Christmas Craft: Salt Dough Ornaments

Alright, so it's starting to get a little more Christmas-y in the Duckie household.  We finally got a tree on Friday night and Aniyah and I got to put it up on Saturday.  Note: Joey got the tree Friday night and he and my brother put it in the tree stand, but apparently the two of them think that just because the tree isn't touching the ground it's okay if it's crooked - it was pretty much at a 45° angle, hanging on for dear life against the front windows.  No joke.

Once the tree was set up properly, we pulled out the ornaments and decorations but the kids started griping about it.  "Why do we have to use the same stuff as last year?", and "Ooh, can we go buy new decorations?  Pleeeeeeease??", to which I sweetly replied, "Okay, let's just spend all our money on new decorations and ornaments and lights and everything else so that we don't have any money left to buy presents!!"  They changed their minds.

But since I'm not a total bitch, I agreed to put away last year's ornaments and asked them what kind of "theme" they'd want for our Christmas tree this year.  After an hour of deliberation, the three of them finally agreed that they wanted a "Colorful Crafty Christmas Tree" and we all started brainstorming!  And in case you didn't know, my kind of brainstorming is also called scouring Pinterest for ideas.

I came across a pin of a handprint embedded in salt dough and thought it would be a great way for the kids to display their doodles and drawings on the tree without having to waste my paper.  Plus, they thought it was cool that they would be able to use cookie cutters to make different shapes.  Obviously we don't make many cookies around here...

See how simple it is?  I made three batches and we still have a ball of dough left to make more.  We used Crayola markers to decorate ours (because I couldn't find the paint) and they turned out just fine.  I think paint would have made them look more ornament-y rather than cookie-ish, but the kids like the cookie look so it's all gooooood.

I've got a couple more Christmas Craft posts up my sleeve since we made a bunch of different decorations/ornaments so be on the lookout for them in the days to come.

Have you done any Christmas crafts this year?  Got any good pins to share?  Let me know!

Oh, and P.S., DON'T EAT THEM!  I mean, it won't kill you, it just doesn't taste very good.  Ask my brother, he knows.  ; )

So you wanna DIY?

So I've been getting a lot of positive feedback on my DIY projects and tutorials - Thank you!  But the one thing I keep hearing from people is, "I wish I could do that."  I swear, that line leaves me with a confused look on my face every time - if I could do it, why can't you?

Most times when I ask the "Why can't you?" question, I get a response like, "I'm not that creative" or "I wouldn't know where to begin".  That got me thinking, why not put together a beginner's guide to crafting and DIY?  Thus, the purpose of this post.

 Original image by Heather Bailey

So, first thing's first:  What is DIY?  DIY is an abbreviation for the term "Do It Yourself".  That means that YOU, yourself can do it.  Just like the little engine, YOU CAN DO IT!  All you need is a little inspiration - and you can get that for free all over the place.

DIY projects are the best because most times, you can make something wayyyyyyy cheaper than it would cost for you to buy it at a store.  And unless you sh*t diamonds, I'm pretty sure your budget would greatly appreciate that.  They also allow you to explore your creative side (that you think you don't have) so you can make things that are truly unique and show off your own personality.

I know that ALL of you (yes, even you diamond sh*tters) have seen something and thought to yourself, "Pshh, I could do that."  THAT is where your DIY inspiration comes from.  You see something and you know you could recreate it...but then what do you do?  Most of you probably just put it in the "maybe one day" file in the back of your mind and then end up forgetting about it.  There's your problem:  Don't forget about it!  Quick tip:  If you don't already have a Pinterest account, GET ONE NOW!  If you do, create a board specifically for DIY projects that you KNOW you can do.

Some of the most basic tools and supplies that I use constantly when working on a simple DIY project are:  a good pair of scissors, a glue gun, some scrapbook paper, a bunch of yarn or embroidery floss (you can buy packs full of different colors at Walmart and other stores), a needle and some thread, and my printer.  Obviously you'll need to add to your supply kit as you go along and depending on the type of project you're taking on - home decor and home improvement need an entirely different beginner's supply list.

When you're first starting out, the most important thing is to take on projects that you are 110% sure you can accomplish.  Just like when learning to walk, we all need to take baby steps first - otherwise we'll fall flat on our asses.  Taking on small, manageable projects will help you to practice some basic skills like stitching, painting, cutting, and drawing before taking on more ambitious projects.

Here are some DIY projects that are both cheap and simple to make:

- Wire Heart Bracelet
- Hand-Sewn Cards
- Chalkboard Coasters
- Copper Pipe Necklace
- Map String Art

The most important thing to remember when taking on any type of project:  Be Patient.  Mistakes are bound to happen, so instead of stressing out about them, learn from them.  Mistakes can always be corrected somehow - and sometimes, mistakes can turn a project into something else entirely!  Learn to adapt and use that imagination to make something wonderful!

I hope this post has inspired you to go out and make something.  We've got a three-day weekend, folks!  Let's use it wisely and creatively!

DIY Fabric Panel Shorts

So remember those shorts I showed you in my last post?  If you don't, here's another look at them:

Well, as promised, I'll be showing you how I made these bad boys so you can make a pair too!  They're actually very easy to make, all you need is a pair of shorts, some fabric, scissors, pins, and a needle and thread.

So the first thing you need to do is measure and cut your fabric.  What I did was place the fabric over one side of the shorts and cut around the area, using it as a guideline.  Be sure to cut your fabric a little bigger so you can fold the raw edges under to get a cleaner line.

The next step is to fold and pin the edges of the fabric to the shorts.  This will keep your fabric in place as you sew.

Now we're sewing!  I'm still a beginner at this sewing biz so I just used a basic stitch - nothing fancy.  So, using your needle and thread, sew your fabric to your shorts, taking the pins out as you go along.

And, that's it!  You've got some fancy new shorts to rock this summer!  Oh, and don't forget to add a little flair to the back too!  (Use the same method for the back pocket).

 Well I hope you liked this tutorial as much as I enjoyed making it!  It is really so easy to do - I finished the pair I wore in about an hour while I was waiting for the parade to start.  I really love the fact that you can use different colors, washes, and fabric to create unique looks.

So whaddaya waiting for?  Get that fabric and start creating!

Just a Little DIY Wall Art...

When my sister was visiting a couple months ago, we went on a little craft spree.  My sister and I are both very creative with very vivid imaginations so when we have an idea, we tend to go nuts.

I had pinned this project a while ago and wanted to do something similar.

Source: abeautifulmess.typepad.com via Jessica on Pinterest

It seemed simple enough so my sister and I headed out and picked up a frame from the local discount store.  Then we headed over to Home Depot and grabbed tons of paint swatches.  Seriously though, our stack was thicker than a composition notebook.  Maybe its just me, but I was totally feeling like a shoplifter taking all those swatches.  My sister and I even tried to play it off like, "Oh, I really like this color for the living room walls" (proceed to grab four sheets of the same color), "Yeah, but this color would look great in the girls' room" (grab five sheets of another color)  We played it pretty cool, with our swatch stack partially hidden by my son riding in the seat of the cart.

But then - and there's always a "but then" in our family - Trace accidentally moved the swatch stack and all the sheets scattered all over the cart as well as the floor.  Total fail.

Anyway, once we got home I tried to start on recreating the Pinterest image but didn't know what colors I wanted to use and how I wanted to place everything.  I was getting frustrated and then I remembered this image:

Source: etsy.com via Jessica on Pinterest

I had pinned this because I love the yellows and greys on white and want my living room to have the same color scheme.  Plus giraffes are one of my favorite animals.  Win/win.  Then I had the most brilliant idea:  Use the paint swatches to recreate the giraffes!

I traced and cut the outline of the giraffes from the paint swatches, glued them onto the paper, and BOOM!

Instant wall art.  Okay, now obviously it's not as fancy as the Pinterest print, but do you seriously think I'm going to cut all those patterns out?  I think not.  It would be cooler if I had scrapbook paper with different patterns...but since I don't, swatches are the next best thing.  Correction - the best free thing.

My sister also did a more tedious project.

She's a big flower freak.  Well, flowers and other nature stuff.  She's a freak of nature.  And like me, she collects shells so she created this little piece too.

Basically all she did was copy a tribal tattoo turtle image from the computer and use shells for the shell.  Shells for the shell?  You know what I mean.

So whaddaya think of our creations?  I hope it inspires you to create something!  And when I finally figure out a color scheme and pattern for that Pinterest project, I will definitely post it up!

Till next time, stay inspired!  And if you have a cool DIY that you think I should try, let me know!  I'd be happy to get my craft on!

♥ Duckie.

I'm Alive + DIY Earring Holder

Sorry for the lack of posts and general blog participation lately.

The weather has been horrible lately and now every single one of us in the house is sick to a certain degree.

Anyway, so this post was going to be my little recap of the weekend and my rant about how I lost the memory card for my camera but as I was writing about it, I got the urge to try and look for it one last time and - yep, you guessed it - I found it!

So now, instead of a recap and rant, you get a little DIY tutorial.

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- Picture frame

- Scissors

- Hot glue

- Plastic grid sheet

Remove glass, backing, and generic picture from frame.

Measure and cut your plastic grid sheet to fit your frame.

Glue the edges of the plastic grid sheet and secure to frame.

Turn it around and pop some earrings in there!

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Alright, so I know this has been done a bajillion times but just be happy that my lazy butt actually did something productive, okay?  Sheesh.

Oh, and before I go, congrats to Robin for winning the Coastal Scents giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who entered!  You can go check out another giveaway I'm having on the Frugal Foodie Mama's blog!!!

♥ Duckie.

Tasty Tuesday + So Frikken Crafty #3 (finally)

Okay, so to make up for my epic makeup fail yesterday(you like how I did that? Make up for makeup. Lol.) I'm giving you two awesome things today! Woohoo for you!

Let's start off with today's recipe! I have been craving beef stew for a while now, ever since I saw a post on Bison soup over at Made By Girl. Now I've never tried Bison meat, and I doubt they even carry that on Guam so beef stew is the next best thing.

Please be advised that I have never made beef stew before. The last time I remember eating beef stew was a few years back, when I was back home in Hawaii. My parents are great cooks and my dad always comes up with great new recipes all the time. Btw, don't tell him I said that. I'm notoriously rebellious against him and I make it a point to disagree with him about everything. If he finds out that I actually like his cooking, I'll never be able to live that down.

Anyway, so I decided to look up a recipe online, tweak it a little, and try to whip up some beef stew for dinner later this week (possibly tonight). Here's the recipe I'll be using:

Serves: 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:

3 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch slices
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch slices
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths
1 package of fresh mushrooms, sliced


Directions:

1. On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a large heavy pot (one that has a tight fitting lid).

2. When it begins to smoke slightly, add the beef and brown very well. Do in batches if necessary. Add the salt and pepper as the beef browns.

3. Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon set aside.

4. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring often.

6. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

7. Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer.

8. Simmer wine for 5 minutes, and then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and the beef.

9. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour.

10. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.

11. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

I'm a big hungry kinda girl so I love me some comfort food but I've also been going through a healthy-ish phase lately so the meat & veggies together is the best of both worlds. Plus, this recipe makes a whole lot of stew, so its perfect to store for a cold rainy day!



And now that your mouth is watering, let's get moving on to the third installment of So Frikken Crafty! Yay! Aren't you excited? Well I am - mostly because I had to put off so many ideas due to the lack of materials and supplies available to me here on this tiny island. :(

Anyway so this is a super simple way to add a little flair to an old pair of shorts or jeans (if you cut them into shorts like I did). I actually got this idea from Pinterest and they looked so amazing and cute that I just had to add this project to my "To-Done" board. Which I have yet to make. I'll do that now.

Here's what you'll need:

- Lace or crochet applique (If you've got an old lace table cover or a bunch of your grandma's old doilies, go ahead and use it!)

- Denim shorts

- Needle & Thread

And here's what you do with it:

1. Once you've figured out how much lace you'll be using, cut a triangle out each side of your shorts to fit the lace, using the seam as your center point. (If your shorts have a hem, cut that part off to get a frayed look when you wash it)

2. Now that you've got a huge slit on the side of your shorts, sew the lace on. Don't forget to do the other side too!

3. And lastly, add some extra flair by applying the extra lace onto the front and/or back pockets. (I cut another triangle piece out of one of the back pockets and added lace for a peek-a-boo effect)

Well I hope you all liked today's post as much as I did! Please comment below and let me know if you did or didn't! And don't forget to follow me on Pinterest too! Fyi, my name on Pinterest, as well as everything else is FrikkenDuckie. Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!

I've got an idea!

Lots of them actually. They've been oozing out of me all day. That sounded disgusting, didn't it?

Once again I've been pinning and craft idea hunting all day. I did manage to get a lot of work done though. But I also managed to forget about my class. If my Managerial Accounting class had some craft idea discussions, I would have totally been on there.

I'm planning on getting some craft things tonight so I can craft this weekend. Most likely starting on this Seahorse pillow first:

I can totally take this with me to the beach tomorrow to finish up the details.

Also going to try and get some paint swatches at Home Depot tonight to make this awesome project:

Which reminds me that I need to get some picture frames somewhere. Cheap.

And I'll also need to remind myself to pick up some acrylic paint and unsanded grout to do this:

It would be good to put in the house, especially for a chore list.

And I need to make an apron like this one:

And what a perfect gift idea it would be for Mother's Day, right?

I know, this post kinda sucks. I'm just going through a blogging block right now. I think I just need the weekend to be here already. Maybe then I'll get some post inspirations.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! And I'll be doing another tutorial for Makeup Monday so get your makeup stash together to follow along!