No Carve Jeweled Pumpkins

October 10, 2019 By Linda 3 Comments

No Carve Jeweled Pumpkins – Glam Pumpkin Craft Idea.

No Carve Jeweled Pumpkins - Rhinestones on Pumpkins - Bling Pumpkins - Glam Pumpkins - Painted Pumpkins.

My front porch is sad. And empty.

It’s naked.

I really, really want to decorate it. I really, really want to put my terracotta pumpkins out there. I really, really want to purchase some unique pumpkins in various colors, sizes and shapes from Trader Joe’s. Along with some mums.

But I’ve been holding out.

And now the neighbors are showing me up. Big time. They’ve pulled out their A game this year …

You see, I decided early in the summer that this is the year I’d give my porch a refreshing coat of paint.

It’s chipping. And looking pretty run down.

But as the summer progressed, I progressively came up with excuse after excuse of why I need to wait until next week to paint it.

It was too hot.

It was too rainy.

It was too close to our vacation and I didn’t want to potentially leave the project half finished.

It was too close to taking Molly to college and I was distracted with all that entailed.

It was too expensive so I’ll just wait for a Sherwin Williams sale/coupon.

And next week turned into months …

… and eventually a whole new season!

All too soon my next week excuses will include a) it’s too cold and; b) it’s snowing!

But I’m going to be totally serious here: NEXT WEEK I’ll be painting that front porch.

And when it’s dry, I’ll be decorating the bejeezes out of it!

Watch out neighbors.

In the meanwhile, I’ve been having some no carve pumpkin fun. Remember those little orange pumpkins I used for my orange, black and white table setting (see here). I decided to dress them up with some crystals, pearls and roses …

How to Make No Carve Jeweled Pumpkins

Materials*

Pumpkins (found mine at the grocery store)

Paint – White, Off White/Cream, Gray – I used Rustoleum Chalked Paint

Stick-on Rhinestones

Stick-on Pearls

Mini Ribbon Satin Bows

Small White Beads

Glue Gun

Tweezers

*includes some affiliate links.

Tape stems and give your pumpkins two coats of paint. I used chalk paint because a) I like the matte finish and; b) it dries quickly!

Remove tape. At this point I was going to spray them with matte sealant but I forgot. Ah well. Since these pumpkins are real, they’ll be tossed soon!

Grab your stick-on rhinestones …

and start sticking on! I just eyeballed spacing.

The Jersey in my is loving the glam!

Now grab those stick-on pearls …

and start sticking on!

Reminds me of my pearl necklace!

Which reminds me, when is that cardigan and pearls style trend coming back? I think it’s time for a revival!

Next up are the silk mini roses and pearls. I used to sew these onto the collars of onesies for my nieces to dress them up!

You need a hot glue to apply these.

For the little pearls, I used hot glue and tweezers to affix them.

I then I need to do a little paint touch up!

So cute!

If only these were waterproof, I could put them on the soon-to-be-painted-next-week-pinky-swear front porch and really razzle dazzle my neighbors!

🙂

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Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral

October 8, 2019 By Linda 12 Comments

Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral – Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas.

Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral - Thanksgiving Table Setting Idea - Pumpkin Centerpiece Idea - Pumpkin Table Setting Idea

The weekend before last I returned to New Jersey.

Thanksgiving Table Setting Idea - Pumpkin Centerpiece Idea - Pumpkin Table Setting Idea - Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral -

And, yes, I can hear your moans and groans about New Jersey. The snarky “poor you.” And the “why would you?”

But can I defend my birth state for a minute here?

Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral - Thanksgiving Table Setting

Sure, Jersey conjures images of the stinky New Jersey Turnpike. Or crime-addled Newark. Or those Jersey Shore folks from MTV (who, by the way, are not from New Jersey!)

But New Jersey actually has some really, really pretty parts.

Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral -

Stop laughing!

Jute Pumpkin DIY - Jute Crafts for Fall - Fall Table Setting in Gray, White, Jute, Neutral - Thanksgiving Table Setting Idea - Pumpkin Centerpiece Idea - Pumpkin Table Setting Idea

Our adventure began at Newark Airport. It’s quadrupled in size since I last flew in/out of that airport. And stepping off the plane onto one of the new concourses was mind melding.

Seriously.

I thought we may have landed in Tokyo. Or Singapore.

The concourse was super, duper high tech. Tables with iPads at each and every seat replaced the traditional benches you typically see outside gates. The center of the concourse was a giant bar/restaurant with an iPad at each chair.

Did I mention it was mind melding?

You could use the iPads to order food. Or drinks. Or go online. Or shop. Or, or, or …

a hundred other things you could explore based on all the apps loaded on each one.

After we finally figured out (with some airport personnel assistance) how to find the rental car, we hit the road.

And it didn’t take long … as we headed north west to the destination of my niece’s wedding … for me to realize that New Jersey is actually pretty lush.

Lush!

Seriously, stop laughing!

Living in the Midwest for so many years I’ve become accustomed to everything being flat. But New Jersey? Well, at least the northwestern part of New Jersey is hilly. And lakey …

yes, I said lakey as in we were in a region with lake communities.

On the afternoon before the wedding, we joined my sister and her husband for at a lovely (and very Pinteresty) lakeside restaurant. The day was gorgeous. The views spectacular. Yes, the views in New Jersey were spectacular …

I can still hear you snicker …

and the wedding was beautiful. A Pinterest dream. At a remote historic site with multiple barn-esque structures for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.

The bride was beautiful. The groom beamed. And my brother (the father of the bride) was filled with such pride and joy!

And me?

It was so wonderful to reconnect with my family — all together in a single space — after such a long time apart.

And it was wonderful to reconnect with my birth state and remember that New Jersey has some really beautiful parts.

Oh, and we actually caught some early fall foliage in those lakeside towns.

Beautiful!

You can stop laughing now. 🙂

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October in the City

October 5, 2019 By Linda 14 Comments

Fall Front Porch with Pumpkins and Mums – Chicago Front Porch for Halloween.

It’s the first Saturday of the month and you know what that means …

okay, so you probably don’t know what that means since it’s only the second month I’m participating in this blog hop.

But for future months it means it’s time to for me and some of my blogging friends to get all warm and fuzzy for the upcoming month by sharing … well … things that make us warm and fuzzy about the upcoming month! It’s part of a Cozy Living series organized by the fabulous Jennifer at Town & Country Living. You’ll find the links to my fellow Cozy Living bloggers at the end of the post.

There are some years when October is right up there as one of my favorite months of the year: those years when October delivers the most amazing Indian Summer. Perfect crisp-but-not-too-cold temperatures requiring only a light jacket or sweater or hoodie. A month when you can swing open the windows and let all that fresh (city of Chicago) air inside!

And then there are the years when October does me wrong. When it’s day after day of gray skies and rain. When light coats and sweaters are covered by heavier waterproof jackets and rain boots.

But either way … whichever October decides to show up … my all time favorite part of this month is dressing up the front porch for Halloween!

And I gotta tell you, Chicagoans takes dressing up their front porches for Halloween super seriously.

Olympic level serious.

Some with much bigger displays than any Christmas lights show.

Some go super, duper spooky.

Some go super, duper cutsie.

And some (like me) some try to strike a balance in-between.

I’ve changed things up over the years (though the mums & pumpkins combo on the steps has pretty much remained a staple). Like back in 2012 when I had bats flying across the door.

More recently, at my daughter’s insistence — I’m thinking she’s siding with the super duper spooky folks — we’ve recently added some skeletons to the mix.

Our front yard was pure dirt last October (thankfully there is some nice lush grown-from-seed grass out there now). But last year we placed the bones in the yard, and after a few heavy rainfalls, the skeleton looked like it was just unearthed …

and ready for an episode of Bones! 🙂

Be sure to visit my Cozy Living blogging friends to find out what gives them the warm and fuzzies in October!

Duke Manor Farm / Creative Cain Cabin / Sincerely Marie Designs / Town and Country Living

Vinyet Etc. / Finding Silver Pennies / Hymns and Verses / It All Started with Paint

Jute Twine Pumpkins

September 26, 2019 By Linda 4 Comments

Jute Twine Pumpkins – No Carve Pumpkin Craft Ideas.

Jute Twine Pumpkins - No Carve Pumpkin Ideas - Fall Craft Ideas Using Jute - Fall Craft Ideas for Pumpkins

Not that I’m counting — I’m soooo 1000% counting! — but this is my sixth craft project using what I already have at home.

I’m so amazed at myself!

And, yes, I’m 1000% patting myself on the back!

I seriously didn’t think I could keep this up. That after a project or two I would ultimately give in and dash off to the craft store. But no. I’m really pulling this off.

And, yes, I’m 1000% humble bragging!

Total aside, I’m seriously saving so much in gas money too!

But aren’t these little jute twine pumpkins just glorious?

And when was the last time I ever used the word glorious on this blog? I’m thinking 1000% never.

I’ve been watching some YouTube videos (and when I say watching, I mean binging) of a travel Vlog from a couple who live in Wales. And they generously use the word glorious.

And lush.

And posh.

And delightful.

And I 1000% love all those words and need to incorporate them into my vocabulary. Stat.

In the meanwhile, I’ll just share how you can make your very own delightful, glorious, lush and posh jute twine pumpkins.

And they’re 1000% easy to make!

How To Make Jute Twine Pumpkins

Materials*

Jute Twine

Ruler or Yardstick

Tape

Scissors

*includes some affiliate links.

How To Make Twine Pumpkins - DIY Jute Pumpkins - Fall Craft Ideas with Twine - Fall Craft Ideas with Jute

Cut a length of twine that is slightly larger than 12″

Tape down both ends to ruler.

Tape a new length of twine to ruler (I didn’t cut this piece and just un-spooled as needed from the twine spool).

Wrap twine around the ruler (not too tight or it will be impossible to remove from ruler!).

Continue to wrap until you have a little over 9″

Gently remove from ruler (make sure to first untape all ends and to keep hold of the original 12+ inch length of twine taped to both ends of the ruler.

Like so.

Tie a knot using the two ends of the original length of 12+ inches of twine. Pull tight.

Also tie a knot using the two loose ends of the twine used to wrap the ruler. Don’t pull too tight when knotting to keep the pumpkin “loops” a consistent size.

Use fingers to shape the pumpkin.

Find a stick in your front or back yards and cut a length for the stem.

Hot glue gun in place.

And you’re done!

The finished pumpkin – made using a ruler – measures about 2.75″ to 3″ in length.

I also made some using a yardstick. These little pumpkins measure about 3.5″ to 4″ in length.

I’m 1000% excited to dive into my craft stash to see what else I can make using what I have!

🙂

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Fabric Pumpkins

September 17, 2019 By Linda 9 Comments

Fabric Pumpkins – Neutral Gray, White Stuffed Pumpkin DIY.

Fabric Pumpkins -Stuffed Pumpkins - DIY Fabric Pumpkins - How To Make Fabric Stuffed Pumpkins

Dear Michaels and JoAnn’s Fabric and Craft Stores,

I would like to extend my deepest apologies. Especially when you see a sudden and shocking drop in sales at your Clark Street (Michaels) and Elston (JoAnn’s) stores in Chicago.

You see, I’m on a mission to craft with what I (mostly) have. Because I’ve (mostly) gathered lots and lots of craft supplies over the years. From both of you. But, sadly, too many of those supplies that have remained dormant for years and years and years (as I explained here).

So when made that lofty statement a few weeks ago about how I’m going to refrain from running to the craft stores and first see what’s in my current stash of craft stuff, I figured I was setting myself up for an epic fail.

I mean, we are entering the height of craft and decorating season. Surely I would abandon that manifesto the first time I walked into Michaels and/or JoAnn’s and caught sight of all those fun, seasonal crafting goodies!

I mean, it assaults you the minute you walk in the door!

But I’ve been putting my blinders on. Aside from a quick peek at the dollar section, I traverse Michaels like a woman on a mission …

a mission to not buy anything that is NOT on the list.

To make this patch of fabric pumpkins, I had the fabric and burlap and thread and embroidery needle and thread left over from other projects (or potential projects that never quite came to be). But …. I did need to pick up one thing.

Batting.

I first toyed with deconstructing an out-of-use pillow from down in the basement to keep this project craft store shopping free. But I wasn’t sure what kind of batting (or what, for that matter) I would find inside those basement pillow.

Annnnnnd … I did have a 40% off coupon at Michaels. So it only cost me about $3.99.

Score!

Fabric Pumpkins -Gray White Fabric Stuffed Pumpkins - DIY Fabric Pumpkins - How To Make Fabric Stuffed Pumpkins

Not too shabby a price for this fun and easy(ish) to make fabric pumpkin patch!

How To Make Fabric Pumpkins Tutorial

How To Make Fabric Stuffed Pumpkins - Gray White Greige Fabric Pumpkins DIY

Start with a length of fabric (mine measures 7″ x 14″). Rule of thumb is length should be double the width. Iron out wrinkles.

Fold in half and pin right sides together.

Sew using a 1/4″ seam.

Press seam open.

Thread a large eyed needle (also known as needlepoint needle) with embroidery thread. I actually used string my daughter had to make friendship bracelets.

You’re not sewing the two halves together but instead making spaced out stitches all along the top opening.

Like so.

Then pull the thread to gather the fabric.

Like so.

Use the needle to stitch the two sides together. I gave it multiple stitches in multiple directions. Don’t worry about it looking messy.

Turn it inside out so that the good side of the fabric is on the outside now.

Add stuffing. Pack it pretty full, but leave about 1/4 of fabric on top edge.

Like with the bottom, use the embroidery needle and thread to make large stitches and gather the fabric as you go along.

Like so.

Use the embroidery needle and thread to stitch the top closed.

Now you’re going to take the needle and thread and stick it through the center of the pumpkin, and out the center of the bottom of the pumpkin. (Make sure you create a knot at the end of your thread).

I actually used pliers to pull the needle out of the bottom of the pumpkin.

Now you’ll take the string on the outside of the pumpkin and thread it through the top to the bottom again. Pull tight.

Repeat this process seven more times (giving you 8 pumpkin “slices” separated by thread). I first made two halves of the pumpkin. Then made even quarters. And finished with eighths.

Like so.

For the stem, I cut a length of burlap that measured a 1″ x 12.”

Roll tightly together.

Add hot glue to the end and press (be careful not to burn your fingers like I did!).

I also did some trimming of errant threads and to make sure the length worked for the pumpkin.

Fix the stem in place with hot glue.

Like so.

Rinse and repeat! 🙂

The smallest pumpkins used 5″ x 10″ lengths. The largest used 10″ x 20″ lengths.

I know sewing tutorials can be tough in picture form, but you can find a fabulous video tutorial at this link — though I skipped the whole cutting the fabric on the bias part.

Now I’m going to pat myself on the back for completing two projects using my fabric and craft supply stash! 🙂

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Christmas in the Kitchen 2018

January 2, 2019 By Linda 2 Comments

Merry Christmas …

from the kitchen …

a week (and a day) late.

I know, I know. But I’m not holding my head in shame. Nope. I’m taking full ownership.

Besides, I already took pictures of the kitchen pre-Christmas day. And downloaded said pictures. And, among hundreds and hundreds, picked my favorites. And edited said favorites. And then culled through those favorites to pick my favorite of the favorites. And added them to this post. And then looked at them again and didn’t like how they looked. So I edited them some more. And I culled it down (again) to my favorite of the favorites of the favorites …

and if that sounds exhausting, it can be. But after all that work, how could I not share my Christmas kitchen? A week (and a day) late.

My original post idea for Christmas day (a week and a day ago) was to share my favorite part of the kitchen at Christmastime. And you might be surprised to find out my favorite, especially when there are so many things to choose from.

There are the delicious smells of cookies baking and roasts roasting. Which are definitely delicious. But that’s not my favorite favorite.

And then there are the cute mini wreaths on the cabinets that make me smile each time I enter the kitchen …

but that’s not my favorite favorite.

What I love the most about the Christmas kitchen is the sound of the dishwasher running on Christmas day.

Yep, that’s my favorite favorite.

It evokes memories of my childhood. It seemed like (to little me) that my mother hosted all the big holidays. Which kept the kitchen very, very busy.

And there are so many great memories of the smells of the turkey … or crown roast at Christmas … cooking in the oven. Then there was the peeling of potatoes. Not exactly a favorite memory, but it was something my dad and would do together.

But at the end of the day, with full bellies and the table cleared … and the last giant pot or roasting pan scrubbed, dried and put away … we would turn off the bright overhead lights and turn on the dishwasher.

And that soft sound of the water rushing and thrashing about to clean our Sunday best dishes was so ….

so …

comforting. And satisfying.

The perfect end to the perfect day!

Oh, and Happy New Year too! I don’t have a New Year kitchen or story to share. It looks pretty much the same today. Though, a little less merry …

and a little more messy! 😉

Christmas Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold

December 20, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

Christmas Table Setting in Gray, White, Gold – Gray and White Holiday Table Setting Idea.

It’s official. I’m an old lady.

How do I know this, you ask?

I mean, besides what I see looking back at me in the mirror. Oh, and my actual age.

I know I’m old because advertisers aren’t just targeting me … they’re actually reaching me.

All. Day. Long.

The find me on the Hallmark Channel. And Lifetime. As I tune in to the never ending and delightfully cheesily predictable holiday movies. Reaching out to me about Medicare Part D and products to help when I fall and can’t get up.

They find me on AM talk radio in the car. Though, sometimes they are confused and think I’m an old man with a certain dysfunction (wink, wink).

And not-to-sound-paranoid-with-a-paranoid-sounding-observation: I sometimes wonder if they’re listening in on my phone and/or watching me on my laptop (I really do need to figure out how to turn off that camera). You know watching and listening as I watch Hallmark Channel movies and listen to AM talk radio. Because advertisers are always following me across the internet with pop ads for … you guessed it ... old people stuff.

And what does this all have to do with my holiday table setting … or the holidays at all?

Because at this time of year, advertisers have one more way to remind me that I’m getting old: while listening to Christmas music on the radio. There’s one station here in Chicago that goes full-on 100% Christmas music in November straight through Christmas day. And when I’m not tuned in to AM talk radio (geez, I really am an old lady, aren’t I?!?) I’m tuned into Christmas music.

And the ads?

You guessed it. Old people things and services.

Tis the season to be old and addled, fa la la la laaaaa, la la la la!

So to defy what the advertisers are insisting (I will fight my outer old lady to the bitter end!), I decided to go with an “Everything Old is New Again” holiday table setting …

Let’s start with the (faux) crystal candle holders and tapers. Old me would call them old fashioned, old lady table decor. But new/old me? New/old me calls them eclectic. Quirky. A fun mix of old with the new, sparkly white Scandinavian inspired trees.

And the gold flatware (which is actually gold toned stainless I found at Target)? Old me would see them as ostentatious. Flashy. Tacky. But new/old me? New/old me sees them as glam, rich and classy …

I’m liking how this whole new/old me thing works. 😉

Finally, the vintage-look-French-striped napkins (found mine at World Market). Old me would’ve called them rags. Relegated to wiping up messes. But new/old me? New/old me calls them linens. Crisp and fresh and deserving of a pressing before use.

Yes, I did iron them.

In keeping with the everything old is new again theme, I think I’ll apply it to myself. So when I look in the mirror instead of old me seeing wrinkles, new/old me will see lines of wisdom. And laughter. And smiles.

P.S. My apologies if this blog post is filled with ads for old people stuff and services. I mean, I did mention old people stuff in the copy and Google knows and documents everything. That’s not paranoia. That’s just fact.

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December 13, 2018 By Linda 4 Comments

Christmas Home Tour – Dining Room Christmas Decor – Gray, White, Red Christmas Ideas.

The dining room.

The least used but most seen room in the house.

It’s smack dab in the middle of everything. You can’t got to the kitchen without passing through the dining room. You can’t go to the family room without passing through the dining room. You can’t go to the powder room without passing through the dining room.. You can’t do laundry in the basement (that’s my husband) or paint mason jars in the basement work space (that’s me) without passing through the dining room …

… and you can’t sit in the living room and not see the dining room.

You get it, right? Visible. From. All. Angles.

And yet while highly visible, not used much. Well, not used much for it’s intended purpose.

Dining.

It is used, however, as the place where everything collects.

And when I say everything I mean my things.

I’m the guilty one here. I’m the one who lets junk mail and half-finished crafts and painted mason jars pile up here. I’m the one who stashes bubble wrap and packing peanuts behind the table.

And since the dining room is the most seen room in the house, all my ‘stuff’ is visible for all to see!

Sigh.

I find over time I become completely blind to the mountain of stuff. I pass through on my way to the kitchen or powder room or basement and it just doesn’t register …

until it does.

Then it haunts me. Taunts me. Mocks me.

And when I’m fully haunted-taunted-mocked, I finally break down …

and break down the mountain. One half-finished (or failed) craft project and one piece of junk mail at a time.

There is one time of the year when I try really, really hard to keep the dining room table (mostly) clear.

The holidays.

But I’m not always successful.

Because … well … I mean the holidays do involve a fair share of crafting and junk mail.

Yes, that’s me making excuses!

And as I sit in the living room looking into the dining room my little eye spies a box of Duck Tape. A few Christmas cards. An empty mason jar box filled with gray and white ribbon. A cookie canister. And embroidery hoops (from a failed craft project).

So, yeah, the mountain is growing …

🙂

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Christmas Home Tour: Living Room

December 11, 2018 By Linda 20 Comments

Christmas Decorations in Gray, White & Red – Christmas Home Tour – Living Room.

This post is dedicated you.

All of you.

All of you lovely, lovely people!

Thank you … thank you … thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Your responses to my where have I been blog post last week overwhelmed me. All your support and encouragement lifted my spirits …

and gave me back my joy!

Did I say thank you?

You all reminded me about the very best part of blogging.

You!

Your comments. Your words of encouragement. Your words of understanding.

Seriously, it filled my heart! I felt like that moment in The Grinch where his heart just grows and grows and grows. With the reading of each and every comment you left my hear just grew and grew and grew!

Thank you!

I’m not sure how I lost sight of all of you in my blogging journey, but somewhere along the line blogging turned from a passion to a burden. Honestly, I was having a teen girl moment.

You know the one, right?

Where I was standing on the sidelines watching all the other girls get asked to prom and invited to all the best parties. Standing on the sidelines as all the other girls (or so it seemed) made it onto the cheer squad and dance team. And there I was. Standing on the sidelines.

Brooding.

I know, I know. Not an attractive look.

But then it dawned on me. Not everyone is going to get asked to prom. Or go to parties. Or make the cheer team. Or dance team

And who says it’s all that. Right?

And who says that’s the only — or the right — path in life?

Sometimes it’s best just to do your own thing.

Be your own person.

Own it (as Lisa Rinna says on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).

Sometimes you just need to follow your own path.

And once I stopped looking at what the popular girls were doing, I felt freed up to just be me.

Okay, true confession time. I still do take a peek at the popular girls from time to time. But only in a see-what-I-can-learn/pick-up-from-them way. Not in a I’m-so-jealous-I-wasn’t-asked-to-the-party way.

So thank you!

Thank you for supporting me … and encouraging me … to do my own thing!

And thank you for being here when I finally realized my path is a pretty darn good one! 🙂

And it only took me seven years! Sigh.

And I’ll end with the holiday dog picture.

Yes, yes, I realize all the cool girls have a well-behaved holiday dog picture on their holiday home tour posts. But here’s the catch: Ernie hates the camera. He runs from it with his head hung low and tail tucked between his legs. But for once Ernie didn’t run away when I pointed the camera in his direction. Perhaps he was really tired. Or perhaps he was really enjoying the Christmas tree.

Or perhaps he really wanted to give me a popular girl blog moment! Ha! 🙂

Candy Cane Christmas Bunting with Duck Tape

December 10, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Duck Brand®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Candy Cane Christmas Bunting – Duck Tape Holiday Crafts.

Once upon a time my Christmas decorating “theme” was all about the Santas.

And not just any old Santas. Well, actually, that’s not true. Because it was all about old Santas. As in Ye Olde Santas. You know the ones with the long beards and muted colored long coats. Polar opposite of the holly-jolly-red-faced-bright-red-coated North Pole Santas you encounter at the mall.

As an aside, my apologies if I’ve shared a version of this story before. I am getting old, after all. And my children like to point out that I sometimes (okay, often) repeat myself. 😉

But back to the Ye Olde Santas.

They started showing up in my decor when we first moved into this house. I was greatly influenced by a store that no longer exists called the Great Ace. It was a mix of hardware and decor and furniture. And each holiday season they would put up a forest of themed trees …

and the Ye Olde Santa themed tree called my name.

And for many years thereafter, my collection grew. I would pick a few new Santas each year. And family and friends would gift me with Ye Olde Santas to add to my collection.

But as with most things, with the passing of time my Christmas decor tastes and preferences changed. My affection for Ye Olde Santas waned …

as I found myself drawn to trees. Little trees. Big trees. Medium sized trees. Trees, trees, trees.

I found this twig and jute tree at Target and scooped it up right away. I had no idea where it would go. I had no idea how large it actually was (I didn’t unfurl the full tree in the store). I just know I needed this twig and jute tree in my holiday home.

After trying it out in a few spots, I eventually decided to hang it on the chalkboard wall in the kitchen. When I stepped back to admire my new medium-sized tree addition to my holiday decor, I thought it needed a little sumpin sumpin.

So I pulled out the colorful holiday Duck® brand duct tape …

How To Make Candy Cane Christmas Bunting with Duck Tape

Materials

Color Duck Tape® in red & white

8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper

White jingle bells

Small hole punch

Red & white baker’s twine

Embroidery needle

Scissors

Tape alternating strips of red and white Duck Tape to the 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. I eyeballed the spacing … but turns my eyeballs eyeballed 1/4″ stripes.

Continue until you fill the page.

Turn over and trim away the excess.

Trace triangles on paper side and cut out (mine measure 2 1/2″ in length x 2 1/4″ top width).

One 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper produced 24 triangles.

Using a small hole punch, create holes at two ends of top of triangle.

Thread baker’s twine through embroidery needle and thread together triangles (I added a white jingle bell after every two triangles). I did tie a knot for the jingle bells to stay in place, but no need to do that for each triangle. You can just move them around where you want them and they’ll stay in place.

And hang …

One tree done, ten more to go. 😉

Oh, and this candy cane bunting looks cute on the big tree too …

And since it’s made with Duck® brand duct tape, this bunting is durable enough touse it year-after-year on my little, medium and big trees!

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Check out my other Duck Tape holiday craft ideas:

Santa Suit Duck Tape Mason Jar Cozy @Mason Jar Crafts Love blog

Duck Tape Silver & Gold Candle Holiday Centerpiece

Duck Tape Gift Bags & Tags

Christmas Tree in Gray, White, Red

December 6, 2018 By Linda 19 Comments

Christmas Tree in Gray, White, Red – Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas.

As I was fighting with this Christmas tree over the weekend, I got to thinking …

You see, I bought this tree as a pre-lit one. Which is all great and good and convenient for like 4 or 5 or 6 years or so. Until …

until (insert drum roll here) …

until a strand of pre-lit lights stops working.

And that’s when the struggle begins. Because identifying the exact strand to replace is near impossible.

Two years ago when a single section of the tree went dark, I ad libbed (or is it ad hoc’d) it and just threw a new strand over the old.

Problem solved.

Then last year, there were a few more black out spots. So I ad libbed (ad hoc’d?) it again. The result, though? The tree was a bit overwhelmed with wires. And I knew this temporary light solution wouldn’t fly next year.

Welcome to next year!

So the unraveling began. As in removing the pre-lit strands of light. Eek.

And let me tell you, when they string these pre-lit trees they really, really string them. Seriously. It took me hours to get the old off. Not to mention all the fake tree scratches on my hands and wrists.

I won’t TMI you with a picture of my bloodied limbs, so you’ll have to take my word. 😉

And as I was struggling to unstrand the strands, I started thinking: how are these pre-lit trees strung? Is it automated? And if so, how? And if so, bravo to the engineer who came up with that automation line!

But if not … are they individually hand strung? And if so, well my combined cheers & condolences to the person whose job it is to string them. I’m hoping they wear some heaving duty gloves!

And now my pre-lit tree has one tiny little pre-lit section left. It’s the smallest piece of the puzzle that fits on the tippy top of the tree. I’m not sure why that one strand of lights continues to shine brightly. But if decides to follow the rest of the tree and dark next year …

I’m ready.

Though, next year I’ll wear protective gloves. 🙂

P.S. Clearly Ernie is enjoying this year’s Christmas tree!

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Neutral Christmas Tree

Drop Cloth Ruffled Tree Skirt

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Thanksgiving Centerpiece

December 4, 2018 By Linda 6 Comments

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas – White Pumpkins, Eucalyptus, Votives – Simple Neutral Centerpiece.

I know. I know.

Thanksgiving was two weeks ago.

But bear with me. I’m trying to catch up here (remember that spontaneous six months long time off thingy majingy).

Hey, it could have been worse. I have a few Halloween projects from October that I made and photographed but never shared! 😉

But this year I hosted Thanksgiving. Which was a very big deal. Because it’s been many, many … many .... long years of not hosting.

Now, it’s not like I don’t like hosting. I do. It’s just the family has grown in size as kids grow up and get married and have kids of their own. And, quite frankly, my space-challenged house could no longer accommodate all those new family additions.

But this year we were a small group. Me, Mike, my two kids, Mike’s two sisters and one brother-in-law. A perfect size for a gathering in my home!

So in preparation for our little gathering, I decided to paint the walls, make new pillow slip covers and get new rugs.

That’s normal preparation, right?

Naturally, my husband thought I was insane. And perhaps I was. But I’ll tell you what …

it gave me a chance to give the house a nice, deep clean. You know the kind, right. The behind-the-armoire-and-hutch-and-under-the-couch-scrub-the-baseboards kinds of deep clean.

Boy does that feel good. Like a nice, long hot shower after a strenuous work-out!

Oh, and you can catch a glimpse of the newly painted wall color above the board and batten in these two pictures. It’s a nice, neutral light gray.

And after the navy, it really brightens up the place.

I’ll share a full before & after post after the holidays with all the paint-color-rug-and-fabric resources and names and links.

But for now, let’s just enjoy some candlelight and twinkle lights in my neutral Thanksgiving centerpiece. It’s nice and low so it doesn’t get in the way of conversation. I used a few faux white pumpkins (from my stash), twig pumpkins (again, my stash) simple votives (found at Michael’s), birch wood slice (found at Mariano’s grocery store) and fresh greens from the grocery store that I dismantled and spread along the table.

That’s it. Simple. Neutral. Pretty.

Oh, and it went perfectly with my freshly painted walls ….

and sparkling baseboards!

Before I go, here’s a quick and shameless plug for my Etsy shop. I still have some cars in jars left that can be delivered in time for Christmas:

Vintage Chevy Pick Up Truck

Vintage Chevy Bel-Air