For the Holidays! Archives - The Latina Next Door

December 16, 2019 By Yami Leave a Comment

DIY Farmhouse Christmas Placeholder

Some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all doing well and have gotten quite a bit of Christmas shopping done already. The hubby and I went out today to shop for a few things and it was really nice – we don’t get to go out without the kids often. Just got a couple more gifts to get and we will be done!

You probably know already, but if you don’t I am doing a giveaway on my Youtube channel and today is the last day to enter. So if you want to know what it’s about and how to enter, definitely check it out.

Frankly, I have been feeling the Christmas blues. Since the carpet dilemma and me going to the hospital and finding thing after thing underneath the old carpets (and my house being a complete disaster with boxes and furniture piled high…) I am just not feeling the Christmas spirit.

I have an 1/8 of the amount of Christmas decor up and I am just feeling down about not having a perfectly Christmas-ready home… especially since this is my favorite time of year. I have been beyond frustrated.

I just want floors for Christmas!

Yes, my husband ripped out the floors and documented the whole thing and now we are walking on subfloors. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Send help!

It’s been a rough few weeks.

However, in the attempt to get myself in the spirit of things, I decided to do a little DIY, which is why you are here of course.

I saw these cute ornaments in the Christmas ornament craft section as Hobby Lobby and I just had to get them. I got 2 packs at 50% off of course.

DIY Farmhouse Christmas Placeholder Supplies:

Hot Glue
Wood Tint – Walnut
Galvanized Christmas Tree Ornaments
Tumbling Blocks from Dollar Tree
Ribbon
Cardstock or Posterboard
Stamps/Ink (optional)
Snowflake clip (optional)
Hole punch (optional)

VIDEO TUTORIAL OF FARMHOUSE PLACEHOLDER

I took them out of the packaging and removed their jute strings.

Then I got some tumbling blocks from the Dollar Tree and proceeded to stain them using my favorite wood tint in Walnut (I love it cause it’s water-based and I can use it indoors in the winter because it doesn’t have a strong odor like regular stain).

I had 8 trees so I needed 16 blocks.

Once dry, I hot-glued them together.

They look like little benches.

I added hot glue to the back of the “benches” and glued the trees on.

You could do the next step differently and even print these out, but I decided to use these cute stamps from Michael’s that I got for 99 cents in order to label some placeholders.

And I stamped away! This was actually fun! I can’t remember the last time I stamped anything like this (of course, you would add your guest’s names on the tag, but for the purpose of the post, I just used the word “guest”).

I then needed to punch a hole in the cardstock… you can use a regular hole punch or something a litte fancier.

I attached the tag to the Christmas tree with a ribbon and tied a bow.

And voila! Instant place holder.

Your guests will love them so much they’ll probably want to take them home (which is not a bad idea).

Now, if ribbons aren’t your thing, you can use a snowflake (like this below).

I had a garland from Dollar Tree with these snowflakes on mini clothespins and I just took them off the garland.

And put them on the trees! Can’t get any easier than that, amiriiiiight?

Of course the best part about the snowflake is that you can use it all winter long!

Simple yet farmhouse chic! Love these little guys.

At least crafting got me in a little bit of the Christmas spirit. I wish I had as much to share as last year, but time is running out and most of my stuff is still packed.

I’d love to know what you all think of these little placeholders! I made a set of 8 for well under $10 which I think is great.

Don’t forget to PIN this for later and share with your friends !

December 10, 2019 By Yami 4 Comments

How to Make Flan

Hello again! There are only 15 days left until Christmas… I have no idea where the time goes.

Can we please slow it down??? 👵🏻

The kids and I have been soaking up some Christmas cheer by watching Christmas movies. By the way, have you seen my Ultimate Christmas Movie List? I think it’s time I update it, but there are some goodies in there, like my all time favorite Christmas movie – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

It never gets old. Throw in a crazy cousin, stuck-up miserable neighbors and an evil squirrel and that is my kind of Christmas right there. LOL!

And what better way to watch a great Christmas movie than by sitting on the couch enjoying one of your favorite desserts. Mine is flan. Flan is a popular creamy custard dessert made throughout all of Latin America and there are many versions of it. My mother has her version and I have my own.

And I truly believe I have the smoothest version of it… just sayin’!

How to Make Flan, Perfect Recipe for the Holidays! – Click to Tweet

So if you want to learn how to make flan, get your tastebuds ready because this dessert is super sweet!

Ingredients:

Flan:

5 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1 can of condensed milk
1 can of evaporated milk
1 tbsp of vanilla

Caramel:

1 cup of sugar

You want to start by making your caramel. Melt sugar in a small sauce pan until it turns golden brown. Then coat the entire bottom of your pan. I used a round 9×9 pan. Be careful, it is hot!

Watch the detailed video instructions on my YouTube channel or at the end of this post. ⬇️

Next you want to combine all of your flan ingredients in a blender and blend about 30 seconds to 1 minutes, just until everything is well mixed. Do NOT over mix. This will make the flan too dense.

Poor mix into your pan. You will need to bake this in a water bath.

RELATED: The BEST Potato Casserole

Pour hot water into the bath after you pour the mixture.

Stick in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Once you remove it from the oven. Give it a bit to sit on the counter and cool down before removing it. You still want it rather warm though when you do. Be sure to use a knife to “unstick” it from the sides. The caramel underneath acts as a barrier between the flan and the pan so it will come right out.

Let it cool some more before placing it into the fridge. You want to leave it at least 4 hours in the fridge or overnight so that it gets completely cold and then serve!

It’s so smooth and creamy!

I hope you give this a try and learn how to make flan with this super easy recipe. You will definitely enjoy this dessert!

Now off to watch me some Clark Griswold….

August 9, 2019 By Yami 2 Comments

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Tray

*Some of the following links may be affiliate links, please see full disclosure for more details*

Hello friends! I am happy to report that the first week of school is going great! Momma is enjoying her quiet time at home (the kids are also doing good). I honestly was concerned that my littlest would have a lot of trouble going in for a full day and while she did cry on Monday, it has been much easier since then. She’s actually enjoying her days.

The other two were more excited than I was to be back. Imagine that!

Anyways, I can now focus on the house and crafting and me of course. ? I will say I have been taking it kinda easy these past couple of days, but now I am rested and excited for this Fall season quickly creeping up on us.

I have been thinking about how I want to approach my seasonal decorating since I have gotten rid of quite a few things since reading Marie Kondo’s book. I don’t want to start accumulating a ton of stuff after getting rid of a ton of stuff, so I have been thinking up of ways to create multi-seasonal decorations for my home.

The tray for this post was one of them.

I came across the following narrow signs at Dollar Tree among on of my frequent runs and I quickly fell in love with the buffalo check pattern on the sides so I decided to make an elevated tray out of them that could work for all of the following holidays this year.

Supplies I used for my DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Tray:

4 Dollar Tree “Thankful” Signs
White Chalk Paint – I love this one
E6000 glue
Hot glue/Hot glue gun
4 floral decor pieces for the feet
Dollar Tree tumbling blocks
Clips

Steps to make these:

Remember you can always see the video tutorial on my channel or at this end of this post.

I took 4 of them and lined them up so that the patterns would match up. Then I glued them together with E6000 and some hot glue dots in order to hold them down while the E6000 dried.

They were not as easy to keep in place so I used clips on the backs to further support and hold them in place while the glue dried.

After the trays were joined together completely, I gave the tops of the signs 3 coats of my favorite white chalk paint.

Next I had found these floral designs at Dollar Tree and removed the flower portion of the designs (I got that idea from this Youtuber).

I painted them all with 2 coats of the same chalk paint.

After they were dry I needed to attach them to the bottom of the tray, making sure the “love” faced inward. I used either craft popsicle sticks or tumbling blocks from Dollar Tree in order to add another little “anchor” for the feet.

I used hot glue to adhere them to the tray.

I did these for all 4 corners.

And that’s it! I just flipped the tray over and I was done.

It’s perfect to pair with fall decor on a shelf or a table.

By the way… do you like that little house? You can see how to make it here.

And since it is black and white it can go with any color scheme..

Plus, it will go perfect with Christmas decor as well so I don’t really need to create a ton of different decor pieces which helps save on space and clutter.

And if you don’t want to use them for decor you can make them even more handy by using them as food risers for your holiday get togethers. So many possibilities!

Let me know what you think!

I will see you soon for another DIY and don’t forget to pin and share with your friends.

July 28, 2019 By Yami 4 Comments

Dollar Tree Farmhouse Christmas Ornaments

Merry Christmas in July everyone! I know, I know… for some of you this is crazy!!! But for me, this is just what the doctor ordered to get my creative juices flowing again.

You know how people go through emotional roller coasters? I get that with my creativity…sometimes I am killing it! And other times it’s just meh.

Plus, I know that right now most people are thinking about back to school shopping which is what I have been doing myself. As a matter of fact, just today, I finished my youngest’s school shopping. We got her list later than the other two.

I am glad to say we are good and ready to go for August 5th… OMG! I can’t believe we only have one more week left of summer vacation. ?

Time flies way too fast for me! Make it slow down!

My littlest is going to be in school and I won’t know what to do with all my extra time?!

Okay, I do know. Cleaning, cooking and doing ALL.THE.CRAFTS! But first mama needs a spa day.

Actually, my hubby got me this sweet package that I hope to redeem the first week of school where I am “home alone” – any special recommendations on what else I should do?! I feel that I should pamper myself that first week. Kinda like a “right of passage” sort of thing…. ?

I deserve it, right?!?!?

LOL! Okay, but seriously though, you all know I LOVE Christmas time and decorating with Dollar Tree for Christmas is my jam!

S0, okay…. let’s stay focused….

I was invited by some of the most talented ladies on Youtube to do a Christmas in July collaboration and I was super stoked because not only do I love these girls, but I love Christmas and the fact that they wanted me to do it with them was amazing!

We each had to come up with at least one (I did two ?) DIY Christmas decorations and share them with our viewers. Here is the playlist of everyone’s videos if you want to see them also… (lots of inspiration by the way).

Here is what you need for these DIY ornaments…

Supplies for Dollar Tree Farmhouse Christmas Ornaments

Dollar Tree Foam Board
Dollar Tree Red Buffalo Check Ribbon
Dollar Tree Jute String
Copy Paper/Printer or Pictures
Olfa Rotary Cutter
Wooden Beads (I purchased these from Michael’s with my 40% coupon)
Glue Stick
Hot Glue
Sanding Block (optional)

FYI… you can either start with the beads or the foam circles. I started with the beads so I will go in that order.

I had purchased these beads from Michael’s and I used my 40% off coupon (they cost me $6 and come with a TON of them). I purchased the one with 3 different size beads.

I began stringing them with jute string (one trick you can do is use a piece of clear tape at the end to make it easier to string through the beads.

I strung 28 of the smallest beads from the container to get the desired size.

I tied the end really tight with a double knot and I left enough string so I can use it to hang the ornaments on the tree.

Next, it was time for the circle insert and I used my OLFA rotary cutter which I LOVE in order to cut perfect circles into foam board.

There will be a hole in the center, but that will be covered up, but check out that circle!!!! ? Game changer for foam (and I also use it for felt, it works so good for that too!).

The diameter of the circles ended up being about 2.75″ inches.

Next up, you will need to print out Christmas words from your printer (however you can use kid’s names or even photographs).

I plan on adding these words in my subscriber library as well and will let you know once I do.

I used the same rotary cutter for those.

Next, all you need to adhere the paper onto the foam disk is a glue stick.

Place the paper on and use a sanding block to smooth out any edges on the perimeter if you prefer.

Then you will add some hot glue all around the edge.

And slide the beads over the disk. Make sure to keep the ends of the jute string to the top center so that your words won’t be crooked when you hang the ornament.

Finally, add a cute bow to the top of the ornament where the jute knot is located. This red buffalo check ribbon is from Dollar Tree. I usually only find this one during Valentine’s Day so I like to stock up on it then. But I am hoping that DT has some cute ones this year for Christmas!

Then all you do is tie the ends of the jute rope together and your ornament is done! Super simple!

Of course you are always welcome to change the color of the ribbon if red is not your thing… but either way they will come out super cute!

As for my second Christmas decor piece, it is a Dollar Tree DIY as well and I love how it came out too….

You can see how to make it in the tutorial below…

I hope you enjoyed this simple DIY and let me know if you are looking forward to more Christmas DIY’s this year. I am hoping to bring many more!

Also, make sure to pin for your friends to see!

I will see you all soon!

December 14, 2018 By Yami 8 Comments

Dollar Tree DIY Stocking Hangers

Did you ever see a DIY that made you go……

… in disbelief????

Well, I am pretty sure this one will since that stocking hanger you see was made with mainly Dollar Tree items. Yep! It can be done and your mantle will than you for it!

Welcome to Day 12 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!

We have teamed up with 50 plus bloggers to bring you a oodles of DIY Ideas and Recipes to make your holiday season merrier. There are 12 different posts in the series and we have spread them out over a four week period with three posts per week. Now is the time to subscribe!

GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It’s Day 12 and we are ready to Hang the Stockings by the Chimney with Care!

Dollar Tree DIY Stocking Hangers

Some of the links below are affiliate links.

Okay, so now that I have your attention you are definitely going to watch closely…

I made a complete step by step video that you will enjoy (while sipping your coffee, or eggnog, or Coquito – I won’t judge?)

The main components of the stocking hangers are gift boxes from Dollar Tree and the metal wreath hangers they are currently selling with the Christmas items.

>>>Oh and by the way Dollar Tree is having flat rate $1 SHIPPING from Dec. 14th to Dec. 17th so if you do not have one near you THIS is the time to shop! Go here NOW! <<<

And yes, I totally weighted them down so they are fully functional…. can you guess what I used?

They are the perfect blend of function and style. I love their perfect farmhouse vibe and the fact that they go great with the stockings I made earlier this year.

Now without further ado…. I leave you with the tutorial below!

Tell me what you think?! Would you ever have guessed that they were from Dollar Tree?

Oh and don’t forget to pin this and share it with your friends!

Scroll down for even more Christmas Stocking Ideas you can use this holiday season!

December 7, 2018 By Yami 3 Comments

Dollar Tree Christmas Gift Wrap Ideas

Okay, I don’t know about you, but I don’t really go all out when it comes to gift wrapping. I mean I have a 6 year old, a 5 year old and a 3 year old…. they tear that wrapping paper up! LOL!

I think the only person who cares about not ripping wrapping paper in my circle is my dad and I get frustrated just looking at him taking his time not to mess up the wrapping paper.

I’m like “Open it up already!”

Ha! So when it actually comes to making them a little bit prettier, I head to Dollar Tree….. cause I know it’s going to get ripped up anyway!

And if you feel the same way I do, make sure you check out my ideas below.

Welcome to Day 9 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!

GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It’s Day 9 and we are sharing Pretty Gift Wrapping Ideas!

Dollar Tree Christmas Gift Wrap Ideas

The first thing I do when I want to make a present look nicer is add a simple ribbon. Seriously that is all it takes. I wrap it horizontally and vertically and tie it in the front with a bow.

Boom!

But if you want it to look a little fancier, take a garland pick (the same I used to spruce up my Dollar Tree Farmhouse Trees) and bend it in order to form a wreath. Add it to the ribbon and you’re done!

Okay if that is not your cup of tea, you can always add a bow with a little bit of greenery.

Or you can always add an additional “gift” by adding an ornament that matches the theme of your paper.

Or you can add a little bit of effort and make one yourself! I literally made the ornament below with popsicle sticks and wooden dowels. I freehanded the reindeer with a paint pen and added a red nose. Cute!

*LEARN how to make the Shiplap Reindeer Ornament below on my Youtube Channel and get the free downloadable patterns here.*

All of the items I used were from Dollar Tree including the ribbon. The only thing I did not use from Dollar Tree was the wooden dowel that I used to make the frame of the ornament above.

Simple and inexpensive yet totally makes a statement and elevates your gift wrap. How awesome is that!?

Don’t forget to pin this and share with your friends below!

Scroll down for many more Pretty Gift Wrapping Ideas!

December 5, 2018 By Yami 3 Comments

Easy Christmas in a Jar for a Tween

So there comes a time in a kid’s life where they enter that in between stage… ya know, not a “kid” anymore and not a teen either. That “tween” stage. It’s at this awkward time that we scratch our heads the hardest and ask, “What in the world am I going to get him/her?!”

Well I have a few nieces in that stage (and you may too) so I thought I would share this cute little gem I found at my local $5 and Below store….

Welcome to Day 8 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!

GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It’s Day 8 and we are sharing Christmas In A Jar Ideas!

some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here

Easy Christmas in a Jar for a Tween

As you know by now I am a little obsessed with Dollar Tree and I go there for all things crafty. However, I saw a $5 and Below from the corner of my eye while shopping a couple of weeks ago and decided to try it again…

The first time I went I wasn’t impressed, but I guess Dollar Tree has become such a big hit that they had to “up the ante”.

And let me tell you I was so happy they did! They have all sorts of goodies (that are actually nice!) in there and since nothing is over $5 it is all very reasonable.

While strolling through the store, I came across this little beauty:

Isn’t it adorable!?

It’s a frickin’ mason jar with nail polish and accessories inside and you can use the container to drink cause it has a frickin’ straw! ?

I felt like a 90’s teenager who won front row tickets to see NSYNC!

Okay maybe not that excited…

But still! I just had to get it!

The colors were girly but not too girly.

The nail polish wasn’t too “adult”.

They could all be contained in the jar for no clutter (thinking like a mom here).

It was a done deal for me…

The only, and I mean only, thing is that the cup is not glass (which may be a good thing for a Tween) but that was the only downside.

But you can totally get all kinds of stylish ones in different colors like the ones below if you are looking for something a little more “higher end” – you can totally DIY this and I probably would have if the idea had crossed my mind without seeing this first. But it looks like the universe gave me a break. ?

Now, of course this isn’t the only thing I would get a niece for Christmas, but it is a nice little side gift.?

And of course you can always fill it up with the polishes and accessories of your choice if you wish to piece them together yourself.

Scroll down for many more Christmas In A Jar Ideas you are sure to love!

December 3, 2018 By Yami 8 Comments

DIY Thrifted Christmas Centerpiece

Happy Monday! I am back at it again this week for more Christmas goodness!

Welcome to Day 7 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!

GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It’s Day 7 and we are sharing Holiday Decor Ideas!

So, as you know I created a YouTube channel in order to share my projects there as well. Since becoming part of the YouTube community I have joined in on several challenges and have gotten to know other Youtubers.

One of my favorite challenges is the $5 Goodwill Challenge and there is one every season. I thought my project for this Christmas edition was perfect since I decided to created a Christmas centerpiece out of the candleholder I bought for $2.92 at my local Goodwill.

I used that outdated candleholder and turned it into this!!!

Of course, I made a DIY burlap box to go around it as well and in my latest video, I show you just how to make it…. sometimes, things are better seen than read. ?

Most of the items you see are from Dollar Tree and the burlap was leftover from another project…

I wanted to keep this centerpiece neutral and rustic and I think I achieved just that!

Now grab a coffee and a donut (or two) sit back and enjoy the tutorial below!

Let me know what you think and don’t forget to pin!

Scroll down for many more Holiday Decor Ideas to creative a festive atmosphere in your home!

November 30, 2018 By Yami 5 Comments

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Ornament

Happy Friday friends! Today I hope to get you inspired so that you can hurry to your nearest Dollar Tree and get to crafting over the weekend. I am so in love with my Farmhouse inspired berry ornament and I think you will be too. Plus it’s super fun to make!

Welcome to Day 6 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!

GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It’s Day 6 and we are sharing DIY Ornament Ideas!

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Ornament

I am not going to keep you waiting so we are going to get right into it!

Here’s what you need:

Cut a piece of twine and add it to your ornament (adhere with hot glue)

Then pull off the berries from the berry bushes. Try to be gentle with them.

Then start hot-gluing them on the styrofoam ball.

You will notice little white spots on them from where they were originally glued, just try to glue that side onto the styrofoam ball.

Try to glue them as close as possible and work your way around the entire ball.

If there are any bare white spots you can touch them up with red acrylic paint. Then apply glossy mod podge to seal it all around.

Finally when it’s dry, just hot glue a small ribbon on top and hang on your tree!

Didn’t these turn out amazing?!?! I simply love them.

If you love these, you will love my fabric ones below as well. Make sure to check out my YouTube channel to see the tutorial on those!

Scroll down for many more DIY Ornament Ideas for your holiday season!

November 26, 2018 By Yami 7 Comments

DIY Dollar Tree Christmas Woodland Animals

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I am excited to be sharing another fun DIY today that you can do with your kids! PLUS, I have a FREE printable pattern for you at the end of this post that you can use to make your own as well!

Welcome to Day 4 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!

GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It’s Day 4 and we are sharing Kids Christmas Craft Ideas!

DIY Dollar Tree Christmas Woodland Animals

If you have been here for a bit you know I have a slight obsession with ~~hoarding~~ collecting craft materials so you would not be surprised to know that I had a few extra Dollar Tree foam pumpkins lying around after my Fall crafts this year ( i.e. my Dollar Tree succulent pumpkin planters).

I wanted to repurpose them for a Christmas DIY and started gathering inspiration online, but most people only use them to create snowmen. I am not necessarily fond of snowmen in my Christmas decor…

I mean, did you see my rustic snowman ornament from last year??? Yep, that’s as “snowman” as it gets for me. ?

So I kept thinking and I came across some cute woodland ornaments on Pinterest and BINGO! There it was. My new idea!

I was determined to make these foam pumpkins into woodland animals and do them with my kiddos (more so my oldest, my son gets bored easily and my littlest…. well, she’s too young to work with hot glue).

But alas! I was able to do it and I am going to share with you how.

Here is what you need:

SUPPLIES:

*some of the following links are affiliate links*

Dollar Tree Foam Pumpkins
Felt Sheets
Googly eyes
Craft pom poms
Hot Glue and Glue Gun
Acrylic Paint
Paint Brushes
Misc. Christmas Foliage

Okay so first, grab your pumpkin. You can remove the stem or keep it on. We removed it. You can also paint the pumpkin your desired color. Since we were making a fox we didn’t have to paint this one, but if you were to make a reindeer you would paint it light brown. If you wanted to paint a raccoon, you would paint it gray etc.

Next you want to cover the top, I simply cut out an orange circle of felt and we hot glued it on (you won’t notice this later on).

Afterwards, you want to cut out white pieces of felt for the face.

And place them as follows:

Then glue a pom pom on the center of those white pieces for the nose.

After that, you want to add the google eyes. You can start seeing the little guy come together now… however, I think he got into a fight since his nose is slightly crooked (my daughter and I laughed at that).

Then you want to cut ears out of both white and orange felt and glue them together.

Then you glue toothpicks to the back of them. You can totally add the toothpick in between the felt sheets too.

Then you want to add hot glue on the bottoms of the ears and the tip of the toothpick before you insert it into the pumpkin.

My daughter was getting so excited by this point (and momma was totally relieved that he actually resembled something close to a fox… remember I was winging this as I went here).

But of course, we were not done yet!!!

We had to add some Christmas flair! And since I had some leftover garland picks that I used to fluff my Dollar Tree Farmhouse Christmas Trees I decided to use one to add a little crown to the top of the fox.

And then a bow and some berries and then he…. I mean she…. was done!

We love how it turned out, crooked nose and all!

As well as the other little woodland animals we came up with…

Eek! This was so fun!

I think we did pretty good. Whatcha think?!

If you love these fun woodland animals as much as we do, make sure to download the patterns I created for them. They are nothing fancy, but it will save you the trouble of figuring it out yourself. Scroll a little more to get access to them!

Scroll down for many more Kids Christmas Craft Ideas!

And don’t forget to grab your free pattern below!

November 23, 2018 By Yami 4 Comments

DIY Letterboard Christmas Countdown Ornament

I hope you have been enjoying the 12 Days of Christmas so far and have been getting a ton of inspiration and ideas for your holidays. If you love anything farmhouse then you are sure to love today’s DIY I have for you!

Welcome to Day 3 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!

GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It’s Day 3 and we are sharing DIY Christmas Countdown Calendar Ideas!

DIY Letterboard Christmas Countdown Ornament

Supplies:

1/4″ square dowel
1 black felt sheet
1 pack of round wood dowels from Dollar Tree
Glue Gun
Small piece of poster board
Ribbon
Letter board letters
Mini Miter Box Saw Kit

First gather your materials, these are extremely inexpensive. You are looking at about $2.50 below.

Then you want to cut the mini round dowels and take away 2 1/4″ off of them since they are a little too long. Isn’t my little mini saw the cutest?!

Next, you need to cut little felt sheets to fit over the dowels.

Glue the felt down with hot glue.

After gluing them with the felt, you want to glue them all together (side by side) and frame them with the square dowel.

You will need to cut 2 of the square dowel pieces to 4 1/4″ and the other 2 square dowels at 5″.

You can see how I glued them together below.

You will need to add a piece of poster board (or cardboard) to the back to keep them all together.

Then finally, you add a ribbon to hang onto your tree and you can can also add one on the front for decoration.

Finally you will add your letters. But a word of caution…

Since this is not made like the regular letter boards with the right pressure to hold the letters, it will be a little harder for them to stay on so I suggest to glue the “Days Till Xmas” part and leave the numbers free.

If you don’t wish to glue the letters down, then I would suggest using popsicle sticks instead of the round dowels.. You can also find them at Dollar Tree. For that you will need to glue 2 popsicle sticks together before covering them in felt.

Since the popsicle sticks aren’t as round, the gaps between them won’t be as large so they will hold the letters better.

I hope you liked this cute farmhouse inspired DIY! I absolutely love this DIY Letterboard Christmas Countdown Ornament and I cannot wait to use it this Christmas season!

Scroll down for many more DIY Christmas Countdown Calendar Ideas for your holiday season!

As always you can check the video tutorial below….

November 19, 2018 By Yami 3 Comments

DIY Lit Birch Wreath – Pottery Barn Dupe

Welcome to Day 1 of the Fourth Annual 12 Days of Christmas Series!

GO HERE for the complete list of Dates and Topics plus a collection of most popular holiday ideas including ornaments, games, recipes and more from all 50 plus talented bloggers!

It’s Day 1 and we are sharing DIY Wreath Ideas!

DIY Lit Birch Wreath – Pottery Barn Dupe

For my DIY Wreath, I decided to do something totally different and out of my comfort zone, because I figured everyone would be expecting a traditional Christmas wreath. I saw this amazing looking lit birch wreath on Pottery Barn’s site.

Yeah, it was pretty but too expensive so I decided to recreate it myself.

And don’t forget you can always see a video tutorial of this project on my YouTube channel.

I had this foam wreath from Dollar Tree in my craft stash…

I painted it with a tan acrylic paint I had on hand.

I decided to use some “faux” wood scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby, but since it was one-sided I had to paint the other side. And I just brushed on that tan acrylic paint along with some great and white. I just used long streaks and alternated the colors.

Below you can see what both sides looked like.

Okay so after the paint dried, I created a leaf template from poster board and I traced it on the paper and began to cut the small leaves. I used 3 sheets total for this 10 inch wreath…

After they were all cut, I used a hot glue stick (not hot of course) to create a curve on the leaves.

Then I began hot-gluing them to the wreath. I made sure to place both front and backs of the paper randomly and I also did not add any leaves on the back so that it would lay flat up against the wall.

This is what the wreath looked like after it had all the leaves on it.

Then since the original had glitter on it I mixed some gold and silver from my stash (gotta love that stash!) and added to it randomly as well.

I decided to also dry-brush some gold acrylic paint throughout it as well. The best brush to use for this is a fan brush.

Then finally, I sprayed it with some spray adhesive so that the glitter wouldn’t keep going everywhere.

I think I still have glitter on me ?

And voila! I had my own “birch” wreath!

I added the same kind of fairy lights that I used for my farmhouse floral sconces and it works great!

Whatcha think? I know it’s different, but I am so glad I tried it! The original cost $129 and mine only cost $3.25! Can’t beat that.

If you liked it too, please pin and share with your friends!

I will see you guys Wednesday!

Scroll down for many more DIY Wreath Ideas for your holiday season!

November 18, 2018 By Yami Leave a Comment

50 Plus DIY Christmas Ideas

Hello sweet friends! It has been a while since I have posted but you are about to be bombarded with some serious holiday goodness since I am participating in the 12 days of Christmas again this year. It’s where 50 plus bloggers (including myself) share DIY’s, gift ideas, recipes… you name it for the holidays!

We are kicking off the 4th Annual 12 Days of Christmas event with a collection of most popular DIY Christmas Ideas from 50 plus bloggers!

We have teamed up with 50 plus talented bloggers to bring you hundreds of new ideas for the holiday season! Scroll down to meet the team and see our 12 Days of Christmas event topics along with free printable calendars with the dates you can expect more ideas throughout the holiday season!

A Fresh Start On A Budget~A Princess And Her Pirates~A Wonderful Thought~Across The Blvd.

Adventures Of A DIY Mom~An Alli Event~Blowing Away Out West~Charleston Crafted~Chef Sarah Elizabeth~

Christmas Tree Lane~Cookies, Coffee and Crafts~Cooking with Carlee~Craftify My Love

Create and Babble~Creative Cynchronicity~Creative Ramblings~Dazzle While Frazzled

DIY 180~DIY Adulation~DIY Party Mom~Domestic Deadline~Domestically Creative~Of Faeries & Fauna~

Farm Girl Reformed~From House To Home~Glitter On A Dime~Grandma’s House DIY~Happily Ever After

Intelligent Domestications~Northern Feeling~Little Vintage Cottage~Kristi Trimmer

My Family Thyme~My Pinterventures~North Country Nest~Our Crafty Mom~Polka Dot Poplars

Purple Hues & Me~Raggedy Bits~Sew Crafty Crochet~Shoppe No. 5~Sparkle Living~Super Mom No Cape

That Fit Fam~The Aspiring Home~The Inspiration Vault~The Interior Frugalista~The Latina Next Door

The Moments At Home~This Autoimmune Life~Through My Front Porch~Tikkido

Weekend Craft~What Meegan Makes~

DIY Vintage Farmhouse Style Baking Tin Ornaments @Northern Feeling

Dollar Tree Christmas Candleholders @The Latina Next Door

Vintage Button Snowman Christmas Tags @Raggedy Bits

Magical Snowflake Candle Holders (Free Template) @Craftify My Love

Wire Angel Ornaments @Adventures Of A DIY Mom

DIY ‘Knit’ Christmas Ornaments @Domestic Deadline

Prairie Point Star Ornament @Supermom No Cape

No Sew Quilted Ornament @This Autoimmune Life

Rustic Entryway Holiday Home Tour @North Country Nest

Christmas Ornament Pallet Sign @Creative Ramblings

Winter Snowflake Wreath From Puzzle Pieces @Dazzle While Frazzled

Poinsettia Tree Skirt @Purple Hues & Me

The Best Gingerbread House Recipe @Tikkido

DIY Star Garland @Faeries & Fauna

Candy Cane Christmas Centerpiece @From House To Home

Buffalo Check Christmas Tree @Weekend Craft

Cozy Christmas Tablescape @Our Crafty Mom

Crochet & Cross Stitch Snowman Pillow @The Inspiration Vault

How To Create A Hot Cocoa Bar @My Family Thyme

Hand Painted Christmas Tree Sign @Domestically Creative

The Reindeer Antler Game @Intelligent Domestications

Gift Passing Game @Polka Dot Poplars

Free Printable Christmas Scattergories Game @DIY Adulation

Christmas Party Group Game @Blowing Away Out West

Christmas Movie Trivia Quiz @Creative Cynchronicity

Dear Santa Letter Free Printable @An Alli Event

Crochet Reindeer Christmas Scarf @Sew Crafty Crochet

Recycled Little Golden Book Ornaments @Little Cottage Living

North Pole Christmas Table for Kids @Cookies, Coffee & Crafts

Holiday Gift Wrap On A Budget (Free Printable Gift Tags) @Happily Ever After

Layered Ribbon Trees @Sparkle Living

DIY Nativity Shadowboxes @A Princess and Her Pirates

Farmhouse Christmas Tree Ornament with Mod Podge @Grandma’s House DIY

Ganache Hot Cocoa @Chef Sarah Elizabeth

Peppermint Cupcakes In A Jar Gift @Through My Front Porch

White Chocolate Glaze Gingerbread Biscotti @Christmas Tree Lane

German Gingerbread Cookies @Cooking With Carlee

How To Make A Simple Christmas Bow @The Aspiring Home

Nine Free Holiday Printables @Farm Girl Reformed

A Coastal Christmas Tree @Charleston Crafted

How To Fill Outdoor Planters for The Holidays @Interior Frugalista

Make A Gingerbread Man From A Clay Pot @Shoppe No. 5

DIY Glitter Christmas Ornaments @Create & Babble

DIY Spray Painted Christmas Pillows @A Wonderful Thought

Under $3 DIY Flocked Christmas Tree @Meegan Makes

Santa Shell Ornament @Across The Blvd.

Baking Soda Gingerbread Ornaments @My Pinterventures

A Simple Elf Breakfast @Glitter On A Dime

DIY Photo Holder Gift Made By Kids for Grandparents @The Moments At Home

Non Candy Stocking Stuffers @That Fit Fam

Print our Free Calendars below and stick them on your refrigerator! You will have the publication dates and topics with tons of DIY Ideas! Visit all 12 Days of the 2018 12 Days of Christmas Ideas event with 50 Plus bloggers!

Click HERE to print November Calendar

Click HERE to print the December Calendar.

October 28, 2018 By Yami 12 Comments

DIY Dollar Tree Christmas Trees

You might think I am going a little crazy right now sharing a Christmas DIY before the end of October, but the fact of the matter is you can never start too early especially when Christmas decor is already flying off the shelves at Dollar Tree. I’ll be honest, I am one of those people buying up those items, because once they are gone, you’re pretty much out of luck!

I created these cute little farmhouse Christmas trees in an afternoon and couldn’t wait to share them with you all. Make sure you have your purse handy cause you’re going to want to head to Dollar Tree the minute you’re done with this post. ?

DIY Dollar Tree Christmas Trees

I partnered with Dollar Tree for this post and I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

Here’s what you need:

You can purchase galvanized buckets with rope at Dollar Tree but I had these on hand already.

Dollar Tree Christmas Decor 1 DIY Dollar Tree Christmas Trees

I simply removed the owl, painted them with my favorite white chalk paint and hot-glued the rope to the top of the bucket.

Then I took these small Christmas trees from Dollar Tree.

Related: Dollar Tree Stocking Hangers

And I used some wired garland ties…

…to add a little more fullness to the trees.

Then I inserted the bottom of the tree into the floral foam.

I hot glued the foam inside the bucket and then I filled in the top with reindeer moss to hide the foam.

Then it was time to make something for the top, so I made this little bow. And I just hot-glued it altogether.

I have a great tip I share on the tutorial video on how to stop the buffalo check ribbon from fraying that you can check out below:

The final step was to add some floral wire to the back of the ribbon so I can tie it to the top of the tree.

And that was it!

I had enough for two of them so I went ahead and made 2! These were so simple and easy to make and they only cost me about $5 each to make.

RELATED: If you love these you will also love my DIY Farmhouse Ornaments, my Dollar Tree Candleholders and my Dollar Tree DIY Woodland Animals.

You can add fairy lights and light them up. You can place them on your mantle or even use them as gifts for Christmas. I am so happy how these turned out and they are definitely one of my favorite holiday DIY’s so far.

Love this!?! >>>> Don’t forget to pin these and share with your friends!

I cannot wait to share some more DIY’s for Christmas with you all! I have several up my sleeve so stay tuned!

October 16, 2018 By Yami 6 Comments

DIY Farmhouse Holiday Wreath

Hello friends! I am back with probably the easiest DIY I have ever made (you’re welcome ?) and I couldn’t wait to share it with you. By now you should already know that I have a love affair with Dollar Tree… I mean how could you NOT!?

But what if I told you there are items just as nice out there for even less? (Insert gasp)… I know!

Alright, if you like farmhouse decor then you definitely know about lamb’s ear wreaths…. And you probably know that they can be expensive.

Well, I just happened to be taking a detour in my local Wal Mart (when I should have been grocery shopping) and found lamb’s ear bushes in their craft section. And for only $0.97 a piece (insert second gasp!)

Here’s the proof.

*Some of the links below are affiliate links. For full disclosure, please go here*

Now they are a little small, but for the price it was fine with me!

I picked up several and you might have already seen me use them around the house like in my flower arrangement on my Buffalo Check Dollar Tree Tray and on my Fall Tablescape, but this time I wanted to do something a little different.

So I found a couple of 8 inch wire wreaths at Dollar Tree (they come in a set of 2 so it’s an awesome deal) and thought I would make 2 matching wreaths.

***JUST a reminder you can always see the video tutorial on my Youtube channel! Video is included at the end of this post!*

Then I pulled all of the leaves off my bushes. I had 4 bushes total so I made sure to use 2 per wreath.

I cut the leaf trios into individual leaves.

And then I used my hot glue gun to apply the leaves on the middle wire, slightly overlapping them over each other.

I made sure to go all the way around and cover the wire completely.

Then I did the same thing with the inner and outer wires. The only different thing I did with the outer ring was I made the leaves a little more fanned out as I applied them on.

After I went around all 3 rings I still had a few leaves left over and I just added the rest in. I made 2 wreaths and 2 bushes apiece was enough to create them.

Now you can always make them larger or include more bushes per wreath to make them even more full. But I was totally happy with them!

Then simply add a ribbon and hang in your home. Add a neutral ribbon for Fall or a red one for Christmas!

Each wreath costs less than $2.50 to make.

Isn’t it darling?!

Video tutorial below!

I hope you enjoyed this simple holiday DIY!

See you back here soon!

February 27, 2018 By Yami 4 Comments

DIY Easter Moss Bunny

I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. See full disclosure here.

I am so excited for today’s post as I have partnered again with Dollar Tree to bring you another easy and fun DIY project just in time for Easter.

Related: Dollar Tree Winter Decor

Related: Dollar Tree Frozen Foods

I have never been really big on decorating for every holiday and I know that there are others out there who just don’t have the time, but you can still enter in the spirit of Easter with this simple DIY that can easily be added to your existing decor without having to drastically change everything else around it.

DIY Easter Moss Bunny Supply List:

(Supplies used were from Dollar Tree and my local craft store)

2 embroidery hoops – 10 & 15 cm in diameter
Floral Moss from DT
Foam Board from DT
Small unfinished wood plaque
Hot glue gun & glue
E6000 glue
Flower (these bushes are just $1 at DT).

You can also check out the complete video tutorial on my YouTube channel as well!

First you will need to glue the embroidery hoops with hot glue.

Then start hot-gluing the floral moss.

It will get messy!

Stop before you get the the bottom and leave spaces for the ears.

Cut out a couple of ears from foam board.

They don’t have to be perfect since you are going to cover them with floral moss as well.

After you cover them attach them with hot glue on the embroidery hoop. Hold them until the glue dries completely (just make sure you don’t add any moss too the bottom of the ear for better adhesion).

Then after you have the ears attached, grab your unfinished wood plaque and using a combination of E6000 and hot glue, secure to the base. The reason I used both was so that it would have a strong hold with the E6000, but have the hot glue dry quickly so that it can support the bunny while the E6000 dried.

Then cover the rest of the exposed embroidery hoop. You can leave it like this but I went a step further and gave the bunny a tail by using a rose that I had removed from a floral bush.

I think it turned out adorable!

You can always stain the base to match your decor or even add ribbon or a bow to the bunny to give it a little extra detail, but this was perfect for me.

It now sits on my entrance cabinet in the foyer.

What do you think about this DIY? Would you try it in your own home? Now, I totally want to decorate some more things with moss!

*Some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here*

DIY Farmhouse Christmas Placeholder Supplies:

VIDEO TUTORIAL OF FARMHOUSE PLACEHOLDER

Don’t forget to PIN this for later and share with your friends !

How to Make Flan, Perfect Recipe for the Holidays! – Click to Tweet

Watch the detailed video instructions on my YouTube channel or at the end of this post. ⬇️

Supplies I used for my DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Tray:

Steps to make these:

Supplies for Dollar Tree Farmhouse Christmas Ornaments

You can see how to make it in the tutorial below…

Dollar Tree DIY Stocking Hangers

*Some of the links below are affiliate links.*

Dollar Tree Christmas Gift Wrap Ideas

*some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here*

Easy Christmas in a Jar for a Tween

DIY Dollar Tree Farmhouse Ornament

*some of the following links are affiliate links*

DIY Dollar Tree Christmas Woodland Animals

And don’t forget to grab your free pattern below!

Get access to the Woodland Animal Patterns below!

DIY Letterboard Christmas Countdown Ornament

DIY Lit Birch Wreath – Pottery Barn Dupe

And don’t forget you can always see a video tutorial of this project on my YouTube channel.

Scroll down for many more DIY Wreath Ideas for your holiday season!

DIY Dollar Tree Christmas Trees

*I partnered with Dollar Tree for this post and I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links*

*I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. See full disclosure here.*

DIY Easter Moss Bunny Supply List:

You can also check out the complete video tutorial on my YouTube channel as well!

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Some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here

Some of the links below are affiliate links.

some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure here

some of the following links are affiliate links

I partnered with Dollar Tree for this post and I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. See full disclosure here.