Christmas: Stocking Hangers

This year I made our family new Christmas stockings.  I love how they turned out (and am working on a post about them) but I didn't know how to personalize them. I don't have access to an embroidery machine and wasn't happy with other ideas I saw for personalization. That was until I saw personalized stocking holders on Pinterest!

Source: crapivemade.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I knew this was how I could personalize!

I followed the tutorial from Crap I've Made pretty closely for the assembly. I purchased a 2x4 from Home Depot and had them cut it into 6 inch blocks. I pre-drilled  through the bottoms and used 2 inch wood screws to attach the tops. Here mine are waiting for paint!

I used Martha Stewart sample paints. A few months ago I ordered a random box of samples for a couple of bucks. One of the colors was Barn, the other (the green) was not marked.

For both the redish holders and greenish holders, I added some of the opposite color to tone it down.

Once painted, I added hooks. I found the hooks at Walmart in a pack of 8 for a little over $3 and hand screwed them in.

Then I started embellishing. I used ribbon, buttons & ornaments. I attached everything using glue dot!

The for personalization I cut the first initial for each of us from black vinyl. The font is called "before the rain".




I am super happy with how they turned out and now need to finish decorating the rest of my mantel!

Christmas Chandelier

I LOVE decorating for Christmas and it's getting to be that time of year. This year I was inspired by two pins on Pinterest for the chandelier over my kitchen table:

Source: homebyheidi.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: bowerpowerblog.com via Rachel on Pinterest

So this last week while I was at Hobby Lobby (a place which I have now fallen in love with!! Why does it have to be so far away!!). I purchased some pine and beaded picks. (both were 50% off that sticker price)

I used some ornaments I already had on hand and clear thread (fishing line would be a better choice, but I didn't have any).

Here's what I started with (please ignore the popcorn ceilings, I know I sure try to!):

This I started adding the pine:

Then the beaded picks:

And finally the ornaments:

A super simple project, that I think added some instant holiday cheer for not a lot of cost! I just hope our kittens don't think I hung some cat toys for them to play with!

I look forward to getting all decked out over the next week or two!!

Preschool Fall Ideas

Today my topic for preschool was Fall

Here's the lesson plan I followed:

Preschool Ideas: Fall

Objective: To help the children become familiar with Fall as a season and time of year.

Lesson Plan: November 2, 2011  School: Fall  Letter: F  Color: Yellow/Brown

Gathering (9-9:15): Leaf rubbings with crayons

Weather/Calendar/Letter/Song(9:15-9:25): Letter F-Fridge Alphabet letter “f”,

Lesson (9:25-10): Using leaves talk about leaf colors, what happens to leaves, etc

• Allow the children to throw the leaves in the air and see how they fall.


• Sing “Leaves are Falling All Around” using leaves

Craft/Hands On Activity:

• Fall tree: Glue leaves onto tree


• Count the leaves: place candy corn where the leaves are and practice counting


• Fall leaf “stained glass”-tissue paper & contact paper

Snack (10-10:10): Leaf shaped cookies, carrots

Music/Movement (10:10-10:25):

• Leaves are Falling All Around
  
  
  
  • ALL THE LEAVES ARE FALLING DOWN
    Tune:  “London Bridges Falling Down”
  
  
  
  

All the leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down.  (Imitate leaves falling down)
All the leaves are falling down, it is Fall.

Take the rake and rake them up, rake them up, rake them up.  (Imitate raking up leaves)
Take the rake and rake them up, it is Fall.

Make a pile and jump right in, jump right in, jump right in.  (Children jump forward)
Make a pile and jump right in, it is Fall.

• Turning Turning Turning

Book (10:25-10:40): Fall Books

• The Leaves on the trees


• There was an old lady who swallowed some leaves


• Colorful leaves

Free Time(10:40-pick up): Outside, train, blocks, more play dough

Leaf Rubbings (We do not live in an area with interesting leaves! So we used die cuts of leaves which totally still worked!):

Stained Glass Leaves: Use clear contact paper and randomly place pieces of tissue or other paper. Place another pieces of contact paper onto to sandwich in the tissue paper. Trace and cut out leaves. (In the end we traced a leaf shape onto the contact paper, time ran out!).


Fall Trees: Our school district has an awesome AV center filled with die cuts. I cut trees, leaves and the word FALL. This was great gluing practice!


Count the Leaves: This is how we started snack. They had to count the candy corn before they could eat them!


The kids favorite book on Fall: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves!!

Homemade Dishwasher Soap

I made my own dishwasher soap and it works!! I saw this on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try.

Source: crazycraftbugs.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I followed the recipe exactly (well actually I doubled it) and have been using it for 2 weeks. Now we luckily do not have hard water, or soft water for that matter so I have not used the suggested vinegar in the rinse aid portion of my dishwasher.

Advantages:

• Cost savings, All of the ingrediants were less that $10 at least 100 or more uses out of my double batch. Plus I still have Borax and Washing Soda left for the next time.


• No smell, it is totally scentless.


• Cleaning, so far it seems to be doing as good or better than what I was using before!