Let's Paint a Christmas Wreath!

Tis the time of the year to get to creating! If you are like me, then you just can't seem to part with your paper bag collection. I always see endless ideas on Pinterest and Instagram for bags so I just can't part with them! Last year, I recycled my bags by painting them into holiday motif bags and it was so much fun. I have been doing it again this year and decided to film the process in case you'd like to join me.

Something fun I found is that...once your painting is complete, you have an original masterpiece that can be framed and enjoyed! 

Here's the process:

If you have children who need to scratch that creative itch over the holidays or are hosting a family gathering, this may be a fun activity for everyone!

And now I can't stop painting on bags and stuff!

Have fun!

Cassie's Christmas Closet!

Hey there! As I was unpacking my Christmas clothes at the start of the month, I decided to film the process. However...it was kinda boring just holding the clothing up so...I thought I'd try some on for ya! I only managed to scrape the tip of the Christmas clothes iceberg but these are my faves. I'd love to hear yours!

And...if you are looking to up your closet game, I highly recommend the following:

*Hit the thrift stores! I PERSONALLY...love to have one-of-a-kind items. So the thrift and resale shops are always the best. For those of you saying "I never find anything at the thrift store"...me neither! The key is to go often. And, if you can, go earlier rather than later in the day.

*Hit those sale racks! I never shop full retail. Never ever. I always put on my blinders and go straight to the sale rack. What other people decide is 'too weird' or 'out there' always ends up on the sale rack and, wouldn't you know, that's always my fave finds.

*MAKE IT YOURSELF! I know, you may not be able to sew but...I didn't either for the longest time. So...start with upcycling outfits by adding to them with your own bit of flair and just gradually go from there. You seriously won't regret learning a new skill like sewing, needle felting or the like.

*Have fun with what ya got! Chances are you have a closet full of possibilities. You just need to mix and match the patterns and prints a bit. You'll get better at this. My hot take: start adding more black and white dots and/or stripes to your wardrobe as THAT goest with everything and offers a flair of fun.

Happy Holidays, y'all!

My Christmas Tree Skirts to Lady Skirts Over the Years!

Hello, friends! If you've been hanging with me on this here blog for a while, then you know that I've transformed many Christmas tree skirts to lady skirts over the years. In fact, I've been doing it for so long that it was before I even created videos! So many of my tutorials were old school: photos and WORDS, y'all. Today I thought I'd take you on a little stroll down Christmas tree skirt to lady skirt lane in case you are so inclined to create your own. And you should! It's super fun! You can check out the skirt I made last year...here!

I have a coupla hot tips when it comes to this super easy craft. First...

* Get your tree skirt after the holidays. Pop into your local home dec, big box or craft store and scoop them up when they are half off or even cheaper.

* Vintage tree skirts can be found on Etsy or eBay. I've purchased a couple of my favorite ones from eBay. 

* Be on the lookout all year long! When I hit the thrift stores or estate sales, I always scoop up vintage tree skirts and stash them for later. 

* Get skirts that are large! If you order some online like from Amazon, be sure to check the measurements. Some tree skirts are meant for smaller trees...and could lead to a mini-skirt for ya!

* Get your self a crinoline. I get mine from Amazon. This will really give the skirt it's fullness so it can be admired in all of it's tree skirt glory.

Here's a video tutorial I created just for you:

If you'd like to visit my other blog posts with more step by step details, here's some of my skirts and the blog posts I've shared over the years. 

I can't believe this skirt is over 10 years old now! This was a hand-stitched tree skirt that I found on eBay. More details here. 

The following year, I made this skirt! I will say...this one is super warm and cozy BUT it was impossible to sew threw on my machine. So the skirt is just hanging on in the back with Velcro. This, I don't recommend. Cuz when your behind feels a draft...it's too late. All the gory deets here. 

Here's another vintage one purchased from eBay! Last year the zipper broke on this one so it looks like I'll be doing a little repairing before taking it out again. 

You'll notice how my tree skirts keep changing on my little vintage silver tree...that's because each year I pretty much rob my tree of it's skirt! Now this green tree skirt was a little shorter than others I have used. You can check out more about it here. 

Okay now this one...is actually a vintage round tablecloth! I did add the tinsel to the bottom and made it into a skirt much the same as the other skirts. More info here!

And that's it! I'm not sure if I'll make a tree skirt to lady skirt this year...even though I do have a back stash of skirts. You'll have to stay tuned on that one ;) Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Marker Print Snow Globes

Well, hello there! As you can see, I am CLEARLY snow globe obsessed at the moment. I shared my first Snow Globe lesson here and then shared a floating chalk print version here. Today I thought I'd share a version of adding color the background with little marker and water.  As a teacher...or a parent who loves to create with their artsy kiddos, these ideas will give you three fun options for completing your snow globes!

Let's talk supplies:

* Pizza pan, a sheet of aluminum foil or any non-porous, flat surface

* Paper. I'm using a mixed media paper or one that's a little thicker than copy paper. 

* Black permanent marker

* Water-based markers, I prefer Prang Markers

* Spritz or spray bottle of water

Here's the how-to video:

Just a reminder that you can get my free snow globe downloads here.

What I did find is that the lighter color markers work best...as the darker color markers are a little too dark and may hide the drawing underneath. But the real fun is in drawing a lotta these globes so you can explore a lotta printing. Also...I have found that using one of those misting spray bottles is the best as opposed to a regular spray bottle. AND the pizza pan is from Dollar Tree! 

If you need some drawing ideas, I got ya covered. Tap the link to download and print!

I can't wait to see what you and the artists in your life create! If you do share to social media, please make sure you tag me here so I can see!

I've got a lotta winter videos coming to my YouTube channel soon. So if you need some inspo, the best way to stay up to date is to subscribe. You can do that here. Chat soon!

Marker Print Wreath with Pop-Up Bow!

A couple of days ago, I shared a wreath drawing/marker painting lesson here. As I continued tinkering with this lesson idea, I thought it would be fun to try marker prints on a pizza pan. If that sentence leaves ya scratching your head, here's my video here:

For this, you'll need:

* A pizza pan, a sheet of foil or any non-porous surface for printing

* Crayons

 

* Water-based markers (not permanent)

* Spray bottle of water

* Mixed media paper (paper thicker than copy paper works great...but you could totally use copy paper in a pinch)

To add a little dimension to the wreath, I thought I'd add a little pop-up bow demo. I hope you have fun!