Front porch post craft

A few years ago, I asked my husband to make me a post for my porch to hang seasonal plaques and paintings on. It was pretty simple, I think he used some scrap wood. He stained it and hung a hook on it, it turned out so nice! 

I found this plaque at Walmart and I painted it to look like a flag, using stamps for the stars. We hang it every July.

In September, I have some apple paintings I hang up since that is when we harvest our apples. I got the ideas on Pinterest on how to paint them.

I bought this little burlap frame at a craft store and painted a simple pumpkin on it for October.

A few years ago in MOPS, we painted these cross plaques, which is perfect for April!

I tried to paint this "Love grows here" saying, and added stamped flowers around the edges. It was much harder than I anticipated. I am pleased with how it turned out!

I enjoy having time to paint and make crafts. It doesn't come as often these days as it used to. Do you enjoy crafting? Do you ever do any painting?

Psalm 19:14
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.

Exodus 26:31-33
“Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Dried lavender sachets

Last week, my hubby gave me some lavender sprigs from trimmings made at our church by the groundkeeper/ custodian. I love lavender, and had some organza bags on hand. I took the lavender off of the sprigs and made 12 small bags full! My kitchen smelled SO good! I will be sharing them with friends and family for now. I need more bags to full more because I still have half of a paper grocery bag left! 

I wish there was a scratch-and-sniff screen, so you could smell it too! I will put these in my dresser drawers and closets.

Have you ever trimmed your lavender plants and made sachets? They were easy to make!

Isaiah 40:7-8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

Matthew 6:28-29
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Luke 12:27
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Summertime craftiness...

Another one of my favorite things to do in summertime is be crafty! I always have craft ideas in the back of my brain, and love when I have time to make some of them! 

This week, both crafts involved using my craft stash and sewing. I made two different things, both practical... I made three coffee cup cozies, from this pin on Pinterest. I also made potholders from this pin, and from a pattern that my mom and I had made a few years ago. I have Christmas potholders that are from the same pattern. The next day I made coasters to match the potholders! It was fun to make them all!

The next day I made some matching coasters with the leftover fabric. They turned out cute, only had enough to make two though...  (the original pattern is for coasters)

These were so quick and easy, it almost makes me want to make a table runner too... almost!

I loved my patriotic place setting at the dinner table one night!


Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Matthew 9:16
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.

Essential oil hand soap recipe

For the past few months, I have been making my own hand soap, using this recipe that I found online:

I have really been liking this recipe because it contains liquid coconut oil, which is not drying on my skin. It feels good, unlike many antibacterial hand soaps, which strips your hands of oils. It is very easy to make, and just takes three ingredients, plus water! I've been finding the foaming hand soap dispensers for a cheap price and different stores, and have collected four of them, one for each sink in our home! The liquid castile soap can be found at most grocery stores or Target/ Walmart. I've been using the castile soap in my own cleaning products too.

 Of course, my favorite oil company sells the fractionated coconut oil and essential oils. I like choosing something to go with the peppermint scent in my castile soap. There is also plain castile soap, but I am trying to finish the peppermint soap that I have. This past week when I made it, I used wild orange in my soap. Protecting Blend is a great choice too, since it is our healthy immune function blend, and it has an uplifting, energizing aroma!

Here is my dispenser on my bathroom counter, all ready to use! I love the scent and knowing it is protecting and gentle on our skin!

Let me know if you have any questions, or are interested in placing an order from my favorite oil company!

Leviticus 16:30
...because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.

Psalm 51:2
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Hebrews 10:22
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Patriotic garland DIY

Last week I made a patriotic bunting garland. I chose three main colors (red, white and blue, of course) and cut the fabric into 11" by 1 1/2" strips. I trimmed ribbon the same length to use in the bunting as well. I cut about 25 or 26 pieces of each color.

After I had the fabric ready, I trimmed the jute cord to the length I wanted, approx. 2 yards. I left a length of about 12' at the end of the jute before I began tying the fabric onto it. I did single knots, but you could do double knots to make it more durable (if hanging in wind, or for a long time).

I just kept tying the fabric onto the jute in my own pattern (red, blue, white, red, blue, white...)

Here is the completed bunting:

I made two, one is hanging in our kitchen...

and another is in our front window!

It was fun, easy and quick. I finished each one in about 30-40 minutes. It is a great project to do while watching TV or a movie, since it is just tying! It was inexpensive too- since I used fabric and ribbon that I already had in my fabric stash at home. We made similar garlands in MOPS this Spring, and I really enjoyed it!

Let me know if you make one, I'd love to hear about it...



Exodus 36:35
They made the curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker.

Exodus 39:8
They fashioned the breastpiece—the work of a skilled craftsman. They made it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen.

1 Chronicles 28:21
The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in anycraft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”

My FAMILY sign

Today I made a sign that has been in my head for a while now. I saw something similar somewhere (Pinterest?) a few years ago and looked at letters in the craft store, and found them to be too costly for me. About a month ago, I went to a thrift store that I've never visited before. When I was there, I found these letters for sale, I think they were ONE dollar for all! SOLD! I took them home where they sat in the garage until I could get to them. I explained to my hubby what I wanted to do... and waited.

Then today I had a day at home. As a stay-at-home mom, I am out and about a lot. This week was the beginning of baseball season (for on that next week!) and we went to two baseball games in addition to the usual busyness. I really enjoyed my time this afternoon to craft! The kids were happily playing outside and so I took the time to work on this sign. I found the letters on the long workbench in the garage. 

 I have an older friend who loves to craft. She told me once that she decided after a few years that if she had a craft that she wanted done, she needed to learn to use her husband's tools. So her husband taught her to use everything-- several types of saws, sanders, etc., I don't intend to do that much, but I decided not to wait for my busy husband to help me. I can do it! I don't want to be a dumb cluck who doesn't know how to use any tool around the house. I'm so glad I did it!

The letters were already painted, and I liked the color. They are actually roughly painted blue. Last summer, my brother-in-law brought over some old fence posts for us to use. We used some to redo our chicken coop, but there was a bunch leftover. I chose one fencepost for this project. I sawed it where I wanted, sanded it some (but left it mostly rough) and measured it. I wanted to place the letters an equal distance apart. My post was about 30 inches long. I figured two inches on each end. I placed the letters around one-and-a-half inches apart. I nailed them onto the board with short nails (but not so short that they wouldn't go through the letter and into the board.) I placed two nails into each letter so they wouldn't rotate on the board. I put two picture hangers on the back of the board and it was ready to be hung!

I waited for my hubby to get home, especially since I wanted to hang it above the stairwell where we already had pictures hung. He gladly helped me hang it and I think I'm going to love it! Another craft project complete-- hooray!

Now what to do next...? 

Genesis 6:9

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

Proverbs 31:15

She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.

Acts 10:2

He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

DIY: Jewelry Shelf Hanger

Some of my faithful readers may remember my love necklace hanger from this post. While I liked it, I had been thinking for some time that I needed one that had more space than just three hooks. I looked on pinterest and other web sites, and saw one somewhere that I liked... but I couldn't find it when I tried a few weeks later.

My hubby had made this wooden shelf for our old house. I liked the color and stain, but we didn't have a place for it in our new house. It sat in the garage for over three years, when I decided to dust it off and see if it would work. My hubby agreed that it would, and I bought a package of 20 gold cup hooks at Wal-mart (I think we used 18). We placed them in three staggered lines on the underside of the shelf. I had some pretty tea-cups that I had in my kitchen for several years on display. I decided they would look nice on top of the shelf, but they are not glued down. I helped my hubby mount it on the wall next to my dresser, and I am so happy to have more space for my necklaces to hang!

In the tea cups I have charms to necklaces that I change occasionally. I also have a bracelet assister on the shelf (to help put bracelets on with one hand.)

I really love it, and it adds a new taste to my room!

How do you store your necklaces? What kind of hanger do you have? I'd love to hear about it!

Exodus 35:22
All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord.

Proverbs 20:15
Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

Song of Songs 1:10
Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels.

Song of Songs 4:9
You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.

Wordless Wednesday: Snowflakes

(Well, almost wordless!)

We had some sniffly colds in my two younger girls this past week. To keep their hands busy, we got out some crafts. We had fun finding patterns on Pinterest and making perler bead snowflakes!

Now they are hanging in our front window and from our ceiling fan to brighten the rooms in January! Do you have any crafts that you put out in your home for winter? What type of crafts are they? I'd love to hear about them!


Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Proverbs 31:21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Craft: Miche Bag elastic

I own several Miche bag shells for my classic handbag. They attach to the handbag sides with magnets. While the overall idea works well, I've had several of my shells detach because I catch the top edge of the shell and it falls off. Well, I have a fix for that!

Supplies: 5 inches (or a little less) of black 3/4" or 1" elastic for each side, black thread, a needle and scissors. 

I trimmed this piece while sewing it on after I cut it!

Directions: Put your elastic about 1/2" away from the edge of the top and side of the bag. You want to be sure that the magnet still works on the top corner of the bag. 

Sew the elastic on the bag, being careful to only go through the top layer of the liner fabric. Hand stitch the elastic on one side, then the other of the Miche shell.

 Done with one of the edges...

 You'll sew one of these onto both sides of your Miche shell, and put the snap around the elastic, to secure it even more. (This shell was actually sewn on a little too far in, but you get the overall idea!)

Voila! The shell is fixed and should not come off so easily from the handbag! Enjoy!

Genesis 43:11

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.

1 Samuel 17:49

Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

Job 14:17

My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin.

Craft: Name Plaques

This is a craft idea that I found in a book by Marilyn Boyer (a homeschool mother of 14!) called Fun Projects for Hands-On Character Building. I heard Marilyn speak at a homeschool conference years ago and I really liked her talks. She discussed lots of the ideas in the book, and one that I really liked was about Name Plaques. She discusses that people tend to live up to the meaning of their names. She says it is important that parents know the meanings of the names of their children and work to attach special literal, Biblical and character connotations to them.

Her directions in the book were pretty simple: make or buy a plaque. You can find a motif of your child's name on a card, possibly at a Christian book store. You can also make your own on special paper by printing, drawing or writing with calligraphy. She says to be sure to include a Bible verse with some reference to a character quality reflected in the meaning of their name. To finish the plaque, use your favorite decoupage lacquer.

I have found these plaques at several craft stores. They cost a few dollars each. I have a calligraphy font on my computer, so I have the design laid out now and I just type in the name/ verse and print. (I do know how to write calligraphy, but the computer allows it to be more consistent and easier to make!)  I have made many of these plaques over the years for friends' and family member's new babies. The one above is one that I recently made for my new niece. I love that they can have the meaning of their name and a Bible verse related to the meaning just for them-- hanging in their home. I have one for each of my children near their beds and we read it occasionally to remind them of the meaning of their name.

The book that I use to find the meaning of their name and related Bible verse is called The Name Book by Dorothy Astoria. You can find it on Amazon.com here. The names are found alphabetically, each entry has various spellings, language/ cultural origin, inherent meaning, spiritual connotation and a scripture. Our daughter Bethany's inherent meaning is 'house of figs' and the verse is about figs (Matt. 7:16). We decided we liked the meaning of Beth Ann more, which has a nicer verse included (Acts 2:39). So we used the book as a guide for the meanings, but took a little liberty there!

I cut the printed paper and apply it to the plaque with Mod Podge (my favorite decoupage lacquer). It does take several hours or overnight to dry. Then I put a hanger back on it so it can easily be hung on the wall. I enjoy seeing them in my family and friends' homes!

Btw, my name means "youthful" which I have known for many years. I always thought that was part of the reason that I enjoy children and teaching!

Do you have any similar crafts that you've made for children in your life? I'd love to hear about them!


Genesis 3:20
Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.

Genesis 17:5
“No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 29:35
And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

John 1:42
He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Homemade Lemonade Simple Syrup

Homemade Lemonade Simple Syrup

This is a recipe that my hubby found and made last summer, and I made it again this week... YUM! So refreshing on a hot summer day! You can find the Snapguide original recipe here.

Peel two lemons, and cut peels into straws (or use a lemon zester as I did). Take equal parts sugar and water to make your syrup (I did 1 cup of each). Add the sugar to a saucepan, then the water and stir.. Turn the burner on medium heat, warm till sugar is dissolved and you have a simple syrup. Stir through until mostly clear. Next add your “shoe string” lemon peel and boil it on low for about five minutes. 

Cut your lemon in half. Each cup of lemonade will have half a squeezed lemon in it. Take three tablespoons of your syrup and add it to your cup. Add some ice. Add the juice of your half lemon, squeezing with a citrus squeezer. Fill the rest of cup with water and enjoy. 

Store the syrup in bottle or jar (in the refrigerator) so you can enjoy it all week. (optional: add a shot of vodka for alcoholic drink!) 

ENJOY! 

Let me know if you try this recipe, I'd love to hear your review!

Psalm 19:7
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

Proverbs 25:13
Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.

Jeremiah 31:25
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

Frugal Friday: Infinity scarves

Last week I went to Wal-mart and looked around in the fabric section. I found some nice fabric on clearance and bought it. I was thinking of making a vest like my sister has out of a one-yard piece of fabric, but bought the wrong type of fabric. So today I made it into an infinity scarf!

I used this tutorial, which I have used before. You can see another infinity scarf I made here. An infinity scarf is one that can be wrapped around your neck more than once, not left dangling. I like the way it hangs.

I bought more than one type of fabric, but my machine was acting up and didn't get it finished yet. But summer break is here, so I can work on it later! (And my mom was out of town, so she couldn't help!)

I look forward to wearing it lots! The best part is that it only cost me about $2.00!!

Writing prompt #5: Pinterest inspired! Share something you pinned and actually tried.

Psalm 104:2
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent...

Proverbs 30:4
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!

Mark 15:46

So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

Preparing for Julie: Bandana Skirt!

One of things we read about in Meet Julie is that her mom wears a bandana skirt. Since I like to dress for my class as a teacher, I decided to use some bandana type material that I already had to make a skirt! I looked online at bandana skirts, and there are lots of types and styles. I found a jean/ fabric skirt that I liked for a little girl on this website, and I just used the overall idea and measurements to make one for me. When I completed it and saw how easy it was, I made one for my daughter Mallory to wear to class too!

We were attending my niece's cowgirl birthday party this weekend, so I finished the skirts in time for that, so we wore them there too! My daughter is very excited to have a new skirt!

 

Please excuse the crazy mis-matched outfit...
that's what I get when my 6 year old takes a pic for me!

To make the skirt, we each had to find an old pair of jeans to cut up. We each had a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee, and were too short-- so we used those! It was a fun and easy project!


Isaiah 47:2

Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams.

Mark 2:21-22

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.  And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”