I couldn’t resist sharing the tutorial for this DIY Christmas shirt, even if it is only 2 days before Christmas! It’s not too late to make one if you can run out to a craft store and get all the supplies. It is super cute and festive. Better yet, you’ll be the only one who has one because you made it yourself!

This tutorial uses a Cricut Explore Air to make the design. Using Iron on Vinyl, you can make so many cute projects. I also used the same method to personalize our stockings this year.

If you want to use the exact same design that I made, you can download it by clicking here. But I also encourage everyone to make your own projects and put your own personal spin onto it! There are so many cute festive words or designs you can use to make a DIY Christmas Shirt once you know how. And they make great gifts! You can make each shirt something you know the giftee will love. The materials for this project cost less than $10!

All right, if you’re ready for the tutorial, keep scrolling!

Supplies:

• Tshirt
• Iron
• Iron on Vinyl
• Cricut Explore Air
• 12×12 Cricut Mat
• Weeding Tool

Step One: Design Shirt

First, you’ll need to design your shirt in Cricut design space. I used the font bombshell. I wanted my shirt to say “fa la la la la” which is one of my favorite festive phrases.

You can design your design to be spaced exactly how you will want it in the final product. I chose to cut each “la” separately to try and use as little vinyl as possible.

When you’re using iron on vinyl, you need to print it as a mirror image. After you press “make it” in Cricut design space, below where you designate the mat size, you can choose “mirror image,” as you can see in the picture below.

Step Two: Prepare Vinyl and Cut

With iron on vinyl, you want to place the vinyl on your mat with the front facing down. With glittery vinyl, this is super easy to tell, because the front is glittery and the back is dull looking. You can see that in the picture below. You only  need to place vinyl on the mat where your design will be cut. So for my design, that was about 9.5″x6.5″.

Once your mat is ready, load your mat into the Cricut. Be sure that the setting is set to “iron on vinyl.” Then press go and let the Cricut do the cutting!

Step Three: Weed Vinyl

The next thing you want to do is called weeding the vinyl. First, you peel off any of the vinyl that isn’t part of your final design. So pretty much all the negative space will be removed. Iron on vinyl has two layers- the vinyl itself, and a plastic layer on top of that (or underneath it when it’s upside down on the mat). You peel away the extra vinyl from the plastic layer. This should be easy to do, leaving your final design there. If any of your design starts to come up, you can just press it back onto the plastic and it should stick.

Once you peel off the excess, you will still have to remove the holes from inside the letters. This design happens to have holes in every single letter. I use the Cricut weeding tool to remove the middle of the letters. I pretty much just poke it until it starts to come up and then peel it back.

Step Four: Place Design and Iron

Since I wanted to be able to manipulate the letter placement and use as little vinyl as possible, I didn’t print my design how I wanted it to look on the final shirt. So I had to cut each piece and place it on the shirt where I wanted it. The plastic front is sticky, but not too sticky, so it’s easy to lift and adjust each section until you have it where you want.

Once your design is where you want it to be, it’s time to iron. You can place a piece of cardboard inside the shirt to make ironing easier. I used a file folder. Make sure not to use any steam when you iron, and set the iron to cotton. Go over the design until it is fully adhered, and then peel the plastic off the top. If you peel to early and the design starts to come up, no big deal, just press it back down and iron again. It took me about 1-2 minutes of ironing for this design, and that was probably more than necessary.

Once you peel the plastic off the letters, your shirt is ready!

And then you’re done!

Now you’ve got a snazzy new Christmas shirt that no one else will have. One of a kind!

Mine turned out super adorable! The red and gold is very festive. I am always impressed with the quality of Cricut’s iron on vinyl. The glitter does not come off of the design or rub off the shirt, even after multiple washings. If you love your shirt you can wear it time and time again. It will last longer if you wash it inside out, but I sometimes forget to do that and my shirts are still great!

These make a great gift too! You could easily add someone’s name to it, or do different color shirts and vinyls for different people.

This shirt is so happy and festive, what’s not to love?

Now that I’m writing this post and wearing my shirt, I’m never going to stop singing Christmas carols. Tis the season to be jolly…..

And the song may be stuck in my head forever. And now yours too probably. Sorry!

I’m so excited to wear my shirt this Christmas!

Let me know how making your own DIY Christmas Shirt goes for you! You can click the thumbnail below to download the file to make this same design.

supplies in this post

The post Diy Christmas Shirt appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

I love making things- be it a cute DIY project, natural beauty recipes, a cleaning product, or even a decorative printable. And I know there are lots of other DIY-ers out there who agree with me! So this holiday season, I thought I would share some awesome homemade gifts that people ACTUALLY want.

I’ve given out almost every single thing on the list as a gift, and with great responses to all! In fact I have yet to give #1 to a person and NOT have them ask me to make them more.

So, here are my favorite 15 awesome gifts you can make:

1. Aloe Vera Moisturizer

This is one of my favorite homemade gifts. Regardless of gender, everyone needs a good quality moisturizer in the winter. This aloe vera moisturizer is so gentle, and yet so moisturizing, that it works with most skin types.

As I mentioned above, every SINGLE person I have given this to as a gift has asked me for more. So I thought it makes sense to start the list with my favorite. I always have plenty of aloe on hand to make this in the winter!

supplies you’ll need

2. Peppermint Body Butter

This peppermint body butter makes a perfect Christmas gift. It’s festive, cute, all natural, and amazingly moisturizing. The pink stripe is actually made without any food dye and the recipe is without any artificial additives. It’s so natural you could eat it and be fine- but I wouldn’t recommend it, even if it smells amazing.

supplies you’ll need

3. Gingerbread Candles

Nothing says Christmas more than gingerbread! I love the smell so much, I knew I had to replicate it for an awesome holiday candle. Candle making may sound intimidating, but trust me, it’s easy! The custom blend of scents smells like freshly baked gingerbread, and is sure to get anyone in the holiday mood.

supplies you’ll need

4. Custom Sign

I love making custom signs! This DIY may be a little more difficult if you aren’t a crafty person, but it is definitely doable. These make such a great gift because they are completely customized. Plus once you figure out this method you can use it to make all kinds of homemade decor for yourself and others.

supplies you’ll need

5. Mint Chocolate M&M’s Fudge

I made this awesome mint chocolate fudge recipe and it is SUPER delicious. It makes a great gift that you can make in bulk for friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Lars became the hero of his office when he brought this fudge in last year. The mint chocolate flavor is perfect for Christmas, and the fudge is actually cute to boot.

supplies you’ll need

6. Laundry Detergent Tabs

These laundry detergent tabs are awesome! They are completely green and natural, and they’re easy and inexpensive to make. They make a great gift for someone you know loves to live a natural lifestyle. Who doesn’t love clean clothes, right?

supplies you’ll need

7. Cocoa Butter Body Lotion

Can you tell how much I love giving natural beauty products for gifts? They always get an amazing response. This cocoa butter body lotion is so deeply moisturizing. It feels so luxurious and expensive. It will make your giftees feel like a million bucks while only costing you a few!

supplies you’ll need

8. Homemade Lip Balm

Everyone uses lip balm, right? This homemade lip balm makes a perfect gift. I gave someone a tube once, and they told me it was “better than Bert’s.” So that’s a pretty great endorsement! It’s an easy gift to make for stocking stuffers, or as part of a gift basket, or when you just want to give someone something small.

supplies you’ll need

9. DIY No Sew Reuseable Duster

Everyone has to dust. But who likes buying disposable duster heads? They’re so costly and wasteful. This DIY washable duster head requires no sewing, and works like a charm. Since they are so easy and inexpensive to make, they make a really great gift.

supplies you’ll need

10. Green Tea Scrub

Green tea is amazing for your skin. This awesome green tea scrub is so healthy, and it smells amazing. Anyone would love to get it as a gift. This one has been highly requested by friends and family. It makes your skin feel fresh and moisturized.

supplies you’ll need

11. Etched Soap Dispenser

A cute dish soap dispenser next to the sink really makes it look better. You would never notice how big a difference it makes until you replace a plastic bottle with this adorable etched soap dispenser. That’s why it makes such a great gift- everyone uses dish soap, or hand soap.

supplies you’ll need

12. Aloe Vera Face Wash

This aloe vera face wash makes a great gift alone or with my aloe vera moisturizer. It’s one of the more popular posts on my site, and people really seem to love it! I used it exclusively for over 2 years, but I’ve since added a few more products to my rotation. It’s a great gift for the natural beauty maven you know!

supplies you’ll need

13. Peanut Butter Cookies

Everyone loves cookies. These peanut butter cookies are so easy to make with only 3 ingredients, and they are gluten free! They are a great gift that you can make in bulk to give to lots of people, or for just one person. Or for yourself. Because you might not want to share these awesome cookies!

supplies you’ll need

14. Essential Oil Kit

Essential oils are awesome because they can be used in so many ways. If you make a kit by putting together a few classic oils, and maybe even a diffuser, it makes a great gift. You could even do seasonal ones, like a christmas themed kit with cinnamon, ginger, and pine.

supplies you’ll need

15. Homemade Shower Soothers

The height of gift-giving season is also the height of cold season. These DIY Shower Soothers are a perfect gift that someone can use when they’re sick, or just for a relaxing shower that smells great. You can package them in a mason jar- which would look adorable! Who wouldn’t love that?

supplies you’ll need

The post 15 Awesome Homemade Gifts that People Actually Want appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

The holidays are coming fast! I always get nervous about having people in my home for the holidays. Especially at this busy time of year, things get messy and disorganized quickly. In my dream world I would have days and hours to clean everything up, but I usually only have a short time to fit it in. There are a few sure fire things I do to prep my house for guests to make it visitor ready in 30 minutes or less.

This list is prioritized in the order that tasks should be done. The first few make the biggest difference, so if you have a limited amount of time you can focus on doing as much cleaning as you can in order. Make it through as many steps as you can in 30 minutes.

You can also tweak the order to suit your needs. If your house is one major dust ball, you can always move that up higher on the list, and the same applies to any of these. Although I do always recommend starting with “manage the clutter” because it makes the biggest difference.

If you do it right, you’ll be able to fake a super clean and guest-ready home in 30 minutes!

1. Manage the clutter

Do you know why all the awesome decor pictures in magazines and on Pinterest always look amazing?

No clutter.

There’s no papers strewn about, or toys on the floor. No empty glasses are left sitting on the coffee table, and no board games are sitting out half finished on the kitchen table. Surfaces and floors are clear of clutter.

To me, this is the step that makes the biggest difference. When all your clutter is out of sight, your house will look at least 50% cleaner.

So the first thing you should do is gather all the clutter in any areas guests will be, and put them in some kind of box or basket. A laundry basket can work well for this. And then put the basket out of sight, in a closet or in a corner of the room.

And voila, your house will appear magically cleaner!

And think broadly in terms of what you can consider clutter. Even if you usually have 10 jackets hanging on the hooks by the front door, those can be put away for guests. The same goes for shoes. Entryways are always important to have extra room when guests come, because their things will end up adding to whatever clutter is there already.

This isn’t a long term solution, just a quick fix. In general if you specify a location that every item in your home belongs, you’ll find you have much less clutter. Maintenance is usually the easiest way to keep your home guest ready.

2. First impressions

First impressions matter!

Whatever the first impression of your home is will affect how comfortable your guests feel in your entire home. If you make the first impression positive, they will think the rest of the house is cleaner. Psychology is strange, but it works.

So consider what your guests will see first, and make sure that space is clutter free and clean. For me the biggest thing is my kitchen island, which you can see from the front door. Keeping it clean and clear of debris and any clutter makes the entire house feel cleaner. Even something as simple as moving a recipe print out from the island to the counter makes it feel cleaner.

3. Sweep and vacuum

It’s amazing what a difference it makes to have clean floors. Your home could be covered in clutter, or spills on the counters, and as long as your floors are clean, it won’t feel icky or dirty.

If your guests come in and take their shoes off, they don’t want to be stepping on yesterday’s crumbs (all though I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of this at times!) Walking on a floor that doesn’t have any dust or crumbs makes you feel like the house is clean, no matter what else is going on.

For us one of the major floor messes is dog toy stuffing. Our pup likes to tear up his toys faster than we have the energy to pick up all the fluff. Just getting the fluff off the floor makes the house look and feel much cleaner.

So even if your floors aren’t amazingly gleaming and shiny, just getting dust and debris off will make a huge difference. Walking on a clean floor is a sure way to make your guests feel comfortable. I’m in love with our dyson vacuum which makes vacuuming go so quickly.

4. Tackle odors

Smell is such a powerful sense. A house can look clean, but if it doesn’t smell nice, nothing else matters. Luckily smells can be a pretty quick fix.

Scented candles, a quick spritz of some homemade febreeze, or simmering some apples and cinnamons on the stove can make a big difference.

5. Clean all surfaces

Do a quick wipe down of surfaces in rooms your guests will see. Clean up bathroom and kitchen countertops, and also wipe down any coffee or side tables. A quick cleaning will make such a big difference. My reusable cleaning wipes are perfect for this.

I think the bathrooms make the biggest difference. When there is no dust and hair all over the place, it feels so much cleaner. Getting the toothpaste gunk off the sink really just makes it look that much better.

Clean surfaces will make your guests feel comfortable to rest their hands or arms on surfaces. After all, there’s nothing that feels ickier than accidentally placing your hand on something sticky. Clean surfaces are the way to go.

6. Dust major areas

If you have time to make it to this step, your house will already be looking almost guest ready. Dusting is just a little extra bonus to your hosting-friendly home.

Hopefully your house isn’t super dusty, but if it is make sure to give it a little extra oomph with homemade dusting spray.

You know best where dust collects in your house. Focus on visible areas (don’t worry about tackling the top of the kitchen cabinets this very second). If you have time to, dusting the baseboards will make your house feel so much cleaner. But that’s really just icing on the cake.

7. Mop floors

Nothing says clean like a good shine! Taking a few minutes to mop and shine wood, laminate, and tile floors will make your guests think that your house is the height of cleanliness. I make an awesome homemade wood floor cleaner that really gives it an awesome shine.

If you make it all the way to step 7, your house will be spic and span. Or, at least your guests will think it is. They don’t need to see the giant box of clutter in the closet, right?

Anyways, this last step will give your house that extra boost. Shiny floors are the ultimate “this house is so clean” message. The look and feel of them is so inviting.

So there you have it! Use these steps to get your house guest-ready in 30 minutes or less. No one has to know how messy you really are, right?

Enjoy hosting!

My favorite cleaning supplies

The post Cleaning for the Holidays in 30 Minutes or Less appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Is your thanksgiving coma ready yet?

Ah, the feast, the fun, the family. Then the cleanup. And you know what you’ll be eating for the next few days… it’s taking up your whole fridge. But rather than eating the same meal over and over, why not put those leftovers to use and repurpose them!

I found my 15 favorite blogger thanksgiving leftover recipes just for that purpose. And I would eat every one. Hopefully we are of the same mind, and you enjoy drooling over these just as much as I do! I may be more excited about these than the real thanksgiving dinner…

1. Mashed Potato and Stuffing Patties 

This recipe by Pocket Change Gourmet is brilliant! I would eat these for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And I love that they use mashed potatoes, stuffing, and turkey, the big 3 of leftovers!

2. Leftover Turkey and Mashed Potato Empanadas

Hello Natural came up with such a fun twist on thanksgiving leftovers! This will definitely give your meal a new twist. And they look so amazingly delicious.

3. Leftover Stuffin’ Muffins

I love making non-muffin muffins. Egg muffins, turkey muffins, whatever, if you put it in a muffin tin I’m on board. Budget Bytes is definitely winning on this recipe- the perfect Black Friday breakfast!

4. Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole

So I’m the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of casseroles- but this one by Favorite Family Recipes looks amazing. Like thanksgiving in a pan. It uses all the best thanksgiving ingredients- and man I want some right now!

5. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pesto Panini

I’m kind of a pesto fanatic. So I couldn’t resist including this awesome panini by Damn Delicious. Cheese, pesto, and leftover turkey? Sign me up!

6. Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Turkey and Mashed Potato Chowder

What could be better than cooking leftovers in a slow cooker? So easy and low maintenance, and your home will smell amazing all day. Baked By Rachel has stolen my heart with this recipe.

7. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pizza

And if she hadn’t already done it- check out this clever twist on pizza by Baked By Rachel! I love that the mashed potatoes basically become the sauce. Definitely a fun way to eat your leftovers.

8. Loaded Mashed Potato Balls

Thanksgiving or not- I’m making these ASAP! They look too good to pass up. What a delicious concoction from Little Spice Jar.

9. Next Day Turkey Vegetable Soup

I love soup. The best part of fall and winter is that it isn’t too hot to eat it! So make sure to try this recipe from Back to Her Roots- it looks delicious, and is a great way to trick yourself into eating more vegetables and a little less starch.

10. Savory Crepes with Thanksgiving Turkey and Stuffing

Butter With a Side of Bread has come up with a delicious crepe recipe to use up those leftovers! Definitely droolworthy- do you see that picture? I might just make the gravy drizzle…

11. Leftover Stuffing Waffles

Just a Taste has come up with a perfect easy to make Black Friday breakfast. Definitely something the family will love the morning after your huge feast- and who doesn’t love getting use out of their waffle maker?

12. Leftover Crockpot Turkey Chili

I love turkey chili. Love it. Passion for Savings has come up with such an easy and simple turkey chili for leftovers. So easy, it’s perfect for those who are so exhausted from cooking the day before!

13. Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

I love Pot Pies. If you want your second thanksgiving coma, this recipe from Damn Delicious is the perfect leftovers recipe for you. I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t want some of that?

14. Turkey Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is one of my favorite lazy meals. Will Cook For Smiles married my favorite lazy meal with thanksgiving leftovers- the perfect combo, in my opinion.

15. Cranberry Pecan Turkey Salad Sandwiches

Last but not least- a classic from Love From The Oven. Turkey salad! The pecans, cranberries, and apples definitely elevate this leftovers turkey salad.

I hope these recipes help inspire you to repurpose your leftovers this year!

The post 15 Droolworthy Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

One of the highlights of living with Lars (among the many, many great things) is that I get to decorate for and celebrate Christmas! Though I always get together for Christmas with my Dad’s family, it is more about family coming together than the holiday. And I love any kind of themes and decorations, and Christmas is a great opportunity for both those things.

Hannukkah is great and all, but the pins and opportunities for decoration are more plentiful for Christmas. So since we are hosting Lars’s family next week for an early Christmas celebration, we had to get a tree together!

I know for many families an actual Christmas tree is nostalgic. Either real or fake, it carries a lot of memories. For me personally, if I’m going to have a tree, it’s going to be in the most environmentally friendly way.

Last year I did a lot of research and decided that a potted plant that we could decorate year after year was the greenest option. Well, unfortunately for Lars and me, the plant we got was infested with fruit flies and no matter what we tried, we couldn’t get rid of them. I don’t have the best green thumb. So the potted plant wasn’t a great option for us.

So this year I wanted to try something new. Enter, the $10 upcycled tree!

What you’ll need for this project:

• A tomato cage (the taller the better- we got ours at Lowe’s for $4)
• Green fabric (ideally used- we bought a used tablecloth at goodwill for $6)
• Masking tape
• Needle and thread
• Adhesive backed velcro
• Scissors

Step One. Tape top of tomato cage

The first thing you’ll want to do after turning your tomato cage over is to tape the tip together so it comes to a point. Easy peasy. Masking tape works great.

Step Two. Drape fabric and trim

Using some more masking tape to keep the fabric from falling, drape it over the tomato cage. Trim off any extra fabric from the bottom.

Step Three. Sew top closed

Using a needle and thread, I hand sewed the tip of the tree so that it would rest on the tomato cage. I only sewed about 4 inches. I’m a terrible sewer, so if I can do it, you can. It doesn’t have to look neat because it will be covered in lights and a tree topper!

Step Four. Add velcro

To keep the fabric laying correctly, I also added a few pieces of velcro. Now the fabric cover is removable and rests wonderfully on the tomato cage.

Step Five. Decorate!

This is the most important step! It’s not a Christmas tree without lights and ornaments!

The tallest tomato cage we could find was 54 inches, which was just fine for us. I don’t need a tall tree. But if you want a tall tree you could stack the tomato cage on a box or stack a few tomato cages on each other.

Bonus points if you recycle wrapping paper too! It’s cheaper and greener. We use the circulars they leave outside our apartment all the time. They just get tossed otherwise.

I love our sweet little upcycled tree! If you make one too, send me a picture and I’ll feature it on the blog!

The post DIY Green Christmas Tree: Upcycled, eco-friendly, and only $10 appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

We all know family and food are the heart of thanksgiving, but let’s face it, you probably want your table to look great too. The place settings, the table cloth, the accent colors are all things you take into consideration. But the heart of the thanksgiving tablescape is definitely the centerpiece.

Well, luckily, there is lots of room for creativity on thanksgiving! I was originally going to make this post with only one centerpiece, but I had so much fun playing around and coming up with ideas that I had to do four!

So, here are four different thanksgiving centerpieces for four different types of hosts:

1. The Flower Lover

If you just love having fresh flowers in the center of the table, this is the centerpiece for you. It’s more fun than just using a plain vase on the table.

To make this centerpiece, all you have to do is hollow out a pumpkin and stick a vase inside that is appropriately sized to fit inside your pumpkin. You could even do several mini pumpkins with small flowers in them.

There are so many options for beautiful fall flowers, so you really can’t go wrong with this centerpiece.

2. The Candle Lover

There’s nothing like the ambiance created by flickering candlelight. It’s romantic and cozy at the same time.

To make this centerpiece, you need to have candles of various heights and sizes. I think it looks nice to intersperse it with different kinds of candle holders and add a little greenery in there- everyone loves succulents!

If you like the look of my vases/ candleholders you can make them yourself– it’s a super easy dollar store craft!

3. The Space Saver

Thanksgiving is primarily about food, and it sure takes up a lot of space on the table! Well, you don’t have to sacrifice cuteness. Just make a small centerpiece!

This centerpiece is made with a wine glass, a jar, and a candle holder. They are filled with acorns, and then have a flower on top. Any kind of large, full flower will work. I’m partial to sunflowers, personally. You can even use a succulent if you’re more into greenery. There’s lots of options!

The key here is to have different heights and widths. That’s what makes it work.

4. A Little Bit of Everything

Sometimes you want to go all out- and this centerpiece certainly does. With beautiful fruits, a cornucopia, flowers, candles, and a pumpkin you can create this lovely centerpiece.

If I had any I definitely would have used more gourds in this centerpiece. It’s really a little of everything. The cornucopia definitely gives it a very thanksgiving-ey feel.

And yes, the fruit was delicious. Just eat your centerpiece for dessert! Honeycrisp apples and pears are so wonderfully decadent and amazing.

So- now that you’ve seen my thanksgiving centerpieces- go out and make your own! Email me a picture and I’ll feature it!

The post Thanksgiving Centerpiece 4 Ways appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.