Newlywed Life & a DIY Word Necklace

Precious, aren't we?

As a follow up to Lauren's post last week, yes I love the Christmas gift she made for me! It was really the only thing I actually got to open Christmas morning since Jared gave me my gifts early and we did late gifts for everyone else in our family.  It's absolutely adorable and I use it every day!  (I was going to take a photo of it, but I'm super duper lazy and I always forget when I'm home!)

Married life has been fantastic so far!  Getting to spend every day with your best friend really can't be beat.  I do find it funny that we can agree on some things (like how original spaghettios are the only good ones, and if we ever have twins they'll be named Luke and Leia hands down) and not on others (chocolate or vanilla shakes, and which kind of pizza we prefer).  But overall, this first month has been great and I'm told it only gets better.  Those of you who may be "old timers" will probably just chuckle at my giddy gushing, but I can't help it! ^_^

So now I've got another craft for you!  We're all so crafty shmafty around here.  These necklaces I made were my gift for my bridesmaids to wear at the wedding.  I almost bought them for $17 a piece from an Etsy shop until I realized there was another shop that sold all the supplies to make them!  Here's what you need:

• Necklace chains
• Pendant trays
• Glass stones
• Mod podge
• An old dictionary or encyclopedia (or any other book you're willing to cut pages from)

*You could also use pictures instead of words from books!!!

They're SUPER simple to make.  I found a word to describe each of my bridesmaids in an old dictionary and cut out a little circle around the word using the glass stone as a template for size.  Oddly enough, not all of the words I originally had in mind were in the dictionary! Who knew!

Once you've got all your words cut out, use a small foam brush to put Mod Podge on the inside of your pendant tray and put the paper circle on top.  I let mine dry for a couple minutes before adding another layer of Mod Podge and the glass stone.  BOOM! Done!

 All in all, it cost me less than $20 to make all six of my necklaces, although I bought enough for ten just in case I messed one up.  They were so easy and turned out so cute!  And now I even have extra supplies to make more if I ever wanted to. :) 

So there you have it!  I've finally posted again...I started to feel like a bum after Lauren's last two posts!  Slowly getting better....very, very slowly. :)  Thanks for reading, all you lovely people!

An Activity Day Christmas

Monday again?  Is anyone else surprised?  I think I am every week!

Okay...okay...I know that we're all over Christmas by now.  But I did this project with our Activity Day girls in December, and I couldn't just leave it out!  I love my calling with these girls.  We have so much fun!

So this is what we made, as a little reminder of the reason for the season.  It's a Bible made of Hershey's Treasures candies!  I found the idea here. If you click on the link, it will take you to my Pin of it, and then you can go to the website through my pin.  I have not included the printable that is shown in this picture, so I would refer you to that website if you would like to use it.

This is what you need:

Hershey's Treasures Candies

Black Cardstock

Red embroidery floss or ribbon

The Printable

Elmer's glue & a glue stick

Luckily, the process is pretty self-explanatory. I paired up all the candies from the bag to see how many I would have (and, of course, to eat the odd one out...haha!).  You don't have to glue the two together.  Just glue both of them next to each other on the black cardstock (which you have cut to size, leaving a little extra on the edges to look like the cover of a Bible) with the Elmer's glue.  Don't forget to glue the piece of red embroidery floss to the cardstock first.  The end of it should be sandwiched in between the cardstock and the candy.  Then use the glue stick to glue the printable right on top!

They turned out so cute!  The girls made some for themselves to give out to family and friends, and then we made more to send in a care package to a Sister Missionary friend.

Sadly, I didn't get to be at the Activity when the girls made them.  I had all three children at home with pink eye...so my partner in crime (aka: my AMAZING Assistant Activity Days Leader), Connie, ran the activity for me that night.  She said the girls had so much fun!  So I'll take her word for it.  All I know is: the ones I sent out the the Sister were really cute!

 Well, I'm off to go cuddle my two sick children. (Seriously....what is with this winter and sickness???  This is too much.)

Wishing the rest of you a happy (and healthy) Monday!

Pinterest and Christmas Gifts

Happy Monday!

Okay, so it's actually Tuesday, but since yesterday was a holiday and my hubby didn't have to go to work, it totally feels like a Monday, so let's go with it!

Happy "Monday", everybody!

I'm so behind in my blogging, and I apologize.  But it's okay, because I've been anxiously engaged in the good work known as "parenting"! (That's an acceptable excuse for anything, right?)

So even though it's been just barely a month since Christmas, it seems like it was already forever ago!  But I just had to show you what I made for my newly married sister, Chanel, for Christmas!

Ta-da!!!  A wedding ring holder!  (For use by the sink, or wherever you might take your ring off frequently.)  I was super happy with how it turned out.

I found the idea on Pinterest, and thought it would be perfect for her!

Now, in the example it was made with a much smaller picture frame.  But, true to form, I had no luck finding just what I wanted, no matter how many stores I went to.  So I wound up just getting a 4x6 frame, and making it bigger than anticipated.

So I got the frame, bought a "pearl" necklace that had multiple strings of beads of different sizes, and a decorative hook.  Also a small piece of fabric (more about that later).

I forgot to take a ton of pictures, but here it is in the middle of the creative process...  I love hot glue!  You all should ask my sister, Chara, about our other Christmas adventures with hot glue this year!  ;)  Seriously, I think you'll think we're crazy!

So I simply hot-glued a ton of beads to the picture frame, and super-glued the decorative hook to the glass that came with the frame.

Then I took some gray fabric that I had (but you could totally use paper, or paint, or whatever kind of background you want) and put it on a piece of cereal box that I cut to size, and put it in the frame.  But I soon realized the frame was so big, it needed a little something extra...

So I found this idea for using a home printer and wax paper to transfer images to fabric.  I wish I had taken pictures of this part, but I didn't.  Basically you cut a piece of wax paper to the size of a typical piece of printer paper, print a design on it, and then flip it over and press it into the fabric!  The ink doesn't stick to the wax paper, it just kinds sits on top in little droplets, so it just stamps right on to the fabric. It took me probably one practice run to get it right.  It was pretty easy!  (Except for getting the wax paper to run straight through the printer without wrinkling....that took a few tries.)

By the way, according to the website I got the idea from this will only work with inkjet printers, not laser printers.  Just to make you aware.

Then I added a ribbon that was tied to the necklace I bought, and voila!  I declared the project officially finished.

Sadly, Chanel and I didn't get to spend Christmas together...she stayed in Utah, and I went home to Oregon.  I was so sad I wasn't going to get to watch her open it, because I was SO EXCITED to give it to her!  But I sent it out to her, and I can only assume she loves it and is using it. ;)

Oh. and by the way, guess what Chara gave me for Christmas?

I guess great minds think alike!

The first thing I said to her when I opened it..."Where did you find such a small frame?!?!"

<3 <3 <3

P.S. I use mine every day!