Snazzy Birdhouses

From country style to mod, my in-laws are uber creative when it comes to birdhouses.
And, because they are founding members of ‘EOBHC’-Equal Opportunity Bird House Creators, they consider the most modest sparrow to the showy crow when building their shelters.

This style is for the rustic bird. Fancy parakeets are strongly discouraged.

Social birds tend to flock to this multi-unit. There are martini mixers and a neighborhood association.

This is a drive-thru feeder. Very important and busy birds fly through here on their way to early morning appointments uptown.

Intended for the sheriff bird and his growing family. He has been employed to keep the naughty blue jays at bay.

And finally, this was made for the modern bird. Both functional and architecturally pleasing, this birdhouse captures the style of today with a bit of a nod to yesterday.
Watch out Trump. My in-laws have cornered the market on bird real estate…

Retro Reindeer Stocking

After making my Retro Christmas Tree Skirt, I was inspired to update some of the other decor around the ‘ol house for Christmas. This picture from 2009 shows Biceps’ stocking in all of its ridiculous glory. His stocking is far left, Cowboy is in the center and mine is far right.

Notice the sheer enormity of his stocking? He believes it entitles him to more presents…
Not only does his stocking stretch as the weight increases, but the knit of the stocking allows you to see anything inside of it-thus you must wrap everything. After years of dealing with this silliness, something had to be done.

With the leftover material from my Retro Christmas Tree Skirt and the green light from Biceps, I decided to make us Retro Reindeer Stockings that were the proper size a stocking should be.
This is the man’s version of a Retro Reindeer Stocking….

And this is the lady’s version of a Retro Reindeer Stocking.

Here’s what you’ll need to make a pair of you very own Retro Christmas Stockings:

Felt-several different scrap colors that float your boat and enough to cut (4) pieces of approx 2’ stockings-8’ squared of total material
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Ric-rac or other desired embelishments
Card Stock or your favorite stencils

Trace a simple stocking shape onto the material and cut out four total pieces. Mine measured approximately 16” tall and 10” wide. With two right sides together, sew a seam around the stocking, 1/4” away from the edge and leaving the top open.

Cut a 7” loop of ric-rac. Turn the sewn stocking right side out. Fold the top down a 1/2”, turning it inside of the stocking. Insert the loop of ric-rac on the edge of the stocking and sew a 1/4” seam around the top of the stocking.

Use your favorite stencil, or draw a shape onto cardstock that your little heart desires. I chose a tree for each stocking and also a boy deer with antlers for Biceps and a girl deer sans-antlers for yours truly.
Cut out the shapes that your little heart desired on you felt scraps.

Hot glue your felt shapes onto your stocking. Add ric-rac on the toes, heels and the top of the stocking.

I gave a little ric-rac embellishment to each deer’s neck…

…and added a bow to my ‘girl’ deer.

And then, I hung my Retro Christmas Stockings up by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nick can fit a ’66 Mustang in there.
Or a diamond tennis bracelet.
Or just some gum. I’m easy to please.

Super Sparkly Snowflakes

In one corner of my living room stands a silver tree, adorned with vintage ornaments of blue, black and silver. In the other corner was….nothing. Who will save this corner from boredom and shame?
-(insert trumpet call)-
Super Sparkly Snowflakes will!

That was a bit dramatic-I know. I have a tendency to lean that way…
I am just so excited how the Super Sparkly Snowflakes enrich an otherwise boring old corner of the room.

Here’s a close up of the snowflakes as they sparkle away. They’re pretty good at that. These Super Sparkly Snowflakes were also super cheap and super easy to make with super sparkly results.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your very own Super Sparkly Snowflakes:
Hot glue gun & Sticks
Wire cutter
12 & 16 gauge silver wire
Sequins, jewels, etc
Silver Spray Paint
3”-ish foam discs, orbs, or whatever shape you desire
Toothpicks or shish-ka-bob skewers

Poke the skewers or toothpicks into the desired pattern on your foam piece.

Spray both sides of the snowflake and the skewers with the silver spray paint.

If desired, use the 12 gauge silver wire as accents on the snowflakes. I curled one end around a pencil and stuck the other end into the foam piece.

Use a hot glue gun to attach the sequins or jewels to the tips of the skewers. I integrated a pair of needle nosed pliers to this operation because I was tired of burning my flesh. Genius, right? It only took me several ‘dang-its’ before I figured this out.

I added more jewels to the center of my snowflake

Thread the 16 gauge wire through your snowflakes. I interspersed black and blue Christmas balls between the snowflakes for a little bit of color.

Here are the snowflakes against a green wall so that you can see some of their definition.

And this is where they eventually ended up-livening up the very un-Christmasy corner of my living room.
Super Sparkly Snowflakes saved the day again! Super!

Whimsical Christmas Wreath

My two naked front doors forced me to do it. (Yes, we like to buy houses with two front doors, rather if we own them or to rent them). The front doors had basically been ignored during the decorating process for years. So, they locked me in until I came up with something cute, modern and above all, ‘Christmasy’.

I made two different types of wreaths-this being the first in a two-part intense wreath series I will be sharing with you.
Ok, truth be told, it’s not intense. It’s rather easy.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:
Styrofoam wreath
Metallic Spray Paint-I used silver, but you can go gold, red, whatever!
Hot Glue gun
Scissors
Brown Paper bags, drop cloth, etc
(ignore the rest of the stuff in the photo. I didn’t end up using it.)

Also:
Beads (these were from Mardi Gras)
Handful of small twigs
Metallic discs (found in the hobby section)
-OR-Any other decor you have laying around-tiny feathers, bells, sequins, gems, etc

Lay out the brown paper sacks or some sort of a drop cloth. Spray the styrofoam wreath and the twigs with the metallic spray paint. Don’t inhale…

Shove the twigs into the wreath until they fit snuggly. Show those suckers who’s boss. Hot glue the metallic discs (or the decor you have on hand) to the wreath with a bit of whimsy on your side.

Lay the beads around the wreath, intertwining them with the twigs. Hot glue the beads at various points around the wreath, so that they are secure but still have the capability of movement.

Proudly display your one of a kind ‘Whimsical Christmas Wreath’ on the door of your choosing-if you have more than one, like we do. ‘Cuz, we’re weird. And we buy weird houses.

But watch out-the neighbor’s with the boring old evergreen wreath might be jealous.