Easy Fixes

Do you ever wonder how you can get your entryway or back door organized? 

Well today I am going to share with you some easy fixes.

Shutter Organizer

Wooden shutters can be just as functional and good-looking indoors as out. Refinished a set of shutters and hang them on the wall over a table or over bench storage.

Do you notice that cute little mail organizer above? You can easily make one of these.

Here's How:

 Paint or stain a pre-cut plaque, available at crafts stores. Paint hooks to desired color. Secure the hooks side-by-side with 1/2-inch wood screws. Repeat to form additional rows to separate your mail.

This is the end result

Mudroom Organizer

Now these are just pictures for you to get ideas from. Don't feel that your space has to look like this but just use some of the things you see to add a new touch to your space.

If things that are constantly underfoot in your home, give everybody a separate space. Assign a sturdy metal storage bin to each member of the household. Slide the bins underneath a bench in the front hall, or line them up in a mudroom. Use magnets or a photo to mark who each one belongs too. You can also do this in a closet if you like to hide odds and ends.

This is another choice for storage. Put your storage low and add a bench or sitting area for small spaces.

 Pin Boards

 Keeping clutter at bay starts the moment you walk through the door. Use square fabric covered pin boards, secured with staples on the back, to pin activity dates, a menu, grocery list, mail, etc.

Two Cute Easter Crafts

Easter is just around the corner, actually only a few weeks away. It is never to early to get started on some cute Easter decorations, gifts, cards, menu for dinner, or teaching your children why we really celebrate Easter.
The most important reason for Easter after all is Christ resurrection. 

This week I want to get a head start and share with you two fun crafts that you or your kids can do to get into the Easter spirit.

1. Jelly Bean Carrots

2. Bunny Envelopes 

Jelly Bean Carrots

These make cute favors or gifts to hand out during Easter. 

Steps

Tools and MaterialsPlastic pastry bag
Orange jelly beans
Ribbon of your choice


Jelly Bean Carrot How-To
1. Fill a plastic pastry bag 3/4 of the way with orange jelly beans.
2. Tie bag closed with a green rickrack or ribbon.
3. Include the carrots in an Easter basket or fill a basket with them and set them out as favors for a party.

Easter Bunny Envelopes

 Steps
1. Seal the flap of an envelope, and draw bunny ears on the sealed side, as shown below. You can draw your own or use a template.

2. Cut along the line through both layers of the envelope.
3. Flip the envelope over; the side of the envelope becomes the bottom of your treat holder.
4. Cut pink construction paper to make eyes and insides of ears, and glue them on the front of the envelope. Use colored pencil for mouth; glue on a pom-pom nose. Fill with yummy Easter sweets.

How To: Make Cake Pops

Yesterday I gave you some pictures of the Cake Pops that I am going to show/tell you how to make today. 

So get out your pen and paper and let's get started.

First you will need to choose what kind of pop you want to make. Here are some ideas: cake pops, brownie pops, cheesecake pops, pound cake, etc. and then your choice of chocolate. White, Dark, or Milk Chocolate. You can also use food coloring to make whatever color you want with your white chocolate.

These are the items I chose to use while decorating and making the pops.

Cake with Icing

 Cake Balls
1 box yellow cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark
wax paper
plastic or wooden sticks
decoration items

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting but save a small amount to dip your sticks in. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting them in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package or double boiler
6. Take a Tiny bit of extra icing and dip the top of your sticks into it. Then place them half way through your cake ball.

7. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)
I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.
If you choose to use a double boiler then do you won't need to worry about how much you melt.
8. Decorate and Have Fun
Let me know if you have any questions!

Have Fun

 Here are some finished ones:

 Fun ones for the kids

  

Chocolate with coconut.These are the ones that I chose to do. So I covered mine with coconut and dark chocolate.

   

A Small Gift Idea Using Valentines Day as the Theme

So I am going to overload you with a few more pictures. This is to help a few of you out who mentioned maybe doing these for a baby shower.

 

  

  

*How To*

This is a "How To" from Brittany Hedrick

She is planning on sharing a new "How To" with you every couple of weeks.

I hope that you enjoy what she has to share!
 

How to:

Keepsake Children’s Hand-print

Unique Ways to Keepsake Your Child’s Hand print…….

When I had my first son I was kind of obsessed with figuring out different way to put
Carson’s fingerprint on everything. After all, there hand is only small once and I wanted to capture it as many different times and ways as possible.

So I thought up some neat ideas that I would like to share with you..

 *Hanging Fingerprints*

*Hanging Fingerprints*

I went to my local craft store and bought a few canvases (make sure they are the same size.. mine were 5x5 but you can use whatever size works for you!) and then I covered it with fabric I had left over. You staple the fabric (of your choice) to the back of the canvas. Make sure you pull the fabric you are using tight so there aren’t any bubbles and that you use small enough staples so it does not go through the frame. I used thick polka dot paper for my main design and ivory paper for his hand print. Taped them all together and decorated it with two different types of ribbon and added vertical dots on the side. Now you have the foundation for your child’s personalized fingerprints.

Play with it, have fun, and be creative…

Materials Needed For Hanging Fingerprints:

• Two matching canvases
• Fabric
• Staple gun & staples
• 1 sheet of a solid color paper
• 1 sheet of fun styled paper
• Black Ink pad
• Markers (optional)
• 2 different types of ribbon
• Glue or two sided tape (tape works best)

*Clay Plaques*

*Clay Plaques*

With the clay plaques I used molding clay from my local craft store.

**All craft stores do not carry a large supply of clay so you should call around for the exact type you want.**

The shells are wooden and have a dip in the middle. If using a flattened wood your mold will not be flesh with the wood and could possibly fall off when hung on the wall. After painting the wood brown I put the (GRAY) colored clay in the center. I mixed the clay before hand in a bowl then poured it into my mold. You should put the hand or foot in the clay almost immediate before it becomes too hard to press.. This does all depends on the amount of water you used to mix your clay to begin with. If runny, add more clay so it is stiff when you press the imprint in.

Set aside to dry a good 24 hours and that’s it!

Materials Needed For Clay Plaques:

• Gray Clay2 wooden plaques
• Paint (thick paint works best) or Stain
• The hand or foot you will be molding 

                  I hope you enjoy these tips and can benefit from them.

Just remember to have fun with it!

Brittany Hedrick