Snow Globe DIY

             

If you’re a twenty-something like me you probably don’t have many Christmas decorations of your own (yet!). If you read A New Christmas Tradition you’ll know that here at WTD we’re re-vamping the holidays and are trying to make our own traditions this year. As always, we try to do things in the thriftiest way possible but that never means skimping on style, class or quality! Today's holiday DIY is a festive Anthropologie inspired snow globe!

My snow globes are hanging out on my kitchen table this year!

I was inspired to do this DIY after I found some delightful snow globes on Pinterest. They are inspired by these Anthropologie originals which are no longer available on their website. I made my snow globes at the end of the season last year so this is the first Christmas I’m actually getting to enjoy them and I have to say I just love them. They’re cute, quirky, super easy and amazingly cheap to make! The image from the original blog is a pretty self-explanatory and I basically did my own thing when making them. The blog Make Life Lovely has another awesome DIY tutorial for the same snow globes. She compares the original price of $40 Anthropologie version to the $2 it cost her to make them herself! Don't forget they're also eco-friendly if you use recycled jars and ribbon. Plus, I think the homemade ones look better anyway!

I love the charming bows!

What you’ll need:

• 3 mason jars (I chose two smaller jars and one large one you can decide what works for you)
• 3 miniature Christmas trees (I found mine at Dollarama and they are there again this year!)
• Fake Snow (I also bought at Dollarama) 
• 1 glue gun
• Ribbon (I used two pieces of red and one red and white checkered print. Use whatever you have)
• Something to raise your tree up I think I put a piece of foam under mine

  

The Instagram I posted after making them in 2012!

I didn’t take pictures of step-by-step directions as I made mine last year but they are so easy you won’t need them. Luckily, this is a popular craft so I’m going to source some photos online to help you along.

 

Step One

Take the lid off the mason jar and pull the ring away from the round disc.

Step Two

Use your hot glue gun to glue your base to the middle of the disc. Giving your tree a little height allows you to add more snow. Otherwise the snow covers the tree. Let dry.

Step Three

Glue the tree to the base. Let dry.

Step Four

Put snow into the jar. The amount will vary depending on the size of your tree and what looks best to you.

Step Five

Put it all together! Try not to spill the snow :)

Step Six

Tie ribbon around the ring.

Voila! How easy was that? Now all you have to do is find a cute spot in your home to  showcase these awesome snow globes.

If you want to get even thriftier try some variations. I like the Anthropologie salt shakers and the antique blue mason jars I found on google images!

Variations:

Salt Shaker Globes

Antique Jars

A Simple Kind of Life

You can add water like A Simple Kind of Life did. Personally, I prefer how they look without water but I realize they're not true snow globes without. If you do use water make sure to use distilled water!

A Simple Kind of Life also tried one globe with gold glitter. I like it! You could also mix glitter in with your snow for a more glamourous look! The only warning she had was that a layer of glitter does float to the top.

Kayla Danielle

Blogger Kayla Danielle used a big jar she had sitting around at home to make a super sized snow globe! If you like this look Apothecary jars can be found at many home decor stores for a reasonable price. Try Winners or Homesense.

Gorgeous display of globes!

Display your globes with a few tree trimmings for extra visual appeal!

Bring Starbucks Home with this Simple DIY

Hi folks,
So it's late on a Sunday, but I promised this post ages ago and I'm just getting to it now.
Whether you're on a tight budget this holiday or have a bunch of "ancillary" people to shop for, we've found the perfect DIY for you. It's cheap, easy, doesn't take a lot of time, but it is a knockout.
It's the Bring Starbucks Home Shower Scrub, inspired by the blog A Cup of Mo. I seriously cannot rave about this enough. It's all natural, not tested on animals, simple ingredients, made right here in Canada... I LOVE IT.  My friend gave it to me for m belated birthday and it makes the mornings MUCH more bearable!

What you'll need:
A big bowl
A plastic spoon
Pretty jars (dollar store or recycled)
Gift tag (optional)

Instructions:
I more than tripled this batch in order to make five mid-size jars for all the girlies in my life.  The important thing is to have equal amounts of coffee and sugar, and about half that amount of olive oil, and just a dash of the extras.

3 cups of coffee grounds (folgers, tim horton's, starbucks... whatever is on sale at the grocery store.)
3 cups of white sugar (people have said that you can use brown, but I have not substantiated that)
1.5 cups of olive oil (don't cheap out on the oil -- it's what makes your skin smooth!)
3 tbs ground cinnamon
1 tbs vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in a giant bowl until very well blended - about 30 seconds (LOL).

Divide into jars: seal tightly.
Wrap with a beautiful tag and bow.

Use it to exfoliate damp or wet skin in the shower or tub. Cup of Mo says it should last two months, but mine is five months old and not stale at all.  Makes me and my shower smell like a cafe!
Note: Will make your tub kind of messy; is easily rinsed out and does not stain, but if you are like me and enjoy the chaos, leave it in there for your lover to get peeved about.  Fun times!

The English Major Book Clutch Tutorial

Before we get started with this excellent tutorial, first let me say haters gon' hate.  Ever since the Lauren Conrad incident when she chopped up Lemony Snicket books to make a stylish storage bin, self-righteous book lovers everywhere have been viciously deploring anyone who so much as blinks at their craft supplies.
There are a lot of reasons why I think that's wrong.  For one, I think the internet is like the judgiest place ever and it drives me mental that those hiding behind their laptops screens can post comment after comment of vitriolic insults that they would never dare expound face-to-face.  Plus, there's the added fact that we don't know the whole story.  If some craftster has rescued a pack of books from a dumpster and they are literally falling apart and unreadable, who am I to criticize if they use the pages for arts and crafts?  People also have the right to do what they want with their own property, whether we like it or not.  And personally, if I'm going to work for property law changes or to alter people's mindset, I'm going to work on the assholes who think they can beat their dogs or euthanize their otherwise healthy animals just because "it's my property."  But I'm getting off track.  The point is, keep your bitching to yourself, Internet.  Because this is a really awesome craft and it made a fantastic, inexpensive, meaningful grad gift to my beloved friends.

Book page art by TexasGirlDesigns on Etsy

  The hardest part of this process was finding the right books.  I wanted affordable, but beautiful, sturdy hardcovers, of novels my friends had not just read, but loved.  Because it's definitely poser-ish to strut around with a book clutch of a story you've never read.  I don't have photos of this part of the process, but scour Value Village, the Salvation Army, and used bookstores until you find a book that appeals to you and a clutch or wallet that is a similar size or slightly smaller.
STEP ONE: Gather supplies.
Pretty book
Similar-sized clutch
Hot glue gun and gun
Exacto knife
Scissors
Pencil and sharpie
Cardboard and wrapping paper
Stuff to protect your workspace like a trivet and old newspaper
Possibly some foam and fabric if your clutch is way too short for the cover.

Ready to go!

STEP TWO: This one hurts.

The hardest part of the process is cutting up the book.  I know, it hurts.  But if you do it carefully, the book will come out intact.  Be extra careful not to puncture the cover!  Just cut the cover from the bound pages.

Take a deep breath.

STEP THREE: Position the clutch inside the cover, and, when it's where you like it, generously glue it in place.

Also cut any ugly tags out of the inside of your clutch.

There's a saying "I craft, therefore I have no thumbprints."  That's because hot glue BURNS.

STEP FOUR: Wait patiently for glue to dry.  The amazing thing about hot glue is that it's solid after like three minutes.  So not much patience required.  I like this.  Add more glue if you see weak spots.

STEP FIVE: Take the intact pages of the book and measure against a piece of firm but flexible cardboard.  This will be the new cover.

 STEP SIX: Glue the book to the cardboard and wrap it (like you did in third grade) with pretty paper.  Write the title on the front and the spine.  Ta-da!  You have a completely readable, customized, book, as well as a new purse that is totally a conversation starter and a proud proclamation of your love of all things lit!

No books were harmed in the making of this purse.

STEP SEVEN: You can add a decorative tassel or cord to the zipper or cover if you want (Fabricland has great options).

Each will be unique; this clutch came with a wristlet and cute rounded clasp.  See the gold cord along the side of the spine?

|Clutch on the left; book on the right.  Tassel attached to the zipper.

Hope you enjoyed this.  Go forth and make your own clutches; they're great conversation starters.  What better way to show the world how madly in love you are with a book or author than by touting them around everywhere you go?

Gotta book it!

xox --JEM

UPDATE:

Apparently the "in" thing right now, thanks to Restoration Hardware, is spineless books! Another excellent way to salvage and display the inside of your hardcover after doing the book clutch DIY. The evidence:

DIY:

Restoration Hardware inspired spineless books

 ETSY:

For sale on Etsy

Restoration Hardware Catalogue

Restoration Hardware

Restoration Hardware

How to be thrifty this holiday season

So, I’m using the politically correct terminology here and calling it the “holiday season”. I want this information to be applicable to anyone, anywhere because being thrifty can be applied to any aspect of your life! I’m going to be frank with you readers, I celebrate Christmas. To be even more frank with you, I am not religious. My enjoyment of the holiday season has little to do with any theological belief. I enjoy the spirit of December; the decorating, the baking, and the celebrating so take what you will from this post and add it to your already expert knowledge of thrifting!

Shop Your Local Craft Sales

 

This past weekend I went to a huge craft sale in my area. Thanks to Etsy, a lot of what used to remind of us our grandmothers is right back in (think: knitting & crocheting).  There were chunky, knitted infinity scarves that you would pay $70 for online for $25. There were mountains of beautiful homemade afghans, rugs, mittens and socks. Knitted dishcloths were 3 for $1! I wanted it all and I didn’t have to factor shipping into the overall cost! My haul included two beautiful, handmade pottery dishes (perfect size for rings and jewelry on the bedside table) for $1/each. A sizeable beeswax candle in a mason jar for $5 (a total steal if you are familiar with beeswax candle pricing! Plus, beeswax candles cleanse the air while burning instead of emitting toxins like regular candles! Thrifty and eco-chic!).  An adorable stained glass Christmas tree for $2. My “splurge” items that went over the $5 mark were an amazing glass dish in the shape of a heart for $20 and two decorative oversized pinecones on spikes for $4/each. 

Shop the “End of Season” Deals

 

I know, I know, the last thing you want to do after the holiday season is over is re-invest more money into the holiday season. You’ve spent enough money on gifts and outfits for holiday parties and all you want to do now is curl up in front of the TV with Friends re-runs and eggnog.  If you can get yourself off the couch and in to a store you’ll find you can get some major deals! You’ll save an arm and a leg on holiday decorations whether its lights, wrapping paper, décor items or ornaments the big box stores want that merch gone and they’re marking it down to move.

 

Make Your Own Decorations

 

Pinterest has a plethora of holiday season inspired DIYs. What’s even better is that a lot of the DIYs are made of crafty items that can be purchased at the dollar store! Not only will they look better than the junk sold at the big box stores but they’ll cost you a fraction of the price.

 

Take Inspiration from Nature

If you have a front porch (sorry - apartment living doesn’t exactly lend to this kind of decorating) make up a cute decorative planter. The nice thing is that you can have some green on your porch without worrying about it dying in the cold winter weather! Combine greenery (last year I stole the bottom branches off my Christmas tree), dogwood (those trendy red sticks you see everywhere at this time of year) and either buy or make some pinecones or stars on sticks to add a little character to the display. I usually finish mine off with a big red bow from the dollar store. Last year I purchased some cute faux snowflakes and blue ribbon to tie around the pot. If you can’t get out of the city to scavange some greenery and sticks you’ll probably have to buy it at the farmers market. 

This year I took the dogs out back at my boyfriend’s parents place to get the greenery and sticks I needed. I ended up finding some really cool dried flowers I’m going to add! Of course, the dogs decided it was a great day for a November swim. Brrr!  

Oat drops... of heaven!

I'VE JUST BEEN SCHOOLED.  By my dog.
 I grew up with big, hairy mutts in a busy, loud household.  We ate healthy and our dogs ate dry kibble-- the brands we could afford that seemed reasonably healthy.  We didn't do gluten-free-vegan-soy-milk-whatever and my dogs certainly didn't either.  It was well-intended pragmatism (of people and pets fortunate enough not to have dietary restrictions).
And we got lucky; if you pause to think about all the poison that is literally being shipped from sketchy factories from the developing world, lining a select few pockets with billions of dollars, we got very lucky.  Most of our dogs made it to a decent age in above-average health.
In university, my upstairs neighbor-- now in vet school-- cooked her adopted collie full-on meals of ground beefs, green beans and rice, every night.  Well, I can tell you that even unemployed and in my parents' basement, I still don't have the time, energy or money to do that for my furbaby.  Kudos to you superheroes who do.
BUT I WILL SAY THIS:
The Peanut Butter Oat Drop treats were SO EASY to make; I'm converted.

Pretty simple ingredients.

It took less than 15 minutes to whip up the mix, and I only dirtied one bowl and two beaters (if you don't own a dishwasher, you'll understand why I keep a Dirty Dish score that factors into everything I make).  Also, the recipe is freakishly similar to some diet cookies I've tried from Pinterest.

The only dirty dishes!  Not bad.

And the dogs LOVE them.  Now, my dogs aren't picky eaters, so they do chow down with gusto on just about anything edible, but I think I detected a particular zeal in their munching with these Oat Drops.
I've stored half the amount I made in the freezer, and the other half is in the treat jar-- they're three days old now and still look fine.

Monkey just woke up from (another) nap and he's so excited for his Oat Drop!

I'll probably never buy big-name brand treats again.  It's just not worth the effort (researching who's on the bad list, what those unpronounceable ingredients are etc.) or the risk, when I can so easily and cost-effectively whip these up.
IF YOU MAKE THEM: I halved the recipe, to see if it would be a success.  It took me two rounds using one cookie sheet, so I was watching the oven for about 50 minutes.  Next time, I'll make the whole batch and use two cookie sheets to speed up the process.

Make use of all the space on your cookie sheet-- they don't expand!

Don't forget, probably because there's no yeast in them, they don't rise or expand, so plop those f**kers right next to each other all crammed together nice and tight on the baking sheet.  Do what the directions say: half teaspoon drops are big enough.
Also, I used quick oats because that was all we had on hand.  It still worked out, though next time, I'll use regular rolled oats.
Finally, mine required five fewer minutes in the oven than the directions said.  Had they stayed in the entire time, they might have burnt.  So keep a watchful eye.  Do as I did; I called a dear old friend and chatted away while the treats baked.

Gotta book it!
-JEM