Part of me believes that watermelons were created to off-set the oppressive heat of summer. Do you agree? Watermelon is for summer. That's why today I'm sharing this super cute DIY Summer craft with you - Painted Watermelon bags or pouches. This is a great craft idea for the teens hanging out at your house occasionally moaning, "I'm sooooo bored" while simultaneously emptying your pantry of everything edible. This is also an easy craft to make while you hide away in the air conditioning. *This post contains affiliate links* Let's get started on these DIY Watermelon Bags You … [Read more...]
Life Lately – Father’s Day DIY Shirts With All Toes Intact (For Now)
Years ago I started making r-shirts for our girls to wear for Father's Day. But two years ago as they were getting older and our lives were getting busier, I stopped making them. Then while I was talking with Mr. Byrd this year, he brought it up. It turns out that it had been one of his favorite things about Father's Day each year. So this year I brought the t-shirts back. And honestly, can I say that I am so thankful for Cricuts and heat transfer vinyl? In the past I spent way too long hand cutting out freezer paper stencils. This year I let our youngest pick out the … [Read more...]
DIY Wire Wrapped Bracelets – Gorgeous Arm Candy You Can Make!
One of my favorite things to make is jewelry. Maybe because it's shiny and I love shiny things or possibly it's because it allows you to be extremely creative and wear that creation proudly. That's why you'll always find a ton of DIY jewelry posts on this site, including these instructions to make your own wire wrapped bracelets. If you're anything like me then chances are that you walk down the aisles of the craft store slowly falling in love with all the different beads on the DIY jewelry aisle. Sometimes I want to buy all the gorgeous beads or even the funky beads but I … [Read more...]
In The Wild VBS (Jungle/Safari Themed) Decoration Ideas
Whew. Mama needs a nap. Believe it or not, our church just wrapped up In The Wild Vacation Bible School for 2019. Every year our church holds VBS the very first week of summer vacation. It makes our week-long VBS a marathon as we wrap up the school year and dive right into a week of activities but it's worth it. I wanted to take time today to share with you guys some of the cute decorations that different leaders decorated their In the Wild VBS rooms with. Maybe you haven't done your church's VBS yet or maybe a friend of yours is getting ready for the same theme and might like some of these … [Read more...]
The Day She Almost Drowned – What Drowning Really Looks Like.
I wrote this post 4 years ago. Yet once again today I watched our youngest blaze down the pool, determined to beat the girl in the lane next to her during the race. Things look different now. She's a swimming pro and I no longer sit by the pool during every single swim meet practice like I did for the past three years. Thankfully for us, this is but a memory. But as we hear more and more tragic news of kids drowning this summer, I want to share our story with you. Drowning does not look like what people think it does. It's quiet and silent. Read this. Share it. Save a life. This … [Read more...]
From Junk to WOW! Using Alcohol Inks on Recycled Glass Jars
I can't stop staring at these photos. I just can't believe what a little bit of alcohol ink transformed old glass jars into. I know you have a ton of old spaghetti jars and other recycled glass on the top shelf of your kitchen cabinets. Maybe it's time to pull them down and make something. This is a DIY Project using recycled glass that you are going to want to make. Post contains affiliate links. I had been dying to play with alcohol inks for the longest time but they're not the cheapest craft supply. I even looked up recipes for making my own alcohol inks but had never taken that step. … [Read more...]
Super Sweet Summer – Free Printable!
Summer is sweet. It's a time of year that we practically hold our breath waiting for and before you know it, it's over! That's one of the reasons I made you this free summer printable. You have to cherish summer. Eat all the popsicles you want. Swim until your entire body is pruny. Stay up late watching movies. Eat more popsicles. It's a wonderful cycle. That's why I had to make you this free summer printable. Summer is super sweet. Enjoy it. Print this free printable on normal sized paper and pop it in a frame. Make it smaller to use on a card. … [Read more...]
You Can Make This Super Fun Water Blob! – Using an Iron To Seal The Edges
Many years ago there was a post on this blog that kinda went crazy. Overnight it went viral and The Water Blob was born. Now over a hundred thousand people have searched this blog for "how to make a water blob". But the first water blob used duct tape to seal the edges and was prone to leaks. So now it's time to update it to show you how to make a leakproof water blob using an iron to seal the edges. You might have seen this photo on Pinterest or other places online. Yup, it's the one that started it all. My girls were so little in that picture. Since then … [Read more...]
Fighting Depression – What I’ve Learned So Far
I've been quiet lately. You might have noticed. Usually, I'm on social media a lot and always sharing with you what I'm making. But in the past few days, I've just been blah. As I shared with you a while back, I'm dealing with depression and anxiety. The post I wrote only addressed depression but every time I talk about depression in front of my counselor, P.O., she quickly adds in, "and anxiety." So yeah... that too. When I get down, I get quiet. When I'm just kinda blah, I paint with headphones blaring music so loud I couldn't hear an explosion. When I'm really in the doldrums, I … [Read more...]
Easy and Fun Whimsical Paintings – You Can Do This!
I like to paint. I always have. Yet the truth is that I have trouble painting because I get frustrated when it doesn't look realistic. Anyone else? That's why I've fallen in love with the whimsical style of painting. Not only is it pretty simple, I can let colors play while not worrying about how perfect it looks. The style of whimsical painting I do is basic and can be done in only a few steps. In fact, I stumbled on this years ago through someone a follow on Instagram, Jenni Horne. If you're creative, do yourself a favor and follow her. I watched some of her paintings evolve as she … [Read more...]
40 Funny Tote Bag Sayings
Last year I wrote the post, 43 Funny Kitchen Towel Sayings, and it went viral. I never knew people needed so many ideas of funny sayings to put on tote bags or kitchen towels, but apparently they do. I understand it though because since then I've made a lot of kitchen towels using my Cricut and iron-on vinyl. They're easy to make and fun to hang in your kitchen for holidays and special events. BUT now summer is on it's way and for some reason, it always makes me think I need tote bags. Anyone else? I'm not sure what it is about summer but I want a tote bag to throw all my junk into and … [Read more...]
How to Paint Peg Dolls – Simple Craft to Entertain Kids
When my girls were little, I made peg dolls a lot. They're great to make for kids because they're very sturdy and the smaller size means that they're perfect to throw in your purse or keep in the car console for those times that you just need a child to be entertained for a bit. DIY hand painted peg dolls are simple and really fun to make. In fact, I made these for a little girl who I hung out with this weekend at a swim meet. She needs something that she can play while waiting for her older sister to swim but it won't break the bank if they get lost, muddy or dropped in the pool. The … [Read more...]
