Wine bottle decorations!

My girlfriends and I have a monthly "Wine Night!" where we get together and eat good food, drink fine wine and do some crafting.  This is where I got my inspiration for the craft, so check it out: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/246783254550688133/

Here we are (minus one lady):

This is what you will need:

an empty wine bottle, newspaper or an old plastic shower curtain, spray paint, spray adhesive, decorative sand, assorted embellishments, and decorative sprigs (I still have yet to buy my sprigs...too picky I guess).

First you need to soak your wine bottle in warm soapy water to remove all the labels.  Then you will want to lay out your newspaper in a well ventilated area to spray paint your bottle (I did two coats).  After it dries, spray your bottle with adhesive (I THINK you can also use mod podge if you don't want to buy the adhesive spray, but I'm not sure).  Wait for 1-2 minutes before rolling in sand (it creates a stronger bond).  I used the lid to a plastic bin to contain the sand because it had raised edges.

After you have covered the desired areas, you can re-spray and re-roll if you want a thicker layer of sand (like the middle one below) or you can allow it to dry.  Once dried, apply your assorted embellishments and decorative sprigs. 

Our completed wine bottles:

Happy crafting!

**Remember to always craft and drink responsibly.  :)

Cute bottle cap magnets

When my husband and I renewed our wedding vows the summer of 2010, my mom and step-dad hosted a groom's dinner in their garage for us.  It was really nice and they had bought "Jamaican me Happy" wine coolers that had palm tree twist off lids.  They were very cute so I collected some and made magnets out of them.  Since then I have scouted for other neat twist off lids to make into magnets to either keep for myself or give away as gifts.   

Here is what you will need to make your own twist off magnet:

assorted twist off lids, circular magnets (I got mine at Walmart for really cheap), a glue gun with glue sticks, and a heat resistant craft mat to protect your table top.

All you need to do is fill the underside of the lid with hot glue and carefully place the magnet inside and hold it in place for a few seconds.  BE CAREFUL not to burn yourself, as the hot glue is HOT!

I would recommend letting them sit for a few hours to settle before using them.

**Disclaimer: these magnets (due to their nature of being twist off lids) will SCRATCH your refrigerator IF you SLIDE them.  To prevent this from happening, please pick them up and place them to their desired location rather than sliding on the surface of your refrigerator.  I found that out the hard way so you don't have to.  :)

Brilliant time saver for cooking in the kitchen!

I love pasta and making my own homemade sauces.  I use tomato paste a lot in my recipes and I usually only need one little 6oz can, which can be difficult to empty using traditional methods, such as a rubber spatula or a spoon.  

I have found a quick and easy alternative!!

The first step is to use a can opener and remove the top of the can.

Step two is to turn the can upside down (over a dish/pot/pan) and use the can opener to cut the bottom of the can all the way around.  DO NOT remove the lid.

Finally and VERY CAREFULLY (so you don't cut yourself on the can) use your finger or a wooden spoon to push the bottom lid down through the can and VOILA! You have perfectly emptied your tomato paste from the can, no scraping involved.

Don't forget to take the lid out of the dish/pot/pan before you continue cooking.  ;)  

I hope this helps make cooking with tomato paste easier for the pasta lover in you!

**This technique  can also be used with other canned food items such as: refried beans, condensed soups, cranberries, etc.

Wedding memories Christmas ornament

I love to have meaningful Christmas ornaments and this one is a great way to hold on to your wedding invitation without having it lay around in a box you never open :)

Start with a clear, empty Christmas ornament, they're very cheap at Michaels or JoAnn Fabrics.

 Then collect pieces from your wedding invitation or left over scraps from the actual wedding to put inside the ornament.

Next, I cut the invitation and scrap pieces into strips. I made sure to cut the invitation purposefully so that you can read all of the information that was on it. 

 

Now comes the 'hard' part :) Using a pencil curl all of the strips so they look like this. I wanted to include the pictures from their save the date so I curled them and taped them so they would stay and you could see the pictures. As you can see, I also added a little bit of the confetti from the rehearsal dinner, just for some extra sparkle!

After they're all curled, I just started putting them into the ornament ball. I typically start with the colorful pieces and the pieces from the invitation that don't say anything important. I saved the strips with the couple's name and the date and things like that for the end so that they would show when you look at the ornament. Once it starts to look full, then you can put in those important strips to finish it off. I also finished the top with a ribbon to hang it from and a little bit of the invitation that the bride and I loved but didn't want to put inside.

Enjoy!

Where we met maps

Loved this idea that I found on Pinterest! Thanks to:

 http://accidentallywonderful.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/we-met-we-married-we-lived.html

I took my own spin on it since we met, got married and went on a honeymoon in three different states.