Granola

My Mother in law found this recipe and it turned out great so I thought I'd try it myself. This is Alton Brown's Granola recipe from the Food Network.

Ingredients:

3 Cups Rolled Oats
1 Cup Slivered Almonds
1 Cup Cashews
3/4 Cup Shredded Sweet Coconut
1/4 Cup plus 2 tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup plus 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Raisins

I did a few things differently, I used regular brown sugar instead of dark, and I doubled my recipe. Also, when I make it again, I think I'm going to leave out the cashews.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour into 2 cookies sheets. Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes. ( I ended up cooking mine for 1.5 hours.) Stir every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix.

I really love this granola and will definitely be making more!

Enjoy!

Valentine's Decoration

Supplies Needed:


Wooden Hearts
Paint
Ribbon
Hot Glue
Vinyl (stickers or paint)

I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it looked pretty simple. First pick your paint colors and paint your wooden hearts.

Once the paint is dry, glue a ribbon to the back. I connected all of mine together.

Then I used my vinyl cutter to cut each of our names out. If you don't have a vinyl cutter, you can use stickers or paint. Be creative and make it your own.

Then just hang it up.

This is a simple project that adds to the Valentine's decor.

Happy Crafting!

Valentines Wreath

I'm already decorating for Valentine's Day. I saw this idea at The Idea Room and wanted to give it a try. I couldn't find a heart wreath anywhere so I just made a circle wreath instead.

Supplies Needed:

Foam wreath
Felt (off the bolt) I got 1 yard with a little left over
Matching Ribbon
Straight Pins
Cup
Hot Glue Gun (optional)
Scissors
Fabric Marker (a pen might work)

First, wrap your ribbon around your foam wreath. Hot glue the end so it stays in place. Then wrap and glue the other end. (If you don't want to glue it, you can just pin it into the foam.)

I was about a foot short on ribbon and didn't want to go back to the store, so I just left it. The gap will be covered anyway. You don't have to wrap the wreath if you choose, I decided to wrap it so the back would look nicer, but it's not too important.

Then use your cup to trace circles onto your felt. You'll need a lot of circles. I just did a row at a time, but I didn't count how many I ended up cutting.

Then take a circle, fold it in half, then in half again.

Put a pin in close to the tip, then stick it into the foam wreath.

Put the circles as close together as you'd like.

This is what the back looks like.

Then cut a ribbon, and pin it into the back.

And you're done! This project took about 2 hours and I did it all in one night. Pretty simple.

Happy Crafting!

Platter

Here is a very easy and inexpensive way to make your own serving platters.

Supplies:

Plate
Cup (vase or candle holder)
Clear caulk

I bought my cup and plate at the dollar store and I got the clear sealant at the hardware store.

First I had to soak the price stickers off the glass.

Then dry.

All you're going to do is put the clear sealant on the bottom of your cup, then place your cup on the bottom, center of your plate.

Then let it dry. I let mine sit for a few days just to make sure it was completely dry.

That's it! Super easy and it only costs a few dollars!

Happy Crafting

Coasters

For Christmas gifts this year, I decided to make coasters. Since everyone got a set of 4, I made a lot of these. :)

Supplies Needed:

Tiles (4X4)
Mod Podge
Sponge Brush
Felt
Patterned Paper
Clear Sealant Spray
Tacky Glue

First cut your paper into 4 X 4 inch squares. The tiles are 4 1/4 so you'll want your paper about 1/4 inch smaller than the tile. You don't have to use scrapbook paper, you can use wrapping paper, napkins or anything else that has a cute print and can be glued.

Put a light layer of Mod Podge on the tile then put the paper on top. (Make sure to get the corners.)

Let it sit for a few minutes so it can dry a bit, then put a layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper. (If you're making a lot, you can do all of them, then start back at the beginning with each step.)

Once that dries, I suggest adding another layer of Mod Podge. It gives it a more finished look and seals it better.

Then spray them all with a clear coat. Make sure you do this in a well ventilated area. This will seal them and give them their finished look.

Then cut the felt into 4 inch squares.

Once the tiles are dry, glue the felt onto the bottom. I used tacky glue but I'm sure any glue will work.

Let them dry completely before stacking them. Then tie a cute ribbon and they are ready to go.

This was such a fun project and a fun Christmas gift.

Happy Crafting!

Holiday Ribbon Wreath

This wreath is really fun to make. It takes a little bit more time depending on how much ribbon you want and how big your wreath is. The Christmas wreath pictured above is on a large foam wreath but I made a Halloween one with the woven wreath shown below. I would suggest the smaller one. It doesn't take quite as much time and it still looks cute!

You'll need:

Wreath to cover
Large ribbon to wrap wreath
Ribbon of your choice
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Sewing machine if you have one.

First, use your larger ribbon to cover the wreath. It makes it easier to glue the colored ribbon on if it has a solid place to glue. Just hot glue one end, wrap all the way then glue the last end.

This is what it should look like all wrapped.

Then cut 3-4 inch strips of each kind of ribbon.( You'll need a lot so just keep cutting.)

Then fold each strip in half and sew. I made a long train of ribbons then just went back and cut them apart. If you don't have a sewing machine, you can also just use hot glue, although I think sewing is much faster.

I didn't take a picture of this next step but just use your glue gun to glue each loop of ribbon onto the wrapped wreath. It will take some time but just place them randomly.

Then cut a longer piece of ribbon to hang the wreath from. Just wrap it around your wreath (I glued mine in place) and tie a knot or bow at the top.

Here is the finished project. I love how random the ribbon is and how full my wreath looks.

Happy Crafting!

Necklace Hangers

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!