let’s get crafty

to get married!  We know how easy it is for a wedding budget to skyrocket, so we’ve gathered up a few DIY projects to use as favors for your guests.

These creative  goodies will make  memorable souvenirs for your loved ones as well as add a personal touch to your special day.

No sewing needed here–Christina from Intimate Weddings shows us how easy it is to make these goody bags using fusible tape. These would be just perfect for a rustic wedding.

Believe it or not, these miniature candy bars are dressed up with vintage wallpaper. Head on over to the Such Pretty Things Blog and Jessica will give you the scoop on how to create these.

Give your guests a little something sweet…check out the recipes for infused sugar that the Sugar and Charm Blog has to offer.  The possibilities are endless-guests can add a spoonful of this to their drink or use it to add a hint of flavor in a favorite recipe.

Say thank you with a beautiful green plant. We found these Potted Herb Favors on The Sweetest Occasion Blog. We also love the idea of personalizing these with your wedding colors.

Here’s an idea for a themed gift-a DIY coaster set. This set on the Bayside Bride Blog is nautical based, but you could certainly modify these to fit any idea .

Hearts aren’t only for Valentine’s Day, they are the perfect symbol of  love anytime of the year.  Send your guests home with a Pie Pop to enjoy later.  Eclectic Recipes uses ready-made pie dough to make these delicious treats.  For a pretty presentation, package these in cellophane and tie with a fancy ribbon.

Your guest’s feathered friends will love this adorable heart shaped bird seed favor from Intimate Weddings.  These cuties are great if you’re on a budget and have an outdoorsy themed wedding.

Like to get a little crafty now and then? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our gems we found on the web in your email inbox!

Pretty posies and gorgeous green plants are popping up everywhere now (finally!)

Check out these clever and inventive ways to showcase your favorite flowers…

Don’t put away those rain boots just yet–yes, they just became your new planter! Ann from On Sutton Place came up with this brilliant idea.

Richella from Imparting Grace created her own “aged” terra cotta pots. You can find all the instructions right here.

Taryn from  took a thrifted watering can and turned it into a beautiful planter with a vintage feel. Stroll on over to her Design, Dining, + Diapers Blog  to get the scoop.

Odds are– you’ve got some these old light fixtures around the house somewhere.  April over at the Flourishing Abode Blog came up with this creative spin on container gardening.

Switch up your hanging plants and give them a seat with this cool Chair Planter that we found on Jasey’s Crazy Daisy Blog. We think this would look just  lovely in the corner of a porch or flanking a front door.

If you are tight on space,  this Cinder Block Garden is just the ticket and can pack a lot of punch.  Over on the Hands Occupied Blog, Heidi explains how this resourceful planter can also serve as a retaining wall.

Like to get a little crafty now and then? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our gems we found on the web in your email inbox!

Even though my name is April, I must admit the early part of this spring month can be a bit dreary.  The rainy days and brown ground wasn’t cutting it at our newest location in Ann Arbor so I dreamed up these colorful planters to put a punch of color in front of our store.

I chose galvanized pails and containers for my pots for a couple of reasons.  First,  I can leave them out year round and won’t have to worry about ice freezing and cracking them.  (Can’t you see sprigs of evergreens with bright bulbs tied to them come November?)  Second, they are easy to spray paint and drill holes for drainage.    I found the large and small styles at Home Depot and the medium size at Michael’s.  All three sizes cost about  $45 + the cost of spray paint.

I had extra house paint around our studio so I added stripes, polka dots and scallops to make them a bit more whimsical.  Then you just add soil and plant your posies!

We placed the two tiered pots by our door and the big daddy at the corner of our garden space.  Now we wait for the rest of our plants to poke through the dirt and are counting down the days for our building to get a coat of turquoise paint!  Hip Hooray ~ it’s almost May :-)

Like to get a little crafty now and then? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our gems we found on the web in your email inbox!

The very first Earth Day celebration took place back on April 22,1970 and around 20 million people participated across the USA.  Today, it has grown into a worldwide tradition and more than a billion people in 180 countries are expected to become a part of the celebration. We wondered~aside everyday recycling, what else can we do?

Luckily, there are some very resourceful folks out there that have come up with very cool ways to re-purpose everyday items… like this clever colorful bottle border from The Greenbacks Gal.  What a perfect excuse to have you girlfriends over for some wine time.

Just take a guess at what these pretty petals are made of….plastic soda bottles! Jen from Tater Tots and Jello came up with this cute idea and you can get all of the instructions here.

Ready to start your garden but the weather is just not cooperating? Don’t worry, the Burlap & Denim blog has a great solution using empty toilet paper rolls.

All I can say is start saving your cans, because you’re gonna want to make this cute Tin Can Caddy. The sky is the limit when it comes to ways to use this one. It could be used in any room of the house to help organize your goodies.

Nothing brightens up a room like a spot of color, so gather up your empty glass bottles and get to it! Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl shows you how to create these lovelies using simple spray paint (along with a few cute and easy embellishment ideas).

Who knew you could create a cell phone holder with an empty bottle of lotion??–crafty gal Ashley from Make It & Love It, that’s who! She details all the directions right here.

Give a second life to something in your closet.  According to Aunt Peaches all you need to create these are “beaten up old party shoes, busted up costume jewelry, and some silicone glue”.  And yes, we do think they are the cutest shoes EVER  :)

Like to get a little crafty now and then and save the earth in the meantime? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our gems we found on the web in your email inbox!

April showers may bring May flowers, but a lot of rainy days can equal boredom.

Here are a few imaginative ideas to try indoors with your kiddos while you wait for those warm, sunny days~

Chase away those grey skies with a Stained Glass Rainbow.  Trish from Mom on Timeout will show you how to make one using items you probably already have around the house.

Sharpen your building skills with just some miniature marshmallows and toothpicks.  Get the scoop on this boredom buster from Amy at The Idea Room Blog.

All that glitters is not gold~this time it’s slimey!! Whip up your favorite color of gooey glitter using the easy how-tos  from Desiree on The 36th Avenue.

Having Fun At Home has a cute  project for all of the fashionistas! Get all the info on creating your own tie dye t shirt using a Sharpie pen ( no messy liquid dyes to deal with).

Make a little magic with your microwave and some Ivory Soap. Check out Come Together Kids for the info on this cool activity.

Look at what you can create with just whole milk, food coloring, and dish detergent. You can find this Milk Art Project on the Say Yes to Hoboken Blog.

Like to get a little crafty with your kids? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our gems we found on the web in your email inbox!

Looking for a new way to dress up your eggs this year?

We came across quite a few new creative takes on this colorful Easter tradition.

Impress everyone with these elegant silhouette eggs! Vana from Le Papier Studio shares the easy instructions.

All you need to make these chalk board painted eggs can be found  on the Dear Lillie Blog (hint: these are fabulous for personalizing and make great dinner place settings).

We love this funky modern method that Chelsea from the Lovely Indeed Blog came up with using one of the hottest craft items on the market right now–washi tape.

Make a dozen of these rainbow colored Love Eggs to give to someone you cherish. Get the scoop on the how-to from Cyd on The Sweetest Occasion Blog.

Are you a glitter girl? Bring on the bling using Chelsea’s crafty idea on the Organize and Decorate Everything Blog. These glitter eggs will bring a little sparkle and shine to your holiday.

Jamie from the Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom Blog came up with a unique way to use up all those fabric scraps that you have laying around the house.  Check out her Ruffled Fabric Easter Eggs here.

Like to get a little crafty now and then? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our gems we found on the web in your email inbox!

Have the winter blues got you feeling a little frazzled? A little pampering can go a long way to renew your body and mind.

Check out some of the wonderful ways we found to spoil yourself right in the comfort of your own home…

Does a long luxurious bath sound relaxing? Find out how to make  your own bath salts (along with bonus free printables for packaging) over at Ellinee’s Blog.

Have a few girlfriends over and enjoy a DIY Spa Day. We found some soothing and purifying facial recipes featured on the 100 Layer Cake  Blog.

Feeling the need for a little exfoliation? The Phenomenon Blog offers up a instructions for a vanilla citrus body scrub that sounds absolutely heavenly.

Stimulate your scalp with a DIY Hair Mask. Get the low down from Allison on the Petit Elefant Blog.

Give your lips some much needed TLC with this fabulous lip scrub. Head on over to the Sugarlaws Blog to check out this sweet and simple recipe.

Still looking for more pampering goods?  Peruse some of our other bath & body finds.

Like to get your DIY on now & then?  Simply subscribe to this blog and we’ll email you our latest creative finds.

Time is ticking away, but you’ve still got a few days to come up with something special for your Valentine!

Here are a few quick and easy printable options that you can make in a snap and get lots of ooohs & ahhhs from your sweetie.

Let that special someone know that you think they are just Plane Awesome. Head on over to A Little Tipsy Blog  for all the of the how-to’s.

Does your sweetheart have a sweet tooth? Find the way to their heart with this fabulous flashback 80′s Lollipop Printable Valentine over at the Uncommon Designs Blog.

We love the look of these pretty vintage feel of these Valentine Chalkboard Free Printables .  Check full out the variety available on the Nest of Posies Blog.

Have you got your eyes on a secret crush? Let that person know with a Googly Eye Valentine Card. Find these printables on the Armommy Blog.

Brittany from the Love-Stitched Blog came up with this cute candy-free option~A Bubbly Valentine!

Wish your sweetie a Fan (Tache) Tic Valentine’s Day with using these free printables from the folks over at the Plum Adorable Blog.

Like to get a little crafty every now & then?  Simply subscribe to this blog and we’ll email you our latest creative finds.

I’ve always had a thing for photo booths.  I treasure the classic black & white photo strips I’ve saved of Steve & me during our dating years.  So it’s no surprise that I’m loving all the fun photo booth props that are popping up all over pinterest.

We had a lot of fun with our campy Christmas card last year so I wanted to put together another one that brought smiles.  Steve wasn’t so sure of my idea, but Jule was totally up for it and the girls won.  :-)  Here are the props I doodled for our little holiday project…

If you can see your family or friends having fun with these festive photo props, we made them available for you to print at home HERE.  We recommend using a 67 pound cardstock.  It’s thick enough to be sturdy but not so thick it jams your printer.  However I did have to reinforce the reindeer antlers so they would stand up straight.

Cut out around the images & hot glue thin dowels to them.  I purchased 5 long thin dowels & cut them by scoring them with a scissors & then breaking them.   For the shorter sticks you could also use wood kabob skewers or cheap chopsticks.

We just moved some furniture and used wrapping paper as a backdrop.  I have this inexpensive light kit for shooting my wholesale line of paper goods that we used with a slr camera but a simple flash camera would work just fine too. We got loads of great shots, but I’m only sharing a few since I just printed the cards today and I don’t want to wreck the surprise… (my Christmas cards usually get delivered on the 24th ;-)

I plan on bringing these to our family Christmas and hope to get some silly shots of our crew.   We hope you have fun with these too!

Like to get a little crafty every now & then?  Simply subscribe to this blog and we’ll email you our latest creative endeavors.

One of the things I love about November is taking extra time to reflect on all the many things I’m thankful for.

I try to practice this state-of-mind all year long, but it definitely takes a front seat this month.  I enjoyed putting together my gratitude tree last year, but there are many other ways to celebrate this season of gratitude as well.

I love how Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss transformed a thrift store frame into a beautiful blessings board using spray paint, burlap and some stickers.  And really -  you could easily leave this wonderful reminder up all year long.

I must admit, I never thought about writing what I’m thankful for on a clothespin, but Chica & Jo did… and then they made a wreath out of them!  This could be a great dinner time activity leading up to Thanksgiving and in the end you’ll have a wreath full of blessings.

For a super simple way of celebrating this season of gratitude, visit Simply Klassic to print this beautiful 8×10 image.  Just pop it into a frame you already have and you have instant fall decor.

If you have young kids, this gratitude jar from inner child fun is a fantastic way to get them thinking about what thankfulness is all about.

Another great way to get the family involved in is inviting them to doodle, draw and write different things they’re grateful for.  You can do this all month long, then put the finished collage of thanks behind glass as a reminder throughout the year.  Head on over to Project Life for more details.

Isn’t this garland adorable?  I love how it’s created from small paper bags that are filled with notes of thanks.  Visit dandee to make one for your mantel.

And here’s the little project I put together last year.  Just trim your backyard bush and print these flags to create your very own tree of blessings.

Like to get a little crafty every now & then?  Simply subscribe to this blog and we’ll email you our latest creative endeavors.