Get started by duct taping two pool noodles together.

Now you have a form that looks like this. It is not perfectly round, but that’s okay because the evergreen garland will make it more sturdy.

I started wrapping around the garland by tying the end in a knot around the pool noodle. When the garland was done, I tucked the end under another piece wrapped around. This was a 50 foot soft green garland I picked up after Christmas on clearance two years ago. It is exactly like this one on Amazon. They are a little pricey, but you can use them for SO many decorative projects at holiday time, indoor AND outdoor.

Then I added a big red bow for good cheer.
When it was time to arrange our kids inside the wreath for the photo, we had some challenges.

But eventually I shot a great photo! If you don’t know how to take your own family photos for Christmas, visit this blog post to help. Basically, a steady surface or tripod and a timer on the camera are all you need!

My husband and I had to hold the wreath so that it would look circular; the pool noodles were not as sturdy as if you used a hula hoop or something.

Here is another photo I got of all of us (without the giant wreath Christmas photo prop). Learn more about my family on our Meet the Woods page.

If you are looking for an easy way to add cheer in your family picture this season, make this giant wreath Christmas photo prop! Here is how the photo is going to look on our Christmas cards.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Please pin the following image and join me again next week!

For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosures and policies here.

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Birch Wood Sign Video Tutorial

I used video clips from above and from my Facebook LIVE broadcast to create a 2 minute video tutorial. Hopefully, the subtitles direct you how to make this birch wood sign in an easy-to-follow tutorial. This is the perfect length for you to share via YouTube with your friends.

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It is crazy to think this stack of weathered dock boards…

…became this birch wood sign with realistic texture and details.

I like my sign just casually leaned up against the wall, but if you were to hang yours, add eyehooks and heavy duty picture hanging wire to the back. Also – if you like this project, check out the many other wood signs I’ve done made from pallets and other reclaimed wood!

This craft project should take you between 1 hour and 2 hours and would make the perfect holiday gift! Most of these materials cost next to nothing, but here is a material list you can work off of to create this craft.

Materials List

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Reclaimed wood (pallets, decking, old dock boards, etc)
Juniper branches from outside (or another evergreen you like)
White wood stain
Wire wreath
Sharpie paint pens
White acrylic paint
Black acrylic paint
Picture hanging hardware + Wreath hanging hook

Another tip is to spray your juniper wreath with hairspray to slow the decaying process! This project is easier than it looks and you could totally make this! I would really appreciate if you pinned this image and shared it with your friends.

Pin it on Pinterest!

Now head over to my friends’ blogs for colorful Christmas décor ideas and a handmade holiday season!

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The Colorful Christmas Blog Hop

Easy Ornament Updates | Small Home Soul
Birch Wood Sign Holiday Decor | Welcome to the Woods
Christmas Lamp Shades | Dixie Delights
Colorful Wood Slice Christmas Tree | Anika’s DIY Life
Pottery Barn Inspired Christmas Napkin Ring | The Chelsea Project
Colorful Christmas Tree Centerpiece | Pearl Street Designs

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you could see yourself making this or if you were inspired in the comments below!
For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosures and policies here.

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I started with an evergreen branch I clipped outside. Spraying your natural clippings with hairspray can prolong their life and prevent them from drying out before Christmas. I utilized a grapevine wreath I already had to thread the stems of my evergreen clippings through.

I put together a quick time-lapse video to show you how I put this together.

As you can see, I used a combination of wire, hot glue, and just weaving through the grapevine to attach various materials to the simple white Christmas wreath.

I love the big white burlap bow! The snowflakes I added were ornaments that I removed the hanging cord and hot glued on.

This décor is also neutral enough that you can keep it as a winter wreath until the snow melts; no need to take it down after Christmas! Please do pin this image to your Pinterest!

If you would like to visit the numerous other DIY home décor ideas for the Handmade Holidays blog hop, click one of the links below.

ALSO, the blog hop offers readers a chance to win a prize package of crafting goodies with a GIVEAWAY! a Rafflecopter giveaway Click to enter – I hope you win!

Thank you to these sponsors that made Handmade Holidays happen!

Join me on Monday at 2 PM CST on my Facebook page for another Live demonstration where I will make a no-sew pillow cover from an old sweater!

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you will share this wreath with your friends or critique it in the comments below!

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The piece I am creating today will be significantly smaller and displayed in my husband’s new home office. I’m participating in the One Room Challenge with other bloggers to redo a room in six weeks. If you missed the last couple weeks, so far I’ve painted walls & made a plan, made a $6 drum chandelier with crystals, and built modern industrial shelving for storage. The One Room Challenge wraps up soon so I am putting some final touches on the room.

Click on the image to see other blogger’s spaces and get some serious inspiration!

Abstract Artwork Tutorial

To get started, you will need to source canvas. I like to find used canvas that has already been painted on in thrift stores and at garage sales. I cover over it with gesso to prepare the canvas for a whole new painting to go on top! Just be sure the used canvas was painted in acrylic because water based is important. If it is an oil painting, reusing it will not work.

The first part of this abstract artwork tutorial I am going to link to my Facebook Live post. I created this piece of art within about the first 15 minutes (disregard the end when I add in teal and copper).

After you have watched how to create that, you should have a painting that looks like this.

With this piece, I wanted to add in some metallic copper and blend the two styles of abstract and expressionism. I used FrogTape delicate surface to tape lines on the painting when the layer underneath was completely dry.

Then I used these beautiful metallic paints diluted with water to paint between the tape lines.

After removing the tape and doing touch-ups, it looked beautiful!

I am really happy with how it turned out! Hopefully, I inspired you to use this abstract artwork tutorial to try a painting yourself!

Do not forget to PIN this for inspiration later!

Now that my abstract artwork is finished, my to-do list for the ORC’s office makeover is looking really good!

• Paint walls gray & trim white
• Build industrial shelving with IKEA hyllis hack
• Paint abstract piece of artwork
• Paint frame of hexagon mirror white
• Make DIY lamp shade chandelier
• Hang cream curtains
• Decorate space using copper accents and multiple textures

Join me next Monday for the FINAL REVEAL! I can not wait to photograph this beautiful space and show off my husband’s new home office to you all!
For your convenience, this post may contain affiliate links. Please read my full disclosures and policies here.

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My house was a mess this week, guys. In the back of that photo you can see my summer stuff about to get put away and everything else is fall décor. Watch my shelves go from summer to fall in this time-lapse video.

EASY FALL DIY TABLETOP DECOR

To give my home a handmade touch for fall, I did a few quick crafts I’ll share with you. The mini pumpkins you see in the video were decorated with sharpie paint pens. Super easy – I bought this 5-pack.

The stick covered candle you see was a fun little craft that took me less than 30 minutes. You can see me create one LIVE this afternoon on my Facebook page if you’re interested.

It looks beautiful all lit up!

And no, when the candle burns, the hot glue does not melt off. I never leave my candles burning more than an hour so the entire candle is never hot enough at one time for that to happen.

Covering the candle with sticks is a great solution for changing the color of a candle that doesn’t go with your décor theme. For instance, my favorite fall candle is pumpkin apple and that is usually RED. Since I no longer decorate with red in my home, it had to go.

LIVING ROOM AUTUMN DECOR

The styling of the shelves turned out to be a festive focal point for the whole living room.

On the other side of the living room, my space looks like this to work with teal…

You see lots of succulent houseplants and more neutral accents.

These pretty lamps I got recently with copper piping and a marble base. I love them, but they won’t stay in the living room because they’ll be used in my husband’s office makeover coming up in a few weeks. If you’ve been looking for a similar style, these lamps are perfect. Another houseplant and a metal basket full of pinecones finish off the simple tabletop décor.

I got this beautiful braided basket from the same place I got my lamps (secondhand, of course). Stuffed with a furry blanket, it is so cozy for fall. On the leather chair you will find my throw pillow covered with a DIY sweater no-sew pillow case. On the table you find a faux pumpkin I made with fabric and twine. All the textures in this space give it a lot of interest.

DINING ROOM FALL TABLESCAPE

My favorite part of this fall tour is the tablescape! I’ve only ever featured one other table setting on my blog for Christmas last year and I had so much fun doing it again! It reminds me of setting up a tea party.

I put together a colorful centerpiece and creative ceramics to show off a cozy and cute style for autumn. The beautiful bowls were actually made by my sister, Anne Meyer, who is a working artist in central Minnesota.

The branches in the centerpiece are sumac that I foraged outside my house. The adorable owl ceramic mugs I found at a garage sale long ago. I found a similar set on Amazon you can check out; I get so so many compliments on them!

That’s all for the inside on the Fall Home Tour. Now a quick peak out the door to send you off.

FRONT ENTRANCE FALL DECOR

This is the first fall with my teal door and I was nervous about incorporating orange with this green-blue hue.

In the end, it turned out looking cheerful and colorful and very inviting. Instead of a wreath like last year, I went unconventional using a large picture frame I decorated with a twine-wrapped monogram letter and faux leaves.

I also used a few vintage items: the old ladder and wooden bucket. The distressed wood signs were supposed to imitate old-fashioned hand painted signs. I did draw both freehand and you can learn how to make a wood sign like this yourself here.

And of course, pumpkins. What is fall without pumpkins?

Since we really have more of a front step than front porch, I had to get creative with the bench. I do sit on it to visit with neighbors and watch my kids play in the driveway, so the cushions are a welcome addition for fall.

So, are you exhausted? Me, too! That was a lot of photos! Please hit your pin button and share your favorite images and ideas from my Fall Home Tour on Pinterest!

I have a lot more BIG things coming up on my blog. Stay tuned for October’s One Room Challenge where I am overhauling our nursery to become my husband’s swanky work-from-home office. See you next Monday!

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So, I came up with a really easy and really cheap way to make a wreath out of these beautiful blooms. This project will surely cost you next to nothing and take 20 minutes of your time.

Let’s Get Started…

First, cut a large circle out of cardboard. It does not have to be a perfect circle, just get it close. Use a giant protractor if you draw a lot of circles (like me) in your life.

Cut out a smaller circle from the inside to create a cardboard ring. Now, the reason I used cardboard instead of a real wreath is because I wanted it to lay flat and it is hard to get a 3 dimensional wreath fully covered by hydrangea. The talented Jenna from the blog Jennaburger.com did it, but I just wanted to go the easier route.

Use your scissors to puncture holes in the ring and string through some twine to hang it with. Be sure to have plenty of twine so you can hang it at the desired height on your front door or wherever.

Every four inches or so, puncture the cardboard with your scissors to make a hole. Poke the stem of the green hydrangea through the hole.

Use a hot glue gun to secure the stem from the back of the ring. Then trim off the excess stem. (I told you this was super easy).

Now, here’s a guide I put together for you. You might think it isn’t worth it  to make a hydrangea wreath with real flowers because it’ll die quickly. This is simply not true. Green hydrangea look beautiful fresh, but they maintain a creamy green color after even a week. By 4 weeks, they have lost their green but are a pale yellow that is very pretty and subtle. Hydrangea will actually NOT decay or die if you dry them indoors. Keeping your green hydrangea wreath outdoors will eventually cause the flowers to turn brown and decay, but not for more than a month.

Easy Green Hydrangea Fall Wreath

I created my wreath with a variety of green hydrangea blooms at different life stages. A few are freshly picked and most are between 1-3 weeks old.

Please pin to share this simple way to make a green hydrangea fall wreath with your friends on Pinterest! You do not need fancy materials to make a beautiful wreath this fall. Steal some green hydrangeas from your neighbor’s garden and cut some cardboard to glue together adorable front door décor.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Step 1: Cut Fabric In a Circle

First I found some fabric I no longer needed (this was from semi-transparent curtains). You could use burlap, too, that would be cute! I cut it in a circular shape.

Step 2: Cut Four Pieces of Twine and Glue in A Spiral

The twine would look even cuter drenched in espresso stain first. Be careful not to burn yourself with the hot glue gun in this process!

Step 3: Roll Old Cloth Into a Ball And Set it On Top Of Fabric Circle

Okay, I didn’t do a great job of cutting a circle. My ball of fabric is stained children’s clothes (I’m all about reusing stuff).

Step 4: Hot Glue Fabric Up Over Ball of Cloth

If I had cut a perfect circle, the fabric would have reached all the way around the ball. Oh well, it will still work.

Step 5: Flip it Over and Place It on Twine Spiral

Space out the twine evenly before the next step.

Step 6: Pull Together the Twine On Top

Tie one strand around the group of twine and tie it off. My twine is all shredded, if you are buying an new ball, go with the 4-ply stuff like this. I think it’s actually called jute, but my personal opinion is that it would look even cuter on this project than regular twine.

Step 7: Trim The Twine Stem And Add Leaves As a Finishing Touch

I just added a dot of hot glue to the leaves. What would I do without my hot glue gun. It made this whole project (and MANY others) possible. Unfortunately though, mine leaks glue. I think I should maybe upgrade to this one.

Definitely a neutral, relaxed look to this kind of pumpkin décor. I am not quite sure what direction I’m headed with my fall decorations this year (thanks for the input on Facebook guys!), but I am enjoying how this turned out.

Fabric Pumpkin Fall Craft Tutorial

Be sure to PIN this little beauty to your Pinterest and spread some fall inspiration. I also made one with darker twine and curled the twine here:

AND don’t forget to check out how the rest of my autumn decorating turned out for more inspiration.

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You Cannot Pack Hot Foods For Lunch Without a Microwave

Because Lily will not have access to a microwave at school, I felt very limited by what I could pack. I was thinking everything had to be room temperature. I worried about packing proteins: milk, cheese, and meat should not be allowed to come to room temperature.

Then I did some research on thermoses and realized they have come a long way since I was kid. I found an amazing thermos that ensures food stays hot for 5 HOURS and cold for even longer! This was such a relief for me as it opened a lot of doors for what kind of food I could send.

I make a lot of soups, pastas, and rice casseroles for meals in our house because they taste great reheated for my husband’s lunch at work. But now I can just make a little extra and send them in my kid’s lunch, too! I learned some quick tips for keeping your food hot inside the thermos for as long as possible.

• First, heat water to almost boiling
• Add it into the empty thermos for 5 minutes
• Meanwhile, heat the food in a microwave (use bowl) or on the stove. Do not heat food in the thermos because metal is not safe inside a microwave
• Empty the thermos of hot water and insert warm food
• Close it up tight and you are done!

I did extensive research to find the best thermos and chose to purchase these ones for packing school lunch. You will want one (or two) that is vacuum insulated and double walled. If you want a slightly cheaper option, choose this one. I also stumbled across a Thermos brand one with tags on, never used at Goodwill for $7! You could try your luck at a thrift store, but since eventually a thermos will leak, it is better to buy new.

I do not have enough options for fruits/veggies my kids will eat

Sometimes it is easier to take the expensive route and let the school take the job of serving your kid a variety of fruits and vegetables. My kid only really likes carrots, every other vegetable I have to encourage her to eat at the dinner table. Without me there, will she eat the fruits and vegetables I pack?

With a little research on these concerns I found two great resources.

First, this chart helps me come up with ideas of what to pack. Big thanks to 5dollardinners.com!

Second, I found this article for ideas to make my kid’s lunch arranged in an appealing, fun way. I know my kids are more willing to eat their food when it’s in the shape of a face or something silly! Just scrolling through those pictures gave me lots of great ideas to make foods that my kids only sometimes eat look more appealing.

You Cannot Pack Hot and Cold Things Together

I was under the impression if you pack cold items and hot items in the same lunch box, they will affect each others’ temperatures. But amazingly, if you buy the right thermos, absolutely NO heat transfers! The thermos does not even condensate or change temperature at all on the outside.

Otherwise, you can opt for a lunch box with two insulated compartments to hold hot and cold food separately. Or, get this new OmieBox from Bento that can hold hot and cold foods in the same box and maintain individual temperatures! Amazing!

With the right equipment, any dilemma you are facing when packing school lunch can be solved. And when you think about the $2.75 per meal you will be saving, the $15 lunch box and two $15 thermoses are worth the investment!

Thanks for reading! I hope if you are wondering how to accomplish packing school lunch every day for your child that I helped! Share this advice to a friend you know who could use one of these tips. Oh, and don’t forget to pin!

Thanks for reading – see you all next Monday!

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I started with a scrap piece of plywood. This one even had a splotch of bird poop, lucky me!

The first step was to sand this piece of wood all over with a rough sandpaper; I used 60 grit.

After that, I wiped it down with water and a rag. Then I let it dry and applied white paint.

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Click to see my absolute favorite paintbrush and get one for yourself!

Since this wood sign will get light use and I am going for a distressed look anyway, I did not feel the need to use a primer. I just slapped some white paint on in streaks. Also, I did not cover the whole piece of wood; I left edges splotchy for a more weathered look.

The next step was the measure out my letters to be sure everything was centered and spaced evenly. Then I used a pencil to sketch an outline of what I wanted to write.

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Instead of paint, I had more control with hand lettering using just a black paint pen. This set of Sharpie brand paint pens is my go-to for hand lettering. You can get them cheaper on Amazon than in the store!

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After the lettering was done, the final step was to distress further. I used the 60 grit sandpaper again to distress areas of the sign between the letters, even over the letters in some circumstances.

I also dipped a rag in espresso stain and colored the areas of exposed wood, wiping off the excess.

Lastly, I installed eye hooks on the sides of the sign for hanging wire in case I want to hang the sign on the wall.

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When the hooks are on the sides, it adds to the rustic feel of the sign and prevents the hardware from protruding into the wall.

This sign matches very well with the other white, weathered sign I have in our living room: my sign displaying our 13 family values made from pallet wood.

I like it displayed leaning on the shelves I recently built.

Now I can use this distressed wood sign to display my blog name during live craft demonstrations on my Facebook page as well as to welcome guests into our home. If you would like to see more of my DIY videos, subscribe to my Youtube channel!

Thanks for reading about my distressed wood sign! I hope you will connect with me on your preferred social media channel or subscribe to my newsletter in the green bar below!

I also wanted to share some images of another cute name sign I used this same distressing technique on.

For your convenience, this blog post may contain affiliate links. Read my full policies and disclosures here.

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This large picture was picked up at a garage sale for $1 or something like that and will make the perfect size calendar for my house! The woman drawn on here that I’ve affectionately named Bonita will now be displaced from her home.

The back of Bonita’s frame looks like this.

No worries! Simply remove the brown paper to reveal the cardboard backing for whatever is in the frame. I also untwisted the eye-hooks that held on the hanging wire.

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This photo frame had small nails holding the cardboard backing in, but oftentimes they are staples. Simply use a flathead screwdriver to bend these up and take out the frame’s components.

Once Bonita’s photo was disassembled, I threw away the old photograph and pulled out some poster board to replace it with. I cut the poster board to size and measured out what size boxes I could make with the dimensions. You will want to figure 6 rows and 7 columns (one for each day of the week).

Draw your lines with a pen or marker and then make small boxes in each corner for the date. When the poster board is done, it is time to reassemble!

Before I put everything back together, I spray painted the frame black so that it was more my taste.

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There you have it! I put the days of the week on sticker paper attached to the frame itself. You can also plan to put the days of the week on the actual poster board inside the frame.

I used dry erase markers to write on the glass and plan out my month. Then it easily wipes off when plans change or I need to reset the calendar. This pack of dry erase markers is the same kind I use with multiple colors to color-code each activity!

This dry erase calendar resides in our kitchen to keep our whole family organized. It is so easy to make and would be perfect for back to school! Thanks for reading my idea, tell me if you have ever made something that could be used with dry erase markers?

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