What To Do With Christmas Cards and Fun Crafts Ideas!

Alright friends,

When I saw this I just HAD to share it with you guys!

If I'm correct, almost everyone (except my parents - hi mom!) have a smart phone.  The phones that can snap a picture at least :-)

I thought this was a fantastic idea of what you can do with all the Christmas cards you receive this year!  Just snap the Christmas card picture and put it as your contact for that friend :-) (see, if in the past, you had stuffed them in a drawer or (GASP) thrown them away you won't feel so bad -right? Guilty problem solved) ;-)

This is hands down my favorite funny Christmas card!

Just feel the J O Y :-)

Jamilia Jean Photography

Miracle of Miracles :-)  We ended up getting a family shot for a Christmas card.  

It helps that my violin student's mom is a photographer and neighbor :-) I told her the only way we'll make this work is if it's super casual and I don't have to plan anything - ha!  So she "ran" down the street and we walked into the field across from our house and snapped a few shots.  EASY enough!  

Here are some Christmas crafts (treats!) that looked so fun and EASY!

Just put together 2 small candy canes, melt (bake) at 300 for 3 min (just to soften the candy canes) Once you do that you can pinch together the ends and insert the lollipop stick.  Next fill it in with the white almond bark.  Sprinkle with sprinkles VOILA!  What a fun gift or new tradition to start with your little kids/grandkids.

OneLittleProject

Another similar food craft that I have done is these Stained Glass Christmas Cookies!  The inside is just crushed jolly ranchers (or any see through hard candy!)  SO MUCH FUN!

How about making some GINGERBREAD play dough with the kids?  I love the cinnamon added to this mixture as it makes it smell like the holidays.  I also add gold glitter for some extra excitement - yes, we get WILD over here at my house.  HAHA!

Talking about getting wild with cinnamon :-)  This ornament craft is also a winner.  You just use elmers glue, cinnamon and applesauce as the "dough" to create gift tags or ornaments that the kids can give as gifts.  It makes the house smell heavenly!

Be sure and check out my Christmas Gift Idea post for gift inspirations :-)

Are you going to do the Christmas card photo contact idea this year??  I am!

Final School Projects–A Candy Cane Invention

OK seriously, I’m supposed to make my daughter’s invented candy school assignment at home with her and what does she tell me she invented???  “Candy Cane My Way”  a tuttie fruity candy cane made with melted fruit roll ups and pop rock candy!  I was thinking, WHAATTT?  I don’t even know how to make candy (if you’ve read this blog for a while you know that I try to bake fairly healthy.) 

Step # 1, Google how to make pulled sugar (which is the structure for candy canes).  I found the “how to” and this is just one paragraph:

“Pulling and stretching the candy is intrinsic to the texture of pulled sugar, but it can be dangerous. Be very careful not to burn yourself when pulling taffy. Do not handle the candy until it is cool enough to touch, and beware that candy that feels cool on the surface can be burning hot underneath. I recommend wearing a pair of latex gloves (or two) while pulling candy, to prevent burns and overheating.” (about.com)

Doesn’t that sound like fun – I’d say she picked a winner!  So off we begin to make her “Candy Cane My Way”  (with no candy thermometer mind you, I wasn’t about to spend even more $ along with the corn syrup, sugar, fruit roll ups and pop rocks I had to buy.)

The funniest part about this was she had to write up a:
Candy description
Step by step instructions how to make actual candy
Candy name
Candy packaging description
Detailed illustrations

AND a Commercial script to preform!!!!!

I’m reading over all the stuff she has written up about how she “Strongly believes this candy is the best” and then I see this side note that reads, “if you are a healthy eater do NOT eat this”  I couldn’t stop smiling – so I have rubbed off on her!  Now all I have to do is explain the rules of making people want to buy your stuff

Overall it was a complete success! (yes, that surprised me a lot!)  Her invention was fantastic and we both didn’t end up with third degree burns!  YES!

Candy Cane My Way! 

   ~Creative Juices Decor~

Easter Pictures, Eggs and Candy

Wow!  My kids have so much candy from yesterday I’m not quite sure how to handle it!  My sister in law stuffs hundreds of eggs FILLED with candy and we hide them on my in laws 2 acre property.  The 10 grandkids go WILD!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the day.  My youngest is the only one that still lets me dress her up and loves to get her picture taken,  therefore almost all the photos I take are of her!!!  Sorry other kiddos!

Running frantically with her younger cousin to grab as many eggs as possible!

Time to sit and count all her Easter eggs.  (oh, and eat a LOT of candy while doing that!)

Grandma and Papa’s house comes complete with swings and a slide!

All in a days work. Getting tired, but still counting those eggs!

I hope your Easter was special.  Thanks for stopping by and I promise I'll have some FUN crafts and design stuff coming up!

~ Creative Juices Decor~