Fall Initial {Wreath}: Tutorial

I made this wreath in, maybe, 45 minutes to an 1 hour.  We were going to dinner at a new family's home and I wanted to bring them something more than the lavender plant we got for them.  So, I had a grapevine wreath I found at the Dollar Tree and went to work!

Supplies Needed:
(1) Grapevine Wreath
Brown Velvet Ribbon (or any that you have on hand)
A Variety of Artificial Fall Flowers (I used 1 large flower, 3 medium flowers, 5-6 small flowers, some yellow tiny flowers to fill in areas) and some random leaves pulled off of the stems
Hot Glue Gun
Hot Glue sticks
(1) Medium Sized wooden letter (I used an 'S' and painted it orange to match the flowers)

First, I painted the letter orange, and set it aside to dry, while I finished the wreath.  I used one quick light coat and then painted another regular coat on top of that.

Next, I glued the largest flower on first, then the 3 medium flowers around it.  Then, I put the smaller flowers at the ends and used the leaves and the filler flowers to cover any holes, etc.

I added buttons to the middles of the 2 smaller flowers on the ends of the grouping.  Then, I glued the letter on the flower grouping where I thought it looked best.

Next, I made a simple bow out of some brown velvet ribbon.  Thanks to Craft Dot Cupcake on YouTube for the tutorial!!   I glued it to the top of the wreath because I didn't think that it would look good as a dangling wreath.  So, the bow at the top would suffice.

That's it!  I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  Let me know if you've made any cute fall wreaths!!

Aden + Anais Swaddling Blanket

If anyone is looking for the cute swaddle blankets used on Prince George when he made his debut to the world, I have found a place that has a good price and has these blankets in stock!

These swaddle blankets are from a company called Aden + Anais (pronounced either an-ay-ees OR Ana-iss).

I used these swaddle blankets when my son was an infant (5+ years ago).  I loved them!  They are so versatile, soft, comfortable & not itchy, and cute on top of all that!   We used them to swaddle, as a car seat cover/shade, as a tummy blanket, etc.  They lasted a long time, and never seem to wear when washed.  I think it's definitely a good investment!!

Shop Aden + Anais swaddling wraps, as seen on the new Prince of Cambridge!

Easy Teacher / Aide Gift: CRAYON CONTAINER

Hi there!  I discovered this simple teachers gift through none other than Pinterest.  There are so many variations out there, but I decided to do two small, but wide containers.  Getting the 'pattern' decided was the hardest part to this project!! :)

Here's what you'll need:
3-4 boxes of crayons, depending on your container
Glue Gun
Empty container: plastic, glass (from the dollar store), cans, cartons, whatever is available
Ribbon (optional)

I started with sorting the colors and shades together:  I put all of the reds together, then all of the oranges, etc.   Once I completed that, I figured out which patterns I wanted the crayons in.  We have 2 teachers at my son's preschool, so I used two different patterns.

The first one was the hues together: all the reds/pinks together, then all of the oranges/peaches, then all of the yellows, and so on.

The second one was the traditional rainbow colors: reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, and purples.  Here's a picture of that one as well:

After I decided on the patterns, I started hot gluing them onto my plastic container.  (They were actually powdered shake containers that I cut in half.)

I made sure that the {Crayola} was facing the outside, just so things could be uniform.  When I finished gluing the crayons all around the containers, I finished it up with coordinating ribbon.

I'll likely be filling these with candies and a gift card, or some pens/pencils, highlighters and the like.

I enjoyed making this simple project, and I know you will, too!

Here are some more pictures for you...

Linking to:
The Shabby Nest
A Peek into My Paradise
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T.