You Are My Sunshine Canvas

A fun and easy project for yourself or to give as a gift, is to use a simple canvas and add your favorite sayings.  I  chose "you are my sunshine" to make for my grand-daughter as a sentimental Christmas gift.  My mother, who passed away a little over 5 years ago, used to sing me this song to me when I was a little girl.  I now sing it to my grand-daughter as a way of connecting her to her great-great-grandma who she doesn't remember.

I started by choosing the colors I wanted to use.  I decided on pink and grey with a yellow sun.  Next, I measured to find the exact middle and then painted the grey on using two coats of craft paint.  I used painter's tape to get a crisp line.  After it was completely dry, I painted on the pink using the same technique.  Next, I free-handed the yellow sun on top.  I bought some silver sparkly letters at Michaels and, using a ruler to keep my lines straight, simply stuck them on the canvas.

A cute and sentimental gift for a cute little girl!

Have you worked with canvas?  Are you a fan of "you are my sunshine" art?  I think it turned out so sweet, I might just make one for myself!

DIY Wooden Letters as Gifts

One of the simplest, most fun gifts to make for yourself or someone else is a wooden letter purchased at any craft store and embellished with scrap book paper, mod podge, and fun little novelty items.  Here are a few that I just gave as Christmas gifts:

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Fun and easy to personalize!  It's also fun to make words like "Play", "Imagine", or "Create" using the same concept.  In fact, I am planning to remodel my spare room and want to make a "Play" sign - I hope to show you soon.

Do you like making letters also?  Have you made any words?  Please share your pictures!

More Adventures of Sniffy the Elf

Just a few more pictures of Sniffy the Elf.  He will be leaving soon to go back to the North Pole.  He has been so much fun again this year.  He has brought coloring sheets, games, crafts and sweet surprises.  He has played card games with Sponge Bob, took a ride on a reindeer and rocked Baby Jesus. 

What has YOUR elf been up to lately? 

White Christmas Vignette

I love mostly white Christmas vignettes.  I also love bottle brush trees - I found a lot of them at the Dollar Tree.  Combine them on a shelf and throw in a cute little snowman under a glass cloche and there ya go!

Do you like white Christmas displays?  Bottle brush trees?  Cloches?  Please share.

Sniffy the Elf and the Scavenger Hunt

So, now that Sniffy the Elf has returned, he is already up to his old tricks.  He first perched on a brass horn to get a good look at the family.  Then, we noticed that he was holding a small card which then led the kids on a scavenger hunt around the house.  The card said to look under the Christmas pillow, then the next card said to look under the dog bed, the next one said to look under the Christmas Snoopy decoration, then finally they were led to a candy treat.  It was SO much fun.  What will he do next?

What is YOUR elf up to?

Welcome Sniffy the Elf!

Last year, thanks to my youngest daughter, we added an Elf to our family.  One of my grand-daughter's named him Sniffy.  He got in to lots and lots of mischief last year and we loved looking for him and anticipating all the silliness he would get into.  Everyone has been anxiously awaiting his return.  Our Elf always arrives on Thanksgiving Day, so he is back and we look forward to another fun time with him!

He is sitting next to his mailbox where he sometimes leaves little surprises or treats.  It's going to be a fun time!

My take on a bundt pan wreath

One of the blogs I love to read is "Chipping With Charm".  Laurel always has a fun and unique way to use everyday items.  Recently, she posted about using a bundt pan as a wreath for Fall.  You can find the link to her post here.  Be sure to visit her site often for inspiration.

When I found this old bundt pan in my dad's basement, I immediately knew that I wanted to try Laurel's idea.  I just painted it "pumpkin orange", tied some twine around it for hanging, and added a book page leaf and a wire spiral for a "stem".  It is a fun and quirky addition to my fall decor.

I love using unexpected items in my decor.  Has anyone else made a bundt pan wreath?  Or a Fall wreath out of something unusual?  Share your ideas here!