Heart Shaped Crayon Valentines!

Time for some fun Valentine projects!  Let's take a look at some cute valentine card ideas.  Of course, you can do as simple or as complex as you would like but as we all know kids love to get some sort of treat with their Valentine card.  Today I will show you how to make crayon hearts!

These are so fun and really easy to make.  Gather your misc. crayons and strip all of the paper off of them. If you need to purchase crayons, your local Dollar Store is your best option.  Many tutorials will tell you to cut them into small pieces but this is very time consuming!  Instead, put them in a plastic baggie and break them up with a meat tenderizer.  Be careful not to totally crush them.  You will get more color variation if the crayons are chunky.  After they are broken into small pieces, place the crayons into a heart shapes pan or silicone mold.  After you have filled your molds, place them into the oven on low heat.  Bake at 250 for 15 minutes or just long enough to melt the crayons.


armcandyconfessions.com

(Individual silicone molds)

Megasimple.blogspot.com

Once the crayons have turned into a "liquid rainbow" remove them and let the wax cool until hardened.  If your wax looks cloudy, no worries, in a couple hours it will be clear and pretty!

Adhere the heart shaped crayons onto a paper Valentine!  It is best to use card stock for your card to hold the weight of the crayon. Take a look at these finished products! 

This one is from arm candy confessions 

From small little pieces of crayon to a super cute homemade valentine!



thelongthread.com

Coastal Christmas~ Day 6 of Christmas Decorating Marathon~Coastal Decor!

Todays Christmas Decorating Ideas post is a "Coastal Christmas!"

When choosing items to decorate with, stick with the basics.  Shells, pearls, sea glass, ropes, lights houses, sand and natural elements are perfect to create your Coastal Christmas!

Take a look at this unique garland around the front door!  It is filled with rope, natural fibered netting and sea shells! 

These wreaths look great!  Just a few shells and you are good to go!

Love this one!  It has a lot more greenery than the others and it is a bit more simple.  Shells, greenery and few sprigs of blue from the floral department set the tone for a Coastal Christmas. 

Very classy!

This Christmas tree is very monochromatic.  Whites, grays and silvers create a subtle festive feeling.  Notice the shells stacked at the bottom of the tree as a filler!

This is a great way to add some color to your coastal decor.  Aqua blue, gold and white is a gorgeous combination!  The starfish add just enough to create the "Coastal" effect.

If you are looking for DIY ornaments, simply purchase shells from your local craft store and adorn them with fine glitter. 

This one is a bit more on the fun side!  Lighthouses, sailboats and lanterns are a great way to add a coastal or nautical theme to your Christmas decor! Use bright reds, whites and blue not only on your tree but add pillows and throws to help create more color to your room.

Once again you see the aqua blue infused into the decor.  The garland is 2 simple ropes with some greenery pinned the corners. 

Shells, shells everywhere!  In vases, on the mantle and even attached to your stockings! Fill the bottom part of your vases with sand and layer with shells and sea glass!

This is such a great idea!  Visit your local craft store and pick up some paper mache letters and shells.  Paint your letters with a soft white paint and simply glue your shells to the letters!  SO EASY and looks so good!

This is unique idea!  Add miniature "coastal" items to your mantle!

These are adorable!  The shell lights are from Oceanstyles.com.  They have several great decor items to help you add pizazz to your holiday decorating!

This is stunning!  Such a simple way to add coastal beauty to your decor.  You could keep this one all year long!  Just remove the greenery and soft white lights.

I love these gray, red and white coastal themed items! 

The coral designs are vibrant yet classy.

Red and white Christmas. Day 5 of the Chistmas Decorating Ideas Marathon! "RED AND WHITE"

Today's Christmas Decorating Marathon colors are "Red and White!" This one is pretty easy considering red and white are EVERYWHERE this time of year! You can choose to go elegant with soft whites, feather, crystals and velvety reds or you can choose candy canes, dots and stripes. Either way it will look fantastic!

Here are some great entry ways.  Traditional greenery with berries, poinsettias and bows.

Martha Stewart

How fun is this!  They have added woodland animals such as white owls, foxes and cardinals.  I love the snow tipped garland and red berries on the mantle!

This is darling!  A mixture of Christmas ornaments adorn the the mantle.  Just add a few sprigs of red and white to your evergreens and Voila! 

Raz Christmas

This is so simple and very chic!  Crisp white tree with a sparse arrangement or red Christmas ornaments.  Display red and white dishes and stick to simple wrapping.  It looks like a dishcloth is wrapped around the base of the tree...:)

Cafemom.com

This tree is filled with all things red, white and SWEET!

Barefootfloor.com

All I can say is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this gorgeous wreath.  You could use this with any color combination!

Stacy Bradford

I love this!  Two evergreen wreaths create a Christmas chandelier of sorts!

Martha Stewart

This is beautiful!  Candy canes, and clear marbles create a fun base for the flower arrangement.

Wrap your candles in red and white ribbon.  Notice the little bells attached to the ribbon.

This is gorgeous!  Simple frosted greenery, red berries and faux candy canes create this beautiful Christmas centerpiece! 

Raz Chistmas

This is as about as simple as it gets!  Just add fresh cranberries to your vase and your simple white candle become very festive!

Love this for the bathroom!

Pottery Barn

Any color combination can be enhanced with the right pillows and throws.  They do not need to have a holiday theme, just choose the proper colors!

Homeinspiring.com

Do the same with dishes! Of course, if  you need some decorative vinyl to decorate your dishes, I can help you with that!

BHG

This is a fun and unique way to add color to your room.  Dress up everyday items that you have in your room!

Country Living

Think outside the box!  Wreaths don't just belong on doors!

White Christmas Decorating Ideas Part 3

Lets start the week with a fresh, crisp, clean idea for Christmas!  Part 3 of the Christmas Decor Marathon is "A White Christmas!"  There is nothing more peaceful than the beautiful look of fresh morning frost and snow.  Lets recreate it for Christmas!  The key to a successful white pallet is to add a little dimension to it.  White tends to flatten a space so it is important to add little punches of contrast.  To keep the "White Christmas" authentic, just add a bit of your natural greenery.
Here is a a couple simple entry ways.  Everything is natural.  I would add white and silver bows to the wreaths and.....a little snow!  The doors on these homes are white so that helps but not everyone has a white door.  If not, just add as many white items as you can.  For example, the second photo shows the greenery planted in white urns.  Add white ornaments to the wreath or hang them from the porch or roof line right above the front door, (at different levels of course!)

Next up, the tree!  Here are some great examples of some beautiful white Christmas trees.  Two of the trees have white boas on them. You can get these at your local craft store.  What a great idea!  The boas create that soft look of newly fallen snow.  Add your favorite white and maybe silver ornaments and voila!  Keep in mind that it is best to add a lot of texture to create interest.  Add feathers, painted woods, paper ornaments, glass etc.

Entry-check!

Tree-check!

Now for the decor~ Topiaries in white painted pots, distressed urns and glass domes!

Dipped pine cones add a lovely touch to your white decor.  Simply apply glue to the tips of your pine cones and sprinkle with faux snow or glitter! I love the mercury glass candle sticks.  Check out the mercury glass tutorial in my archives to learn how you can make your own for much less!

Gather twigs or branches and paint them silver or white.  Place them in a vase and hang glass or shatter proof balls on them. Swap out your lamp shades and throw pillows for crisp white ones!

 What a great idea!  Hand stockings on your foot board.  Very cool!

 Now for the mantle~  Once again, pair your all white stockings with some natural greenery.  I love the white birch stumps with the moss layered on top!

How about layering shabby chic painted mirrors!  Looks great!

Happy "White Christmas" Decorating!