Scripture Alphabet Book

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby.

Okay, not EVERYONE, but a LOT of people I know. 

I'm a working woman, but shopping for all of these babies can get expensive!

Here is my go-to gift for new moms:

Scripture Alphabet Book

I bought the graphics as a set on Etsy. I then went through the (somewhat painstaking) process of printing, cutting, trimming, pasting, laminating, punching, and stringing the pages together to complete the book. Depending on how many books you make, the intensity of the labor that goes into this project could be worth it in the end! I think I've made at least 5 of these and will have plenty more to make by the end of the year.

Desk Makeover

In preparation for my upcoming move, I've been working on putting together some pieces for my bedroom. I scoured Pinterest for some DIY furniture redo tips and was inspired!

My brother brought this desk over a while ago in exchange for the beautiful roll top desk I was originally going to paint. (He thought it was a crime- I didn't see a problem with it.)

 

  

Here is the finished product!

I purchased the white and brushed nickel pulls from Lowe's, and the zebra print knobs from Hobby Lobby. I never realized how expensive knobs and pulls are! I could have gone with a more generic look and been able to buy them in a pack, but I couldn't resist adding a little zebra flair. Even with 50% off the knobs from Hobby Lobby, I still think I spend about $20 on knobs and pulls and $10 on paint and primer. The desk was free, so I guess $30 total isn't too bad! I also had PLENTY of paint and primer left over, so it will be used for other projects.

Storage Canisters

Storage canisters can get expensive. I wanted to personalize them anyway, so I tried to make them as cheap as possible! I purchased the jars at Hobby Lobby while their glassware was 50% off. (Make sure it says on the bottom that they are food-safe containers. This isn't true for all of them! They also need to be air-tight.) I then set to work on my Cricut machine. I used the "Old West" cartridge and cut out each letter. It was a little tedious, especially applying them to the jars, but I love how they turned out! I love leaving them out on my kitchen counter for their own decoration!

Happy 5th Birthday, Jayden and Regan!

Happy Birthday, boys!

At this point in time, Regan and Jayden are Star Wars obsessed. I don't mean they kind of like Star Wars- I mean they eat, live, and breath Star Wars. My sister asked them what they wanted for their birthday cake, and they said they wanted Auntie Abby to make them some Star Wars cake pops!

I've made all sorts of cake pops before, but I have to admit- I wasn't quite sure where to go with them. I looked at some ideas on Pinterest but decided I'd see what I could come up with on my own. 

The challenge began!

I used my usual recipe for cake pops, but instead of rolling them into balls, I formed them into more of a bell shape and dipped them in white candy melts. I have never had much success with edible writing markers (Bakerella claims they work, but I'm sorry- not for me!), so I had to find a new solution for the black marks to make them look like stormtroopers. I ended up using an edible gel, but it was still difficult because the gel seemed resistant to the candy melt coating. Oh well! It took a while, but I finally got it to work somewhat. 

So without further ado, here are the white stormtroopers!

I ended up with 10 stormtroopers and then made generic white and brown cake pops with colorful sprinkles to fill in. We had a great time celebrating the boys, but didn't think too hard about how we were going to fit candles into cake pops. We'll have to plan that a little better next time ;)

Happy Birthday, boys! 

Your auntie loves you so, so much!

Baby Shower Cake Pops

Some friends of mine were throwing a double baby shower and asked me to help with a dessert. Since one of them is having a girl and the other a boy, I had to think of something! 

I decided to make some upside down cake pops. I used pink candy melts for the girlie ones and polka-dotted them with pearl candy balls. I used brown candy melts for the boy ones and used blue candy melts in a squeeze bottle to drizzle over them.

Overall, I enjoyed making them for the shower! 

The guests loved them. 

Create.

"The world doesn't need another band, per se. It doesn't, strictly speaking, need another book or another photograph or another album. The general world population will survive without one more stage production and one more gallery showing. 


This is the thing, though: you might not. We create because we were made to create, having been made in the image of God, whose first role was Creator. He was and is a million different things, but in the beginning, he was a creator. That means something for us, I think. We were made to be the things that he is: forgivers, redeemers, second chance-givers, truth-tellers, hope-bringers. 

And we were certainly, absolutely, made to be creators."
-Shauna Niequist

Crafting Secrets.

I've recently given people a lot of tips and tidbits on certain projects, so I thought I would add them here.

Not only do a love crafting, but- just like my momma- I love a good deal. Here are some ways you can make your money go a bit further and, in my opinion, have an even better result:


Tips for Yarn Wreaths
1. Buy a straw wreath. The green traditional Styrofoam wreaths normally run about $5 or $6 and are a lot more fragile than the straw wreaths. Straw wreaths are normally $3 and have a sturdy appearance. I originally went this route to avoid more yarn wrapping- which trust me, you'll thank me later!

2. Buy felt by the yard. Earlier this week, felt sheets were 50% off. Great, but so was felt by the yard. In the end, you get a lot more usable surface space and more felt for your money. I also, once again, found the felt by the yard to be better quality.

3. As my bestie found out earlier this week, a thicker yarn in the end will save you time and money. Even though those dental floss yarns are cute and sparkly, they are hell to wrap and don't cover much surface area. Also, always look for what is on sale and how many yards you are getting for your money. When it comes to yarn wreaths, the quality of the yarn isn't a big deal. You aren't going to war with it- you're just gonna hang it on a door or a wall somewhere!

4. Don't waste your money on the embellishments. When it comes to craft projects, you can end up spending more money than on something store bought if you let yourself get carried away. I haven't paid over $7 for all of my materials for any one wreath- shop the sales, clearance areas, and even your old jewelry box for brooches and earrings.

5. Have fun! Experiment! Try new and different things! Some of the weirdest ideas I've had have turned out surprisingly awesome. Mix fabrics, textures, cutting patterns- you'll stumble on something great!

More to come...