You know how much I love to forage for supplies to make floral arrangements, but why not consider those same possibilities in buttercream form? With that thought in mind, I set out to make an Autumn cake with botanical items of the season made in nothing but buttercream. I settled on blackberries, rosehips, snowberries, and roses.
This project was exactly what I needed today while it was cold and rainy outside. Here's how I created the berries and rosehips:
For the blackberries, I used a Wilton cake decorating tip #3 and piped out an oval roughly the size of a blackberry. Next, I added little dots all over the oval, and last of all, I pressed down the little dots that were too pointy by dotting my fingertip into water and then onto each little dot, very carefully pressing down each one until it looked just like a blackberry:
For the rosehips, I used a Wilton cake decorating tip #5 and piped out a shape that resembled a rosehip. Then I added tiny little tendrils at the tip of the rosehip using Wilton tip #1:
For the snowberries, I used a Wilton tip #2 and piped out little dots resembling snowberries and finished each one with a little dot piped out using a Wilton tip #1:
My advice on making the berries and rosehips look their best is to not try and make them look exactly the same. Blackberry and rosehip sizes should vary. With the snowberries, try not to place each little center dot perfectly. Place some of the center dots slightly askew, which mimics nature.
Now I'm off to enjoy the rest of this stormy Sunday, a cup of tea, and definitely a bit of cake. How about you?
Notes: I buy all of my cake supplies at Carolyn's Cake Supply Shop in Spokane, Washington, which is a small brick and mortar locally owned specialty shop in our city. There are so few of these dear little shops left around the country and we're so lucky to have it. If you're interested in supporting small business, give them a call (click link for phone number) to place an order for any of your cake decorating supply needs.
For this project, I used Americolor gel color 135 gold for the roses, Americolor gel color 145 eggplant for the blackberries, Americolor gel colors 133 maroon and 120 super red for the rosehips, and Americolor gel color 144 moss for the center dots on the snowberries.
While MaryJane and I were visiting the Christmas markets, I was so completely inspired by all of the gingerbread and decided I wanted to make a big gingerbread statement piece when I returned. Every year I have so much fun creating a centerpiece for our dining table, and I started imagining a gingerbread village right down the center. It was fun to talk with MJ about ideas I had brewing while we were traveling around each country.
Although creating a bunch of gingerbread houses is really time consuming, it's so satisfying to see them all come together. Here's an overview of how I put it all together, starting with a simple piece of wrapping paper down the center of the dining table:
Placing all of the gingerbread houses:
Placing fresh greens throughout:
Pouring granulated sugar "snow berms" at the base of each of the structures and throughout the entire setting:
Dusting with powdered (confectioners) sugar "snow":
And decorating with sugared cranberries, sporadically placed throughout:
I made 27 gingerbread houses in total. I worked on baking the houses over about one week, just baking them whenever I had time and leaving the pieces on a cooling rack to keep drying and hardening until I was ready to get started with construction. Here are some of the finer details of how I created it all:
21 of the houses were miniature-sized, modeled from a gingerbread house cookie cutter I found at my local grocery store. The other houses were modeled from a set of Martha Stewart paper houses that I cut apart for the patterns.
I did a ton of recipe testing and found this recipe to be the best for what I wanted to do. I was able to roll the dough out really thin to keep the weight down and make the dough go further, and it baked up extremely strong. Note: It seemed as though there was something wrong with the dough once I mixed it up because it was really crumbly. Don't worry when you see this! Once you knead the dough as instructed in the recipe, it all comes together perfectly into a nice compact dough. (It is a bit tough to roll out).
I used melted white chocolate coating disks as the glue, piped on with a piping bag.
The thick finishing "snow" on the rooftops was made from Royal Icing, which is made from egg whites and powdered sugar.
The "thatched roof" was made out of generic Fiber One cereal, placed on piece by piece, starting at the bottom of the rooftop with a strip of piped on white chocolate followed by the cereal placed on top of the strip, one by one, and working my way up to the center (top of the roof) on each side. It was time consuming but not as bad as I thought it would be.
The "roof tiles" were cinnamon gum placed on in the same manner as the cereal.
The shutters and window trim on two of the houses were also made from cinnamon gum.
I make my sugared cranberries by coating them in egg white and then in granulated sugar.
This was a fun project and I'm so glad I did it. I've had such a busy month and it was a nice way to really put my heart into Christmas. I hope you'll give it a try if it sounds fun to you. Merry Christmas!
A few years ago, my friend Tiffany and I visited New York City during the holidays. It’s such a beautiful time of the year to visit, with the charm of the urban tree lots, Union Square Holiday Market (which is a U.S. version of Europe's Christmas markets and really great), and decorations all around. I especially love the old office buildings with their gilded names on their front doors and it clicked in a little inspiration for me. Each Christmas since, I’ve been painting a little gilded Christmas message on our pantry door for an extra bit of cheer.
Here’s how to create your own gilded window. Start with printing out your message on thick cardstock paper. I like using a simple font that looks like what you’d see on the old office doors. Arial Bold works nicely.
Then cut out the letters with an X-acto knife, saving the center of the O’s and cutting those out next. (I use this handy Fiskar cutting mat from JoAnn's for all of the cutting).
Next, tape the stencil on the back side of the window. (The window is smooth on the back side of my pantry door. If it was rippled on both sides, it wouldn’t work because you need a smooth surface to work on.) Although I’ve used clear tape here, painter’s tape works best because it’s easily removed.
Next I add tape to the O Centers and stick them on the window:
Now it’s time to prepare the painting supplies:
Paper Plate
Metallic Gold Washable Craft Paint of your choice. (The key is using metallic paint, not just gold colored, to make it look gilded).
Sponge Stenciling Tool
Squeeze a little bit of the paint on the plate and gently dab your sponge into the paint:
Then carefully dab dab dab dab the paint onto the cut-out openings of the stencil. You don’t want to swipe at any time. Only straight dabs.
Continue until you have close to full coverage, checking the front of the window periodically to watch your progress. You don’t want to overdo it, and you don’t want complete coverage. By leaving slight gaps, it has a slightly worn, aged look:
Once you’re satisfied with your paint job, carefully remove your stencil and pull it straight back, making sure not to touch or smudge your paint if it’s still wet. Remove any center stencil pieces as well. (In my case, the O centers). It’s as easy as that!
And I like to add a wreath to finish it off. (I use removable Command hooks to hang the wreath).
To remove paint, use cotton balls and fingernail polish remover. (I like to use gel polish remover because it works quickly).
With Halloween behind us, you might think about throwing out your pumpkins and squash, but there's still a lot of decorating you can do with them. A fun and simple use of the minis is to make tiny little arrangements. To get started, choose your pumpkin:
Then cut out the top, remove it, and scoop out all the seeds:
Then, fill it with a little water and the greenery or flowers of your choice:
Leaves make pretty filler too:
Tip: If you have a hard time getting the filler to stay in place, use a little rubber band to secure the bundle together before you place it in the pumpkin and it will stay nicely:
We celebrated my mother and father-in-law's 50th wedding anniversary this week. Colin is one of six siblings and there are sixteen grandchildren. I think mostly because we're such a big family and to keep it as intimate as possible, my parents-in-law decided to keep the celebration to just the 32 of us. The six siblings all took part in putting the party together and asked me to be responsible for the centerpieces for the table. Because it was such a momentous occasion, I wanted to do more than just a few centerpieces on the long table. I wanted it to be enormous - to really make a statement, reflecting this big day.
To give the runner an extra special touch and to save money on the cost, I foraged for Rosehips, Snowberries, and Wild Grass from the roadside, and Sage and Hydrangea from my yard. I limited purchased add-ins to a variety of Eucalyptus from the store along with sixty white roses. (The Hydrangea blossoms are not seen in the picture below, because they were protected in a large kitchen garbage bag full of cold water. The flower petals on hydrangeas absorb water so it's a nice way to keep the Hydrangea extra hydrated before placing).
The forecast for the day was 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I knew there was no way anything other than the Eucalyptus would withstand the heat and the greenery and flowers would definitely wither without a water source. After some trial runs, I settled on using floral foam as the base.
Because the floral foam is wet, I put down a base of Saran Wrap to keep the tablecloth from absorbing all of the water from the foam. I stretched it out to the length I needed and then pushed the sides in until it was just wide enough to hold the foam.
Floral foam is super simple to use and is great for keeping flowers hydrated AND for creating a heavy stabile base for your creation. Another way I kept the cost down was to cut each of the blocks in half horizontally, getting twice the coverage for the same cost. There are several varieties of floral foam on the market, with most of the options at the store for artificial flowers. You DON'T want any of those varieties. You want the WET FOAM variety for use with fresh flowers. To use, you'll need a bucket of water or a deep sink or basin to drop your foam blocks into. There needs to be enough room for the block to be able to be completely covered once it has absorbed all the water it is going to absorb. (So, if you're using a block that is 9 inches tall, you'll want there to be at least 10 inches of water). Keep in mind, if you're using a lot of blocks like I did for the runner, you'll need A LOT of water because each block absorbs quite a bit. I used a 10 gallon bucket filled nearly to the top and had to refill it once. Simply place the foam block on top of the water. It will quickly absorb the water, and sink just below the surface. Remove the block, allow a tiny bit of excess water to drain, and then place on the table as is or cut in half with a large kitchen knife as I did, and place.
As you can see in the picture above, I pushed in the Saran Wrap to just wide enough to protect the foam and make it so it couldn't be seen. You'll notice I left one of the blocks its original size to mark the true center of the runner. That way I could create a center focal point and also have a clear visual as I'm building it out beginning with the center point foliage angling straight up, everything to the left of center leaning left, and everything right of center leaning right. Although the arrangement is a bit wild or earthy in nature, to keep the overall look well thought out, there needs to be order. The center, left, right system does that.
The greens should go on in layers, starting with what you have the most of. You'll want to have enough of your main greenery to be able to create a good solid first layer. Remember, you're angling the greens to the right if you're working to the right of center and angling to the left if you're working to the left of center. I started my first layer with unripened rosehips. They were the perfect base because the neutral unripened color was perfect for my vision of simple, elegant tones and because the berries add so much visual interest. You'll also want to pay close attention to be conservative with how far out the greenery extends, making sure there is plenty of room for a dinner plate and glassware.
After that, it was simply a process of layering in each subsequent type of greenery: the Snowberries, followed by the Sage, then Hydrangea, Eucalyptus, the Roses, and finally the Wild Grass, which was my way of adding in a bit of gold representing the 50th "Golden Anniversary".
Notes & Tips:
Think about using several different types of greenery involving different textures such as berries, leaves, flowers, etc.
Sage is a big favorite of mine because of its velvety leaves and clusters that are so great for filling in spaces. It also smells super great!
Hydrangea is great for coverage but can be fragile. Read my comments at the top of this post about how I treat the hydrangea before placing. The extra Hydrangea leaves are great to save for use later when you've run out of greenery and need something more to fill in any last minute gaps. Simply use the little stem at the tip of each leaf to poke into the foam.
When you start each layer, begin at the center and move to the right of center to place a sprig, then move to the left of center and place a sprig until you reach the end of both sides. THEN walk around to the other side of the table, to the center, and begin again. Do this with every layer so you will have consistently placed coverage and consistency in the look of the arrangement.
In total, I spent $38 dollars on the Roses and 3 Clusters of eucalyptus from Trader Joes. The foam was $25 dollars, with the overall cost totaling $63 dollars. (You can find it here). Not bad for such a massive arrangement
I spent five hours building the runner and several hours foraging before that, so there is definitely a time commitment.
If you've followed along with me for a while, you know I enjoy making simple things a little more special. Recently at JoAnn's fabric, I noticed some foil casserole containers with colorful lids and thought they'd be fun to make myself for picnics, potlucks, and summer gatherings.
Aluminum foil food containers can be found at some restaurant supply stores, but I think are easiest to find with a simple web search. Use some sort of search like "foil casserole pans with flat lids". To make them decorative, you'll need some scrapbook paper for the smaller casserole sized pans or wrapping paper for the larger sized pans. Place the flat board lid on your paper for a tracing guideline, trace, and cut out. Attach the paper with double stick tape and you're done!
See? They're much more festive than plain white, right?
Top, handmade by me. Bottom two from JoAnn's.
If you like this project, you might enjoy this one for handmade fabric food covers from way back when. Happy summer!
My theme for The Farm Chicks Fair this year was home sweet home, which made dreaming up the entry display a lot of fun. There were so many possibilities. Because of my history, it seems like I'm usually pulled into the direction of making something out of nothing and was inspired by an image I saw online one day from the movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel:
The bakery boxes seemed to be calling out to be made into a city. I imagined windows and curtains and a mountainside of homes. So, I spent a couple of days making windows and placing curtains and it was super fun at first, as if I were making hundreds of little dollhouses. Eventually, the work got a bit tedious, actually the most amount of work I've ever put into one of my entry displays, but I was really excited about the vision.
A few days before Farm Chicks, five of us spent the day on site, folding the boxes I had prepared. It was a very time consuming process:
Hannah, who is a longtime helper at The Farm Chicks and is the daughter of longtime Curator Lisa Souers, arrived late in the afternoon and worked well into the night and most of the next day helping to place the little houses onto the hillside. It turned out so cute.
For a fun little finishing touch, we added in one window studio homes with cupcake liner awnings (see bottom left):
Now I'm already on to dreaming up next year's theme and all that goes along with it. 2018 will be the 20th Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair and my 16th year! (The first couple of years we had two events a year). The planning is one of my very favorite parts of what I do.
Watch for more posts this week on this year's show. Each year is my new favorite and this year truly was my favorite yet. The Curators continue to knock my socks off with what they do and I am so thankful to have them in my life and of course, at the show. More Farm Chicks fun to come!
One of the things I learned while growing up with limited resources is that no matter what, you can make your surroundings homey. Early on I discovered that I could forage for pretty wild things like wildflowers, greenery, and twigs, and everything I gathered was free and could make things instantly better. Homey, in fact. The magic in that for me was that when I was developing my ability to make something out of nothing, I didn't know any different. It was just the way it was and I wanted to be surrounded by pretty things, so I discovered my own ways to do so. And you can too.
I love hosting family dinners at our house or having friends over and I find true joy in special little touches that make our gatherings just a little more meaningful. When I was on a walk the other day, I couldn't help but notice all the blossoms and wildflowers on our property and thought how cute they could make the little food markers at an upcoming barbecue.
I've found that the best, long lasting blossoms are the flower buds that are still tight and haven't blossomed or hardy little wildflowers:
To get started, find any paper markers you'd like to use or cut your own from a slightly thick paper - something like cardstock:
Pen or watercolor the names of the dishes you want to label:
Punch little holes, center the flowers between the punched-out holes, and stitch the flowers into place:
Place your markers in front of each dish or attach to large bowls with doubled over or doublestick tape.
You can find more of my ideas for celebrations and gatherings here.
-
Thanks for visiting! Between posts you can find me on Instagram and Facebook where I share a look into my life behind the scenes as I produce my annual vintage market, The Farm Chicks Vintage and Handmade Fair. 2017 marks my fifteenth year producing this special annual event! I invite you to take a minute and read all about it - after all, I consider it to be the happiest vintage event on earth. xo, Serena
There's really no more generous season than autumn and all the beauty and bounty it provides. A walk around our property yields red, orange, and yellow oak and maple leaves, crab apples, rosehips, and of course, pumpkins that I gather to decorate our home.
This year I thought it'd be fun to make a garland out of the leaves I'd gathered. To create it, I simply cut a length of twine the size that I wanted the garland and tied clumps of leaves along the twine, overlapping each bunch just a little each time. I had originally planned on bunching individual leaves but that proved to be way too time consuming so I used clippings of branches with clusters of leaves instead. That went much faster! The nice thing about twine is that it really blends in with the autumn foliage.
I draped the garland over a little table at our front door and secured it with some small pumpkins.
. . . . . .
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
I was asked to speak at this year's Girls Scouts Leadership Luncheon in Spokane and when I heard they needed centerpieces, I offered to donate them. I thought it'd be fun to combine The Farm Chicks Show theme for this year, which is "County Fair", with the Girl Scouts motto of Girls with Courage, Confidence, and Character. I made special prize ribbons, representing the grand prize winners at the fair for things like best pickles, finest quilt, or grand champion steer, but with a Girl Scouts theme:
For me, the county fair is a celebration of agriculture and the American family farm and I wanted to bring in a few little pieces that really say county fair to me. I made cotton candy out of cotton to represent the midway:
I covered old tin cans with cheery fabric and my friend, Shawn, who owns The Flower Bar, made humble farm-like bouquets for each one, to represent the farm wife and all she does to make her home a cheery place:
Pastry and More Bakery made the CUTEST tiny little loaves of bread, representing the many baking contests at the fair:
They needed to stay cute, but still stay edible, so Shawn and I wrapped each one in cellophane and placed them into little lunch sacks:
To pull it all together, we lined bushel baskets with cheery yellow gingham and filled each one with the cotton candy, farmhouse arrangement, bread loaf, apples to represent agriculture, and adorned each one with the prize ribbon:
Most of all, I wanted to make something special out of not much at all, just like the farmers and their families of our country do with their plots of land.
Notes:
I learned to make prize ribbons from the talented Cathe Holden. She wrote a whole book about it. You can find it here. You can find Cathe on Facebook here and Instagram here.
I found the ribbon for the project many years ago at a fabric rummage sale. It had originally been fabric that the lady had cut strips from, sewing the lengths together to create hundreds of yards of handmade ribbon. I just know she'd be so happy to learn that hundreds of people admired her ribbon on those centerpieces!
The darling little bread loaves were made by Pastry and More in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and now I want to special order the tiny loaves for everything. They smelled like heaven. You can follow Pastry and More on Facebook here and Instagram here.
The little farmhouse arrangements were made by Shawn at The Flower Bar in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and each centerpiece was arranged in her beautiful little shop. Thank you, Shawn for your generosity! You can follow Shawn on Instagram here and Facebook here.
At the end of the luncheon, a winner from each table got to take home a centerpiece.
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
Each year, special little Christmas ornaments come home from school. They're precious and sweet, and of course, they're going to go on your tree. For some moms who love a theme, sometimes it can feel like your tree is getting pretty wild. And I'm going to be honest. It is. I know, because mine is too.
And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. But there's a way to tame your tree, and bring it all together in an easy way.
Here's how: Find or make lots of the same style ornament and add them to your tree.
One year, I made ornaments from thrifted paint-by-numbers paintings. Each ornament was the same shape and look, which drew everything together
This year, I"m using these wonderful old lace squares that were a special gift from one of the Curators at The Farm Chicks Show. I love how they're so snowflake-like:
I simply hung each one with an ordinary ornament hanger.
The key is using a lot, to clearly unify everything together. The more of the same ornaments the better. Here's the tree before:
And after:
Notes:
Another option is lots of classic round ornaments, in one color of your choice.
You can find my template for the Paint-by-number ornaments here.
Pinecone lights by Kurt Adler.
The stand for the tree is an old galvanized farm tub (large sized). Simply place an ordinary tree stand in the tub, then place your tree in the tree stand. It works like a charm.
One of my very favorite parts of The Farm Chicks Show each year is coming up with a theme and then carrying it through every aspect of the show all leading up to the installation at the main entrance. It is SO FUN for me. This year's theme was birds.
I decided to make a backdrop for my installation, so that it could really stand out. I took an enormous roll of paper and water-colored a sky and birds in flight. Each bird spelled out "The Farm Chicks" over and over again.
I created the bird houses one by one out of ordinary paper bags - hundreds of them.
Each bag was individually painted, and dried.
After the bags were dried, I used a circle cutter to cut holes in each birdhouse. To cut only the front of the bags, I inserted a piece of cardboard into each one before cutting.
After the holes were cut, the bags were opened and the tops folded down and hot glued into place.
In the days leading up to the show, I prepared a wire grid with hundreds of strings tied to it, to hang the birdhouses from. On setup day, we hung the wire grid from the hang wires in the ceiling above the entrance and the roll of paper as well.
My friend, Jill, spent the day opening each birdhouse, folding down the top, glueing them into place, and then attaching each one to the strings that were already in place. It was extremely time consuming!
The next day, my son, Cody, glued each birdhouse into place.
And at long last, the installation was complete!
I loved getting to see so many shoppers stopping at the installation, taking group photos, using it as a meeting place, and enjoying the show. Did you visit the show and get your picture with the birdhouses? Please leave a comment below and tell me about it! Tomorrow I'll be sharing pictures of the show and shoppers. I can't wait!
. . . . . .
The Farm Chicks Antiques Show is held once a year (always the first full weekend in June) in Spokane, Washington. You can read all about it here.
. . . . . .
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
A sweet and simple way to capture dandelions for all time is to create your very own watercolor painting, but with the actual flowers used in the making.
What you'll need is a few dandelions, some watercolor paints, a paintbrush, 5"x7" watercolor paper, parchment paper, and a rolling pin. To begin, place your watercolor paper on one side of your parchment paper:
Arrange dandelions where you'd like them to appear on your painting:
Bend the necks of the flowers so they're facing straight down on the watercolor paper:
Carefully keeping flowers in place, fold parchment paper over the top of the flowers and watercolor paper:
Roll the rolling pin very firmly up and down over the top of the flowers:
Pull back parchment paper:
Peel dandelions off the watercolor paper. (Your artwork doesn't look very pretty at this point, but don't worry, it will soon):
To paint the stem and flower petals, either use a watercolor paint color you like, or mix your own. I wanted brown and didn't have any on hand, so I mixed red and green together, along with some water:
Next, study a dandelion to see its unique petals so you can recreate your own artistic version. I see graduated layers of petals, so that's what I'll focus on:
Start at the center of the flower and lightly brush out, little sweeps of color to create the petals, graduating them in size as you go, to emulate the flower. Do the same with the stem, starting at the bottom and sweeping the brush upward until it connects with the flower. Repeat with each flower until you're done:
Lastly, paint any word you like on the painting. I love old specimens, so I kept it simple and painted the word dandelion as if it were a dandelion specimen for cataloging:
And now the dandelions are preserved for all time as a sweet little reminder of spring.
Notes:
I purchased all of my art supplies at Dick Blick. Watercolor paper here, watercolors here.
. . . . . .
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
When you put a lot of effort into throwing a great party, don't miss out on adding the final touch: Signs to mark the way. For farm-themed signage, hang signs from pitchfork tines.
All you'll need is some paper, a printer, double-stick tape or a glue stick, and ribbons to hang. Start with a colorful paper you love. Large scrapbook sheets work perfectly.
Next, print the wording for your sign on a standard sheet of paper, and cut out the message you'll be using, in a shape of your choice.
Adhere cut out message to the pretty paper with double-stick tape or a glue stick.
At this point, you can affix the sign to a building, or sign post, or you can attach it to something like a pitchfork (as seen above). To hang from pitchfork tines, using a hole punch, punch out holes and affix with pretty ribbon. Lean pitchfork against a building or car, or dig a small hole to place handle into. Stabilize with packed dirt.
All images by Ifong Chen
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
I do love a simple paper package. Just so humble and festive at the same time.
But what if I'm feeling like adding another simple little something? Well, I'd look all around the house, for little household things.
Like doily bits. I'd affix them with a little glue or double-stick tape.
Or confetti, because nothing says fun like a sprinkle of shimmer. Gluestick smudge, sprinkle sprinkle. Gluestick smudge, sprinkle sprinkle. And if I didn't have any confetti on hand (gasp!) I'd make my own by chopping little bits of metallic ribbon or by using my hole puncher on some festive paper.
Perhaps a simple little toothpick flag that says, "I'm happy and I want you to be too!" I'd make that little flag with a toothpick and some colorful paper.
Or maybe just some simple rosemary, attached with hot glue.
That's what I'd do.
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
Oh what fun it is to make merry little cakes…. ♬♪♫
Today I started with basic cakes from the bakery and some simple essentials.
First step, sugar the cranberries. (I do the entire sugaring process over the sink. When I'm done, I can simply rinse the colander and the sink all clean). Place cranberries in a colander and rinse. Next, pour apple juice all over the cranberries.
Toss the berries around to coat each one, by shaking the colander, while getting rid of all the excess juice at the same time. Pour about 1/2 cup granulated sugar over the berries, shaking and tossing the colander to coat the berries in the sugar. (I use about 1/2 cup sugar for one bag of fresh cranberries. You can add more or less, depending on how frosty you'd like your berries to look). Once the berries are all coated, transfer them to a parchment paper-lined tray. Place in the refrigerator and let sit for at least an hour or overnight. (This allows the sugar to really stick to the berries quite nicely. If you're in a hurry, you can use them right away, you'll just need to be a little more careful that you don't smudge the sugar off while handling).
Now it's time to start festooning your cakes. Thyme makes a simple and beautiful wreath. Place little sprigs around until the wreath is just your style.
If you want to add a little color, a few sugared cranberries here and there are just the ticket. (You might need to gently press the berries into the frosting to make sure they stay in place).
And here's the cupcake version. Sweet and simple.
How about a holly inspired cake? Some mint leaves and cranberries are just right. Place the little arrangements symmetrically around the cake.
Or just one for a cupcake.
And rosemary makes for the best tree branches. How about a Christmas tree? ♫ O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Thy leaves are so unchanging… ♪ ♬
And a rosemary cupcake version. A winter flower. (You could also flip the tiny rosemary sprig around to look like a tree, with a little cranberry at the top).
For a beautiful cake that really makes a statement, mound lots of cranberries on top.
We did this for our Christmas shoot and it was so lovely, sitting there on the buffet.
You can even bedazzle a cupcake the same way. (Pretty, yes! But indestructible? No. These are more of a pretty display-way to decorate a cake. Some of the berries will fall off when cutting and eating).
Even just one little berry is as sweet as can be. If there were a sugarplum cupcake, this would be it!
Notes:
Cranberries are pretty sour. If you love sweet and sour things, you'll probably enjoy these sugared berries. But most of all, they're just meant to look darn cute.
Sources:
Cakes and cupcakes from Sweet Frostings Blissful Bakeshop in Spokane. The icing technique on the layer cake is called "Grandma Icing". Isn't that the best?!
Cranberries and herbs can be found at most supermarkets during the winter season.
Each year I love thinking about how I'll decorate my table for Thanksgiving. Oftentimes, I'll pull everything together earlier in the fall to enjoy the bounty of the season we're currently in for as long as possible.
This year was no different. I picked some squash and miniature pumpkins from our field. I wanted the larger squash to be the focal point of the table (I love their color so much!) and decided to add in some pinecones as well.
When I visited my parents property this summer, I gathered a bagful of Sugar Pine pinecones and am so glad I did. Their size and shape are truly eye catching.
Laying out the table couldn't be more simple. I start with a table runner, then place the large squash evenly spaced along the center of the table, followed by the mini pumpkins, and finally the pinecones.
And now the stage is set for a most scrumptious Thanksgiving feast, starting with these mouth watering Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins made by my friend, Sylvia. You can find her recipe here.
Something to consider is that your table doesn't need to be complicated. By pulling together a few natural elements, you can have a warm and inviting tablescape with very little effort.
Notes: This post is part of a series of collaborations with my friend, Sylvia Fountaine, and me. I love the inspiration that comes when creating beautiful things with friends. You can find the recipe for Sylvia's Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins here. You can also follow Sylvia's Feast Catering & Feasting at Home Facebook page here and Instagram here. Sources:
Table runner: Michael's Craft Store
Table: Antico
Chairs: Cost Plus World Market
Cakestand: Martha Stewart for Macy's
Chandelier: Pottery Barn
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
There's something so special about a home with an arrangement or two. Whenever I make one, each time it catches my eye, I feel happy. And honestly, they're so incredibly simple to pull together. Today I want to show you how to make one that's both beautiful and simple and perfect for autumn.
I like to start with any items I can forage like clippings from my neighbor's trees and rosemary from my garden and then fill in with other pretty elements that are fitting for the season. In this case, it's my interpretation of a Cornucopia, so I picked up some persimmon, pears, pomegranate and artichokes from the supermarket.
I chose to use one of my soup tureens as the vessel for the arrangement, but so many dishes would work well. Take a look through your cupboards to see what inspires you. You'll want to make sure it can hold water, in order to keep your clippings from drying up. To start, fill it up about halfway with cold water. Next, start filling in with the base elements, the pieces that are going to create a platform for the fruit and vegetables to sit on.
The first base element I like to start with is what I want to show along the edges of my arrangement. I really love the look of something drooping over the sides, so I start with the red berries first. These came from my neighbor's tree, but grapes would work really well too.
I've placed the berries all around the edge, while creating a nice base.
Next comes the rosemary, interspersed between the berries.
Now I have a nice base to build my arrangement on and place the next pieces, as well as against the edge of the tureen.
Now it's almost ready, but I want to tuck in just a few more berries from another of my neighbor's trees.
Just a few, here and there until it's just right.
And that's all it takes. Layer layer layer, place place place and just like that you have a beautiful Autumn arrangement.
This project is the first of many collaborations with my friend, Sylvia, who photographed this project. Watch for another collaboration with Sylvia and me, coming soon here on my website, and on hers.
-OR- look for tureens with missing lids at thrift shops or full tureens in antiques shops.
You can find big rosemary plants this time of year at some home improvement stores like Lowe's or Home Depot and in the floral section of many supermarkets.
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
I've always enjoyed making the most out of what I have in my surroundings for decorating around our home. This is especially true when the seasons change and I'm looking to make the front porch warm and welcoming. This year my sunflower patch brought me so much joy that I wanted to make sure to use lots of the dried up flowers.
I've also really loved the decorative corn that Byron planted and decided to gather up a bunch of the beautiful cobs. I cut off a bunch of the plant tops too.
When I'm decorating for the season, I like to treat the elements just as I do for a photo shoot where I'd have a prop table or two, full of props. In this instance, I just lined up the elements. It's a really nice way to go about it because then I can clearly see exactly what I have to work with and keeps things nice and organized. This year, I really wanted to keep it simple, and not use many elements. Just sunflowers, corn, and a few pumpkins or squash.
I took some simple twine and tied a bunch of the sunflowers together, then pulled them into a circle and tied it off, making a wreath, which I hung on the front door. I love how cheery it is and the fact that it was free!
I placed the bit of corn tops and the largest sunflower heads in a bushel basket and placed them on a little farm table next to the front door, along with a squash.
Next, I filled an old galvanized tub with the corn. Isn't that corn the most beautiful thing ever?
And that's it. Later in the month, the boys will carve pumpkins and place them on the porch wherever they'd like.
The weekend starts early for us this week, as there's no school tomorrow for the boys, so today is our Friday, which is my FAVORITE day of the week! I'll see you again here on Monday. xoxo
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
I love having flowers around the house, especially in the spring. All those winter months of white ground and gray skies leave me wanting color. I like potted flowers best because they last so long and can be transplanted outdoors once the days turn warm. To create your own living arrangement, you'll need a vessel like and old farmhouse mixing bowl, some pebbles, potting soil, and flowers.
Next, add in a nice layer of pebbles to the bottom of your bowl.
Top the pebbles with a layer of potting soil.
Finish up by adding in your flowers and filling in any gaps between the plants with more potting soil.
Today I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful cake.
It all comes down to this little tip, the 2D. Don't worry, if you're not a cake decorator, this isn't an intimidating or difficult thing to do. That's not The Farm Chicks way. I promise.
First, you'll need to bake yourself two same-sized cake rounds so you can make a double layer cake.
Once the cakes are cooled, cut off the rounded tops so the cakes are nice and flat. (A large serrated bread knife works best).
Next, layer and thinly frost the cakes.
(Cake is sitting on a tiny wooden cakestand).
Now comes the fun part. Place the 2D tip in a decorating bag (or a gallon-sized ziploc bag with one of the corners snipped off for the tip to poke out of). Fill the bag with your favorite THICK buttercream frosting. The frosting needs to be thick so it doesn't sluff off the cake. Starting on the top of the cake, make frosting swirls, like a pinwheel, starting in the center and circling around until you have a rose.
Make them in varying sizes. If there are holes, simply squeeze in a star. Like this:
Once the top is complete, move on to the sides. Swirl, swirl, swirl.
You don't need to be perfect. In fact, imperfect is homey. Imperfect says, Eat me! I'm a delicious, approachable cake!
And there you have it. A beautiful little cake.
Sources:
2D cake decorating tip: Wilton, purchased at Carolyn's
This quick and easy project is such a sweet and functional way to keep your scones nice and warm. It also has great gift potential. Make a batch of your favorite scones , place them in the cozy, set on a plate, and deliver to a friend or send to school as a teacher's gift.
Here's how to make your cozy:
Cut two 11-inch diameter circles from a terry cloth or other thick-cloth kitchen towel.
Finish the raw edge of each circle with bias binding and, if desired, embelish with rickrack.
With chalk, divide one circle into six equal wedges, just as if cutting a pie. Place the marked circle on top of the second circle and sew them together along the lines.
One of my favorite uses for cute and colorful vintage sheets is as material for aprons.
Just like old tablecloths, vintage sheets are made from great quality cotton and you can find them frequently at yard and estate sales and thrift shops too.
Before you get started, make sure to launder them in hot water and if there are stains, soak in OxiClean. If stains persist, simply avoid them when you lay out your pattern pieces.
I always found it hard to pass up pretty old tablecloths spotted at yard sales. Some had holes, others stained beyond usability. But this old material is the best cotton and linen that you'll find anywhere, so into my buy pile they'd go.
So, what to do?
Turn them into colorful little dishtowels, using the fabric that isn't damaged.
Simply cut into your ideal shape and trim with bias tape. If you want to get really fancy, like we did here, make your own bias tape with contrasting fabric.
You can find bias tape makers at your local fabric shop, and they come complete with directions on how to make your own.
A few years ago, I had great fun creating some great big clouds to be used at the entrance to The Farm Chicks Show. But before we got them to the show, we had fun with them at home. The boys thought they made cool photo ops.
But how do you make a cloud?
It's actually pretty easy, as long as you have some time and a bit of patience.
To start, cover your work surface with a big sheet. Tape as many blown-up white balloons together as you like, to form your perfect cloud.
Next, mix up a big batch paste of water and flour and whisk until smooth.
Gather up lots of newspaper or newsprint paper and tear into thick shreds (3"-6"). Dip shreds into the paste, removing excess paste as you lift from bowl, and smooth all over the balloons, until they are fully covered.
Allow to dry completely. (This can take up to 24 hours).
Next, cover the clouds with pillow stuffing (polyester fiber). To do so, use a spray adhesive, and spray little sections at a time, and adhere little bunch by bunch of the stuffing. Repeat, again and again, until the cloud is all covered.
And just like that, a cloud is born.
Image from The Farm Chicks Show by Christina G. Photography
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
I've been taking a walk down memory lane while going through some old files of Farm Chicks projects for something I'm working on, and thought it'd be fun to share something I came across.
A Farm Chicks Style idea composed for creative floral displays and gifts, for Country Living Magazine a few years back.
To create, place an old bread pan (you can find really inexpensive ones at thrift shops) filled with water-soaked floral foam into the base of the purse. Poke in flowers until the display is full. For gift giving, tie on a thoughtful tag.
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
A few months back, I was inspired by Herriot Grace's Cookie Flags and knew I'd like to make my own variation for Valentine's Day.
I started by making a batch of my favorite cookie dough for these sorts of things. (It's important to use a recipe that won't rise and become puffy).
I rolled out the dough and cut out the flag shapes for the project. (Just freehand, with a small, sharp knife).
I transferred the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet and inserted little wooden toothpicks for the flags (about 3/4" of the toothpick).
I embellished some using some dough letter stamps and big heart sprinkles, just by pressing into the unbaked dough, and then baked them up.
Then I decided it'd be fun to sugar glaze some of them and add a few sprinkle dots, for good measure.
A soft pink sugar glaze is great too.
I kept some unglazed, because sometimes simple is just enough.
And then, well, it was really simple. I poked them into my little cakes.
But they're just as fun to package up as treats for the ones you love. Or better yet, just gobble them up. Because Cookie Flags bring happiness to all.
Cookie Flags Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla, beating until well combined. Beat in the flour, just until combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Flour your work surface and roll out your refrigerated dough to about 1/4" thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut out the shapes of your little flags. (As shown above). Once you've cut out all your flags, transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. (The best way to do this is with a spatula). Repeat with the remaining dough scraps, until all the dough is used up. Insert toothpicks into the flags as described above, and adorn, if desired, as described above.
Refrigerate the Cookie Flags, on the baking sheet, for 15 minutes. While the flags are being refrigerated, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake the Cookie Flags for 12-15 minutes. Cool on pan. Once completely cooled, the flags are ready to glaze or use as is.
Cookie Flags Glaze
Confectioners (powdered) sugar
Milk
Add milk, just a wee bit at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. Add a drop of food coloring, if you'd like. Mix together with a spoon, until thoroughly combined and then glaze to your little heart's content.
I love each holiday, when the stores start stocking lots of different candies. Whenever I'm browsing the aisles, my mind is churning, thinking about what I can create. And more times than not, I dream in miniature. I'm not sure why, but mini is so darned cute, isn't it? This year, I dreamed up these teeny tiny donuts - perfect for Valentine treats.
To start, I whipped up a tiny bowl of icing. Just a wee bit of confectioner's (powdered sugar) and enough water to make it a nice consistency for dipping and glazing. And a bunch of Lifesavers candies.
Oh, and some sprinkles too.
All you need to do is dip the top of each Lifesaver into the icing and add a pinch of sprinkles.
A little..
..or a lot.
You can use teeny tiny heart sprinkles too.
I think the reds look like red velvet cake donuts. Let's pretend they are.
Oh! Look. Two lil' donuts sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G....
hee hee.
Then we need to box them up. Just like a teeny tiny bakery would. What kind would you like? The little sprinkleys?
Or the variety pack?
Then we just slip on the little bakery box cover. And they're all ready for delivery. (Make sure the icing is completely dry before packaging).
Note: These would make fun little birthday party favors or April Fools treats too!
Sources:
Lifesavers Candies in Valentines colors: Target (These come in bags of individually wrapped candies).
Sprinkles: Bake It Pretty
Match box favor boxes: Martha Stewart Crafts
Tiny pink bowl and little metal spoon: Fishs Eddy
Alternate Sources: Websites such as Etsy and Oriental Trading Company offer selections of blank match boxes as well.
Back-up Plan: Little treat bags would work great for packaging too.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
My boys enjoy baking and have a selection of favorite recipes they like to whip up. I decided to make them tiny cookbooks containing their favorites all in one place, that are easily grab-able when they want to attack the kitchen. They also make great little gifts for friends or for your child heading off to college. (And they're great for dads too!)
These little books have an oilcloth cover. Here are the supplies you'll need:
Oilcloth (or laminated cotton)
Copy Paper
Fabric Pinking Shears
Scissors or Paper Cutter
Two-Hole Punch or Heavy Duty Stapler
Ribbon
To begin, make a template out of paper.
Trace the template onto your oilcloth, about 1/4" wider than the template, all around.
Cut the oilcloth using your pinking shears.
Take several pieces of paper (I used 3 per cookbook, as when the stack is folded, it makes six double-sided pages.) and trace the template onto it. Cut out the stack all together using a paper cutter or scissors. Fold the stack in half, in the center.
Place the paper inside the oilcloth cover. Make sure the paper crease is pressed up against the center crease of the oilcloth and that the oilcloth cover is slightly bigger than the paper. If you need to, you can cut the paper down a bit more.
Fold the oilcloth cover over the paper, crease, and hole punch. (If you don't have a two hole punch, a heavy duty stapler can be used).
Tie off with ribbons of your choice. (Skip this step if you've stapled your little cookbook).
And then, add a little label.
Sources:
Oilcloth: CathKidston and Oilcloth International (via ebay)
Ribbon: Michael's
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
Aren't big sprinkles adorable? The only problem is they're so hard to find. And then they're CRUNCHY, which isn't very enjoyable when you're taking a bite of a soft, fluffy cupcake, right? So, I've taken to making them myself. You can make different shapes, but today I really want to show you hearts. (Another phase of mine... Note the My Favorite Find logo, and this year's FC Show poster... :)) Love love love. It's what it's all about! hee hee
So anyway, they're really simple. Simply take a handful of candy melts in your desired color and heat for about 30(+/-) seconds in the microwave to melt:
Stir the melts until all smooth. Transfer mixture into the corner of a large ziploc bag and cut the tip off:
Line a tray with wax paper. Carefully squeeze out heart shapes, one side at a time. Squeeze briefly from the top, angling the heart side to the center, then pulling the shape, without squeezing any more out. Sort of just dragging what you've already squeezed:
Ohhh. So cute! And SOFT, so they won't break your teeth. Hooray!
Make as many as you like. zip. zap. zoom. And you're done! Then, top your favorite treats. Like cookies, sundaes, or cupcakes.
Just one.
Or lots. Why not? We're equal opportunity sprinklers!
.... and with a few sprinkles, she'll change the world.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
Growing up with very little was a blessing because I was able to see the beauty in the everyday objects that are often overlooked. That's what you do when you don't have much.
When you take the time to look around at what you have, you can make anything special. Take this collection of syrup dispensers for example:
It's really simple:
1.) Gather together clear, like objects that can be used as vessels.
2.) Fill with Christmasey items such as little trees, ornaments, and fake snow or objects in a color to fit your Christmas theme such as old game pieces and glitter. (This can be done with anything you love, any time of the year!)
3.) Display as a grouping.
You can find this Christmas inspiration, as well as decorating ideas, recipes, and Christmas cheer in my book, The Farm Chicks Christmas.
Special thanks to my friend, Nancy, for letting us into her home to play and display with her collections. You can find more wonderful objects such as these at Nancy (and friends) shop, Forget-Me-Not, in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.
Image by John Granen.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
I always find it interesting to watch the trends that come and go in the world of antiques. I remember when trunks were popular. Now they're not. But these old pieces shouldn't be overlooked. In fact, they are so useful for turning into entryway or mudroom benches. (And they have storage space!)
I bought this old trunk/box from my friend, Hollie, at her antiques show.
I simply topped it with a standard pillow covered in my favorite vintage Christmas pillowcase and it was instantly transformed into a little bench.
I can easily change the pillowcase to fit the season.
Have a large trunk? Use two pillows or several toss pillows. It's as easy as that!
A fun, quick, and easy way to display your seasonal treats is on stands. I happen to own LOTS of cakestands, but thought it would be fun to make some specific to the season. With pumpkins and paper plates.
I've found an abundance of little pumpkins left in the field from the pickers, who accidentally broke off their stems. Once the stems are gone, they're not really desirable to most people buying pumpkins, so there they sit - all broken hearted. In an attempt to rescue these orphaned pumpkins, I've discovered they're great for stacking on each other for decoration and for these cute little stands.
Step 1.) Start with a mini pumpkin. If your pumpkin has a stem, cut it or break it off:
Step 2.) Hot glue a paper plate atop the pumpkin. I've used a small salad-sized plate here, as the pumpkin is small:
This pumpkin is slightly larger, so I've used a dinner-sized plate here:
Step 3.) Fill plate with treats:
or stack the stands two high for double the treats - double the fun:
And there you have it. Changing the world - one pumpkin at a time. :)
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
Re-purposing old objects into darling little trays is fun! My friend, Teri, and I found these old trail markers one summer and knew they'd be perfect for just that.
To make your own, search for any thick old wooden signs or boards that fit your style. Then choose sturdy handles - new or old, either will do - and screws for affixing them to your wooden sign/board.
Here's what to do:
1. Thoroughly clean the sign with a scrub brush and warm sudsy water.
2. Let dry. Sand any rough spots if necessary.
3. Place the handles on the sign, marking the holes for the screws with a pencil. Remove the handles and drill-start the holes for the screws.
These labels are perfect for use around the home as they are wipeable, which makes them easy to clean. (Kitchens can be a messy place!)
1. Cut wallpaper or fabric into label shapes; I used rectangular on my jars shown here. To add a little charm, cut with pinking shears.
2. Cut two pieces of clear Con-Tact paper for each label, making them 1 inch larger in each direction. Sandwich each fabric/wallpaper label between the Con-Tact paper cut-outs; press together to seal. Trim the Con-Tact paper so that it makes a 1/4-inch border all around the fabric/wallpaper.
3. Use a Sharpie pen to write the name of whatever you are storing on each label. Affix the labels to jars or other storage containers with double-stick tape.
This week I'm going to be sharing some favorite projects and recipes from my first book, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. And the first project I'm sharing is perfect for this time of year when the bugs are beginning to become a bit of a nuisance.
Introducing: Food Covers.
To begin, choose any lightweight cotton or cotton blend fabric you like.
1. Spread the fabric wrong side up on your worktable. Invert your bowl on the fabric.
2. Measure out from the rim 1 1/2 inches and mark a circle all the way around the bowl. Remove the bowl and cut out the fabric circle.
3. If you wish, bind the edge of the circle with bias tape. (Bias tape is not necessary, it just gives the covers a more finished look). Then place the circle wrong side up in your sewing machine, with the edge under the presser foot. Lay a narrow piece of elastic on top of the edge and sew a few zigzag stitches over it. Stretch the elastic and continue to zigzag it to the edge, adjust the elastic and your hands as needed until you've sewn all the way around.
When we moved into our new home, I took some of our furniture for World Headquarters. Our old kitchen table is now my sewing table, recovered with a sweet new oilcloth.
This was the table before:
And I did love that oilcloth so much, but was ready for a change. I'm funny that way... looking at certain things makes my mind wander with the memories I have from that piece. So, for example, every time I saw that table, I'd be sidetracked with so many memories and thoughts from our old house, dinners, etc., that it was a distraction from what I'm trying to do in WHQ (World Headquarters).
Time for a tiny change.
And my fabric is slowly getting organized.
And once I'm done with that, I'll be mopping the WHQ floor as my final move-in chore.
Sources:
The desk in the background of the first image is from Pottery Barn.
The cubbies are from Ikea.
My oilcloth (before and after) and sewing basket are all from Cath Kidston.
My pincushions were Christmas ornaments from Martha Stewart.
Much of my new fabric is from Sandi Henderson (Hi Sandi!), Amy Butler, and Cath Kidston. The rest is all vintage.
My upholstered chair and ottoman are from Ikea and the slipcovers are from an old Ikea line named Rosalie that I was able to find on ebay.
Photo Credit: The before image of my table is from my first book, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen, and was shot by John Granen.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
Every year, I love creating a fun photo opportunity for visitors at the entrance of The Farm Chicks Show. This year, I constructed a big bunch of cotton candy balloons.
For me, cotton candy is fun. And happy. And wouldn't this be fun to make for a photo op (or decoration) at your next party?
To construct:
Hot glue paper cones to bags of cotton candy.
Affix long strings to the cones.
Hot glue bags together to create a huge bunch of "balloons".
Hang bunch from ceiling with several pieces of clear heavy duty fishing line.
Once hung, tie all the loose strings (hanging from the bottom of the cones) together to create a knot, just as a balloon peddler would.
Tip: I repackaged my bags of cotton candy using clear bags, rather than the clown themed bags they came in. (It just fit better with what I had in my mind).
Special thanks to the wonderful Samantha Cabrera for these images from the show.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
You've got lots of cans passing through your house everyday, right? Did you know you can re-purpose them into many different nifty things? Here's one very simple idea.
Start with a can.
Spray it with an adhesive spray and cover with the fabric of your choice. Wrap the rim with seam binding and hot glue into place.
Fill it with supplies like fabrics...
...or pens
or buttons, stamps, patches, ribbons, whatever you'd like.
Or make a bunch and fill them all.
Notes: The vintage can shown here was shown only for an example, as this project was done a few years ago and I didn't have a before shot. :) I prefer to use new cans that I'd be recycling anyway. (Old cans are so pretty!)
This can was spray painted so the bottom teeny tiny rim didn't distract from the project, however, it's completely unnecessary.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
I love to greet guests who are coming to our home. To make them feel welcome. What could be better than a pitchfork banner?
Here's what you'll need: 2 pitchforks or shovels or large dowels, fabric, iron-on papers, self-adhesive velcro tabs or a glue gun.
Step 1: Select fabric for banner and cut to desired size. Hem all edges, if desired.
Step 2: Print greeting of your choice onto iron-on paper, using a large font. (I like to use the Arial Black font as the thickness of the letters are suitable for this project). Carefully cut out letters and iron onto the fabric, following iron-on manufacturer's instructions. Tip: if you set your printer to landscape (rather than portrait), you will generally get at least two letters per page.
Step 3: Place pitchforks in the ground and attach the banner using the velcro tabs or hot glue. (If you don't mind marks on the pitchforks once you're done, the hot glue is a quick and easy option, as it will peel away from the fabric and handles of the pitchfork with a little pressure.)
And just like that, you're set to welcome your guests to your next party or gathering.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
I've been creating more sweet treats for Valentines Day. Sweets make me happy.
To begin, bake up your favorite brownie recipe. They should be a little on the dense side (you can do this by adding 1/4-1/2 cup of extra flour to your batch of brownie batter). Once cooled, cut into little cubes, about 1"x1":
Prepare a chocolate coating by combining 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk) and 1 teaspoon butter in a cereal bowl and heat at 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring each time until melted and smooth.
Place cubes, one by one, on a candy dipping tool or a fork. Place over the bowl of melted chocolate and spoon chocolate over the top of the cube. Then lightly tap tap tap the neck of the dipping tool (or fork) on the edge of the bowl until the chocolate has coated the cube, and the excess has gone back into the bowl. Next, set little brownie bite on parchment or foil and insert a lollipop stick. Then sprinkle:
You can do a little or a lot. Do more sprinkles mean more love?
Once the chocolate has set, it's time to wrap the little bites all up. All you need is some food safe tissue or parchment and some string or baker's twine. Simply cut the tissue into squares big enough to cover each bite (I cut my tissue squares 6.5"x6.5"). Then wrap and tie.
For a thoughtful gift, box them up for someone you love.
* Or * give one (or five) to yourself!
Sources:
The candy dipping tool, sprinkles and lollipop sticks came from Carolyn's. (They ship nationwide).
The food-safe tissue is from The Container Store.
The pink box came from Bake it Pretty.
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
Well hello! I have sweet treats on my mind. Cutely packaged treats.
I have some fun (and sweet) things in store for you this year. I've been hearing from lots of you, missing my online shop. And although I won't be selling things online anymore (we just couldn't keep up with the demand), I thought about something that would be even better. Free things. Cute things. Sweet things. So, for my first treat just for you, with Valentines Day in mind, I give you..... Treat Bags!
Perfect for packaging any little things you like.
Here's what you do:
Step 1.) Download my treat bags file onto your computer and print. Follow my instructions (provided in the download) for cutting and glueing. Click here for the download. (PLEASE NOTE: This file is very large and will take quite some time to download).
Step 2.) Gather up your favorite treats or doo-dads or whatever you love:
Step 3.) Plunk your treats into your cute little bags that you just crafted, all by your little self (or with your best pal or kiddos):
And then give, give, give! Make someone's day.
Or wait for Valentines to pass out your surprise treats, Farm Chicks Style.
Happy day, sweet friends. Happy day.
Note on directions: If you're not crazy about glueing the bags, double stick tape is a great alternative.
Candy sources: The Sweet Sticks are from Trader Joes. The Valentine M&M's are from Target.
Special thanks to Elle's Studio, for bringing these bags to life for me to share with you. xo
>>>><<<<
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
Need a cute and colorful centerpiece in a hurry? Simply fill a mixing bowl with your favorite drugstore candies, arrange candles in the candy, and you're all set!
Some treats I spotted recently at the store inspired me to create this Christmas Holiday Cake, featuring a sweet winter scene complete with trees, logs, and mushrooms. This would be the perfect project to do with children because it's easy and fun to make.
I started by baking three chocolate cake layers and then filling and frosting them.
I lightly frosted the cones by holding them with my fingers inside the cone and spreading the frosting on the cone with my other hand, followed by a dusting of green sugar sprinkles.
For a smaller tree, I broke off the bottom of a cone to make it smaller. Then, I frosted and sprinkled as I had done on the larger cone and then I placed the logs and trees all about the top of the cake.
I love making things that make my family smile. Today I made these cookies and then asked the boys if they wanted some eggs. Of course they did, and came flying upstairs, expecting fried eggs. Instead, this is what they found. And they loved it.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature. You can substitute salted butter and skip the 1/4 teaspoon salt.)
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Make the dough: Add the butter to a large-size mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in sugar and vanilla on medium speed, until well combined. Sift together flour and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture on low speed.
Shape the dough: Transfer dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and pat into an 8” disc. Wrap with the plastic and chill for one hour. (If you're in a hurry, just pop it into the freezer until firm). On a lightly floured surface or parchment paper, roll out dough to 1/4" thick and cut into 2.5" - 3" rounds, using a circular cookie cutter. Use a small glass, dipped in flour, to press the center of the "plate", as shown above. Reroll until all dough is used. Place the cookies about 1" apart on ungreased baking sheets (I like to line my pans with parchment paper), and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Bake the cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 12-15 minutes until firm, but not brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Decorate the cookies: Flood with frosting as shown with the cookies in my Christmas Wreath project, using the same icing recipe. Outline and flood the rim of the cookie plate with icing and then flood the center. Allow to set and top with a gummy fried egg and cracked candy egg. (See sources below).
Makes about 18 cookies plates, depending on size.
Sources:
I found these darling little gummy fried egg candies at Cost Plus World Market, but did a search to make sure they're widely available, and they are. I found many stores online where they're sold like here, here, and here.
The eggshells are candy malt eggs that are widely available at most markets during the Easter season, and online throughout the year. To crack the eggs, I held each egg firmly with one hand and carefully jabbed a sharp knife into the center of the egg with my other hand, and tapped the egg against the counter, while applying pressure with the knife. It takes a little practice to not completely shatter the egg. But after a few times, you'll get the hang of it and you can eat all of the crumbs from your practice eggs!
The Butter Cut-Outs recipe is from my next book, The Farm Chicks Christmas. It's such a wonderful recipe because it can be adapted for so many different holidays or eaten just as the perfectly soft, buttery cookie I sometimes crave. I adapted it from a recipe given to me by my friend, HaneLore and I share a few different ways to prepare it in the book.
Idea:
While Bongo was munching away on his "plate", he suggested making little cast iron fry pans, iced and flooded with black icing, complete with a handle. I think that would be soooo cute! A little fried egg, right in the pan. I'll have to try it, for sure!
Now get crackin'! hee hee
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
Adding an Easter egg-themed touch to your dinner table is really simple. Simply take platters and cut colorful paper napkins in the shape of an egg to line the platter. Use for serving rolls or other dry items. To use for serving veggies, simply cover the paper napkin with the same shape cutout of white parchment. The napkin will still show through and will appear pretty and toned-down pastel and it won't get soaked.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
Cute little place settings are such a fun addition to the Easter table. For these little egg cup markers, I simply filled each one with rice, topped them with moss and poked little handmade toothpick flags in with each person's name.
* * * *
Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there.
Recent Comments