Working On Macaroni Snowflakes

Posted on | December 9, 2009 | 17 Comments

Over the weekend I worked on making some macaroni snowflakes. Crafty Stephanie from even*cleveland shared the diy last December on my blog. I didn’t use as much white paint on my snowflakes as Stephanie did. I kinda like the natural macaroni color showing through. The second photos shows me applying some glitter. Click here to find the full how to instructions.

Category: diy, holiday

Diy: Birch Bark Hearts

Posted on | December 8, 2009 | 7 Comments

I have a few more holiday diys to share. My wonderful crafty college friend Betsy was inspired by these woven paper hearts she spotted on Once Wed. She recreated the hearts using birch bark. Below her how to instructions. Thanks Betsy for sharing!

My mom and I used to make these when I was growing up in Maine. I am excited to now be making them with my son! The design is really simple, but using birch bark makes them special.

We collect the bark from already cut logs, or if it as already peeled off the trunk, so as not to hurt the living tree. Once we get the bark home we peel it into thinner layers. If the bark is dry and brittle and seems like it might break in the folding, then we soak it in a shallow pan of water until it softens up. We do the same thing with the innermost layers of bark which are sometimes stiffer and harder to fold. While that bark soaks we use our patterns to cut up the rest of our bark.

It is fun to match the two pieces—sometimes we make one side “inside out” for contrast. For the pieces that we soaked- we cut the pieces out of the wet bark, assemble the basket, and then press them under books (protecting the books from the damp bark with a dishtowel). Finally, we add handles so we can hang them from the tree. Usually the handle is just a thin strip of birch bark glued on the inside of the basket, but we sometimes use ribbon if we run out of bark.

Category: diy, holiday

Give & Receive: Plaid, Boots, Kitchen Tools, and Handmade Gifts

Posted on | December 7, 2009 | 10 Comments

My gift guide is pretty simple. I’m not huge on gift giving anymore. I know that sounds Scroogey of me but I think gift giving has gotten a bit ridiculous for adults. If you really wanted something wouldn’t you just buy it? I love my friends and family but I would rather hang out with you and catch up. I’ll bring the cookies and treats; you bring the wine. The presents are for kids. I love to research corny princess fairy crap and watch as my nieces tear open the wrapping and look so surprised. No adult ever gets that excited. Above some gifts I’m saving up to buy myself, giving, and past years gifts I’ve received and loved.

From top left clockwise around:

1. I’m making my sister a hat and seed stitch scarf after being inspired by Jill Bent’s beautiful work.

2. Linen fabric my mom picked up at an estate sale; my sister volunteered to turn the fabric into pillows for my new bed.

3. I love my cast iron skillet. I really want this two-sided griddle pan/grill from Lodge Logic, $47.21.

4. My birthday is also in December. My mom gave me these super warm shearling Bean boots, $134.

5. Make handmade macaroni ornaments and tie to a bottle of wine for parties and get togethers. Find the how to instructions here.

6. I’ve received wool blankets as gifts. I love them. I use them every winter and think of that person. Check out Pendleton’s high-quality and affordable selection.

7. Give an inspiring chef a dutch oven. I use mine at least 3x a week. It changed the way I cooked. Get an oval shaped version for versatility. Roast meats, make soup, bake casseroles all in this one pan. Available in a number of colors, Le Creuset Oval French Oven, around $200.

8. I’ve wanted a stick blender forever. I could puree my soups right in the dutch oven. Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender, $35.49.

9. At my house we drink espresso and french press coffee. My glass french press gets cold if I’m having a slow drinking day. A stainless steel version insultes the press and keeps the coffee warm for hours. Bodum 8-Cup Stainless-Steel Thermal Press Pot, $79.59.

10. A gift I would love to give myself. An antique blanket chest I spotted at Tallow in Marblehead.

Category: gifts, holiday

Diy: Icicle Chandelier

Posted on | December 7, 2009 | 5 Comments

I have one more amazing project from Stephanie of even*cleveland to share. Did you check out her diy salt dough ornaments? Stephanie and I did a little barter. I sent her a really big photograph of seagrass I took this fall. In exchange, she created two beautiful diy holiday crafts posts for my blog. I love bartering! Be sure to check out even*cleveland for more great projects and inspiration. Thanks so much for sharing Stephanie!

This year, many of my friends have new babies in the crawling, grabbing, and toppling stage, and several of them have mentioned that they are at a loss for decorations that are kid-proof. I thought a holiday chandelier might be a nice compromise – everyone can admire it, but only grown ups can reach it!

1. Choose three graduated sizes of embroidery hoops- I used 3″, 6″ and 10″ hoops. Discard the outer ring with the screw adjustment, keeping only the plain inner band.

2. Choose your decoration. I used some crepe paper icicle border that I had on hand, but you could cut out or paper punch any frosty pattern you like onto crepe or regular paper. Wide ribbon would also work really well – I especially think a woven Nordic pattern would look great. The trick is to keep your decorations relatively light. You will need three pieces – one long enough to wrap around your widest band, one for the mid-size band, and one for the smallest.

3. Next, tie your hoops together. You want them to fall in graduated size from largest to smallest, and you want the vertical space between them to be just a little shorter than the length of your decoration. I used silver embroidery floss, and stating with the smallest hoop, tied the floss in four spots- at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. Centering the smallest hoop inside the middle hoop on a flat surface, I tied corresponding points on the middle hoop, and then on to the biggest hoop. At each stage, you need the lengths of floss to be exactly the same, or your chandelier will be crooked. To double check that they are hanging relatively evenly and positioned concentrically, I always hold them up in the air with the threads in my hand before I make any knots.

4. Once you have all three hoops tied together, take four long pieces of embroidery floss and tie them at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock on the biggest hoop. Holding these loosely in hand, adjust the length of the drop – this is the point at the top that the whole chandelier hangs from. Once you have it as long as you like, make a tight knot and trim the excess.

5. Ta – da! You have the frame of your chandelier. Now is the fun part – using pieces of double-stick tape, attach your crepe paper, paper cutouts, or ribbon to the hanging bands. I like using double stick tape because it is quick and light. You can also attach dangling pieces like pompoms or jingle bells, but remember that you will need to treat the whole thing like an algebraic equation – whatever gets added to one side has to be added to the other for balance. Fold and tape down the ends and voila! Finished!

Category: diy, holiday

Outdoor Holiday Decorations

Posted on | December 7, 2009 | 5 Comments

Over the weekend we got our first snowstorm. It wasn’t much but enough that I had put on my winter boots and do some morning shoveling. I love winter when it’s snowing. The cold, gray, bleak days in March and April kill me.

Above and below a few houses decorated for the holidays in Marblehead’s Old Town neighborhood. I like simple wreathes and garlands around the door. At the very bottom a lobster trap Christmas tree. The tree was part of Marblehead’s annual Christmas Walk celebration held over the weekend. Enjoy!

Need more holiday door inspiration click here, here, and here.