Christmas Village

Fall, the season which normally incites such pleasure for me, has failed to inspire me this year. Apart from a few measly pine cones and mini pumpkins, I have done zero autumnal decorating - all of last year's adornments are still tucked in our attic. 

Christmas is a different story - I am eagerly awaiting the appropriate time to begin decorating for December 25th. The great thing about crafting, is that I can create a few Holiday items while I bide my time. 

I love this Christmas village from Pottery Barn Kids; but spending nearly $40 on a cardboard house is a little ridiculous.

Hobby Lobby to the rescue!

Yesterday I found this unfinished paper-mache house for just over $4 (after 30% off). I'm not sure if you can tell, but this is a nice size (over a foot tall), and has a removable roof. I plan on using the 12 windows as a countdown for Christmas - a shortened advent calendar if you will - and will tuck goodies for my girls inside the house.  

I can't wait to get started embellishing! 

I see glitter in my future.

Mini photo album

Have I mentioned that I like working on all sorts of little books? 

Oh yes, I guess that I have talked about them here, here and here...

One more can't hurt, right?

I've been thinking for a while now that this business card holder would make an excellent mini album for my purse, so I finally picked it up from Target this week. 

I have come to the conclusion many of my projects contain the same basic elements: a Heather Bailey product (in this case, fabric) and Mod Podge. Can you really go wrong with these tools at your side?

After taking the book apart, I began applying Mod Podge, which allowed me to adhere the fabric (pre-cut to fit) to the front cover.

I pulled loose strands of fabric along the edges to encourage fraying. 

Then, I applied a top coat of Mod Podge.

While the glue dried, I sewed buttons onto the elastic that wraps around the front.

Just because.

Once it was almost dry (because you know that I am not patient enough to wait), I put it back together, pictures included. 

I will be pulling this out to show everyone my beautiful book - I mean, my kids. My beautiful kids.

Portable Dollhouse

There is a new family in the neighborhood! 

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Podge and their daughters Peg and Paige.

The little family's preppy pink and green abode is finally completed. Floors have been laid and wallpaper has been hung (i.e. EVERYTHING is covered in Mod Podge and scrapbooking paper). 

The Podges, themselves, have gone through quite a transformation. 

These little peg dolls remind me of the Fisher Price Little People that I played with as a child.

Heather Bailey's fabric line has been utilized yet again - this time as their wardrobe (and, of course, it was decoupaged on as well). Their faces were painted and then sealed with a coat of clear spray paint. 

As you can see, the girls are scoping out their new space. They love the bright color palette, while mom and dad appreciate the vaulted ceilings and oversized doorways. 

The novelty of sleeping on the floor and eating takeout has been quite an adventure for Peg and Paige, however, Mr. and Mrs. Podge are quite anxious for the delivery of appliances and furniture, which will really help this house to feel like a home.

I'll be sure to let you know when everything "arrives"!

Pineapple Art

Thanks for all of your suggestions on how to use my newly decoupaged pineapples! Quite a few of you were very creative (and sweet) and had ideas on how I could either give them away as tags on gifts, or give them away as magnets, or to create a mini-scrapbook to give away. 

 

Those are such great ideas. Really. But wouldn't that mean that I couldn't keep them all for myself? I am quite sure that I could not part with a single one!

I think I will have to pick up another package from the Dollar store so that I can try some of your great ideas (and to ease my conscience due to my selfish hoarding of paper-covered pineapples).

I was heavily leaning towards turning them into a garland for my work space. And when I say heavily leaning, I mean that I had already strung them into a garland.

I was using hot pink and green with polka dot ribbons, and it was looking cute, until I tried to hang it in various locations, and it just didn't look right. While I am sure that I could have saved the garland if I had the patience to work with the ribbon, I had grown tired of it. 

 

This craft is reflective of so many of my projects. I start out with a plan that I am sure will look great, then when it doesn't, I scrap the idea altogether, and pursue a completely different concept.

So, I began digging through my stash and found these two canvases that had been saved for a time such as this. I began by giving them each several coats of pink craft paint. 

 

Because I had tried and failed at my garland idea, there were holes to conceal. Luckily, I am a stockpiler of brads (check out Target's dollar section, they always have cute ones; this week I saw gingham), and I had one to fit each pineapple. 

   

Once the canvas was dry, I began attaching my pineapples.  

The brads ended up serving a dual purpose: not only did they cover the holes, but they allowed me to adhere the pineapple without glue. I purposely spaced them close together so that it would create a layered effect.

My finished product:

And here they are in their new home. I think I'm glad that the garland didn't work out!

Decoupage (again)

Have you noticed that I go through craft phases? For a while I was on a sewing spree, and lately its been nothing but decoupage. I'm sure I will go on a sewing binge again, but for now, you are going to have to endure yet another Mod Podge craft. 

 

I almost screamed for joy when I stumbled upon these pineapples at the Dollar store, but since I didn't want to appear like a raving lunatic, I just let out a little gasp. Even at the Dollar store a lady must make an effort to maintain a sense of decorum (I'm sure Emily Post said that somewhere...). 

   

I certainly wasn't looking for little wooden pineapples, and had no idea what I would do with them if I bought them, but they were $1; and that is practically free.

It is a given that I would decide to decoupage them, but I will save you from having to view the entire process yet again (it is the same as here, here, here, and here). 

So here is the end result: 

I love (LOVE) them... But now what? My first thought is to make a garland out of them with ribbon and string it over my desk space. I've also considered creating a pineapple wreath by gluing each of them to a wreath form. 

Can you think of any ways to use these? I know you have some great ideas out there - help me out!