A little wine can go a long way...

Making homemade items from wine corks seems to be more and more popular now days…not only do people use corks to fill up their wine cork holders, but people are also collecting and even buying wine corks to use for projects. One of my favorite wine cork projects was actually given to me by sister.  We were opening Christmas gifts at my parents' house a couple of years ago and she gave me a yard stick covered in wine corks from top to bottom. I wasn’t really sure what it was at first, and my sister must have noted my confusion. She explained to me that it was a wine cork board. Sounds pretty cool right?

The following are the instructions and materials needed to make a wine cork board:
1. Drink lots of wine or become friends with someone who drinks lots of wine
2. Save the corks- the amount needed will depend on the size of the corks
3. Using a hot glue gun, attach the corks to the yard stick from top to bottom and let dry for several hours
4. Use thumbtacks to attach items to your cork board
5. Attach a hook to hang it up on your wall. I made mine using braided ribbon formed into a loop and hung it on a nail. You can be creative with this part.

Here’s what your finished project should look like:

Photo Courtesy of Pinterest

That’s it! That is all there is! I love using my wine cork board to display pictures, to hang notes, and at Christmas time I like to use it to display cards. This is such a great way to reuse all those corks and it makes a great gift for not only wine lovers but for all your creative friends!

Post by: Katie B.

Love Coupon Book

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, do you feel like you get the same things for your special someone every year? Roses, chocolates, greeting cards… It’s time to get creative and switch it up this year! Even though the roses and the chocolates are great, nothing says “I love you” more than something that you make yourself! Putting time and effort into a gift makes it even more special. There are a few things you can make your special someone without spending a lot of money. One of my favorite is the love coupon book. This is a way to pamper your special someone and show that you still care deeply about their wishes. With a love coupon book you can make written promises for your loved one to be redeemed whenever they wish and with no restrictions. There are no rules; you decide what you want to promise. Here are a few examples to help you get started:

•        Romantic Dinner for two
•        A night of stargazing
•        A free wish
•        One BIG bear hug
•        24 hours of no arguments- no matter what!
•        A day of games and fun
•        30 minutes of cuddling
•        A movie date to the movie of your choice
•        Favorite homemade meal made by me
•        One full body massage
•        Blank- you fill in
•        One evening treated like royalty
•        Breakfast in bed

There really are no limits to this! So be creative and have fun, this is a gift your other half is really going to appreciate!

Post by: Karla C

A Christmas Gift that comes from the heart…and your kitchen cabinet!

Tis the season to be...creative! I think that as the years go by, and as I get older it starts getting harder to find gifts for some of my family and friends so I had to start thinking outside the box when it comes to giving gifts.   A few months ago I stumbled across an idea to make a magnetic board using materials that I already had at my house: an old cookie sheet and some spray paint.  The only other materials I needed to purchase were some magnets and some Command Brand picture hanging strips…hello brilliant idea!

Intrigued? Read on... Now at first this was a bit of an experiment since I first tried making this using a cookie sheet that had a little rust on it…bad idea! After I had spray painted the cookie sheet you could see all the rust spots even with the paint covering it so I went back to my kitchen and grabbed one that was a bit cleaner, but old enough that I wouldn’t miss it in my kitchen. I sprayed the top of the pan as well as the sides and the back so that none of the silver would show through.

After the pan was completely dry I added a decorative scrap booking decal to make the magnetic board more creative and more my style. I then followed the instructions on the package for using the Command Brand picture hanging strips to hang the magnetic board on the wall above my desk. Below is the picture I originally got the idea from:

 http://bestfriendsforfrosting.com/2011/10/diy-how-to-make-a-magnetic-cookie-sheet-board/

This is such a cool idea for organizing pictures, art projects, coupons, etc. in your home or office. This gives you a chance to be creative and really make it your own.  It’s also a simple project for someone who maybe isn’t as craft as the next person. 

As the Christmas season approaches instead of wracking your brain trying to figure out what to get your friend who has everything, get out your old cookie sheet and bake up something creative!

Posted by: Katie B.