winter

Snowman Lantern DIY

January 28, 2021 by Jessica Leave a Comment

We had our very first snow day this winter today! It was so fun. My girls were up really early and were more excited than they were on Christmas morning hahaha. Since it is still very much winter here, we are still making winter crafts. This is one I had shared on instagram, but decided to give it a home here on the blog too. It’s not a super specific tutorial, but it’s enough to help you create one of your own.

I’m always looking for ways to add some extra light to the winter darkness so I was immediately drawn to winter craft lanterns I had seen on Pinterest. The only thing was is they were all made with glass jars. I wanted something I could make with my youngest (and niece and nephew) that would be more kid friendly. I found a great alternative one day when I was at Michaels. I saw these plastic snow globes and knew we could create our very own kid friendly snowman lantern. (These were a seasonal item at Michaels so you might be able to find them in the clearance section, but you can also find them online from other places.)

Besides a plastic snow globe (or some kind of plastic jar), all you need is a few simple crafting supplies:

Plastic snow globe/jar
Mod Podge
White Tissue Paper (cut up into small pieces)
Foam/Paint Brush
Black and Orange Piece of Felt
Felt Color of Choice for Scarf
Pipe Cleaner
Pom poms (I actually had cut off small ones from some yarn I had)
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Battery Operated Candle that fits in plastic container (I picked one that flickered)

To begin, I had the kids cover the globe with mod podge and stick on the pieces of tissue paper. Then they did a layer of mod podge on top of tissue paper. To make it simpler, I had already cut out the eyes, mouth, and a nose from felt for them to glue on using a glue gun. You could use regular glue too. I dabbed on the glue and they placed the felt in the right spot. Then since it was a bit trickier, I glued the pipe cleaner in place and the pom poms on top of the ends so it looked like ear muffs. The pipe cleaner even acts as a handle if you leave enough room.

I let them decide on the scarf color and then cut that out and glued it on. I had to cut two long pieces for it to be long enough to fit around the “neck”. The seam is in the back middle. Then once it’s all dry you can place the candle inside. The fact that it flickered added a bit more magic to the finished product. You can be creative and make other winter themed lanterns too…. like a reindeer, the Grinch, Santa, an ornament…. just change out the color of tissue paper and accessories and there you go!

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop

December 16, 2017 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together
Last weekend I hosted my Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop. It was so much fun and to add to the fun it actually snowed the morning of this workshop! It never snows here in Southwest Louisiana so it was quite a surprise. The locals told me the last time it actually snowed like this was twenty something years ago. It was also the first time my two daughters were able to experience snow and that was a whole magical thing to watch in and of itself. So with snow on the ground (but not the roads thankfully), I prepared for my guests and we even made them gumbo and hot chocolate (from scratch!) to enjoy during the craft night.

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together
I kept the decor simple since our home was already decorated for Christmas. I made a simple sign with some card stock using my Cricut machine and used paper decorations that I have picked up over the years when I see them on sale. I highly recommend doing that if you host lots of parties. Then you have a stash you can always grab from. I laid out each space with the sign they would be painting, their supplies, and fabric covered plastic candy canes with their names on it.

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together
Once everyone arrived, we snacked some and then got to work. There were three projects: a Christmas countdown sign, oyster shell ornaments, and water color gift tags with pom poms. While the sign and ornaments were a “do it just like me” kind of project, the water color tags allowed them to be creative and make them however they wanted. I loved seeing everyone’s creativity and I enjoyed sharing with them skills they hadn’t learned before.

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together
I’m so thankful for these ladies that support and encourage me in my crafting endeavors. They make these type of events so worth it! -jess

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Craft Workshop

November 10, 2017 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Craft Workshop | happy together
Christmas is just around the corner! If you live in the Southwest Louisiana area, I am hosting a ladies night out Christmas craft workshop “Craft, Snack, and Be Merry” that you are invited to attend. It will be held on Friday, December 8, 2017, at 6:30 pm in Sulphur, LA. The address of where it will take place will be sent once your ticket is purchased. Each participant will create three projects: a hand painted Christmas countdown sign, a gilded oyster shell ornament, and water color gift tags with mini pom-poms. All supplies are provided and there will be snacks too. The cost is $35 + processing fees and you can register here. There are limited tickets available, so make sure to get yours today if you plan on attending. I look forward to doing some Christmas crafting with y’all. -jess

10 on 10

January 11, 2015 by Jessica 2 Comments

The past month was like a whirlwind for us. It was full of of Christmasy goodness and lots of cherished time with friends. I managed to make a Christmas skirt for miss J using some vintage material from my stash and a green lace I got from Hancocks. She was happy with it and she wore this to church the Sunday before Christmas and miss E wore her dress.

We went on a carriage ride to look at lights with some of our friends. I seriously could not believe that horse pulled us all. It was a good time though and something we have wanted to do since moving here.

We hosted the small group we attend at our church and I ended up taking the ladies into the garage to make wreaths. I went up to Lowes and got a ton of free tree trimmings. I made a garland to go around our garage, a wreath for our door, a centerpiece, and a few other decorations in our kitchen with the scraps, but I still had a ton left over. So an impromptu wreath making party it was!

I also added little trimmings to random gifts we gave through out the month. I kept a jar of water in the garage filled with the trimmings to use. It was the perfect little touch.

I made yet another naked cake for my friends birthday. I just love making cakes like this. They are so simple and then you can top it with whatever decorations you like. I picked some lovely flowers for this one and it made me excited thinking about spring….even though that is a bit aways still.

Our little winter garden has been good to us. We harvested a ton of radishes and the girls loved pulling them out of the ground. Our kale is growing and growing and I use it at least three times a week in our meals. I have never eaten so many greens in my life, but I can say I really feel a difference from eating more of this super food. I like to add it to soups and saute it by itself. It also goes well in smoothies. Always remove the stems to help get rid of the bitterness if you have never cooked with it before. I started a Pinterest board where I pin recipes I have tried and how it went if you would like to follow along.

I love growing our own food, but I also love supporting others who offer homegrown things we don’t grow at this point. I have made it our goal to attend a local farmers market once a week and make it a part of our grocery trip. Then we are eating and supporting local and getting what is in season. We also never know what we might find so it’s fun. This one week we even got some hand spun yarn! I am working on a little cardigan from miss J from that orange-red yarn right now. She loved seeing the pictures of the sheep the wool came from and is anxious to wear her cardigan made from it’s wool. Oh how that girl wants a farm 🙂

The girls have also been loving their trampoline we got them for Christmas. What a great energy outlet it has become! The cold finally came to Louisiana, so they are waiting for the warmth to come back so they can enjoy it more. I on the other hand am enjoying some cooler weather for once 😉

-Jess

A “Joy”ful Wreath

December 9, 2013 by Jessica 3 Comments

I found some lovely crocheted mustard yellow squares while thrifting the other week. I love finding things like this because it means I don’t have to make it myself. I was trying to think of some ways to use them. I decided to make a Christmas wreath with three of the squares first. I embroidered the letters on with yarn, using a plastic yarn needle. Then thread them together with yarn. I added some pom poms for a finishing touch.

It looks so perfect on our front door right now. Any other ideas for the squares? Some shared some good ideas on instagram already, but would love to hear more! Have you made a wreath for this winter season?
-Jess