DIY July 4th Wreath with Glitter Dust Paint

I just jumped on the pool noodle wreath bandwagon and whipped myself up a new front door July 4th wreath.  This is a fun project and pretty inexpensive, too.

DIY Mason Jar and Wood Box Flower Center Piece

A few months back I made this wood box using some scrap wood I had lying around.  It was similar to pallet wood.  Just a few even cuts, wood glue, some screws and paint and I had myself a long narrow wood box.  (Read the full tutorial to make the wood box here).

How to Make a Peeps Topiary for Easter

I'm not a huge fan of eating Peeps, but decorating with them...why, yes, I will do that!  I love how this little peeps topiary came out and it wasn't too difficult aside from a few minor top-heavy issues.

So what you'll need...four boxes of chick peeps, spray paint, a basket or pot for the base, a stick or dowel no less than .75" in diameter, a cross stitch hoop, floral foam and Easter grass.

Start by spray painting your dowel or stick.  You pick the color, I went with green because I had it on hand.    Put the floral foam into the basket or pot.  It's a good idea to add some newspaper to the sides if it's not snug against the side.

Now, the original project, in Women's Day Magazine, suggest hot gluing the dow to the hoop right at the screw first and then hot gluing the peeps (keep them in attached sections of five).  Well, I got news for you people, I'm impatient. I didn't want to wait for the stick to dry so I glued the peeps to the hoop, as it laid flat, before I attached the dowel (you will need a lot of hot glue!).

DIY Hopping Bunny Burlap Easter Banner

Two of my favorite things...burlap and bunting.  When I combine the two - as I do pretty much every season - there's no limit to the possibilities.    Of course, there are tons of Easter banner ideas out there, but I thought it might be cute to make a banner where it looked like a bunny was hopping across.

Pottery Barn Knockoff Happy Easter Burlap Flag

In case you haven't noticed I might be a little obsessed with Pottery Barn.  Aside from a rare splurge, however, I pretty much stick to clearance items...oh, and items I can knockoff.  Like say...this Happy Easter flag.  I saved myself a cool $39 bucks here and it only took me an hour or so to make this large flag.

Last Minute DIY Valentines for Classmates

I'm feeling a little last minute this year with the Valentines for my kids' classmates.  Last year, I was so last minute I literally printed out some sheets on my way out the door, bought a box of munkins, and called it a day.

16 DIY Valentine's Day Ideas {To Craft, Eat, and Gift}

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so I thought it was a good time to share a big 'ol roundup of DIY Valentine's Day ideas  - everything from decor to crafts and even unique Valentine's Day classmate gifts. 

Click the description below each photo to be taken directly to the tutorial. 

DIY Valentine's Day Subway Art Banner

Have you been decorating for Valentine's Day?  I have a few pops of red and pink around the house and earlier this week I added this cute little DIY Valentine's Day subway art banner.  It didn't take me long to make since I used my Silhouette to cut a subway art freezer paper stencil (for the tutorial and designs I used, head over to Silhouette School).  If you don't have a Silhouette cutting machine you can always make the banner with a few different Valentine's-themed stamps, by cutting your own stencil by creating the design in Powerpoint and then cutting it out using an exact knife, or buy purchasing some heavy paper or plastic stencils.

However, you make your design, that's the fun and creative part.  But before we get to that let's talk about the actual banner.  I posted a sneak peek of this on Facebook a few days ago and someone asked where I got the scroll.  The answer is - I made it using a small piece of dropcloth and a dowel.

My flag is about 12" x 10".  To make the same size, you'll want to cut a piece of drop cloth 15" x 11".  Fold the two sides and the bottom over half an inch each and press with a hot iron.  Sew a straight stitch across these three sides.

No Sew Valentine's Day Burlap and Felt Banner

In case you haven't noticed I love banners.  Recently I've been making flag banners for every season and using them to decorate my mantel.  Apparently, I'm not the only one who loves bunting because I sell a decent amount of them through my Etsy shop.  Today, however, there's no need to buy - you can make this one yourself in just a few minutes. 

You'll need: 

Burlap

Felt in a few different colors

Scrap material (optional)

Jute rope

Spray adhesive

Hot glue gun 

Start by cutting out your first burlap flag.  You can make them any size you want.   However large you make them, use the first flag as a guide for the next three.

DIY Valentine's Day Twig Centerpiece

Looking to make a cute DIY Valentine's Day centerpiece for your kitchen or dining room table?  You've come to the right spot.  I created this easy and very budget-friendly centerpiece in just a few minutes and - or should I say 'even' - with the help of my 2 and 5 year olds.  The great thing about this piece is you can shop your house (and your yard) and spend no money at all.   I love projects like that!

What you'll need:  
-Small flower pot, vase (not clear glass) or bowl.
-A few Branches
-Floral foam or styrofoam (or balled up newspaper)
-Covering such as tissue paper, burlap, greenery, or shredded paper
-Valentine's Day-colored or themed scrapbook paper
-Ribbon, twine, or string

I collected twigs from the yard with my two year old son.  We looked for small branches that had some 'Ys' formed on them so we could use them to hang our decorations.   I used about four of the branches selecting twigs that were generally the same size.

Put the floral foam or styrofoam into the pot or vase.  If you are using  the newspaper method ball it up really tight and press the sticks as far into the paper as possible so they stay standing. 

6 Ways to Re-Use Christmas Decorations in Valentine's Day Decor

If you're like me you want to decorate for Valentine's Day, but without spending a bunch of money on decor.   Even DIY holiday decorations can add up...so this year I challenged myself to decorate for the holiday of love by re-using my Christmas decorations.

Here are 6 easy ways you can upcycle from one red and white holiday to the next.

Valentine's Day Handprint Crafts for Kids (Door Hanger or Wall Art)

I'm always a sucker for handprint crafts so I thought I'd share one I made with the kids two years ago.   At the time, my now-squirmy two year old was just an infant so he didn't have much say in me putting paint all over his piggy toes.  My daughter was three at the time and she couldn't get enough paint on her hands and feet - she loved it so much we actually made three of these Valentine's Day Hand and Footprint crafts to give to each of the grandparents.

What you'll need: 

• 3 pieces of cardboard cut
• 3 pieces of cardstock paper 
• Scrapbook paper in two coordinating patterns
• Hole punch
• Ribbon
• Acrylic craft paint 
• Paper plates (for the paint)
• Tape

To get started put a glob of paint on a paper plate. 

Dip you child's hands in the paint and, if necessary, use a paint brush to fill in any spots on their fingers and palms. 

DIY Pom Pom Yarn Wreath on a Wire Hanger

Ah ha, you're back! I knew you'd be back to check out this awesome idea of what to do with all those yarn pom poms you made.   In case you missed it - I shared the tutorial on how to make poms poms from yarn here yesterday and now I have the perfect answer to 'what to make with pom poms?'

I made about 50 (or maybe it was more, I lost track....I was up to my eyeballs in yarn by the time I was done) pom poms in white, red, fuchsia and gray for a Valentine's Day wreath.   Of course, you can make them in any color and make a wreath for any season.  I was inspired by Britany at Just B Crafty's wreath.  She made a beautiful yarn wreath that's great to have up all winter long.   I think pom pom wreaths are perfect for the winter months because they've got that cozy sweater-like feel to it.

How to make pom poms from yarn

So you want to know how to make yarn pom poms...for perhaps garland or a wreath.   Today I'm going to show you how to make these easy pom poms and tomorrow I'm going to share a great way to use them.

You can make yarn pom poms in many different sizes by varying what you wrap the yarn around.  I wanted mine to be about the size of a baseball so I wrapped the yarn around a large serving fork.  I also made them by wrapping the yarn around four fingers (sans the thumb) and they came out about the same size as the fork method. The only drawback to that method is your hand is quite literally tied up so it's a little more difficult to work one-handed.

For the sake of this post, I'm going to assume you're using the fork method so I'll be referring to that throughout.  Start by looping the end of the yarn through the fork spokes keep the loose end to the side. 

How to make 3D paper hearts for Valentine's Day crafts

Don't curse me for already bringing up the V word...but when it comes to holidays, especially, I try to work ahead to give all of my lovely readers time to make and enjoy their homemade decorations.

With that being said...today I present you with my first Valentine's Day DIY project.  This is one of those basic craft projects that, once made, can be used in so many different ways.  Are you ready to make some 3D paper hearts? 

Making 3 dimensional hearts out of paper is actually pretty easy.  First you're going to want to make a heart stencil.   This part is important because for each 3D paper heart, you'll need to cut out four hearts that are exactly the same size.

So...go on....make your stencil.  I'll wait (tapping, tapping, tapping).

Same {DIY} Serving Tray, Different Looks for Every Season or Holiday

Months ago I bought this white serving tray at Joann Fabrics.  To be honest I can't even remember what I paid for it.    I know it was cheap (probably on clearance) for something like six or seven bucks.   The problem (or what I previously considered the 'problem') is it's white...plain boring white.  Actually the boringness (is that a word??) of this white tray is what I have decided makes it totally awesome because it can take on so many different looks. Like...one for every season, holiday or mood I'm in.

You won't believe how simple it is to update this tray and give it a whole new look for just a few cents.  This would work for any size tray, but definitely works best if the tray is square.  My tray is 13 x 13".

All you're going to do use a piece of festive 12x12" scrapbook paper and place it in the center of the tray.  All of the craft stores have TONS of scrapbook paper and they always have lots of holiday options around the holidays.  If you can get your hands on Martha Stewart's Variety Pack of Holiday that would be a great start! 

GIVEAWAY: Valentine's Day 'Be Mine' Burlap Banner

Hey Guys! We want to thank you so much for helping Two It Yourself to a major milestone. Today we passed 1,000 followers on Facebook. We can't thank you enough! And because you've 'LIKED' us, we want to show our LOVE to you!

To show our love and appreciation for reading, sharing, clicking, pinning, tweeting, commenting yada yada yada we're giving away a 'Be Mine' Valentine's Day Burlap Banner!

There are several ways to enter and you can gain as many entries as possible through the giveaway form below.

Thanks for stopping by 2IY! If you like what you see, we'd love for you to pin it!

Get the 'Weekly Best from 2IY' Newsletter

DIY 'Let It Snow' Burlap Banner (Free Printables)

Alright, you guys..I know you're gonna be shocked, but I'm back with another burlap project.  I made a little Let It Snow burlap banner to get me through the winter, even after I take all the Christmas decorations down (that's the worst, isn't it?).

I'm making this bunting super duper easy for you, by giving you the free printables.  Even if you don't have burlap, this would look awesome printed on paper.  Alright, lets get started.

Pottery Barn Table Setting Knockoff from the Dollar Store

Isn't it lovely? I love Pottery Barn's table settings. They're often simple yet stunning and timeless. What I can't swallow is paying $12.50 for a charger.  Not a plate...a plate that holds a plate.  Note "a".  That means if you want to set the table for six you'd be spending $75 on plates you don't even eat off.   Let's not talk about if you're setting the table for 12 or more...

That, my friends, is why I love the dollar store.  Right before Christmas I went in looking for some gold chargers for my Christmas table.  I found them for one dollar a piece. Guess what...they even have the beaded edge, just like Pottery Barn's.   I picked up six...you know, for $6.

'Read More' after the jump to see my Pottery Barn knockoff table setting.... 

Salt Dough Recipes for Ornaments: Handprint Santa and Christmas Gift Tag Ideas

Sure, so Mother Nature gives us a 70 degree day smack dab in the middle of December - along the Mid-Atlantic- and makes it RAIN? What is up with that? That's like the worst tease ever.   Wah Wah Wah...and so we were stuck in side...again.  And guess what this mom had up her sleeve...another kids hand print project!  I have a whole board of handprint art ideas on Pinterest..and I have to say they are very popular!  The one we made today is different than anything we've made before because it's actually a 3D ornament, instead of just a paint hand print.

The are a few different salt dough recipes for ornaments floating around out there, but I did this one <<<.  To make one Santa handprint ornament and eight other small to medium size ornaments I went with 1 cup of flour and half a cup each of salt and water.

This is a toddler-friendly craft and since I had a pint size helper, he helped me mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.