DIY Peppermint Topiary

The other day I came up with this fun idea for a homemade topiary that looks like a peppermint.  My Mom needed an idea for gifts to donate to our local festival of trees and using what we had around the house I came up with these.  They turned out really cute and only took me about an hour to make!  We used foam core board, a bamboo skewer, pages from an old book I use for crafts, a little bucket, and some red paper.  First I cut a circle out of the foam core the size of the peppermint, then you take pages from the book and tear them into small pieces (the trick is you want them to be small enough that you can't read whole sentences but big enough that it doesn't take a ton of time to cover your circle).  Then you glue them onto the front and back making sure that you cover the whole circle.  I didn't worry if the paper went over the edge because it was really easy just to trim it after the glue dried.

The next step is to cut peppermint swirl shapes out of your red paper.  I eyeballed the first one and then traced it to make the rest.  I ended up with 5 "swirls" on each side (so 10 total).  Then you glue those on top of your paper covered circle.  I then modpodged on top of the whole thing once everything was glued on.

You're almost done now!  Next I stuck the skewer in the bottom of the circle and then stuck it in a piece of floral foam that was glued to the bottom of my bucket.  To finish it off we also modpodged some vintage Christmas pictures to the bucket, but you could use any type of container you wanted.  We also added a piece of ribbon around the skewer and glued some red twine around the edge of the peppermint because it gave it a more finished look.

All in all it was an awesome and inexpensive Christmas decoration!  I love the vintage feel of it with the old book pages and vintage holiday images.  If you would rather have it more modern you could always use a shiny metal bucket and just plain white paper, there are lots of ways you could personalize this project!  Also a little tip I thought I might add, if you have problems using an actual book you can color copy the pages and use those instead.  That way you don't have to rip up a book.  And here is the finished product!  I hope you all enjoy the tutorial and fill your home with Christmas cheer!

Fabulous Finds Friday- Pillow Edition

Per request I have decided to dedicate this post to pillows. In my own personal opinion pillows are one of the most versatile, inexpensive ways to change your decor. Not only can pillows add class and color, but they can also make a room feel more cozy. Here are some of the fabulous ideas I have thought of on how to use pillows.

1. Pillows are a great way to add a splash of color to your decor. Add a bright colored pillow or pick one with a funky print. Pair these with some calmer solids and it will brighten up any room.

2. For a more traditional look use even numbers like 2 or 4 pillows that are placed symmetrically on the couch or bed. Also I would suggest trying to stick to larger square pillows to achieve this look. For a more eclectic look use odd numbers like 3 or 5. Also try to mix up the shapes, an oblong or round pillow thrown in with square pillows will create an eye-catching display.

3. Try making your own pillows. Or if you don't want to make a new pillow but have an old pillow that you're tired of then make a cute sham to go over it. That way you're saving money, reusing what you have and getting a cute new pillow. I also found this way cute idea on Country Living for pillow covers made from old button up shirts. You can find the directions here.


All in all pillows are an awesome way to add some creativity to any room. If you have anything you want me to post about feel free to leave me a comment and I'll be sure to post about it. Happy decorating!

[photos from House Beautiful and Country Living]

How to Hang A Picture Collage

So my Sunday afternoon project this week was to create a picture collage. We've been living in our house for about 6 months but haven't gotten any pictures hung up yet. I looked for instructions on the best way to do this since I didn't want to have a million holes in my wall from where I messed up. I found these fun instructions on this blog and decided to create my own.

First, I laid my pictures out how I wanted them to look on my wall. We had these neat pictures from our wedding of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents that I've been wanting to do something with.Next, I traced each frame onto a piece of paper and made sure to make a mark where the nail needed to go.

Then I taped all of my papers onto my wall so that I could get everything lined up. Once I got everything up there I actually ended up completely flipping my collage to cover up a lovely hole that we had in our wall.

The next thing you need to do is put the nails in where you drew your dot. You can just nail straight through the paper. Then after you've done that you just need to remove your papers.

And here is your final product! A beautiful picture collage that is completely personal.