Make a Super Easy Lanyard!

Everything you need to make a lanyard: 

 

• A measuring tape or ruler
• Ribbon (I used grosgrain)
• Split ring 
• Decorative button
• Scissors
• Needle and Thread

 Step 1.  Cut a length of ribbon to suit your taste and/or use. I used a piece about 38 inches long.

 Step 2. Threat a split ring onto the ribbon.

Step 3. Bring the two ends of the ribbon together so that the ends are together and even. Then fold the ends over about 1/4" and stitch the ends down and tie off.

Step 4. slide the ring down toward the sewn ends of the ribbon.

                                         Step 5.  fold the ribbon about 1/2" to 3/4".
                             

                                              Step 6.  Holding the ribbon down, place a 

                               coordinating button on top, covering the edges 

                               that were sewn together in step 3. Sew the button

                               on, going all the way through both thicknesses of 

                               the ribbon.

                 The lanyard is now complete! You just slip it over your head 

                 to be used to hold a badge for work or school. Or attach a 

                 key to use as a key holder. 

Here are two I made with the same ribbon, but different colored buttons! My job requires we wear an i.d. badge, and this is a great way to have it close at hand!

Simple Tips:

1. Make lanyards in all different colors and patterns to coordinate with your outfits. Lanyards sell from just a couple of dollars up to $15.00 at stores. You can make them in many colors for probably $1.00 or less each.
2. For key straps, make the lanyard about 1/3 the length of the ones you wear around your neck.
3. Ribbon lanyards are inexpensive and easy to make. Make them to sell at church bazaars or other fund raisers. Make them in local school colors!
4. Look for future posts for other lanyard ideas!

Thinking Ahead...to Christmas!

It's only August, But I am already thinking about Christmas! It's time to think ahead to gift giving...if not about the gifts themselves, then the wrappings and gift tags! 

I love beautiful wrappings...red, green, silver, and gold papers. Silky ribbons and fluffy bows. I like store and bought, and hand made!

I also like EASY! Easy translates into gift bags!!!! All year round I keep the paper shopping bags you get at some stores at the mall and some gift shops. They are usually pretty sturdy and have either a paper, ribbon or cord handle. These can easily be transformed into cute gift bags for Christmas! Lets make some!!!

Also, I keep my Christmas cards and recycle them for this project!

Items to gather:

Bags (paper bags with handles gathered year round from shopping or can be found in craft stores and places like Walmart)

Last years' Christmas cards

Wrapping papers or scrapbook paper

Glue (white craft glue, spray adhesive, stick glue, or hot glue - your choice!)

Glitter

Stickers

Scissors (regular and special edging or scrap-booking scissors)

Hole puncher and/or other punches

Get Started!

1. Gather your supplies and designate a crafting area.

2.  Make tags by cutting out small pictures from the inside or back of Christmas cards...or the phrases from inside the card. Glue to a piece of scrapbook paper or card stock. Use scissors to edge the tag with zigzags or other shapes. Use a hole punch to make a hole for your ribbon.

3. Cut out pretty Christmas card scenes and phrases and glue to the front of shopping bags. . . making sure to cover up any advertising from the store. If needed, cover the bag with gift wrap first to cover large areas of advertising.

Color coordinate your cut-outs with your bags.

Large pictures on smaller bags makes a better use of your space.

Using scrap-booking scissors add a special touch...especially for square cut pictures.

4.  Add embellishments to your bags using stickers, glitter, colored glues, ribbons, sequins, and feathers.

Add a phrase or words from the inside of the card!

Glitter and Ribbon make the bags especially festive!

Experiment with your supplies.

5.  Don't forget to embellish your tags also! Again, different colored glitters and stickers add sparkle and flare. Outline the edge of the tag with a coordinating color of glitter. Use white glue and poor glitter over the card, over a paper plate. Dump off the excess glitter and let dry before going to the next step. Use a different paper plate for each color glitter. Reuse the excess glitter on the plate...no waste!

6.  Add ribbon to your tag....just cut a peice of ribbon about 8 inches long and thread it through the hole you have already punched. Now you have an easy way to attach the tag to a gift and it makes the tag even prettier!

Before embellishments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After embellishments!

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

The first time I ever had No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies I was in eleventh grade. I was 'in love' with my high school sweetheart, and his mother made a batch of these cookies and I declare, I think I forgot all about her son with my first bite. Of course, the cookies were eaten and I came back down to earth and once again mooned over her son. This happened periodically over the next year and a half - the duration of our courtship. But eventually, I out grew that romance. But I NEVER outgrew my love for these cookies!

Mrs. 'M' gave me her recipe for Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, but over time the scrap of paper was lost. For many years, I was Choc-Oatmeal-Cookie-less. But as luck would have it, I purchased a cookbook on one of my many trips to the mountains, and low and behold, there was a recipe identical to Mrs. M's recipe. I have since also found the same recipe on several cooking/recipe sites on the web.

Now, these cookies are a Christmas tradition at my house. Usually, a couple of weeks before Christmas I make several different kinds of cookies, and this one is one of the favorites. And sometimes, I can't wait for Christmas time, and I make a batch just for my pure enjoyment. 

Warning: Occasionally, no matter how closely you follow the recipe, and no matter how carefully you measure the ingredients, or how carefully you time the boiling, these cookies will simply not turn out right. They will sometimes just not 'set'. They will end up a gooey, gloppy, mess. However; I have learned that even if they do end up a ooey-gooey mess that can't be picked up without the aid of a spoon, the are still delicious! Just put them in a bowl or on a plate and eat them with your spoon!

My version of No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk (whole works best)

1/4 cup butter

2 cups minute oats

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

                  

Directions:

1. Mix sugar, salt & cocoa in saucepan.

 

2.  Add milk and butter; mix well and bring to a boil over medium heat.

3. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well... 

...mix until the peanut butter is all dissolved. The mixture will start feeling thick. 

4. Drop dough in scoop or spoonfuls onto wax paper... 

...be sure not to waste a single morsel! 

The 'perfect' cookie is about 1.5" to 2" in diameter, 'sets', and is glossy until it dries. Store uneaten cookies in air tight containers for a day or two. If there are uneaten cookies after day two, move them to the 'fridge. They are delicious both hot and chilled!

Kitt Cat's Simple Notes:

* use chunky peanut butter for a nutty take on these cookies!

*eat these cookies soon, they don't store well

*will keep longer if stored in a plastic zip bag and stored in the fridge

Affordable Home Decor

Need to fill in an empty wall or need a new focal point for a shelf? You need not look far if you have children...just start saving their best art efforts from school, daycare, or summer camp!

I have several finished framed art projects in my home, and several art peices that will one day find a home on my walls or on a shelf or dresser.

Items Needed to Make Affordable Home Decor:

*Drawings, paintings, prints, etc. from your child, grandchild, neice/nephew, or a friend's child

*Mats

*Frames

*Scissors or craft knife

*scotch tape

 

Instructions:

*Choose your piece of art you wish to display in your home.

*Find a frame that is large enough to accommodate the art without having to trim away important parts

*Trim as needed with scissors or craft knife

*If possible, add a mat that coordinates with colors and/or textures in the art piece

*Attach the art piece to the mat with scotch tape if needed

*Place the matted art piece in the frame and display!

Simple tips:

~Use drawings or paintings that fill up a page, or use several smaller drawings to make a collage

~Use a coordinating mat color...if the art piece has small amounts of red, use a red mat to bring out that       

   vibrant color

~Have your artist sign and date his creation if not done so already

~If you need art, have an art party with your kids! Provide paper, paints, brushes, crayons, pens, etc.

Jessica's 'Expectant Mother' - painted in first gradeAmber's 'Shiny Apple', drawn with oil

                                                                               crayons-10th    grade

My display of Affordable Home Decor, located in my kitchen. The shelf was purchased at a garage sale for $3.00 and painted green to match the greens in my kitchen. The Apple clock was a gift from my Mom, ordered from ABC catalog, about $10.00. Other items collected from garage sales and thrift stores.

Fondue for Two

I have dined at a couple of fondue restaurants...Dante's Down the Hatch, on Peachtree Road in Atlanta, and The Melting Pot, in Duluth.

Eating 'fondue style' is fun. It is 'communal eating'...everyone sits around a pot of melted cheese, chocolate or oil and you dunk stuff in it!  You usually start out with an appetizer of cheese and bread and fruit. The main course tends to be your meat, seafood and/or vegetables, which you deep fry. The dessert...mmmmm...the dessert is hot, melted, chocolate goodness! You dunk fruit, marshmallows, poundcake, and other goodies in the thick gooey deliciousness.

With the economy the way it is right now, dining at either of these two restaurants is pretty much out of the question. So what can I do to satisfy my craving for fondue?

Well, my friend Val comes to the rescue with this great SIMPLE and INEXPENSIVE idea!!!

First, raid your food pantry and refrigerator to see what you have on hand before you go to the grocery store. It is possible you may have everything you need at home!

Ingredients:

(1) can of chocolate frosting

(1) small jar of raspberry preserves

assorted fruits (apples, bananas, pears, strawberries all work well)

marshmallows

graham crackers

pound cake

brownies

Instructions:

*In a small microwave safe bowl put about 3/4 cup of chocolate frosting.

*Add to the bowl about 1/2 cup of raspberry preserves. Mix well with a fork and set aside.

*gather the other ingredients and chop fruits, cut pound cake and brownies, and break graham crackers all into bite size pieces.

*Now pop the frosting/preserves mixture in the microwave and zap for 20 seconds. Stir and zap for 10 seconds. Stir. Carefully test the fondue. It should be very warm, but not so hot as to burn the mouth.

*Spear the fruit, cake, brownies and marshmallows on forks or skewers and dip into the fondue. Yum!!!!!

                                                        (Put your two fondue ingredients
                                                               in a microwave safe bowl)

                                                                       (Mix it well!)

Simple Notes:

1.  I had a can of Duncan Hines Home Style Classic Chocolate frosting in the pantry.

2.  I used store brand raspberry preserves with seeds, it was about $2.00 cheaper than the seedless.. After mixing and heating the the mixture, I did not notice the seeds.

3.  I used fruit and crackers and brownie mix I had on hand. I got a bag of store brand marshmallows for $1.09.
4.  For variations on this recipe you could try substituting strawberry preserves or peanut butter for the raspberry preserves!

                                                           (Use forks, toothpicks or fondue
                                                                  forks if you have them!)

                                                              (Just enough for one...
                                                                or two to share!)

                                            

 I made this fondue the day we had snow on the ground! It was fun to eat while watching movies and watching the snow fall!