Pocket Full of Pink

Christmas Blessings

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 18:56:00 +0000

I know it has been over a month since my last post. Here it is 2 days before Christmas! It's amazing how time flies once September comes.

Are you all ready for Christmas? I have all my shopping done, but still need to wrap the presents. I love the magical feeling of this season!

As you can probably tell, I am not the most organized person and on January 7th I start school again taking 13 credits. I probably won't be around here much, but I will still be looking at all your blogs, so keep creating!!

I feel so blessed this time of year and I hope that as you celebrate this season, you look back at 2012 and realize what God has blessed you with.

I am working on this too. Sometimes when you are so immersed in your own problems, it's easy to forget the blessings that you have!

I am REALLY trying to do this EVERY day!

Happy Holidays!!

Hawaii and what's to come for my Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 19:02:00 +0000

Hi Friends!

I am finally getting to a post about my Hawaii trip. Things have been a little crazy around here since I have come back. Hubby and I have had such a great time! Hawaii is such a beautiful place.

I loved it!!

I love this gorgeous picture of the lake we took a boat on to get to the Fern Grotto!

Waimea Canyon

This view is from an airplane ride that we took around the Island of Kauai. So beautiful!!

I loved this view from outside our Hotel room in Kauai. the ocean is so amazing:)

Well, there are just a few (I took like a jillion!) pictures of our trip to Hawaii. It was so fun and relaxing!

My college student daughter is coming home for T-Giving tomorrow!! Can't wait to see her. Time just flies by doesn't it?

I may not be on here a lot during the holidays and then I start back in school in January. I don't want to completely give up blogging, but I feel like there are so many more important things I should be doing right now in my life.

For now I won't be around much, but know that I am still crafting and online, so keep in touch!!

Fall Burlap Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:03:00 +0000

I am excited to have Meredith from Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home blog here today! Take it away Meredith:

Hi everyone, I hope you all had an awesome week! I'm Meredith and I blog at Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home!

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I started blogging this past March, so I'd say that makes me fairly new to the wonderful world of blogging! I like to share simple crafts, home decor ideas, recipes, and other easy DIY projects.

I've officially jumped on the burlap train for most of my fall decor this year. I just could not resist after seeing so many wonderful projects floating around the blogosphere. It was Sarah's Fall wreath and Allison's Fall Ruffled Burlap Berry wreath in particular that have inspired my version.

Here's what I rounded up at Michael's to create my...

Ruffled Burlap Wreath

floral pins (the u-shaped kind)

burlap garland

berry garland

felt pumpkins & leaves

styrofoam wreath form (18")

I'm just going to be up front and admit that I had a 12" wreath form in my craft closet. All of these pictures show that size until I realized that it was going to be way too small for my front door. So I ran back out the next day to actually buy one that would work. Luckily I was able to use a coupon and found an 18" flat form at Hobby Lobby.

The first thing you'll want to do is wrap your wreath form with burlap as tightly as you can. I used a floral pin at the beginning and at the end once it was all wrapped.

Now that the wreath form is wrapped you don't have to worry about seeing bright white poking through if you have a gap in your ruffles.

Just start ruffling, bubbling, and pinning around the front side of the wreath.

I was intimidated to start the ruffling step, but once I began it was super easy.

Once you've got the burlap ruffled all the way around the front side, you're ready to begin the fun part--adding the berry garland and the little felt pumpkins and leaves! To add the felt pumpkins, I simply put a dab of hot glue on the backside and attached a floral pin to each of them.

Alright, so I mentioned before that once I finished the first wreath and hung it on the door, I quickly realized that it was sadly too small.

So, I sucked it up and realized I'd have to take apart the small version and grab a bigger wreath form next time I was out and about.

Luckily since I used the floral pins I could just take everything off and reattach it to the larger wreath. It was so easy!

And I can definitely say that I think the larger wreath looks much better.

It screams Fall if you ask me!

Burlap

Pumpkins

Leaves

Berries

{oh my!}

What holiday projects have inspired you this season?

What's your favorite fall decor item of choice this season?

Have an awesome weekend everyone!

Thanks again to Karen for having me over to her place today!

Halloween Costume Ideas {for next year!}

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket of Pink readers! We’re very excited to be guest posting today (and more than a little jealous about that Hawaii trip…)! We are Nat and Ash, and we are 2 cousins who love to craft, sew, decorate, and we have 7 kids between us (5 boys for Nat, 2 girls for Ash). So our blog is a hodgepodge of everything we’re interested in, and a way for us to keep track of our successes and failures! We’d love for you to come over and say hi! Here’s a list of our tutorials if you want to see our projects over the last year. Seeing as how it’s so close to Halloween, I thought I’d share some of our favorite costume helps from this past month. It’s been lots of fun, and tomorrow, tune in on our blog for our family’s costume reveal!

I shared a bunch of our family costumes from year’s past here…

And Nat shared some here…

I shared some wings I made here

My girls showed off their gloves here

And here are 2 skirts I made for them for Halloween this year

I dip dyed my hair with strawberry Kool-Aid here to show you my results…You know, in case you want your hair to be a different color for Halloween

And Nat finishes off the costumes some customizable trick or treat bags!

Katie from Creatively Living

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket Full of Pink Readers!

I'm Katie, and I blog over at Creatively Living.

I'm excited to be guest posting for you today.

I love a good craft or sewing project, but what I really enjoy is renovating houses.

Here is my latest "space" reveal.

My Office Nook.

Awhile back, I blogged about the small office space in our basement that I made for my husband (who never uses it).

These were the before pics...

The way it was when we moved in (arrow is pointing to the area I'm focusing on).

It's almost difficult to see in the picture above, but the little indented space was turned into an office nook for my husband. My dad and I worked on it one summer while he was gone.

I added the black shelf and my dad helped me take a counter that was scratched from Lowes (best way to get a counter discount... find the scratched one and ask for a price reduction) and we cut it to fit the space, then secured it.

Most of the junk here is mine (yes, I'll admit it), the weird hatchet and cross-rifles belong to my husband, who was an Army infantryman for 10 yrs.

For a couple years, this has been one of those "out of control" spaces. A mixture of my husband's school work (he's just about to finish his Masters in Divinity), books, and random DIY stuff.

This pic below is highlighting the missing ceiling, the unfinished trim work and the places where I had to replace tongue and groove paneling.

These are the projects I've showed you thus far, in my attempt to create a "sale-worthy" office space (since we currently have our house on the market).

My Silhouette Wall Art My Desk Skirt

....and here's the after.

Put in flooring, paint and 1/2 the trim/baseboards a couple yrs ago, along with putting in the desk and shelf.

More recently, I hid the crazy bookshelves with the Desk Skirt.

Kept the lamp and added some other simple decor I had on hand.

Books and rocks were easy, available and inexpensive.

My Silhouette Wall Art

Notice I patched over that cut in the paneling with a DIY coat rack....just some putty, boards, and hooks.

I also framed one of my husband's maps from his Iraq tour. I was happy with how well it matched everything.

I've actually been using this space quite a bit lately.

Strangely my husband still doesn't.

Maybe we should just switch office spaces!

Here are some other before and afters you might enjoy...

A bedroom makeover I did for my sister for under $70.

My Kitchen Makeover

My Living Room Makeover

Thanks Karen and Pocket Full of Pink Readers for having me here.

Come visit me sometime at Creatively Living!

Infinity Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket Full of Pink readers! I'm Priscilla and I blog over at Thrifty Crafty Girl. Karen was nice enough to let me guest post at her place today, so I'm showing you a fun little fall project I made... I hope you like it!

I love this thing.

So, I saw all these people wearing these 'infinity scarves' and I just loved them. And I thought it would be the perfect project for November, since it's getting frosty outside. So I went to the fabric store and found some fun flannel. Yes, flannel can be fun, if you have no other excitement in your life that is.

See? Fun!

I got two yards for this scarf, which is plenty. I cut the flannel into a strip 18" wide by two yards long. Once that was done, I pinned up the long end, right sides together.

Next, I sewed up the long end. I love sewing straight lines. Use whatever seam allowance you like because you're awesome and know what you're doing.

Once that was done, I turned it right side out. Now most people would stitch up part of the ends before flipping but I hate having to pull fabric through tiny holes. Since this is an infinity scarf, having a seam would not be such a big deal. I pulled it right-side-out and sewed the ends together. This whole thing took about 30 minutes.

I made a scarf! And it's infinity! Infinity times infinity, even! Oh, that fall were all year round so I could make a hundred of these. :)

Distressed Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:45:00 +0000

Hi there Pocket Full of Pink readers! I am so excited to be here today, guest posting for Karen! My name is Katie, and I blog over at Katie{Did}It. I love pumpkins and I love distressed things. So when I saw this over at Centsational Girl, it was a must make for me. So easy and quick, like most of the projects I do here.

Don't you just love those old antique scales? Well, I looove them, and I was finally able to get my hands on one. And it goes perfectly. So I painted myself a little pumpkin with some homemade chalk paint, and then went to town distressing it.

Just use a foam brush to paint it, then once it's dry, take some sand paper and start rubbing away areas of paint. And that's it! This may be one of the easiest and quickest projects yet! I plan on making a few more, but will probably wait until closer to Thanksgiving to do them.

What do you think? Have you ever painted pumpkins before? Have you ever worked with chalk paint before?

I hope to see you over at Katie{Did}It sometime! Thanks again for having me Karen!

Fall Ruffle Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket Full of Pink readers!! My name is Jenny and I blog at Days of Chalk and Chocolate! It's my little slice of the blog world where I chronicle my days as a mother, crafter, DIYer, and sometimes teacher. I hope you'll come visit one day! I'm so excited to be a guest poster while Karen is off having fun. Thank you, Karen for the opportunity! I thought I would share my most popular post and one of my earliest in my blogging life: my fall ruffle wreath! I call it fall because I used cordoroy but really it can be any season!

Without further ado...

Ok, so I promised this tutorial yesterday but it just didn't happen. Jim works from home 3 days a week and we only have one computer hooked up in the apartment which means from sun up to sun down I can't get on. And then my sister and I spent a ridiculous amount of time in Joanne's looking at fabric so I couldn't post in the evening. She is a knitter and she is working on a knitting exchange with some friends from Ravelry so she's always fun to hang out in Joanne's with. Plus she's the kind of friend that, instead of saying "No, you don't need that. Save your money. I know it's beautiful but you just don't need it," she says "Do it. I'll do it. If you do it I'll do it. You know you want to." Love that about her!

Anyway, I'm still learning how to put together a really good tutorial but I did my best and I hope it helps!

Step 1: Gather your materials. You will need a wreath form (mine was 16 inches), 2 yards of fabric (I'm guessing because I had remnant fabric), glue gun, basic sewing tools, ribbons/fabric to make flowers. I made my flowers first. Here is a mini-tutorial on the twisted fabric roses.

Heat up your glue gun. Pre-cut a cut felt circles the size you want your flower to be (approximately). Cut strips of the fabric. I like my strips to be about an inch wide. Fold in half long ways and fold down one corner and hold it with your thumb like this. (This picture is from a different project that, um, didn't work out. That's why it's black.)

Twist the strip and and wrap around the starting "knot." Continue twisting and wrapping, holding it all along with your thumb to keep the shape. Play with the tightness of the twist to achieve the look you want. I like to use a loose twist.

Continue wrapping, twisting until you get to the end. Use a dot of hot glue to secure the end to the bottom of the flower. Stick finger you got hot glue all over into a glass of ice water.

I have found that thicker, stiffer fabrics work the best. I tried organza and it was a glue gun catastrophe. I'm still reeling from it.

Ok back to the wreath.

Step 2: Pre-make 22 ruffles. I used two different types of fabric: cotton and corduroy in the same color so 11 of each . I have a tutorial on making the ruffles here. I used lengths of fabric that were 18 inches to make my ruffles which was 2 1/2 times the width of my wreath form. You will have to measure your wreath form. Also I prefer looser ruffles. If you like tighter you will need to use longer lengths of fabric.

Step 3: Cut strips of fabric to wind around wreath as a base. Cover the enter wreath. I cut this step out because I had remnant fabric and didn't have enough to do that. DON'T SKIP IT! It isn't the same. sniff.

Step 4: Begin gluing your ruffles. Lay the first ruffle face down on the table. Run a bead of hot glue on the ruffle. Lay your wreath form on top. Bring two sides of ruffle up and glue in place.

Step 5: Keep gluing in the same way, alternating fabrics, all the way around the wreath. This is clearly a one sided wreath, lol. It is not essential that you do your gluing on a Sesame Street place mat, by the way.

Step 6: When you have completely covered the wreath in ruffles, lay your flowers in the arrangement you want. Then glue your flowers to the ruffles.

All finished!

I hope you enjoyed my little throwback and thanks again to Karen for inviting me to join in the guest posting fun!

Cheers!

Jenny

Washi Tape Checkerboard Clipboards

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hello, Pocket Full of Pink readers! I’m Ginger & I blog over at Ginger Snap Crafts.
I’m so excited to be hanging out over here at Karen’s while she’s away!
Happy Anniversary! I hope you guys have a blast!

Today I’d love to share my {washi tape} checkerboard clipboards!
The kiddos are in full swing at school, & this is the perfect project for them.

For this project you’ll need clipboards,

washi tape {I found mine at Target}, an X-ACTO knife & scissors.

I started off at the bottom of my clipboard & placed my horizontal washi tape strips on first.
I went all the way to the top of the clipboard. So your clipboard will all be the same color.
Then I started on my vertical strips with a different color of washi tape.
I used my X-ACTO knife cut small lines in the tape using the tape underneath as a guide.

Then you remove the squares that you don’t need.
Then you just keep on going until your whole clipboard looks like a checkerboard!

Wouldn’t these make awesome teacher gifts?
You could make them using your school colors!

Karen, thank you so much for having me over!

I’d love for YOU stop by Ginger Snap Crafts sometime.
It’s a place where I share my cute & easy crafts like these:

baby boy gift basket, photo pendants, our family block, block nativity, coffee filter wreath & knob block

I also have a fun link party on Wednesdays!
I would LOVE meet you & see what you are up to! :)

Ginger Bowie gingersnapcrafts.com

Yummy Cheerios Treats!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Hey Pocket Full of Pink readers! I am Jourdan from Two Million Miles and I am so excited to be posting over here today! I hope Karen is having a fabulous time on vacation and enjoying a few rays of sun for me, while I am sitting here freezing my tush of!

{My sweet son, Karsyn, and I at the Circus a few months ago!}

At Two Million Miles, I blog about my three businesses {Jourdan's Jewels, Jourdan's {Handmade} Jewels, and Perfectly Posh with Jourdan}, life, crafts, recipes, and whatever else I can think of!

Today, I am going to share one of my most favorite treats. I eat them as fast as I can make them. They are quick, easy, and DELICIOUS.

**WARNING: These treats are HIGHLY addictive. I have made them twice in the last five days. (; Here's what you'll need: *1 cup corn syrup *1 cup of white sugar *1 teaspoon of vanilla *1 cup of Peanut Butter *5 cups of Cheerios First step: Combine the corn syrup and sugar in a large sauce pan. Then stir it together and bring to a boil on medium heat for one minute. Then remove it from the heat and add your vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Next, pour your Cheerios in a large mixing bowl. Then you pour your peanut butter mixture over the Cheerios. Then stir until the Cheerios are evenly coated. Lastly, scoop them out however big you want them and place them on tin foil or wax paper to set up. Enjoy!! So there you have it! Enjoy! I hope you will stop on by my blog and check it out. Thanks for having me, Karen! (:

Ooooh, those look so yummy! You could also add some Halloween or any colored M & M's and give them for neighbor gifts! I may have to try this:)

Thanks so much for stopping by Jourdan!

All Things Fall with Live Laugh Rowe

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hello readers! I'm Kelly from Live Laugh Rowe.

I'm tickled silly to be here today! If you aren't familiar with me or my blog, I would summarize it as a creative lifestyle blog that shares crafts, recipes, home projects, DIY tutorials and life's moments. I'm originally from the East Coast, but currently living in St. Louis, MO. I miss the east coast very much! However, I also know that I am where I am for a reason. I thought I would briefly introduce myself and share a few of my favorite projects.

First let me say that this is my absolutely-positively favorite time of the year. I {love} Fall and Winter. I {love} the temperatures, sights and sounds that pass through over the next couple of months. And don't even get me started on the tastes and smells. Right now I'm enjoying my Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin scones. Other festive activities I'm enjoying right now includes apple picking.

And returning home to whip up some Apple Crisp.

Making Apple Crisp also happens to be on my Fall Bucket List {printable available here}. Then there's the fall decorating fun. My home has hints of fall all over it. Can you guess which of these arrangements are mine? Check out how you can do this yourself! Sometimes keeping things simple is necessary too! How about corn husk votives and vases?

If you don't decorate for fall, let me share a fun and easy festive 'sweet' treat. Candy Corn Painted Pots. Seriously, how cute are they?

My question for you is this -- what is your favorite time of the year? Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter? I'd {love} to know! Thanks so much for having me, Karen! And it was a treat meeting all of you -- the lovely readers! If you swing by my blog, please be sure to let me know.

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DIY Burlap Rosette Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I am Brooke from Babblings and More.
We are SO excited to be a guest on Pocket Full of Pink! I am one of four sisters who contribute to Babblings and More. My sisters and I started our blog to keep in touch with one another and show each other what we are up to after we all got married and moved away.
We named our blog Babblings and More because babbling means to utter a meaningless confusion of words and that is exactly what we do! In fact, my dad still calls me Babbling Brooke...

Today we are going to show you how to make this Burlap Wreath! It is SUPER easy and is adorable!

Materials Needed:

18 inch Foam Wreath- purchased at Hobby Lobby

Burlap- 1 yard of darker burlap and 1/2 yard of lighter burlap.

Contrasting Material- Just to add a hint of color

Scissors

Hot Glue Gun and Sticks

Pins

Step 1- Cut the Burlap into strips and start to wrap it around the wreath.

Step 2- Pin the Burlap in place.

Step 3- Wrap the entire wreath with the burlap.

Step 4- Make flowers as shown HERE and glue them onto the burlap covered wreath.

Step 5- Hang on your door or wherever you want to put it!

Thank you SO much for having us at Pocket Full of Pink today! We LOVE meeting new people and making new friends! So stop by and visit us at Babblings and More!

So pretty! I love the colors! These girls from Babblings and More are so talented! Thanks for stopping by my blog ladies:)

Making your own Mosaic Art

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Hi all! My name is Bronwyn and I usually hang out at my blog, Queen B Creative Me. I am so pleased that Karen asked me to guest post on her fabulous blog while she is on vacation (lucky girl!)

I am currently re-doing the kids bathroom, taking it from a plain, uninspiring turquoise zone (I decorated it originally when I had just given birth to my 3rd child in 4 years - I had no spunk for anything interesting!) to a fun, zippy place that will kick-start my kids for school each morning!

Like many, I have really fallen for the turquoise and red colour-combo you see everywhere these days. Bright and cheery and perfect for girls and boys (I have 2 boys and 1 girl).

I recently stenciled the main wall and switched to bright red towels and floor mat. I have some framed pictures I'd like to hang, but other than that, there is nothing on the walls.

After many months searching out the perfect art for the room, I have given up shopping and started creating.

That is how I came up with MAKING YOUR OWN MOSAIC ART.

What you will need:

~ to continue with my red and turquoise theme, I chose several shades of aqua and red cardstock

~ an artist canvas (mine is 14"x18")

~ white glue (or Mod Podge)

~ a sponge brush

~ scissors or paper cutter

~ craft paint in your chosen background colour ( I used plain white!)

1. First, cut your cardstock into 1"squares. I began by cutting long 1"wide strips then chopped them into 1"squares.

2. Paint your artist canvas using your chosen background colour.

3. The main image in my mosaic is a heart. To draw an accurate heart shape, I cut one from scrap paper and traced around it on my dry canvas. I also planned where my turquoise/aqua stripes would go and drew pencil lines for those on the canvas as well.

4. Here is where the white glue or Mod Podge comes in. If you have chosen to use white glue, pour some in a container and add some water. It should be the consistency of cream.

Spread some glue/podge on the area where you will begin your mosaic- in my case, the heart.

5. Using your chosen colour, begin to outline the main image with the squares.

6. Once the outline has been laid, spread more glue/podge on the canvas and add more squares, filling the shape. Turn the squares until they fit. You may have to trim some and make some smaller squares.

7. Begin filling the background. I chose to add 3 bands in shades of blue. A solid background would be effective, too.

8. As I filled the empty space, I tried to paste the squares in a brick-laying fashion, overlapping the squares so that they were not glued in a grid pattern.

9. Once you have glued all of your squares, cover the whole canvas with another layer of glue/podge. This will seal the canvas and guarantee that the squares will not pop off.

10. Within hours your art will be dry and ready to display.

Here is my mosaic in my children's bathroom:

Thankfully the children are very complimentary about my foray into the "art world."

In fact, my daughter has already requested another mosaic for her bedroom.

I wonder if I can make Sleeping Beauty out of 1" squares??

I love this! The blue and red look so great together!! Thanks so much for stopping by Bronwyn!

Guest Post: Live, Teach, Create

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Well hello y’all! Before I begin, I must take the time to be thankful for being a Guest Blogger here on “Pocket Full of Pink”. I am so happy to have been asked to come back and happy to be here. So where do I begin? My name is Jennifer Smith-Sloane and I am a 30-something wife, teacher, mother to several dogs, country girl and all around creative person. I am currently in my 9th year teaching and am doing what I love. I moved down this year to teach 7th grade (from 8th) and added in Resource Math for 7th and 8th as well as a 2nd section of school newspaper. Yep, I’m a busy girl! I have been a creative soul for as long as I can remember and love every aspect of creating things whether it be for myself, my home, my family, my friends or my classroom. I was an avid scrapbooker up until this past summer. I still love the craft but my teaching has taken over with all that is on my plate. I have now been able to express my creativity in the form of making things for my classroom. My creative side has merged with my Masters in Curriculum and formed an amazing bond. [caption id="attachment_2665" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Click on the picture to be taken to the item in my TpT store![/caption] Every night you can find me creating something for use in my classroom from activities, to games and various different Flippables (folding graphic organizers) for our Interactive Notebook. It has totally become my passion and I am LOVING all the time that I spend on creating for my students (and other’s students). Because of this passion, I opened a store on Teachers Pay Teachers where I, among over 14,000 other sellers, are able to share creations we have made for our students with other like-minded teachers who want to find amazing things to use in their classroom to improve the lives and learning of their students. Since I teach middle school, many of my products are geared to grade 5-8 but I have started creating more that are geared to lower levels (K-4) due to the needs of my Resource Math classes. [caption id="attachment_2405" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Click on the logo to be taken to my TpT Store![/caption] As a teacher, I am constantly on the lookout for new and impressive ways to benefit the learning of my students. Going outside the box is my mission on a daily basis. I’ve recently filmed some videos of things I have created for my classroom and thought it would be a great time to share them with the public. Each of these activities are things that are not only created by me but tested by my students. They are my first trial for everything and I value their feedback that middle-schoolers are so proud to hand out. Not to leave you high and dry, but I have created a freebie for all “Pocket Full of Pink” members. In this freebie you will find a nice mix of Pink items that I’ve bundled together for you into a “Pocket Full of Pink Giveaway” bundle. To download, you will need a TpT account (it’s free) and then you can go straight here to download the bundle! I do hope that you are able to use the items or link them on to someone who can. Feel free to share the link for others to download and I would love feedback to be left if you feel so inclined! Thank you for allowing me to share a bit about myself today here on “Pocket Full of Pink” and I do hope that you might come check out my blog, Live.Teach.Create, or take some time to follow me on Facebook or Twitter (personal) or Twitter (teacher side).

Monogrammed Wood Block

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 13:00:00 +0000

My name is Meg and I live over at A Little Knick Knack. I enjoy making fun little crafts, re-doing furniture, and sewing for my kids. I also have giveaways, product reviews and host a weekly link party called Everything but the Kitchen Sink. I hope you can come join!

There are times when I realize that I'm in a crunch for a personalized gift and have come up with a solution. It blends my two favorites in decorating: burlap and monograms.

So, today, I'm going to show you how to make a monogram wood block. Catchy title, right? I found a nice 2" thick, 4' long board in the remnants bin at Home Depot for $.50. They cut it for me for free, into pieces about 5 1/2" long.

I took those pieces home and spray painted them various colors. These decorative finials I found in the furniture aisle at LOWE'S (they do NOT sell these guys at Home Depot...grrrr.....). They come 2 to a package for approximately $3/package. They are wonderful because they have screws in the bottom and are very easy to secure to your block.

I use floral form to stabalize them while I paint.

Of course, I realized I couldn't paint them all at the same time if I used different colors. Duh. So, they got painted in shifts.

While I waited for them to dry, I used my drill to make a hole in the top and then simply screwed my finials into the hole.

Get your sandpaper (I use a really rough grain, from 100 - 150) and sand the edges and corners.

Here's the fun part. Grab some burlap, your craft bond adhesive spray, and your stayz-on ink...

Use the Stayz-on ink to lightly distress the sides, corners and top of the finial.

Cut a piece of burlap slightly smaller than the front of your block. Start to peel away the first 2-3 strings of burlap from each side, as shown below.

You will get a nice frayed edge. Lightly spray the burlap with your adhesive spray and secure to the block.

Get your trusty hammer and your steel tacks (found at my local Jo-Ann's in the furniture rehupolster section, for less than $2.00 a package),

And simply nail a tack into each corner.

I printed off a monogram that I liked and used a small paintbrush to free-hand this onto the burlap. You could use freezer paper or make your own stencil and use any font you choose.

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and can stop by my blog, A Little Knick Knack soon and say hi!

Free Halloween Printable

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Hi, I'm Valerie, visiting from Occasionally Crafty. My sister Laura and I love to read, write, teach piano, raise our kids, and craft when we can!

Today, I'm sharing a quick, last-minute printable for Halloween. This would make a great decoration or even a card for a friend, with a bunch of Halloween treats!

I have mine displayed in my home and everyone comments on it!

If you'd like one for yourself, simply click on the arrow in the top right corner. From there, you can print it our download it. You can print this up to 8x10 with great quality!

Thanks so much for having me! I'd love to see you over at our blog, and you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Halloween Door Decor

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 22:52:00 +0000

Hi! I'm Emily from 52 Mantels, a blog about all things home including weekly mantel makeovers, easy DIY projects, seasonal crafts and simple recipes! I'm blessed to be the stay-at-home mother to one adorable little girl and the lucky wife to an ever-supportive hubby (who puts up with my endless projects!).

Halloween is less than one week away and the countdown is officially ON! I don't know about you, but this coming weekend is full of Halloween festivities for my family. If you're planning a little Halloween gathering, or simply want to make your home the best Trick or Treat spot on the block, you'd better get your craft on soon! Today I've got 5 crafty ideas to help you finish your Halloween decor in style!

I love decorating my mantel seasonally and Halloween is no exception. To see the last 4 Halloween mantelscapes that have been on my mantel, go check out my Halloween Mantel Round-up!

A little Glow-in-the-Dark paint and chipboard pennants come together to create this fun Glow-in-the-Dark Halloween Banner. It's the perfect amount of spooky fright to delight any trick-or-treater.

Another favorite of mine in seasonal decor are free printables! I typically have one simple, white frame that I rotate printables through all year long. To download my Free Halloween Printable, click here!

If you're looking for a wreath alternative for your door this year, try out my easy Burlap Door Hanging. It's fun, whimsical and slightly unexpected!

Have you ever tried tracing an image using a charcoal transfer method? That's exactly what I did to create this easy, hand-painted Halloween sign. Once you learn this method, you'll try it out for all sorts of home decor projects (I promise!)!

From 52 Mantels, have a Happy, Crafty Halloween!

DIY Pretty Pillow from Placemats

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi Pocket Full of Pink readers! I'm so excited to be here with you today! My name is Barbara and I blog over at Chase the Star, where I share simple and inexpensive craft tutorials, furniture transformations, and even a recipe or two!

I'm always drawn to throw pillows everywhere I go. I certainly don't need any more, but of course I can always make room for one more. Well, while perusing the GW (Goodwill Thrift Store) this past weekend, I spotted these pretty placemats:

Another thing I didn't need more of, and especially a small set of just 2..BUT...they were new with tags from Target, a rare occurrence at the GW. They were my fave color, blue. I was digging the Ikat pattern, and they were just 99 cents each. Duh, no brainer!

More throw pillows for me!

Pretty Ikat pattern I dig

Placemat to Pillow Tutorial:

Once I ran them through the washer (they are from a thrift store after all), I ironed them gently to remove any wrinkles and creases.

A seam ripper easily opened up one of the short sides of the placemat:

Recycled a pillow insert I already had and put it inside the opened up placemat:

Folded the ends down and held them together with sewing pins:

Lastly, I sewed a simple straight line across with my sewing machine (by the way, this is the only sewing I can do, with or without a machine. Don't judge me!)

Side Note:

Special thanks to my MIL for the sewing tute a few weeks back. Otherwise, I'd be sharing with you on how to add fabric glue to 'sew' this baby up!

Again don't judge me, and don't knock the fabric glue; it's how I made these pillows (and so many more that I don't have pics of)!

Pillows on my front porch

That was all it took to go from this:

To this!

!!99 cents total price for this project--!!HOLLA!!

I had one pillow insert, so I made just one throw pillow and still have another placemat to get creative with!

Thanks so much to Karen for having me here today, I love your blog, and it's an honor to get to share my project with your fabulous readers!

I'd love to have you visit my blog soon, and look for me here:

Thanks so much for hanging out at my blog Barbara! What a great idea:)

7 Simple Halloween Gift Ideas!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hey Everyone! I'm Laurie and for about a year I've had a blog titled The Rookie Wife. Recently though I found out I was preggers so to celebrate I created a brand spankin' NEW blog where I can update on all things related to baby and also my upcoming projects and my adventures of decorating our NEW house which we move into at the end of this month. I totally LOVE Karen and her adorable blog, so I jumped at the chance to Guest Post for her!

"This is Halloween, This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, HALLLLLOWEEEN!!!"

So maybe I've been watching one too many Halloween movies. & The Nightmare Before Christmas is totally one of my favs.

I LOVE Halloween, not really sure what I love about it exactly. Maybe I love dressing up in crazy costumes, or all the candy I get to ~~steal~~ um, "borrow" from my son. I love the scary haunted houses and the cool fall nights.

I've been pin happy when it comes to Halloween on Pinterest. (Sorry if you are a Pinterest follower!) I've collected quite a few awesome, but simple Halloween "gift" ideas. These are cute gifts for teachers, coworkers, neighbors, or just somebody you wanna wish a Happy Halloween too!

I mean, how easy is playdoh to make? REALLY. This is a super cute idea for a class gift. Of course Nick is way old and would totally kill me if I gave him playdoh to give as gifts. However, it would go over well with the 6 year old and younger set.

Love the candy bouquet. Because, let's face it.. who the heck doesn't love candy? If you don't love candy.. well. Something is seriously wrong with you.

I LOVE mason jars, so therefore I love GIFTS in Mason Jars. Can someone make this for me? Please?!?????

Totally cute idea! Some cake mix, cake icing, cupcake wrappers, sprinkles and a cute kitchen towel all placed in a cute bucket to give as a gift. So easy, and cheap!

Probably my fav gift idea for teachers, after all. Germs ARE Scary. And you can get these for a steal at Bath and Body works. Last time I Checked they were 2 for $10. With the 20% off coupon you really can't beat the price.

Totally copying this idea for Nicks class treats this year, adorable, easy and fun.

How stinkin' cute is this gift in a jar? You can really make jar gifts work for any holiday for any occasion. and it takes, what? like 3 minutes to put together? That's all it takes to totally make someones day. :)

Love all these awesome ideas! I have to admit, I LOVE Halloween as well! Thanks for stopping by Laurie!

16 DIY Halloween Crafts!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I just want to give a big "Thank You" to those of you who have stepped up to help me with guest posting while I am away! You all are the best!

You are sure in for a treat starting October 24! There will be some STELLAR Bloggers here introducing their blogs and talents. I hope you will all visit their blogs and say Hi!

Now on to some fun Halloween projects that I have done in the past, I thought I would share with you in case you weren't a follower back then!

1. Black Pedestool redo

2. Fall Burlap Wreath

3. Boo Blocks and recycled Juice Can

4. Fall Topiaries

5. Boo Plaque

6. Autumn Burlap Table Runner

7. Simple Happy Halloween Card

8. Trick or Treat Blocks

9. Boo Mini Cards

10. Halloween Banner

11. Boo Spider Tags

12. Smell my Feet Plaque redo
13. Autumn Leaves Mini Cards

14. Happy Halloween Blocks

15. Spooky Subway Art

16. Trick or Treat Wreath

These are some of my favorite projects I have done in the past. I hope you enjoy them!

Happy Friday!

Wall Paper Removal, New Cupboards and Guest Post!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:48:00 +0000

Hi Friends!

I know my posts have been kind of scarce lately and I apologize!

I have been busy though. I am really excited because we are going to give our kitchen an overhaul!

The last few weeks I have been working on ripping wallpaper off my kitchen walls....and I mean EVERY stinkin' wall!!

Here is me scraping off the wallpaper. It took A LONG time!

This is the color I am going to paint 2 walls in the kitchen. It's called "Toasted Nutmeg." The other walls and ceiling will be "Popped Corn." (white)

The plan is to put Board and Battan on the lower half of the 2 walls with the Toasted Nutmeg. I think it will look nice! I found a cool tutorial for the Board and Battan here.

I am not completely decided about my kitchen cupboards, but I really like these from Martha Stewart Living. Right now my cupboards are a ugly, dark wood that is about 30+ years old, with no knobs!

************************************

In other news.....Remember I told you that my husband and I have recently celebrated our 20th anniversary? Well, we are going to Hawaii to celebrate....VERY SOON:) I have been planning this trip for about 6 months. I can't wait!!

Doesn't that look DIVINE? I am so there.....very soon:)

Did you hear that? Hawaii is calling me!!

*****Oh, and I almost forgot! Would you like to Guest Post for me while I am away? I would love to have you. It doesn't have to be anything fancy.

You could do a tutorial (doesn't have to be new), a post introducing your blog and maybe some crafts you have been working on lately.

Seriously. Let me know and I will schedule you in! I love to check out new blogs:)

DIY Vintage Wood Crate

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 18:36:00 +0000

Hi All!

How was your weekend? I had a very lovely and relaxing weekend. I watched the LDS General Conference and it was VERY inspiring and uplifting. Watching it always makes me want to be a better person. I love how I feel when I watch it.

Is the weather beautiful where you are? I can't believe the gorgeous weather we have been having here in Oregon! I am enjoying every minute of it, because any day the rain could start, then it's not so great.

Totally unrelated....my hubby helped me make this cute Apple Crate the other day:

Isn't it just adorable? I love how it turned out.

I wasn't really sure how it would turn out, so I didn't take pictures until it was done! You know when you really aren't sure if something is going to work out the way you hope it will? I used wood from an old wood pallet that our new bed came on a few months ago!

I may stencil something on the front, and I kinda want to stain it was well. I would love to hear your opinions!

I love old vintage looking crates and I have always wanted one on my front porch!

Here are some other lovely DIY crates:

These ladies AMAZE me with their DIY talent! They have so Fabulous tutorials on their blog! Find this one here.

This DIY crate was made for only $4!! Can't beat that price. I love how she white washed it. Find her tutorial here.

I am lovin' this Yardstick crate from Seven Sisters! Find the tutorial here.

Here is one of my favorite DIY crates! Janet at Today's Fabulous Finds has a great tutorial for her Paint Stick Crate. Check it out here.

Don't these just get you in the mood for FALL? I am obsessed with them all and want to make about 10 more!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Repurposed Bathroom Mirror

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:16:00 +0000

I have had this mirror in my bathroom for about 10+ years!

It's nice, but I have been getting REALLY sick of it lately. It just sits there and gets dirty and it's so plain!

Well, the other day, I went in to the bathroom, ripped the mirror off the wall and decided it was time for a change.

First, I took the 2 pieces of wood out of the center that made it look like a window.

Then, I took out all of the staples that were left on the mirror with my needle nosed pliers.

Next, I took it outside and sanded it a bit.

Lastly, I added this cute Bathroom Subway Art that I ordered through Thoughts in Vinyl!

I love how something so easy and cheap can totally change the look of something. I have wanted Bathroom Subway Art forever and now everyone can see it when they are sitting on the potty:)

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!!

Easy DIY Fall and Halloween projects!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:56:00 +0000

Hello there!

Can you believe it's October 1st? I am amazed how quickly it has come, but I have to say I am VERY excited! It means I can officially decorate for Fall, right?

I kindof like to mix my Fall and Halloween decor, so I have a bit of both around the house.

My first one is this cute Harvest Time plaque from Finger Snapper. I am SO addicted to their Craft Kits! You should go check them out.

I just love how easy they are to put together! All I had to do was paint the pumpkin, add some scrapbook paper to the board and paint the stand black. EASY huh?

Here's one I did for Halloween. I bought 2 kits and made them a little different:

Isn't this little guy adorable? I am going to give 1 of them away to a friend.

I hope she likes Houndstooth! I sure do:)

I love how friendly Frankie looks! His face is adorable.

Are you working on Halloween projects already? I always get so excited about Halloween!!

DIY Spooky Boo Frame

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hello friends!

Today I want to share with you my Spooky Boo Frame:

Everything I made this with I already had on hand! Super cheap and Easy:)

Supplies you will need:

-Old frame from thrift store {I got mine at Salvation Army for about 1$}

-Paint {I used Black and Wedding Cake white}

-Sponge brush

-vinyl lettering {or you could cut the letters out of paper}

-scrapbook paper

-sticky back foamie pumpkins {I think I got these at Micheal's}

1. Grab your frame and take the glass and backing out.

2. Paint the frame black using foam brush {I just did 1 coat}.

3. Pick your scrapbook paper and trace the size out using the backing on the frame.

4. Just a cool picture of what my paper looks like!

5. Frame painted and with paper inserted.

6. Sponge brush over black paint with white paint. I didn't cover all the black. I like the way it makes it look kinda spooky!

7. Apply pumpkins and vinyl lettering to paper {not the glass on the frame!}

8. Slide the finished masterpiece into the frame.

Now you have a cute decoration that you can switch out with other fun inserts!

I love interchangeable decorations:)

Hope your having a fantastic weekend!!

This was previously posted at Katie {Did}it as part of her Halloween series.