Easy Felt Reindeer Jingle Bell Clip or Barrette

Easiest craft on the planet. And quick! I know because I didn't make it last night like I was supposed to (went to bed early...what!?!) and instead made it before school this morning. Literally took 5 minutes.

Phew! Because who wants to miss out on Crazy, Cute or Silly Christmas-themed Headwear Day at school?
Not this girl!

First, decide on your shape- I Googled images and just started cutting the felt. It was much too big to start so I kept cutting it down to the right size.

Then you'll need: 2 head shapes, 1-2 antlers, 2 googly eyes, red button or pom-pom, a cotton ball torn in half and pulled apart a bit, 1 jingle bell, ribbon of your choice, and a clip or barrette.

If you want more stable antlers, cut two and plan to glue together. But I only had 5 minutes, people!

Hot glue the eyes and button nose on once face. (I would have used a pom-pom but couldn't find where I put them when I supposedly reorganized a few weeks ago. Sigh.)

Glue the antlers on the other head shape, place your fluff near the mouth, then dab glue dots all along the face edge- line things up carefully because you won't be able to redo anything.When the layers were set, I tied the ribbon through the bell and then hot glued it all to the head. Glue the head to the barrette or clip, and that's it!

So cute and easy! I think I will add blush to the cheeks (since she is Mrs. Rudolph) and a blanket stitch around the entire edge.

Gotta scoot... I'm getting my Teacher Cookie Platters ready, and my peppermint bark has staged a protest and is currently in quite dire straits. I think I let the chocolate layer set too long before adding the white layer, and when I break it into pieces, they both split apart into separate pieces. Ugh. Oh well. Still tastes yummy. =)

Gray chocolate is all the rage this year!

You heard it here first.  ;)

sharing with:

Sew Much Ado 
Sew Many Ways 
seven thirty three
the idea room 
Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom 

A Fabric Roses Birthday Brooch Pin for Isabelle

We've had quite the week of birthday celebrations in our home this past week! Caleb turned 11 on 12/12 (gulp), and Isabelle turned 7 (seven? SEVEN!) yesterday on the 15th. Our family came over on Saturday for a festive Hot Cocoa/ Coffee Bar Birthday Party, and it was so much fun! I'll be posting some pictures of that later this week. For this post, I wanted to share something special I made for my sweet Birthday Girl.

I think birthday shirts and outfits are just about the cutest things ever, and I've enjoyed making them for Isabelle over the years. But last year she had her little heart set on wearing her favorite summer dress on her birthday. I probably tried to talk her out of it but eventually agreed, and she was thrilled! I still wanted to make her something special, so I opted for a Birthday Brooch- she was in love! She wore it for the whole week!

This year? Same thing. Summer dress and a special Birthday Brooch. I think it's becoming a cute little tradition. =)

Since this brooch pin is removable, you don't have to worry about it holding up in the wash. You can make it as simple or as glitzy as you like. This is the first time I've used all of these materials together and I'm so pleased with the result! It is even prettier and lovelier in person!

Felt is the obvious choice for the number because it is stiffer and holds its shape well.

There are so many wonderful tutorials on making roses out there, so I'm not going to add one more to the mix. These roses are a combination of cotton, knit, and felt. I will say that I prefer to use a needle and thread as I'm "wrapping" the material to secure the underside. Then my trusty glue gun does the rest of the work, and in mere minutes, it's all done!

I adore the colors and textures, so bear with me as I post way too many pictures. =)

 I liked how this pink felt rose looked when I loosened it up a bit; the grey rose is rolled up pretty tight. Any edges that stick out too far are easy to snip right off.

For added dimension, keep some ribbons flat and curve others. 

That green ribbon on the left bugs me just a little, ha- it was supposed to be tucked underneath the grey rose more, but once that glue hits, it sticks! I couldn't move it! A toothpick helps with this part, too (and will spare your fingertips).

I added the white felt to act as a stabilizer, and stitched the safety pin on. You could use the glue gun, but I prefer to stitch it in place.

You could easily cut two of the numbers out and glue them back to back if you want a more stable number. This one seemed fine on its own so I left it as is. Of course, please ignore the glue! I didn't even notice until I was editing pictures, so it really doesn't seem that messy in person.

My happy, toothless Birthday Girl!

Notice the ensemble? I had laid out her pink dress and sure was tickled when she came flitting into the room wearing all this!  ha ha

 

And if you'd seen her just five minutes prior, this is what her hair looked like:

She moves. A lot.

Here she is last year:

Just a preview of our Hot Cocoa/ Coffee Bar Birthday Party...

sharing with:
seven thirty three
Have a wonderful week!

The Best Christmas Cookie Treat - Easy, Fast, & Delicious (and Chocolate!)

These treats have been a favorite of our family's at Christmastime for as long as I can remember. They bring me back to those December nights as a little girl, when I would lie snug and happy in my bed, the room around me illuminated by candles in the windows. The smell of melting chocolate and butterscotch wafted through the house...aah! Such wonderful memories!

Okay, onto the recipe, which requires only four main ingredients!

Chinese Chocolate Spiders

1 12-oz bag chocolate morsels
1 12-oz bag butterscotch morsels
1 5-oz canister Chow Mein Noodles (or the 6-oz bag works well) - the crispy ones
1 16-oz jar peanuts
1/2 Tbsp shortening (optional)
sprinkles, optional
waxed paper

Before you do anything else, tear off two large pieces of waxed paper and lay flat on a solid surface. Have a hot pad ready and near the waxed paper because you will need to work somewhat quickly.

Now, pour the chocolate and butterscotch morsels into a large pan and melt on low to medium heat. This is when you can add the optional shortening- it helps to keep the melted mixture smooth; I have begun using it only recently because the morsels haven't been melting evenly. Stir frequently, also scraping the outer edges of the pan, to prevent scalding.

Once the morsels have thoroughly melted, remove from heat and place on the hot pad. Pour in peanuts and Chow Mein noodles. With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir gently to coat the nuts and noodles. This can take one or two minutes- you want everything to be covered completely. Next, drop by the spoonful onto the waxed paper (you may want a second spoon to help "push" the spiders onto the paper).

If you're in a hurry, lay the waxed paper on a cookie sheet that will fit inside your fridge and then pop the whole pan in for about 15 minutes- then you're good to go! Otherwise, simply leave them out on the counter for about a half hour to set. These do not need to be refrigerated once set. Sometimes I even forget to put them in a bag or covered tupperware and they are always fine the next day. Covered they should last for several days. Not like I would know that from experience... yours won't last that long either! They are that good! ;)

When I make these for gifts, I tend to keep them on the larger side. For parties, keep them small and they'll yield about 5 dozen. However you do it, they'll be gone in seconds!

For the first time this year, I thought I'd add a little Christmas color to the spiders...I'm not sure I love it. It didn't change the taste or texture much, but I think I prefer them unadorned. Ha

Sorry for the terrible photo- we haven't seen the sun in nearly a week!

Enjoy!

Click HERE for the recipe for these other holiday favorites:

sharing here:
Chef in Training
Sew Much Ado
the idea room 

Our Christmas Home - Decking the Halls

Hello, and welcome to our home! I'm Bethany, and I've blogged at 3 Sons Plus 1...Super Cute Girly Girl for a few years now, but I have been thinking of making some changes for a little while, so...this is my very first blog post on this new blog! (I named the blog in conjunction with my Etsy shop, Rose & Ruffle.)

We have spent the last year in this "new" home tearing down wallpaper, removing borders, installing new floors, and painting painting painting! Last Christmas, we'd only been moved in about a month, and there was still quite a lot of chaos all around us. But this year, I've had so much fun trying to make our home look festive and special for my family.

We've had some broken bones and a severe concussion this year- with the dwindling bank accounts to prove it- so I made it a point to use things I already have. That meant a few projects got put on hold, and I spent about $10 for some new ornament bulbs and replacement strands of lights. Besides, we know the REAL meaning of Christmas has very little to do with decorations and trinkets; but those things certainly help build the excitement and anticipation of the amazing birth of Jesus.

Most of the things on display are of great personal meaning to me- they just make my heart so happy!

We went to a local tree farm a few weekends ago to cut down this beauty. Caleb found this one! I realize this tree looks somewhat haphazardly, but I let the kids decorate it, and they have so much fun. I think it's important to let the other people who live here have a say in how we decorate, and not just me. Well, sometimes.  ;)

Since our Home Office- which includes this sewing area- is adjacent to the Family Room, it can be a challenge keeping things from looking like a tornado swept through disorderly.

I love bows! They are easy, inexpensive to make, and they add such a nice punch of color.

The couch is usually on the long wall beneath the photo gallery, and flanked by lamps on tables, so this seems a little strange to me. But it's nice to get a different perspective now and then.

The furniture is typically furnished with this cuties, though...

(yes, that's a telescope in the kitchen  =) - the moon was crystal clear the other night!)

This poor room! I'm so thankful to have a spacious dining room, but it is a little neglected. Anyhoo, it's getting PARTY-fied later today for my December babes' family birthday party tomorrow!

Clearly these are the most ambitious Paper Whites on the planet, as they aren't supposed to be in bloom for another 2-3 weeks!

The day before Thanksgiving, we watched Elf and cut out snowflakes. That's going to be our new tradition.  =)

My oldest son, Ethan, made this for me a couple of years ago. I love it so much!

There's nothing quite as magical as Christmas lights when the day grows dark! Especially when it's snowing!
 

(See that rock wall above? Yeah, that was a whole lotta blood, sweat and tears this summer! ha)

(and yes, the telescope's still there...)  =)

One of my most treasured gifts.

Okay, I just had to add this from last Christmas! Love them all more than life itself!

Thanks for visiting our Christmas home!
I hope you and yours enjoy a truly Merry Christmas!

sharing with:
Jennifer Rizzo
Kelly's Korner 
the nester