This year I finally feel like our Christmas decorations look great and express my taste. So I just had to show them off to you!

Even though I’m Jewish, my husband is Christian. I have always LOVED Christmas lights and decorations, so after we got married I started going all out with Christmas decor. Honestly, my husband is just my excuse to decorate, because he wouldn’t even notice if we didn’t have Christmas decorations at all. I really do it because I just love the spirit of Christmas.

Snow, hot chocolate, twinkling lights…. I love it all. I love how happy most people are around the holiday season, despite the crazy competitiveness people get over parking spots. I love how people are grateful for the things they have during the holidays. I love the spirit of giving and picking out gifts for the people I care about. And I love how charitable people are around Christmas. I just had to express all that spirit here!

So here’s a little glimpse of the decorations we have for the holidays! If you want to find some of the decorations we used, sources are at the bottom of the post.

Most of our Christmas decor is around the tree and the fireplace. I sit on our couch all the time facing the tree and fireplace, and the view just makes me so happy!

One of the things I love most about Christmas is holiday cards! Lars can attest that every time we check the mail in December, all I look for are holiday cards and I’m practically giddy about getting them. I love to display them in our living room.

This year I got this adorable Christmas card display from Crate and Barrel. It’s already full (we’ve gotten even more cards since I took these pictures) so I think I need to get another!

If you look closely in the pictures, you can see our family holiday picture hanging up behind them. It’s the picture we used on our holiday card this year.

I mean, seriously, look at all those cute faces! We have the most adorable friends and family. Shoutout to the people who send cards the earliest because you get to be displayed forever on the blog :)

Most of my first Christmas decorations were gifts from others. My mother in law gave us these adorable moose stocking holders. My husband and his family grew up using these holders in Alaska, and I love how they’re such a big part of family tradition.

The little hedgehog holder is from target, we just couldn’t resist.

I also love this cute chalkboard that says happy holidays. We got the chalkboard for a baby shower I cohosted in August, but I’ve kept using it around the house for decor. It fits perfectly here for Christmas!

On our coffee table I set out these antler bowls full of ornaments. My mom got me the bowls several years ago, and I’ve always used them to hold cute ornaments.

Plus how cute is that little wood penguin? I love him! Even though my dog does knock him over regularly with his crazy happy tail.

I have a hard time finding holiday pillows I love, so we just went with these buffalo check covers this year. I’m always on the lookout for more festive pillow covers that are also soft and the right size!

But the best part of our living room at Christmas is when the tree lights up (every day at 4:30). Those lights always make me smile.

And if you are wondering where I got our garlands, I made them! You can read how to make your own pom pom garland here.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this little glimpse into our holiday living room! I certainly love these pictures.

I hope you and your family have an absolutely wonderful holiday season, whatever you celebrate!

Fa la la la la la la…..

Sources:

Tree: craigslist, similar on amazon • Garlands: DIY project • Topper: Crate and Barrel • Stockings: Amazon and amazon • Pillows: amazon • Card Holder: Crate and Barrel (no longer available) • Stocking holders: Target (no longer available) • Tree Skirt: Target • Silver Ornaments: Target

Some of our Christmas Decor

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If you’re looking for a fun, easy, and adorable Christmas craft, look no further. This pom pom garland is so easy to make, and it looks great on the tree. It is the perfect festive Christmas craft. It makes my tree look so happy and unique! And it really couldn’t be any easier to make. So much cuteness from so little effort!

I wanted my Christmas tree this year to be green and white. Last year I did more traditional with a red ribbon, but it wasn’t really my style. I wanted to do a garland this year that would be a little less traditional and a lot more fun! So I figured a pom pom garland would be the perfect way to do that. And I love it!

It does take a lot of pom poms to make the garland, but it is so worth it! This is the kind of craft that is easy and meditative. You can easily do it while watching tv or listening to music and just get into a flow. Bonus points if you listen to Christmas music while you make it. It probably took me a total of 3 hours of stringing to make 70′ of garland for my tree, but it felt like 20 minutes.

And there is no reason to sit there for 3 hours straight working on the garland. I made this over a few days, in between other tasks when I had time. Crafting is such an enjoyable break. So if you love crafting, keep reading for the full tutorial.

Supplies:

• Thin string (Twine is great, this is the one I used)
• Craft needles
• Pompoms (1.5″ (what I used) or 1″)

I wanted my pom poms to be pretty big, so I used the 1.5″ ones. The 1″ pom poms are much more cost effective. I ended up using more than 70 feet of pom pom garland on my tree, so I needed tons of them! I used 35 packs, or 525 pom poms total. If I had known I would need so many, I would go back and use the 1″ ones. I had to keep ordering more!

I definitely underestimated how long the garlands would need to be, but I’m a sucker for the cascading way they are hung. If you hang them without the cascading, you’ll need much less length.

Step One: Cut String and Thread Needle

I cut my strings into approx 5′ long segments because that was about as long as I could manage without tangling the string. The first thing you want to do is cut your string segment, then thread the needle and tightly knot the string. You also want to put a knot at the end of the string so that the pom poms don’t fall off, leaving a little room on the end in case you need to tie any garlands together.

Step Two: String Pom Poms

Next step is to just go ahead stringing the pom poms! You want to pierce the pom poms slightly off of the middle. They should slip on easily. If you feel resistance, go ahead and re-align them on the needle or you will have trouble moving them down the string.

Once you get them on, move them all the way along the string until the end. Space them out so theres about 1/4″ in between each pom. It is much easier to do this as you go along than to try to space them out later.

Step Three: Tie and Hang

Once you’ve gotten all the pom poms on the string, untie the string from the needle and tie off the end. Then hang them on the tree!

I ended up hanging the pom pom garlands and then figuring out the length needed to finish that string around the tree and tying them together to get the correct size. They aren’t hung perfectly, but I really love the effect they make.

This is by far my favorite christmas tree yet! The pom poms remind me of snowballs and marshmallows and they definitely show my whimsical style. I’m a sucker for the combination of white and green.

Plus I love our tree topper that we got from Crate and Barrel. The moravian star shape is super unique.

Here’s a close up of the garland on the tree:

Seriously, how cute are they?! It still makes me so happy to look at, and I see this tree about a bazillion times a day.

Every time I see the tree it makes me smile. I haven’t decorated that many Christmas trees, but this is the first one I really feel like is “my style.” And it’s super festive.

To be honest, I think all Christmas trees are beautiful if they are lit up! And I love how the pom pom garland looks lit up.

This is by far my favorite Christmas decoration. Maybe next year I’ll add even more ;)

So go ahead and make your own pom pom garland, and let me know how it goes for you!

Supplies and Decor in This Post:

The post DIY Christmas Pom Pom Garland appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

All these printables are free, fun, and most importantly, beautiful! I think there’s a little something here for everyone. With more than 25 to choose from, you’ve got decor for every fall occasion. Some of the printables are halloween or thanksgiving specific, but they’re all appropriate for the fall season.

Honestly, I can’t believe how adorable they all are! Each printable is easy to find and download, and they all will get you in that autumn mood.

1. Hello Fall

A perfect way to start! This adorable printable from Glued to my crafts blog mixes a few of my favorite things- pumpkins and watercolors. Head over to her blog to download this awesome printable.

2. 10 More Fall Printables

One Sutton Place is generous enough to be sharing TEN free printable designs! I love this cutout pumpkin one- but you should really look at the whole post because they are all lovely.

3. Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Yellow Bliss Road knows the key to many a woman’s heart! This adorable printable is very on point. She even links to past fall printables that are just as beautiful and fun.

4. 3 autumn printables

The Happier Homemaker  has made some absolutely beautiful printables here. All three are free, so you should definitely take a look!

5. Fall watercolor

I love this design by I should be mopping the floor. Not only does she have the cutest blog name, she’s got some great design chops. These watercolor pumpkins are stunning.

6. fall chalkboard printable

I should be mopping the floor got two features in this post, because I couldn’t resist this printable either! Who doesn’t love a good chalkboard design?

7. Fall leaf printable

This muted understated leaf would fit right into any home. A Night Owl Blog put this printable together and it is beautiful.

8. Give Thanks

Shanty 2 Chic doesn’t dissapoint with this black and white printable. I love those fonts!

9. Charcoal Thankful Printable

I can’t get enough of this print from Lolly Jane. The charcoal background really makes the colors of the wreath pop.

10. Fall Bucket List

Planning inspired has come up with an instant fall classic! These are all on my fall bucket list- and who doesn’t love seeing them all together like this?

11. Wellies Print

Falling leaves and rain are some of the best parts of fall. Craftaholics Anonymous came up with this adorable wellies print that highlights those two things.

12. Autumn printable

classy clutter came up with this adorable design! My favorite part is the swirls on the pumpkins.

13. blue pumpkin

I love that the red painted cottage used an unexpected fall color. The light blue contrasts perfectly with the fall yellow to make a lovely design.

14. Thankful printable

I love this simple design from Apartment Living Blog. The leaves also kind of look like feathers, so it’s very thanksgiving-ey.

15. 4 free thanksgiving printables

Tabler party of Two came up with 4 adorable designs that you have got to check out! I love all of them, but this “give thanks” is my favorite.

Well, what do you think? Get yourself these adorable free printables today!

The post Decorating for fall: 25 Free fall printables appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

When I got my Cricut Explore Air I was so excited with all the possibilities! There were (and still are) so many things I want to make. One of the first things I knew I wanted to make was a sign for my office/ craft room. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out- especially because it ended up being one of the easiest projects ever!

I wanted the sign to reflect my personality and blog design, so that meant sticking with my color scheme of mint and navy. The sign is the highlight of the wall, but the wall also features polka dot decals, which is what made me want to make it round. In all- I really couldn’t be happier with it. I think I just have a love of customized signs ever since the ones I made for our wedding!

I played with a lot of different ideas for the sign lettering- different fonts and phrases. And Procrastination Studio seemed to be the perfect name for my workspace. If you couldn’t tell just from the name of my blog- I am a bit of a procrastination expert.

So after a big response from sharing my sign on social media I decided to finally write a post about it! Keep reading for step by step instructions on how I made this adorable and easy sign on the Cricut.

Supplies:

• A Cricut cutting machine (I use the Cricut Explore Air)
• Cricut mat
• Vinyl 
• Vinyl transfer tape
• Wood sign (I used this one)
• Craft paint
• Paint brush
• Mod Podge (optional)
• Cricut tools (optional)

Step One: Paint sign back

Pick out whatever color you want your sign back to be and paint your sign that color. I mixed a mint color with white to get a lighter color and painted my sign using a simple paint brush with craft paint. Let it dry in between coats.

I also used mod podge over the paint to give it a glossier finish, but this is totally optional.

Step Two: Design Sign

The first step is to design your sign. Decide what words you want the sign to say, and pick out fonts. You can do this on Cricut design space, or on a photo editing program. A .png file is the best format to upload to Cricut design space in my experience, because the transparent areas will be treated like empty space.

When you upload an image into cricut design space, you can “select and erase” out the white space. This will tell the machine where to cut. Don’t forget to select the spaces inside letters, like the circle inside the letter “o.”

Make sure your layer is set to cut.

(If you’re a cricut newbie and this sounds confusing to you, I previously wrote a more detailed post with pictures you can refer to).

Step Three: Cut vinyl on cricut

Once you have your design ready, you’ll want to cut your vinyl. Stick the vinyl onto your cutting mat, load the mat into the machine, and press cut!

When the vinyl is cut, you want to peel or “weed” off the excess vinyl, leaving only the letters you want to transfer. You can use the cricut weeder to get out the small pieces, like the insides of letters.

Step Four: Apply vinyl with transfer tape

I’ve given the instructions here for using transfer tape- but if you want to see step by step pictures on how to use transfer tape, I have a detailed how to you can refer to in a previous post

Peel off the back of the transfer tape, and place the sticky part on top of your design. Use a credit card or a scraper tool to scrape the design to make sure the vinyl is well-adhered to the transfer tape. Slowly peel the transfer tape up. The vinyl letters should come up, but if they don’t, just replace the tape and scrape over the top again. This may take a few tries.

When you’ve got the design on the transfer tape, align the tape onto your sign where you want it to go. Press down firmly, and you can use a credit card or scraper here again. Slowly peel away the transfer tape, and the design should stick to your sign. If it doesn’t stick down, put the tape back down and rub again.

Then your sign should be finished! I told you this was easy!

Step Five: Hang

Now your sign is ready to go! You can hang it up. I’m a huge fan of the command hanging strips, and I used those to hang this sign.

And now just step back and admire!

This was my first lettering project with the cricut, and it went really well! The sign turned out EXACTLY how I imagined. You may recognize the above photo from my about me page.

I mean seriously, who DOESN’T want a procrastination studio?

The sign is definitely the highlight of the office. I’ll be doing a full office reveal sometime soon so you get to see the whole thing! But the combination of the polka dots with my sign is by far my favorite part of the office.

Which is my favorite room of the house.

I love how it looks hanging in my office. It makes me smile every time I see it!

My office is definitely my procrastination studio- I spend most of my time in there procrastinating- making crafts, organizing, editing photos, painting watercolors… you name it.

What are you waiting for? Let me know how making your own sign on the Cricut goes for you!

Supplies used in this post

The post Easy DIY Sign Lettering: Cricut Project appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

About two months ago I had one of those rare DIY inspirations- where you are suddenly struck with an idea that you know will work and you have to get to it right away. That’s how I made this moose pillow! And I was right to be inspired. It has turned into one of my favorite projects and a new decor staple in our home. All for less than 30 minutes of work and $15. And no sewing either!

I really can’t stress how easy this was to make. I’m not very good at sewing and I haven’t gotten enough practice with a sewing machine. But I still made this awesome pillow, and you can too.

So keep reading to follow along with how to make this awesome (and easy) DIY moose silhouette pillow!

Supplies:

• a pillow
• a plain white tshirt or plain white fabric
• unique stitch fabric glue
• sharp scissors
• a pen
• a printer

Step One: Cut out stencil

The first thing you will want to do is cut out your stencil. I wanted my moose to be pretty big so I spread him over two pieces of paper which I then taped together. If you want to use the same stencil as me, you can download it by clicking here.

Step Two: Trace Stencil on Fabric

One important part of this step is to make sure your fabric is ironed and starched. I starched my fabric liberally with my DIY Spray Starch. I just took an old tshirt that Lars was about ready to get rid of for this project.

Then just tape your stencil down with masking tape and trace it with a pen or a sharpie. I probably recommend a fine point sharpie because then you get the easy of writing with the precision of tracing.

Step Three: Cut out moose from fabric

The key to this step is to use sharp scissors. I swear by my amazing cutco scissors, but some sharp fabric scissors will work as well. For the interior pieces, I just snipped in the middle of them by folding the fabric and cut my way outwards from there. It’s ok if your moose has some rough edges, especially around the antlers- it actually looks even better that way in my opinion.

Step Four: Glue Moose to Pillowcase

The last step is to simply glue your cutout moose to your pillowcase! I sweat by unique stitch fabric glue– it’s actually even washable, and super easy to use. I applied glue lightly along all the edges, including the cutouts, so they wouldn’t stand out or crease.

In order to get my moose where I want him, I laid him down in place, and folded up piece by piece to add glue. Once I added the glue, I just laid it back down, pressed my finger along the “seams,” cleaned up and excess glue, and moved on to the next section.

Then, all you have to do is let your moose dry for about 12-24 hours, and he will be ready to go!

I have a small love/obsession for moose. I think they are so wonderful and majestic. But I find I have to be careful incorporating too many moose into my decor, because moose can easily go very cheesy or cottage-ey. Thats why I loved that I could make this pillow with a moose shape I picked out myself and it still fits into our more contemporary decor. I try to avoid more silly-looking moose and I prefer moose that look very majestic and wise.

I just love how the white contrasts the navy! If you can’t tell already from my website and images- I love navy and white. The pillow could be a bit christmas-ey, but when you love moose as much as I do they really need to be part of the decor year round.

I don’t think I could love this DIY moose silhouette pillow more! Every time I see it it reminds me how much I love moose and how fun it was to make. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Well, I hope you like your DIY moose silhouette pillow! Let me know how making your own moose pillow goes for you!

supplies used in this post

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Happy Spring! Although, here in Chicago, we have been having sleet and hail the last few days. But that’s Chicago spring for you! Regardless, I’ve still got my mind on all things floral and bright! So to share a little sunshine with you, I made these free spring printables to brighten up your home!

The first two printables were adapted from watercolors I painted, and the last one was done on illustrator. I had so much fun making them- so you might just be in for a few more in the future! I love how they really get my home feeling like Spring. A little extra bright and cheery really makes a difference!

If you like any of these printables, just click on them to be sent to the high resolution file which you can download. They are designed to be printed on 8.5×11 sheets of paper.

be like a sunflower

I just love sunflowers. Most people know they are my favorite flower. That’s why I couldn’t resist doing a spring sunflower printable.

I know sunflowers are more of an autumn flower, but regardless, I had to include them :)

HERE COMES THE SUN

I had a lot of fun painting this abstract flower, but the center reminded me so much of the sun. I love that every time I look at it Here Comes The Sun gets stuck in my head! It’s such a happy song.

A FLOWER

I actually drew these peonies for a wedding invitation I designed- but they were perfect to add to this printable about flowers! The pink and purple are so happy and spring-like! Peonies are so beautiful, aren’t they?

Well I hope you enjoy your free spring printables! Send me a picture of one hanging in your home and I’ll feature it on the blog!

The post Free Spring Printables appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

This spring is really special. Not only is it my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary, it is my grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary! I am truly amazed and inspired by both their beautiful relationships. We are all getting together for a combined celebration- so I wanted to make sure it was extra special!

Both my grandparents and parents are the kind of people who are hard to get gifts for- they don’t really want things. Spending time together and thinking back through important memories are what makes them happy. That’s why something sentimental is the perfect surprise for them. I thought that customized candies from My M&Ms would be a perfect opportunity for a fun surprise.

Picture this: you walk into your anniversary celebration, filled with silver and gold. You see candy scattered on the table as part of the decoration. And when you sit down at your seat and look at it closely- the candy has your wedding photo on it! Now that is a fun, special, surprise.

I was actually surprised how clear the printing of the photos were. My grandparents didn’t have a professional wedding photo- they just have a few snapshots from a family member. You can clearly see both their faces and I recognize the photo instantly.

I ordered the M&M’s on MyMMs.com in several different forms- I ordered a mix with my parents’ photo, a mix with my grandparents’ photo, extra M&M’s in the theme colors, and little favor packs for everyone.

I used the colored M&M’s in little vintage candy dishes as part of the centerpiece, used the photo M&M’s as table decorations, and the favor packs are little giveaway gifts for everyone to remember the night.

How cute are they, right? The perfect anniversary party favor.

I cannot wait to see my family’s faces when they see these adorable candies! Like I said before, I never know what to get for both these couples! I finally feel like I have something they will enjoy and appreciate. And what’s better than a gift you can eat?

Silver and gold seemed the obvious choice for decorating. Technically 30 and 60 aren’t the “traditional” silver and gold anniversaries, but they still seemed to fit perfectly. I love both colors, and they are classic and elegant. It’s easy to get or make decorations in both colors and they always look wonderful.

The silver and gold M&M’s are very fun. They are not colors you usually see, but I think they make for very cute decor. And instead of confetti, which just goes in the trash, you can enjoy them by eating them!

My grandparents are still so happy together after 60 years. They don’t seem to make sense without each other- they are a perfect team. Everything they do with the other in consideration. They are both wonderful people, and an inspiration to my husband and me many times over.

The same can be said of my parents! Though they are a bit more independent, they complement each other perfectly. They are opposites in many ways, but it just makes sense the way that they even each other out. Their strong communication and constant love and support is something I admire and appreciate.

Making it 30 or 60 years in a marriage is definitely something to celebrate, and I know that My M&M’s will make this celebration one to remember!

You don’t have to take my word for it- check out this adorable video of how My M&M’s made this family’s gender reveal so memorable:

MY M&M’S Gender Reveal Video

And check out even more photos of how you can use customized M&M’s in your celebrations in the MyMMs.com Baby Idea Gallery.

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Everyone knows that weddings are expensive! I experienced this first hand when planning my wedding for last October. You really have to save money anywhere you can. You know I love crafting and saving money-so I got to work. I really wanted to have some rustic looking custom wood signs around the venue.

I decided to make our own signs to save on some money. I knew I could use this great DIY method to make my own awesome looking sign. This simple technique will give you professional looking results for a fraction of the cost! This sign for our wedding cost me less than $10 to make.

That being said… this isn’t the easiest DIY out there. I make DIYs all the time that I say anyone can do- but I don’t think ANYONE could do this one. I’m not trying to discourage you, just letting you know it will still take some fine motor skills. But if you’re up for the challenge, the results will absolutely make it worth it!

So let’s get to the technique!

Tools to make your DIY custom wood signs:

• Wood sign (I got mine at Michael’s, but here is a similar one and here is another)
• Printer (I love my brother printer!)
• Ballpoint pen
• Masking tape
• Paint (Here is a single white, but this is the set I have)
• Small paintbrush (this set looks nice)

Step One: Print your words in your desired font and size

This should be your easiest step (unless you take as much time to pick out fonts as me!). Just print out your words in the font, layout, and size you want them on your sign.

If you are a bit of a messier painter, try going with a brush script like Bakery or Freeland. Neater fonts are harder to fill in- mistakes will show more.

The fonts I used are Goodlife Script and Typnic Tilted.

If you want you can cut around the words to position them where you want them to be on the sign. Use masking tape to tape them onto the sign where you want them to go.

Step Two: Trace your letters with a pen

After taping your printed words where you want them to be, trace the edges with a ballpoint pen. You don’t need to press very hard, but you should use decent pressure. This will leave outlines for you to fill in.

Step Three: Fill in with paint

The last thing to do is paint! I did two or three coats.You can see in the picture below that your tracing will leave nice lines that you can just fill in. It’s easier than it sounds.

Step Four: Hang and enjoy!

And enjoy your wallet being just slightly heavier and your hands just slightly messier :)

I don’t know about you, but I love crafting. In the weeks leading up to our wedding it totally helped me de-stress. I just turn on a podcast and get to work. Focusing on the detail work is really meditative. There’s a reason adult coloring is so popular!

I did end up improvising and painting a bit out of the lines on some of the letters. I accidentally taped my words down on a slight angle, so I had to correct them to straighten them out. So really make sure your letters are straight before you start tracing!

The sign was wonderful at our wedding! Here it is on our dessert table.

There are so many different applications for this DIY! Wood signs also make a great gift or fun decor project for the house.

I actually used this technique a few weeks after our wedding to make a gift for my good friend who got married. I made them a sign with their new last name to hang in their new place. It has such a different look from the sign I made for our wedding, and it uses the same technique!

I’ve actually kept our wedding hashtag sign and I plan to hang it in our craft room/ office. That is if I ever get done unpacking in there! But that’s a topic for another day…

This technique is so reliable, and the applications are literally endless- so get out there and make yourself some custom wood signs!

Supplies Used In This Post

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