First Gingersnaps of the Season!

It's October! If all the "I'm so glad I live in a world with Octobers" instagram posts yesterday didn't clue you in, now you know. We decided to start it off making my FAVORITE fall treat, Gingersnaps! They are so yummy! It was a little crazy trying to make them with two littles and picture taking, but we managed.

i'm pretty sure these are their "i'm a model" faces, yes, cookie and all.

even while walking and eating a cookie, this girl's a beauty!

Welcome October!

And don't forget about General Conference this weekend!
Click here for more information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints and to hear the messages from its leaders this weekend.

Susan is a birth photographer/videographer serving Mesa, Arizona and surrounding cities including Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, and Tempe. Considering a photographer for your birth? Contact Susan for EDD availability.

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Tutorial: WaterColor Leaf Mobile

This is a fun craft for you and your little one! I think a lot of times, as mothers of toddlers, we feel a little trepidation when it comes to handing our two-year-olds some paint and a paint brush. I decided to overcome my fear this time and buy Chelsea a water color paint set ($5.00 on Amazon). She. Loves. It. And she does pretty well remembering to dip the brush before she chooses another color.

Honestly, it’s a lot of fun for me, too. I wish I had found my artistic side in high school and college so I could have learned more techniques, what kind of paints to use, etc. etc., but my rudimentary skills will just have to do!

Anyway, this was really fun to do with Chelsea, and let her go to town with the paints (after I had a turn during her nap to make some pretty ombre leaves)!

You will need:

• watercolors
• white cardstock paper
• scissors
• leaf printable
• pencil
• hole punch
• thread
• branch

Begin by painting! For my leaves, I went with different ombre variations. I painted four ombre rectangles per page and waited for them to dry.

 

Chelsea went with a more… wild and free look and painted the entire page.

  

Print off the leaf template from this site and cut the leaves out. Flip your works of art over and trace the leaf shape on the back (make sure they’re in the right position so you don’t accidentally cut more white than watercolor).

Now cut out your leaves!

 ^^See? Wild and free.^^

Use your hole punch to create a hole for the thread, tie one end of the thread around the hole and the other end to the branch you intend to use. Vary the length of the thread and create depth by tying some on outreaching twigs.

Most importantly, just have fun!

Oh, and by-the-way. Anyone notice the snow outside today? Because we did!

 

^^My heart. just. melted.^^

Susan is a birth photographer/videographer serving Mesa, Arizona and surrounding cities including Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, and Tempe. Considering a photographer for your birth? Contact Susan for EDD availability.

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Tutorial: Autumn Square Wreath

So last week, I posted a tutorial for a way to spruce up your candle using twigs. Another way to utilize the dead tree branches in my backyard was to make a wreath! This was another very low-cost, time efficient, and economic home improvement idea that I LOVE. It cost me barely even $3.00 and took about 1 hour to make.

 

You will need:

• 20+ tree branches cut to the length you want (mine are about 14” long)
• twine
• burlap in three different colors
• white acrylic paint
• glue gun
• pruning shears

Step 1: Separate your branches equally into four piles, bunch them together, and tie them using a piece of twine.

 

Step 2: Lay the branches out in a square, just the way you want it to look when you’re done.

 

Step 3: Use a yard of twine to tie the branches together at the corners, wrapping around the branches diagonally and tying securely underneath.

 

Step 4: Using the pruning shears, trim the branches at the ends.

 

Step 5: Cut four triangles out of your colorful burlap and use the hot glue gun to connect them to the twine. Use white acrylic paint to give the banner some embellishment. You can write the word “Fall” on the banner, do stripes, or opt for polka-dots like mine!

When you’re done, tie the banner to the top corners of the square and hang the wreath on your door!

 

Simple as that! How do you bring the outdoors in during the fall? See you on Wednesday with another way to decorate your home with the outside!

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Tutorial: twig candle home decor

I am slowly, but surely working my way towards home decor craftiness! It’s a pretty magnificent feeling, to not be intimidated by crafts.
The best part about this craft is that, not only can anyone, and I mean anyone, do it, but it probably cost me about three dollars. I am all about the cheap crafts, my friends. So here’s what you do:

You will need:

• twigs
• hot glue gun and glue
• candle or glass jar*
• pruning shears

*I haven’t tried lighting my candle yet because I’m a little worried about accidentally burning my house down, but I have used the candle warmer and no problems so far! If you’re worried about your house burning down, just use a jar.


Step 1: Select your twigs from a dead tree and use the pruning shears to clip them off.


Step 2: Cut the twigs to the correct size, just a little taller than your candle or glass jar. By-the-way, the Hazelnut Cream candle? Mmmmmm…


Step 3: Use the hot glue gun to glue each twig to the glass.


Step 4: Fill in any gaps.


Step 5: Clip twig length if necessary.

Finished!

So easy, right? I love that it gives my home a more “fall is in the air” feel and that I’m bringing the outdoors in and reusing something that otherwise would just be thrown in the trash. It’s great to turn “trash” into treasure.
So what crafts have you been making this month? Are you a developing crafter like myself? Or a seasoned one? I’d love to see your projects!



Oh! and by-the-way, I’ve been sewing like a mad woman over here, because I have fallen COMPLETELY in LOVE with little girl’s tunics! You saw the plaid one I made for Chelsea, and if you follow me on instagram, you saw a bit of Chelsea’s Fox Tunic pajamas. Well, I’ve also made a Mustard Yellow Polka Dotted Girl's Tunic and have it available in my shop! I’ll be sure to take some pictures of Chelsea in it so you can really see how it looks!
Be sure to stop by!

 
 

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