Christmas is Coming-Budget Friendly DIYs

Christmas is coming! I love Christmastime & I am so excited. I hope you are too! So, of course I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to Christmas-y type things, with baking, DIY, decorations, and gift ideas... but, I though I would also do a quick post about brilliant DIY Christmas ideas that I have already tried, or plan on doing. {It's a verrry budget friendly Christmas this year...being a student has taken a serious toll on my bank account!}

My first item is this ornament. I think this is a really cute, simple idea. You can use an old ornament you already have lying around, you can buy a package of cheap ones at the dollar store or you can buy some round, foam balls from Michael's or other craft stores. You could use any scraps of fabric you have lying around, and tie a nice, festive ribbon at the top & buy some little pieces of fake holly at the dollar store. 

I haven't tried this one yet, but it's on my list!

I did try my own variation of this & was really pleased with how it turned out...however, if you're mailing cards you may want to avoid using buttons, as it can be more heavy than a typical card may be.

I also tested this one out, using my own variation. I used pieces of ribbon, instead of drawing the strings as they did in this one. Either way I think it looks cute!

I haven't done this one yet, but I plan on it! I think this is what the boys will be getting for Christmas. It's a quick, easy & cute idea. You could even fill them with candies of baking for Christmas!

This one is also on my to-do list. I think my Mom may be getting this under the tree this year. It's easy & cute, & made from mostly things you've already got lying around. 

I think this would be a cute idea for kids {big & small, haha}. I mean, who doesn't love s'mores?

This is another really great, inexpensive gift for friends or family. I gave jars with brownie mix to my friends last year & they were a huge hit! I just attached a little tag with baking instructions. It's a perfect gift for someone with a sweet tooth, but who is busy & doesn't have time to whip up some treats from scratch.

I really love to bake, so I am always looking for cute, creative ways to wrap up some Christmas baking. Last year I did this and packaged some cookies up in them and gave it to my boss. It's the perfect size for cookies and makes a fabulous, budget friendly gift. 

I have yet to try this one, but I think it is great for kids. Use an icing bag & fill it part way with hot cocoa powder and top it with some marshmallows. Use a brown pipe-cleaner for antlers, give Rudolph some eyes & a red nose & you're good to go!

Well, I hope this gives you some inspiration. Happy creating & crafting!

{Remember to click the photos for links and visit my Pinterest board for some more ideas}

Emily xo

Fall Decor DIY

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful season. I can't believe we are half way through October already! I wasn't about to let fall pass by without a wee bit of decorating. I wanted to share with you this extremely simple and beautiful way to decorate for fall. This could be inside or outside, and doesn't take long at all!

What you'll need:
- a pumpkin- the size is totally up to you. If you're putting it on a table as a centerpiece I would go with something smaller, but if it's going outside you could go bigger.
- a sharp knife for carving, a spoon and a pail or bowl.
- some leaves, on branches, pieces of corn stalks, or whatever other fall foliage you desire.
- scissors or sheers

First, you are going to cut a circle out of the top of the pumpkin, like you would when carving a jack-o-lantern.

Once you've cut the circle remove the top to expose the seeds and pumpkins inside. 

Scrape out all the insides, using the spoon, and dump the insides into the bowl or pail. Once I had it cleaned out I rinsed my out, and wiped and dried the outside because I was planning on bringing my into the house.

Now, gather some leaves, branches and whatever else you'd like. Essentially you are going to use this hollowed out pumpkin as a vase. 

Once you have everything you want gathered together you are going to want to measure them against your pumpkin, and see how high you want them once they are inside in the pumpkin. Cut and trim until you're happy with the height, and play around with how you like them in the pumpkin.

And, you're done! Now just decide where you want to put it, and you've added a touch of fall to your house. I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Fall!

Emily xo

A Child's Dream

Today I wanted to introduce you to our Play House.

My Father works as a carpenter. Often they are left with scraps from jobs that will end up the dump. My Father's boss will, a lot of the time, send them home with Dad if he think he'll have some use for them at home. So, over the course of a year or so, Dad collected some siding, windows, cupboards and doors. 

A few summers ago, my Father set to work on this, our Play house. It's less like a play house, and more like a little cabin, really. It has beds, and is often used for extra sleeping quarters in the warmer months.

As we enter, please excuse the messiness...my brother was is currently using it as his 'room' for the summer...and his cleanliness leaves something to be desired. Sigh.

There are 3 windows, plus the door (which also has a good sized window in it) in this 10' by 12' space. It's bright & cheery & cozy. This windows looks towards the back of our property, away from the road. As you can see, there is a small tree growing against this side.

The door faces the laneway. You can see the little bit of grass before the gravel of the laneway. Our house is across the laneway. You can see the gazebo in the picture, which is part of our deck on the house.

Again, please excuse the mess *cough* Braeden *cough*. There is one set of bunk beds, pictured here, and one single bed (at one point there was 2 sets of bunks). The single bed runs along the back wall. It forms an 'L' shape with the bunks, and the head of the single bed is at the head of the bunks.

The window here faces the front of our property, towards the road.

P.S. Usually there are actually sheets on the beds, not just sleeping bags.

This chair was from an old set we had in our house many years ago. It sits along the wall facing the back of the property. The chair is turned towards a TV my brother moved out there to play X-Box on. 

This last window is opposite the door, and overlooks part of our garden, and the soy bean field. I like this view best, I think.

The single bed runs under this window, and to the left of it there are cupboards for extra storage, along with the TV my brother moved out there (which, clearly I forgot to take pictures of).

This is kind of a bird's eye view of the inside. It's cute & cozy & we love it. The carpet is an old one from our house, and the curtains on all the windows were made by my Mother.

I hope you liked this little tour! I love it, and I was 19 when it was built. It would have been my dream as a child!

Blessings,

Emily xo