DIY Valentines Advent Calendar

I am so excited to show you this advent calendar that I made for my girls!  It was so fun to make and Lillie already loves it.  She keeps calling it her "house" and telling me that she LOVES chocolate and that I should put some in there for her to find.  Ha!  She is really going to love helping me open the doors everyday to get a treat for herself and Addie.

Let me show you how I made this cause you are going to want to make one for yourself as well.  You have just enough time to get it ready before Feb 1st.  I have included the printable that I created for you to use and hope that you like it.  You can find the link to the printable below.

Here's what you are going to need:

• Advent calendar printable  I printed at Costco and it is a 12X12 size. (You are welcome to use this for your own personal use. Printables are for use by subscribers to Just Between Friends only. If you use this tutorial and post about it online, please give proper credit and link back. I would LOVE to see how yours turns out!)
• Foam core (I got mine at Hobby Lobby.  You can get a really big piece for only $2 over by the framing area.)
• Xacto knife
• Mod Podge
• 3 pieces of 12X12 Cardstock (any color.  It is going to be used for the boxes that hold the treats inside the doors. I used red.)
• Washi Tape

Let's get started!  Begin by using Mod Podge to attach the printable to the foam core. I glued it to the edge so that I would have minimal cutting to do.

Once it has dried, you will need to cut out the doors.  I cut the pink part only (on the inside of the yellow lines) to make the door. You will need to cut the top and bottom of the door as well as the side of the door that has the heart on it.  Don't cut through the forth side because it is what makes it so that the doors swing open and closed.

Now that you have three sides cut, turn the board over and make sure your cuts went all the way through.  Next I took a straight edge and cut a line from the top to the bottom of each door making sure that you are still on the back side of the board.  You also need to make sure that the cut doesn't go all the way through the foam core.  The only reason you need to make the cut is to help the door open and close.  If it isn't cut, the door doesn't move.

I opened and shut the doors each several times at this point to make sure that things were moving smoothly. 

The next part is really simple.  I wanted to make it so that this was a sort of a shadow box so that the boxes that held the treats inside were protected from little fingers.  I cut strips of foam core that were 2 inches wide and used those for the sides.  I used washi tape to hold it all together.  It was really effective and as an added bonus it is really cute.

When the sides were in place, I used my Silhouette to cut out little boxes to hold the treats.  I just set it so that the middle of the box was the same size as my door. (2 1/4 inches X 1 1/4 inches about.)

I initially was going to use elmers glue and washi tape to put the boxes together, but it took forever and didn't really work very well.  So I pulled out my handy dandy glue gun to finish the rest and it worked like a charm!  It is nice and sturdy and I don't have to worry about it.  

I forgot to get a photo of this, but once all the boxes are in place, I cut another piece of foam board that was big enough to cover the back side of the box and seal the little boxes inside.  I used washi tape to attach it as well.

The last thing that I needed to do was find a way that I could close the doors and then be able to open them easily.  I took a small piece of washi tape, folded over one edge and taped it to the back side of each door.  It created a little handle of sorts that makes it really easy to open each door with.  

It took me probably about an hour and a half to complete this from start to finish.  It was a really fun project to make and it is one that I can use over and over every year.  Let me know if you have any questions about any of this.  I am more than happy to help!  Hope you like it!

10 DIY Valentine Ideas

Last year I made cute little mailboxes for my family and put Valentines in them each day from Feb 1st through Valentines day.  The wheels are turning for this year and am really excited to get making them for this year since last year was such a hit!  I thought that I would share this in case you are interested in joining in the fun as well so that you have plenty of time to get your supplies together. You can find full tutorials for each Valentine by clicking the links by the photos.  Hope you enjoy!

Robot Valentine

Just "Write" Valentine

I Would "Flip" if You'd Be My Valentine

Sucker Butterfly Valentine

Soda Valentine

A Squeeze and a Kiss

I'll "Owl"-ways Love You

Rockin Valentine

O-Fish-ally Be My Valentine

I'm Wild About You

A Look Back at the Top 10 Posts of 2012

Can you believe it?  Tomorrow will be 2013!  As I reflect back on my year and all of the things that I did in it, I can't help but think about this blog and the huge part of my life it has been.  I thought it might be fun to show you the 10 most viewed posts of 2012 before we get on to 2013.

#10 Fancy Schmancy Pearl Necklace 

If you need a fancy necklace for any event, this one is the one for you!

#9 It's About Time {DIY Clocks}

These clocks were a project that I worked on with Camilla a long time ago, but this post continues to be one of the top viewed projects of all time.

#8 Cupcake Gift Boxes

My Cupcake Gift Boxes are also a post from a while ago, but are viewed quite frequently still.

#7 Decoupaged Backsplash Tutorial

This is a post from my days on Crafting with the Stars. As an update, my backsplash still looks the exact same as it did.  The paper and mod podge held up GREAT!  We will eventually change it out for tile, but that was the original plan anyway.

#6 My Craft Room Reveal

I was so excited to share my craft room with you, and even more excited when you all loved it.  It definitely makes a project worth it when it is loved. :) Someday I will show you the rest of the room (when I get a chance to deep clean it.)

#5 Poofy Flower Tutorial

This headband is still one of my very favorites to put on my girls.  It is feminine and fun and so easy to put together.

#4 Bean Art Tutorial

Another favorite from my days on Crafting with the Stars.  This was my final project that won me 2nd place in case you were wondering. :)  As an update on the bean art, the beans faded with time and I no longer have it hung in my home.  I loved the vibrancy of the bean initially, but the sun does fade them (just so you know.)

#3 DIY Toddler Leggings

Who can resist these adorable leggings?  There are so many options of patterns to make these with, and they are so inexpensive and cute!

#2 Seasonal Welcome Post

I still have this Welcome Post on my front porch.  I love the way it looks.  I should probably do a touch up no the paint job, but otherwise it has really held up to the weather changes.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.  The post with the most views for 2012 is.....

#1 Fancy Flowers Tutorial

I had no idea that this tutorial would go viral like it did.  It has been pinned and viewed more than any other post on my blog ever.

There you have it.  The top 10 most viewed posts of 2012!  If you haven't seen some of these projects, I think you will find that they are definitely worth looking at.  Here's to an even better year in 2013 full of LOTS of new and exciting projects!

DIY Pinecone Wreath Tutorial

I love having wreaths that can stay up longer than just one month.  Don't get me wrong, I like the Christmas wreaths, and the Valentines wreaths, and the Easter Wreaths etc etc etc, but they are just not ones that can stay up for very long without people wondering if you're dead since you haven't changed to the next holiday.

For instance, one year I put Christmas lights up on my house.  One year.  That will never happen again unless I am paying someone to put them up and down.  What a pain in the neck to get those up and an even bigger pain to put away.  I kind of dreaded the putting away part, so they may or may not have been up from Christmas until Valentines day.  I had several neighbors comment on it too which brings me back to the point that some decorations just go out of season way too fast which is why I try to make things that can be used through different seasons.

Back to the topic at hand.  This pinecone wreath is the perfect season neutral wreath to make!  I love the way it looks and it was really easy and inexpensive to make it.  I was inspired by this pinecone wreath.

I started with a grapevine wreath from Hobby Lobby.  It was only $5.99 and it is actually quite large which I liked.  I wanted to be able to put all sizes of pinecones on it without having to worry about it looking overwhelmed.  

I bought two bags of the cinnamon scented pinecones that are just plain brown and then I dry brushed white paint onto them to give them a frosted look.  To attach them to the wreath, you will need some wire and simply wrap the wire around the pine cone and the wreath in the place that you want it and then twist the wire in the back.  Repeat that about 40 more times and the wreath is almost done!

For the very last step, you will need some brown wired ribbon.  I picked mine up from Hobby Lobby for 1/2 off (their ribbon goes on sale a lot) and it only cost me $2 for a large spool.  I simply looped the ribbon around and around and then using the same wire I used for the pinecones I attached it to the wreath.  I left the ends a little longer because I thought it looked better that way, but really you can do it however you want to.

Now all you need to do is hang it up and enjoy!

DIY Snow Globes

There is something magical about a snow globe.  It is almost therapeutic to watch the glitter fall.  I knew that Lillie would love to help me make them, and I was totally right!  It was a fun activity to put together with her.

Let's get started making them.  This is easy, really!

First Gather your supplies:

• Glitter
• Old Jars (I used a mason jar and an old pickle jar that I had)
• Baby Oil
• Small Ornaments/Trees
• Hot glue

Next, you are going to glue your items to the inside of the jar lid.  Make sure they are glued well so that they don't fall off when you are tipping the jar up and down. Fill the jar with baby oil and also add the glitter.  If you put too much in there, it will be hard to see the cute ornaments through the glitter falling.  (I learned this the hard way)  

Last, you are going to glue the lid onto the jar so that it is sealed.  I didn't put enough glue on the inside, so my globes leak and I need to seal it from the outside now.  Learn from my mistake and be VERY generous with the glue inside the lid.

Now you have a beautiful and custom snow globe!

DIY Flower Pillow

The other day I posted this photo of a flower pillow I had made at a Super Saturday activity on instagram and I had a HUGE positive response of people wanting the tutorial for how to make it.

I LOVE the way my pillow turned out.  Here's how mine differed a little from the original tutorial that you can find over at H is for Handmade.  I used wool felt instead of craft felt because of a couple of reasons. #1 I love the saturated colors that you can find in the wool felt.  It is a much more vibrant color.  #2 I figured that if I was going to take the time to make this pillow, I wanted it to be as sturdy as possible.  Wool is much more tightly woven then the craft felt which makes it more durable.  It is a little more expensive (by about $3 a yard) but it is SO worth it.

The second thing that I did differently is that I decided to go with a patterned pillow instead of a plain colored one.  I really think it added a lot by doing that.  Either way is REALLY cute, but I just liked the color against the grey stripe.  I bought my pillow form at IKEA and is 20"x20" and the fabric/felt came from one of my favorite fabric shops over at Gardner Village called Pine Needles.  (They have amazing selection and quality.)  The pillow I covered in a simple envelope enclosure pillow case. If you can't sew, no problem.  Just get a pillow that already has a fun color or pattern on it.

This is a no sew flower which is awesome because that means it is finished quickly.  From start to finish (including the time to sew the pillow case) this pillow took me 1 and a half hours to make.  Not bad!  I used hot glue to attach the flowers instead of fabric glue and it worked like a charm!

Here's my one tip for making this.  I would cut all the petals out first.  Then, going one row at a time, glue the ends of all the petals to give it the rounded shape and attach to the pillow.  It will make things go so much more quickly.  Go read the original tutorial for more tips and tricks for making this!

Good luck!  Let me know if you have any questions!  I would be happy to help!

DIY Beanbags

Let's see....where did we last leave off?  I had just shown you my loft space and now I need to show you what happens to be my favorite part of the loft.

These bean bags aren't just your run-of-the-mill bean bags.  No sir-ee!  I originally had a 6 foot love sac in the loft.  The kids loved to play on it (sometimes) and it was ALWAYS flat and not pretty at all.  It was a pain in the behind to fluff up and it was WAY too heavy to think about moving around.  So, there it sat.  Flat and in the corner for two and half years.

I had an ah-ha moment one day.  I thought, "what if I were to turn this love sac into something that is cute and functional that the girls could use more easily?"  And that is when I decided I would make my own bean bags!

The pattern I used for the bean bags is from Michael Miller fabrics and is perfect.  I wanted these to be colorful, full of patterns, and so fun.  I think I achieved that look for sure!  I used fabrics that are thick and durable because I don't want to have to redo any of it later on.

The verdict is in, and the girls love them!  They are always sitting, jumping, and playing on them.  I would say that is was worth the time spent on them.

I do have a couple of warnings for you.
#1 The first one will take you a long time.  Just plan on it and know that once you get the hang of it that the next ones won't take you as long.
#2 The stuffing will make a big mess.  Also, if you have a 6 foot love sac, three bean bags won't use all of the stuffing.  You will have enough to make like 7 or 8 probably.

That being said, you should make them because they are adorable.

Little Ghost-ies 2 Ways

Halloween is getting closer.  You can feel it in the air, you can see it in the stores, and you can taste it in the yummy treats of fall.  I love Halloween.  I know I've said it before, but I just had to say it again.

If you are looking for another quick decor item for your house, or if you are in need of a center piece for a Halloween party, these would be the perfect choice! I have two different fun ways to create ghosts.  (or Pumpkins, or Frankenstein.)

I was sent the cute faces and wood from Fab Decor to create the ghosts with. My cousin Dorothy was over at my house the other day and I asked her if she would like to do a project with me, so I pulled this out for her to make.  The ghosts whipped up in no time. 

All you need to do is paint the blocks white, sand the edges, put the vinyl face on, and add a tulle bow if you would like to.

Easy and cute!

This second option was a lot of fun.  I was recently asked to be a part of Activity Days which is an activity that takes place every other week and is held for the girls in my church that are ages 8-11.  I am in charge of the 11 year olds, and I thought this would be the perfect activity for them to try.  Turns out, I was right!  It was a total hit.  If my 11 year olds can make these, so can you!

The basic tutorial is simple.  Paint your mason jar with mod podge and then apply tissue paper.  You can use one big piece, or you can do like we did and kind of piece it together.  It all ends up looking about the same anyway.  I had the girls apply the paper to the outside of the jar so that there wouldn't be any fire hazards. We had three options.  White, orange, and green tissue paper which would make a ghost, pumpkin, Frankenstein, and at the end I realized it could even be a witch!

Once it is dry, apply the cute vinyl faces.  

I had the girls leave the can ring on so that it has a more finished look up on top, but left the jar open for venting purposes.  Then I wrapped wire around the jar to create a handle of sorts.  I used an 18 gauge wire and it worked great.  

Last the girls decorated the wire to make it look like hair on top of their lantern, or a bow.  They turned out so so cute.  They really would be the perfect centerpiece at a party.  They look so spooky glowing in the dark.  We used glow sticks since we were in the church and can't have an open flame there. 

There are just so many options for the cute vinyl faces that I was sent from Fab Decor.  You should head over and order yours now.  AND don't forget to use the code FABFRIENDS at checkout so that you can get 25 % off your entire order (including sale items!)