holidays

Reindeer in the Snow Buffalo snow and a reindeer can add a fun touch to your entrance. Consider using a crate in a unique way to balance out the look.	Village Wreath Consider a white or different color wreath than green this holiday, especially if you have a bold color front door. These houses light up and are fun to turn on for special parties or dates.
Vintage Welcome An antique sled and skates from back in the day, get spruced up with ornaments and holly to become a holiday welcome.	Kitchen Holiday Fun A quick add to bread board hooks and you can dress up your kitchen for the holidays too. Wreaths, holiday tea towels, old fashioned soft ornaments, bows, pine cones or holly can all dress up different spots in your kitchen.
Quick Pine Cone Decor We hang these in the kitchen every year, but any room will brighten with these quick pine cone drops. Just pick your favorite ribbon and hot glue to the top of the cone. We suggest a separate bow glued to the top, much easier! Hang at all the same heights, or different heights for contrast.	Snowman Scene You've seen hundreds of snowmen in the stores, and so many to choose from it is hard to decide. Whichever you choose, it is sure to delight with a backdrop of lights and greenery. On top of a cabinet, bookcase, or console, this snowman gets more attention because of the lights and garland. Red holly lights match his scarf and share the vintage look of this happy snowman.
Frosted Brownie Trees Cut your brownies into triangles and grab some candy canes for the trunks. This is a fun and easy project with the kids, as they can pick their own decorations for the trees.	Joy Wreath Spread a little joy this season starting with your wreath to welcome guests. The letters we selected were a bit more rustic to go with our flannel plaid bow. Consider using different size ribbon for the bow and hanger, depending on the size of your wreath. Get creative, as this can be done with different wreaths and letters. You will need to get our your hot glue gun. The letters will need extra due to the weight.
Glass Marble Ornaments These ornaments are fun to make and decorate with. It is best to use acrylic paint and the metallics have a better look. Squirt in lines down the inside and then cover with a paper towel and shake. Then place in a cup upside down to dry. There are many videos online. Here are two tips to keep in mind: don't shake acrylic before squeezing in, you will get bubbles and you don't want those. Let the ornaments fully dry, and this can take up to a week, before turning right side up again.	Bold Color Glass Ornaments Same as the marble ornaments, but if you are choosing more than one color, get some white to squirt in between the bold colors. If you use green right next to red, it can look brown, so the white between will help define it when you shake.
Sweet Snowman Ornaments We made these with glass ornaments and put a shimmering white on the inside. Acrylic paint for the outside, and if you are not that great at painting, consider red on the inside and paint a belt for a santa belly, as that might be easier.	Add Silver or Gold Add silver or gold to your florals to give a unique look. Buy pre sprayed flowers, or add a sprig from the craft store. Also consider spray glue and glitter on the tops of the flowers.
Easy Reindeer Not crafty? You don't have to be! Get a plain wood deer at craft store and paint it silver or gold and attach your favorite ribbon. Hot glue is the easiest way to add to the back and it will last for many holidays to come.	Oh Christmas Tree Double the lights and start ornaments from inside out. You will need fillers that reflect light and beaded garland and bows help give symmetry to your favorites on each bough.
Candy Cane Card Holder Three candy canes upside down with a line of hot glue down the middle, is an easy way to create this card holder. Seen here as a marker for a tray full of cookies, but also great as a place card holder at the dinner table, or a business card holder for your desk to decorate your workspace. Consider different colors depending on your decor, as candy canes now come in lots of yummy colors and sizes.	Glitter Deer Stencil Find a deer stencil that you like through google and use any material to add dimension to your deer. Here we used glitter foam, found in the foam sheet section of the craft store. Stick to your favorite paper color or pattern and you are festively done.
Bright Idea Have an extra string of lights? Than you have a beautiful decoration. This farmhouse basket is great with a dark cord, but if you plan to use a clear vase, you can try a white cord which will look better.	Ski Lodge Look Grab an old scarf, a pair of boots and switch out a framed poster to your favorite ski design for the winter and you have an excuse to keep this tree up well into February.
Rustic Tree A wire basket with a tree, snow and lights are a quick focal point for a shelving unit, in a guest bedroom, in a small bathroom, on a kitchen counter or just about any place you would like to add some charm. Stick to a string of 35 lights when working with a tree this small and don't forget the "snow" and pine cones.	Winter Candlescape This easy winter scene is created with a glass candle holder large enough for a candle and one oversize. Pick out your favorites at the craft store. Grab christmas trees and landscape in the christmas village section of the store. Add jingle bells, packages or your favorite holiday trinkets and sugar for snow.
Winter Scene Staircase Trees with just white lights, create a winter scene, with fake snow and a deer (this one found at Pier One). Garland on the staircase has hanging ornaments to reflect more light and add a touch of silvery surprise.	Bake a Cake Make it unique and let it reflect your style.
Winter Scene This fun project takes 5 minutes....really! Well it might take more to find the stuff at the craft store, but otherwise, 5 minutes. Find a nice size wood piece for the bottom of your display. Find little trees, cars, snowmen, deer, swingset, etc. in the doll house and Christmas village section of the craft store. Glue down the pieces and dust a little fake snow on top. We used a hot glue gun, which is the easiest. Make it your own...cabin scene, igloo/penguin scene, ice skating scene...	Holiday Bouquet Quick floral design, line up the candy canes and keep in place with floral beads. Use hydrangeas to give a full and lush appearance.
Placemat Changeout Lots of fun felt choices to add on top of round placemats.	Green and Red Best part about the felt change out placemat is that you can remove for dinner and replace after dinner, so that they stay clean and spill free.
Snowflake Design Felt "toppers" can be found at craft stores and Homegoods. Easy way to get in a festive mood.	Wall Snowflake Do you have a photo wall gallery? Take a couple of the photos down at the holidays and add this snowflake, a star, or any flat larger ornament. It will add dimension and holiday spirit to your collection.
Holiday Wedding Getting married at the holidays? Who needs a traditional cake when you can have a baker create this beautiful design.	Honeycomb Decor They remind us of days gone by. Why not bring some back for a vintage feel? One at each place setting, or as a centerpiece. We love them and they are an inexpensive way to add to your holiday table. Can be found at party stores, craft stores, and variety stores.
Gingerbread Village We see these in the craft store all the time at the holidays, next to the gingerbread houses. A friend picked one up this year and it was a fun treat for all. Instead of working on a gingerbread alone, we each took a cottage and decorated together. You could buy a couple of sets for a party and extra decorations and create a fun contest...funniest, cutest, scariest, festivest....is that a word? Should be!	Kids cookies for santa Make christmas cookies more fun with cookie icing at most grocery stores that have easy to design tips for kids. Oreos dipped in white chocolate are fun to decorate and yummy too.
Autumn Wreath Add pumpkins and corn to your favorite wreath. Be sure to use your hot glue gun so that they stay on even on the windiest Fall day.	Mark the Year If you plan to keep a tradition, like our Snoopy plates each holiday, mark the year. Whether you are changing out chalk art or erasable plates, you can mark the year and keep track in your photo album by photographing and using to separate the photos in your book.
Mums Instead of a typical planter, get an apple crate or a vintage looking crate like this one from Home Goods. It is an inexpensive way to add whimsy to your curb appeal.	Thanksgiving Cake Not everybody enjoys pie, so have fun breaking with tradition or just add as an additional choice for guests. With a cake you can decorate and make it part of your thanksgiving decor.
Good Thoughts Use your erasable plates to remind family and friends of the meaning of the holidays with fun quotes found online. Put that together with a favorite drawing and you are done.	Mix it Up Don't be afraid to mix up your planters and pumpkins and add some color. Everything does not have to be orange and red. In the fall you can use most colors as together, just try not to go to bright with pinks. Adding the hay gives you another level to display and gives dimension to your porch or stairs.
Eyeball Cupcakes If you are going to the trouble of making cupcakes that look like eyeballs, have some fun with the scene. Ping pong balls with "Sharpie" eyes drawn on float in this glass jar.	New Art Erasable plates can be a welcome inside the entrance or an add to your kitchen or living room.
RIP Pudding Small clear plastic cups, filled with chocolate pudding, topped with chocolate cookie crumb "dirt" makes a yummie gravesite for your tombstones. Chocolate covered grahams make a great tombstone and white icing piping for the R.I.P.	Jack O Pillow Not great at sewing? Get stitch glue at your local craft store and cut out felt to attach to a solid pillow for an instant Jack O Pillow.
Bloody Good Cupcakes Fun and easy cupcakes for your next Halloween Monster Bash. All you need is white icing, red gel and candy knives. Candy knives found at Michaels or online. Best pairing is chocolate cupcakes with plain black or silver liners.	Picnic Halloween Costume Well, it had to be done! Picnic Designs, why not a picnic costume. Easy to make too! Google red check dress, we found this one for $15. Plastic food adhered with a hot glue gun and black puffy paint for ants, which are welcome on this costume. Grab a basket and instant purse to match. Happy Halloween!
Scary Plate Art Erasable plates are a favorite because you can change them for each holiday and occasion. We tend to like Snoopy, so he is part of every art change for us. It makes it memorable and becomes a tradition for the family.	Valentine Plate By February, Winter is dragging on and many are looking towards Spring and warmth. Valentines decor always brightens up the month with cheery reds and pinks. This plate is as much fun to draw as it is to decorate with.
Heart Chalk Art Have a chalkboard and you have an instant holiday addition. It can be changed out for each holiday like this easel one for Valentines Day. Don't have an easel chalkboard? Use a regular one with an easel. Not great at drawing with chalk? Stick to words, or use stencils and consider buying a "chalk pen" they are an easier medium to work with and can be found at craft stores and Pier One.	Love Placemats We have lots of round placemats in every color at our house to change out for different holidays and seasons. They are made of a straw material that is easy to wipe off. They can be purchased at Pier One, TJ Maxx or Homegoods. Then we get holiday felt placements to put over the mats for decoration. Just pull off the felt tops for dinner time and reset when you are done. Clean up is a breeze and it adds quick holiday decor at less than $10 for 4.
Lucky Day We never forget about St. Patrick's Day at our house, as it gives us a chance to celebrate our heritage and maybe have a green cupcake or beer. A decorated plate and some cocktail napkins are the decor while we make up our corn beef sandwiches.	Bright Dessert Bright frosting is the pop with this Spring cake. Sides are decorated with hot pink and lavender to add a bit of fun. It is so bright you can use it to decorate before you dig in.
Peep Cupcakes Well yes, Easter dessert can be this easy! All you need is green frosting, we used piping to look more like grass and off course Peeps. It is a great centerpiece for a kids table as well. First it is decor and then it is their favorite dessert.	Sparkly Eggs We left these eggs in the vinegar solution for thirty minutes to get this vibrant color. It takes patience, but is worth it. Any glitter will do, and you can shake it on or roll it in the glitter while still wet. This glitter worked well because it was larger granules, so it is more eye catching.
Bunny Cake Tired of your two layer round cake? You can make this bunny with the same pans. Use one finished cake for the bunny face and use the second finished cake to cut out ears on either side so that the center piece becomes the bow tie.	Easter Beagle Snoopy is decorating eggs, seems much easier when he does it! Don't forget, Snoopy pops up on plates throughout our site, but you can create your own new tradition with a plate too!

Our favorite time of year....you pick the holiday and we want to celebrate it with easy and quick tips and creative ideas.

You can have a beautiful celebration no matter where you are or what your budget is. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Reindeer in the Snow

Buffalo snow and a reindeer can add a fun touch to your entrance. Consider using a crate in a unique way to balance out the look.

Village Wreath

Consider a white or different color wreath than green this holiday, especially if you have a bold color front door. These houses light up and are fun to turn on for special parties or dates.

Vintage Welcome

An antique sled and skates from back in the day, get spruced up with ornaments and holly to become a holiday welcome.

Kitchen Holiday Fun

A quick add to bread board hooks and you can dress up your kitchen for the holidays too. Wreaths, holiday tea towels, old fashioned soft ornaments, bows, pine cones or holly can all dress up different spots in your kitchen.

Quick Pine Cone Decor

We hang these in the kitchen every year, but any room will brighten with these quick pine cone drops. Just pick your favorite ribbon and hot glue to the top of the cone. We suggest a separate bow glued to the top, much easier! Hang at all the same heights, or different heights for contrast.

Snowman Scene

Frosted Brownie Trees

Cut your brownies into triangles and grab some candy canes for the trunks. This is a fun and easy project with the kids, as they can pick their own decorations for the trees.

Joy Wreath

Glass Marble Ornaments

Bold Color Glass Ornaments

Same as the marble ornaments, but if you are choosing more than one color, get some white to squirt in between the bold colors. If you use green right next to red, it can look brown, so the white between will help define it when you shake.

Sweet Snowman Ornaments

We made these with glass ornaments and put a shimmering white on the inside. Acrylic paint for the outside, and if you are not that great at painting, consider red on the inside and paint a belt for a santa belly, as that might be easier.

Add Silver or Gold

Add silver or gold to your florals to give a unique look. Buy pre sprayed flowers, or add a sprig from the craft store. Also consider spray glue and glitter on the tops of the flowers.

Easy Reindeer

Not crafty? You don't have to be! Get a plain wood deer at craft store and paint it silver or gold and attach your favorite ribbon. Hot glue is the easiest way to add to the back and it will last for many holidays to come.

Oh Christmas Tree

Double the lights and start ornaments from inside out. You will need fillers that reflect light and beaded garland and bows help give symmetry to your favorites on each bough.

Candy Cane Card Holder

Glitter Deer Stencil

Find a deer stencil that you like through google and use any material to add dimension to your deer. Here we used glitter foam, found in the foam sheet section of the craft store. Stick to your favorite paper color or pattern and you are festively done.

Bright Idea

Have an extra string of lights? Than you have a beautiful decoration. This farmhouse basket is great with a dark cord, but if you plan to use a clear vase, you can try a white cord which will look better.

Ski Lodge Look

Grab an old scarf, a pair of boots and switch out a framed poster to your favorite ski design for the winter and you have an excuse to keep this tree up well into February.

Rustic Tree

Winter Candlescape

Winter Scene Staircase

Trees with just white lights, create a winter scene, with fake snow and a deer (this one found at Pier One). Garland on the staircase has hanging ornaments to reflect more light and add a touch of silvery surprise.

Bake a Cake

Make it unique and let it reflect your style.

Winter Scene

Holiday Bouquet

Quick floral design, line up the candy canes and keep in place with floral beads. Use hydrangeas to give a full and lush appearance.

Placemat Changeout

Lots of fun felt choices to add on top of round placemats.

Green and Red

Best part about the felt change out placemat is that you can remove for dinner and replace after dinner, so that they stay clean and spill free.

Snowflake Design

Felt "toppers" can be found at craft stores and Homegoods. Easy way to get in a festive mood.

Wall Snowflake

Do you have a photo wall gallery? Take a couple of the photos down at the holidays and add this snowflake, a star, or any flat larger ornament. It will add dimension and holiday spirit to your collection.

Holiday Wedding

Getting married at the holidays? Who needs a traditional cake when you can have a baker create this beautiful design.

Honeycomb Decor

They remind us of days gone by. Why not bring some back for a vintage feel? One at each place setting, or as a centerpiece. We love them and they are an inexpensive way to add to your holiday table. Can be found at party stores, craft stores, and variety stores.

Gingerbread Village

Kids cookies for santa

Make christmas cookies more fun with cookie icing at most grocery stores that have easy to design tips for kids. Oreos dipped in white chocolate are fun to decorate and yummy too.

Autumn Wreath

Add pumpkins and corn to your favorite wreath. Be sure to use your hot glue gun so that they stay on even on the windiest Fall day.

Mark the Year

If you plan to keep a tradition, like our Snoopy plates each holiday, mark the year. Whether you are changing out chalk art or erasable plates, you can mark the year and keep track in your photo album by photographing and using to separate the photos in your book.

Mums

Instead of a typical planter, get an apple crate or a vintage looking crate like this one from Home Goods. It is an inexpensive way to add whimsy to your curb appeal.

Thanksgiving Cake

Not everybody enjoys pie, so have fun breaking with tradition or just add as an additional choice for guests. With a cake you can decorate and make it part of your thanksgiving decor.

Good Thoughts

Use your erasable plates to remind family and friends of the meaning of the holidays with fun quotes found online. Put that together with a favorite drawing and you are done.

Mix it Up

Eyeball Cupcakes

If you are going to the trouble of making cupcakes that look like eyeballs, have some fun with the scene. Ping pong balls with "Sharpie" eyes drawn on float in this glass jar.

New Art

Erasable plates can be a welcome inside the entrance or an add to your kitchen or living room.

RIP Pudding

Small clear plastic cups, filled with chocolate pudding, topped with chocolate cookie crumb "dirt" makes a yummie gravesite for your tombstones. Chocolate covered grahams make a great tombstone and white icing piping for the R.I.P.

Jack O Pillow

Not great at sewing? Get stitch glue at your local craft store and cut out felt to attach to a solid pillow for an instant Jack O Pillow.

Bloody Good Cupcakes

Fun and easy cupcakes for your next Halloween Monster Bash. All you need is white icing, red gel and candy knives. Candy knives found at Michaels or online. Best pairing is chocolate cupcakes with plain black or silver liners.

Picnic Halloween Costume

Scary Plate Art

Erasable plates are a favorite because you can change them for each holiday and occasion. We tend to like Snoopy, so he is part of every art change for us. It makes it memorable and becomes a tradition for the family.