Snowflake Ornaments

Glittery snowflake ornaments add a little bit of extra sparkle to your Christmas tree! 

Here's how you make your own:

1. Gather your supplies. I used: 

Sculpey Premo Accents clay

(I used the "opal" color- because it already has the glitter in it!) 

a set of modeling tools 

a snowflake cookie cutter

string to hang it

2. Follow the instructions for the clay. (It takes a few minutes to condition the clay so it is usable. I followed the instructions on the website, which suggested putting the clay in a sealed plastic bag, and then soaking it in a bowl of hot water. It really does help soften the clay so it is easier to work with!)

Roll out the clay and then cut your shape. Using your tools, cut a small hole for the string. 

3. Bake in the oven according to the directions on your clay. 

(275 degrees for 30 minutes)

When it is done, it should like like the photo below:

4. Let ornament cool, then add your string and hang it on the tree!

For a fun variation, you can stamp different shapes or textures onto them before baking. Here's one that I stamped a mini snowflake on.

Countdown to Christmas... {Frame it! Friday}

This week's {Frame it! Friday} is a Christmas Countdown. Simply print off this page, put it in your favorite frame, add a dry erase marker to cross off the days (write directly on the glass) and you're ready to kick off the holiday season. They also make great, easy gifts for friends and neighbors!

Merry Christmas!

*UPDATED 2019*

This printable is now available to download and print from my Etsy store,

 Celebrate All Year. I hope you enjoy!

Click HERE to be redirected.

{Frame it! Friday} is a weekly event! Please follow me

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Jingle Bell Door Decoration for Christmas

 Nothing puts me in a Christmas-y mood more than the sound of jingle bells, which is why I am in love with this Jingle Bell Door Decoration! My kids enjoy listening to it jingle as they go in and out of our front door; it really is one of our favorite sounds of the season. 

 It was surprisingly easy to make, and can be a great gift for friends and loved ones, too!

How to make your own Jingle Bell Door Decoration:

STEP 1: Gather your supplies. You will need a wooden letter, an assortment of bells in varying sizes (I used red and silver and white glittered ones), red paint and brush, ribbon, and a glue gun. 

STEP 2: Paint your letter. Once it has dried, start gluing the bells on. There is no real order to this, just mix up the various sizes and colors randomly. (The more you overthink the placement of each bell it, the harder it is... seriously, just start gluing!) 

STEP 3: Once all your bells are glued on, it is time to add your ribbon. Take a length of ribbon and tie a bow on the side. Then glue a strip to the top to form a hanger.

This item is now available for purchase at my online store. 

Click here to be redirected to Bear Hugs and Beehives.

Gilmore Girls Thanksgiving... {Frame it! Friday}

This week's {Frame it! Friday} is a tribute to one of my all-time favorite TV shows, Gilmore Girls. This particular quote is from Season 3, Episode 9, A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving.

When you're gathered around your table (or many tables!) this year, remember this quote from Lorelai. Make it your motto for the day if you need to. Just be sure not to skip the rolls. ;)

To print, click HERE

{Frame it! Friday} is a weekly event! Please follow me

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to keep updated on the newest posts!

Gratitude Box for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to remember and be grateful for all of our blessings. As a family, we spent one of our weekly family nights talking about all of the things we are grateful for. We wrote them on leaves, and stored them in this gratitude box. It sits on top of our piano, where we see it often and remember. It is now my new favorite Thanksgiving decoration!

Here's how to make your own Gratitude Box!

FIRST: Gather your supplies. You will need a slotted shadow box, which I was able to find (on sale!) at my local craft store. I also used several sheets of fall-leaf-colored card stock, a sheet of brown burlap (I found it in the scrapbook paper aisle at my craft store), and a bronze metallic Sharpie. I also used a short piece of green ribbon, but it's not pictured here.

SECOND: Cut out your leaves. There are many templates you can find to use, or you can use a cutter like I did. Take the metallic sharpie and color around the edges. It adds a little more dimension to your leaves, which is nice.

THIRD: Gather your family and make a list of things that you are grateful for. This makes a great activity for a family night. Then write all the things down on your leaves.

FOURTH:  I took the back off of the box, and cut the brown burlap to fit. I secured it with a little tape. I also printed off the word gratitude, threaded it through a ribbon and attached that also. This makes the backdrop for your leaves.

FIFTH: Assemble! You can just add your leaves straight into the slot and be done!

tip: If you want to be able to read a few of them better, pick a few of your favorites and tape them together. That way they won't get clumped up at the bottom, and unreadable.

Best Dressed/Disguise a Turkey... Oscar the Grouch

My son's 6th grade class is having a Best Dressed/Disguise a Turkey contest* for Thanksgiving. He brought home a plain turkey and was instructed to dress it however he wanted. The only stipulation was that he couldn't just color him in. He actually had to cut out/color or construct an outfit for him. 

After much consideration, my son decided to color him green and dress him up as Oscar the Grouch. (He felt much more confident in his ability to draw trash cans than turkey-shaped clothing.)

I think it turned out great! 

BEFORE

AFTER

* this turkey came in 3rd place overall, for the entire 6th grade!

Sincerely Giving Thanks... {Frame It! Friday}

This is my first ever {Frame It! Friday} ! I decided to add a weekly post with a free printable because I love to create printables (and I love to share them!) and because I love how easy it is to change up the feel or decor of a room just by swapping out a picture in a picture fame. Easy.

Since Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I thought I'd share one of my favorite quotes by Thomas S. Monson about the importance of having gratitude in our lives. 

To print, click HERE

{Frame it! Friday} is a weekly event! Please follow me

JULIE at  FB / PINTEREST / TWITTER

to keep updated on the newest posts!

Christmas Ribbon Bookmarks

These Christmas ribbon bookmarks are so easy to make... perfect for those practicing their basic sewing skills! I know we will be gifting them to friends, neighbors and teachers this year. 

For easy instructions (with pictures) click HERE.

This item is now available for purchase at my online store. 

Click here to be redirected to Bear Hugs and Beehives!

Free Christmas Printables

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE

To print, click HERE