christmas eve check-in

I hope you enjoyed my 12 Days of DIY December posts and maybe were tried a few projects! I'm now back at the family homestead and was thrilled to see that my mom made a lovely card garland inspired by my post.

Since a lot of my posts were of the theoretical nature, I just wanted to take some time this merry Christmas Eve to share a little bit of what I actually did for the holidays at my apartment!

The secret to an awesome Christmas: lots of lights! As you can see, I embroidered and hung some stockings over the built-in, but never quite got around to glitter-spraying my magazine trees (it's been snowing like the Dickens around here, but I'm sure I'll find some use for glittery spray paint...). I tried something a little different for my card display this year, using a giant bow and hanging the cards on a Christmas ribbon underneath with the most adorable tiny red and green clothespins. I have a batch of homemade Kahlua infusing atop the fridge, which should be ready for gifting on New Year's - better late than never! I also made an ornament wreath, though I don't have a good picture of it hanging. It wasn't my most successful experience (I should have gotten more ornaments), but I like it anyway! And, of course, I did some intense cross-stitching, but I can't show you that! (It's sitting under the tree, shhhhh.)

Not too shabby a showing for this holiday season, I think. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday filled with great people, good food, and even better times. Merry Christmas!

shop indie this year

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

"But Jennifer," I hear you say, "buying something is the opposite of DIYing it." This is technically true, but for the last day of my 12 Days of DIY December, I really wanted to remind all of you that if you don't have the time/tools/skills/energy to DIY, it's super awesome to support independent and local businesses. They're DIYing (DIT? Doing-It-Themselves?) it so we can enjoy their expertise. Since I moved to the city, I've become so much more aware of the amazing artisans working in Milwaukee - and I'd bet there's a great community of creators in your city too! If you are in Milwaukee, Local First Milwaukee is a great resource to find locally owned businesses, but don't forget to do your own digging and exploring too! You never know what you might find.

Buying prints from artists, checking out handmade items on Etsy, or exploring the creations of local makers is a great way to keep the DIY spirit in the holidays and find gifts that the special people on your list will be (hopefully) surprised and thrilled to see! It's great to wrap something up that you know was made with love - even if it wasn't your personal love, I think it still counts!

And that brings us to the end of the series - whew! Posting every day was definitely a change from posting...approximately not ever, but it was pretty great in addition to being tough! I hope to virtually see you again before the holidays come, but in case I don't - Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

personalize your christmas stocking

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

The one thing I really miss in our apartment (apart from a proper tree, sigh) is a fireplace for stockings. Luckily, there's a lovely built-in in the dining room with an arch that should be just perfect for leaving our stockings - I'm not sure how Santa will get in, but once he does, he won't be able to miss them there!

Somehow, the only member of the household who has a stocking here is Logan the cat. I plan to rectify that quickly, and once I do - I'm going to personalize my stocking!

If you have the time, making a stocking from scratch is totally possible and a great project. But with the big day coming up so fast this year (SO fast, oh dear), I'm just hoping to get what I can done. And that means putting a special touch on a store-bought stocking.

Now that I've gotten into cross-stitching, I have a bunch of embroidery floss just sitting around in my craft stash. Obviously, the answer is clear - add a little embroidery to a stocking! I love the classic simplicity of just an initial, but it might be fun to do a short word (refer to my decorating with words post for examples of short holiday-themed words, if you're stuck) or simple design as well. It'll depend on the stocking and where the wind takes me! (AKA how much time I have - how is it two weeks from Christmas Day? That can't be right.)

bake peppermint bark shortbread

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

I first made this recipe back in 2010, my senior year of college (oh, those bygone days!). It was for a cookie exchange party, although somehow it seemed like my household ended up eating the majority of them ourselves...how did that work out?

Anyway, this is my recipe recommendation for all of your:  chocolate & peppermint bark cookies by Cookin Canuck. These cookies combine three great tastes of the holidays: delicious buttery cookies, rich chocolate, and sharp peppermint. These are three of my favorite tastes all year round, in fact, so it's great to have an excuse to throw them all together! The best part is that (say it with me) - they're easy! A lot of holiday cookies are beautiful and delicious, but they require a lot of effort. It is definitely a great time of the year for slow, luxurious baking, but if you have limited time, limited counterspace for advanced cookie maneuvers, or just want to slot in a low-hassle sweet alongside your other more complicated recipes, these are a great option.

I also think these cookies would be optimal if you're looking for a treat to mail; since, like peppermint bark, they can be cut unevenly. No worries about sugar Santa or his reindeer being beheaded through jostling! These will be just as delicious if they arrive in one piece or in ten.

make a diy christmas cat toy

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

We humans can't wait to see what Santa has left in our stocking on Christmas morning...now your cat can get in on the excitement too!

When my roommate requested a cat-themed project, I was a little dubious. Cats are destroyers, not crafters, and are much more likely to get tangled up in a ball of yarn than knit a charming tea cozy. But a craft for a cat? I knew that Martha would have an idea - the baby sock cat toy! Just fill a baby's sock with dried catnip, stitch it closed, and dangle it from yarn. It's easy and just begging to be holidayfied!

12 Days of Christmas baby sock set from Baby Aspen

How adorable are those? Obviously, these are more socks than you would need for this craft, but if you have a lot of felines on your list (and/or some actual babies), these would make incredibly charming AND seasonally appropriate cat toys! I'd be tempted to add some felt or fur at the cuff to really accentuate the "Christmas stocking" feel, but that would depend on the destructive nature of your cat. Add some red, green, or white yarn and you're ready to tease your cat in holiday style.

decorate with recycled magazines

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

I now live in a household where both inhabitants work on the editorial staff of magazines. This means there are a LOT of magazines in the house. I hate just recycling them (such a waste!), so I decided to figure out a way to transform magazines into holiday joy. Turns out, there are a lot of options!

One I've actually already tackled this year is creating magazine "trees."

Isn't it cute? It's basically the easiest craft you can imagine too. The materials required are one magazine. That's it. Just rip off the cover, fold each page, and you have a cute little paper Christmas tree. No muss, no fuss. I'm still deciding if I want to take the next potential step and glitter it up - it would definitely look cute, but I kind of like the paper look. Maybe I'm just a magazine nerd. Imagine a little forest of these on your shelf, each one sparkling a different color.

Another way to get some paper in your tree might be:

Pinned here

This one is made with felt, but I think it would be cute with glossy magazine pages (or even more darling with book pages!)

You might also make a classic paper garland from old magazines, or craft a holiday collage. There are a ton of options for upcycling old magazines in crafty ways - just in time for Christmas!

make hot cocoa mix from scratch

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

There's a reason that a cute mug and the fixings for hot cocoa have become ubiquitous as Secret Santa gifts and on the bake sale tables of winter fundraisers: it's adorable, inexpensive, easy, and who doesn't love hot chocolate? Add in the mug, some marshmallows, maybe a candy cane, and you have a delicious treat suitable for just about anyone on your list. But this year, you're going to kick it up a notch. How, you ask?

This year you're going to make your cocoa mix from scratch.

Say what! I'll be straight with you, dear readers, I didn't even know you could make a cocoa mix from scratch. I was vaguely aware that people made hot chocolate from scratch, but it all seemed like way too much work when a few spoonfuls of the stuff from a can was so tasty. But it turns out you can totally make your own cocoa mix from scratch, and it's not even that hard. All you need is chocolate (duh), cocoa powder (easy), cornstarch (got it), sugar (no sweat), and a little salt. Et - voila! Hot cocoa made from delicious chocolate and adjusted to the sweetness level of your choice. The full recipe is here on Serious Eats - which, FYI, is probably my favorite food-related site out there, so definitely poke around after you've made a cup of your delicious homemade cocoa.

If you're really looking to take this to the next level, might I suggest combining two of the 12 Days of DIY projects: homemade hot cocoa + homemade kahlua? Heaven.

decorate with diy holiday letters

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

Perhaps it's the English major/editorial assistant in me, but I absolutely adore decorating with words. Cross-stitching a cute little motto? Heck yeah! Typographical art? Sign me up! Which means I definitely have my eye on those cardboard and wooden letters you can get at craft stores. They are just begging to be zhushed up for the season.

Spray-painting them gold would be an excellent and glittery choice, but you could also mod podge on some scrapbook paper for a lovely seasonal pattern. I kind of love the idea of using the pages of a book (A Christmas Carol, anyone?) to add another level to it. Paint on some candy cane stripes! Make them look like a wreath! The possibilities are endless. This one would be a little bit tougher, but I am totally obsessed with it:


Shiny!

Premade letters don't have to enter into the crafting. I absolutely adore this example of some very simple text (it might even just be posterboard?) in a non-traditional holiday color that would definitely brighten up your room for the holidays (pun intended!).



If you're really hardcore, you could attempt the light-up DIY marquee letters that are all the rage these days. Basically, any time you take some letters, make them pretty, and spell out a word, I'm ready to embrace it. Hang it on your wall, set them on your mantel or a windowsill, just share the beautiful wordy love.

Not sure which word you would use? Try some of these: Merry, Joy, Xmas, Noel, Ho Ho Ho, Santa, Jingle, Holly, Snow.

display your holiday cards

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

Yesterday we talked about making holiday cards, so now it's time to hit the flipside - how are you going to show off the cards that you receive?

There are plenty of inventive DIY options for displaying holiday cards. You can, of course, set them up on a mantel or windowsill for simple admiration. Just sit back and bask in the glow (or, more likely, spend your time doing some other holiday task!)

Or, you can mix it up a bit! Last year, I kept it very simple...simple enough that I feel a little silly calling it a "project," but hey. It's my blog!

I bought a set of Christmas ribbons at Michaels and created a little card garland to hang on the wall. I used one pattern for the length of the garland and used another pattern to create two little bows to hang on each end. Then we hung the cards up with binder clips. If I do this again this year, I would pick wider ribbon for more dramatic effect (and to sustain the weight of the cards - oof!), and I would love to get more Christmassy clips; perhaps red binder clips or red & green paper clips would do the trick! This option was, as I said, ridiculously easy, but also made sense since (being the first Christmas my roommate and I spent in our apartment) I had no idea how many cards we would get! It turned out to be more than I expected! I had planned the length of the garland to not dwarf the few cards I was planning to get, but it was great to be able to add more and more.

Another easy way to display holiday cards is on the fridge; you might have seasonal magnets already, but if not, why not DIY some adorable ornament magnets like these from Young House Love?

One of my favorite card display options is the classic clothespin wreath.



We have one of these at my parents' house, and you get to display your cards AND have another wreath in your house at the same time! What's not to love? I'm not sure if I'll have time to make one this year, but it's much easier to make than I would have expected! Plus it's one of those things that you'll use year after year once you've made it.

send a diy holiday card

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

While I was out with a friend this weekend, a popular topic came up: When do you know you're old enough to start sending your own Christmas cards? I'm not sure where that mystical date line is, but I say start sending a card whenever you darn well feel like it!

But why buy a pack of cards at the store when it's way more fun (and super easy) to make one yourself! With just the tiniest (tiniest!) bit of tech know-how, you can make your own holiday card to share with friends and family.

For example, I made this guy in 5 minutes on PicMonkey. (Yes, that is an Inuyasha plushie hanging out on the windowsill amongst the Christmas lights.) They have a ton of great seasonally themed overlays and graphics you can use, plus a variety of fonts to add whatever additional message you like! Pick a great holiday-themed shot, of your home or you and your loved ones, and start editing.

I really wanted to do this post with a picture of me and the cat wearing hilarious holiday-themed hats, but I think I'll save up any good karma I might have in case I actually do decide to attempt that for the Christmas card. I have a feeling it will only occur once (if at all!).

Once you've designed your image (Photoshop it if you're a fancy person who actually owns/knows how to use graphic design programs!), you can print it through any online printing service like Snapfish or VistaPrint. They both actually also offers a card-making service, I believe, so if you have a great photo that you don't want to tweak too much, you can cut out the middle man and just go for it!

I may not be at the age that I'm "expected" to send a Christmas card, but I do love the idea of sending a cute DIY postcard off to my nearest and dearest to remind them that I'm thinking of them during the holiday season! Who knows - maybe the plushie will make the final cut!

learn to cross stitch

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

I have a secret to tell you about cross stitching. The only two things you really need are a pattern and patience. That's it!

Cross stitching is a great craft to try out because of the low entry cost. No expensive supplies or special machines - just get yourself a hoop, some fabric, a needle, and some embroidery floss and go. There are tons of lovely patterns available for purchase, and plenty that are shared for free too!

Patterns: Wigglytuff, Tattoo font, Joker & Harley

 These are some of the cross stitch projects I've done. They look pretty good to me, and I really just jumped in a total beginner. It's been a lot of fun, though as a word of warning, recognize that a more complex pattern might take longer than you expect. I almost squinted my eyeballs out of my head to get that Wigglytuff done in time for the birthday!

When looking for a pattern, it's best to find one that's marked suitable for a beginner, though if you can get a look at it and see what kind of stitches it requires, you should be okay. If it's all the basic full stitch, no matter how complex it looks, just keep making Xs and you're good to go! Just take your time and keep a close eye on the pattern. I'm partial to this one for sale on Etsy, but there are also a lot of great free patterns collected on this Pinterest board. A lot of cross stitch patterns easily available are a little more old-fashioned/country-style than my personal tastes run to, but just keep looking! There's a great community of crafters who have created patterns suitable to all tastes.

Pick out a pattern today and start today - a cross stitch is a great decoration and a great gift.

make a holiday wreath

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

Hanging a wreath on your door is the best way to say "hello, holidays!" Growing up, my family always hung a big real evergreen wreath on the outside of the house, but wreaths made from fresh boughs get expensive and (sadface!) they only last for one Christmas. There are plenty of beautiful wreaths available in stores (I drooled over more than a few last time I was in Target), but there are so many ways to make your own wreath. I'm hoping to craft one this month yet, so here are a few ideas!

I didn't get a chance to blog about it, but I made this super cheap and easy yarn wreath for Halloween. All you need is a foam wreath form and some yarn! I added black ribbon and some paper letters for a little extra flair. It took me around an hour to wrap the wreath to my satisfaction, and I was really happy with the results! This would be great in a forest green for Christmas, or maybe a sparkly white or gold. If you go green, I think it would be utterly charming to add some of those round red pushpins like little holly berries! Add a big bow, and you're all set.



This year I've had ornament wreaths on the brain. Everybody here knows I love a little glitz and glam, and it's just so sparkly! This tutorial makes it seem pretty easy (though not as easy as the yarn wreath!), so I might make a trek to Target and the local dollar store to pick up some fun ornaments. (I have other decorating plans involving ornaments as well, so I could use a stash).

And, of course, you can always grab a simple vine wreath and zhush it up with ribbons and glitter and bling! As long as you have a glue gun and are ready to experiment, making your own holiday wreath can be a snap. Put it on your door, or just on a wall, and be ready to welcome the holidays in!

make your own kahlua (or other infused liquor)

In order to celebrate the season the best way I know how, I'll be posting the 12 Days of DIY December here. Check back every day for something new to make, bake, or create to get ready for Christmas!

Infused vodka is a delicious addition to any holiday party bar, and it's so easy to make some to enjoy and to give. Forget the cloying fake fruit flavors you get off the shelf - make this one a DIY project and enjoy the delectable fruits of your labor in the year to come.

There are a lot of great recipes and tutorials online for infusing spirits with fruit, herbs, and even bacon, so I thought I'd focus on a recipe I've had success with: DIY Kahlua. It's true - you can make your own delicious coffee liqueur, perfect to add to hot cocoa, coffee, or any other seasonal beverage. This one needs to sit for two weeks, which is why I'm sharing it first! If you plan to make a batch or two to give out (or serve), get started now.

Kahlua
From a vintage homemade cookbook, "Favorite Recipes and Restaurants"

4 cups sugar
3 cups water

Boil 20 mins and let cool.

2 oz instant coffee
1 cup boiling water

Mix and let cool.

1 quart vodka
1 vanilla bean

Split bean lengthwise and mix everything together. Shake well. Let stand 2 weeks at room temperature before using. Shake once a day during the two weeks.

Strain out the vanilla bean once you're ready to decant the kahlua.

Use a funnel to pour your liqueur into some pretty bottles, like these from the Container Store. Add a label and maybe a bow, and you have a lovely and delicious DIY gift for any of the adults on your list! This would pair great with a cocoa kit (coming soon!)

Be prepared for everyone to be super impressed when you shrug and say "Oh yeah, I made kahlua from scratch for Christmas this year" - and then to reassure them that you didn't build a still of some kind out on your deck. It's just the magic of infusion!