DIY Cardboard Piñata

Last Tuesday was my mom's birthday and we planned a lovely little party for her to celebrate. Because it was a weeknight, we decided it would be fun to cook her dinner at her own home. What's better than a birthday party that comes to you!? We cooked some of her favorites; she's a huge fan of Mexican food, so the menu included fish tacos, fresh pice de gallo and guacamole, and chocolate angel food cake for dessert (my sister, Bee, is the best baker ever).

When I sent out an invitation to my mom telling her the details, she responded enthusiastically and made a joke about a piñata filled with laffy taffy. Keep in mind she had no idea the menu was Mexican food and that her party would be fiesta themed. I don't take piñata suggestions lightly, especially when it fits a party theme so perfectly! So, naturally, I made her one. And filled it with laffy taffy, obvi.



I contemplated just simply buying a piñata, but I was surprised by how expensive a classic donkey piñata from Target was. I ended up buying all my supplies as well as the candy to fill it from the dollar store for $6.00. That's half of the price of just the piñata! Plus, I'm sure you might have some of these supplies already taking up space among your craft supplies. Especially since I used cardboard to eliminate the time required for paper-mache. If you're confident in your craftiness, I highly recommend going the DIY route. I mean, it is going to get smashed anyway :) See how I created this colorful piñata below.



DIY PIÑATA:

SUPPLIES NEEDED

+ large pieces of cardboard (I used one of those big display boards, but a large cardboard box would work great)
+ streamers in different colors
+ duct tape & masking tape
+ a sharpie
+ scissors
+ craft glue
+ twine or rope (to hang)
+ assorted candy (to fill)

INSTRUCTIONS
+ Make sure you have two large pieces of cardboard of equal size. Sketch out the shape of the donkey's body with a sharpie. Once satisfied with the shape, cut it out. Use the cut out piece as a stencil and trace the shape onto the other piece of cardboard. Cut this out as well. You should now have two identical donkey shapes.
+ You will use the remaining scraps of cardboard to create a frame between your two donkey pieces, creating a 3D piñata. Cut strips the lengths of all the sides of the donkey's torso. Secure these pieces to one side of the donkey, using duct tape on the inside and masking tape on the outside.
+ Fill the piñata with candy.
+ Secure the other side of the donkey to the rest of the piñata, reinforcing all of the corners and joints with extra tape.
+ Pull out a few feet of streamers and fold it the length up onto itself as many times as you can. Fringe the streamers by cutting half way up them.
+ Cover the entire outside of the piñata with the fringed streamers. Start at the bottom of the legs and work up. Overlap the previous streamers a bit every time. Switch colors after a few rows of the same color have been glued.
+ Once everything is dry, your piñata is ready to hang!

A few pictures of the piñata in action below:



Our blindfold just happened to match my mom's outfit perfectly. She had the first go at it, followed by an entertaining round by my brother-in-law, and my sister ended up breaking it open by channeling her work frustration ;) (I got a video of that one). Overall, I'd call this first piñata making endeavor a success! A special thanks to Will to holding the beam for us, as I had to use a ladder due to my mom's yard having no large trees.

Hope your Monday is treating you well!
xx Emorie

Gingerbread Lip Scrub

My newest and favorite scrub concoction I have made, Gingerbread Lip Scrub, is a perfect Christmas treat. I think it will make a lovely gift among my DIY gift arsenal this year. I am so excited to package a bunch of this up, pair it with a jar of my Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub, and give it out to some of my favorite ladies. My lips have been so unbelievably chapped, though, that I am getting plenty of use out of this lip scrub myself too. It's an added bonus that this smells (and tastes!) so good. I may have licked it off instead of rinsing. Whoops.

Let's talk a bit about all the good stuff in this mix. Sugar is a lovely gentle exfoliant. Coconut Oil has numerable benefits for the skin and will leave your lips nourished and moisturized. Molasses is a wonderful complexion brightener. Honey is full of antioxidants and is soothing, moisturizing, and clarifying. Ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg are all stimulants that increase blood circulation and have been used in lip cosmetics for years as a natural 'plumper'. I don't include enough of these ingredients in my recipe to cause irritation (read burning sensation), but you may still notice your lips looking just slightly fuller immediately after use. For this reason, I would stick to using this particular scrub on just your lips and not elsewhere on the body. Looking for a body scrub? Try the Cinnamon Honey Salt Scrub or the Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub.



Gingerbread Lip Scrub

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon molasses
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
a few drops vanilla extract or essential oil (optional)

Directions: 
+ Combine the sugar and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Cream the (solid/room temperature) coconut oil in to the sugars. This looks just like butter and sugar does creamed together. A fork works best here, to evenly distribute the coconut oil and leave no large lumps.
+ Add the honey and molasses, stirring until combined.
+ Stir in the spices. Add in a bit of vanilla, if desired. Add in more spice or vanilla, if needed, in small amounts until you reach a scent you are satisfied with.

Storage and Usage: 
+ Store in small containers, glass or plastic is fine. I used an old pesto tub and a small baby food container.
+ These can be packaged up nicely for gifts; create a label for the lid of the container and tie some pretty ribbon around.
+ To use the scrub, apply to dry or damp lips rubbing gently for a bit and rinse off. Or, you know, just lick it off. You can leave it on for up to 5 minutes before rinsing.



Enjoy exfoliating and cheers to soft, smooth lips!
xx Emorie

DIY Gift Wrapping 5 Ways

In addition to making gifts every year to give out for Christmas, I really enjoy adding a handmade touch to my gift wrapping. Making your own gift wrapping is a great way to add even more of a personalized touch to your presents, as well as a way to save a little money during tho holiday season. I recieved a lot of compliments on my packaging last year, so I thought I'd share of few of my wrapping ideas from then on here. I kept these pretty simple so just about anyone can do these at home with supplies they probably already have. These are really basic ideas too, so if you like them feel free to try them out and make them your own! To start, you'll need some plain brown craft paper, or as I used here brown paper grocery bags (where did my roll of brown craft paper go?!).



1. HAND-STAMPED PAPER

Lay the gift down on the paper and cut out an area large enough to wrap the gift. Lay the paper down flat and stamp one side completely with a stamp. I used a holly berry stamp I have and a green ink pad, though any Christmasy stamp will do. You could also chose a simple geometric pattern, such as polka dots, squares, stars, or triangles. An ink pad or craft paint work well for this job. I like to make my pattern a bit random versus even and uniform. Let the stamped pattern dry and then wrap the present as usual.



2. ADD AN ORNAMENT

A really simple way to dress up a gift is to add a shiny ornament to its packaging. Plus, then in so doing, you also add in another little gift right there on the front. Because who doesn't love getting more ornaments!? Simply tie some string or ribbon around your wrapped gift and secure tho ornament on to it. Add a bit of greenery too, for more dimension, if you like.



3. TIE ON A PAPER SNOWFLAKE

If you want to go for something really unique with your gift wrapping, why not add something as unique as a snowflake to the packaging? If you enjoy making paper snowflakes as much as I do, this option is really fun too. Cut out a snowflake using any color of craft paper (who says you can't have a neon snowflake!?) and secure it to the top of the present with tape and/or ribbon. If you're looking for snowflake inspiration, here are some pretty templates.



4. ADD A BUNCH OF GREENERY

Between pine tree clippings, holly berries, poinsettia flowers, mistletoe, and pine cones etc, there are many options and combinations to choose from here. You can take fresh clippings from your own tree and seasonal plants or opt for the fake variety; no judgement it all is pretty. Create a small bunch that you like and tie it to the top of a present.



5. HANDMADE TAG 

There are so many options for a handmade tag. For the one above, I simple sketched the design by hand on some craft paper and the cut out around it and tied it on with twine. If you aren't so comfortable with your on handwriting, considering printing out some fancy topography with your printer. For an even easier option, the lovely and talented Oana Befort just added a free printable for some pretty gift tags she designed (which I'll definitely be printing myself).

Enjoy this gift-giving season!
xx Emorie

Bow Ear Warmer DIY

As promised, I'm finally here (holy cow, it's been awhile, and I totally forgot how long it takes to put together a crafting tutorial) to share with you a fun, simple little DIY to help you keep those ears warm in this chilly weather. I'm missing my long mop a bit this winter, for my short hair does little to help keep me warm. The back of my neck and ears are constantly cold. As you can imagine, I've been wearing this giant bow ear warmer a lot lately. You can see how I styled it recently in this outfit post. I prefer this combined with a fluffy scarf over a hat. Does anyone else have issues with scarf and hats bunching up awkwardly in the back?

I made a bunch of ear warmers two Christmases ago for gifts and everyone seemed to love them. I've got the ear warmer making down, but I didn't think to add a bow until recently. Silly me. I love it, especially in bright red. And I plan on gifting a few again this year. They're so cute and cozy warm, I have to share!  See how to make an ear warmer below:



What you'll need

+ Fleece (one yard is plenty)
+ Fabric scissors
+ Sewing machine
+ Thread in a matching color
+ An embroidery needle
+ Two Large Buttons
+ Pins
+ A strong glue (I used E6000)
+ A few big scraps of contrasting fabric (optional)



1. Measure the circumference of your head and add two or three inches to that measurement. Decide how wide you'd like your ear warmer to be (I make mine about 3 inches wide), double that measurement and add an inch. Use your two measurements to cut out a large rectangle of fleece for the base of the ear warmer.
2. Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise and pin and with your sewing machine, stitch the sides together (making a long tube) as close to the edge as possible. Trim any excess.
3. Turn the long tube inside out, so that the seam is on the inside.
4. Iron the base of the ear warmer flat (fold it and iron so that the seam sits evenly on one edge, not down the back).
5. Making sure the base is pulled flat and tight, add a small seam to both edges.



6. Hold the base up to your head and if the ends are really long, trim them down a bit.
7. Fold the ends inside the base and pin firmly closed.
8. Sew a seam on both ends. All parts of the base should now be sewn closed.
9. Figure out where the buttons should lay and create the holes on one end for them to go through. Be cautious to not make them too big.
10. On the other end of the base, sew two buttons on, using thread and an embroidery needle, lining them up to fit securely in the holes.
11. When both buttons are sewn on, fasten the base together making sure the button holes are large enough, adjust as necessary.



12. For the bow, cut a piece of fleece a little bit wider than the base and twice as long as you would like the bow to be. Fold it so the edges met in the middle (as shown), sew together, and turn inside out so the seam isn't seen.
13. To make the bow of contrasting fabric, keep in mind that you are going to be folding the piece of fabric you cut into thirds and that the bow should be slightly smaller than the fleece piece you already cut. Once you determine the size and cut out the fabric, fold it as shown in the pictures.
14. Pinch the center of the folded rectangle together and sew in place, with the embroidery needle and thread, to create the smaller bow.
15. To create the center of the layered bow, cut a long rectangle of fleece and a a rectangle (slightly smaller than the fleece) of the contrasting fabric. Fold as shown.
16. Layer the two pieces together and secure them around the two bow pieces (using needle and thread) to create a nice layered bow.



17. Finish by gluing the bow onto the ear warmer. I like to secure the bow near the back so that it will sit on the side of my head when I wear it.  I use E6000 glue and let it dry for 24 hours, and then hand stitch the bow on further, to secure it thoroughly and make sure it sits flat.

That's it! It may be a lot of steps, but I promise it's simple. I wanted to be as thorough as possible with the steps so there would be little confusion, but please let me know below if you have any questions!

If you do make one of your own, I'd love to see! Send me a picture of your finished results.
xx Emorie

Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub

I've mentioned before that I've really enjoyed making all of my Christmas gifts in the past and so I was planning on doing that again this year. I've got a few posts lined up to share with you what I've been busy crafting. If you're on the look out for fun, easy, and unique DIY gifts, hopefully I can give you a few ideas. This scrub is definitely something that will show up in a few people's gifts. It can be packed up so pretty, smells heavenly, and works wonders on skin. I just have to share it with some of my favorite people!

Do you remember the cinnamon honey salt scrub I made a few months back? I've been pretty obsessed with homemade body scrubs since then. I mean, they are simple to create (usually with things you already have in your kitchen), smell great, work better than any body scrub I've ever purchased, and fairly cheap. I like this sugar scrub even better than the salt scrub I made. It's a bit gentler and lots sweeter. I love vanilla this time of year, it's a really warm cozy scent. A nice exfoliation with this scrub in a hot bath sounds like the perfect end to a cold winter day to me. 

Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub

Ingredients:

3/4 cups raw cane sugar

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup coconut oil solid

1/3 cup almond or olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract or a few drops essential oil 

Directions: 

+ Combine the raw cane sugar and the regular sugar in a large bowl and mash it together with room temperature (solid) coconut oil. This looks just like butter and sugar does creamed together. A fork works best here, to evenly distribute the coconut oil and leave no large lumps.
+ Add the honey, almond or olive oil, and vanilla stirring with a spatula until combined.
+ Finally, stir in the brown sugar. Add more vanilla, if desired, until you reach a scent you are satisfied with.

Storage and Usage: 
+ Store in little glass jars. These can be packaged up nicely for gifts; create a label for the lid of the jar and tie some pretty ribbon around.
+ If desired, top the scrub with a few sprinkles of brown sugar and/or coconut flakes before packaging.

+ To use the scrub, apply to dry or damp skin rubbing gently for a bit and rinse off.



Enjoy exfoliating and moisturizing!
xx Emorie