Simple! Make and Ornament Tree

How to Make the Knitting Needle Ornament Tree

Supplies Needed:

A mix of round Christmas ornaments in 4 different sizes –for one tree you will need about 20 balls.  At least 4 of each size.

Knitting Needle – 14 inches long (tall tree)  Spray paint the needles if needed to match your ornaments.

Optional: Christmas tree peak topper or a star ornament, ribbon spool, spray paint, scrapbook paper, glue, spray paint, paper cutter

To make the ribbon spool tree stand: Spray the spool with spray paint to coordinate with your ornaments.  Cut scrapbook paper the width of the spool. You could use ribbon, but I like the more finished look of the paper on the spool.

Attach the paper with glue. I used Aleene’s Tacky Line Roll Adhesive.

Attach to the spool.

Thread the knitting needle up through the bottom of the spool.

If the spool has a large hole – you can stuff it with pieces of STYROFOAM to make sure the needle stays straight.

String four large Christmas ball ornaments (about 4” diameter) onto the needle, slipping the metal loops on the balls over the point of the needle. These four balls will form the base of the tree.  If you do not want to use the spool tree stand  and want to make the basic tree – the four balls when placed  squarely on a table will hold the needle upright.

Next string onto the needle four balls of a slightly smaller size. Each one will fit between two of the larger ones.  Then string on another four, slightly smaller, and finally four more again, slightly smaller, so that your tree has sixteen Christmas ball ornaments in all.  You can add more or less depending on the size of your balls.

The tip will look like this.

On top of the needle place a Christmas star ornament.  I found this one at Michaels.  It had a “spring” style attachment that I removed.  I used that existing hole to place the star on the top of the knitting needle.  I used an awl to make the hole a bit larger so it fit over the tip of the needle.

Another way to display the tree is to place the whole thing in or on top of a planter.

For the holidays I thought this one would look nice in my kitchen.  Adds some color and festivity to the space by my sink.

Found HERE

Random Helpful Hints-WOW!

Via: apartmenttherapy.com

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

Displaying Christmas Cards

Random Helpful Hints

Via: amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com

Hull strawberries easily using a straw).

Random Helpful Hints

Wash your dryer filter: Did you know that cleaning your lint trap with a dryer sheet can ruin it? Dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free, and smell good. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box? Apparently that stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! You can test it by running the lint trap under water. If the water goes through you are good. If not then you need to clean it. The best way to keep your dryer working for a long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. 

Drop a small object on the carpet and can't find it.  Place panty hose over the end of the vacuum hose and start vacuuming. The panty hose will trap anything to large to fit through the tiny hose and keep it from getting sucked into the vacuum. 

Random Helpful Hints

Flexible vacuum: To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip to eliminate static cling. It works; you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... Ta DA! ... Static is gone.

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

De-fog your windshield: Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Random Helpful Hints

Expanding Frosting: When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size.  You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving. 

Reheating refrigerated bread: To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away: Plant your plants in the ground, work the nutrients in your soil. Then wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go, cover with mulch, and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Random Helpful Hints

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic,  and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic.

Reheat Pizza Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up.  Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.  Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Make Your Own Glittering Holiday Candles with Epsom Salt!

Looking for beautiful holiday decorations?  Or maybe you need an inexpensive gift idea that’s simple enough for a toddler to pull off!  Either way, frosted candles are a great option.   You can use candles from Walmart, the dollar store, or even used candles that you have around your house!   Purchase Epsom salt at any drugstore.  A 4 lb carton filled with Epsom salt costs about $4.

Supplies Needed:

• Epsom salt
• Mod Podge
• candles

Directions:

1. Spread out some Mod Podge on waxed paper, a plate or an easily-cleaned surface.  Spread out Epsom salt as well, on a separate surface.
2. Roll your candle in the Mod Podge until it is covered. (Not the top or bottom, though!)
3. Then roll the candle in your Epsom salt and let dry.  Ta-da!

Discounted Red Box and Free Rental

Redbox has raise their prices from $1 rentals to $1.20.  However, for now, if you reserve the movie online and pay for it, then go pick it up, you can get them for $1.  It saves 20 cents. However, the first time you do this, you get a free rental credited to your account.  So your second movie that you reserve online is free!  Just make sure to click "apply my free rental credit" when reserving your second title.  The free credit won't be applied until you've picked up your first rental.

Birdie Lens Scrunchies

Have you seen lens scrunchies? They are fabric scrunchies, decorated with eyes, and slipped onto your lens. The scrunchies helps draw a child's attention to your lens, in order to get a good photograph! 

This simple birdie lens scrunchies takes about 2 minutes to make

You can make a "cookie monster" one too!

You can usually pick up a 3 pack of scrunchies from the $1 store.

Then use items you may have laying around the house- white felt, black buttons, and orange fabric for a beak! Hot glue them all together.

Article found on A Law Student's Journey

Box Tops for Education Online, Plus High Value Coupons!

If you have school-age kids, chances are you already save your boxtops.  But did you know that you can help out even more by signing up and earning points online, plus get high-value coupons?

• Just gohere to sign up.
• After you sign up, make sure to click on the “earn” tab to see all the different ways you can earn points for your school!
• Even better, this website often has high-value coupons that you won’t find other places .  And you can never have too many coupons!

Make Your Own Stamps!

This personalized stamp makes it fun to sign holiday cards, thank-you notes, and artwork.

Materials

• wooden block or scrap wood
• paper
• pencil

• white dimensional fabric paint
• ink
• scrap newspapers

Instructions

1. Start with a wooden block or piece of scrap wood, then cut a piece of paper to fit one side.
2. To create the reversed letters for the stamp, have your child write her name on the paper or write it for her. Go over the letters with a pencil so that they're thick and dark.
3. Place the paper facedown on the block and rub the back of the paper to transfer the pencil marks.
4.  Trace the letters with white dimensional fabric paint, keeping the thickness of the lines consistent. Gently tap the block against a table to even out any bumps in the paint. Let it dry.
5. To use, place the card to be stamped on a stack of newspapers. Ink the stamp and press it onto the paper.
   
   
   

Re-Use Your Old Scarf!

If last year's scarf doesn't match this winter's wardrobe, turn it into a bolster pillow that'll help you hibernate in comfort and style.

Materials

• densely woven or fleece scarf
• 2 hair elastics

• fiberfill

Instructions

1.  Cut a densely woven or fleece scarf in two, as shown. Use a simple running stitch to sew the long sides together, forming a fabric tube.
2. Wrap a hair elastic around the tube, a few inches from one end. Stuff the tube with fiberfill, then cinch the other end closed with a second hair elastic.
   

More Wrapping Ideas

Here are just a few of the ideas out there.

via LivingLocurto.com.

Printable Christmas gift tags from Amy at LivingLocurto.com.

Cathy Holden has loads of fabulous vintage printables which you could use for labels and decorating purposes. 

Of course Martha Stewart has some great ones.  Click on the images below to link through to her site to download these printable.

via Martha Stewart.com

via Martha Stewart.com

I love these Christmas Baubles from ImageZooSpark as well

Tip Junkie ( a great resource for all things crafty) has 5 pages of Christmas printables, there are vintage, modern and just cute for all tastes.

Save Money on Wrapping Paper!

Believe it or not, I get all my wrapping paper at garage sales.  I have a lot!  However, for those of you who don't have time to get to garages sales, or you get there after I do and all the wrapping paper is gone, here's a tip!

Try wrapping your presents in newspaper!  The comics are great for kids, but really, anything works!  Especially if there's pictures!

You can also use magazine pages, paper bags and even the back side of wrapping paper.  If you have some ugly wrapping paper, flip it over.  Chances are, it's white and you can draw, stamp, or print designs for it!

Lastly, if you have scraps of fabric around the house, make some bags out of them.  It's easy!  And just tie it shut with strings or ribbon!