Land of Nod Knock Off Winter Wondergraph Garland

I love making garlands! I pretty much have them up all year according to the seasons. This week, I made some soft and colorful fall leaves garland and it was a fun surprise to see one of my favorite projects from last holiday season getting featured on Copycat Crafts this week! I love this site and their amazing knock-off ideas!  I'm sure it's not too early to post a Christmas-ey project, especially since some people are having snowflakes falling this week! This garland is a knock-off from the Land of Nod, made by stenciling wax paper circles. Here's the featured link: Winter Wondergraph Garland
 And here's my tutorial "recycled" from last season, but still just as pretty!

Today, on Black Friday, I didn't join all the crazies in lines at the stores and road rage on the road.  Instead, after a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving with my family, I decided to get to work on some DIY Christmas decorations like these beauties.

I love browsing through catalogs for ideas I can make the cheaper copycat way. I got inspired to make this lacey garland after seeing Land of Nod's Winter Wondergraph Garland below:

 I was convinced I could make a thrifty version of this garland with materials I already had stashed at home. Land of Nod's description says they were made with "coated paper" so I decided to try using wax paper, using a technique I learned when I made my Faux Capiz Shell Chandelier.

Here's what you'll need to make this garland: 

wax paper

parchment paper

iron

circle cutter or scissors and circle to trace

white acrylic craft paint

string or thread

needle

round patterned adhesive stencil (I used Martha Stewart's craft line)

paint pouncer or craft paint brush

First,  iron three squares of wax paper together sandwiched in between two pieces of parchment paper. 

After paper is cool, use circle cutter to make circles a few inches wide ( or trace and cut out circles) I cut out twenty for my garland. 

Then, press your circle stencils to the center of paper circles and paint with pouncer or brush. 

I used two different sizes to create a lacey snowflake pattern. 

Finally, push thread in and out of top of each circle using a sewing needle until each circle is connected for your finished garland. 

You can hang your finished garland in a Christmas tree, across a wall or in a window like I did. I love the delicate look of these in my kitchen window and plan on keeping them up all winter long!

Thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple!

p.s. If you loved this idea, please check out the rest of my holiday tutorials here!

Linking up with these parties.

DIY Winter Snowflake Garland

Today, on Black Friday, I didn't join all the crazies in lines at the stores and road rage on the road.  Instead, after a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving with my family, I decided to get to work on some DIY Christmas decorations like these beauties. 

I love browsing through catalogs for ideas I can make the cheaper copycat way. I got inspired to make this lacey garland after seeing Land of Nod's Winter Wondergraph Garland below:

 I was convinced I could make a thrifty version of this garland with materials I already had stashed at home. Land of Nod's description says they were made with "coated paper" so I decided to try using wax paper, using a technique I learned when I made my Faux Capiz Shell Chandelier.

Here's what you'll need to make this garland: 

• wax paper
• parchment paper
• iron
• circle cutter or scissors and circle to trace
• white acrylic craft paint
• string or thread
• needle
• round patterned adhesive stencil (I used Martha Stewart's craft line)
• paint pouncer or craft paint brush

First,  iron three squares of wax paper together sandwiched in between two pieces of parchment paper. 

After paper is cool, use circle cutter to make circles a few inches wide ( or trace and cut out circles) I cut out twenty for my garland. 

Then, press your circle stencils to the center of paper circles and paint with pouncer or brush. 

I used two different sizes to create a lacey snowflake pattern. 

Finally, push thread in and out of top of each circle using a sewing needle until each circle is connected for your finished garland. 

You can hang your finished garland in a Christmas tree, across a wall or in a window like I did. I love the delicate look of these in my kitchen window and plan on keeping them up all winter long! 

Thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple! 

p.s. If you loved this idea, please check out the rest of my holiday tutorials here!

Linking up with these parties. 

Winter Came!

Well, I was "dreaming of a white Christmas" but that never came...we have had unusually "warm"

(above freezing) weather here in the Midwest with barely any snow. Daffodils and bees have been confused and have been growing/flying around! Unheard of in January here.

  As much as I have enjoyed letting the boys run around outside in the sunshine, I missed the snow! Yes, I'm a cold-weather lover. For the most part. Crazy, I know. I just like to enjoy every season.

So, we have had this book "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats and have been reading it

to the boys, waiting, waiting for a day of sledding and making footprints. And today, winter came! 

We got to take the little sleds out and walk around the block, and play in the yard. We loved it! 

Here are a few photos of our snowy morning together:

I hope we get even more snow than this--I love sitting here watching the snowflakes fall. But I do always look forward to spring, and I have a few ideas to show you of what can help get you through the long winter that I will post next! Stay tuned...and thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple! 

Sparkly Holly Leaves

So, we moved into our new home last January and I noticed a holly bush growing in our side yard. I thought about how convenient it would be to clip the pretty leaves and decorate with them for Christmas. Well, Christmas time came this year and I thought about how I could  preserve the leaves so they lasted through the winter.

 I had just won some sparkle Mod Podge from Mod Podge Rocks and wanted to experiment with it. So, I painted my holly leaves, poking myself occasionally-ouch! The leaves are sharp! 

I allowed them to dry and placed them in a blue vintage Ball jar I got at a garage sale. I really like the result! I plan on keeping them up through the winter.

Later, I was browsing through the Pottery Barn online catalog and noticed that this idea flowed along with their theme of putting sparkly natural objects in jars-so I think my idea was Pottery Barn style without realizing it. How cool am I? ha ha...

Hope you enjoyed!
Linking up with these parties.

Simple Winter Display Ideas

Here is a photo stream of one of my display areas this Christmas. I love decorating with nature so I clipped a few pine branches and placed them in little glass vases. I have some handmade cards on display that I have saved through the years.
(I will never get rid of something someone took the time to make for me! Sentimental, for sure! )

a beautiful handmade card by my paper expert friend, Teresa.

Katie Brown birds and candle sitting on Christmas tree stumps and some painted pinecones.

A print of a painting my grandfather did. My grandmother sends a new print every year of one of his nature paintings. I can remember he would paint a design for all of the grandkids on an envelope filled with money for us. Hope you enjoyed my simple display!

Linking up with these parties and this party.