Christmas Crafting

 So, today I though I'd share with you a craft I made for a Christmas gift at the end of last year.  We were gifting on a budget, so Pinterest became my inspiration.

You can see the two collages that I made to the right for my mother-in-law.  The craft is pretty self-explanatory, but I thought I'd include a few tips I learned in the process.

First, if you're going to mod podge pictures you've printed on your printer, then make sure you spray them with a clear sealant first.  That way the ink won't smear when you start putting mod podge all over it.  I also recommend Mod Podge for paper - there are multiple types, so pick this one if this is the main project you're working on.

Also, I learned that mod podge takes a LOOOONG time to really dry (cure?) before it's not sticky or tacky. Make sure you let them dry for a while before you stack, wrap, or cover them with something else.

One more thing - the more coats, the better!  I did 2 coats a day for probably a week, which was an easy way to build up layers and know that it would be better quality.

That's all I've got!  Coming up, I've got superhero coasters, a crocheted hat, and cooking something up for tasty Thursday :)

(p.s. - if you want detailed instructions on making this craft, just let me know and I'll post some!)

Technically Tasty Thursday: Cinnamon Stick Wreath

I went on hiatus last week.  Mostly because Thursday was filled with travel time between my parents' house and meeting up with my husband once again.  I was otherwise distracted.

But I'm back, and have been spending the week finishing my "to-do" list around the apartment (which, of course, includes using the AMAZING vacuum we received for Christmas this year!)

Anyway, I haven't cooked anything earth-shattering lately, because, honestly, my New Year's resolution is to lose some weight, and I haven't found any good ones to try out yet.  And I've been avoiding the Food & Drink page on Pinterest because it's just too tempting.

But cinnamon is a food, so I figure, here's my Cinnamon Stick Wreath that I made right before Christmas.  I'd seen lots of pictures, but no tutorials, so I just gave it a shot!:

You Need:

Styrofoam Wreath form

Cinnamon sticks (I used 2.5 bags from Michaels)

Ribbon

Hot glue + hot glue gun

It's pretty simple. I glued 2 layers of cinnamon sticks around the wreath.  You could get a bigger form and more sticks for a bigger effect.  After the 2 layers, I filled in the gaps where I could still see the Styrofoam underneath.  Then, wrap the ribbon around the top and tie a bow, and hang! I used the removable hook "stickers" that come with the hooks to hang on the door.  It's done!