Crafty Texas Girls: Christmas

Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

12/22/18

Christmas Treat Bar for Teachers

My role as "Staff Appreciation" co-chair continues! This month we organized a Christmas Treat Bar for our middle school teachers. Parent volunteers brought in donations and we set it up with some festive decorations.

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1/15/18

Dollar Tree Christmas Gift

For the holidays, I love to give my girls teachers special treats. For Christmas I had lots of cute things pinned, but then I lucked out and found some 'ready made' ideas at the store!

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1/11/18

Pinterest Inspired Holiday Food

We hosted our "Christmas with Friends" party again this year. It's our second year and this one was just as fun as the last. We ate all the yummy things, drank the drinks, played LCR, and laughed a lot.

(Jeff and I cracked ourselves up by dressing in coordinating plaid shirts. We didn't even plan it!)

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12/21/17

DIY Ugly Sweater Ornament

My oldest had a friend over for a playdate last week, which of course ended up with us making a craft. It's what we do :) This one was fun and easy enough for all ages. It would be cute on package or to give alone as gift. It's the DIY Ugly Sweater Ornament!

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12/19/17

December Updates!

Am I the only one who can't believe Christmas is less than a week away?! We have been enjoying the season and preparing our hearts for the big day. So today I am sharing some of the fun things I have been doing with my family. Keep reading- you might find some inspiration for your crew!

Christmas Tree made out of fruit! Created for our PTA Breakfast by my friend Alli.

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11/30/17

Post Thanksgiving - Pre Christmas

Happy Last Day of November! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with you family and friends. November flew by and the minute we put our turkey dishes away, my youngest daughter changed our letter board to this :)

Today's post covers all sorts of things-- like how to do a seasonal table scape with lunch sacks, ideas for where to buy a letter board (and what to put on it), how to make a birthday cake topper from pipe cleaners, a recipe for a holiday treat, where to go hiking if you want to see real dino fossils, and the best place to get a kiss under the mistletoe. Sound interesting? Keep reading below!

Click to here to read more this post!

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12/22/16

6 Christmas Games to Play at Home

Before school let out, I got to help plan my daughter's 5th grade Holiday Party. The party included a snack, craft and some fun games. Although the event was for 10 year olds, the activities are perfect for doing at home with your family (young and old!) Planned games and activities are a great way to get your family excited about hanging out together. Fun is good for all ages! Keep reading for 6 Christmas Games to play at home this holiday season.

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12/19/16

What to Give Someone, Who Has Everything

When it comes to "Christmas Wish Lists" my daughters and I are professionals. We have no shortage of 'wishes'. We love gifts. And not only do we love getting gifts-- we really love giving them. This season we have enjoyed shopping for just the right things for our favorite people. Finding the perfect gift takes thought, time and caring. Most people in our family are easy to shop for... with the exception of my husband.

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12/18/16

Easy Christmas Tree Brownies

Everyone decorates sugar cookies for Christmas. Want to change things up and do something different? Try these! Bake up a batch of brownies and turn them into adorable little Christmas trees.

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12/17/16

DIY Rosette Headband

Today I am so excited to share with you my favorite hair accessory project- DIY Rosette Headbands! I have been making these headbands for years- I used to sell them to boutiques all across the country. Today, I will share all my best tips and secrets for making this adorable headband. This is the first time I have ever shared 'the how-to' for this perfect 'boutique accessory'. It makes a great gift for girls (and women) of all ages. Now let's get started!

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12/14/16

DIY BIG Christmas Hair Bow

Hello! Today I am excited to show you how to make a Big Christmas Hair Bow. This bow can be worn by girls of every age and it would be fun hair accessory for a themed 'ugly sweater' Christmas party too! I have been making bows like this for years, and today I want to share 'my secret bow making tutorial' with you :)

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12/11/16

Christmas Party Ideas for Kids (Games, Crafts & More)

Tis the season for parties! School parties, work parties, neighborhood parties. This time of year, everyone wants to celebrate together. I hosted my daughter's holiday cheer party over the weekend and it was so fun. Her team is made up of fourteen of the sweetest tween girls. If you are getting ready to host a party for the holidays, keep reading for lots of ideas to make any holiday party a success!

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12/9/16

Santa Pancakes for Christmas Breakfast

Who wouldn't want to wake up to this cute Christmas breakfast?! Fluffy pancakes topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. I love to make special treats during Christmas break. Those two weeks when my girls are home from school are the best. Our mornings are slower, we listen to Christmas music and snuggle in jammies by the fire. The glow of our Christmas tree seems to warm the entire house. And making these Santa Pancakes is a treat- not only to eat... but to make!

Break out your apron and keep reading below for the recipe.

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12/30/15

5 Ways to Wear Sequin Pants

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! Our family spent lots of time celebrating, relaxing, and playing. And now we are on to New Year's Eve! One of my favorite things about the holidays is dressing up. I wore these black sequin pants for Christmas Eve. (I absolutely love these pants.) The front is sequined and the back is a stretchy spandex legging. Since the pants are so fancy-- I paired them with a simple tunic. After posting the picture on Instagram, I had lots of inquiries about the pants. So I thought it would be fun to do a post about sequin pants!

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12/17/15

Easy Christmas Crafts: DIY Reindeer Candy Canes & Present Costume

Like everyone else, we are trying to pack in as much Christmas fun as possible this month. We have written letters to Santa, decorated the house, seen Christmas lights, and made a few crafts too. My favorites so far are these Reindeer Candy Canes and the Present Costume.

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12/7/15

Christmas Decorations: Transitional Style

Fa la la la la.... our tree is up! It is truely the most wonderful time of the year. I love seeing my friend's Christmas trees, looking at Christmas decorations on Pinterest, and swooning over holiday trimmings in my favorite catalogs. There is just something about a beautifully decorated tree in a cozy home. So today, I thought I would show you mine. I am calling it "Christmas with the Conners"-- 'transitional' style :)

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12/5/15

Elf on the Shelf Name Tags (Free Printable)

She's back! The Elf on the Shelf has landed! And whether you are a fan (or not) it's hard to ignore all the fun "Elf-ness" that can be found this season in stores and online. My girls were visited by our favorite Elf, Christmas Carol. And she has a new little friend- too. A special Elf just for Maisy. They are such a cute pair! Like many of you, we named our Elves. The girls sat and thought of sweet names and that was that.

But this year, Afton was worried that although Carol was her elf's "Given Name"--it might not be her real "North Pole Name". So she wrote Carol a note that simply said "What is your real name?".

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12/16/14

Homemade Edible Sugar Snow Globe (A Christmas Craft)

For years the Gingerbread House has been the 'must-do edible holiday craft'. But this season, you have a new option. Let me present... "The Edible Sugar Snow Globe"!

Don't get me wrong, I love Gingerbread houses. But sometimes the magic of a Gingerbread house gets lost in the messiness. This project however... no mess! I found the recipe on Imperial Sugar's website (tons of activities, printables, recipes and crafts over there)

Here is what you need to make your own Edible Sugar Snow Globe.

Supplies:

Glass dome container with a lid (be sure the opening of the container is large enough for your hand as you place items)
Candy, marshmallows and/or cake pops
Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
Toothpicks
Foam (for globe base)

Directions:

Cut a small piece of foam to use as the base for your decorations and place in the bottom of the jar.
Pour enough granulated sugar in to cover the foam block.
To decorate our edible snow globe, we used Peeps brand Christmas tree and snowman; held in place with toothpicks. Gently push the toothpick into the bottom of the marshmallow figure, leaving enough toothpick visible to insert into the foam block under the sugar.
We added gumballs around the edge and a mini-candy cane, but you could use any of your favorite candies.

Get creative! Decorated sugar cookies, brownie cakes pops, candy cane sleighs... Just be sure that you don't shake this sweet snow globe or you'll create a sugar snow storm!

If you like this idea, be sure to enter here for a chance to win a copy of the

"2015 My First Cookbook" by Imperial Sugar.

Thanks to Imperial Sugar for the fun Christmas craft recipe!

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11/29/14

A Blonde Elf on the Shelf

Anyone else have a 'love/hate' relationship with "The Elf"? I bought ours 4 years ago. Way back in the day, waaaaaaay before Pinterest was a 'thing'. It was such a nice simple time back then. (sigh)

Yes, I will admit it. I took apart my Elf. I literally cut his body apart! (See why here.)

I heard about The Elf from a friend and was happy to find one in our local Barnes and Noble. Not everyone had one and literally the only thing The Elf did was sit on the shelf. It was simple and fun at first.

But after a week of The Elf, my Afton deemed it frightening. She wouldn't come downstairs in the morning until I showed her where The Elf was. She said his face was creepy. She imagined him sneaking into her room at night. Terror. What a lovely Christmas activity huh?

So with Afton's help, I wrote a note to Santa and sent The Elf back to the North Pole. Since then, each December we have tried the The Elf again and again. We have tried "other" Elves. I even crafted a girl Elf from a doll and cut up bits of our original "Elf on the Shelf". But it has not been enjoyable for her, so I had all but given up. Plus, even though all those Elf ideas on Facebook and Pinterest are funny, for me- they take too much time and energy. And they don't really have anything to do with the meaning of Christmas. I know that a lot of people enjoy elaborate Elf activities- and that is awesome- but the 'over the top' Elf stuff is not for me.

Now imagine my surprise when my 'baby' Maisy, who is now 5 years old, starts praying at night for an Elf to come to our house.

"Dear Jesus, I know Afton is afraid of The Elf, but I really want you to send a girl Elf to me. Amen." -Maisy, age 5

Oh my! So here I am. Back to The Elf game. I can't deny my last baby the chance to enjoy a little Christmas magic. Nothing crazy, but just a little sweet magic never hurt anyone right? Last night Jeff went into the attic while I was putting the girls to bed. When I came downstairs, I saw this. Our Elf had returned!

This morning, Afton came downstairs and screamed. "We have an Elf and she has curly hair!!!" And I am not kidding, she was laughing and screaming so loud a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Maisy woke up when she heard the commotion and smiled proudly when she saw her prayer had been answered.

The weird thing is, neither one of them remember that this exact same Elf came to our house exactly two years ago. (See how I made her in this post here.) Isn't it great when kids have short memories :) They both kept saying how excited they are to finally have a girl Elf!

So my girl Elf is 'new' again and the girls both seem happy to have her. Maisy named her "Carol" like Christmas Carol :) I am hoping she can stay around and hang out our shelves, chandeliers and cabinets. If she inspires the girls to 'be on their best behavior' that's great. Honestly, they are really good kids, so I am not going to push the whole 'the Elf is watching you' thing. That does get a little creepy... Our Carol the Elf is going to be more like a Will Ferrell type personality. You know, the type of Elf that eats candy canes with maple syrup and spreads cheer by singing loudly for all to hear :)

Source

My heart is just happy that my girls can still see the magic in our world, especially at Christmas time. Childhood is short, seems like we all need to embrace it while we can.

December 2010

November 2014

Do you have an "Elf on the Shelf"? Do you go all out and set up Elf shenanigans or does your Elf just hang around?

We will be spending the day decorating our house for Christmas. Take a peek on Instagram @craftytexasgirl to see how it is all coming along.

11/24/14

Silhouettes from Etsy

Most of the time, I am a D-I-Y girl. But more and more, I am turning into a bit of a B-U-Y girl.

For example, my siblings and I were planning a gift for my Dad's 60th birthday. My step mom had mentioned that my Dad would love a set of silhouettes of the grand kids. 6 grand kids and 60 years! So I had everyone send me a profile pic of their kids. When taking a photo for a silhouette, doing it against a blank background works best. For girls, hair should be up or pulled back from the face. Make sure your subject looks straight ahead. No fancy camera needed, we all took our photos with iPhones.

Now I have DIY'ed silhouettes before of my girls. I did it the easy way-- no photoshop or special software. I basically just took a photo of their profile and printed it. Then I traced it out on black card stock and cut it out again. I was happy with the way turned out and I really enjoyed making them. (See the full post from May of 2012 here- it's an 'oldy' but a 'goody'.)

But this time, I was in charge of 6 silhouettes and I wanted them to have a little more detail than I was able to manage with my card stock and craft scissors. Luckily there are a ton of talented designers on Etsy that will turn your photo into a beautiful custom digital silhouette.

I found Olive+Birch on Etsy and was immediately impressed that their designs had been featured in the February issue of Good Housekeeping. I emailed over my photos and a few days later the digital images were emailed back. The great thing about the digital silhouettes is that I just downloaded them and sent them to Staples for printing. I printed in black and white on 110 pound card stock. When they were ready, I picked them up and popped them into a frames from Hobby Lobby. Easy-peasy!

BEFORE

AFTER

And since I now own the digital silhouettes, I can reprint them as many times as needed! I am going to frame a set for myself. And who knows-- maybe some other lucky grandparents might get a framed copy as well :)

Do you have silhouettes of your kids or grand kids? If not- Christmas is a great time to get some made. A silhouette is such a classic way to capture those little features. I also spied some beautiful family silhouettes that include mom and dad- or even the family pet! You can choose from colored or patterned silhouettes with an oval border, or go with the classic black and white.

Image via Olive + Birch

D-I-Y or B-U-Y silhouettes- either way it's a win :)

PS...Happy Birthday Dad!

PSS... This post is not sponsored. I am just so happy with the work Olive+Birch did for me. There are lots of vendors on Etsy, but Olive+Birch are definitely worth checking out.