Today I’m a guest blogger over on Oak & Oats where I’m sharing tips for hosting a craft-ernoon party. I love to host a good party filled with food, crafts and glitter. If you’d like to make these glitter jars and host a party of your own, hop on over and check out this Valentine’s Day craft!
From the archives: This project was originally posted last year but I thought that it was so fun, I should post again this year. Enjoy!
My kitchen sink is stacked with dishes, my dining room table is a mess, there’s food everywhere, and I had the best time! I invited my family over for a crafting day and we revived a holiday tradition from my childhood…Thanksgiving Pinecone Turkeys. Normally we would craft these before Thanksgiving Dinner, but this year I invited everyone over for an early crafting day so I could share this tradition with you in time for this year’s Thanksgiving celebration. You can see all of their wonderful creations in the Inspiration Gallery, at the end of this post.
These adorable little birds can be made by each guest before Thanksgiving dinner and used as “place cards” on the holiday table. While guests are snacking on appetizers and waiting for dinner, have them gather around the table and create their own personalized Pinecone Turkey.
Set up a folding table, which you can cover with a plastic tablecloth if you prefer. Then you’ll need:
Making Pinecone Turkeys
1. Start by shaking out the pinecones to make sure they are free of bugs and debris. Set the pinecone on its side, in a position where it doesn’t wobble back and forth.
2. Use the wire cutters to cut the pipe cleaners between each bump. I like to do this part before everyone arrives.
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3. Select a pipe cleaner bump and bend it in half to form a drop, and then twist the ends slightly so they stay together.
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4. Dab a little glue on the end and tuck it into the back (the larger end) of the pinecone.
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5. Continue to do this, making several rows until you’ve formed the turkey’s tail.
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6. Next you’ll want to add the turkey’s head. Choose a pipe cleaner bump and bend it into a loose “S” shape and glue one googley eye on each side of the head. Then dab glue at the base of the head and tuck it into the front of the pinecone.
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7. Add any additional embellishments that you like!
You can add wings to the turkey’s side using pipe cleaner bumps or small craft feathers, which you can also tuck into the tail. There were some pine needles in with the pinecones, which a couple of people used as embellishment. Some of us used very small feathers to create a “wobble” under the turkey’s chin and my mother even created a green feather fascinator* for her turkey! For a final touch, use the paint marker to write your name on the fancy paper and have your guests display the name in front of their turkey, tucked into the turkey’s back or, like some of my family did, glue it to the turkey’s “butt”.
I hope you enjoy sharing this holiday tradition with your friends and family and feel free to send me pictures of the fun!
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*If you’re not in the “know” about fascinators, those are the tiny embellished headpieces worn by the British at high society events…like the royal wedding.
Inspiration Gallery
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may be a bit parital since my birthday is in November but Citrine has always been one of my favorite minerals. The golden color always catches my eye and I just want to touch it! Citrine is a mineral that is known for its cleansing and balancing properties. Wear this crystal when you are seeking personal balance, confidence and clarity.
November Birthstone: Topaz November Birth-mineral: Citrine
Thread the post through the bead and use the pliers to bend a small hook into the base of the post that will hold the bead on it. Now thread one of the earring hooks onto the post and to finish the earring, bend the post in half and tuck it into the bead.
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Let me know if you give these a try and I’d love to see pictures!
It’s officially summer! Let the outdoor-free from school-fun begin! Of course, with all of that fun will come bumps, scrapes and bruises, especially for the little kidos in your life and Drippy Ducks are great way to make things all better. My mom used to make these for my brother and I when we were little and I can attest to the fact that they definitely help make booboos better…faster. Just insert an ice cube into the Drippy Duck’s bill and hold on the injury.
Edit: My mom just found the Drippy Duck rhyme that she made up when my brother and I were little, scroll all the way down to see it!
In addition to these fun little duckies, check out my column on hellogiggles.com. This week I’m talking about three great herbal remedies for healing those minor summertime booboos.
I hope your summer is off to a great start! I’d love to see pictures and hear your stories if you give this fun crafty project a try!
Easter will be early this year, on April 8th to be exact, and Mom has created a wonderful silk flower centerpiece for this year’s table scape. I love the unique element of having a white chocolate bunny on top that is being haloed by a pretty, pink jewel umbrella above it. This centerpiece comes together pretty quickly and will make a lovely addition to your Easter table.
It’s time to ditch your dryer sheets and embrace the latest trend in simple, sustainable living…dryer sachets! These chemical-free, all-natural alternative to dryer sheets have been growing in popularity, and this week I’m going to show you how to make your own dryer sachet, that is both reusable and refillable.
Often dryer sachets are sewn shut on all sides and are not refillable without some difficulty and it’s this ability to refill them, that makes this project unique.
I like to take some time on a Sunday afternoon to make a batch of these that can be kept in a basket next to my dryer. As you’re making them for yourself, remember that they also make great housewarming gifts, teacher presents or can be a unique addition to a baby shower gift basket.
Tools & Materials Needed:
*Make sure you are using industrial strength or decor grade velcro for this project. It has double-sided “teeth” that are strong enough to stay closed while tumbling around in the dryer. It can be sew-on or stick-on, for added security, you’ll want to sew it into the sachet, either way.
My kitchen sink is stacked with dishes, my dining room table is a mess, there’s food everywhere, and I had the best time! I invited my family over for a crafting day and we revived a holiday tradition from my childhood…Thanksgiving Pinecone Turkeys. Normally we would craft these before Thanksgiving Dinner, but this year I invited everyone over for an early crafting day so I could share this tradition with you in time for this year’s Thanksgiving celebration. You can see all of their wonderful creations in the Inspiration Gallery, at the end of this post.
These adorable little birds can be made by each guest before Thanksgiving dinner and used as “place cards” on the holiday table. While guests are snacking on appetizers and waiting for dinner, have them gather around the table and create their own personalized Pinecone Turkey.
Set up a folding table, which you can cover with a plastic tablecloth if you prefer. Then you’ll need:
Making Pinecone Turkeys
1. Start by shaking out the pinecones to make sure they are free of bugs and debris. Set the pinecone on its side, in a position where it doesn’t wobble back and forth.
2. Use the wire cutters to cut the pipe cleaners between each bump. I like to do this part before everyone arrives.
.
.
.
.
.
3. Select a pipe cleaner bump and bend it in half to form a drop, and then twist the ends slightly so they stay together.
.
.
.
.
.
4. Dab a little glue on the end and tuck it into the back (the larger end) of the pinecone.
.
.
.
.
.
5. Continue to do this, making several rows until you’ve formed the turkey’s tail.
.
.
.
.
.
6. Next you’ll want to add the turkey’s head. Choose a pipe cleaner bump and bend it into a loose “S” shape and glue one googley eye on each side of the head. Then dab glue at the base of the head and tuck it into the front of the pinecone.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
7. Add any additional embellishments that you like!
You can add wings to the turkey’s side using pipe cleaner bumps or small craft feathers, which you can also tuck into the tail. There were some pine needles in with the pinecones, which a couple of people used as embellishment. Some of us used very small feathers to create a “wobble” under the turkey’s chin and my mother even created a green feather fascinator* for her turkey! For a final touch, use the paint marker to write your name on the fancy paper and have your guests display the name in front of their turkey, tucked into the turkey’s back or, like some of my family did, glue it to the turkey’s “butt”.
I hope you enjoy sharing this holiday tradition with your friends and family and feel free to send me pictures of the fun!
.
.
*If you’re not in the “know” about fascinators, those are the tiny embellished headpieces worn by the British at high society events…like the royal wedding.
Inspiration Gallery
