DIY Trendy Christmas Gifts/Tassel Necklaces

I love making jewelry, and I usually make a few Christmas gifts for my close female friends and family. This year I decided to try my hand at making tassel necklaces. I've been seeing tassels on everything and all over the fashion blogs. I have been making jewelry for several years, but I think with some basic beading/jewelry making skills you can make your own! I will walk you through the steps I do to make these necklaces.

I used either embroidery floss or leather cord. (my pictures show the process with the embroidery floss but the process is essentially the same for the leather cord)

Remove label and open the floss, keeping it in a big loop.

I wrapped my floss around my hand three times.

Then gather one end and begin wrapping with wire (I used 26 gauge) about ½ to ¾ of an inch from the top. Wrap it neatly around 6-8 times. You can also use metallic thread or twine to wrap your
 tassel.
 

With wire you'll want to twist it to keep the wire stable then trim and tuck ends. If using thread or twine you'll want to tie a knot, trim the ends, and secure them with a bit of glue.

Feed about 12” of wire through the loop at the top of the tassel and fold in half and twist

Once you've twisted the base of the wire now you can be creative with your beads

At the end of your beads you will want to use a crimp bead. Then feed the wire through a ring and back through the crimp. Bead and crimp it to secure, then clip the excess wire.

Now cut the bottom end of the floss ‘loop’.

Feed a long chain through your ring and admire your handiwork! I'm sure your friends will love their trendy gift especially since it was designed by you just for them!

If you liked this tutorial, make sure to check out my blog at Karen Says for more DIY's, recipes, fashion, and home decor articles! See you there! 😊

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DIY Advent Calendar

It’s after Thanksgiving, so that means the countdown to Christmas has officially begun! I’ve been in such a festive holiday mood lately, and even decorated way earlier than I usually do! And by way earlier I mean before Thanksgiving, which never happens. I couldn’t resist this year! I have been listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, and I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping…who am I!? I love Christmas, but typically I am a very last minute celebrator of the holiday.  I hold on to fall as long as I possibly can since it is my favorite time of the year. Maybe it’s being a part of this blogging community, and as a blogger I have to be ahead of my typical schedule. I’m okay with that! Sitting here working on my laptop with our Christmas tree lighting up the room…isn’t so bad.

My projects are underway for December, and I figured my DIY Advent Calendar would be the perfect way to end November and start December off right! Believe it or not, this is my very first time even making an advent calendar, so I just improvised with some things I already had. Hope you love it!

My office has these two DIY Chalkboards that I made hanging up above a thrifted cabinet I gave a makeover, and I thought this would be the perfect spot for my advent calendar to go.  I attached some red burlap ribbon across each chalkboard to clothespin my kraft activity envelopes to. I found these adorable little cutout trees to add also, and used my stamp set to stamp the numbers onto them.  I think keeping the colors neutral, with a pop of Christmas red works perfectly in my office!

I love that you can fill your advent calendar with daily holiday activities, dates with your better half, or random acts of kindness. There are so many fun ideas!

I am really excited to show you the rest of my Christmas décor! Hopefully I’ll be posting a full holiday home tour soon!

*****Blog post courtesy of Ashley at Little Glass Jar blog. Head on over to her blog to check out more inspiration and DIY projects.

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DIY Rosemary Christmas Tree

 The countdown to Christmas has begun.  We have started some of our traditions around our place and I can not get over how much I love this time of year.  As I was folding the laundry the other morning, I sat on my kitchen floor with little shirts and socks surrounding me.  I had the glow of Christmas lights coming from each room, sweet carols in the background and my best girl by my side.  I was overwhelmed by how sweet that moment was.  There are moments when this time of year is bittersweet because of those I miss and the traditions that are no longer in tact. Even so, it really is a beautiful time of year because of the reason we celebrate this season and that resounds over all the rest.

Christmas trees are a wonderful symbol of the season and they are everywhere in my home.  Last year I shared a tree made with Chenille Stems here. This year I wanted to make some version of a topiary tree using the Rosemary we had from our garden.  I have noticed in the past that as I cut this herb, it will last a long time and does not shed all over the place.  It dries in tact (for the most part) so is simple to use for longer periods of time.

I have seen similar ways of making topiaries so that you can actually promote the growth of the Rosemary.  I on the other hand, wanted to make something purely decorative using what we had around.

You will need…

• A small bunch of Rosemary – cut in the shape of a tree (tallest at the top and slowly trimmed shorter at the bottom.
• a small clay pot (size will depend on your Rosemary bunch – I went with the smallest size possible).
• Raffia basket filler (I had this left over from Easter and it worked great, but you could use moss, styrofoam, real dirt, etc…).

To make these sweet little trees, you will…

• Insert your filler.  I stuffed mine as much as possible and then made sure it was level with the clay pot.

• Insert the stem of the Rosemary straight into the filler.

And that is it! I did go a step further and use some bright white chalkpaint on the clay pots along with an embellishment of white/red striped ribbon. This entire project cost less than a dollar for each tree.

They look perfect perched on a shelf and add that little touch of Christmas wherever you put them…

****Blog post courtesy of Annie at Zevy Joy blog. Head on over for more Christmas decor and recipe inspiration!

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Homemade Egg Nog Shooters

When my husband and I first met, we realized we had tons in common.  Amongst other things was our appreciation for Tequila.  Don’t get me wrong, we certainly were not going out every week and having shots till we passed out, it was just really nice that we both had an affinity for the taste of hard liquor.  Shortly after that discovery, I found out he was a shot glass collector. OK, he was the one.

We continued to add to his collection and have all sorts of shot glasses. Some are really sweet and some are quite inappropriate, the sassy ones are by far the best.
I had this vision that because we loved Tequila so much, we’d start having little tasting parties.
I saw myself being blindfold by a friend, taking a first sip with my pinky up (of course) and knowing it was reposado.  What a dream!

It’s been a few years since then, the party hasn’t happened, my friends still hate Tequila and my allergies flared from the mere thought of opening up that cabinet. Yikes.  

I figured if not for Tequila, then Rum!   I made these Eggnog shooters that are semi healthy, easy to make, the perfect portion and will allow me to bring a few glasses out.  While I do I buy eggnog from my local grocery store, I’m not quite entirely happy with the taste.  I find it to be somewhat heavy and overly concentrated.  If you’re in the mood for something delish and a bit lighter, then this recipe has your name all over it.    



******Blog post courtesy of Keila at Home & Hydrangeas. Head on over to her blog for the complete recipe, and more mouth watering photos!

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Holiday Hot Cocoa Station!

Thanksgiving was a success and now we are in full on Christmas! This is such a magical time of the year. There are festive and pretty decor items abound, warm hearts and warm mugs of hot cocoa.
Nothing says "welcome to my home" more than a sweet and functional little hot cocoa station for your holiday guests.

When I say I could't love my new Farmhouse Plate Rack more, I truly mean it! I was so happy to bring this gorgeous farmhouse piece to my table on Thanksgiving as a plate and mug holder for desserts. I new it would be perfect to use as a portable hot cocoa station, and I was right! Most of the items I used for the display (besides the super cute mini mugs from Sur La Table) I found at the Dollar Store......seriously. 

I printed this super cute Hot Cocoa Station printable and displayed it in a black frame. I added small clear jars containing cinnamon sticks, caramels, soft peppermint squares, and peppermint sticks. I also displayed festive red & white paper straws in a clear dairy jar that I found at Michaels. 

I knew I wanted to elevate the display a bit by dressing up plain stir sticks, and snowflakes came to mind. I picked up a package of ten mini snowflake ornaments at the Dollar Store, removed the hanging hook, and used hot glue to adhere each snowflake to the wood stir stick. What a fun Christmas touch!

A hot cocoa station isn't complete without marshmallows for dipping! I dipped the bottom of each marshmallow into melted white chocolate, then dusted with red sugar sprinkles.

Happy Holidays to you & yours! 

****Post provided by Collette Osuna from Spindle & Rye blog****

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Affordable Easy Peasy Home Decor

 Decorating your home is affordable and fun when you combine thrift store finds with little DIY ideas.


  


Many people think that decorating their home has to cost a lot. They put off making their home a comfortable retreat because they think they can’t afford it. In this age of thrift stores on every corner, weekend garage sales, great blogs on every style imaginable, and Pinterest, that is just not the case. Anyone can spruce up their nest for just a few dollars and do a full on redecorate for a fraction of retail costs. Check out some blogs, log onto some online magazines, build a board on Pinterest, and figure out what you love. A few weekends at the resale shops, yard sales, and a little paint and elbow grease, and you will be well on your way to having a home you are proud of, one that feels like your retreat from the world.

I purchased this old vintage dresser, because I love vintage furniture, at a yard sale for 30 dollars. It is solid wood, has wheels, the drawers work smoothly, and the size is great. It looked like this; original paint, wooden knobs, a few dents and scrapes. It was the perfect project piece!
decided to use this dresser for my first post for Everything Home Magazine Blog, so instead of my usual shabby, vintage, distressed style, I would do it up in a little more trendy and modern looking style. I wanted people that really don’t like the old furniture and chalky paint style, to see that any piece can be redone to fit in with your taste and style with just a little creativity.

I cleaned it with a vacuum attachment and a damp rag. I painted it in two coats chalky paint, allowing it to dry in between. The drawer sides were stenciled to give it a little pizzaz, and then I brushed on one coat of clear water based poly to protect it. Chalk paint is the easiest thing in the world for a beginner to use. It is very forgiving, doesn’t show brush marks, and doesn’t require that you sand the furniture first. It dries in less than an hour and has almost no smell. 

I did buy new knobs, a cost of about 24 dollars, because I am not crazy about the wooden ones, but you could paint and reuse them to save money. I also purchased a little kit of mirrored decals for about 5 dollars. The knobs are very simple to replace, and the decals are simply peel and stick, although I did glue these on for added stability. So here it is, a solid wood dresser, in the color of my choice, for a total cost of about 75 dollars.



HAVING A PIECE THAT IS TOTALLY ONE OF A KIND AND MAKES MY HEART HAPPY…...PRICELESS!       


Happy Thrifting, Nell at Junk Therapy.

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Blogger Holiday Home Tour 2015!

We are so excited to share with our Everything Home Magazine readers a festive Blogger Holiday Home Tour!

We are huge supporters of bloggers and Instagram friends, and couldn't be happier to support this fun project which includes some of our magazine contributors!

If you are a lover of Holiday decor and DIY ideas you can use this season, you will definitely want to take a peek at the bloggers links below.

Grab yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy all of the Christmas eye candy!



Spindle & Rye
Farmhouse for Five
Jillyify It
A House and a Dog
Life on the Shady Grove
The Hamby Home
Around the Watts House
The Rustic Life Blog
c.1934 Blog
The Other Side of Neutral

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December Holiday Issue!

Welcome to the December Holiday Issue of Everything Home Magazine!
It's chock full of great holiday home decor ideas, DIY projects, a "to die for" sugar cookie recipe, and of course a holiday shopping gift guide.

We are thrilled to have LexMod Furniture and Painted Fox Treasures as our official sponsors of the December Holiday issue. Please stop by and take a peek at all of their gorgeous decor! Both are offering Black Friday specials to our readers that you won't want to miss.

 Happy Holidays from the contributors of Everything Home Magazine!
 

Click the magazine cover below to enjoy this issue!

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How to Spruce Up Your Home for the Holidays

 

It is finally here, the first week of December. It is now “socially acceptable” to light up those trees and deck your halls! But if you’re like me and have Obsessive Christmas Disorder you handed out the last piece of candy on Halloween, helped your kids eat a few too many pieces of theirs, and drifted to sleep into a sugar coma. That night you dreamed of sugar plum fairies and all things festive taking over your home, delivered by tiny mice and wooden nutcrackers!!! BUT SERIOUSLY it could happen, right?!?!

This summer my husband and I had the opportunity to buy a home on land that has been in his family for years.  The first time I drove by it my exact words were, “That’s the perfect CHRISTMAS CABIN!” Some people see things in color or black and white. I tend to see things in red, green, and Christmas Plaid. This year I really wanted to incorporate more fresh Christmas elements. I mean our house is made of logs why not add some greens? And if anyone has ever started to remodel their home you know how fast money can fly out the window, so sprucing up your home for the holidays can be really budget friendly, fun, and beautiful with these tips:

I started in my back yard using some tree trimmers and a plastic tub (you will use this later). I went to different trees and cut some awesome greenery. Each tree is slightly different in color so I wanted an assortment. Then I headed on back to our water hose.  If you want your greenery to stay “fresh looking” longer it is a good idea to submerge the clippings in water for about 24 hours.  The next day you can take them out and let them dry. Then spray a wilt stopper on both sides. This will help the trimmings hold moisture better (You can find this at a local nursery or order online from your big box store). A good tip for those who don’t live out in the country, like me, is to go somewhere they sell Christmas trees and most likely they will have a pile of clippings that they will just give you (Getting there right after delivery/set up day has its advantages too).

Once your trimmings are prepared you can add them to all kinds of items like these $4 wreaths and garland I found at Walmart. It not only makes them look fuller but has that timeless classic Christmas look. 

Add it to boxes, buckets, or crocks.

On mantels, over doorways, or shelves. Grab some embellishments from your craft store when they are 50 plus percent off. A little fake snow and your look is complete.

Add a small fresh tree like this one from Home Depot for $20.00 and spruce it up with colorful lights and some Target dollar spot gift tags.

But most importantly have fun doing it! While Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and often the most expensive time don’t forget your home can be just as beautiful spending less.

                                                                                             Stay Sweet Y’all,

                                                                                                        Amanda Lauren 

Blog post courtesy of Amanda at Sweet P's Decor. Head over to her blog to see more inspiration from Amanda!

                                   

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December Printable: Let it Snow

In the spirit of the holiday season, we hope you enjoy this gorgeous "Let it Snow" free printable.

Please click the printable photo for direct download

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