Salt Dough Ornaments

For my daughter's birthday party, we gave a little "thank you" to her friends by giving them each a salt dough ornament wrapped in a chevron bag....

The salt dough ornaments were so simple to make (and really, really inexpensive!).  All that we needed to make the ornaments were flour, sugar and salt.  To make them more decorative you can use things around the house like cookie cutters, stamps, markers, etc (and ribbon, yarn, or twine to hang the ornament).

For our recipe, we used:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

I used a stand mixer with the dough hook.... first we blended the flour and salt, then gradually added the water.  We mixed the dough for about five minutes on medium speed, then took it out, placed it on floured parchment paper and kneaded it until it was soft (not long).

After the dough was soft, we rolled it out (about an 1/4 inch thick) and cut out several circles using a small measuring cup (using cookie cutters could be really cute too- my son made a few Star Wars ornaments).

For each ornament we poked a hole at the top with a straw for threading twine later.

Now for the fun part.... stamps!   We chose to stamp the year (2011) on the ornament using these stamps.

Once the cutting and stamping was done, we laid them on drying racks.... and here's the part that requires patience.... waiting!  We waited for about four days for salt dough ornaments to completely harden.   I chose NOT to bake them first because I was afraid some might end up a little discolored or shrink in certain areas.

Once they were finally dry, we stung twine through the hole, wrapped them as gifts and then hung the rest on the kid's Christmas tree in the playroom.

What homemade ornaments are you making this season?

Linking up to Centsational Girl.

Cake Decorating Birthday Party

This weekend was the start of all the Christmas festivities for us this month, but my favorite part of the weekend was Saturday afternoon..... we celebrated my almost six-year old's birthday with her friends.  She LOVES to bake (or maybe it's more like eating sweets) so she asked for a cake party, a cake decorating party.

We made mini-cakes for each friend and then let them frost and decorate their own cake to take home.  The bottoms were cut from a large cake using a measuring cup (1 cup) and the tops were standard-size cupcakes turned upside down.  First they frosted....

.... then they decorated...

After a few games, drinks and snacks.....

.... we sang happy birthday and ate cake (my cake inspiration came from here)!

And, before friends left we handed them a thank you gift.... a Christmas ornament made from salt dough (more on that later!).

It was a great birthday weekend for her and I think my kids are still on a sugar high!

Psst, I bought a lot of my party decorations from Sweet Lulu.... the shop is completely adorable (I found it through Pinterest- one more reason to love Pinterest)!

DIY Burlap Sacks for Advent Calendar

Earlier this week I showed our advent calendar (with a free printable!) made out of burlap.  Today, I'll show you how I made all those teeny-tiny, numbered burlap sacks that are piled in the glass jar on my coffee table.

I pulled out a few old burlap bags that I had saved, along with my scissors (or you could purchase burlap at the fabric store, very cheap!).  I placed the print-out over the burlap and eye-ball measured the size sack I needed (that print-out is what will would be placed inside.  I cut around the paper.... and ended up with about a 3x2" size.  I cut out two pieces per sack....

... then held them together and sewed three sides together, leaving the top part open....

Once the three sides were stitched together, I evened out the edges with a pair of scissors (this made a little bit of a mess!).  But now the sack is even!

Then I wrote a number (1-25) on each sack for our advent calendar using a Sharpie maker....

Then I inserted the paper with the day's activity and sealed it with washi tape....

.... then piled them all into a glass jar on my coffee table....

We start using the calendar tomorrow.... December 1st!  How are you counting down the days until Christmas?

Free Printables: Advent Calendar

We have begun decorating the house (inside and out) as we prepare for Christmas.  One of the first things I put together was our advent calendar..... I asked the kids to tell me things they wanted to do this month so I could be sure to incorporate their ideas into the calendar.  Then I added a few of my own ideas and a few I've seen around the web.  Most importantly, this calendar serves as one way to help us keep the focus on our Savior's birth during the Christmas season.

For the advent calendar, I typed up an activity for each day (available for you below!), then printed the sheet, cut out each square...

.... rounded the corners....

.... then placed each paper into a numbered burlap sack that corresponds with the date we plan to do the activity.  The burlap is sealed with washi tape (note: the washi tape doesn't stick extremely well to the burlap, but it looks cute!).

All the burlap sacks, except #1 (the wrapped present), are piled in a glass jar on our coffee table....

Every morning, beginning December 1st, the kids will take turns opening a sack, pulling out the slip of paper and then we'll all participate in the activity.  This is the first year we're doing this and I'm a little excited (the kids can't wait to open the present).

Creating the calendar was extremely easy!  Later this week I'll show you how I made those teeny-tiny burlap sacks- they were easy too, just a little messy!  But today, I included a FREE printable advent calendar for you, if you'd like to incorporate a few fun things to do during the month of Christmas.....

1.  Read "The First Christmas", by Carol Heyer.
2.  String lights outside.  Read John 8:12, Jesus is the light of the world.
3.  Give handmade salt dough ornaments to friends.
4.  Have a Silent Night in the house.  Turn off electronics, light candles, sing "Silent Night", then go for a walk with a flashlight.
5.  Make Christmas cards for family & friends.  Read John 20:21, peace be with you.
6.  How can you share Joy with others?  Your family?  Your friends?
7.  Create a Christmas craft with friends, design a special Christmas plate.
8.  Read “My Merry Christmas and the Real Reason for Christmas Joy”, by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
9.  Bake and frost (and eat) cut-out cookies.
10.  Participate in a cookie swap party and delight friends with extra special homemade Christmas cookies.
11.  Walk through a live nativity scene.
12.  Make a craft of baby Jesus in the manger.  Read Luke 2:7.
13.  Drink hot cocoa & stir with candy canes.  Read I Peter 2:24 & Psalm 23:1.  Candy canes remind us of the Shepherds’ crook and the Savior, who is “The Good Shepherd”.  Read Psalm 66:1-2.
14.  Ring bells to make a joyful noise & sing "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day".  (Include silver bells.)
15.  Host a gingerbread party with friends.  Read John 6:34-35, Jesus is the bread of life.
16.  Have a family Christmas movie night.
17.  Cut down a Christmas tree, decorate the tree.  Discuss how evergreen trees remind us of Jesus' everlasting love.
18.  What is God’s gift to us at Christmas?  Sing “Away in a Manger”.
19.  Hang an angel ornament on the tree.  Read Luke 2:8-20, angels tell the shepherds of Jesus' birth. (Include angel ornament.)
20.  Package goodie bags for neighbors.  How can we show our love to others this Christmas and throughout the new year?
21.  Drive around town to see Christmas lights.
22.  Wrap Christmas presents. Read Matthew 2:11.  Why do we give each other
gifts at Christmas?
23.  Bake a cake for Jesus.
24.  CHRISTMAS EVE, Read Matthew 2:1-12, how did the Wise Men know that Jesus
had been born? (Include golden star stickers.)
25.  CHRISTMAS DAY, Read Luke 2, the birth of Jesus.  Celebrate!

As always, my printables are available for personal use from me to you, for FREE!  I left off the numbers in the printable to give more flexibility.  So, go ahead.... download, print, or just pass along the link... enjoy!!!

Advent Calendar Ideas

Click the link above to download the pdf file and print on 8.5/11" paper (preferably white/cream colored card-stock), then cut along the dotted lines so you'll eventually have 25 cut-outs.  Once printed, place in a fabric sack, box, stocking, jar.... there's so many ways to hang an advent calendar!  Have fun!

Primitive & Proper

Today I'm over at Cassie's blog, Primitive & Proper. 

It's Feature Friday and I'm sharing all the details of my girl's bedroom.... stop over and say hi :)

Thanksgiving Celebration

We celebrated a great Thanksgiving today with new friends and now I'm relaxing on the couch with a full tummy..... I think I need to run another "Turkey Dash"!  I was going through a few food and decorating pictures from today and thought I'd share, but what do you know..... I completely forgot to take pictures of the turkey.  Oh well, one more reason to enjoy another turkey dinner sooner than next year.  Here's a glimpse of our good eats (and an almost finished dining room)!

I saw this awesome napkin ring idea on Pinterest.... so, I kinda copied the look....

I added a new appetizer to the menu this year and it was a HUGE hit..... caramelized onion and apple tarts with gruyere and thyme.... DELICIOUS!  I think I'll be making them again for Christmas.

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving!  Tomorrow, I pull out all the Christmas decorations.... I'm so excited (the kids are ecstatic)!

Linking up to Centsational Girl.

Happy Thanksgiving

Craftily Ever After

I wish you a joy-filled day with lots of fun and delicious food!  And, just for fun, here's a song the kids and I have been singing all week....

Turkey Dinner

Author Unknown
Sing to the tune of Frère Jacques

Turkey Dinner, turkey dinner,

Gather round, gather round,
Who will get the drumstick?

Yummy, yummy drumstick,
All sit down, all sit down.

Cornbread muffins, chestnut stuffing,
Puddin' pie, one foot high,
All of us were thinner
Until we came to dinner;
Me oh my! Me oh my!

Happy Thanksgiving!