I used a couple of old ceiling fan glass globe shades to make a pair of darling upcycled angels. I was able to create them with supplies I had around the house in minutes. Check out the full, quick and easy DIY. I love browsing around thrift stores. In recent years, it's become one of my favorite pastimes. There's something about the thrill of the hunt that excites me, way more than shopping retail. Perhaps, it's because I like unique decor, vintage treasures, nostalgic pieces and best of all, items I can makeover. Or maybe it's because I love a bargain.

This year I decided to lighten up my Christmas decor. Since the kids weren't around to tell me we had to put out every last piece of holiday fare that had been tucked away in the basement bins for the better part of the year, I didn't. Instead I chose to decorate with only my most treasured items and a few new inexpensive items. But that's not really the whole story. You see, Christmas crafting is my favorite kind of DIY. And home decor is my craft specialty . So naturally, by default, the decorating doesn't actually end around here, until the last Christmas craft is complete. And I'm not there yet.

Decorating my cottage for Christmas has always been one of the great highlights of my year. Let's just say that for someone who loves decor, Christmas is basically the superbowl of of decorating. The opportunity to dress the house in lights and color and totally transform it for a few precious weeks, to celebrate the magic of the season, is magic in and of itself. There are stockings to hang and trees...so many trees...to fill and lights to string. Every room truly becomes a wonderland. Most years, I couldn't wait to pull out the buckets, unpack the ornaments and put up the big tree. Christmas 2014 - Simple And Rustic And while the overall design and plan of attack was basically up to me, the process had always been a full on family affair. Sure, it made things messier. There were more cooks in my decorating kitchen, so to speak, but there was also a level of excitement and wonder that made the whole operation so much more enjoyable. Well, this year, for the first time in alm...

A few days ago the calendar turned over to reveal the last month of 2024. December. Which is clearly the most wonderful time of the year. Or at least that's what everyone says.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful... Ok, well not really frightful, just cold. Which is perfectly normal for this time of year in my neck of the woods, so it's not surprising. The chill in the air just took a lot longer to arrive this season. But that's Murphy's Law... Because, for the first time ever, this summer girl, was itching for cold. 

I've been crafting for as long as I can remember. As a child, whenever I had free time, I made clothes for my Barbies and Dawn dolls with a tiny stapler and fabric scraps. I decoupaged jigsaw puzzles for my walls, cross stitched pillow covers, made pot holders with fabric bands and painted plaster figurines for Christmas. Of course, as I got older, my crafty pursuits took on a more grown up flair. I began painting, making theater costumes, I focused on decorating projects and thrift flips. However. I've never abandoned the classics.

Gift bags come in so many beautiful patterns so they make great wooden signs for Christmas. They're cheap and it only takes a few minutes to whip one up. Come check out the easy DIY. Way back in 2015, I saw the most gorgeous gift bag for $3 in Marshalls. Of course, at that price, it hopped into my cart. But right off the bat, I knew it was way too pretty to hold a present and then be tossed away. So instead, I used it to make this elegant, wooden sign for Christmas . It was solid and looked very expensive with its nailheads, wood patterned paper. And all that chunky glitter.