Pockets and Pebbles

Necklace Hangers

2011-10-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

My long necklaces just lay in a pile and get all tangled. I needed a way to hang them but I couldn't find anything that I liked that had small enough hooks. So...I made my own.

Items Needed:

Scrapbook paper
Wooden Blocks
Mod Podge & Brush
Hooks
Paint
Ribbon (not pictured)
Hot Glue Gun (not pictured)

First: Paint your block and let them dry. Then cut your scrapbook paper to the size of the block.

The screw your hooks in where you want them. I actually just screwed these in with my hands. I didn't paint my whole block because that's the paper is going to cover it.

Mod Podge your paper to your block. Then put a coat of Mod Podge over the paper to give it a glossy look.

Let it dry.

Glue some matching ribbon to the sides so it can hang from a nail on the wall.

Then hang your necklaces! I had everything on hand and it only took me about 15 minutes (plus drying time.) This is a super easy project and can be finish in a short amount of time.

Have fun!

Kids Coat Hangers

2011-10-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm always looking for my kids jackets when it's time to leave. These coat hangers give them a specific place to hang their jackets and it gives them a little responsibility too. Hopefully their jackets will be easier to find as we're running out the door.

Materials needed:

Wooded Hooks
Paint & Brushes
Nails & Hammer to hang it up

I got these wooden flower hooks at Hobby Lobby. Just paint and hang. Simple as that!

Bow Board

2011-07-11T15:35:00.001-07:00

We love our hair bows at my house. With 2 little girls, we can never have too many. My other bow board is overflowing so I decided it was time for another. ( I know, two boards is a little much).

Supplies Needed:

Board ( I used an old cork board)
Paint and brush
Fabric
Ribbon
Scissors
Glue Gun

First, paint the board and let it dry. (Depending on what kind of board you have.) It's okay to get it on the cork because it will be covered up with fabric.

Then cut your fabric a little larger than the space you want to cover. That way you can fold over the unfinished edge.

Get some ribbon and cut it into strips. I laid it out so I could see how I wanted it. Also, if the ribbon is a little wider, it holds the bows easier.

Then, fold the corners of the fabric under so it's a nice clean corner. Then glue it down. Glue all 4 corners but leave the side free for now.

Then glue all the ribbon ends under the fabric in the pattern you like.

I think a criss-cross pattern works the best. There is more space to hang bows.

Then go back and glue the fabric down around all the edges.

Make sure to glue each intersection of the ribbon. Glue it down to the fabric and also to the other ribbon. This will provide support for your bows so they don't flop around.

You can hang your board however it works best for you. I just glued some ribbon to the back of each side.

And you have a fun bow board! It doesn't have to be perfect because all those pretty bows will cover most of your board. Hopefully you don't have an obsession with hair bows like me and you'll only have to make one of these. :)

Father's Day Frames

2011-06-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

I guess I should have posted this earlier so others could have a chance to make it, but I just finished the day before Father's Day. :)

Supplies needed:

Wooden letters- "D" & "A" (You can use the D twice)
Paint and paint brush
Picture frames
Camera
Pictures

First, paint the letters any color you want. I chose black so it would be easier to see. Then let them dry.

I took my kids outside to take pictures of them holding the letters. I took A LOT of pictures just to get them looking at the camera. Since I only have 2 kids, I took a picture of them together for the 3rd frame.

This is a really simply project (if you can get your kids to cooperate for pictures.) I think it'll look great on "Dad's" desk at work!

Ribbon Flag Wreath

2011-06-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for something patriotic to hang on my door this year. I found this tutorial on the Ribbon Retreat and had to try it. I think it turned out so cute! Thanks Shirley for the idea!
http://www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/ribbon-flag-wreath.html

Home made Oreo Blizzards

2011-05-04T15:57:00.001-07:00

I love Oreo Blizzards from Dairy Queen but they can be a bit pricey. So, I decided to make my own at home for WAY less money!

All you need is:

Vanilla Ice cream
Oreo cookies (or whatever kind of treat you would like)
Bowl
Spoon

Just scoop your ice cream into a bowl. Break the cookies apart and smash them into the ice cream. (I like to crush the cookies in a separate bowl before mixing with the ice cream.)
Then mix it all together.

This is so easy and really inexpensive. Give it a try!

Cafe Rio Style Salads

2011-04-25T16:08:00.001-07:00

Don't let the poor picture quality fool you...these salads are so delicious and surprisingly easy to make! They are great for big family gatherings!

This recipe serves 6-8 people.

You will want to have the following toppings for your salads:

Tortillas (go on the bottom. I suggest buying the dough tortillas from Costco. They are easy to cook and the fresh tortilla taste is well worth a special trip)

Meat (see Pork Barbacoa recipe below)

Beans (I prefer black beans, but pinto beans will work, too. We just use 3 cans of beans and heat them up.)

Mexican style rice (see recipe below)

Lettuce (I prefer Romaine)

Shredded Cheese

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing (see recipe below)

Crushed tortilla chips (for die-hard Cafe Rio fans, you can order a side of their chips from their restaurant, but tortilla chips have worked fine for my family.)

Other garnishes may include: paremesan cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro

Pork Barbacoa recipe:

3 lb. Pork roast

16 oz. Salsa

1 can Coca Cola

2 C brown sugar

Water

Put roast in crock pot, fill half way with water. Cook on high for 5 hours. Take pork out and drain liquid. Cut roast into 3-4 sections, put back in crock pot. Mix coke and brown sugar. Pour over roast, along with salsa. Cook on high 3 more hours; shred with fork.

Personally, if I have time, I like to shred the meat, pour out some of the liquid in the crock pot, and cook the meat another couple of hours in the leftover liquid. It makes it extremely moist.

Mexican Style White Rice Recipe:

3 C water

4 t chicken boullion (I usually just throw in a boullion cube)

4 t minced garlic

1/2 bunch of cilantro

1 small can green chiles

3/4 t salt

1 T butter

3 C rice

Juice from 2 limes

Blend cilantro, green chiles, and garlic in blender. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients. Simmer covered 30 minutes (or until rice is soft). I have tried using brown rice before, and it doesn't seem to work very well for this recipe, so I don't suggest it.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing Recipe:

1 pkg Hidden Valley Rach Dressing

1 C mayo

1 C chopped cilantro

2 cloves minced garlic

3 chopped tomatillos (make sure to peel the paper off)

1/3 C-1/2 C buttermilk, to desired consistency

1/4 t Cayenne pepper (or you may use 1 jalapeno or green tobasco sauce)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.

Navajo Tacos

2011-04-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

I used Rhode's Rolls for the bread. You can make your own dough but I like taking the easy way out. I let the rolls rise for 4-5 hours. (Follow the instructions on the package).

Then smash them flat. (I used 2 rolls for adults and 1 roll for the kiddos.)

Then fry them for about a minute on each side.

Then pick whatever toppings you would like. I used:

Chili
Cheese
Salsa
Lettuce
Sour Cream

This was really simple. It takes a little planning since the rolls have to rise for a few hours, but other than that, super simple!

Enjoy!

Cottage Cheese Fruit Salad

2011-03-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on a different blog but can't find where it was, but this is not my original recipe. I've had this jello before but never knew what it was made with and I definitely didn't know how easy it was. Other wise I would have made it a long time ago.

You will need:

1 Carton Cottage Cheese
1 3oz pkg. Jello (any flavor)
9 oz tub of Cool Whip
Fresh Fruit

Combine all ingredients (except fruit) into a large bowl and mix until the jello is dissolved. Then add your fruit and mix together. It's that easy!

For mine, I used strawberry jello and used canned pineapple and fresh bananas.

Enjoy!

Custom Clothing

2011-03-27T11:26:00.001-07:00

This project was done on my Silhouette. You'll need roll of smooth heat transfer material (I bought pink) and a white shirt.

Put the heat transfer material into the silhouette as the instructions say on the box. If you want to cut words out, you'll want to flip your project before cutting it out so it'll read the right way.

Once your pattern is cut, peel off the negative space to leave only your picture on the clear transfer sheet.

Then, put your picture on your shirt facing the right way. Put a cloth over it and iron firmly for 1-2 minutes.
Then slowly peel the plastic off and carefully iron your project.

The great thing about this, is this material comes in so many colors and you can put it on any material. You can make shirts, pillows, aprons or whatever you would like. I can't wait to make my girls some custom shirts for our favorite football team.

Sherbet Delight

2011-03-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

Sherbet Delight has become my favorite snack lately. It's really easy, and very tasty. All you need are two ingredients:

Sherbet
7-up (or a lemon lime soda)

Scoop the sherbet into a cup then add the soda. It's just like a root beer float, but without the ice cream....or the root beer. :)

You can use any flavor of sherbet although I like the rainbow flavor the best.

Super easy and very tasty. Enjoy!

Onion Soup Potatoes

2011-01-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite side dishes. They're SUPER easy to make, and they taste great.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Packet Onion Soup Mix
5-7 Red Potatoes

Wash your red potatoes and cut them into chunks. Put them in a large baggie along with the oil and onion soup mix. Shake well.

Put into a dish and bake @ 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

And you're done. How easy is that?

Oreo Cookies

2010-12-19T15:37:00.001-08:00

These homemade Oreo cookies are tasty and pretty simple to make. If you don't want to make them into a sandwich with frosting, the cookies are good just by themselves.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. devils food cake mix
1 1/2 C. Shortening
1 tsp. Vanilla
4 Eggs

Mix together and roll into small balls. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Don't over cook. Cool and frost cookies to make Oreo sandwich cookie.

Frosting:

2 C. Powdered Sugar
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 C. Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla

This is such a tasty treat!

Freezer Paper

2010-11-23T20:02:00.001-08:00

I wanted to dress up this plain t-shirt so I made my own design.

Supplies needed:

Freezer paper
Fabric Paint & paint brush
Shirt (or something else you want to dress up)
Craft knife
Marker
Tape
Picture
Iron
Cardboard

I started to make this by hand, then I realized I can use my silhouette machine. I'll give you instructions for doing it by hand though.

First, find a picture you want. Tape it to the smooth side of your freezer paper. Then trace the design with a marker onto the freezer paper. Then take the tape off and separate the papers.

Use your craft knife to cut the design out of your freezer paper. (This is where I decided to use the Silhouette.)

Once your design is cut, iron it to your fabric with the shiny side down. Make sure to iron all the little corners so the paint doesn't spread.

Make sure to put cardboard under the top layer of the shirt so the paint doesn't leak through to the other side. Then get your fabric paint and dab it into the empty spaces in your design.

Let the paint dry. I was impatient so I used my blow dryer.

Then gently pull the freezer paper off and let the paint dry for 48 hours.

This is such a fun way to dress up any plain material. This project looks a lot better in person. It's hard to tell what it really looks like because my paint had glitter in it.

Happy Crafting!

Holiday Blocks

2010-11-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

These are a fun way to decorate your house for each holiday. But it doesn't even have to be for a holiday, I also made "SNOW" blocks also, so when Christmas is over, I'll still have something fun out.

Supplies needed:

Wooden Blocks
Printed paper
Pencil
Scissors
Paint & brushes
Mod Podge
Vinyl
Any accessories to dress up your blocks.
( I used ribbon to make a bow and buttons.)
Hot Glue

To save some money, I went went to the hardware store and bought some lumber. My dad cut and sanded it for me with his fancy tools which saved me TONS of time. (Thanks dad!) I also picked up some fun paper at the craft store.

Before I painted the blocks, I traced them on the paper so I would know what size to cut them out. Then cut the paper out.

Paint your blocks a color to match your paper.

Once the paint is dry, glue the paper onto the blocks with Mod Podge. Then cut out your vinyl letters and place them on each block.

Once the vinyl is on, cover the paper and vinyl with Mod Podge. This gives it a finished look and seals it well.

Once the Mod Podge is dry, use any thing to dress up your block, or you can even leave them plain. They are still cute!

And you're done. How simple was that? I'm planning to make a set for each holiday.

Letter Frames

2010-11-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

I made these for my girl's rooms and thought they were cute. And better yet, they were really easy. The materials needed are:

Letters
Picture Frame
Paint
Paint brush
Colored paper
Ribbon
Hot Glue Gun w/ glue
Embellishments (I used flowers and buttons)

First you will need letters and a picture frame. I actually bought these at a craft store with the holes already punched.

First, paint the letters and the picture frame any color you like.
Then trace the back of the picture frame onto your colored paper.

Once the paint dries, glue the letter to the paper, and insert the paper into the frame. Then put the back on the frame.

Decorate the frame how ever you would like. I had these flowers and buttons already and they matched my daughter's room perfectly.

Then string the ribbon through the holes. If your frame doesn't have holes, just glue the ribbon to the back of the frame.

And there you have it. A cute way to decorate you child's room.

Fabric Garland

2010-11-08T17:02:00.001-08:00

Many of us like to decorate our houses for the upcoming holidays. An inexpensive, easy way to dress up a stair rail or a shelf is with a fabric garland. No sewing required!

Gather together 3-4 different types of fabric. The fabric shown above was picked for a fall garland. Just make sure the fabrics aren't too busy, and that the colors blend well together. The amount of fabric you will need will depend on your garland length. I made a 7 foot garland, and I got 1 yard of each fabric shown above (4 yards in total). I had fabric left over.

Cut the fabric into strips. Keep strips thin enough that they are easy to tie a knot with, but not so thin that the colors will not show on the garland well. My strips were about 1 inch by 4 inches. Shorter strips will make a skinnier garland, while longer strips make a thicker garland.

Cut a sturdy string a little longer than the desired length of your garland (you will lose a small amount of the string length as you tie). Make sure your string is durable, so it will not break while you are tying fabric to it. Also, when the garland is completed, it is surprisingly heavy, so it needs to be durable enough to handle the weight. Tie strips in a knot around the string in a pattern (shown on this garland is yellow, orange, brown, and green), sliding them tight together as you go.

Once you fill the entire garland with fabric knots, hang it in your desired location and you have an easy, cute decoration!

Some ideas for garlands may be:

Fall (shown above)

Halloween (blacks, oranges, purples, greens, whites)

Christmas (reds, greens, whites, silvers, golds)

Spring (pastels)

Valentine's Day (reds, pinks, whites)

4th of July (reds, whites, blues)

Birthday parties

to decorate nurseries.

The Beauty of Banana Bread

2010-11-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

If there's one fall recipe I love to make it's definitely Banana Bread! Growing up, my mother always make multiple batches of Banana bread to share with all the neighbors and family. Now that I'm older and have my own little family, I realize this is just one treat/tradition I can't live without!
Seeing that banana's are one of the easiest/only fruits my child will eat, I always have an abundance of over-ripe "nana's" around my kitchen. Here is a super-quick recipe to help you put those "nana's" to use!

Easy Banana Bread Recipe

1/2 cup shortening or butter ( I use butter since it's a little healthier!)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs: beaten
3 ripe bananas
1 Tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1/4 Tsp Salt
4 Tsp sour milk (Or add 1/8 tsp vinegar to regular milk)

Instructions:
Cream shortening/butter and add oil and sugar. Beat well.
Beat eggs and add them and the bananas (Mashed) to the creamed mixture.
Sift flour, salt and baking soda into mixture.
Add the sour milk or milk + vinegar and bean until smooth.
Bake in a greased pan at 350 degrees
Cook Time:
About 1 hour for a large loaf
About 40 minutes for medium sized loaves
About 25-30 minutes for smaller individual sized loaves that I like to make for neighbors and friends!

Have fun with this recipe! There's no way you can mess this one up!

Fall Frames

2010-11-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

During Fall I see all the pretty colors of the leaves and wish I could take them home! I started picking some of the leaves I would see and when I brought them home, I decided they would be fun to put onto a picture frame.

All you need:

blank/unfinished picture frame (You can even recycle old frames you don't use or go to the thrift store. The one in the picture was $1 at Michael's)
Mod Podge
Brush
leaves (Softer leaves are easier)
newspaper (It's a little messy) and...
creativity! :0)

Hint: If you bring your leaves home and put them into the freezer, they stay soft! They never go crunchy!

This is a fun activity to do with kids! My kid used a LOT of Mod Podge! The more Mod Podge the prettier the finish!

Enjoy!

Fun and Easy Halloween Snack..

2010-10-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

For an office Halloween party I brought these cute little mummy wrapped hot dogs. They were super easy and delicious. First I cut hot dogs in half. Then I used a pizza cutter to slice up croissant dough. I stretched the pieces and wrapped the dough around my hot dogs. Make sure you leave room for a face. Bake for 11-13 minutes at 375 degrees. Let your mummies cool before giving them a face or else it will melt off. :) I put mustard in a Ziploc bag that I cut a tiny hole to paint on the face. Also consider using sausage or little smokeys. Happy Halloween! :)

FHE Board

2010-10-03T11:52:00.001-07:00

Materials needed:

Wooden board
Wooden tags
Vinyl & transfer paper
Paint & brushes
Nail
Sand paper
Hooks
Ribbon

I did this project at a Super Saturday activity but I thought I'd share so others can make one too. First, get a wooden board and paint it. Then sand the edges to make it look more antique like. ( I should have sanded mine a little more.)

Then cut your vinyl. (This may be hard if you don't have a machine, so find someone that has one.) Then lay out your vinyl and stick it to the board.

Get a nail and pound a small hole where you want your hooks to be. Then slowly screw your hooks into place.

Paint your wooden tags and attach each name to each tag. You can adjust your board to how many people you have in your family or leave a few spots blank if your family is growing. :) I painted mine different colors just to mix it up, but you can paint them the same color as the board if you'd like. Then get some ribbon and put them through the hole on your tags. this makes it so they can hang.

Now you have a family home evening board. Each family member can be responsible for a part of FHE and for any spots that don't have names, you can double up.

Cute Mouse Pad

2010-07-21T20:50:00.001-07:00

I have an old mouse pad that wasn't very pretty. I thought I could dress it up and make it a lot cuter. The best part is ... it only took about 5 minutes!

First, get your mouse pad and a square of fabric that is slightly larger than the mouse pad. Lay the pad face down on the wrong side of the fabric.

Second, fold the corners in and glue them in place using some kind of adhesive. (I used Mod Podge).

Third, put mod podge on the four straight edges and fold them.

Forth, let dry.

I can't wait to put this on my desk at work to brighten the space a bit!

EASY Freezer Jam

2010-07-18T15:25:00.001-07:00

This is not my recipe, but I've never made freezer jam before but I love how it tastes. It's much better tasting (in my opinion) than store bought jam and it's much cheaper.

You can use any fruit but I decided on strawberries. I bought 4 lbs. of strawberries and mushed them up in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the package of pectin and 1 1/2 cups of sugar together.

Then add the sugar/pectin mixture to the crushed strawberries. Then pour the jam into freezer containers leaving a little room at the top for expansion.
Let the jam sit for half hour, then seal it up and put it in your freezer.

This jam will last for 1 year in the freezer and 2 weeks in the fridge. I'm going to make another batch so we'll have enough for the next year. It's a great way to stock up while strawberries are in season.

Children's Bibs

2010-07-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

We are constantly using bibs at our house but I've noticed that the bibs I buy at the store are never long enough and never cover my kid's clothes very well. So here is an alternative. These bibs are VERY easy and only take about 10-20 minutes to make. First I bought some dish towels at the store while they were on sale.

Cut the towel right down the middle.

Then finish the edge that was cut. I surged mine but you can do a double fold and then sew.

Next, just hem the side you just finished off.

Then, I cut a small line (about 1-2 inches) on the top center of the towel. Then I cut a hole that will end up going around the neck. Make sure it's large enough to wrap around your child's neck comfortably.

I surged the neck whole and then sewed some bias tape around. (I found it at walmart, but you can get it at any craft store.) Then I just sewed a little bit of velcro on the top to hold it together. ( You can also use snaps). Since you cut your towel in half, you can make another bib out of the other side of the towel. Two bibs out of one towel!

And here's the finished bib. It's big enough to cover her shirt completely yet still so girly!

Time Out Stool

2010-06-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, anyone with little kids needs a "time out" spot somewhere in their home- this is a cute, easy, inexpensive way to designate an area in your house for time out.

Supplies needed:

Unfinished wooden stool (available at most craft stores. I bought mine at Hobby Lobby on sale for $4)

Sandpaper

Acrylic paint (one for the base color and another for the lettering. One bottle is more than enough to cover the entire stool a few times)

Paint brushes

Varnish/sealant

Directions:

Sand any rough spots on the stool. Wipe off all sawdust. Using the paint brush, paint the entire stool with one color of paint. You may need to apply 2 coats (make sure first coat is completely dry before applying the second coat).

Once the paint is dry, sand the edges to create a worn look, if desired (the stool in the picture has the edges sanded)

Use a computer font or hand-draw the wording you want on your stool onto a piece of paper. Paint the wording onto your stool using your practice sheet to guide you (see other wording options below).

Once the wording paint is completely dry, use your paint brush to apply a varnish or sealant onto the stool to protect it. Allow to dry completely.

You now have a great "time-out" spot for the kids.

Wording alternatives: You may use vinyl or stencils to get a cleaner look. If drawing free-hand makes you nervous, you can also try this:

Print the letters off from the computer onto a piece of paper exactly how you want them. Using a lead pencil, rub the lead on the BACK of the paper, anywhere the wording covers. Place the paper, wording side up (and lead side down) onto the stool where you would like the wording to appear. Tape the corners of the paper to hold it in place. Using your pencil and pushing down firmly, trace the lettering. Remove the paper and the tape. There should be a faint impression in lead of the lettering on the surface of the stool. Use this to guide you as you paint your letters.