Stamped Gift Bags

We try to get our girls involved in giving, especially during the Christmas season – a time when it seems the focus for them (and probably most of us, actually!) is often on getting.

In addition to participating in Operation Christmas Child and other missions during the holidays (which we involve the girls with as well), this year we decided to give gifts to our neighbors. My toddlers and I decorated the paper gift bags using Christmas-themed stamps. They had a lot of fun (and so did I – haha)! We will also deliver all the gifts together. If your kiddos are older, they could get a bit fancier with how they decorate the paper bags. You could also use other stamps to decorate bags for other holidays and special occasions (Thanksgiving, Easter, birthdays, graduations, etc.). The possibilities are endless!

I thought they turned out pretty cute! I found the treat bags, stamps, and ink on Amazon.

“You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Kitchen Makeover

Back in mid-May I began our kitchen makeover. It was quite the project, with the DIY pieces taking over 55 hours to complete. Yikes :/. I’m so happy with the finished product, though!

I’ll give you a quick before and after photo before explaining all the changes we made.

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I just love it :). Ok, now for all the changes…  Continue reading »

Kitchen Project: Sherwin Williams ProClassic Paint

I’ve now completed two cabinet painting projects. The first one was our bathroom vanity. You can read about that here. The second one was our kitchen cabinets. This was a MUCH larger project than the bathroom vanity, but it was SO worth every bit of the 50+ hours it took to complete the project. Thankfully I had some help from a good friend and the hubs!

I used different paint for the kitchen cabinets than I did for the bathroom (per a recommendation from a friend’s mom who knows a professional painter), and boy, I’m glad I did!

I used Benjamin Moore Fresh Start primer and Sherwin Williams ProClassic paint. The picture below shows the primer in white, but I actually used the deep base version and had it tinted. My paint color was Stratus by Valspar. Sherwin Williams color matched it perfectly.proclassic paint

Ok, so the Sherwin Williams paint, it’s expensive (I paid $50 for one gallon, and that was with 30% off), but it was worth every penny! This paint is amazing. It goes on thick, pretty much self-levels so you don’t have to mess with it much, and dries without that tacky/sticky feel that some cheaper paints have. It also dries quickly. I highly recommend it for painting cabinets.  Continue reading »

Update: Brass Be Gone!

Two years ago at about the same time I started this blog (Wow – I can’t believe it’s been that long ago!), I spray painted the knobs and hinges on the interior doors of our home. In that post, I told you I would keep you updated, so here’s the update! Continue reading »

Bathroom Vanity Redo

A few months ago, my husband and I decided to redo the vanity in our guest bathroom. We already painted the walls and bought a new shower curtain a couple years ago, but we still needed to spruce up the vanity. I’ll share with you the process of painting cabinets Fallon-style (aka – I have no idea if I did this correctly, but I think the cabinets turned out great!).

Here are the before pictures: Continue reading »

Craft Booth…Take One

My dad and I participated in our first ever craft fair this past weekend. It was quite the experience, and we learned a lot!

Pictures of our booth are below. I was happy with it for our first ever booth display. It just seemed so overwhelming, though – too much stuff in too small of a space.

We learned from other vendors that it’s not so much about having a ton of items as it is about having a really eye-catching display. Which, of course, makes sense. After seeing other craft booths over the weekend, we now have ideas about how to make our booth more inviting.

We plan to do this again, but need time to recuperate. Craft Booth…Take Two may have to wait a year :). This was exhausting! Lol.

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Check out my Shop to see the currently listed items.

What suggestions do you have about creating a successful craft booth?

DIY Personalized Ornate Frame

I have been looking all over for my inspiration picture and can’t seem to find it anywhere on my computer! Ugh. I guess I’ll just have to show you the final products by themselves.

Here are the personalized ornate frames I made for a couple individuals:

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Here’s how to make it…   Continue reading »

For Sale

Recently, I began selling some of my crafts at a local store. I’m so excited! I hope to have an Etsy shop soon…we’ll see. Be sure to check back in the coming weeks to see if I’ve opened one :). Below are some of the items I took to the local store – chalkboards, chicken wire frames, earring and necklace holders, and ‘I love you because…’ dry erase frames.

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Here are some other items I’ve made…

Do you have any business tips for me???

Chicken Wire Frame

My dad and I are selling crafts at a festival later this year. Here is one item I plan to sell (if I don’t end up keeping it for my own house :)).

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Simply staple chicken wire to a picture frame. The frame I used was about 24×21 inches from outer edge to outer edge. I did spray paint the picture frame first – I didn’t like the wood color it was originally, so I used a silvery colored spray paint. When I was finished, it looked too bland, so I added the fabric flowers.

This makes a great picture frame, as it allows you to quickly and easily switch out pictures as often as you like. You could also use it as a place to leave messages, love notes, lists of chores…the possibilities are endless :)!

I will definitely be making more of these.

Happy framing!

Good Company Always Welcome

My dad and I are participating (for the first time!) in a craft festival. We were just approved today to have our own craft booth. I’m so excited :)! Our main items for sale are upcycled windows and frames. So, my task this summer is to rummage for items we can use for crafting.

On my first major rummaging adventure last weekend, I found a gold mine of old windows. I bought 9 of them for $33.00 (that’s just $3.67 each).

Here is one window I created and plan to sell at the festival. The problem – I have no idea how much to ask  for it :/.

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Below are step-by-step instructions, along with pictures of the process. Continue reading »