Easy Craft: DIY Spring or Summer Floral Wreath

In early Spring, I had started eyeing the pre-made wreaths at our local A.C. Moore store.  I did see a few that I liked, however, I kept putting off buying one because I knew I could make one myself.  The last time I made my own wreath was about 10 years ago, but I decided that it was time to dust off the old glue gun and make a nice large wreath that I not only liked, but loved.

I like my wreaths to be full.  I just think they look more dynamic and stately that way.  I am not a minimalist in any other part of my life, so why start with my front door, right?  Making a full floral wreath is easier than you may think.  Let me show you how . . .

DIY Project:  Full Floral Wreath

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

artificial grapevine twig wreath

large artificial floral bouquet

artificial floral garland

scissors or wire cutters

hot glue gun

hot glue sticks

Before we start, I want to explain why I chose to use a floral bouquet rather than individual stems of flowers.  The first reason is that the bouquet has a nice mix of different colors, shapes, and sizes of flowers that already work together.  The second reason is that a bouquet costs much less than buying each stem or pick separately, especially when you can find the bouquet on sale.

Step 1.  Make your own floral picks by cutting each flower from the bouquet.  Push the leaves up towards the flower if you would like to use them in your wreath.  Then cut the stem with scissors or wire cutters about a half an inch below the leaf.  Do this for all the stems of flowers.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

  

Step 2.  Take the garland and hide the end in the inner circle of the wreath by tucking it in between two twigs.  Then secure the end in place with some hot glue.

Step 3.  Now take the garland and secure it to a spot on the outer circle of the wreath with some hot glue.  Repeat this, alternating between the inner circle and outer circle of the wreath, similar to a zigzag pattern.  Be sure to secure each point with hot glue.

  

Step 4.  Plan out the general placement of your flower stems, making sure to disperse the sizes and colors evenly around the wreath.

Step 5.  Push each flower stem in between two vines on the wreath and then secure with hot glue.  Repeat with all the flower stems.


Here is the result of today's craft project . . .

The garland is the secret to making this wreath look really full.  I love how mine came out and so does my family.  It is a very cheerful sight to welcome us every time we return home.  Our 5 year old twins especially love it because they are the ones who picked out the original bouquet of flowers used to make this wreath.

My Photos (W/E 7-9-11)

I took quite a lot of photos last week.  My husband was off more than usual because of the holiday, so we tackled some projects, including a little redecorating in our dining area.  Since I was taking photos of that . . . well, let's put it this way . . . when I already have my camera out, nobody is safe.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

"How Yeeew Dewin'?"

"Looking Through"

"Way Up High"

"Looking Beyond"

"Lovely"

"Fist Bump"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.

My Photos (W/E 5-14-11)

Last week, like all others these days, seemed to go by so quickly.  I really thought I would have no photos to share for Weekly Winners.  I was surprised to find that I actually took hundreds of photos last week and that I completely forgot to sort through my Mother's Day photos for posting.  There were just too many, so most of them may be shared on Facebook only this year.  The photo below of my husband and daughter and the one of the brownie on top of the Ben & Jerry's cake are from Mother's Day, however.

"Silk Petals"

"Sweet Cake Topper"

"I Wasn't Doing Anything!"

"Daddy's Girl"

"Sun Bathing"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.

Ruby Tuesdays: "Where I Belong"

Our cat Sagwa is just over one year old.  She is always trying to be where she is not suppose to be.  Unlike our other cats, who like to be left alone to nap in a quiet spot, she likes to be right in the middle of things.  Unfortunately, our dining table is one of those places she likes to be, especially when there are people sitting around it trying to eat, draw, do homework, etc . . .  She seems to think the middle of the table is exactly where she belongs.

If you'd like to see more Ruby Tuesday photos, go visit Mary at Work of the Poet!

Ruby Tuesday: Red Silk Flower

The silk flowers I had on our dining table had been there for several months.  I decided that they looked a little too holiday-ish, but I was not ready to switch to springtime colors yet with all that snow still on the ground outside.  So, I purchased some new silk flowers including a few stems of this red one.  The overall color scheme is red, ivory, and blue.  I was pretty pleased with how the arrangement turned out, although I wish I had purchased one or two more stems of the red and the ivory flowers.

If you'd like to see more Ruby Tuesday photos, go visit Mary at Work of the Poet!

How To Make a Rice Krispies Treats Holiday Centerpiece

If you are planning on hosting a holiday brunch or any get-together where both adults and children will be attending, I have a fun idea for a holiday centerpiece for you. This idea uses classic Rice Krispies Treats and Rice Krispies cereal. You may have everything you need around the house to create this centerpiece already. It is pretty simple to make.

First of all you will need to make at least one batch of treats. You can follow this link to find the Classic Rice Krispies Treats Recipe, but you can always find it on one of the panels on a box of Kellogg's Rice Krispies Cereal. The treats will need to be cut into cubes, so the size of your pan and the number of guests you are expecting will determine how many batches of treats you will need to make. I decided to go with the classic treats because the colors suited my centerpiece design. I did consider crushing candy canes and mixing them into the cereal, but was worried my centerpiece would look less elegant. You can experiment as much as you like. In the past, I have made Rice Krispies Treats with chocolate-covered pretzels and some with chocolate-covered peanuts, both of which seemed to have been a hit.

Other supplies you will need:

• A shallow glass vase
• 2 large glass votive cups
• 2 unscented tealights
• Artificial holiday flowers
• Coordinating wired holiday ribbon
• Wooden skewers 12" or longer
• Rice Krispies Cereal
• A table runner or 2 place mats

Step #1. Place your vase and two votive cup holders on top of your table runner, with the vase centered and one votive cup on each side. I could not find a runner that I liked well enough, so I bought these two placemats at Target and just placed them together side-by-side.

Step #2. Cut the stems of your flowers so that most of the arrangement is about 3 or 4 inches shorter than the skewers you purchased. Then arrange the flowers to your liking in the vase. Barbecue-length skewers would have allowed me to use a taller vase and to create an even grander centerpiece, but they are out-of-season where I live.

(Click any image to enlarge)

Step #3. Next fill the vase about 2/3 of the way with Rice Krispies Cereal, making sure the cereal fills in around the stems and leaves.

Step #4. Fill the two votive cups about halfway with Rice Krispies Cereal. Then place one unscented tealight in each of the cups, making sure they are centered and nestled into the cereal.

Step #5. If you have not already, cut your Rice Krispies Treats into cubes. Then skewer 2 or more treats with the wooden skewers, making sure that the treats stay near the top end. How many treats you can put on each skewer depends on how tall your arrangement is.

Step #6. Push the bottom ends of the skewers into the rice cereal within the vase, making sure not to overshadow the flowers.

Step #7. Tie the wired holiday ribbon around the vase and form a large bow on the front. If you would like to, you can dovetail the ends of your ribbon.

Our Final Results . . .

Your centerpiece may come out drastically different from mine, depending on the components you choose to use. That is the wonderful thing about this project. You can create it to suit your own taste and decor.

After the guests have enjoyed all the skewers of Rice Krispies Treats, you will still have an attractive centerpiece leftover. When the event has concluded, you can empty out the cereal and either keep the bow or remove it and swirl the ribbon inside the vase around the stems and leaves.

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If you would like to add a little color and spice to your Rice Krispies Treats, here is a quick and easy recipe . . .

Recipe: Cinnamon Holiday Rice Krispies Treats

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp butter or margarine

10oz package of white mini marshmallows

5-1/2 cups of Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal

1/2 cup Brach's Cinnamon Hard Candy, crushed

Step 1. In a large saucepan or skillet, melt the butter or margarine over low heat.

Step 2. Add mini marshmallows and stir continuously until completely melted and blended with butter.

Step 3. Add Rice Krispies cereal and then the crushed cinnamon candy.

Step 4. Remove the pan from heat. Then stir until the cereal and candy mixture are completely coated with the melted marshmallow.

Step 6. Transfer entire mixture into a 13" x 9" baking pan, casserole dish, or plastic storage container coated with nonstick cooking or baking spray.

Step 7. Using a folded piece of wax paper, press the mixture into the pan, packing it as evenly and tightly as possible.

Step 8. Allow the pan of Rice Krispies Treats to cool completely before cutting into 2" squares.

Store your treats in an airtight container. It is best if they are consumed within 2 days or so.

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This project was inspired by a challenge put before me by TheMotherhood.com . You can see what other participants have come up with by visiting TheMotherhood's Rice Krispies Recipe Box Circle, Kellogg's Rice Krispies on Facebook and following Rice Krispies on Twitter along with the hashtag #RiceKrispies.

I received payment for my participation in this campaign sponsored by TheMotherhood, who also provided the funds for supplies, the cereal, and a contest prize on behalf of Kellogg's Rice Krispies Brand Cereal.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing. Winner must not have won the same prize for this campaign on a different website.

Abbreviated Rules: No Purchase Necessary. Begins no earlier than 12:00:00 AM (ET) on 11/29/10 and ends no later than 11:59:59 PM (ET) on 12/21/10. For complete Official Rules, go to http://web.mediacdt.com/docs/motherhoodholiday

Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Subject to complete Official Rules. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: TheMotherhood; www.TheMotherhood.com

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me what special ingredient you would add to the Classic Rice Krispies Treats recipe to make them more fun for the holidays. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

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4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow

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6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

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Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, December 20th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

My Photos (W/E 12-4-10)

When I looked in my "Weekly Winners" folder today, I was a little panicked because there was nothing in it. So I looked around for something to take an interesting photo of. Well, there is always a random cat sleeping on our bed. So I took about 20 photos of our youngest kitty Sagwa. I took another photo later on in the day that I liked, so now I have two to share. YAY!!!

(Click any photo to enlarge)

"Oblivious to All the Incessant Picture-Taking"

"A Little Shimmer"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.