Christmas

One-Pot Christmas

Happy December 1st! Has it hit you yet?

No more “Christmas is coming” because “Christmas is HERE IN YOUR FACE” barreling down the tracks making everyone feel ill-prepared and underdressed. And by underdressed I mean you left your Christmas sweater at the dry cleaners.

Again.

As a blogger, sometimes I find myself ahead of the holiday curve doing yuletide fun in August, only to set it aside in September with plans to take it up after Thanksgiving. But it rarely happens. Stuff comes up and you get busy doing things for other people in other places…anywhere but home. Every year there is a promise to hang fresh garland and wreaths…has never happened. Ever. So, last year when the folks at Jackson & Perkins offered to send me a miniature Christmas tree to review – complete with pots and lights and everything – I was like CHRISTMAS IN A BOX? BRING IT ON.

And they did. And it was awesome.

This year they offered to send me another one, and it was even more gorgeous than last year. Look!

Y’all, this is a real tree. Real smell. Real needles. Real dirt. Real ready to get planted in your garden come springtime. Nifty huh? Makes you feel all nostalgic for the days before the faux trees.

I’m pretty pleased with this little tree. Yes, it looks nice, but more importantly: it’s super easy and I can cool my jets on big hoopla decorations and fresh greens and all that jazz. It’s gloriously uncomplicated. Have you heard of a one-pot dinner? Yeah. This is like a one-pot Christmas. And the pot is cute too!

Bonus: It even comes with a little string of copper lights, twig berries, and a handful of elegant ornaments, so even if you don’t put up a tree this year, you get to scratch the itch of Christmas decorating without taking up a lot of space or time. Or, grab a handful of your family ornaments and hang them up – there is enough surface real estate here to accommodate a few favorite baubles. The whole tree could fit on an end table, or work as a beautiful centerpiece too. Last year I got an email from a reader saying she had bought one and sent it to her daughter’s tiny Manhattan dorm room and they set it on top of the television because she desperately wanted a real tree and that was the only flat surface available. Isn’t that sweet?

Side note: Remember when TVs had flat surfaces on top? Oh man. Now I’m a different kind of nostalgic!

Many Thanks to Jackson and Perkins for sponsoring this post and bringing a little maintenance holiday spirit into the house. This is a treat I will enjoy all year round!

And thank you to YOU for supporting the brands that make this site possible.

Happy Holidays 🙂

Dream Tree Challenge: The Heritage Tree

by aunt peaches

Good morning America, how are you?

I’m here. Still in my pajamas and harboring a post-election hangover and head cold, but what are you going to do? Oh yeah: Christmas. That is what you are going to do.

On this particular occasion I want to thank Michael’s, for not only letting me participate in their Annual Dream Tree Challenge for the third time, but for giving me a deadline and a good excuse to smother myself in tinsel. And you know what? It feels good.

I also have to thank my friends the Hirschs, because they let me set up this year’s tree in their house. Believe me, not a whole lot of people will give you carte blanche freedom to set up a Christmas scene in their house in October, but they are cool like that. I met the Hirschs many years ago via my BFF Lara – her family was going to their house for Christmas dinner and invited me along, and it was the Christmas after my dad died and I was feeling especially sad, but despite the fact they had never even met me, they bent over backwards to make a stranger feel welcome that night and I have held a special spot in my heart ever since. Sixteen years later, we live in the same town, and I was over for dinner in October, admiring their home, and remarked that it must look beautiful when decorated for Christmas…then the cogs in my brain started turning and before you know it I’m asking if I can come over next week and set up a tree. This is why people need to not invite me over for dinner after Labor Day. For real – it’s dangerous.

Normally I would set up a tree at home, but my holiday travel/work plans are up in the air, and I am booked to set up trees for other people in December, and, let’s be honest, I didn’t take my 2015 Christmas decorations down until Easter 2016. So, yeah. I need to be a little more judicious on the home front this year. And if I do one at home, for once, I want it to be a real tree. I have eleven faux trees in my basement but after doing the White House last year where they use nothing but fresh spruce, I sort of want to go back to the OG tannenbaum. But, like I said, plans are up in the air and Michaels asked for a tree on the early side – I was just lucky enough to have some friends to help me out!

Theme this year: a Heritage Tree. The impetus being this beautiful tree skirt made by Mr. Hirsch from neckties from Mrs. Hirsch’s late father. Is this not the most incredible tree skirt you have ever seen?

I asked if they had any leftover ties and sure enough they had a whole box of them, so I took a few and used them to decoupage over some balls from Michaels. They dried darker than expected but the pattern work look lovely with the tree.

I also made these mosaic style ornaments from their collection of old buttons and Mod Podge collage clay. They look like Italian cookies in person and I want to make hundreds more, they are so fun!

And doesn’t everyone have a jar of buttons handed down from Grandma? This is a nifty way to use them up and visit them on the tree each Christmas.

And oh look, here is Grandma now!

Actually, that is an old photo of Mrs. Hirsch’s aunt. Does she look like fun?

We covered the tree in framed photos of family members, new and old, with particular emphasis on scenes of Christmas past. I had never thought of using photo frames as Christmas ornaments, but Michael’s has a huge selection is all sorts of sizes, and some really good sales, so, this turned out terrific. If you were just starting out in your Christmas traditions, filling a tree with a base layer of framed photos would go a long way! This tree looks pretty great as is, or you could add a layer of personalized, collected family ornaments. Layer it up. It’s Christmas. Good things in abundance!

This year’s tree is probably the most tasteful I have shown on the blog in some years. Part of this is because this particular tree was designed to mesh with someone else’s home, part of it is that it’s almost more challenging for me to be traditional. I LOVED last year’s Granny Chic tree, but I love this one too. Isn’t that the fun of decorating for the holidays? Every year you can switch things up a bit and rotate your favorites in and out.

Here is the important part: There is no right way or wrong way to decorate for the holidays. Some people get sniffy about it and say “only white lights” or “only real trees” or “only red and green” or “only after Thanksgiving” or “only this way”…which is pretty humorous when you think about it. I am a grown woman, why on Earth would I allow someone else to tell me when, where, or how to celebrate? Ridiculous. LET YOU FESTIVE FREAK FLAG FLY. Do what you want. Do it. Get funky if you want to. And good news – Michaels has their largest tree assortment this year, including colored and flocked trees. Lord knows I love a flocked tree. So now Are you feeling inspired to start decorating your own tree? Make sure you visit Michaels’ blog, The Glue String, to see the rest of the Michaels Makers’ dream holiday trees that were created this year.

And Merry Christmas!!!!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Holiday Upcycle: Leftover Glass Ball Ornaments

by aunt peaches 8 Comments

Here is something I would like to know: Where on earth do all the little ornament toppers go? You know the crown things that let you loop in a hook? They always, always disappear. But where do they go? Probably the same place as all the stray socks. They are probably partying hard together in the Bahamas.

So what do you do with all the *topless ornaments laying around?

*Yo: Not that kind of topless.

I say, make them into vases. Make them into place card holders. Make them into whatever your little heart wants desires. Because it’s Christmas and you can do that if you want to! Get the details in my post over on Etsy.

Christmas in a Box

by aunt peaches 6 Comments

I don’t know what it is about Christmas that makes everyone love a good DIY project. A long time ago I worked with a woman who made fun of me for occasionally wearing homemade clothing and jewelry…then December came around and she was showing off a holiday apron she made from old dishtowels. Everyone loves a good holiday DIY. For that very fact I don’t talk about readymade Christmas gifts here a lot, but when the folks at Jackson & Perkins told me about their mini trees, I was intrigued…

They call this their Happy Holidays Decorated Spruce; I call this Christmas in a box. In one box you get an all-in-one kit containing a miniature tree in a galvanized bucket, lights, garland, ornaments, and a handful of berry sprays.

And it’s a REAL tree. With REAL Christmas smell.

It’s so cute, and they have lots of variations…

From opening the box to the last little owl ornament, it took me 20 minutes to set it up. That’s just enough time to feel like you accomplished something, but a fraction of what it normally takes you to haul a regular sized tree with an a basement full of decorations. I love this idea as a gift for anyone, but especially those who are celebrating the holiday without the usual hoopla. It’s great for grandparents, empty-nesters, or people who might be traveling for the holidays and want to keep the home decor light this year.

I have friends who just moved, and another one who is expecting a baby any day now – they don’t want to deal with the hassle of putting up a whole house full of decorations, but with this guy, they can scratch the Christmas itch without the hassle. The smell alone is going to give them Christmas spirit, I’m telling you!

Bonus: Because it’s a real tree, it can be replanted in your yard in the spring. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

It makes a great centerpiece, or because the footprint is small, it can fit nicely on an end table or nightstand.

It’s just enough real greenery to make the house feel like a forest, and gives you the chance to feel like you have decorated for the season without all the mess and effort. I thought I was going to give it away, but this little guy is happy living with me! Jackson & Perkins carry several other miniature trees and holiday decorations, so I might need to order for someone else…

Merry Christmas!

This post is sponsored by Jackson & Perkins but all opinions expressed within are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this site possible.

All That Glitters Tree: Put a Bird on It

by aunt peaches 13 Comments

Before we get started, a shout out to all the folks following me on Instagram and Facebook who got the big news first. This secret has been hard to keep! If you are coming here looking for a detailed account of what I have been doing since last week, hang tight for a little longer. I need to get home, finish writing it up, then hold for White House approval. Until then, I’ll be sharing sharing snippets on social media. And believe me – there is so much to share!

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So let’s just start with stating the obvious: tasteful Christmas decorations aren’t my thing.

Understated is one of the dirtiest words in my vocabulary. I say, go big or go home. IT’S CHRISTMAS. Even minimalists can take a break for some holiday hoopla! Each year, you’ll find multiple trees in my house, and very often there will be a theme (like my Bohemian Funk Granny Chic tree) but I also keep an ongoing ornament collection: birds. Knowing bird ornaments are so varied in color and texture, they sort of get lost on regular green trees and I have been longing for a metallic tree for years. So you can guess what happened when Treetopia contacted me about joining their 2015 Design Council trying out one of their metallic trees for myself.

Booyow.

As you can tell, my living room is two things: colorful and crammed. Not small; crammed. It is jam packed with my favorite things and I wouldn’t have it any other way, especially at Christmas! The furniture is laid out in a weirdly functional fashion, however, throwing in a big ol’ Christmas tree can pose a problem. The footprint of any Christmas tree (especially the real ones) requires a decent chunk of open space, and I just don’t have that in this room. Which is why I love THIS tree. I can put it on an end table, go right up to the ceiling, and everyone who walks in thinks there is an enormous tree in the room, but it actually doesn’t take up any space. And because it’s faux, the branches are universally strong, and you can really pack on the ornaments. Treetopia calls this their ‘slim cut’ style, but I think that’s there way of saying ‘minimal footprint.’ This tree has a lot of bounce to the ounce.

That blue door to the left of the tree opens inward to a closet, so really, the only thing sacrificed here is the end table. And I’m thinking its current post is a pretty good gig for an end table.

The ornaments are a mix of my most treasured birds and the flamingo ornaments you guys sent me in 2013. I toyed with the idea of doing a solo flamingo tree agin this year (last year’s was pretty cool) but I feared I would run out of time and space so let the birds and flamingos flock together this year.

I don’t think either party minds the mingling. And I don’t think the tree minds being covered with winged friends. As they say in Portlandia: PUT A BIRD ON IT.

Most of the ornaments on here are handmade, but there are a few store-bought, and a selection of vintage glass balls.

Because you know I love my balls…

Back to the tree…

Now that I see it all together, it’s hard to imagine this collection together on anything other than this particular metallic tree. And here is the weirdly awesome thing: it looks completely different with the lights on and off. Look!

Good thing metallics are neutral, right? Speaking of neutral…this is one of the things that make Treetopia trees stand out – the light strand is taupe. Not white, not green, not black: taupe. And there are a TON of them. And it comes with a stomper plug so you don’t have to bend over and deal with extension chords every time you want to turn in on and off. Another favorite: the stand. This stand is 10,000 times sturdier than most faux tree stands. I have had to toss or return several trees simply because the stand bent slightly so it never stood upright. This stand is built like a tank – it’s not going anywhere, which is one of the many reasons I love Treetopia and I was a customer long before they ever contacted me about this post!

Look at that. Full, lush branches. No trunk in sight. No weird smell. That’s a quality tree right there!

And oh look, here it is again…

Many thanks to Treetopia for making my metallic Christmas tree dreams happen, and thank YOU for supporting the brands that make this site possible. Merry Christmas to all!

How to Refresh Old Holiday Décor

by aunt peaches 4 Comments

When it comes to the holidays, I think we all appreciate it when find something that triggers one less thing on the to-do list. I know I do. With this in mind, Michael’s asked me to share three ideas for refreshing old holiday decorations, allowing each of us to use what we have on hand instead of going out and buying everything brand new. Saves time. Save money. I’m down!

For starters, I love this new take on tinsel garland. Why does it need to be a string? Cut it up into 3″ pieces and use the puffs as ornaments all over tree! Adds color, texture, and this makes fro fantastically inexpensive tree filler. You could also use these on wreaths, or use double stick tape to add some sparkly pompoms to the windows. Don’t you like that?

I knew you would.

Speaking of tinsel garland…

I made these Victorian style bird elements by making a sandwich of three elements; bird clip art (can be trimmed from old Christmas cards for a double upcycle win-win!), tinsel, feathers, and a couple of flattened out muffin cups. You can make a dozen of these for very little cheese and they will change the entire appearance of your tree. And while you are in there, throw in some sequins for color. Go on now. Thow ’em!

And this. This is what you can make with an enormous wreath form and your grandma’s collection of ornaments (in case you don’t want to put them on the your granny themed tree!) This will take some time and effort, but holy cats, IT’S IS WORTH IT. I made this wreath a few years back and people complement me on it to this day. If you have a box of ornaments in your garage that don’t quite mesh with your current collection, but they are too sentimental to toss, packing them into a wreath is a fantastic option!

So those are Check out the other four holiday hack topics and the unique ideas all of the makers came up with on Michaels’ blog,The Glue String.

DIY Copper Scrubbing Wreath

by aunt peaches 6 Comments

Oh Christmas wreath, oh Christmas wreath, how functional thy branches!

That’s right folks: a sparkly copper Christmas wreath made with copper scrubbers. Literally, the gift that keeps on giving. You can use the scrubbers long after the season is over. Hang out side, hang it inside, hang it on the garage door. It’s masculine. It’s upcycled. It’s lumberjack chic. And where can you get all the supplies?

None other than everyone’s favorite hardware store…

This idea was prompted by the folks at Gift Card Mall, the company that make the gift cards you see on racks in stores, frequently in the checkout isle. They asked me to put together a DIY inspired by one of their retail partners, Home Depot.

Confession: For someone who spends as much time talking about gift wrap, I don’t actually have to wrap that many gifts. Why? I give a lot of gift cards. I mean, a lot. They say it’s the thought that counts, and that’s wonderful, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with letting the recipient think about their own gift and get something they really want. It’s even better if I can pair the card with a little something homemade, or a card suggesting the money be earmarked for something special. Gift cards allow people to be a little more indulgent than usual. Normally when I go to home depot I’m looking for something totally practical…this time, I used my card and I wandered the aisles waiting for inspiration to hit, and it was SO FUN! Let me show you what I found.

Warning: this could not be easier to make…

Materials
One basic faux Christmas wreath
Copper scrubbers (found in the cleaning supply section)
Small twinkle lights

The scrubbers are just simple doughnut rolls of wire mesh. Use your thumb and forefinger to make a hole in the middle.

Now insert one of the wreath beaches through the whole and curl it down to secure. No knots are needed – it’ll stay on there very easily.

For fun, unroll a few of the scrubbers and tuck them in the wreath for a delicate touch.

I decided to vary the size of the scrubbers a bit by partially unrolling some of them just slightly. This isn’t necessary, it just lends some variation to the visuals.

And that is it! It’s all-weather, easy-care, leave-it-up-through-Valentines kind of wreath. You can’t see it here, but the lights shine off the copper at night and the whole thing sort of glows. It’s fantastic. And nobody else in the neighborhood will have one. Merry Christmas!!

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This post was brought to you in partnership with Gift Card Mall . Thank you for supporting the brands that make this its possible!

Craft Lightning: 60 Second Candle Cozy

by aunt peaches 4 Comments

If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times: Candles are everything. Candles are pantyhose for your home – they make everything look good. I’m not saying they will put away the the dirty socks on your floor, but they will make those socks less noticeable. And probably smell better too! Candles are my favorite gift to give. They are budget friendly, semi-useful, and they are still considered a small luxury and many will not buy for themselves. Oddly enough, my ALL TIME most widely viewed blog post is all about how to remove candle wax from glass containers (it’s worth a gander btw), so that tells me that other folks love a good candle too. However, sometimes candles come with weird labels on the outside and I’m too ~~lazy~~ impatient to soak and scrub. Having a little sweater sleeve not only makes the candle look a little more special, it doubles as gift wrap. People, it’s time to make your candle a cozy!

Materials
Old Sweater. If it’s been natural fiber and run through a hot wash/dry and slightly felted, that’s better. Not necessary, but better.
Scissors. The sharper, the better.
Candle. My favorite is Fresh Balsam, but I’m not about to tell you what to do. However. If you have not tried Fresh Balsam, you are missing out.

All you need to do is cut off the cuff of the sweater. The size will depend on the height of your candle, but I suggest you start at the elbow and work backwards, as you can always snip off more. Most wool sweaters will not unravel (especially if they are slightly felted from hot water), but if your sweater is mostly acrylic, you might need to finish the edge with a little fray check or white glue.

Slip candle into the sweater cuff.

Roll over the cuff, making sure to keep it completely clear of the rim. You do NOT want some little hair to catch fire. I have done this before, and although it does not trigger the whole thing to flame up (weird right?), it will smell like burning hair. And no good smelling candle can counter the badness of burning hair.

Speaking of fragrance…you know the best candle smell of them all? Blown out candle. When is someone going to start selling that?

Well there it is. A candle cozy for all ages. And here you were thinking your candles didn’t need sweaters. Silly you!

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This marks the end of Craft Lightning week. Special thanks to Angie and Carolina for inviting me to take part. Are you looking for some more quick and easy holiday craft ideas? Me too! One Artsy Mama is kicking things off with this adorable reindeer ornament.

Artistic Endeavors is sharing how to make this fun snowman snow ornament.

I am in love with these adorable succulents in a jar from Happy Go Lucky.

Whip up a batch of this peppermint sugar scrub from Mom Off Track for gifts this holiday season.

Fireflies and Jellybeans is sharing how to make these simple shell ornaments for your tree.

Jennifer Priest is sharing how to make placemats, napkin rings and more for her amazing table setting!

Carolina from 30 Minute Crafts actually broke out the glitter! She is sharing how to make these glittered pinecone earrings!

Don’t miss any of the Craft Lightning fun by following along with our quick and easy crafts Pinterest board.

Craft Lightning: Easy Leftover Art Ornaments

by aunt peaches 2 Comments

I think 2015 will go down in my mind as The Year of Bad Art. Now, I’m happy to say I think I made some good art too (and thanks to everyone who has been supporting my Etsy pop up shop – there are just a few left!)…but there has been a lot of leftovers. Stuff that never made it to the home stretch. Not so pretty stuff. Some people see this “making mud” as a critical component to creative process, and I don’t argue with that, but I would like a way to upcycle some of this stuff. Luckily, I have just the idea.

Or ten…

Stay tuned. But this idea, is a good one to kick it off!

This is part of my week-long Craft Lightning Series because you can make HUNDREDS of them in no time flat. I was planning on only doing two trees this year (a cut back from my usual sour or five) but I might need to get one more tree just to accommodate all the ornaments I made for this one project. This is a terrific project to make if you wanted to send an “instant Christmas” to someone far away, like a loved one living overseas, or a college student in a dorm, or someone who isn’t going to be able to make it home for holidays. These ornaments are easy to flatten/unflatten, so you could stuff a TON of them in an envelope, mail them, and then the recipient could hang them on a tree or even just a couple of branches like I did here.

Speaking of which, don’t you love my pompom gumdrop branches? Yeah you do!

Want to make some of these guys yourself? Let’s go!

Materials

Art. Needs to be on sturdy paper and painted on both sides. Doesn’t have to be paint either – could be marker, or hand prints, or last week’s math homework. Kid’s art work is fantastic for this kind of thing, you just want to encourage them to fill their markings up to the edges, not just the middle. I think stripes look especially good for this project, so if yo have a stack of one-sided work, I’d just flip them over and make some stripes on the back. Don’t get fussy about it – none of that fussy will pay off when they are sliced up so don’t worry about it.

Cup. Or bowl or cookie cutter…just make it round. The thicker your paper, the larger you can make the circles, but if you are working on regular cardstock I suggest keeping them under 3″ or they might get flopsy.

Hole Punch. True story: I once had an argument with my third grade teacher because I insisted that it should really be spelled whole punch because the result of the action was to leave the paper un-whole, and thereby, it was a punch to its wholeness and whole punch was the proper name. You can guess how well that went down. And yes, I still hate homonyms.

String. I love to pair a simple black and white stripe next to colorful artwork, but you do you.

Trace around the glass making circles on the surface of the paper.

Cut out circles. Lots of them. And then when you think you have enough, you are really halfway there. Cut more!

Slice a straight line down the middle of the circle. Stop just a skootch past the center. And yes, you are right, I am not New England enough to say skootch out loud much less write it in public, but you will forgive me because it’s Christmas. So there.

Insert one circle into the other circle like it’s two Pac Mans trying to eat each other.

Now is your chance to use your “whole punch.” You can do it in the dead center, but I also like it when some of them are a little off center. Get a bunch of them on the tree and all that mismatch visual rhythm will make it look like the tree is dancing.

Insert string and hang to your heart’s content!

Speaking of string…does everyone know this trick?

This is one of those random things that will come in handy for everyone at some point in their life, especially come christmas. Choose a book that is as wide as 50% of your desired length. If you want pieces longer than a foot or so, skip the book – use an old record, a picture frame, or even a piece of furniture!

Looking for other quick and easy ways to DIY your way up to the holidays? Let’s look at the other friends taking part in Craft Lightning today. All of these ideas can be completed in less than 15minutes!

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First up Hawthorne and Main is showing us how to create three different Christmas centerpieces all in 15 minutes or less!

Next Simply Kelly Designs is sharing how to make this adorable jingle bell fire truck ornament.

Beth Watson is turning plain craft foam into these awesome faux cookie ornaments.

The Silly Pearl is sharing how to make this elegant light up wreath for your door this holiday season.

Tried and True is giving the gift of wine in a cute little handmade wine gift bag.

Laura’s Crafty Life is a gift after my own heart with this snowflake mason jar gift idea.

A Sweet Berry is sharing how to make this felt tree in 15 minutes or less.

Jen Gallacher has a great idea for a Christmas countdown calendar here.

Finally Hey Let’s Make Stuff has a countdown calendar that would look great in your home.

My co-host for the entire series is 30 Minute Crafts and she is sharing these simple wreath napkin rings.

And OMG OMG OMG it’s a Christmas disco ball snowman ornament. HOW DO I GET ONE LIFE SIZE?

Stay tuned for another round of Craft Lightning tomorrow!

Craft Lightning: God’s Eyes

by aunt peaches 12 Comments

To my embarrassment and dismay, God’s Eyes are one of those craft projects that everyone on the planet seems to know, but me. I’m not sure why that is. My summer camp craft skills can roll with the best of them, but for some reason, these never crossed my path. Within the last month, I have made them my couch craft of choice and I have probably made a hundred, if not more. Why? Because ~~they are more addictive than black tar heroin~~ I LOVE THEM. And they look great on my yarntastic granny tree!

Don’t let the weird name fool you – these babies are easy, they use up odd yarn bits and drinking straws, and they are the perfect canvas for pompom embellishment. What is not to like?!

This is normally the part where I include a step-by-step instruction guide, but I’m not going to because 1. Apparently everyone knows how to make them but me, and 2. When I was trying to learn the process myself, I found it very difficult to learn from photos and pictures. High fivem Youtube!

Tips
-Fix your sticks. As the video explains, start with popsicle sticks that are GLUED together. Dry glue. If the glue is wet or you try setting the cross by typing yarn, it won’t be stable and then your tension will be off and you won’t want to make anymore (<<first hand experience right there). After I made 20 or so from popsicle sticks I moved on to paper straws. The stripy kind. Lord knows I need an excuse to use up all these striped straws I have been hoarding.

-Source your sticks. You can buy a pack of popsicle sticks from any craft store, but I found that the wooden coffee stirers (<<spell check is saying that’s not a real word but I know it is. Isn’t it?)…anyway…wooden coffee stir sticks are longer and thinner. You can buy a box at most office supply stores, or just ask the guy at the coffee shop. He probably won’t mind if you grab a few extras.

-Yarn. Bigger, bulkier yarn will make the process much faster! Or better yet, combine two yarns and wrap at the same time.

-Direction. Most right handed people will want to spin the God’s Eye clockwise, but, halfway through, if you make a loop and switch to counter-clockwise, you’ll get a nifty variation in pattern.

And while we are talking about easy crafts…here are 15 more amazing Craft Lightning ideas!

If you want even more quick and easy holiday crafts, don’t miss these ideas from our blog partners for Craft Lightning. Kicking things off today is Cyn with these quick and easy felt ornaments!

Laura Kelly is joining us with a fun sock monkey themed felt garland.

Albion Gould is showing us how to make this adorable holiday hoop art.

365 Days of Crafts is showing us how to make a quick and easy gift box.

Carla Schauer Designs has a great tutorial on how to make these 5 minute folding German stars.

Turn clothes pins into fun gift tags with this tutorial from Frugelegance.

I love this quick and easy holiday tree idea from Dragonflies and Lilypads.

My partner for this series, 30 Minute Crafts, is at it again with the quick and easy jewelry. Click here to make these simple wreath earrings.

And check out these cute washi tape ornaments from my Craft Lightning cohost Angie.

Did you see the roundups from Craft Lightning day 1 and 2? Be sure to check them out and stay tuned for the rest of the week. Great stuff in the pipeline friends, JINGE ALL THE WAY!

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