Wordless Wednesday: Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday: 12/21/2011

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Our Christmas Tree 2011

 

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Our University of Kentucky Team Tree!!!

Merry Christmas – Happy Hanukkah – Chanukah – Happy EVERYTHING!!!!!



Frugal Holiday Crafts with Elmer’s Holiday #GlueNGlitter – DIY Handmade Christmas Card Holder

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I’ve totally been bitten by the Christmas crafting bug. I’ve created a series of posts featuring my Elmers #GlueNGlitter crafts I’ve been making. My last post was about Handmade Apothecary Jars that are easy and inexpensive to make. In this post, I’ll be showing you how to make a handmade Christmas card holder using Elmers Foam Board and a few other Elmers, X-ACTO and CraftBond products.

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Here is the breakdown of supplies/cost:

If you already have the adhesives, your total cost is: $7.76!!!

Let’s begin. :D
First, you’ll need to decide how large you want your holder and cut your foam board to the appropriate size, carefully using an XACTO knife. I had already used some of my board for Hang tags and Wreath Letters so I used a scrap piece for my board. It was 12×9 inches.

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Measure and cut your scrapbook paper to the same size as your foam board.

Glue into place using a CraftBond All Purpose Glue Stick. Smooth all wrinkles out.

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Now, you’ll want to cover the rough edges and make it pretty! Measure your ribbon to go around your papered board, leaving 1/2 inch for tucking at the end.

Apply glue spots to the edge of one side of your board and stick the ribbon in place, folding in at the corners. You will want your ribbon to fold over and cover both sides of your board. As you glue your ribbon in place on one side, turn your board over and do the same on the other side, working it into place as you go. You may have to use a CraftBond Clear Dual Tip Glue Pen with your ribbon but the Glue Spots worked well for me. I did add a touch just in a couple of spots just to make sure, but more glue spots would have held it perfectly. At the end, fold your ribbon end down and tuck into place to leave a smooth edge.

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After your ribbon is in place add any embellishments you’d like on your holder. I added some cute scrapbooking stickers to the corners because my ribbon folds aren’t the prettiest. :D

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On the back of your board, add 2 strips of CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape. This will secure your hanging ribbon. Measure your ribbon to your desired length and attach it to the CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape.

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Now it is time to add your clothes pens! Apply CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape to one side of each of your pens, trimming off any excess on the sides. I used X-ACTO Precision Scissors to trim mine. BEFORE you remove the backside of the foam tape, align your clothes pens on your holder where you would like them. At first, I had them in horizontal rows. But they worked better staggered, so that is how I attached mine.

Remove the backside of the foam tape and place your clothes pens into place. Let is sit for about 30 minutes.

Then you are ready to hang it up and add your cards! It’s actually really pretty in person. The pictures don’t show everything in detail.

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Along with my Christmas Card Holder, I also made DIY Wreath Letters and DIY Apothecary Jars with Handmade Hang Tags with the items I purchased today. Click on the names above to view those tutorials.

You can also see my entire shopping experience at Google+.

You can follow Elmers in several ways:
www.elmers.com
www.facebook.com/elmers
http://twitter.com/elmers
www.facebook.com/xacto

Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias #ElmersHoliday. All opinions are my own.



Frugal Holiday Crafts with Elmer’s Holiday #GlueNGlitter – DIY Wreath Letters

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For my third and final Elmers #GlueNGlitter craft, ahem I was only required t make one (hehehe) I made Wreath Letters. I saw this Alphabet Wreath and wanted to copy it. And while mine didn’t come out quite as fluffy and nice, I still like it. I can fluff it out more and make it look neater but I was in a bit of a time crunch to get my post done, what with Christmas shopping left to do and all.

Supplies/Cost:

  • Elmers Foam Board: Walmart: $2.88 for an entire board. I used this to make 4 different crafts so the cost breakdown is CHEAP!
  • CraftBond Glue Spots Thin-Small: Walmart: $4.00
  • X-ACTO Precision Scissors: Walmart: $7.00 I needed these for multiple crafts but can’t exactly break the cost down for several uses so…. they are an investment piece.
  • Garland: Walmart: $2.88
  • Ribbon: 2 rolls $1 each at the Dollar Store = $2

Total including adhesives and scissors: $18.76

I bought the scissors and adhesives for other crafts as well so assuming I already had those, the total additional cost would have been $7.76 WOOT!

I wanted to make the word JOY and here’s what I did:

First I printed out standard font letters onto an 8.5×11 sheet of computer paper and cut a stencil out of them.

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Then I traced the letters onto my Elmers Foam Board and cut them out carefully using an X-ACTO knife.

Next, I wrapped one end of the pine garland around the end of the letter J. Keep it tight but be careful you don’t bend your foam board. Keep the branches pressed as close together as you can so it is easier to wrap. Try to cover as much white as you can but keep in mind that your branches will cove more of it when you fluff them out.

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Use a pair of wire cutters to cut your garland when you get to the end of your letter. (Fold the ends of both cut pieces so pieces of garland don’t fall off.) I then proceeded to follow the same steps with the letter Y.

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For the O, I wanted a contrast so I wrapped it in red satin ribbon and added a little bow where I tucked and glued the final end.

Once you are finished with your garland letters, fluff them out leaving them straight enough to be able to distinguish the letter.

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And there you have it! You can either hang a ribbon on it and place your letter on your wall or door or you can make a word like I did and place it on a shelf.

Along with my Wreath Letters, I also made DIY Apothecary Jars with Handmade Hang Tags and a DIY Christmas Card Holder with the items I purchased today. Click on the names above to view those tutorials.

You can also see my entire shopping experience at Google+.

You can follow Elmers in several ways:
www.elmers.com
www.facebook.com/elmers
http://twitter.com/elmers
www.facebook.com/xacto

Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias #ElmersHoliday. All opinions are my own.



Frugal Holiday Crafts with Elmer’s Holiday #GlueNGlitter – DIY Apothecary Jars and Hang Tags

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I am a huge, huge, HUGE fan of Apothecary jars. I think they can completely transform a table scape, party table, mantle or shelf. You can fill them with all sorts of things. Anything, really, from candy to berries to pinecones and rocks!

For my #ElmersHoliday #GlueNGlitter Frugal Craft project(s) I decided to create a couple of Apothecary jars with Hang tags. The tags made use of several Elmers, CraftBond and X-ACTO products and were super inexpensive to make.

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For the Apothecary jars all you need are some cute jars with lids and glass, wooden or metal candle stick holders for the bases. If you don’t have lids, you can create your own with an upside down bowl that just fits inside the jar and a glass/wooden/metal knob glued to the bottom which is then the top. Easy peasy! You can find plenty of jars at Walmart and dollar stores. You can also “shop” around your house for treasures that can be used!

I had a couple of jars at home to use but I also wanted something to reflect the Holidays more. Even with the hang tags I was making, my jars just didn’t “pop” like I wanted them to. So we headed to Walmart in search of more. I found EXACTLY what I was looking for. I found some adorable Christmas Tree shaped jars.

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I have more finished jars to come in a few weeks because I’ve been bitten by the Apothecary Jar making bug and I”ll show those to you then but for now, here are the steps I took to achieve my Christmas Apothecary Jars and Hang Tags.

Supplies:

For jars:

  • Assorted jars. Christmas Tree Jar at Walmart: $1.98
  • Candle stick holders: Walmart: $2.50
  • Glass to glass glue. Sadly, I couldn’t find an Elmers product that worked exactly like I wanted so I used E6000. Walmart: $2.97
  • Ribbon (optional) Walmart: $1.97

Total for Apothecary Jar Supplies: $9.42

With that, you can have a complete Apothecary Jar for under $10.00. I wanted to add some Handmade Holiday Hang Tags to it as well as some Christmas gifts. I cam considering them a separate craft since they will go on multiple items and here is the break down for them.

For Tags:

Total for supplies: $25.76 for all hang tag supplies

Most crafters/scrapbookers have the adhesive and scissors handy already so minus the cost of those = $11.76 for dozens of tags. I made part of my foam board into tags and another part into a Christmas Card Holder to be featured in another post so the $2.88 for the foam board ALSO breaks down into multiple crafts just like the adhesives and scissors. F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! For $38.06 TOTAL, because I also bought some garland for another craft I’m going to post, I bought supplies to make FOUR individual crafts with supplies left over! Can you see how inexpensive it really is? $9.42 for the jars and really, $11.76 for the tags. Cool!

Ok, for the jars, cover your work space with newspaper or plastic to protect it.

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Thoroughly clean your jars and candle holders and remove and labels. I use Boogie Wipes (I am an a Saline Ambassador) and they work perfectly! Hey, they have the ability to remove dried, stuck on boogies without drying out your tots nose. They also removed the label adhesive. How cool is that?

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After the jar and candle holder are clean and dry apply a thin layer of the E6000 to the top of the candle holder. Place your jar in place and make sure it is nice and even. You don’t have a ton of wiggle room to make sure it is straight but you have a minute or so so make sure it is just right.

Set it aside to dry for at least 24 hours. 48 hours is better. Once it is dry, you can turn it over and add your goodies and any tags or labels you want on it.

While you are waiting for it to dry, you can make your tags.

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I printed out a hang tag template that I created in Paint Shop Pro but you can free hand your tag as well or trace one you already have. I wanted different sizes, so I created a few and printed them. Trace your tag onto your foam board and cut out CAREFULLY using an X-ACTO knife. You don’t want to slice your finger or lose one so be careful!

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After your foam tag is cut out, trace your pattern onto coordinating scrapbook paper. Trace two so you can cover each side.

Using your X-ACTO Precision Scissors OR X-ACTO Decorative Edge scissors, which I used because I already had a pair, cut out your scrapbook paper hang tag.

Glue onto your foam board tag using your CraftBond™ All Purpose Glue Stick. Press into place and allow to dry for about one minute.

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Cut a smaller hang tag out of coordinating scrapbook paper. Attach on top of your tag using CraftBond™ Foam Mounting Tape for dimension.

Poke a hole in your hang tag for your ribbon using a hole punch or the tip of your scissors.

Lastly, add any decorative embellishments you’d like.

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Add your ribbon and attach to your, now dry, Apothecary Jar (presents, Christmas tree, etc.) Then make more! They can be used at birthday parties for holding assorted candies, Holiday parties for fudge, cookies, etc. and all around the house for everyday decor. I ♥ these jars!!!

Along with my jars and tags, I also made DIY Wreath Letters and a DIY Christmas Card Holder with the items I purchased today. Click on the names above to view those tutorials.

You can also see my entire shopping experience at Google+.

You can follow Elmers in several ways:
www.elmers.com
www.facebook.com/elmers
http://twitter.com/elmers
www.facebook.com/xacto

Disclosure: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias. #ElmersHoliday. All opinions are my own.



Murphy USA Christmas Candy & Drinks for after the Christmas Play #cbias #MurphyUSA @MurphyUSA

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Recently, I visited Murphy USA to fill up our gas tank and while I was there I decided to purchase inexpensive snacks and drinks for after the annual Christmas Musical at my oldest daughters school. They have the cutest program each year and she is thrilled to participate. They are always famished afterwards and instead of standing in line for treats at the school, we usually make some fun goodies at home.

We have experience with this particular program because our son participated when he was her age. So I know we are going to be out late, and arriving home in the cold and dark. I will be having microwave S’mores and hot chocolate to help warm us all up on the first night. I think this a great celebratory snack and it is quick and easy. I can do the S’mores right in the microwave!

Just place 1/2 of a graham on a microwave safe plate, top with 1/2 Hershey bar, 1 large marshmallow and microwave for about 30 seconds. You will need to watch it carefully and remove it as soon as the marshmallow starts to puff up. Then top with the other half of the graham cracker and enjoy! So easy! Serve them with hot chocolate and you have the perfect cold weather, after the play snack.

I also wanted to make an M&M’s cake for the second day of Christmas programs . We have 4 children, so there are a lot! But we don’t want the same snack two nights in a row. We want to change it up a little. So S’mores one night and M&M cake the next. Sounds great to me. To make it even better, you can buy 3 candy bars for $2.22 at Murphy USA! That is fantastic!

Hubby ran into Walmart and grabbed a gift card, then headed over to Murphy USA for gas, candy and drinks. Our Murphy USA still has the 10 cents off per gallon promo when you purchase your gas using a Walmart gift card. We lucked out with the gas price and the candy! We only drink soft drinks on special occasions so Hubby grabbed a couple of Cokes for those that didn’t want hot chocolate. Then we headed home to make our cake.

For the M&M cake, all you do is mix a yellow cake mix according to package directions, add 1/4 to your prepared bunt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Mix 3 packages of M&M’s into remaining batter and pour over top cake in pan. This helps stop the candy from sinking to the bottom. Finish baking 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Allow your cake to cool completely, then turn it out onto a cake plate, frost with creamy chocolate frosting and enjoy! It is SO GOOD!

With the Coca-Colas we bought and the treats we made, our “After the Play” snack time is going to be fabulous!

You can see photos from our shop in the gallery below:

You can also see a condensed version in our Google+ Story.

Follow Murphy USA on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own.



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