The Missing Piece

If you have children or grandchildren you may have a puzzle with a missing piece or two.  This happened with my grandson's spongebob puzzle.  So we took a piece of stryofoam plate, laid it under the spot where the missing piece went.  Then traced, my artistic son drew the puzzle piece onto stryo piece, my grandson and I colored it in with matching markers and then we cut it out.,  Tada... can you see it?  It's the shoe on right side of puzzle.  Pretty tough to spot, huh?

DIY Christmas

So I'd really been going to town creating and being inspired by pinterest.  I still have some gifts I will be working on to come.  But here are a few projects I've dabbled with.

This was an old faded bamboo wind chime.  Here I had replaced the weathered string and spray painted the wood white.

I made a template on masking paper of a star to match the star on my Santa Claus (see below) that I was going to hang in center.  I cut star out with an x acto knife and spray painted the star onto the top on four different sides.

this is a wooden Christmas ornament that was in our Christmas ornament collection.  it worked perfectly, since I'd lost the middle piece of wood that was on the chime.

Here is the completed chime, even though the stars are not as visible in this picture.

This shows the stars but not the santa claus.  Can't have everything! 

 

Another pinterest inspiration.  branches I cut from a bush, spray painted with the fake snow paint, added to a clear vase, with ribbon and a few small red ball ornaments. Ta da...Easy!

a basket I got as a gift last year.  most of the year, it's in a cupboard holding my small lids to my glad wear but here i brought it out and added just some silk poinsettias, some gold ribbon and a pretty embroidered heart ornament.

 

this too was a pinterest inspiration.  however, I didn't want to make it too complicated.  I just used some red ribbon and looped over each section of chandelier, tying a ball ornament to each end.  I cut at different lengths, but didn't measure (just eyed it)  I hope to add more balls (which I hope to get at an after Christmas sale) next year for a wider span.  I used a combination of red and gold with one glass ornament that was a gift.  Definitely a simplified version but still took some time and patience. 

Easy no water snow globes.  Save either glass or plastic jars.  I used  plastic for my grandsons to play with, and glass for my own decorating.  I spray painted lid, bottom and inside either gold or silver.  I glued little miniatures with hot glue onto lid.  I then used some fake snow that was also sparkly (so I didn't need glitter too) Put lid on and shake up. Some of the glitter/snow sticks to the sides of jar because of static.  Really cute and easy.

Homemade ornament wall Christmas tree.  I didn't want to put up a big tree this year.  I actually only put up the top of our artificial and sat it on table top on deck in front of picture window.  I do not like the hassle of a big tree.  It seems my tree gets smaller as I get older.  Especially since my daughter who loved to decorate has her own home and tree to decorate.  And the boys in my family don't seem to get the joy from putting one up and decorating ...basically it is like pulling teeth.  So since the homemade ornaments are my favorite part I cleared a wall and started taping ornaments in a tree shape to wall.  It turned out kind of cool, I thought.  Only thing is almost everyday I hear a kerplunk as one falls off.  Nothing is breakable...thank goodness. I have tried masking tape and double sided tape, more masking tape and they still fall.  I just rehang them when they fall :)  I also filled in some empty spots with pretty bows. 

12 days before christmas tins, altoid tins with mini donuts(cheerios with icing and sprinkles), ornaments, candy, bugs, pet prayer rocks with instructions. etc.

 

I made these with my two grandsons for their parents.  I made salt dough ~ 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup water (as needed to make a soft dough)  roll it out, make hand impression. Next cut around edges of hand impression, use a straw or pen top to put a hole at top.  bake at 200F for 3 hours.  I let it continue to dry out overnight, then painted.  don't forget to have child write name (or do yourself) and year on back.  put a ribbon for hanging at the top.  My grandsons were so excited to give these to their mom and dad! 


 



Food Creations



Fun easy snowmen and fresh waffles for a week of good breakfasts



mini powdered donuts, candy corn noses and black icing for writing.  enjoyed making these with my grandson.  he did the noses and since the eyes and mouths took a steady hand, I did those! 

waffle mix ~follow directions, spray waffle iron with oil spray (I make my own by putting canola oil in spray bottle), spread oil into all cracks with oil brush.

Pour enough batter to cover bottom of waffle maker, sprinkle some chocolate chips, add more batter if there is room.  don't over fill...big mess

This is how the waffle should look when done.  Mine stuck a little (probably from the homemade no stick spray, doesn't spray as evenly:)  Use fork or spatula to lift off waffle iron.

I make about 6-8 and bag about 3 of them in zip sealed gallon baggies.  They can be warmed in microwave and are more fresh and less expensive than the store bought.  They are large, so one is usually one serving. 
I do this too with pancakes.  I make several at a time, saving to be warmed up by my family for a quick, fresh, easy breakfast!