DIY Frilly Christmas Pencils

Looking for a stocking stuffer or a quick teacher gift? Or just a fun DIY to make to add some pizzazz to your desktop for the holidays? We were! And we created these very simple pencils that are Christmas Pencils or Hanukah Pencils inspired by our own desktop and some wrapping tissue that is pervading our home as we prepare for the holidays! But what's fabulous about them, is that they are perfect for any holiday or just any time your desk needs brightening. You know us... a gold pencil is something we'd use any day. Better yet, make that every day!

Supplies needed:

pencils (you could even cover old ones!) paintbrush (not pictured) tissue paper in any color Modge Podge scissors

Step 1: Cut a small piece to be the frilly colored top and a long piece to cover the pencil.

Step 2: Place the pencil on the paper down to the bottom of the silver.

Step 3: Modge Podge the eraser and silver part of the pencil.

Step 4: Roll the pencil in the frilly colored top piece applying Modge Podge to the area where the silver and eraser is as you roll it up.

Step 5: Cut strips down into the frilly colored top, but do NOT go too far down. Save enough room towards the bottom so that you can twist it  (as seen in Step 8).

Step 6: Apply Modge Podge along the pencil around all sides.

Step 7: Wrap the pencil in the tissue paper, applying Modge Podge if there is overlap of one layer over another.

Step 8: Apply Modge Podge to seal and let dry. Then twist the top near the frills. Enjoy!

Another option is to use a solid color piece of tissue paper or a piece of tissue paper with an all-over pattern and the same color frilly top. We chose gold (of course!), blue, and silver - perfect for Hanukah.

Now we have a perfectly matched planner! TIP: To sharpen, just peel back the tissue paper if it won't fit in your sharpener.

Enjoy your Christmas pencils or Hanukah pencils or everyday desk brighteners, and have fun making and using them! xox ~kim & chloe

Once again, we love bringing you Holiday Idea inspiration from our friends! Just click the link to see more... AND Stay tuned to our Monday posts for an extra special Holiday Giveaway from Easy Canvas! It's coming soon! 

 {click each photo to see more}

DIY Gold Striped Mug

We have the most boring plain dishes ever. And I'm ready for a change. *Cue the paintbrushes and gold paint!* Here we come... again. This time, I got our hands around a mug (literally) since the temperatures are cooling off and hot tea is a ritual in the Gordon household. My hands are always freezing and looking at a boring white mug will no longer satisfy me, not since I've seen how easy it is to gild anything from Oreos to signs to notebooks.  I wanted a dishwasher safe striped mug with that was easy to make and definitely not something that required any freehanded script. {You'd understand if you'd seen my handwriting.} Ok, let's get gilding!

For this project, you will need:

• Painters Tape
• Martha Stewart Metallic Paint and a paintbrush!
• Scotch Artist Tape for Curves
• Scissors
• Mug ($3.99 at Target!)

Instructions

Step 1: Arrange your tape in a pattern for your stripes. Keep in mind that your stripes may not end up perfect  but we happen to embrace imperfections. We wanted our lines to be close together so we kept our tape almost touching at the bottom. This made the paint peel off  a little at the bottom when we pulled off the tape, so if I redid it, I'd leave a little more space between at the bottom. Don't worry about the height of the tape at this point. BUT, do leave "drinking room" at the top. While the paint is non-toxic, you probably don't want your lips touching it.

Step 2:  Once you have placed your stripes all the way around the cup, place painters tape around the top of the stripes. Be sure it is parallel to the top of the cup. The bottom of the tape will be the top of your golden lines.

Step 3:  Using a paintbrush or sponge brush, dab the paint on the mug, making certain to stay inside the outer most tape lines. We applied 3 coats since we needed the coverage, letting each coat dry in-between. However, this made the coats very thick and some peeled up a bit when removing the tape... I'm curious to try another brand of paint with another mug. Yep, we'll be making a set of these since they are so easy!!

Step 4:  Once completely dry, remove tape and enjoy! If you plan to dishwash your new gold striped mug, cure in the oven (place in a cold oven, set to 350 and bake for 30 minutes after reaching 350 degrees and remove after oven and mug are cool), or by letting air cure for 21 days. Plus, the mug should be food and drink safe since your mouth will not come in contact with the paint.

That's it, pretty simple and pretty stunning. We'll be back with more ideas to complement the beginning of a mug set! Enjoy!

And once again, we hope you get some holiday inspiration from our FALL FRIENDS. CLICK each PHOTO below for more information on how to create these fun holiday projects!

No-sew DIY Placemats + Fall Friends!

Inspired by the simplicity of the linens at Mark & Graham, we decided to try our own DIY placemats to prepare for fall festivities.  What's not to love about a monogram and matching border, right? Also, we wanted to pull in the colors of our china so we chose a black border and monogram, but you could choose any color combination. Supplies: Plain placemat Scissors Ribbon Paint Liquid Stitch Stencil Paintbrush Pencil

Directions: 1. Cut ribbon to length of each side.

2. Apply ribbon to edges with a washable glue.

3. Apply stencil to top center and paint.

4. That's it! You have the first of your DIY placemats!

Three steps to a simple no sew DIY placemats ready for any table setting. Party on!

FALL FRIENDS

We also have some fab projects from our friends for some fall fun! (ooh, isn't that festive!) Enjoy! Click on the picture you like and you'll go straight to their website!

Each Monday from October 28th - November 18th you'll find Holiday decorating ideas, DIYs, crafts & so much more from our friends at Sews N Bows, Fresh Idea Studio, PinkWhen, & The Pinning Mama.. We hope to see you!

Table Runner - The Pinning Mama

Apron Set - Sews N Bows

Fall Porch - Fresh Idea Studio

Fall plaque - PinkWhen

Striped Pumpkin

Thanks to BuzzFeed (yeah, that BuzzFeed!) for featuring the 1st pumpkin on their front page and also for the super chic ladies at The Chic Site for sharing our interview with their readers. On The Chic Site, you can get the scoop on how we work together, what inspires us, and what leads to arguing {hey, we're human}! But back to pumpkins.... We're enjoying the ease and simplicity of decorated no-carve pumpkins this year! While our pink & green Lilly Pulitzer pumpkin is an option, we also wanted a more traditional black and orange pumpkin, but with a twist, so we decided on a striped pumpkin, which we think is more modern and striking. Plus, it's simple and finished in under and hour. The lure of the design, like the Lilly Pulitzer pumpkin, is that the only limit is your creativity. Like spiders? Use a spider ribbon or washi tape and embellish with spiders. Like skulls? Go crazy with them! It's all up to you. We kept it clean and simple with black, white & gold while letting the orange peek through... and you know how much we like hearts.

Supplies:

1 craft pumpkin (not pictured) carving knife pencil paint brush gold paint Modge Podge scissors gold glitter paper ribbon in black and white pattern {tip: choose a lightweight ribbon -works best- or a non-sheer patterned washi-style craft tape}

Instructions

1. With your pencil, mark the area where you will carve the top of the pumpkin. Use your craft knife to carve the top of the pumpkin.

2. Apply Modge Podge in a stripe down the length of the pumpkin where you will be placing your ribbon.

3. Firmly press your ribbon against the Modge Podge and let sit a moment. Then place Modge Podge on top of the ribbon to glue it to the pumpkin (i.e., your ribbon will be glued to the pumpkin from the top and bottom). Let dry completely.

4. Paint the stem gold.

5. Trace a heart to the size and shape of your liking on the back of your glitter paper. Cut out the heart shape, apply modge podge to the back, and apply to the pumpkin.

6. Cover the hole inside with heavy paper, or, as we did - place it on a plate, and fill with candy.

7. Enjoy your simple carved striped pumpkin (or make it no carve if you don't want to fill it with candy)! Options: embellish the heart with letters, spiders, or whatever you and your family desire! We like candy, so we labelled it for Treats... chocolate is preferred!

What type of pumpkins are you preparing for Halloween? Carved, no carve, decorated, painted...?

DIY Love Sign

Chloe's on a room-cleaning spree... yippee! And part of her new clean look was the desire for a new mantel design, including a love sign. You've seen our past room designs for her, but she's seriously decluttering - again - and wants a look that is simple & elegant, with a little bit of funky. Maybe it's the fall weather and there's such a thing as "fall cleaning," but I asked no questions and she's on a roll!

There are no big changes in the air, just simplifying a bit, but for the mantel, she wanted to replace her monogram message board with a love sign by PocketfulofDreamsUK's but we didn't want to spend $400. So, it was time to be inspired and DIY! We were surprised how easy this project turned out to be, and are already thinking of other projects similar to her new love sign.

Supplies:

• wooden letters *
• gold discs - we used 40 mm sequins
• gold thumb tacks
• gold Krylon paint

Steps:

1. Sand and prime your wooden letters. Then spray them, making sure to cover sides as well.

2. Starting at bottom, cover letters with discs and thumb tacks. Push thumb tacks 1/2 way the top hole only in so discs can move freely side to side (movement gives it a 3-dimensional quality that makes it more interesting).

3. Add a new row directly above the bottom row, covering the thumbtacks. Where possible, keep the columns and rows straight.

Can you believe - that's it! The only tedious part is that it takes some time to push the thumb tacks in (my thumbs actually got a little sore, so I used a thimble). Other than that, this is a very simple project. Consider it a weekend undertaking and catch up on some movies, football, or a tv series. I have a few I can recommend - any you are liking lately?

* {update 2/19: it seems the wood we used may have changed and it's become almost impossible to push a thumbtack into the wooden letters! If you can't test a thumbtack discreetly before purchasing (in a spot that would not harm it for another purchaser) then we suggest using the exact same idea on CARDBOARD letters. The shape is plainer, but the insertion is easy!}

IF YOU ENJOY THIS: check out our Disco Love Sign & Glitter Lollipops

Lilly Pulitzer Pumpkins

Orange and black are so typical for a Happy Halloween, Is it possible... can we actually make it pink and green?

If you like Lilly Pulitzer pumpkins as much as we do you can! Just follow these simple steps and soon you'll be a fan,

Grab a pumpkin (fake's fine) your fave print too, And follow along as we tell you exactly what to do!

Supplies needed:

• 1 craft pumpkin in a light color (or paint a regular craft pumpkin a light color) - don't worry this is a no carve pumpkin idea!
• Lilly Pulitzer Napkins or Lilly Pulitzer patterned paper
• Modge Podge
• Sponge Paint Brush

Take your Lilly Pulitzer napkins (or any napkins will do - just pick a favorite print!) and peel off the white backing. Ours were 3-ply, meaning there were 2 white pieces on back of the colored print.

Cut off the trim around the edge of the napkin and cut the napkin into 2" strips.

Apply a liberal coat of Modge Podge to your craft pumpkin. Then very carefully apply the strips of the napkin from the top of the pumpkin to the bottom of the pumpkin all the way around the pumpkin. Overlapping a bit is fine, but be sure not to leave any spaces between each strip.

Apply a coat of Modge Podge to the top of the napkin strips or paper strips once they have been applied and the first layer has somewhat dried. Let this layer dry and apply more to any bits that might be sticking up.

At the last minute, we decided to paint the stem metallic gold using our Martha Stewart paint, since a dull brown stem didn't do our pink and green any justice!

And voilà... you are done and have a pink & green Halloween... or a colorful Halloween in whatever patterns or Lilly Pulitzer pumpkins colors you have chosen!

Want a more tradition orange and black pumpkin.. then check out our black and white stripe pumpkin.

For more inspiration, here are cute ideas my friends have for Halloween:

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