I Love to Create - A Cupcake Lined New Years Wreath

I have been on a bit of wreath making kit as of late and don't think for one minute I am going to let New Years Eve slip by without it's own wreath.  Time to bust out the cupcake wrappers, glitter and Homecoming Mum supplies - just trust me.

SUPPLIES
Foil Cupcake Liners
Tulip Fashion Glitter
Faux Flowers
Hot Glue Gun
Liquid Fusion Glue
Plastic Baby New Years Dolls
Wooden Numbers
Tulip Fabric Paint in Silver
Scissors
Cardboard Cake Board
Craft Knife

Recently I had a wreath making party with my friends Vickie and Noelle.  We had trouble locating blank wreath bases like we wanted so that clever Vickie scored us some cake boards to cut into wreath shapes instead.  I decided to steal this idea for my New Years wreath.  Cake Boards come in various sizes, choose which size you like best.  I went with a 16" diameter.  Use a bowl or small or mug to trace the inner circle of the wreath and a craft knife to cut out the circle.

Foil cupcake liners are the sparkly secret weapon of this wreath.  Foil cupcake liners are white on the inside so you will need to turn several inside out.

Using a combination of hot glue gun and Liquid Fusion Glue my mother and I attached the cupcake liners to our new cake board base.  At first we just covered the cardboard in flat liners and then went back and added more folded and tweaked cupcake liners.

Along with cupcake liners we embellished the wreath with mirrored wall paper flowers, vintage doll rattles with top hats like Baby New Year, various Home Coming mum tid bits and whatever sparkly silver goodness we could find.

Once the wreath was totally filled in with silver ruffles a strip of cardboard left over from the cake board was added across the center of the wreath.

Tulip Fabric Paint says it is for fabric, but between you and me it works on wood too!  We painted the numbers 2011 silver and allowed to dry.

Once the paint was dry we coated the numbers with a thin coat of Liquid Fusion Glue and sprinkled with Tulip Fashion Glitter in Silver.

All that was left to do was add the silver glittery numbers to the center of the wreath.  Next year I will just pop off the 1 and a 2!

Adventures in Austin - Christmas Cupcake Class

Nothing says Christmas like cupcakes!  I was super excited to take a cupcake decorating class at Austin's All in One Bake Shop this holiday season.  I had bought a package of Wilton decorating tips and never bothered to figure out how to use them.  This class gave me the cliff notes on not only how to use the tips but also how to make and color the icing to decorate with.

My friend Dian and I took the class together and sat with an odd little couple.  The woman kept compulsively wiping the icing that would ooze from the bags, cleaning off her cupcakes to start over and constantly telling her husband he was doing it wrong.  They were almost as much fun to watch as the cupcake cam.  Oh ya we watched the teacher decorate each cupcake on the cupcake cam and then we got to conquer our own dozen naked cupcakes.

Now not only can I make a cupcake stand, crayon cupcakes, cupcake toppers and recycled cupcake coozies I can also make a mean cupcake.  I'm already plotting what kind of cake to bake and decorate for Tallulah's upcoming 2nd birthday - Thomas the Train or Yo Gabba Gabba.

I Love to Create - Santa's Tiered Treat Tray

This close to Christmas you probably already have the tree decorated, stockings hung and gifts wrapped.  Did you remember to bake cookies for Santa to set on Christmas Eve?  Sure a plate would work just fine to set those cookies on, but come on this is the guy that is about to hook you up with a bunch of gifts couldn't you go above and beyond?  Why not make a tiered treat tray to really set your house apart from all the others Santa is going to visit that night.

SUPPLIES

Christmas Records

Paint Brush

Wooden Dowel

Liquid Fusion Glue

Foam Core Board

Scissors

Crafty Chica Little Chica Paint Packs

Oven

Metal Bowl or Can

Wooden Beads

Drill with bit the size of your dowel

small saw

Wooden Disc

Tacky Glue

Festive Trim

3 Tiers of Treats - Base

Your tiered treat tray is going to have 3 levels in graduated sizes.  The bottom tray will be the largest.  I used one of my records as a guide for size and cut out a circle of a festive Christmas Record I found at the thrift store.  Using Liquid Fusion Glue I attached the circle to the actual record for stability.

Record Bowl in the Middle

The middle tier of the treat tray is going to be a record bowl.  Heat your oven to 200 degrees.  Place your record over a bowl or empty can and allow to become flaccid.  When the record is limp remove from the oven and work quickly to shape it into a fluted bowl.

Santa on Top

The top tier is the smallest.  I just so happened to have a record with a large picture of a man dressed as Santa.  I used a small bowl to trace my circle and then cut it out.  To back the tier I used Liquid Fusion Glue to adhere it to a round piece of foam core board.  I trimmed the rough edges in festive trim.

Tiered Tray Infrastructure

Now that my 3 tiers are ready all that is left to do is assemble the wooden core.  We used a round wooden base, wood dowel and wood balls.  The first thing is to choose a bit for your drill that is the same size as your dowel.  You will need a fairly large dowel for stability.  Drill a hole in the wooden base and inserted the dowel with Tacky Glue.  Allow to dry completely.

While the base glue is drying use your drill to ream holes in your wooden beads the size of your dowel.  Once all the holes are drilled you can paint them red, white and green.  Be sure to add lots of polka dots using pencil erasers and paint brush tips.  Allow the paint to dry completely.

You will also need to drill holes in your 3 tiers so that they will slide down the dowel.

Once all your holes are drilled and paint has dried start stacking your beads, bowls and tiers onto your dowel.  Save a large round ball for the tippy top.

Now on Christmas Eve fill the tiers up with treats and leave out with a glass of cold milk for Santa.  

Happy Holidays from Naughty Secretary Club!

We Wish You a Kitschy Christmas

With Christmas just a week away, I think I have finally done all the decorating I am going to do. Thought I would share some of my kitschy Christmas with you.

I swear I change these bookshelves almost as much as I do dirty diapers.  I love to decorate them seasonally.  Did you notice how the top row has all red, white and green books.  I tried to do orange and black ones for Halloween, but it didn't work out.  I also decided to put most of my tinsel trees up high this year, the ones that would fit anyway.  Wanna make your own set of Parisian Pine cone People?

I brought Christmas into the Florida room atop the bar.  Remember the Christmas TV trays how to project from last year?  I love using my vintage Thermos collection as planters and vases.

This bookshelf in my living room sees a lot of holiday action as well.  I have amassed quite the little collection of reindeer and am always looking for more.  I framed not only holiday pictures of Tallulah, but also pieces of vintage wrapping paper.  Notice last years Christmas in an Ice Cream Cone hiding in the shelves?

Every time I do dishes I have this collection of vintage Christmas elves I stole from my sister smiling at me.  They hold my usual over the sink junk like pens, scissors and paint brushes as well as some kitschy fake candy.

Ya so what, doesn't everyone have 13 Christmas trees in their house?  It's hereditary I swear, check out my mother's house at Christmas.  I added ornaments to my tree for the first time this year, let's see if they make it to next year with Tallulah's curiosity.  Don't forget you can learn how to make your own Hula Hoop Wreath right here. 

Are you done with all your holiday decorating?  I might still try to squeeze in a fancy centerpiece for the dining room table since I am hosting Christmas for the family this year.  I'll keep you posted!

I Love to Create - Yule Tide Bubbles

Besides the word train, Tallulah probably says bubble more than any other word.  The girl loves her some bubbles what can I say.  We have recently run out and I keep assuring her that Santa will be bringing her more.  That being the case I decided to make Tallulah some special customized Christmas bubbles as a little stocking stuffer.

SUPPLIES
Paper
Dishwashing Liquid
Glycerin
Pipe Cleaners, Bubble Wands, Fly Swatters - you name it.
Empty Jar
Tacky Glue
Trim or Ribbon
Scissors
Tape
Water
Crafty Chica Paint
Collage Pauge
Straw

MAKE BUBBLES
There are oodles of recipes online for making bubbles.  I went with this recipe....
1/4 cup liquid dishwashing detergent
3/4 cup cold water
5 drops of glycerin 
Most of the recipes I read swore by using Joy dishwashing liquid, but 7th Generation is what I had on hand.  A few suggested adding food coloring for colorful bubbles, but to me that translated into stained clothing so I opted for plain.

CUSTOMIZED CONTAINER

I decided to make a customized label for my bubble jar.  In a shallow dish I added dishwashing liquid, water and Crafty Chica paint.  Using a straw I blew bubbles and gently placed my paper in the paint bubbles.  I let the paper dry completely and then came back and added a second color.

Once the paint had dried I added a little text with my Bic Mark-It Permanent Markers.  I just left it simple with Bubbles - Bottled by Hand in the North Pole.  I then cut my label out and adhered it to my empty jar using Collage Pauge sparkle.

I didn't want to leave the lid out so I covered it in some left over bubble paper and added a decorative trim band with Aleene's Tacky Glue.

The bubbles are complete and all that is left to do is wait for Santa to deliver them!  If only making trains were this simple I would be set.

You could always make a customized wrapper for a ready made batch of bubbles.  Just soak the container of Magic Bubbles or what have you in warm water until label comes off then follow the instructions for adding a customized wrapper.

WRAP IT UP

Be sure to make extra bubble paper because it makes great wrapping paper too!