Days of Chalk and Chocolate - tutorial Days of Chalk and Chocolate: tutorial - All Post
Showing posts with label tutorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tutorial. Show all posts

Easter Egg Chalkboard Place Cards

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Hi Friends!   I whipped up some Easter egg place cards recently and they were so easy and fun to make!  I feel like chalkboard is the craft/decor world's little black dress in that it is always appropriate and it will never go out of style! 

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While browsing through Wal-mart the other day I came across these plastic eggs. I like them because they are dyeable with regular egg dye and they don't open so there is no little line around the middle. Brilliant!

chalkboard eggs1

To spray paint the eggs with chalkboard paint, I placed them back in the egg carton but skipped every other section. This keeps them from flying away when the spray hits them. These eggs are very light.

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I sprayed the top half with a good coating of the chalkboard paint. 
easter chalkboard place cards
Let them dry. Once dry, flip each egg over and spray the other side.
easter chalkboard place cards

Once that half was dry, I used a chalk paint pen, available at most craft stores, to write each name. 

easter chalkboard place cards

I think these chalkboard place cards would be cute for Easter brunch or an informal dinner.

easter chalkboard place cards
easter chalkboard place cards

The chalkboard theme gets carried to the centerpiece too. I painted a thrift store frame with chalk paint and sprayed the glass with chalkboard paint. It makes a cute tray for other little Easter decorations.

easter chalkboard place card


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Thank you!
Jenny 

How To Create A Pie Tasting Bar! Holiday Entertaining

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareTheJoyOfPie #CollectiveBias

Create a sweet pie bar complete with mini tasting servings of your favorite flavors and whipped topping!

 It is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the holidays, isn't it?  Shopping, wrapping, baking, planning...it is overwhelming at times. Slowing down on an afternoon with friends after a full day of shopping is the perfect way to savor the season and what better way to do that but with a sweet treat!  A pie tasting party is the perfect way to share the joy of pie!




I want my pie bar to be delicious but easy and affordable so buying my pies at Walmart makes sense.  I only ever buy Marie Callender's® Dessert Pies because I think they taste the best and the closest to homemade. There are so many varieties to choose from too!

 I found them in the frozen dessert section of the freezer aisles. I also scooped up a few cans of Reddi-Wip® whipped topping with which to crown my sweet tastings!


If you cannot keep your pies refrigerated on your pie bar I suggest choosing the non-cream pies such as the fruit or nut flavors. I chose Dutch Apple, Cherry Crunch, and Southern Pecan. Ok, fine..I bought a Razzleberry one too but that one is just for us! (Shhhhhh)


The next step is to create a pretty presentation. I want my guests to feel pampered and special after battling crowds!  One of my favorite tips for entertaining is to use good quality wrapping paper as a runner/table covering. It looks pretty, saves your tablecloths from stains, is affordable, and can be thrown away for easy clean up.


Next, after baking and cooling the pies, I cut them into squares instead of wedges. This allows me to easily slide pieces of pie into my cute little cups. I like to use clear cups so we can all see the gorgeous fruit and fillings.


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 If you don't have a tiered dessert tray on which to serve your pie tastings you can place the cups onto pretty platters instead. I think it is helpful to label the flavors so everyone knows what they are tasting and can go back for their favorites easily.

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Don't forget to provide a large can of Reddi-Wip® whipped topping!  It is the perfect complement to Marie Callender's® Dessert Pies.



pie-whipped cream-christmas-entertaining
pie-whipped cream-christmas-entertaining

In addition to the pie selection, be sure to include some festive beverages!  Eggnog with a flurry of cinnamon and glistening champagne are always holiday favorites.

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If you happen to have pie leftover the next day (but really, who has leftover pie?) I have a super easy recipe for you!  Cherry Crunch Pie Ice Cream!

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Cherry Crunch Pie Ice Cream

1 pint high quality vanilla ice cream
1/4 Marie Callender's Cherry Crunch Pie or about 1.5 cups

Directions:
1. Soften the vanilla ice cream in a large bowl or beat it in a stand mixture using the paddle attachment until soft.
2. Break up the pie into small pieces and stir it into the softened ice cream.
3. Spoon cherry crunch pie ice cream into an air tight container or in a dish covered with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm.

pie-whipped cream-christmas-entertaining

My daughters DEMOLISHED this ice cream!  It was so delicious and I am planning on using the Southern Pecan Pie next time.


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You can find a ton of ideas to share the joy of pie, recipes, and print money savings coupons here .  What would your favorite pie flavored ice cream be?

You can stay in touch with ConAgra Foods on Facebook, Twitter: @ConAgraFoods, Instagram: @ConAgraFoods, and Pinterest,

Cheers!
Jenny

Burlap and Lace Fall Silverware Pockets

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I love burlap and lace together....don't you?  The sweet and rustic balance is easy to decorate with and can be used in fancy occasions or just for the every day.  These little burlap and lace silverware pockets give a soft but rustic vibe to fall tablescapes and entertaining!


They were very easy to stitch up using this pretty ribbon I found at the craft store and while I sewed these, you can easily glue them or use a glue gun.


Choose a ribbon that is at least 2 inches wide. If you have wired ribbon like I did just pull each wire out of the sides after you cut the ribbon. 

Cut two pieces of ribbon: long piece=7" and short piece=5 "




Layer the short piece over the long piece, both right sides facing up.  \Sew around the edges starting the top of the short piece, down, and back up the other side. I ran my stitch up just a little past the short one and back stitched a few times so the seams didn't open when people pulled out the silverware.


It took me about 3 minutes to sew 5 of these pockets. I keep them in a basket in our dining room and it makes it very easy for the girls to set the table for dinner!






I hope you like this little fall craft project!  If you need a cheap centerpiece for your fall tablescape you can get an idea from this other fall craft idea

Cheers!
Jenny

Sweater Refashion to Cardigan (Upcycle plus size clothing)

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easy sweater refashion



4th of July Banner (Summer Craft)

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This summer craft 4th of July banner article was originally posted at Live Creatively Inspired, a contributor driven lifestyle website. Your favorite home, garden, and craft bloggers contributing great ideas in one place!


 Now, onto getting your 4th of July on!


 Wa-hoo!  Have you been getting into the spirit of the holiday with patriotic crafts?  I did! I created a quick and easy patriotic bunting but I used red, white, and blue in a more subtle way. This way, it doesn't scream "FLAG!" and I can use it throughout the summer!


Live Creatively Inspired: Artichoke Prep and Stuffing

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Happy Saturday!  I'm over at Live Creatively Inspired today, sharing a tutorial about how to prep and stuff artichokes. It is the perfect time of year since artichokes are best in early spring, and word has it, spring WILL come again.



Enjoy!
Jenny

Layered Curtains

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I love the look of layered curtains, especially when one is a pattern and one is solid in coordinating colors!  I've seen this in a couple of magazines and I decided I wanted to have this look as well. But alas, I didn't want to install a double rod. What to do?  



Your Favorite Posts! 2013 Top Ten Posts!

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2013 was a long, hard year. Granted, we are all healthy, safe, and comfortable and for that we are always grateful. But we tried to get lots of house projects done on a wee budget, I struggled as a stay-at-home mom, and, oh this and that, whine, whine, whine.
One of the bright spots for us was this blog and for me, personally, reaching out to YOU, friend. Connecting with you, enjoying your comments, appreciating your encouragement, and getting to know you is what drives me to continue blogging when I'm tired or burned out.
And so, in honor of my awesome readers, here are the posts that got the most action!





Make The Easiest Pillow Ever!

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You all know about my intense love of pillows. I make them constantly and Molly is always complaining about the plethora of pillows around the house. But I can't stop myself!  When I see a pretty fabric, towel, napkin, whatever, I immediately think about how I can turn it into a pillow cover. So when I found some winter napkins at Target last year after the season for $2  a piece I knew they'd be mine and I knew they'd become a pillow cover!  


I'm in the process of sewing two very sparkly pop star dresses for the girls for Christmas and frankly, I'm a bit burned out on sewing. So these had to come together fast.  This is how I made the easiest pillow cover ever.

Iron 2 napkins.



Cut 6-4 inch long lengths of ribbon and pinned them along one edge of each napkin facing in, right sides together. Make sure your ribbons are the same on both napkins. I didn't measure but I did put them on top of each other to make sure the ribbons lined up.



Stitch along each ribbon edge so they were secure. You will do this on each napkin.


Right sides together and ribbons lining up, stitch along the three sides that do not have ribbons.


Clip the corners to get a nicer corner when you turn them right side out. 


Turn the pillow cover right side out and insert your pillow form.  Tie each ribbon into a double knot.


Done!  It took me 15 minutes.  And now I have a little winter glam in my living room!  Happy!


You can check out some of my other pillows too, if you are interested!


In other news, I tweaked my gallery wall. I didn't do major changes but I added some things and moved some other things around. I am growing it over time as I accumulate things that appeal to me. I like how it's evolving.  Ack, the pictures are terrible! Click here for the before image.



I am still trying to get some Christmas pics up on the ole blog. I am in the process of editing the pictures so we'll see if I get them up this week. Hopefully!




Cheers!
Jenny

Tulle and Yarn Christmas Trees Tutorial

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As promised, here is a tutorial to make the pretty yarn and tulle ballerina inspired trees I made to decorate the girls' rooms. I think they came out so sweet, especially the tulle one!  I created Nutcracker inspired vignettes for their rooms and these trees are my favorite part!



There are a million yarn tree tutorials out there and I'm sure mine is the same as many. Still, here is what I did to create the yarn version.

Supplies:  Soft, fluffy yarn, sewing pins, beads, foam tree form


First, I secured the yarn in the form using a pin. I started from the bottom but I guess it doesn't matter.


Wind the yarn around the form, trying to keep the layers as close as possible which isn't easy with a fuzzy yarn.


Keep winding...

When you get to the top, secure the end of the yarn to the form with a pin. Now it's time to decorate!  Thread a pin through a bead like this:


Stick it into the tree!  Repeat oh about a million times. 



Supplies:  Tulle, sewing pins with the colored balls on the end, tree form.

The tulle tree was even easier.  I had tulle from a bolt so I gathered it together and cut it into fourths so it wouldn't be so wide. If you use the spools of tulle you can skip this step.



This time I did start from the top. I gathered the tulle together and pinned it to the form.


I wanted a tutu effect so I bunched it randomly as I wrapped the tulle around the cone. Every time I bunched I secured the tulle with a pin.  I let the tool pop out a bit so it looked frothy and free. You can make it as bunchy or as flat as you like.


Continue bunching and pinning as you wrap until the whole thing is covered. 


You can decorate the top with a star or something if your tree form cone is flat like mine. I decided to leave mine alone since I was happy with how they look. You can't see the top from their dressers so it was no big deal to leave it empty. You do as you want.

Ta Da!  Ballerina inspired trees! 

Cheers!
Jenny