Day 3 Gift Idea: Floral Coffee Mug DIY

October 2, 2015 | Posted by Chelsey

Day 3 of my 50 DIY Days: Floral Coffee Mug DIY

It’s really no secret that I love coffee mugs and I *might* have too many… might. I mean, the thing is that I want my coffee to sit in a cute vessel, not something plain and boring. That’s why I like to makeover plain coffee mugs! Plain white coffee mugs are pretty darn easy to find. Most stores (like Target or Cost Plus) carry plain white mugs, but I suggest checking out your local thrift shop. There’s a ton of mugs that are in great shape and just need a new home (and makeover). I used paint for all of my past coffee mug makeovers, but for this Coffee Mug DIY I got to try something new. I just found out that Mod Podge now makes a dishwasher safe gloss. Yup! That opens up my crafting mug options to using fabric, glitter, and even paper items. SOOooo, that’s what I did for this DIY. I created three lovely floral printables (that you can download for free on the original Better Homes and Gardens blog post).

Supplies you will need to make my Floral Coffee Mug DIY:

white coffee mug
free printable coffee mug florals (printables found on the Better Homes and Gardens blog post)
Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe Gloss
soft paintbrush
scissors
rubbing alcohol
clear acrylic sealer spray

So, the glue used for this project does need 28 days to cure, but that means you still have plenty of time to get these mugs made for Christmas gifts! If you want to check out the full Floral Coffee Mug DIY (and get the free printables to make your own), head on over to the original Better Homes and Gardens post.

Are you wondering what the 50 DIY Days is? Each year I share a bunch of holiday DIY ideas to inspire crafting during the Fall. Starting now, through early December, you’ll find a ton of great ideas to get you ready for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any sort of holiday gift giving. You can check out this link to explore past DIY Days.

– Chelsey

P.S. I am a paid contributor for the Better Homes and Gardens blog. If you create any of these mugs, I’d love to see it! You can share a link in the comments below, or tag me in Instagram with a photo, @thepapermama and use the #papermamafriends hashtag.

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Tags: printable

Categories: 50 DIY Days, BHG, diy, For The Kitchen

Homemade Granola (with no refined sugars) in Yogurt

September 22, 2015 | Posted by Chelsey

A couple of years ago I really wanted a granola that was NOT full of refined sugars and my hope was to find something store bought (so I didn’t have to spend the time to make it), but I did not find what I was looking for. SO, that’s why I came up with my Homemade Granola recipe and it’s been a staple breakfast item in our home ever since. For anyone that’s looking for a super sugary sweet granola this might not be for you. It’s very lightly sweetened with honey and applesauce and I love it (when I’m not pregnant I don’t really have a sweet tooth). If you do have a bit of a sweet tooth, you can always add MORE honey to the recipe to kick up the sweetness, but that’s totally up to you (extra honey can be added after cooking my recipe below).

I’ve already shared this recipe on my blog (the original post is here), but it’s been a couple of years and since I love it so much I wanted to share it again… especially since I’ve been eating it like crazy with this pregnancy (it makes my pregnant/starving belly happy).

Homemade Granola (with no refined sugars)

– 7 cups old fashioned oats

– 1 1/2 cups of slivered almonds (optional: food processor them for less crunch)

– 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds (optional: food processor them for less crunch)

– 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

– 3 Tablespoons of cinnamon

– 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

– 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

– 3 tablespoons pure vanilla (check the ingredients, most vanilla has corn syrup added…)

– 1 1/2 cups of no sugar added applesauce

– 1/4 cup honey

Directions:

– Set your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and blend. You wont the granola just barely moist. Add a bit of applesauce if it seems too dry (blend really well, get the wet ingredients mixed in well).

Place the granola in a 1/2 inch thick layer on 2 cookie pans (make sure the pans have sides, so the granola doesn’t slide off). Bake the granola in the oven for 40 – 50 minutes. Mixing up the granola blend every ten minutes. This will help the granola to cook evenly, and hopefully not burn. The outer pieces of granola will probably cook faster. This recipe made enough to fill two 24 ounce jars and one 12 ounce jar.

When you’re done, let the granola cool and then store in your favorite jar! OR, give these away as gifts for your buddies. You can also add raisins or other dried fruits to the mix, after it’s done cooking. My kid likes raisins and banana chips in the granola.

My favorite way to enjoy this Homemade Granola (with no refined sugars) is with one part yogurt and 2 parts unsweetened applesauce (and a pinch of cinnamon). Blend it all together, add some fruit, and you have a delicious, quick, and healthy breakfast!

I want to see your creations: Share what your making with me on Instagram. It could be one of my DIY’s, or any project you’re working on. Be sure to mention me @thepapermama on Instagram and use the hashtag #papermamafriends so I can find it!

– Chelsey

2 Comments

Tags: breakfast

Categories: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, food

Roasting Stick DIY

September 8, 2015 | Posted by Chelsey

Summer is not over yet! There’s still some nice weather hanging around to give you a chance to enjoy a lovely evening by the fire. And, you know what goes perfect with a lovely evening by the fire? S’mores. OH man, they are so good and are definitely a pregnancy craving. So, a while back I made these really cute roasting sticks DIY and shared them on the HP Create blog. As a kid, we would use branches for roasting over the fire. My roasting sticks are so much better than a branch. They can be cleaned, are reusable, and pretty cute.

Supplies needed to create this Roasting Stick DIY:

Stainless Steel Wire – Four ⅛” x 36”
Saral Transfer Paper
Round dowel – 1” x 36” (this will be cut into four 6” sections)
Long drill bit – ⅛”
Black acrylic paint (I used Martha Stewart paints with a satin finish)
Four colorful acrylic paints (I used Martha Stewart paints with a satin finish)
Free Roasting Stick Printable
Pencil
Painter’s tape
Fine point paintbrush and ½” (or larger) paintbrush

Directions:

STEP 1: Cut the rounded dowel into four 6” sections. In one end of each dowel, use the long ⅛” inch long drill bit to drill a hole into the end. Tip #1: we used a compound miter saw to cut up the dowels, but you can get these cut at the store you buy them from, or carefully cut them with a hand saw.

STEP 2: Mix together a tiny drop of the black paint with a bit of water. This will make the black paint sort of a wash. Brush the black paint wash all over the four sections of dowels and let dry completely. Tip #2: I wanted to use a wash so I could still see the wood grain on the dowel.

STEP 3: Print and cut out the Roasting Stick Printable, or make your own. I created 6 different words you can add to the roasting stick, but you don’t have to use them. Maybe your roasting sticks have a name on them? To trace the word onto the dowel, tape the saral paper (color side down) onto the spot you want the word to go. Tape the word over the Saral paper on the spot you’d like the word to go. Use your pencil to trace the word onto the dowel. The Saral paper transfers the word onto the dowel so you can paint over it!

STEP 4: It’s painting time! Using the fine point paintbrush, carefully paint over the word you just traced onto the dowel with white paint. Let the paint dry completely.

STEP 5: On the drilled end of the dowel, tape off a little section of the dowel (I taped off about 1.5 inches). Grab some colorful paint and your larger paintbrush. Paint on a couple coats of the colorful paints onto the end of the dowel. Let dry completely then remove the painter’s tape.

STEP 6: Grab a finished dowel handle and one stainless steel wire. Push the wire into the drilled hole. To get the dowel all the way into the hole, tap the end of the dowel onto the ground a few times. Tip #3: The hole is tight enough that it should just hold the steel wire in place. If you want to really secure it, you can use some wood/metal glue.

You’re ready to start cooking with your homemade roasting sticks. Just be sure to clean the steel wire after each use with soap and water.

Total cost to make 4 – 6 roasting sticks: under $20. I only made four roasting sticks for our family, but with the supplies you buy for my tutorial you have enough to make 6. That’s a pretty good deal.

– Chelsey

P.S. I’m a paid contributor for the HP Create blog.

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2 Comments

Tags: printable, summer

Categories: diy, For The Outdoors, HP

Food: Cheese and Tuna Pinwheels

September 3, 2015 | Posted by Chelsey

Well, my kiddo is officially in big kid school and our routine is changing a bit. To stay organized, I’m beginning to realize I have to plan out our meals and snacks. That’s what inspired my Cheese and Tuna Pinwheels recipe. This bite-size snack can be made ahead of time and easily reheated, plus it’s full of protein (and my daughter loves it). In my house we usually have all of the ingredients needed for this recipe already on hand (I did have to go out and buy some puff pastry, but that’s easy to keep in the freezer). Want to make some for your kid (or yourself)? Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients:

1 can of Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore in Water, drained
3 tablespoons cream cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (follow the directions to defrost)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Pull out one sheet of the frozen puff pastry and follow the directions to defrost it. Gather all your ingredients.

While the puff pastry is defrosting mix together tuna, cream cheese, and shredded cheese in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Flatten out the puff pastry sheet and spread the tuna mixture onto the puff pastry, leaving about a one inch space without mixture on one end.

Starting on the end opposite of the one inch space, start to roll up the pastry and mixture into a log.

Wrap the rolled up log into some plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for about 30 – 40 minutes (or until firm, not too hard).

When your freezer time is up, set your over to 375°F. While the oven is warming up, pull the roll out of the freezer. Use a knife to cut the log into 1/4″ slices and place on 2 parchment-lined cookie sheets. Place the pinwheels in the oven and bake for 30 minutes (or until lightly browned), rotating the sheets as needed (I recommend checking the pinwheels at 15 minutes to check if rotating is needed). When the pinwheels are done, place them on a cooling rack.
Serve these snacks when they’ve cooled down.

I suggest making these ahead of time, they store really well. Store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or the freezer for longer storage. To reheat: Reheat in the oven for a few minutes, or if you’re lazy like me… the microwave.

If you make this yummy snack, I’d love to see a photo! Share your snacks on instagram and use the hashtag #papermamafriends and/or tag me @thepapermama.

– Chelsey

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Back To School Teacher Gift DIY

August 28, 2015 | Posted by Chelsey

Okay. My daughter is just days away from starting school (insert excited and sad mom tears here). I’m having a little trouble accepting the fact that I will now have a kid in elementary school. Anyway, my back to school teacher gift DIY is perfect for your kid’s new teacher! It’s the perfect way to start the school year. I know a lot of teachers have a pretty small budget for school supplies and often have to use their own money to provide much needed items for the classroom, so I hope this gift will help. It comes with some snacks (Box Tops snacks so the teacher can earn money for school), a notepad, crayons, pencils, and an apple (of course). Want to make this for your kid’s teacher?

Supplies needed for this project:

basket
yummy teacher treats (preferably Box Tops products so your kid’s school can earn money for their school)
paper note pad
a pack of pencils
crayons
rubber bands
yarn
hot glue
painters tape
colorful spray paint
free Back to School Printable

Directions:

1) Tape off the portion of the basket you don’t want to have painted (my basket came from Walmart and I taped off the top edge and handle).

2) In a well ventilated space (preferably outdoors) spray multiple layers of paint onto your basket.

3) Let the painted basket cure for over 24 hours before handling, then remove the painters tape!

4) Download and print out my Back to School Printable (click on this link to find the printable and right click + save the image to your computer) onto some card stock or photo paper. Cut out the triangles and use the hot glue gun to glue the back of the triangles to a long strip of yarn. I spaced about a half inch between each triangle. Tie the triangle banner around the top of the basket. Use just a tiny bit of glue to secure the banner to the basket.

5) Gather your basket goodies. Use the rubber bands to wrap up the crayons and pencils, then cover the bands with some yarn. Place all the basket items into the basket. Glue the “Back to School” printable onto one of the basket goodies. Tip: if you need some great Box Tops information and food/gift ideas, check out this link at Walmart.

You’re done! With this basket you have the sweetest little gift for your kiddo’s new teacher, plus your teacher gets to use those Box Tops to earn a bit of money for the school!

Do you have any back to school teacher gift ideas?

– Chelsey

P.S. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of General Mills®. The opinions and text are all mine.

2 Comments

Tags: printable, school

Categories: diy, Gifts

Easy Woven Rope Basket DIY

August 24, 2015 | Posted by Chelsey

Baskets can help turn a messy storage spot into well organized space. If you head to most stores to buy one, a little basket can easily cost $20 plus dollars. When I do buy a basket, I usually head to a thrift shop to buy a basket for cheap. This time I decided to make my own. This was my first time making one, but I’m pleased with how it turned out and I would totally make this again. I originally made this easy woven rope basket DIY for the Better Homes and Gardens blog.

Supplies needed to create this project (directions can be found here):

1/4 inch x 100 feet natural sisal rope
a lot of embroidery thread (white, black, and any other color you want)
large embroidery needle
a small amount of yarn

Total cost for this project: $9 (the only thing I had to buy for this project was the rope, since I had all the other materials).

Time needed to create this: It actually does take a bit of time. I probably spent three evenings stitching this thing together. It was easy and mindless work, all done while I watched a bit of television (we are catching up on Project Runway right now).

Head on over to the Better Homes and Gardens blog to find the full tutorial and to make this DIY for yourself.

If you create this DIY, I’d love to see it! You can share a link in the comments below, or tag me in Instagram with a photo (my username is @thepapermama).

– Chelsey, The Paper Mama

P.S. I am a paid contributor for the Better Homes and Gardens blog. If you liked this DIY, check out some other favorite projects I made for the Better Homes and Gardens blog: easily store your garden hose with my Bucket Hose Holder, turn an old brass chandelier into an outdoor candle holder with my Chandelier Candle Holder Makeover, and I know it’s not quite Fall yet… but you can get ready with my Maple Tree Seed Fall Wreath.

1 Comment

Tags: organization

Categories: BHG, diy, For The Home

Bicycle Basket Makeover

August 6, 2015 | Posted by Chelsey

My daughter has a little scooter that she loves to ride. Every time we head out to the park the kiddo has to bring a stuffed animal, a water bottle, and maybe a snack (that’s a lot to carry for a quick trip to the park). Instead of carrying all these items in my purse or hands this basket will do the trick. With my Bicycle Basket Makeover I have created the perfect little container to attach to her scooter and I made it for under $5. We took it out for a spin the other day, and she loved it (and so did I).