Christmas Wreaths

You can make this wreath using what you already have around the house - plastic bags! Follow these simple instructions to make the Wreath Made With Plastic Bags.

Materials:

• Wire 12 gauge strength
• Plastic bags (about 20)
• Hot glue gun
• Miniature ornaments
• Silver beading or cording

Instructions:

1. Bend wire into a circle about 12" circle.
    
2. Place bags in front of you.
    
3. Cut 2" strips of plastic to tie around the wire form.
    
4. Put all the strips around the wire until the wreath is full.
    
5. Place miniature ornaments around the wreath with hot glue.
    
6. Make a bow with silver beading and drape the rest of the cording around the wreath.

Ornaments

Recycle old CD’s into colorful trendy ornaments. With a little paint, wire and beads, you can add a new look to the holiday season.

Materials:

• Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint - Hunter Green (#53502)
• Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint - Tomato (#53532)
• Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Paint - Purple (#51913)
• Krylon Glitter Spray - Glistening Gold (#401)
• Krylon Glitter Spray - Shimmering Silver (#402)
• 3 Compact Discs
• 24 gauge Non-Tarnishing wire: (1) 2 yard length Gold and (2) 2 yard lengths Silver.
• 10” length 1/8” wide Gold wire edge ribbon
• (2) 10” lengths 1/8” wide Silver wire edge ribbon
• 2/3 yard lengths 3/8” wide Gold wire edge ribbon
• (2) 2/3 yard lengths 3/8” wide Silver wire edge ribbon
• Assorted sizes and shapes of beads (silver, green, dark red, gold, blue & purple)
• (3) 4” lengths cloth covered floral wire
• (3) 8” lengths 20 gauge wire
• Nail large enough to make a 1/8" diameter hole
• Flat nose pliers
• Cardboard boxes for spray booth and drying ornaments.
• Dowel rod to fit across box for drying ornaments
• Wire cutters
• Ruler
• Scissors

Steps:

1. To make a hole for hanging, use flat nose pliers to heat nail and push through CD about 1/8" from edge. Cool.
    
2. Twist one end of 20 gauge wire thru hanging hole and form hook on opposite end. This will serve as a handle while painting and drying.
    
3. Following manufacturer’s instructions, paint each CD a different color: Hunter Green, Purple, Tomato. Hang ornaments on dowel rods across box to dry completely. Remove wire when dry.
    
4. Adding beads: Refer to photograph. Anchor one end of the 24 gauge length of wire in the 1/8" hole. String beads in front of ornament only. Green and silver beads for green ornament; green, dark red and gold for red ornament; blue, purple and silver for purple ornament. Make 13 evenly spaced rows of beads around CD. Twist end of wire to back side of first wire. Trim excess wire.
    
5. Hanger and bow: Tie hanger ribbon thru 1/8" hole. Tie 2 loop bow. Slip floral wire thru knot in bow on back side. Wire to ornament thru 1/8" hole. Twist bow tails around fingers to shape and trim as desired.

For more project ideas, please visit www.krylon.com/projects.

How to Clean Oven Glass - it seriously is that easy

Found this HERE.  Great tip!

Before:

After:

Want to clean your oven? I promise its supper easy.

Ingredients:

Water

Baking Soda

Add about a 1/4 cup of baking soda in a dish and mix just enough water to make a slightly runny paste. 

Spread your mixture all over your glass (and the door if it needs it too).

Wait 15-20 minutes then wipe off. 

If there are still spots left they should easily scrub off with a scour pad.

And Voila...

Bath Tub Finger Paints

1/3 c clear, mild liquid dish soap

1 T cornstarch

Food coloring

1.       Mix liquid dish detergent and cornstarch together in a small bowl until blended.

2.       Pour the mixture, in equal parts, into several sections of a plastic ice cube tray.

3.       Add 1-2 drops of food coloring to each section of the tray and mix with a small spoon.

This also works well as a traditional finger paint.

Check out more fun ideas from John and Danita Thomas, the Kid Concoctions Couple.

Random Helpful Hints

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. If you add a little more water, it will prevent it from burning if you forget about it too long. 

To make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up. 

Random Helpful Hints

Save money and make your own vanilla extract. - Source

If you break your blender jar you can replace it with a mason jar. - Source

You can cook pumpkin in a crock pot and then freeze it for later use. - Source

Random Helpful Hints

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Cereal canisters make the perfect trashcan for your car. - Source

Medicine cabinets are NOT for medicine - Source

Random Helpful Hints

You can print directly onto fabric. - Source

A dry erase marker can be used on most desk tops. - Source

You can mail anything that will take a stamp and weighs less than 13ounces without a box? - Source

Fair and Square Consignment

What are you looking for right now?  We were trying to get to the city to shop for some Christmas stockings.  And I stopped by Fair and Square and they had some.  They were cute!  And they  were less that $4 total for 2!!  Check out your local consignment store.  They have EVERYTHING.  You'll never know what you'll find.  They usually have very cute clothes too. 

And right now, at Fair and Square, everything is 50% off!  (With exclusions of Christmas items which are 25% off and one other thing, I forget what it was, but whatever it is, it's still 25% off!)

Random Helpful Hints

You can dye plastic buttons. - Source

You can run a paper bag through your printer. - Source

You can freeze cupcake batter for later use. - Source

You can paint upholstery. - Source

Random Helpful Hints

If you place a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling water, it won't boil over. - Source

Marshmallows can cure a soar throat. Perfect for kids who wont take their medicine. - Source

Stuffing a dryer sheet in you back pocket will repel mosquitoes. - Source

Christmas Ideas for your Kids!

Here are a few GREAT books for kids.  They are Bible story books that tell accurate stories and actually share the gospel.  I HIGHLY recommend these!  That's what my kids are getting for Christmas!

 Find it HERE. $19.79

Find it HERE.  $11.55

Random Helpful Hints

Reynolds Wrap has lock in taps to hold the roll in place - Source

The color on the bread tab indicates how fresh the bread is - Source

You can divide and store ground meat in a zip loc bag. Just break off how much you need and keep the rest in the freezer for later. So much easier than dividing and  individually wrapping each pound or half pound. -Source

Thanksgiving MADE Easy

Paper Glitter is offering a number of different cute free Thanksgiving downloads including invitations, place-settings, decorations and more.

Scratch and Sniff Water Colors

1 T unsweetened powdered drink mix

1 T warm water

Several small containers

1.       Mix water and unsweetened drink mix together in a small bowl. 

2.       Repeat this step several times using various flavors of drink mix to create different colors of paint. 

3.       Allow finished works to dry overnight before scratching and sniffing. 

Check out more fun ideas from John and Danita Thomas, the Kid Concoctions Couple.

Thanksgiving Tree

A lot of my blogger friends are doing this.  It's a great idea I thought I'd pass on!  I'm looking forward to doing this when our kids get a little older!

Pick up some of those sticks in your yard and put them in a vase.  Next, trace some leaves on construction paper and have your kids (you too!) list things they are thankful for and tie them onto the tree!  It's a neat decoration and a great way to count your blessings!

Water Balloon Yo-Yo

1 small balloon

1 large rubber band

1.       Cut the rubber band in half.

2.       Tie a loop securely on one end of the rubber band.  It should be big enough to fit around your finger.

3.       Use the garden hose or water faucet to full the balloon ¼ oh the way with water.

4.       Blow air into the balloon until it is the size of a tennis ball.  Tie the balloon shut. 

5.       Securely tie the rubber band around the knot on the balloon.

6.       Place the rubber band loop around your middle finger and gently throw the balloon toward the ground.  When the balloon springs back toward your hand, try to grab it. 

7.       If you want, use markers and stickers to decorate your balloon.


Check out more fun ideas from John and Danita Thomas, the Kid Concoctions Couple.