Friday Favorites Linky Party Week 558

It's December and I did an early deep dive into my favorite time of year - CHRISTMAS! I normally don't decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving but this year I made the exception. Christmas lights and decor make me insanely happy especially when almost all of our decorations have a memory or story attached like the little Santas shown below.

My husband and I adopted one of these rolly polly guys when we visited a Christmas store during our vacation several years ago and he has made me smile ever since. What are your favorite December traditions?

Time to show off your creative recipes, projects, and ideas!

DIY No Sew Thread Cone Gnomes

I buy sewing machine thread in the colors I use most often in bulk by the serger cone. I  use stand alone bobbin winder like this one to wind the cone thread onto an empty regular size thread spool to use on my sewing machine. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.) This is supposed to keep me from running out of thread but when my historical costuming projects usually take up to 10 yards of fabric I still go through a ton of sewing thread.

Which means I have a nice little stack of empty thread cones on my To Upcycle shelf waiting for a craft project that never comes.

Until today!

I recycled empty thread cones into cute little gnomes. If you don’t have empty thread or serger cones cluttering up your house  waiting to be upcycled you can use paper craft cones like these. 

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You will need for each gnome you want to make:

Holiday Tablescapes and Friday Favorites Linky Party Week 557

Happy Day After Thanksgiving to my American readers and Happy Random Friday to the rest of the world! 

Like many of you, our Thanksgiving was different from previous years but in all honesty, was pretty darn awesome. For only the third time in my adult life, I didn't have to travel on or for the holiday which meant I got to watch my friends march in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (most of it was pretaped with very strict Covid 19 protocols) on TV. I'm a huge parade nerd - when I watch them I want to be in them and when I'm in them I want to watch them - and I can't remember when I've been able to indulge in my favorite Thanksgiving tradition in a very long time.

If there was any year to pull out the stops for a Thanksgiving tablescape it is 2020!

How to Make Christmas Stocking Holders

Last Christmas I found the head of one of our Christmas stocking holders snapped off. I tried to repair it but it didn’t hold. The reindeer’s head careened to the side and stayed that way all season long.

Because there is nothing that says love and joy that a severed head on your Christmas mantle.

I immediately rejected my husband's idea of using this broken stocking hanger as the inspiration for a Godfather movie Christmas decorating theme.

I poked around for a replacement. Most were already picked over and what I saw didn’t really appeal.

The only choice is to DIY a Christmas Stocking holder myself.

 

DIY Christmas Ornament Stocking Holder

IKEA Christmas Decoration Shopping Haul and Friday Favorites Linky Party 556

Most of the time our Christmas decor usually favors our combined UK heritage and how we met as Elizabethan entertainers. I have some decorations that need to be retired/retired themselves. It wouldn't hurt to add more of my Danish heritage to our Christmas celebration since it will just be us at home this year.

So I went to IKEA and bought the place out. 

Shopping with my gnomies!

I should say I was very, very tempted to buy the place out because it was filled with cute gnomes. In the Scandinavian countries many of their Christmas decorations are gnomes (the Danish and Norwegians call them nisser and the Swedish call them tomte) because all these little ones ask for their service of protecting the family (and help take care of the animals if you live on a farm) is a bowl of rice porridge with a pat of butter on top at Christmas. Nisser are particular about what they want and how it is given because, well, they are just being Danish😃.

Here's what my cart looked like as I waited in the socially distanced line at checkout.

There's a whole lot of happy in this shopping cart.

Many Danish families still decorate Christmas trees with real candles that they light for a few supervised hours on Christmas Eve (that's when Danish families open presents.) As much as I love burning candles, I'm leery of putting a lit candle on a dry tree. The glass clip candle ornaments are the best of both worlds - traditional candle look without the potential fire hazard.

The heart ornaments are another Danish Christmas decorating tradition in addition to the gnomes. This year has been a series of one thing after the other. I figure we should show a lot more love for each other and have the protection of as many nisser as possible.

I used the gnome Advent calendar bags to make a Christmas tree Advent calendar I'll add to the link party below. 

The most exciting score is the ceramic Julebuk (Swedish Yule Goat)! The Julebuk used to deliver presents to Swedes before Santa hit the scene. Most Julebuk decorations are traditionally made of straw but I really like the clean modern look of the IKEA Yule Goat. I look at it as a trade off since I never had a chance to buy IKEA's iconic Dala Horse decorations (another Swedish tradition.)

Time to link up your best projects, home improvements, recipes, and creative ideas!

How to Make a Wine Advent Calendar

I like the concept of wine and beer Advent calendars for adults but the contents inside is often lower shelf booze - meh. Not to mention, the good wine and novelty Advent calendars sell out almost immediately when they are put on the store shelf.

What to do? What to do?

Make a quick and easy gnome Advent calendar using a Christmas tree!

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How to Make a Christmas Tree Advent Count Down Calendar

Funny Christmas Sweaters and Friday Favorites Linky Party 555

The Ugly Christmas Sweater trend is fun for the holidays, especially now that there are so many over the top so ugly they are kitschy fantastic sweaters out there in shopping and DIY land. 

But I don't have one because I hate the way busy prints look on me.

And honestly, I'd rather have a funny or clever Christmas sweater or shirt than an "ugly" one.

So I made one for my store  LNWCreativeGifts! Instead of writing Ho Ho Ho like regular people, I put in Santa's super short scientific notation of Ho cubed. You can get my funny Christmas Ho Ho Ho shirt here on your choice of many different t shirt and sweatshirt  styles for men, women, and children. How cute would this be for a family Christmas card photo? (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.)

Funny Christmas Ho Ho Ho T Shirt
by LNWCreativeGifts

Time to link up your best projects, home improvements, recipes, and creative ideas!

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!

Time to link up your best projects, home improvements, recipes, and creative ideas!

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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

Quick and Easy DIY Sleep Mask Gift Idea and Friday Favorites Linky Party 553

The time change is this weekend. No matter how well I think I close my bedroom curtains, the early morning sunlight shoots through the curtains like a laser bean and directly into my eyes waking me up hours before my alarm is set to go off.  I fight back by wearing a cute handmade sleep mask at night to thwart Mother Nature's attempts at shortening a good night's sleep.

I make sleep masks out of super soft flannel which is nice on the eyes. I've also made sleep masks from scrap cotton fabric that are comfortable to wear during the summer because they aren't hot like the unbreathable silky masks sold in stores. Sometimes I embellish them with embroidery. Most often I leave them plain to show off the fabric. 

If you are looking for quick and easy handmade holiday gift ideas, follow my simple how to make a sleep mask tutorial here and make them for yourself or someone you love!

Time to link up your best projects, home improvements, recipes, and creative ideas!

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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!

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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!

Time to link up your best projects, home improvements, recipes, and creative ideas!

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How to Make Comfortable Padded Headphone Covers

I found a set of headphones with a microphone I forgot I had in that random box of cords you’re supposed to have when you hit 30. The foam ear covers where deteriorated but the microphone windscreen was fine. What good luck I thought! I don’t have to by a new pair! I used them for my next Zoom meeting. 

Of which, the last half an hour was the longest of my life because the bare headphones hurt my ears. OW!

 

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I  went into my craft studio, gathered materials, popped on an audiobook (I use Audible. You can Try Audible and Get Two FREE Audiobooks here,) and started to play. In the end I had new cute and comfortable ear covers for my headphones. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

 

Let’ do this!

How to Make Replacement Headphone Covers

Friday Favorites Linky Party 551

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

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You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

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Quick and Easy Potholders and Friday Favorites Linky Party 550

I noticed a worn spot on an oven mitt I popped into the washing machine. It made me realize how the potholder/oven mitt population has gotten dangerously low around here. I made a mental note to add pot holders to my next shopping list.

And then I realized I know how to sew and that I can new potholders. Yeah. I know. Crazy right?

Especially when I've been happily sewing fabric stash bust projects like a fiend since March. I can actually see the bottom of my fabric storage box!

They are fancy but that's OK. The life expectancy of my potholders are on the short side

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I  followed my How to Make Dalek Potholder tutorial to make the potholders with the exception of sewing three pieces of interestingly cut scrap fabric to make a rectangle and sewing quilting lines in the center for practice. Also, I was listening to a good book on Audible (you can try Audible and get TWO FREE AUDIOBOOKS HERE!)  and wanted to finish the chapter. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.) I had part of a medium weight bath towel I used to back baby bibs and used that for the middle layer instead of Insul-Bright (you can learn more about  Insul- Bright insulated lining here)

I showed you my project! Let's see your fantastic DIY projects, crafting, recipes, and tutorials!

How to Weather Strip Windows and Doors the Easy Way!

All of the windows on my house are considered energy efficient. However, even the most highly rated doors and windows will still leak air a little bit due to the fact that windows are made to open and close and the builder had to cut a hole in the wall to install it. Not to mention, most usually have thin brush weatherstripping ( brush pile weather strip looks like this ) which in my opinion is utterly useless. (Disclosure: I am including affiliate links in this post for your convenience.)

Or at least the stuff on my windows and sliding patio door proved to be when the candle flame I carefully ran along them danced a crazy samba indicating there was air leaking through the brush weather stripping instead of stopping the air from escaping which is what weatherstripping is supposed to do. 

Tip: If you do not feel comfortable putting an open flame next to your windows and doors due to the potential fire risk, you can check for air leaks by running a stick of incense (you can buy incenses sticks here) or a smoke pen (learn more about air leak detecting smoke pens here) around the area where the door or window and the wall meet. If the flame/smoke moves in the slight breeze it is leaking air.

I also had air leaking around my sliding patio doors, exterior doors, and surprisingly under the doors to the closets on exterior walls. This is something you really want to fix because warm heated indoor air is drawn to cold outside air (and vice versa during the summer months) which means your heating or air conditioning system needs to use more energy and work harder to maintain the indoor temperature you set on your thermostat – which is why your heating or cooling bill is so high. 

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Marble Look Porcelain Bathroom Tile and Friday Favorites Linky Party 549

After waiting, waiting, and waiting some more I can finally start working on my next big DIY project - remodeling the Owner's Bathroom in my house because the tile finally came in! Isn't it lovely?

I fell in love with this tile pattern in marble but didn't want such a soft and slippery tile in a bathroom. After much hunting, I found this porcelain version with a slight texture to hopefully prevent slipping at a local tile shop.

The Condo Blues World Headquarters and Thunderdome has turned into an Obstacle Course with cabinetry and fixtures stored all around the house for the last two months waiting for the tile to clear customs and Covid quarantine.  Odd because I thought the thing that would hold up this rennovation would be the cabinetry and not the flooring.

I showed you my project! Let's see your fantastic DIY projects, crafting, recipes, and tutorials!

Creative Sustainable Living Solutions for Landlords and Renters

Mediaplanet interviewed me for their America at Work  campaign and  asked me for sustainable property ideas for home owners, rental properties, and landlords facing the unique challenges COVID-19 has created in 2020. 

Which is pretty darn exciting and flattering because USA Today is using my name with the words "expert" and "leader" to promote the series. 

I can't tell you how many people have been trying to convenience me to dye my hair green to match the image in my article.

You can read can read my interview in print in USA Today or read my interview on line here. 

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DIY Fall Pennant Banners and Friday Favorites Week 548

It is officially Fall! Itching for a project to do that wasn't so involved that I could finish it quickly if any of the major items I need to start my big involved projects finally come in after many Covid related delays.

It's a little too early to go all out and decorate for Halloween (or at least according to my Husband) so I poked around in garage and decorated the porch for fall with festival drop cloth pennant garlands on the windows and porch railing that I haven't used in quite awhile.

Instant fall flair! I will add my quick and easy fall banner tutorial to the link party below.

I showed you my project! Let's see your fantastic DIY projects, crafting, recipes, and tutorials!

Quick and Easy Foam Pumpkin Makeover

I have a love hate relationship with foam crafting pumpkins. I love that they are reusable. I hate that most of them look horrifically fake.

 

Yes, I know I could use real pumpkins. I do for indoor decorating and puree them later for Thanksgiving desserts.

 

Outside it’s fake pumpkins all the way where real pumpkins are most likely squirrel food and when performing at Fall festivals where real fruit is likely to get smashed.

 

This sweet little girl was fascinated by the pumpkin clip I made over.  I am forever grateful to the photographer that captured this moment!

 

How to Make Mod Podge Cloth Pumpkins

Friday Favorites Week 547

I sometimes randomly scroll through Facebook Marketplace just to see what there is to see. Yes, I know this can be a dangerous habit if I impulse buy all of the instruments and furniture that tempts me, but sometimes it pays off big. Last weekend the stars aligned perfectly and minutes after a farmer listed tomatoes that didn't sell on the last day of their farm stand I snapped all of them up for a song.

For the rest of the weekend I spent some quality time with my grandmother's canner and tools. Which is a much nicer way to say my kitchen  looked like a murder scene from tomato seeds and juice spilled everywhere toward the end of the evening. My husband said not to say murder scene too loud because I had the kitchen window open and the neighbors might call the police. 

But I had a plan.

 If the police came knocking on my door to investigate, I'd throw them an apron and tell them they are free to search the red pulpy liquid in the big pot on the stove for body parts by ladling it into these warm mason jars.

It didn't happen but it's always good to have a contingency plan (especially if that plan gets you extra help when preserving food.)

I showed you my project! Let's see your fantastic DIY projects, crafting, recipes, and tutorials!

How to Make Recycled Glass Bottle Halloween Witch Decorations

I have several empty glass beverage bottles in my recycled craft supply stash and think they will make cute indoor Halloween decorations. As what? As Halloween recycled bottle witches!

Share this recycled Halloween craft tutorial to your Pinterest boards for later! Share it with your friends!

 

I didn’t want to make the stereotypical ugly green faced witch dressed in black. Instead I took my design inspiration from three of my fellow renaissance festival actresses who portray The Fiendish Sisters. They are more of the Shakespearean type witches  but instead of predicting the rise and fall of Danish kings, they host whiskey tastings. Which (witch?) is a great gig if you can get it.

 How to Make Halloween Witch Decorations

How to Level a Rain Barrel Stand and Friday Favorites Week 546

Last weekend was Labor Day Weekend in the US and I celebrated it by laboring in the front yard. The bricks around the pallet rain barrel stand I build have lately been in a constant state of wrecked no matter how many times my husband or I restack them.  

I tried starting a Dilapidated Chic design movement but it didn't take.

The Most Important Thing You Are Not Doing to Make Sustainable Living a Long Term Lifestyle

In a green living group, there was someone who said that like many folks during the pandemic, they have been furloughed from their job/working reduced hours. They asked for advice in another sustaining able living group was yelled at for accepting plastic wrapped food and conventional household products from a food pantry. Not only was this family feeling bad about a situation out of their control but when asking for advice they were kicked when they were down about accepting a bottle of conventional dish soap. What they really needed was ideas of things they could do while they are struggling.

This my way or the highway mentality to sustainable/zero waste/green/plastic free living really makes my blood boil.

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Easy Fall Wreath And Friday Favorites Week 545

This weekend we celebrate Labor Day Weekend in the United States which we consider the Last Day of Summer, even though the real last day of summer is September 21st. Why? No clue. I don't make the rules. I just live here.

So I guess it is time to take down the summer decor I never put up and start replacing it with fall decor that I might put up. Or not. It's been that kind of crazy year.

I made this fall grapevine wreath by randomly hot gluing dollar store flowers and pumpkins on a plain thrift store grapevine wreath. A super simple way to make a big wreath to fill a blank outdoor wall.

Give me some inspiration! Let's see your fantastic DIY projects, crafting, recipes, and tutorials!

Friday Favorites Link Party Week 544

It's that time again! Let's see your fantastic DIY projects, crafting, recipes, and tutorials!

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Jennifer at Busy Being Jennifer - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!