12 Days of DIY // ruffled socks

As the weather gets a little cooler, I've been wearing boots daily. I've always been a fan off wearing tall socks with my boot to add an extra little somthin to my outfit! I thought it would be fun to make some with ruffles for Christmas time! 

SUPPLIES //

   plain socks - I bought mine at Target

   lace trim

   sewing machine 

1) start by taking a single sock and placing the lace along the top edge. 2) begin sewing along the lace Two things to be sure you do: stretch your sock out to that the elastic will still work & scrunch your ruffles a bit, so that it's extra ruffly! 3) once the lace has gone all the way around, make sure it overlaps a little bit so that the lace looks seamless

These work great for a last minute gift, or they'll go great with any Christmas outfit in need of an extra ruffle! 

I cannot believe Christmas is only two days away!!! SO exciting! The mr and I are headed out of town tomorrow morning; I can't wait to see my family and give them their presents! hooray!

xo. melisa

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12 Days of DIY // hand stamped wrapping paper

This is beyond easy and the result is just perfection! I wanted my wrapping paper to go along with my gift bags so I did this little diy.

SUPPLIES //

   kraft wrapping paper

   handmade stamps (tutorial here)

   stamp pad / paint

1) unroll your wrapping paper to the length you wish to use. 2) using your premade stamps, cover them completely using a stamp pad, or paint 3) begin stamping your wrapping paper in whichever pattern you please. I chose little triangles because they remind me of little trees!

And that's it! Like I said, super easy, budget friendly, and allows you to add a little personality to your gifts! Enjoy!

These last few days have been crazy crazy! You'll have to forgive me for being a little (a whole lot) late on getting these posts up. I can't believe Christmas is only 4 days away!!

xo. melisa

12 Days of DIY // hand stamped gift tags

Gift tags are always fun to add a little something extra to your gifts. I thought instead of going with sticker gift tags, I'd go with some I could tie on myself.

SUPPLIES //

   plain gift tags

   handmade stamps (you can see how I made mine here)

   paint pens (optional)

   twine/ribbon

1) Start by finding a nice clean surface you wouldn't mind getting a little bit of stamp paint on. 2) Onc you've prepared your stamps, cover them completely using a stamp pad or paint, and start stamping your gift tags! This is the fun and easy part because you get to be creative and create any pattern or design you'd like 3) At this point, I used paint pens to add a few little details, like gold tops to my mountains. 4) Grab some twine and loop it through the hole at the top of the gift tag; tie it onto your bag or under a bow on a wrapped box!

I love how these little lovelies came out and they add way more personality to my gifts than just a Santa sticker, ha!

If you decide to make your own hand stamped gift tags, I'd love to see what patterns you come up with! Leave a link below and we can all take a peek!

xo. melisa

12 Days of DIY // hand stamped gift bag

Wrapping gifts is always fun! I love wrapping paper, but sometimes things fit more nicely in a bag. I didn't want my bag to have a silly Santa on it, or leave a trail of glitter all over the house, so I opted for a super easy stamped gift bag!

SUPPLIES //

   craft paper gift bags

   foam sheet

   stamp pad / paint

   scissors

   hot glue

   wooden blocks (optional)

1) Start by cutting out the shapes you'd like your stamps to be. I went with pretty basic shapes like triangles and circles. 2) Once you've cut your shapes, hot glue wooden blocks to the backs of them. This will allow you to be able to stamp and pull up more easily. This step is not necessary, but it makes it so much easier! 3) Use a stamp pad or paint and then get to stamping! 

I just love how simple and fun these are. I will note that the paint was a bit more trickier to use than the stamp pads. You can see in the photo above, the difference; I used white paint and a black stamp pad.

Over these next few days I'll be sharing more ideas on what you can do with these stamps! (like those gift tags you see in the photo above!)

xo. melisa

12 Days of DIY // jewelry book box

This DIY was one of my most favorites to work on and I'm just smitten with how it came out. I love books and decorating with them is so much fun. This little jewelry box has added so much to my little nightstand!

SUPPLIES //

   book - I used a vintage book I had found at an antique mall

   exacto knife - you can pick one up at your local craft store

1) First, I cut a rectangle shape onto the first page of the book. You don't have to press too hard when using your exacto knife and if you'd like to use a stencil for your first cut, that would probably help. 2) Then slowly begin cutting through the pages. As you cut, pop the rectabgle shapes out from the middle. 3) The edges can get a little righ, so make sure you take your time. This project takes a little bit of patience, but it's worth it! 4) Once you've gone deep enough, then go back through and cut some of those rough edges that may have been left. 

I made this while watching a show; it takes some time, but as I said, it's completely worth the time! It would make perfect gifts for friends or sisters! I just love mine and can't wait to make more!

 

 

I think this is an awesome way to wrap a necklace or ring you may be giving someone this Christmas! Also, this would be such a sweet way for someone to propose, don't you think?? 

xo. melisa

12 Days of DIY // potpourri pouches

I've always been obsessed with things smelling good... my room, my clothes, my hair, you name it, it should smell good! So I fell in love with these sweet little pouches when I realized I could literally put them anywhere and they would make it smell great! 

SUPPLIES //

   fabric - preferably something thicker

   packets of potpourri - I used apple cider scent

   sewing machine and/or needle & thread

   ribbon/twine (optional)

1) I started by cutting squares from my fabric swatches. You can get creative and make any shape or size you'd like! 2) Flip your fabric inside out so that the nicer side is on the inside, and begin sewing along the edges - leaving enough room to be able to pour the potpourri into the pouch. 3) Flip your pouch inside out so that the fabric that you want shown is now on the outside. Begin to pour the potpourri into the pouch. This part has the potential to get messy, as the potpourri likes to clump. I found it easiest to create a little funnel using a piece of paper; do whatever works for you. 4) Hand sew the remaining opening on the pouch. 5) I used these as little stocking stuffers, so I I purposefully made them different sizes so I could stack them on top of each other, then I used twine and ribbon to tie them all up together!

   

I wasn't lying y'all, these little guys are in my drawers, my car, even my pillowcases... and they make everything smell wonderfully! And choosing fun fabrics is the best!

These came out so great, I can't wait to make more for friends!! Hope you have fun making some of your own!

xo. melisa

12 Days of DIY // antler ring display

I came across this antler at an antique mall and just had to buy it. Since it was just one side and wasn't mounted or anything, I wanted to think of a creative way to display it. I decided it would make a perfect ring organizer! This works great if you have an antler that you want to keep natural, but I decided to freshen mine up with some color.

SUPPLIES // 

   deer antler

   liquid gilding - picked this one up at Michaels, but you could order from here

   spray paint

1) I gathered my supplies and cleared a space. I mostly worked outside for this project because of the spray painting. 2) Spray paint your antler. I chose white, so I went ahead and did two coats, letting it dry for about 30 mins between each time. 3) Once the antler is dry, pick it up and dip the tips into the liquid gilding. This is pretty thick, so you want to make sure it doesn't slowly run, or create air bubbles. 4) Let it sit for about 30 mins before doing a second coat - which isn't necessary, but I didn't want it to chip or fade, so I dipped again for good measure.

This is great because if you like the natural look better, than it's a really reeeeally easy diy, as in you don't have to actually diy, you just have to find an antler! I love the way these colors came out and the fact that it kind of looks like a claw, which is a little strange, but also pretty great, ha! Just have fun with it!

I hope you enjoyed this and as always, if you decide to try it out, I'd love to see how yours turns out; leave a link below!

xo. melisa

photo diy

My church recently celebrated it's 2nd year & we made the place look extra great for all of the festivities with some different decor. Every year we blow up photos from the last year and hang em from the ceiling. They're fairly easy to make and really add a lot to any event. So whether you're having a birthday or anniversary party, even if you want to spruce up a bare wall in your house - these turned out great and would be a great addition to any decor!

We had our photos printed online here . Since printing them on a thicker board or foam, was significantly more expensive, the mr and I decided to diy. All you need is some spray adhesive, foam board, an exacto knife, and some pretty photos!

Cover your board with spray adhesive and lay your photo on top. Make sure to press out all of the air bubbles! Let it dry for at least 20-30mins then start to cut. This can be a little tricky; if you line up the edges of the photo to the edges of the board when you first lay it down, it'll work the best. This is the most time consuming part, but that's just because we like to pay attention to detail.

All that's left is to hang! We used twine and tape to attach it to the backs of the photos. They looked great^_^

If you decide to try this, leave a link! I'd love to see how yours come out. Hope your week is off to a lovely start!

xo. melisa

photo credit: photos taken at church were taken by Kalli Photography