How to Make Easy Embroidered Christmas Stockings

I bought a couple of color your own Christmas stocking kits  (similar to these color your own Christmas Stocking kits) thinking it might be a cute reusable gift wrap idea. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for you convenience.) I wasn’t too jazzed with the colors or quality of the three markers that came in the kit which I expected since it came from a dollar store. No big deal. I planned on coloring it with craft paint and adding a few easy embroidered accents and outlines for fun.

 

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How to Make Bottle Gnome Christmas Decorations

Many folks in the Scandinavian countries like to decorate their homes with gnomes for Christmas. There is a tradition where they enjoy an appetizer of rice porridge for Christmas Eve dinner and put a small bowl of it outside for the gnomes to thank them for protecting the family and helping them prosper during the year. 

The gnomes get very upset  and will play tricks on you if they are not rewarded with their Christmas porridge!

So personally, I think it is best to decorate with the not so fickle recycled variety and make quick and easy bottle Christmas gnome decorations. Although, just like the Irish leprechaun,  gnomes don’t go away after the holiday and you can decorate with gnomes all year round if you like.

 

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This is a very forgiving Christmas craft project because the way you make your gnome is only limited to your imagination and what craft supplies you have on hand or want to use for this project.

DIY Cotton Bath Puff and Friday Favorites Linky Party 554

While everyone else was baking sourdough bread during quarantine, I was making hot process soap. I took notes on what I did right and wrong and while I can't quite get it as thick as commercial liquid soap like I want, it cleans and lathers beautifully especially when I use a plastic bath puff. While a loofah is zero waste because I can compost it, it doesn't perform as well as a mesh bath poof that has to be tossed after awhile due to bacteria buildup. I tried washing one once and it fell apart.

I hadn't crocheted since I was a kid and recently picked up a hook to make a dishcloth. I looked for more quick beginner crocket projects on Pinterest (follow me @condoblues on Pinterest pretty please?) and found the answer to my zero waste bath puff problem - crochet a bath puff from cotton yarn!

I followed this crochet shower puff pattern from Hooked on Patterns and it was pretty easy once I got the hang of it. My shower puff isn't perfect but still not too shabby for the third thing I crocheted as an adult. Best of all, I can wash it in a mesh lingerie bag in the washing machine when I need to - no more bath puffs in my trash can ever again!

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How to Make Outdoor Christmas Tree Decorations

For the last couple of Christmases, I’ve struggled to find something to go with two lighted Christmas dachshunds decorations we display outside because an odd number of decorations grouped together is more pleasing to the eye than an even number. Since I bought those dachunds to celebrate of all things Lacey, why not put our fake dogs where our real dog likes to be - snoozing under the Christmas tree. In fact, we usually keep a spot under the tree clear of presents so Lacey can lounge on the fancy blanket surrounding it (although you may call it a Christmas tree skirt.)

I went with a more modern Christmas tree design because I really wanted to show off what makes my DIY tree different – the ornament windows. Also I can’t draw a traditional Christmas tree shape for beans.

 

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Quick and Easy DIY Outdoor Christmas Tree with Ornament Windows

18 Cozy Gift Ideas for the Whole Family

This year is like no other. Staying home and snuggling is in and large group activities are out. With that in mind, I created this gift giving idea guide for families, moms, dads, kids, and friends who are spending your time indoors and need a little self care, pampering, or indoor activities to keep you from going crazy!

Save this list of gift ideas to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with your friends!

100 Things to Do After Quarantine Interactive Poster   this interactive poster gives 100 activity ideas with family and friends you can look forward to scratching off the list to reveal the artwork underneath. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

Friday Favorites Linky Party 552

Our family has been trying to get out to enjoy the colors of Fall in a socially distant way. We're lucky to have a lot of dog friendly trails to walk in our local metro parks. This park surprised us by having photo ready Fall displays that allowed us to give Lacey a little rest while also snapping a few photos.

Hi everyone! Lacey here!

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Quick and Easy DIY Heart Door Decoration

I like to decorate the front door of my house but lately I haven’t been feeling the winter door wreath.  It probably has a lot to do with most of the wreaths I like have greenery that doesn’t show up well on our green front door.

Not to mention I seem to have a love hate wreath relationship. I love the wreaths my neighbors use to decorate their doors and seem to hate every wreath in the store. What can I say? I’m the Goldilocks of front door décor, apparently.

I found a contemporary, modern, classic, or rustic (depending upon how you view it) front door decoration idea when I made a fast and simple Danish Christmas Heart decoration to coordinate with the giant outdoor Christmas gnome decorations I made from tomato cages last year.

You can read how I made the tomato cage Christmas gnomes here.

I like the look.

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Our Christmas holiday celebrations and visiting took over so much of the holiday week that I posted the linky party very, very late. Don't worry! You can still add  your fantastic and creative craft and DIY projects, recipes, and ideas!

Let's Party!

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ime to add your fantastic and creative craft and DIY projects, recipes, and ideas!

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Condo Blues World Headquarters and Thunderdome!

This year our family broke a decorating record by having our Christmas tree decorated after we came home from Thanksgiving dinner! Take a look.

Other houses have Christmas gnomes. We have Vikings!

Our tree is actually a rosemary bush our Thanksgiving host and hostess gave us at the end the evening. I decided to have a laugh and decorated it a few German Christmas ornaments friends gave us on their vist last fall. I' bought the Viking gnomes from a friends shop at the renaissance festival as a birthday present to myself after admiring them for the last 2 summers. 

We need to put our Christmas tree up soon. This one's not going to last long for as much as we've been using it to cook with fresh rosemary. Nom! Nom!

Be sure to pop over to my food blog Lazy Budget Chef and enter our $175 Amazon Gift Card Givewawy after you've shared and read all of the amazing party posts!

$175 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

December is here and we are in full swing getting ready for the December holidays! Woohoo!


I'm always looking for giveaway opportunities to thank you for being part of my blog community
s community. A bunch of my blogger friends want to find a way to reward their readers in the same way.

We got together and thought what would people like? The December holidays are coming up. Everyone has a different opinion on what is and is not the perfect gift. Many of you don't celebrate the same holidays as I do.   We thought....

What would you do with an extra $175 to spend this holiday season?

That would buy a whole lotta cookies like the Peppermint Gingerbread Cookie Ball Recipe I wrote on my food blog Lazy Budget Chef.

Peppermint Gingerbread Balls! Nom! Nom! Nom!
Wait. What?! You didn't know that I have a food blog?! Well I DO!

Well know is the perfect opportunity to check it out! Not only do I have a fantastic cookie recipe for you to try but you can ENTER TO WIN A $175 AMAZON GIFT CARD RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!

After you enter the giveaway before sure to check out the links to the yummy holiday recipes my co-hostesses have created!

Don't dawdle! The $175 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway runs from December 2 - December 16, 2019 on Lazy Budget Chef!




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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Or Happy Random Thursday in November to our readers outside of the US, LOL.

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How to Make Tomato Cage Christmas Gnome Decorations

I saw a big Christmas gnome decorations on line at IKEA and knew two of them would look perfect decorating both sides of my front door this Christmas. Unfortunately they were already sold out of them by the first few days of November!

I was severely bummed.

It was all the encouragement I needed to shop IKEA for the materials and go with my original plan of making a set of outdoor Christmas gnomes built around tomato cages.  Since storage space is at a premium in my condo, I made my Christmas gnomes (which we Scandinavians call Tomte or Nisser) as a temporary slipcover. That way I can use the cages in my summer garden, clean them, and use them again during the Christmas decorating season.  If you have the storage space you can permanently hot glue the fabric to your tomato cage instead of holding it in place with clothes pins like I did.

Save this tutorial to your Pinterest boards for later! Share this decorating idea with your friends!

How to Make Scandinavian Christmas Gnomes

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Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away!

Eek!

I barely have Halloween put away!

I have no idea what I'm making for Thanksgiving dinner, besides something that goes with turkey. What are your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes? Help a girl out!

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Friday Favorites Linky Party 499

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