Easy Appreciation Gift Basket!

February isn’t just about showing your special someone how much you love them–it’s also a great time to acknowledge those around you who make your life easier. Whether you’re wanting to show some love to your staff, volunteers, teachers, or even your best friends, this is a perfect way to say how much they mean to you. It’s also totally customizable.

For this craft, I needed 12 baskets for my all-female office mates. I knew I wanted a February/Berry theme and decided to put together little baskets of goodies with a note that said, “Thank you BERRY much for all you do!”

So my first stop was Target where I spotted some cute little red pencil cup holders in the Dollar Spot that were the perfect “basket” for my berry items.

With a cute berry basket in hand, I stayed in the Dollar Spot and found some polka dot green ribbon to attach as a handle to the berry basket. I also found some cute tags that had 12 black and 12 brown tags, plus string to affix.

To keep with either a red/pink or berry theme, I scoured the Dollar Spot for some cute goodies to add to each basket. I found 3-packs of scented markers in berry colors and scents and some adorable cupcake erasers. I threw enough for dozen baskets in my cart and away I went to continue on my berry search.

Up next, CANDY! You can pick whatever red, pink, or berry candies you like but I opted for all pink Starburst, Dove Hearts, and red Lindor berry chocolate truffles.

I had in mind to add some berry-scented chapsticks so headed in the direction of the makeup. I found what I was looking for, though they were a bit pricier than I wanted, but went on my way when I noticed an end cap with Christmas clearance. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the 4-packs of bath bombs for $3 and the 10-packs of e.l.f. mini nail polishes for only $4, all in my red/pink color scheme. Score! They had enough to make up my 12 baskets (1 bath bomb and 2 mini nail polishes per basket) and complete what I was looking for. So the chapsticks went back on the shelf! All told, I spent the following:

baskets $12
ribbon $1
paper tags $3
scented markers $4
Erasers $3
Starburst pink candies $2.69
Dove hearts $3.99
Lindor truffles $4.79
(3) sets of e.l.f. nail polishes $12
(3) sets of bath bombs $9
= 55.47 or $4.62 per basket.

To assemble, I tied a 9 inch piece of ribbon to each basket to make a handle. I then added one marker, one eraser, a handful of starburst candies, the truffles and hearts, one bath bomb, two nail polishes (one dark shade and one lighter), and then affixed a berry tag, which I printed on cardstock with a cute berry.

My team loved the baskets and thought they were perfect for February. And all told, it wasn’t much work or money to show my coworkers how much I appreciate them!

Rainbow Easter Egg Nests

Mar6

On a recent drug store visit, I was quickly sidetracked by the adorable Easter section. Pastel, glitter, and cute bunnies had completely taken over aisle three! Inspired by the sweeties, I thought up a fun treat to make for the kiddos, an Easter or Spring party, or just because!

The idea for this recipe is super simple–make a batch of Rice Krispies Treats, line them into a cupcake tin to create the nests. Sprinkle with coconut dyed with green food coloring for the grass, hide a few candy eggs in the nests, and top with a Peep.

Step-by-step directions are below!

Rainbow Easter Egg Nests – Makes 24 Nests

Ingredients:

For the Rice Krispies Treats Nests

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
3 tablespoons butter
1 package (10 oz., about 40) marshmallows OR 4 cups mini marshmallows

For the “grass” filling:

2 cups of coconut
green food coloring

Candy decorations:

(2) 4 ounce packages of Whoppers mini Robin Eggs (or your favorite egg-shaped candy)
(3) packages of Easter peeps

Directions:

To make nests:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted then remove from heat.

2. Add Rice Krispies cereal and stir until well coated.

3. Working quickly and being careful not to handle while it’s too hot, Use buttered hands or wax paper to evenly press approximately 1/2-2/3 cup of mixture into two buttered muffin pans. Cool.

4. Pop the nests out of the muffin pans and line on a cookie rack.

To make coconut “grass”:

1. Place coconut in a bowl, add a few drops of green food coloring, and stir with a fork until incorporated and mixture looks like grass.

Decorate!

Sprinkle a tablespoon of the coconut “grass” in the nest, hide a few eggs on top, and nestle an Easter peep on top. You’ll have plenty of extra grass so use it to decorate your display!

14 Valentine’s Day DIY Decoration Ideas

Jan4

With all the Christmas decorations stripped from my door and walls, my house has really been feeling a little too Grinch-like. Thankfully, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so I’m getting ready with some fun Valentine’s ideas that I thought I’d share. Lots of love to you all!

1. Valentine’s Day Clothespin Wreath from Missbutterbean

2. DIY Valentine’s Day Mason Jars from Sweetly Chic Events & Design

3. Valentine’s Day Ribbon Wreath from Landeelu

4. Valentine’s Day Framed Button Art from Debbie Doo’s

5. Valentine’s Day Rag Wreath from The Real Housewives of Riverton

6. Easy DIY Valentine’s Day Wreath from Blooming Homestead

7. $15 Valentine’s Day Door Hanger from Confessions of a New/Old Homeowner

8. Pine Cone Wreath from My Frugal Musings

9. Love You Always Valentines Sign from ‘Lil Luna

10. A Valentine Tree from Simply Kierste

11. Easy Valentine’s Day Art from Miss Frugal Fancy Pants

12. Candy Flower Vase from Evolution of Style

13. Valentine’s Day Painted Mason Jars from Mason Jar Crafts Love

14. Valentine’s Heart Willow Wreath from The Cards We Drew

Valentine’s Day Clothespin Wreath

Feb9

I’ve really had a blast making these cute clothespin wreaths. It’s an easy-to-follow “recipe”, allows for tons of creativity, and is a really inexpensive craft. In case you missed them, I also have a patriotic 4th of July version and a Christmas version if you want to check those crafts out. Even in the dead of winter, my 4th of July wreath is one of my most popular blogs posts and a lot of readers write in to request other ideas so I thought I’d share my latest version, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

What you’ll need:

12″ Wire Wreath. These are sold in the florist section of any craft store or most Walmarts for around $3. You can also buy them on Amazon.
75 Clothespins (you’ll use 69 but I spray up 75 to have extra to choose the best from). I found Walmart was the cheapest at $1.98 for a pack of 100.
Pink, white, and red spray paint. I went with Krylon Indoor/Outdoor since I wanted something to hang outside. I also went with high gloss but you can do whichever you like. My colors were Cherry Red, White, and Oxford Blue, all in Krylon Satin. They cost about $3.50 a can at Walmart. You’ll have a ton left over so keep that in mind for future projects or if you want to make extra for gifts.
Valentine’s Day decorations. This is where your creativity can really come out. I picked up some cute sparkly heart stickers from Michael’s that came in sparkly pink, red, and white. The pink didn’t quite work so I just used the white and red but you can really go nuts on the decoration. Walmart, Target, and even Dollar Tree each carry cute Valentine’s items that would be great to use. You can also opt to not add anything to the painted clothespins.
Hot glue gun & hot glue
Ribbon to hang the wreath
Premade bow or buy ribbon to make your own. Pick whatever bow or ribbon to make a bow that you like. I fell in love with this sparkly heart ribbon and made my own bow but Michael’s also has lots of adorable pre-made bows if you don’t want to go to the trouble.

Directions:

Spraying time! I suggest working outside and laying down some cardboard so you can chuck your items on it and spray to your heart’s content. Your wire wreath will be green so spray both sides with your Krylon white spray paint so the green doesn’t peek through.

Spray Paint Clothespins: You’ll need 23 red, 23 white, and 23 pink clothespins. FYI, not every wire wreath and clothespin measurement is identical so the total number needed might be off so I always spray 25 of each so I have a few extra. If you have a gap or the count was off a bit you can always hide it with the bow. 🙂

The clothespins come pre-clipped to a piece of cardboard so I left them attached and sprayed the uglier of the two sides first, let dry, gave it another quick coat, let dry again, then sprayed the prettier side with 3-4 coats, drying in between. The drying time is short so it’s really not that time consuming and when you have your assembly line of red, white, and pink clothespins side-by-side it’s pretty quick and easy. Be sure you spray at various angles to get the sides and crevices nice and coated. And avoid spraying paint into your open mouth like I did. Let everything dry completely before assembling.

Assembly Time: Now that your clothespins and wire wreath are ready, it’s time to put it all together. You’ll notice that your wreath is basically four rings. You’ll be attached to the center two rings which I’ll call #2 and #3 from top to bottom.

Pick a starting point (See above picture and start top and center and move to the right of the wire divider.) and pick one color to start with. If you look at the four rings from top down, clip your first clothespin to the 2nd ring.

With your second clothespin, clip it to the 3rd ring.

With the third, you’ll clip to the 2nd ring again and keep on alternating all the way around the wreath.

Add Ribbon: Cut a 17″ piece of ribbon and glue or tie around the back wire part of the wreath.

Hot Glue Time: It’s time for gluing! Work from the back and glue any loose clothespins to the back wire part of the wreath or in between the clothespins themselves, just to secure them on to the wire wreath.

Add Decorations: Glue your various Valentine’s Day decorations to the top, bottom, and middle parts of the clothespins. You can also leave decorations off completely or go nuts like I did.

Helpful Tip: See those nasty glue gun cobwebs? A very quick and easy way to get rid of them is to blow dry them away. Take your hair dryer and apply heat to any offending cobweb and it will shrink back up, essentially disappearing. Just be careful not to apply too much heat or it could remelt the glue you want to stay stuck.

Attach Bow: Finish by gluing or tying on your bow to the bottom of the wreath.

All finished! Just hang indoors or outdoors and you’re ready for Valentine’s Day! I hope you enjoy and if you end up making this wreath and want to share a picture, feel free to send me a private message with a picture or email me at missbutterbean(at)gmail.com. Happy Valentine’s Day and lots of love!

4th of July Clothespin Wreath

Jun14

Update: I was honored to have my blog and 4th of July clothespin wreath craft featured in American Profile’s Community Table Magazine, Parade Magazine, and Real Simple. At the request of readers, I have also created a Christmas version with instructions here and a Valentine’s Day version with instructions here.

With 4th of July just around the corner, it’s time to start decorating with some red, white, and blue! I saw a similar patriotic clothespin wreath and thought, Hey, I can do that! so hit up Michael’s and Walmart to pick up my supplies and whipped up a few.

For those DIY’ers, here’s what you’ll need to make your very own 4th of July Clothespin Door Hanger. Since I’m a visual learner, I took lots of snaps of each step to help you along the way.

What you’ll need:

12″ Wire Wreath. These are sold in the florist section of any craft store for less than $3.
70 Clothespins (give or take one or two). I found Walmart was the cheapest at $1.98 for a pack of 100.
Red, white, and blue spray paint. I went with Krylon Indoor/Outdoor since I wanted something to hang outside. I also went with country colors instead of traditional but you can do whichever you like. My colors were Burgundy, Ivory, and Oxford Blue, all in Krylon Satin. They cost about $3.50 a can at Walmart. You’ll have a ton left over so keep that in mind for future projects.
Star Punch. A 1/4″ star works great so I bought an $8 Fiskers hand punch.
Ivory/Cream textured card stock. When I bought my wreath at Michael’s, I swung by the scrapbooking section and picked up a piece of cardstock that was textured to make the stars pop a bit more.
Gel Super Glue
Hot glue gun & hot glue
Ribbon to hang the wreath.

Directions:

Spray stuff! I suggest working outside and laying down some cardboard so you can chuck your items on it and spray to your heart’s content. Your wire wreath will be green so spray both sides with your Krylon Ivory spray paint so the green doesn’t peek through.

Wire Wreath: Before

Wire Wreath: After

Spray Paint Clothespins: You’ll need 25 red, 25 white, and 20 blue clothespins. Since not every wire wreath and clothespin is identical, the total number needed might be off by one or two clothespins so I suggest making two extra blue just in case. The clothespins come pre-clipped to a piece of cardboard so I left them attached and sprayed the uglier of the two sides first, let dry, gave it another quick coat, let dry again, then sprayed the prettier side with 3-4 coats, drying in between. The drying time is short so it’s really not that time consuming and when you have your assembly line of red, white, and blue clothespins it’s pretty quick and easy. Be sure you spray at various angles to get the sides and crevices nice and coated.

Punch Stars: Using your Fiskers start punch, punch out 100 stars out of your cardstock (5 stars for each of the 20 blue clothespins).

Using the gel super glue, glue your stars onto your blue clothespins. I did 5 per clothespin, alternating each one.

I really like Loctite ’cause it’s a gel and less messy and it has comfort squeeze sides on it.

Assembly Time: Now that your clothespins are ready, it’s time to put it all together. You’ll notice that your wreath is basically four rings. You’ll be attached to the center two rings which I’ll call #2 and #3 from top to bottom.

Pick a starting point (See above picture and start top and center and move to the right of the wire divider.) and pick either red or white to start with. If you start with red then you’ll end up with white or visa-versa so it doesn’t really matter. If you look at the four rings from top down, clip your first clothespin to the 2nd ring.

With your second clothespin, clip it to the 3rd ring.

With the third, you’ll clip to the 2nd ring again and keep on alternating until you have 5 white clothespins clipped.

Now it’s time to swap colors. Keep alternating rings and colors until you’ve clipped all 25 red and white clothespins. Finish by clipping the starred blue clothespins for the last section.

Add Ribbon: Cut a 17″ piece of ribbon and glue or tie around the back wire part of the wreath.

Helpful Tip: See those nasty glue gun cobwebs? A very quick and easy way to get rid of them is to blue dry them away. Take your hair dryer and apply heat to any offending cobweb and it will shrink back up, essentially disappearing. Just be careful not to apply too much heat or it could remelt the glue you want to stay stuck. 🙂

All finished! Just hang indoors or outdoors and you’re ready for the 4th of July!

60 Awesome Easter Recipes

Mar25

With Spring officially here, I’ve seen so many adorable Spring and Easter holiday ideas so put together a list of my favorites to share with you all. Whether you’re looking for a kid-friendly craft, Easter Sunday recipes, or just something cute for your office potluck, you’re sure to find exactly what you’re looking for in this list!

Rainbow Easter Egg Nests

Source: Missbutterbean

Meringue Bunnies

Source: Taste of Home

Bunny Carrot Cakes & Cookies

Source: Taste of Home

Easter Basket Cupcakes

Source: Blog Lovin’

Rabbit’s Easter Cupcakes

Source: http://family.go.com/food/recipe-632897-rabbits-easter-cupcakes-t/

Little Lamb Cupcakes

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/little-lamb-cupcake-recipe.html

Floral Cake

Source: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/spring-floral-cake

Easter Chicks Nest Cupcakes

Source: http://ruthblackphotography.com/image/easter-chick-cupcakes-2/

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/carrot-cake-cupcakes/7013041b-b7d0-4e46-9219-9bb0516595c1

Easter Chick Cupcakes

Source: http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/chick-cupcakes

Bird Nest Cupcakes

Source: http://www.gotchocolate.com/2011/04/recipe-birds-nest-easter-cupcakes/

Easter Bunny Truffles

Source: http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/r/Easter-Bunny-Truffles.htm

Easter Egg Truffles

Source: http://easter.betterrecipes.com/cornflake-coconut-easter-egg-truffles.html

Easter Egg Marshmallow Truffles

Source: http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/easter-egg-marshmallow-truffles/

Jelly Bean Bark

Source: http://everydaysavvy.com/jelly-bean-bark-recipe/#_a5y_p=1385728

Easter Marshmallow Bark

Source: http://www.butterwithasideofbread.com/2013/02/easter-marshmallow-bark.html

Easter Pretzel Chicks

Source: http://www.isavea2z.com/easter-pretzel-chicks/

Peeps Bunny Patch Cake

Source: https://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/cookin-with-peeps/recipe-detail/peeps-bunny-patch-cake

Peeps Sunflower Cake

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/peeps-sunflower-cake

Easter Basket Cake

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easter-basket-cake/0809420e-5cd6-45fd-9e90-0c159be8d598

Hidden Rainbow Easter Egg Cake

Source: http://boulderlocavore.com/2013/03/hidden-rainbow-easter-egg-cake.html

Bunny Butt Cake

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/bunny-butt-cake/09cd82c8-ada0-4de7-bd85-2cd60ef67b7f

Cheesecake Carrots

Source: http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2014/03/orange-cheesecake-carrots.html

Easter Marshmallow Pops

Source: http://celebbabylaundry.com/2014/03/easter-marshmallow-pops/

Almond-Butter Cookie Bouquet

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/almond-butter-cookie-bouquet

Little Peeper Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/little-peeper-cookies/913d2091-1592-4cef-b3f2-69f40f1ce1dc

Easy Easter Cookie Pops

Source: http://dailycrave.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/easy-easter-cookie-pops/

Robin’s Eggs in Brownie Nests

Source: http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/easter-eggs-in-brownie-nests/

Easter Nest Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easter-nest-cookies/bc3bbf3c-d16a-4799-bc1c-5eecd08f5cf0

Easter Oreo Cookie Suckers

Source: http://www.howdoesshe.com/easter-oreo-suckers-and-apron-giveaway/

Bird Nest Cookies

Source: http://peasinapod.typepad.com/peas-in-a-pod/2011/03/birds-nest-cookies-recipe-how-to-tipjunkie-easter.html

Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats

Source: http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/hidden-surprise-easter-egg-treats

Easter Basket Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easter-basket-cookies/e52af434-f444-452a-bf18-95c4cccd5202

Easter Bunny Tails

Source: http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/322846611/easter-bunny-tails/

Easter Egg Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easter-egg-cookies/3d11f867-1b64-48e2-afad-f69cba4d23b4

Easter Bunny Cookies

Source: http://www.createdby-diane.com/2012/04/bunny-cookies.html

Bunny & Chick Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/bunny-chick-cookies/601072ee-d66c-40fb-9428-c7111709ceee

Robin’s Egg Nest Treats

Source: http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/robins-egg-nest-treats

Rainbow Cookies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/rainbow-cookies/3ab61bac-2fcc-42fc-89fe-6341deccd540

Homemade Cadbury Eggs

Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Cadbury-Creme-Eggs/

Nutter Butter Easter Chicks

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/nutter-butter-easter-chicks-492743?soc=pinterest

Bunny Biscuits

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/bunny-biscuits

Easter Bunny Rolls

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easter-bunny-rolls

Easter Bunny Treats

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/easter-bunny-treats

Spring Celebration Brownies

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/spring-celebration-brownies/317e19d7-e33d-4c99-b555-9b06a438309a

Marshmallow Chocolate Peeps

Source: http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/homemade-chocolate-peeps/

Peeps Pudding Cups

Source: http://www.shortcutsaver.com/peeps-pudding-cups/

Fruity Spring Animals

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/fruity-spring-animals/02959284-2462-4d4c-bdd5-56db43595953

Easter Chick Sugar Spoons

Source: http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2013/03/Easter-crafts-sugar-eggs-sugar-cubes.html

Easter Pizza

Source: http://www.sugarhero.com/fruit-pizza/

Easter Veggie Pizza

Source: http://www.hungryhappenings.com/2012/03/this-easter-have-fun-decorating-easter.html

Easter Centerpiece

Source: http://catchmyparty.com/photos/551735

Bunny Bottles

Source: http://followpics.net/diy-quick-and-easy-easter-bunny-made-from-water-bottles/

Easter Chicks Deviled Eggs

Source: http://athriftymom.com/easter-chicks-deviled-eggs-diy-simple-money-saving-recipe/

Easter Party Carrot Cutlery

Source: http://adiamondinthestuff.com/2011/04/easter-party-carrot-cutlery.html

Carrot Bags

Source: http://creativeorganization.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html

Easter Peep-Za

Source: http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2012/04/06/easter-peep-za-dessert-pizza-recipe/

Rainbow Easter Eggs

Source: http://choosetothrive.blogspot.com/2011/04/rainbow-easter-eggs.html

Swirl Easter Eggs

Source: http://athriftymom.com/swirl-easter-eggs-how-to-dye-easter-eggs-with-shaving-cream/

Christmas Clothespin Wreath

Dec23

After falling in love with my 4th of July Clothespin Wreath, I really wanted to do a Christmas one for the holidays. This one was so much fun to make and I’m so happy with how it turned out! Since I’m a visual learner, I took lots of snaps of each step to help you along the way. Here’s how to make your own Christmas holiday wreath.

What you’ll need:

12″ Wire Wreath. These are sold in the florist section of any craft store for less than $3 or you can pick up on Amazon.
70 Clothespins (give or take one or two). Walmart and Target both sell packs of 50 but I prefer the Target brand clothespins which are much better quality and they are also a bit longer. Packs of 50 are sold at Target for $1.79 or at Walmart for $1.
Emerald Green & Hunter Green spray paint. I went with Krylon Indoor/Outdoor since I wanted something to hang outside. I went with two shades of green instead of one to make it look like a real fir or holly wreath and give it that depth of color. I went with emerald green and hunter green in Krylon Gloss. They cost about $3.50 a can at Walmart. You’ll have a ton left over so keep that in mind for future projects or you can always plan on making an extra wreath to give as a gift. 🙂
Decorative glitter balls. I found a bag of cute decorative container glitter balls (picture of bag below) for $7.99 at Michaels. The center is foam so it made it very easy to glue onto the wreath and didn’t weigh it down. You could also use little red beads, fake red holly berries, or mini glass ornaments. Another cute idea is to use those fake large Christmas lights and glue all over. You can definitely have fun with the decoration!
Premade Christmas bow or buy ribbon and make your own. Pick whatever bow or ribbon to make a bow that you like. I fell in love with this gold crinkly ribbon and made my own bow but it was a tough choice because Michael’s always has so many cute Christmas ribbons in stock.
Red Ribbon to hang the wreath. Any ribbon will do but I picked up some pretty red satin ribbon that was about 1/2″ wide. You just want to make sure it’s thick and strong enough to hold up the wreath.
Hot glue gun & hot glue

Directions:

Spray painting time! I suggest working outside and laying down some cardboard so you can just throw your items on it and spray to your heart’s content. If your wire wreath is already green then no need to spray paint it but if it’s a white wire wreath then I suggest spraying it green so the white doesn’t show through.

Spray Paint Clothespins: You’ll need 35 emerald green and 35 hunter green clothespins. Since not every wire wreath and clothespin is identical, the total number needed might be off by one or two clothespins so I suggest making two extra of each color just in case. The clothespins come pre-clipped to a piece of cardboard so I left them attached and sprayed the uglier of the two sides first, let dry 10 minutes or so (or until no longer tacky), gave it another quick coat, let dry another 10 minutes or so, then sprayed the prettier side with 5-6 coats, drying 10 minutes in between. What you want is for a solid colored clothespin that is nicely coated and very glossy. Be sure you rotate the clothespins and spray at various angles to get the sides and crevices nice and coated.

Krylon Paint

Assembly Time: Now that your clothespins are ready, it’s time to put it all together. You’ll notice that your wreath is basically four rings. You’ll be attaching clothespins to the center two rings which I’ll call #2 and #3 if you’re looking at the wreath from top to bottom.

Pick a starting point (See below picture and start top and center and move to the right of the wire divider) and pick either emerald green or hunter green to start with. I like the look of having the emerald green toward the back and the darker hunter green toward the front but it’s up to you if you prefer to have the lighter and brighter green up front. If you look at the four rings from top down, clip your first clothespin (hunter green) to the 2nd ring.

With your second clothespin (emerald green), clip it to the 3rd ring. Then keep going back and forth with hunter green on the 2nd ring and emerald green on the 3rd all the way around. You’ll go all the way around the wire wreath until you’re done.

two

Add Ribbon: Cut a 17″ piece of red ribbon and hot glue or tie around the back wire part of the wreath.

Hot Glue Time: It’s time for gluing! Work from the back and glue any loose clothespins to the back wire part of the wreath or at the bottom of the clothespins themselves, just to secure them on to the wire wreath. This is especially important if you plan on hanging the wreath outside. After you’ve glued down the clothespins, it’s time to glue the decorative red glitzy balls. You can go as crazy as you want with the red balls but I chose to glue to only the hunter green clothespins and alternate with gluing one ball to the top of the clothespin and the next to the bottom and so on. You can certainly do more or less to suit your taste.

Helpful Tip: Notice those nasty hot glue cobwebs? A very quick and easy way to get rid of them is to blow dry them away. Take your hair dryer and apply heat to any offending cobwebs and they will shrink back up, essentially disappearing. Just be careful not to apply too much heat or it could remelt the glue you want to stay stuck.

Attach Bow: Finish by gluing or tying on your bow to the bottom of the wreath.

All finished! Just hang indoors or outdoors and you’re ready for Santa Claus! I hope you enjoy and if you end up making this wreath and want to share a picture, I’d love to make a cute collage on this post. Feel free to send me a private message with a picture or email me at missbutterbean(at)gmail.com. Merry Christmas!

Cuckoo for Candy Corn: 33 Fun Recipes, Crafts, and More

Oct16

With Halloween just around the corner and Fall in full Autumnal swing I’ve been seeing a lot of really cute candy corn recipes and crafting ideas and I though it would be fun to dig up and compile a list of candy corn-inspired finds to share. You’ll be cuckoo for candy corn in no time. 🙂

Homemade Candy Corn