dimensions of your completed bag will depend on the measurements you use on your folds. For the top, I made my fold 1 3/4 inches.





Next, flip your paper over, fold and score each side to the center, overlapping about 1/8 of an inch. Using your double-sided adhesive, tape or glue, secure these flaps closed to create the back of your bag.

 Now we're going to make the bottom of the bag. 

 

Fold and score the bottom up towards the top. This bottom fold is going to determine the width of your bag so the larger the fold, the wider the bag. I made mine 1 3/4 inches. Open the fold, press your finger into one of the corners and flatten it open, creating an even triangle. Do the same on the other side. Now take each edge and fold up towards the center, overlapping about 1/8 of an inch. Secure closed with your double-sided adhesive, tape or glue. 

Open the top of your bag and pop the folds out from the inside with your hand to establish the bottom. From here, hold the base of your bag and invert the score in the center of each side. Gently pinch from the bottom up, creating the edges of each side of your bag.

At this point, you can add a tag or embellish with whatever you would like. I wanted to make leaf-shaped tags for my bags. You could probably find a leaf template online but because I didn't want to have to search for one and print it out, I grabbed a leaf from the yard, traced it and cut it out. Can't get more of an authentic leaf shape than that, right?

Now you can decide how you would like your handle(s) to look. I chose a 1/2 inch white grosgrain ribbon which I attached on the sides. To do this, punch a small hole about 1/2 inch from the top on each side of the bag and tie the ribbon through, securing with a knot. Don't forget to add your tag  before knotting the other side!

You could also make a double handled bag by punching two holes equally apart on both the front and back of the bag, again securing the ribbon inside with knots.

And that's it! Your cute little bag is ready to be filled with anything you like! Once you make one, you'll find you can throw one together in no time. You could make them for gifts, classroom treats, party favors- just about anything!


I hope our new neighbors enjoy their treats and feel welcome in our neighborhood! Maybe it will help ease the news of having four kids aged 1-7 in the house next to them...maybe.

Fall Monogram Wreath and Candy Jar

With the weather finally getting cooler in the evenings here in Georgia, we’re starting to really get in the spirit of Fall!  Simply hit your local grocery store and you will see…everything has Pumpkin in it and that middle aisle is brimming with terrifying Halloween décor (which you may or may not want to browse with your toddler, depending on their fondness for a singing, dancing Snoopy wearing a skeleton suit).

In order to bring some of that home (beyond my  candle obsession), I climbed into my musty crawl space and pulled out my “Fall” décor box.  While I do have some cute things, my sister’s sweet garland and mantel made my stash seem somewhat inadequate.  After purging quite a bit, I decided that we were in serious need of a cute monogrammed wreath for our front door.  So, while Colin played in the playroom with his trucks, I sat in the dining room, with the smell of Pumpkin Cupcake in the air, to get back into my crafting!  I had quite a few of the supplies I needed, but did run to my local Hobby Lobby and grab a new grapevine wreath, a sweet tin monogram and some decorative mini-pumpkins.

I busted out the glue gun, which has been seriously neglected of late, and sat down to create.  Tools of the trade (all of which I had on hand, Jordan!):

I started with leaves, I mean, it’s Fall right?  What I love about grapevine wreaths is the planning is easy because you can place everything by pushing the stems between branches, but you’re left the flexibility to change.  Hot glue makes things more permanent and that is no good for Miss OCD here.  Here is me placing my leaves and then gluing.


I took the monogram out on to the patio and sprayed it a champagne-gold, and while that dried, went to tackle the snarl of natural raffia that came out of my supplies.  Once manageable, I was able to tie a quick bow to place at the top of the wreath and was almost finished.

Knowing my need for placement options, I had the foresight to purchase my new pumpkins and flowers with picks attached.  This made arrangement easy and my wreath was really coming together!


Once all of the floral pieces were placed and secured with glue, I grabbed my newly golden “H” and raffia bow for the final touches.  Truly a simple wreath to make, and roughly 20 minutes total work time and I think it turned out rather nicely!  I was quite happy to not only have my first decoration up, but be back on the crafting.

While I was on a roll, I figured I should keep going.  And, once Baby Boy was PJed, teeth brushed, stories read, kisses given and snoozing, I headed back to my supplies.  Now, I told y’all earlier about my candle obsession and when I opened my “Fall” storage container, found the remnants of this problem from last year; several nearly empty candle jars just waiting for me to get my hands on them!

Like I said previously, feel free to browse our Recycled Crafting board for ideas on what to use these old jars for, but this is my favorite tutorial on getting them clean and pretty, Wax Removal.   This process took me about 30 minutes total, only because you have to let the hot water and wax cool enough to be touchable.  Otherwise, SUPER easy to do.

Once I got them all shiny and clean, I pulled out two drawer pulls (originally purchased at Christmas for wine cork decor) and my two favorite tools:  Goo Gone and my Glue Gun.

With these, I started removing the candle labels and attached the knobs to the tops of each lid and made my old candles into lovely little jars to be put to further use, instead of just tossed in the trash!  The gold one is just screaming for some Fall colored Peanut M&M’s and placement on my mantel, but the silver will most certainly find its new home on my bathroom vanity!  What a great idea for holiday gifting once I burn through some more!

Fall Decorating and Fabric Garland Tutorial

I can not believe we're already starting the third week of September. Over Labor Day weekend my husband mentioned how surprised he was that we hadn't starting decorating for Fall. I have no idea why I hadn't been all over it yet! I haven't even tried Starbucks revamped Pumpkin Spice Latte either.
Who am I?!?

After dropping the older two off at school the next day, I pulled everything out from storage and got to work. I like to keep our Fall decor fairly simple and natural.



I wanted to add something more to the mantel this year but I still planned to keep it understated. I decided to make a garland from my fabric stash and jute twine I had on hand. It came together pretty quickly and adds some great Fall color to the room. Keep reading for a simple tutorial if you want to throw one of these together for your house too!

My parents in law were sweet enough to pick up books of fabric samples for me from their favorite local home decor fabric shop. Did I luck out in the in-law department or what? You can ask your local fabric store if they have any samples to spare or just purchase any fall colored fabric you like for this project. You can also pick up twine for less than $4 per 30 yards at your local craft store.



Ok, here's the tutorial for Fall Fabric Garland!
 
(PS- this is a no-sew. So, so easy. You could put this together while drinking your morning coffee. With your eyes closed. Ok, maybe keep one open. Just so you don't spill your coffee.)
 
Fall Fabric Garland Tutorial
Materials:
-Fall-colored fabric, any texture
-Fabric scissors

-Jute twine

Gather your materials and begin by cutting a piece of twine to your preferred length. I made ours 7 feet long since I would be hanging it on our mantel. Next, start cutting your strips of fabric. I made mine about ten inches long and one inch wide, but you can make yours any length and width you prefer. Depending on your fabric, you may be able to start a strip with your scissors and then just tear the rest of the way. This creates a frayed, natural look to the edges. The number of strips you'll need will depend on the length of your garland and how full you would like it to be. I cut about 90 fabric strips for 7 feet of garland. Once you have your strips cut, begin tying them onto the twine. You can tie them in a pattern based on color (if you're compulsive like I am) or randomly. It will look great either way. That's it! Now you can hang your easy, pretty Fall Fabric Garland anywhere!


I originally hung our garland under the mantel, gathering it in the center to let each side swag. My husband said it looked too "birthday-ish" and moved it to the top. I think it looks cute either way but I really liked the way the swag brought some Fall color down the mantel a bit more. What do you think? Leave us a comment to help us settle this!

Under the mantel:
Or on top:

As for the rest of the mantel decor, I found the "Happy Fall Y'all" printable bunting here, strung it on the jute twine and hung it across our mirror. I placed some pine cones from our back yard into a glass vase and tied a piece of chevron burlap around the top.

I framed this cute little Fall quote, added a few faux pumpkins and a couple strands of leaf garland and that's it for the mantel!

I added a few other little Fall touches around the house, keeping with the theme of natural elements and colors. Leaf garland, faux pumpkins and red Anjou pears (every one of which has at least three bite marks), pine cones and acorns are tucked in with our everyday decor.

Despite the fact that the temperature outside is still in the 80's, I have to say it's feeling pretty Fall-y around here! I have our Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin and Leaves candles burning regularly.  I'm ready to break out the boots and plaid blanket scarf for the season and head to Starbucks to try out the new Fall flavors.



Happy Fall, Y'all!

Music as a "Pick Me Up"

Though I grew up listening to music regularly, I never paid attention to how much it affected me.  I sit at my desk every morning and turn on my Spotify and choose a playlist based on the type of mood I’m in.  I have my girly playlist, with all of the requisite female artists that I love from Fiona Apple to Sara Bareilles.  These songs are more mellow and relaxed for a day in the office.  I also have my Jams playlist.  These are the songs that give me a little boost and give me enough confidence so I totally believe I could rap with Dre and Snoop.  FYI, no, I totally couldn’t, but I still LOVE trying.  These are the big two, but if I’m honest, there is a secret third playlist that is the one that I have to play on the DL at a very low volume.  Not because of parental advisory or because I’m trying to concentrate, simply because I don’t want my co-workers to overhear and think that I am completely mental.  As my sister has said, we have this strange love for all things Christmas, and so on those very stressful days, when I need a serious pick-me-up, I turn to Bing and Johnny and Nat and Frank.  Yep, classic, merry Christmas tunes are what get me through those days!  Whichever list I go with, there is always a song providing backup and laying the groundwork for my day.  And, as we planned for this blog, of course the music was flowing and I thought what a great idea it would be to make that a part of it.

Girly

Jams

To this day, I can hear a song and be transported back to my past listening to it and remember the tiniest details.  I remember lying on the living room carpet in our favorite childhood home, next to my sister, Annie and being the “drums” along with The Who.  Our backs and bottoms were all parts of the kit that my dad used to tap out Baba O’Riley (For those of you who don’t know The Who – 1.  I’m so sorry 2. The correct title for this song if you are a child left to come up with your own “lyrics,” is Teeny Tweesling.  If you are somewhat intelligent, you will certainly recognize the lyrics “Teenage Wasteland.”)  I can also hear Bing Crosby crooning “White Christmas” and be nine years old, sitting next to the Christmas tree with big colored lights in that same house.  My parents always kept the albums spinning (yes, albums, on a record player).  And we sang and danced along with enthusiasm and appreciation for many different types of music.

My sisters and I each have quite an eclectic collection of favorite music and artists now, but there is one song that stands out for my family like no other; one that we have even developed choreography to over time (insert sheepish grin).  In 1992, on Rusted Root’s first album, Cruel Sun, came the delightfully upbeat and goofy song “Send Me On My Way.”  Said to be written during a sunny day with a “very happy feeling,” this song truly lightens any mood!  With guitar and whistles and hilariously indistinguishable lyrics at times, it brings you to your feet and puts a smile on your face.  Hence the spontaneous dance breaks at most of our family celebrations.

Beyond being a great mood lifter and athletic dance party inducer, the words do start to hold a little meaning.  This blog was meant to be light-hearted and helpful, so what better words than those of such a song:

“Well, pick me up with golden hand

Oombayseeyou, I may tell you to run

(On my way)

(On my way)

Oombseemoobadeeyah

I would like to hold my little hand…”

We are hoping to take hold of your “little hands” with our Golden ones and help lift your moods (most likely at times with made up words) and enhance your celebrations.  Let us bring you into our silly, happy world a little bit every day.  We will strive to keep smiles on your faces and those of your children and guests at all of your events!  And, if you’re lucky, we may even choreograph some moves for you too!

UP Birthday Adventure

It is unofficially the last day of summer! Time to pull out the Fall decorations and pumpkin candles around here. It's also time for me to start planning a certain little guy's birthday party. I'm doing a bit of a throwback today, because around this time last year he decided he wanted an UP party for his birthday. No one who knows him was the least bit surprised. Since the age of three, our son has dressed up as Carl Fredricksen on a regular, almost daily, basis. A sport coat, bow tie, glasses and Ellie badge have been staples in his wardrobe no matter the occasion or weather.  Heading to Target with Mom? Glasses. 102 degrees out? Sport coat. Bedtime? Sorry, kiddo- the bow tie has to come off at least. I am not exaggerating when I tell you this: over this three year time frame, you were less likely to see him in regular clothes than in Mr.Fredricksen clothes. 

Here he is as Carl at three, four & five.

I put his invitations together by printing an UP-themed birthday saying along with the party details on white card stock, leaving some space on the left. I printed the house and balloons, cut and attached them in the space with adhesive foam dots to give some dimension to the card. I added a small piece of baker's twine for the balloon strings and finished by backing the entire card with turquoise card stock to give the border a little color.

He isn't very picky when it comes to party details but he had to make sure, above all else, that we would have the UP house somewhere in his party. I thought it would make such a great centerpiece on the table so I scoured the internet to find the perfect one. I quickly learned there was no such thing available to purchase and that we would be making it ourselves. I found a wooden dollhouse at our local craft store that looked similar to the one in the movie. I thought it would be so fun to put together and paint! I was wrong. So very wrong.

There were approximately 2,474,678,926 pieces to pop out and put together. When that nightmare was over, I still had to paint the thing. Every teeny, tiny little detail. After I finished in the wee small hours of the morning, I genuinely wanted to toss it to the floor and put my foot directly through the roof. Instead, I went to bed just hoping it wouldn't haunt my dreams. 

But the next morning, our sweet boy was so excited at the sight of it he was jumping up and down screaming "it looks just like it!" And THAT is why I do this. Despite it being the most tedious part of the party prep, it was the piece he liked the most. And it ended up looking pretty cute on the table with the balloons tied on top!

We had some fun snacks set out that we tied in with the UP theme, like Wilderness Explorer Trail Mix, Russell's S'Mores, Kevin's Chocolates and Dug's Dirt Cups. We also had Charles Muntz's Chips and Dip, Mr. Fredricksen's Fresh Fruit and Ellie's Turkey Roll "Ups." I made simple food cards with each of the characters to set next to the coordinating snack. You'll probably notice, I took the super easy way out with most of the menu. Especially the dirt cups. I planned to make homemade pudding and prepare individual cups with an UP embellishment but I ran out of time and it just didn't happen. Instead, I sprinkled Oreo crumbs and stuck gummy worms right into single-serving pudding cups. And you know what? It worked out fine.

The Disney Family website has a 3D Carl printable so we put him together to set next to the house. They have a Russell printable too, but he ended up playing hard with the kids the day before and was accidentally flattened. Whoops. Sorry you couldn't make it to the party, Russell.

I hung a banner made from vintage-style UP posters I printed from here and here. I also framed a picture of the house with balloons to put on the back buffet near the cake.

As for the cake itself, I made a small round and iced it in white. I keep cakes pretty simple since I am no expert when it comes to decorating. I added multicolored sprinkles to the top and a cake pop rolled in the sprinkles to look like the famous bunch of balloons.

We didn't have any planned activities for this party because I figured boys this age would rather be running around doing their own thing than any organized games. We set up an "UP"  bouncy house in the backyard and that's where they stayed for most of the afternoon!

When it comes to favors, I like to try to find something fun the kids will actually play with or use rather than a bunch of cheap candy and breakable toys. Since we already had a ton of Wilderness Explorer trail mix on hand, I scooped some into cellophane treat bags and stapled a piece of yellow card stock embellished with the Wilderness Explorer logo.


I found an UP Adventure Book on the Family Disney website, which the kids can fill out based on their real-life adventures! There are badges that go along with it which I printed on sticky-backed paper so they would be able to just peel and stick them to the pages of their book. I knew we would have to incorporate the Ellie badge too and remembered seeing this great tutorial from A Crafty Chick. They were so much fun to make and turned out really cute.

I loved the brown paper bag favors she made with the Wilderness Explorer logo too so I made our own version using a print out of the WE logo and strips of colored card stock. I made the tags which had the saying "Thanks for the adventure" with the same picture of the house and balloons to match his invitations. I attached them to the bag handles with some jute twine and they were finished!

It was a special day for our little explorer and a memorable party for all of us. As I looked back it made me realize how quickly he is drifting from his Carl Fredricksen days. Way too quickly for me. As for this year, so far he has asked to have Lego Star Wars, Lego Minecraft, and Lego Harry Potter party themes. I see where this is going. You win, Lego. You always do.