I have been wanting to talk about this for soooooo long. I just kept putting it off. But now it’s time to talk Pallets. Yes, those nasty wooden things that are used to haul heavy shipments around in trucks. But somehow they are magically able to be transformed into gorgeous pieces to make your home feel cool, rustic and interesting. After looking at some of these, I’m ready to scour my city so I can use pallets as home decor around my place. Check out these ideas and my thoughts on them.

Pallet Wall Art from Love of Family and Home

I love this idea and its really so versatile.  You can do what they’ve done here and put words or you could paint something. I love the idea of painting it and then spray painting stencils of … really anything!

Garden Pallet from Our Little Acre with a full photo tutorial!

Bonnie has been all over these Garden pallet ideas right now. She and her family just moved and she really wants to great an herb garden on her new back patio using a pallet. I think I just might copy her especially since I live in an apartment where it’s hard to plant, but I do have a small patio that would hold it perfect. However, I also love the idea of mixing my herbs and my gardening supplies on one pallet {since they currently hide under the outdoor stairs of our complex. Shhhh… don’t tell anyone.}

Hanging Patio Pallet Bar from Today’s Nest

This one might be a little more complicated to create, however it seems like a great idea. Now, I’m not a drinker but I’d love to make something like this as a coffee bar. I’m obsessed with coffee…. Drinking my home made iced coffee now…. yumm….

Pallet Coffee Table from Mango Tomato with tutorial!

I’ve seen this idea all over the internet but I just loved the stain and gloss on this one. Plus, I’m happy to share a tutorial for it.

Pallet Coat Rack from Decor Racks

Now this is a beautiful thing. Such any easy and cheap coat/hat rack. Plus, it’s just half a pallet painted. So simple.

Pallet Walkway from Funky Junk Interiors with tutorial!

Oh My Goodness Gracious! This is a fabulous idea And the tutorial helps so wonderfully.  I might pass this along to Bonnie too :) You can use the pieces of a pallet or just some 2×4′s

Pallet Bookshelves from Sas Interiors with tutorial!

I have wanted to do this for a long time.  Either putting books or picture frames/decor pieces in them. What do you think?

Using Pallets as Home Decor? Whaaa?

The day is coming. You know what it is. The day you shower you mother {or mother’s you know} with gifts that show them how much you love them and appreciate all they do. I have a wonderful mother who has done more for me than I could ever make her feel appreciated for. But I’m sure most {if not all} mother’s don’t do what they do for the appreciation, recognition or gifts. However, we children do love to show how much we care by getting her a Mother’s Day gift. I know I find it hard to give my mom something unique every year, but I really try to think of things she is either into this year, doesn’t have but know she wants or something she would never think of but would love. I also love to make something for her because I’m sure it makes her happy to know I spent time on something. So, I thought I’d share with you all some DIY mother’s day gifts that would add beauty and maybe even a little function to her home.

Mason Jar Planter Box

Printed Candles

Shadow Boxes

Decorative Tray

Painted Vases

Starburst Mirror

Picture Frame Jar

Teacup Candles

Well, I hope you can find something here to make for you mom. I think I have! Now let’s see if we can put it all together for her. So, what are you giving your mom this year? I’d love to hear from you!

DIY Mother’s Day Gifts for Her Home

Wow! It’s been a long time since we’ve “Etsy’d” you all. And what a better way than with dog clothes. Okay, so some of you may be thinking “clothes.. for dogs? This is your Fab Etsy comeback?”

Yes! Yes it is.

And why? Because I just love dogs. I’ve never been a big fan of clothes on dogs but after looking at some adorable dog photos the other day and seeing a pug in an awesome sweater, I thought “I have to find dog clothes on Etsy and share them!” So here’s what I’ve found and since they are on ye old Etsy.com, you can buy theses handmade cuties for your own little pup. I’m all giggles.

Thought I’d start with this Jack Russell in a blue sweater. The sweater is pretty cute at $5.50 but the dog is even cuter {I have two JR mixes so I’m a little biased}

Mohawk Hoodie. Need I say more? $33.00

This hat on a dog is cuter than cute. If I could only keep this on my guys, I just might have tried it for this up coming 4th of July. $22.00

So, you know puppy ears get cold, right? Well, why not get yours a dog beanie for $22.00? I know my Moose would L.O.V.E. love this.

Let’s just combine two of my favorite things: dogs and coffee. Yes. Let’s. I just might buy this coffee blanket for $32.00

I know this is not technically “clothes” but accessories are just as adorable. Especially this rosette collar for $40.00. If only I had a female doggy.

Fabulous Etsy Finds: Dress Up Your Pup!

One of the things my reorganized home needed was a fresh Command Center. Now as my usual, this isn’t a completed job {I’ll share that at a later date} but it’s a huge improvement and well on it’s way.

The first thing I wanted to do was fix up the board I have in our kitchen. It’s not really being used properly as you can see below. Uhhhh …. it’s filled with junk! Including an old prom picture of mine with my old friend Dax that I’d pulled out over a year ago. I have phone numbers scribbled on the chalkboard that I don’t recognize and at least 10 business cards we don’t need to keep. So after clearing out all the junk on here and tossing what we don’t need, I ended up with a clean slate.

Then I looked at the fabric and realized it didn’t go with my green, yellow, red and blue color scheme in the kitchen. So, if I wanted to keep it, it had to be recovered. Though I don’t have a play-by-play for you, I pulled the paper backing off, unplugged the buttons, covered it with my new fabric {attaching with hot blue}, pushed the buttons back in {this was really hard} and put it all back together.

Now it’s fresh and bright and fits my kitchen!

Next was to get some hanging files or compartments to hold the mail, pens and even some writing pads. But, I really try hard to make this kind of stuff myself {if I can} so that it’s FREE.  I had brought some small boxes home from work and after cutting, bending and hot gluing, I had some perfect compartments that only needed to be painted or covered.  I had some simple wrapping paper and spray glue so I just decided to cover them.

Ta Da!

I wanted the small one for the pens to be a different color and I didn’t have any paper, so I just used fabric.  I’m not crazy about how it turned out but it’s still cute anyway! Then I just push-pinned them into the wall {not sure if it will hold for a long period of time but it’s held so far.}

And there you have it! Another Free DIY from stuff in my own home. I know you can do this too if you just think outside the box. What other creative DIY’s have you done that didn’t cost you anything? I’d love to hear about it. It inspires me!

For my latest Free DIY, check out my Jewelry Frame

My Less Cluttered Home: Command Center

Hello again, my Organizing Pals!!!

Last week when I shared with you some of the progress I was making on my hall closet, I showed you a sneak peak of what I was going to be working on over the next week on top of my organization and decluttering. I’m sure after you saw that empty frame you just got ants in your pants waiting to see what I was going to do with it, right? Yeah not so much. But maybe you should have been…. :)

I have a whole crap load of jewelry. {See below for the official load}

Some of it’s just cheapy stuff I got from when I worked in a local womens clothing store with a fabulous discount. However, some of these pieces are dear to me and/or are expensive necklaces that I couldn’t ever part with. So, I went through all of this and got rid of a small plastic bag amount. The rest needed a fun and pretty home. I knew just what to do and always wanted to try it.

So, I started with a pretty frame Moviestar and I used in our wedding. I had thought about attaching chicken wire to it, stringing fishing wire across it or putting a strong back on it with pretty hooks or knobs but in the end guys, I just can’t spend any money. I’m really trying these days to do as much as I can with what I have in my home. Spending a whopping $0. So what I did was take that ol’ frame and this section of a window cover which I figured would work and look pretty in our room.

Now, it didn’t quite fit as you can see, so I had to trim it up.

After measuring it out, I realized I needed to cut about 1/4 in. off each long end {the other ends were almost too short so I didn’t need to touch them}.

Once trimmed I wanted to attach the plastic window cover but didn’t want to ruin the frame with super glue, nails etc. so I hot glued. Only time will tell if it actually holds up but so far I haven’t had one problem! I did however only glue the top part an leave the bottom loose so that I could move it if the jewelry was giving me issues. A little flexibility never hurt no one!

Here is the finished product hanging on the wall of our bedroom, just above the dresser. I’m not quite ready to reveal our dresser top yet {seeing as how we are doing some work on this small bedroom of ours..} So this is just the frame. Sure you’re cool with that.

And ta-da! The finished product. Doesn’t it look purdy? I’m pretty pleased with how it worked out because now I can actually see the jewelry I have instead of scouring the endless boxes of tangled mess after mess. Now, I do still have a box or two that I’m keeping my good pearls and rings but this is really helping me see what I’ve got. Plus, it’s so pretty in my room!!!

Now how can you make your own? What ideas can you share on how to do something similar with what you have? Think outside the box and search your home for a way to do this for free yourself!

My Less Cluttered Home: Jewelry Frame

Right before Easter, it was my little niece Lily’s 2nd Birthday and I just had to make something for her. Yes, I love shopping as much as the next girl but I also love to create, if you didn’t know by now.

Lily’s Pleated Headband

Easter is here and I’m in the mood for some colors and crafts. Oh you too, eh? Well, ten check out the Spring loveliness from around the web I’ve compiled for you. Fun and easy easter crafts make for a more beautiful home on this blessed holiday!

Carrot Table Runner

Bunny Tea Towels

Easter Egg Candles

Wooden Easter Sign

Paint Chip Garland

Fabric Easter Eggs

Felt Carrot Garland

Easter Egg Garland

Easter Crafts of All Kinds!

Amid my ever present organizational struggles {if you don’t know what I’m talking about read this and this} I’ve been working on some crafts. Organizing {though deeply cleansing for an OCDer like me} can get a bit overwhelming. So every once in awhile I gotta get away from the frustration of it all, you know?  And I’ve been really into holidays lately. Like ALL holidays. For Thanksgiving, you saw my Thankful Banner, around Christmas I shared these pillows, and on Valentine’s Day I had a super cute towel.

So, what’s new for today? Well it’s St. Patrick’s day crafts of course!  Now I have no tutorials for you {sorry} just a few pictures for a bit of inspiration.

I started off making this headband.  I figured when the old St. Patrick’s Day comes, I’ll need to wear something green {or people can pinch me!} and this headband might just be the ticket.  I had this ribbon covered headband already to be decorated, so really I just made some rosettes and hot glued them to the headband {Tip: add felt underneath the headband to hold the rosettes in place and keep the whole thing sturdy}. I made it at night while watching Justified with Moviestar so that’s why you’re seeing this picture with a lamp shining on it {i have a strong hatred for flash}.

And then I thought I’d look all cool for you guys wearing my new fun headband. {what an Irish dork…..}

Lastly, I made another cute towel. I needed some more St. Patty’s Day decor around the house. Towels always seem to add just a bit of a season to a room, don’t they?

PLUS, some of my friends {though they loved the Valentine’s Day Towel Tutorial} said they wished they could sew so that they could make their own. Well, this awesome possum towel is a NO-SEW towel! That’s right, kids. Well, minus the minor stitching I did around the shamrock.  I used Steam-A-Seam Fusible Tape to hold everything down.  You could also get Fusible Webbing but I found for small things like this, the tape works easiest. I just placed the tape on the edge of the green fabric, folded it over {to make a clean seam line} and ironed it to make it stick.  Then I did the same to hold the fabric to the towel and voila! A strip of green down your towel {not sure how it will hold up to washing but it sure looks cute}. Then I just cut a shamrock out of felt, added a few strips of the fusible tape, ironed and then hand stitched around the edge {even you non-sewers out there can do that. So simple}. Lastly, I planted a button in the middle {I stitched but if you struggle, just hot-glue}.

Hope this gets your green blood flowing. Let’s get ready for the big Irish day everyone!

A Few St. Patty’s Day Crafts!

The past few weeks I have been sharing with you guys some ideas I have found for completing my 8 weeks to a Less Cluttered Home.  Last week I shared my DIY Fabric Storage Bin finds and I decided to make one of them to help me move forward in my plans. I wanted to try one that seemed pretty easy and not require a lot of time. So I chose the No Sew Fabric Covered Box as my experimental DIY.  I have access to a ton of small cardboard boxes at my job, so I thought it would be the easiest. I brought a couple home and got started.

Here’s what I needed:

• A cardboard box
• Pair of scissors
• Fabric
• Adhesive spray

I started by cutting the flaps off the top of the box with the scissors. Then I measured out my fabric and cut the pieces.

Then I sprayed the bottom of the inside of the box and laid down my fabric. The fabric I had chosen was relatively thin {because it’s from a nice old sheet that I hate to waste but My little Moose pup chewed part of it to shreds} and I perhaps will choose a thicker material next time. But it will do the job I need it to.  I might even add a piece of that rubber shelf liner to it.

After I finished lining the entire inside I started with the outside.  It’s pretty easy if you have your pieces cut correctly.  I had one or two on the inside not cut large enough and I had to redo them {ugh! Frustrating} But the outside was much easier.

Now when you get to the corners, it can be tricky. The corner will pop out, so if you cut one end along the box edge, you should be able to fold it over and then just glue that top edge {you see above} over.

Here’s my short sides to give you an idea of how I was doing it.

I cut the small sides long so that I could wrap the bottom under and the top over. But the sides line up evenly with the box. {Please ignore Ms. Janet on the newspaper…. I know she’s so distracting!}

And there it is! I know my top flap isn’t overly even but, hey! This was my first try. I’ll get better as I go. And you will too.

Now I just want to make something for labels.  Here are a few free printable sites to get us started:

Wordlabel.com

BHG.com

JustMadeSomething.com

But I also want to make something like this {from Make it & Love it} for some of my boxes:

Hopefully after making a few more of these, I will be able to finally get to finishing my closet organizations so that I can finally share with you more on my 8 Weeks to a Less Cluttered Home. Keep tuning in for updates!!

My Own DIY Fabric Covered Box

Well, my organizing adventure has been a tough one. Mostly because organizing is more than just cutting out the clutter. It’s also about sorting items into bins and containers.  And that’s where I’ve run into a snag.  I can’t really afford to go shopping for home decor stuff right now. Baskets, bins and containers are expensive right? Really, expensive. Money is a bit tight so I sort of have to make do with what I have, which is nothing. That means I have to make what I need.  And what I need is storage bins. So, I went on a search for different tutorials so that I can find one that will suit my needs and supplies.  Here’s what I found! Oh the joys of decorating and organizing on a budget!

1. Fabric bins from Make It & Love It

2. No Sew Fabric covered boxes from I Heart Organizing

3. Fabric Bins from Design Sponge

4. Felt and Burlap bins from Eco Karen

5. No Sew Felt Bins from Abernathy Crafts

6. Hanging Fabric Bins from The Mother Huddle

I know this isn’t a storage bin per-say, but when I redo my “command center” this tutorial will come in handy.

7. Fabric mail organizer from Noodle Head

DIY Fabric Storage Bins

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been all about Valentine’s Day this year. Normally this holiday comes and goes in my house without much of fuss but for some reason this year I have been all excited about it, enough to get a bit crafty. So, here’s my latest and probably last Valentine’s craft for this 2013 holiday: A DIY Valentine’s Day Towel.

I just did a few simple additions to a basic white towel {feel free to grab whatever color towel you would like}.  The first part of my little tutorial is making a ruffle trim.  It’s pretty easy to do:

1. First get your fabric the way you want it. If you’d like a more frayed look just cut the fabric in the length and height you want or do it like me and double it up and fold wrong sides together for a more finished look.

2. Next run 2 parallel stitches along the fabric, about 1/4 in. of the edge. Also make sure you leave about 4 inches of loose thread on each end.

3. Lastly, grab the bottom 2 threads {bobbin threads} of one side and pull gently as you adjust your ruffle until desired look.

One tip for ruffles: Make your fabric anywhere from 1 1/2-2 x’s larger than the size you need. Once you ruffle {obviously} it shrinks in length.

Then I stitched the ruffle to my towel. Pretty simple so far, right? Now it’s time to pick a trim to finish it off.

I had bought that pack of trims from Michael’s for $2 and thought this towel deserved the velvet trim. So I ran two stitches along both edges to seal it up nicely.

And lastly, I added the felt heart. Really, just stitch around it. Done and done.

I haven’t yet decided if I want it in my kitchen…..

Or in my Bathroom ……

Well, I’m working on one now with the pink fabric and felt heart in the top image so once I’ve finished it, I can decide.

Hope you enjoy your V-Day!

Valentines Day Towel

Happy February, everyone!  Have you picked out your valentines yet? I am one of those weird crazy particular moms who likes to make their kids’ valentines.  Yes, for the whole class.  It winds up taking much more time, costing much more money and stressing me out so much more than buying  a pack of cute little Sponge Bob cards would; but alas, my neurosis refuses to let me take the easy way out.

We made these cute photo valentines last year.  I finished up around 2 am on the morning of V-Day so I wasn’t able to share them with you then.

The how-to is pretty straight forward.  Take a picture of your kid standing with their hand out in a fist, like they are handing you a bouquet of flowers.  Just be sure that their arm is angled in way so that the goodies that you insert later won’t be covering their face {unless you are going for a peek-a-boo effect, which might be kind of cute}.

Like this…

This idea has been floating around the web for a while now, so I thought I would mix it up a bit.  I used Picnik {which is sadly gone now, but you could use PicMonkey which is essentially the same thing} to add a border and some text.

Once I had them just how I wanted, I downloaded them to Shutterfly and ordered what I needed.  {You could also just print them out if you are pressed for time or feel like burning some ink.}

The boys and I decided that white chocolate covered marshmallows wrapped in cellophane would be way better {and, of course, more complicated} than plain old Tootsie pops, so we did that.

When the pics arrived, we cut some V-day cardstock to glue them on to serve as a background.  Then we cut a slit at the top and the bottom of their hand on each photo {we cut through the cardstock as well to make the slits sturdier}.  Then we slid a marshmallow on a stick through each hand and use a little scotch tape on the back to hold the stick in place.

They ended up being a great success with the kids.  And I got a little chuckle when I went to go volunteer in my second grader’s class a few weeks later.  All the girls had his Valentine pic inside the clear plastic cover of their binders.  It was like he was a little local Justin Bieber ;)

P.S. Excuse the picture of the finished product, I guess that was as good as I could do on a few hours of sleep ;)

Cute Photo Valentines

I love photos. I do. And I love to scrapbook. You might know this from some of my previous posts such as Scrapbooking with Lindsey Part 1 and Part 2, My Grandma’s Scrapbook and My Halloween Scrapbooking.Unfortunately it’s been awhile. With starting a new job 2 years ago with crazy hours and trying to get this site moving onwards and upwards, I haven’t had any time to set down with my photos, my fabric and all my lovely paper products to combine pages that stun. But lately I’ve been rifling through all of my stuff to get ready for spring cleaning and it’s made me want to get back to the paper. So, in the spirit of my feelings, I thought I’d share some cool and creative Valentine’s Day Scrapbook layouts to inspire to get to yours. Plus, They can help you remember all the fun things you do this February 14th.

Scrapbooksetc.com

Time To Remember on Etsy.com

Another from Scrapbooksetc.com

DearLizzy.com

Pinterest from ElizabethMcarney.com

And of course my own! On this lovely site right here or you can purchase this page on Etsy.

Scrapbook Your Valentine’s Day Memories

The big V-day is coming up and I’ve been just a wee bit excited. Normally Moviestar and I just find somewhere to have dinner and we don’t even usually eat on Valentine’s Day itself. He hates the crowds and {cough} isn’t overly romantic. But this year I’m scouting around for some fun ideas to make this day a little more special. One of the things I want to do is make my Valentine’s Card for him.  And while I was playing around with what I want to do, I created a few cards that you {yes, you!} could make for yourself. It was super easy especially with a few stamps {$1 each at Joann’s}, some embellishments and ribbon {$2 each at Michael’s} and a bit of paper and you’re all set!

Handmade Valentine’s Day Cards

Christmas may be over and done with now but that doesn’t mean any of the Christmas cards and gift wrap that have adorned our homes have to go to waste. Here’s a few ways to be a little thrifty and inventive with your Christmas Card leftovers.

photo @ Prairie Hive

1. Don’t throw away your Christmas cards. A lot of the designs can easily be cut out and used as gift tags for next year. Simply punch a hole and add some leftover ribbon.

2. Make a Christmas card jigsaw game. If you have children, this can be a fun way of keeping them entertained. Just cut up some of the larger Christmas cards into squares for the kids to put back together. They can even be laminated to make them last longer.

3. Cut strips from used Christmas card and fasten it into a loop to make interesting napkin rings.

photo @ Handmade Happiness

4. Use your Christmas cards to make little gift boxes. Cut out enough for four sides, a base and a lid and stitch together using a sparkly thread.

5. Leftover wrapping paper can be used to cover plain old notebooks or children’s workbooks and give them an interesting twist.

6. Make your Christmas cards into bookmarks. Laminate them for added durability and add a tassel for decoration.

7. The prettiest, least crinkled wrapping paper can always be folded carefully and used again for next year. Alternatively, the crinkled paper can be used as packing for storing delicate Christmas decorations.

photo @ Paper Fabric Glitter

8. Save pretty designs from your cards and wrapping paper. These can be used for scrapbooking or to make personalised greeting cards for next year.

9. Cut gift wrap to make party hats ready for New Year celebrations.

10. Make paper beads with leftover wrapping paper. Cut thin strips and wrap round a toothpick until they are the desired size. Glue the end in place and remove the toothpick. Then cover the whole thing in a glaze.

Hopefully this will show you that there is life for the Christmas card after the festivities have ended. So, make use of your Christmas cards and recycle them into something interesting and useful!

10 Ways to Make Use of Christmas Cards After Christmas

Sorry my last DIY Christmas gift post is so late.  I have been working like a dog before getting ready to go out of town to Colorado for Christmas and this week has been filled with finishing my own gifts, work, packing, cleaning and getting ready to hop on the road.  But I did want to give you all one more idea that will satisfy your last minute gifting needs.

This week, it’s Flower Headbands

They are suuuuper easy to make and if you are reading this, then you’re obviously in need of something cute but quick and easy. I didn’t make this one myself but I did make one similar for myself.

It’s more colorful but I do love the basic white and black too.  I don’t have a play-by-play tutorial for you…. sorry. But it’s really very simple.  Here are a few closer looks so that you can see just how it’s done.

If you need a little more help, use this Flowery Headband post to get you started making your own headband.

Totally cute and tons of fun to do!

Handmade Christmas Gifts: Flower Headbands

In my family, the time of opening gifts is immediately succeeded with wading through a sea of paper and boxes to gather up a store’s worth of paper and boxes mostly to be thrown away. It’s so very wasteful and we hate it, but we cannot skimp on the decorative beauty that is the presentation of the gift {this is mostly for the sake of my oldest brother — Lindsey’s husband}. So, what is there to do if you want your gifts to be beautiful and garnished without creating a mountain of waste? Try some alternative gift wrapping ideas! They not only cut down on garbage, they also save you money {which comes in handy especially around Christmas} and make your gifts more unique. Today, I’ll be going over wrapping paper and gift containers, but be sure to come back for our next post covering DIY gift decorations, bows and tags.

Wrapping Paper

photo @ Du Jour Mag

Fabric gift wrap is a sweet touch reminiscent of the old days. It’s also a traditional Japanese way of wrapping things. You can buy fabrics readymade for this or buy plain fabrics and decorate them yourself {such as this}. Try one of these 18 wrapping tutorials to jumpstart your wrapping skills.

photo @ Gil

If you don’t want to buy new fabrics or need some material last minute, try an old shirt. Follow this tutorial to learn just how to reuse those old shirts you thought were now useless.

photo @ Stampington

If you just want some creative wrapping paper try making your own chalkboard wrapping paper.

For a unique take of gift wrapping, use some Christmas carols sheet music. You can print some vintage sheet music here.

photo @ Babble

You can also try to dress up plain butcher paper by layering it with a sheer fabric such as lace.

photo @ DIY Crafts

For those gifts that come in bottles such as wine and bath goods, save yourself from buying a gift bag and try a sweater gift wrap. With just a bit of sewing the end of a sleeve, you’ll have a creative cozy. Top it off with some ribbon for a gift wrap that will stand out.

photo @ PNP Flowers Inc

For your baked gifts, decorate them quickly and creatively with a few coffee filters and ribbon.

Containers

photo @ Best Health Mag

For a true vintage, homey feel, use an old tin as a gift box.

photo @ Blight Design

Rather than spend money on boxes, put the cereal boxes you already have to good use.

photo @ Punkin Patch

Save your old mint tins to be use as gift card holders.

photo @ Martha Stewart

Head over to Martha Stewart to learn how to make this box with a covered button and a cord.

photo @ Sew Craft Create

 Check out this tutorial to learn how to make a cupcake gift box.

photo @ Just Something I Made

If you don’t know about the wonderful website Just Something I Made, well now you do. The lovely Cathe has posted printable designs for gift boxes, stickers, name tags and more.

photo @ Pickle Bums

Head on over here to find free printable Christmas pillow boxes.

So, save yourself from an overflowing trash can and save some cash in the process with a few homey and creative alternative gift wrap ideas. If you have any other alternative gift wrapping ideas, let us know below. And, be sure to come back alternative DIY gift decorations, bows and tags ideas. Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah!

Alternative DIY Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

This week I have a DIY Chrismas gift idea that’s pretty easy to do and would be a great decorative piece for any female you know {sorry, I’ve realized most of my gifts are for females….} I got the idea when my mom gave me a couple little pillows around Thanksgiving.  I had been looking for Fall/ Thanksgiving decor for my home because I didnt have much. I’d made a banner but wanted more.  She happened to be out and about shopping and came across a few that were so simple and easy.  I thought, “Hey, I could make these easy!” So, I did. And you can too.

This week, It’s Decorative Throw Pillows.

Really, It’s so easy you just have to find the right fabric.  To show you, I made a little decorative Christmas pillow but you can make yours with any colors for any design.

I started with my fabrics. The best way to make these pillows interesting yet easy is to find a fabric with big prints that are easy to cut out in squares or rectangles.  Like this snowman fabric. The patterns are squared which is perfect. I had thought I wanted to make the pillow base green but decided it was too much and changed to brown.

Next I cut my pieces to the size that I wanted. The image I was using was square but I am going to add some tulle to one side later so I made it rectangle to leave room for the embellishment. As I was figuring all this out, it started to rain and that put me in the mood for a Christmas movie.

This Scrooge is a musical and one that holds many memories for me. My sister and I use to watch it every year with our dad when we decorated his tree and when we celebrated Christmas with him on Christmas eve. Oh how I miss those days.

Now, I’ve found with projects like this where something can be worn down over a short period of time that it is best {though we will be sewing it later} to put fusible webbing or stitch witchery to the back of your fabric image.  When I made my niece Lily’s Owl I had to do this with almost everything because she had loved the old one so much that all the little pieces were ripping right off.  Follow the directions that come with your fabric adhesive of choice!

Mine just had me cut the webbing to the size of  y image, then iron press to get the image and pillow base to hold together. There you have it!

Then you’ll just want to reinforce it by running a stitch around the edge. Now, I have a cheapo sewing machine that doesnt do much. So I just ran a zigzag stitch but if your machine has the capability to do something more fun, do it! Now lets just sew the pillow together. We’re almost done! So easy right?

Before you finish sewing it together {right sides in and then flipping it inside out}, be sure to leave a space to stuff. You wouldnt want to sew it all up and forget about that. Now stuff it and make it fluffy!

Then just close up the hole.  I usually have troule with this but this time around it came out pretty good.  You can either do what I did here which is to just run the sewing machine down it or hand-stitch it closed. Whatever is easiest for you and will look the best.

Then I simply added a bit of tulle ribbon {any ribbon will do} and it was done! I would really love to maybe add a Christmasy charm dangling from the ribbon but I’ll have to go out looking for that later.

Super cute, fun and easy to do. Another perfect DIY Christmas gift for someone you know and love.

Handmade Christmas Gifts: Throw Pillows