Mason Jar Globes

I haven't exactly dropped off the face of the earth, but I am finishing up the semester (finals) and my internship with Anthropologie comes to a close this Friday, which explains why the blog isn't being updated as often lately. I'm a little preoccupied with not knowing what comes next... We have been making things here and there, little after-school projects like these mason jar snow globes, but I've decided to just enjoy my downtime, rather than try to document everything. A few weeks ago I led a children's holiday crafting event at Anthro where we ate cookies and worked on a mason jar globe project. It's an easy to do, elementary school inspired craft, and the kids really loved it, so back at home I made a few more with Jasper. We used some plastic foliage from the craft store to fill the jars. They have a bit of an underwater forest look- totally weird, but rather pretty in the sunlight. Here's the tutorial:

Materials:

Assorted mason jars
Plastic/coated ornaments, or faux flowers and garland
Old fashioned glitter or snow confetti
Hot glue
Liquid glycerin 
Distilled water

Glue the ornamentation to the inside of the jar lid. Hold securely in place until the glue sets.

Add 2-3 pinches of glitter or snow to the jar, then fill the jar with water, leaving a 1 1/2" space at the top for displacement. Add 2-3 tablespoons of glycerin- found in cake supply aisle at craft stores, and insert the lid decor into the jar, sealing with the ring band.  Shake up and you've got yourself a snow globe.

A Winter Recipe

They say our sense of smell is deeply tied to memory. Just think of when someone walks by wearing the same cologne as your high school boyfriend- you know what I'm talking about. Some of my favorite scents are alfalfa and hay which remind me of my grandparents horse ranch, the salty air at the ocean, woodsmoke, and coffee. I also love the smell of pine sap, and baking from the kitchen which remind me of Christmas. One way you can bring up that aroma this time of year is to slowly simmer dry whole spices, like cinnamon sticks. We have a nice gas fireplace stove in our living room with a ledge deep enough to hold a small enamel pot, and I've been keeping cinnamon simmering throughout our recent cold snap. All you need is your pick of dry whole spices like cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg berries, cloves, rosemary, pine needles. Add to a pot with water and a little oil (I used jojoba), bring to a simmer on a stove top and cozy up with a warm blanket... 

Birch Log Fire Light

While doing display work for Anthropologie, my favorite projects involve chopping and drilling wood, which I seem to be doing quite often for holiday installations. I'm really getting into using power tools- you can do so much with just a few pieces of equipment. Motivated to try it at home, I designed this birch log candle project for my Thanksgiving table. You can find birch logs in packs of 3 at Michael's for about $20. Clustered on a table they create beautiful, ambient fire light, especially perfect for winter time...

Materials:

Birch logs
Tea lights
Power drill with 1 1/2" bit
Ruler
Pencil
Tape (for marking the bit)

Find the best, natural position for the log to rest, and mark evenly spaced 1 1/2" slots for the candles. Mark the bit to the depth of the candle.  Holding the log steady with one hand, bore holes with the drill keeping constant, firm pressure, until the bit reaches the line of tape. Reverse twist, brush off the dust and insert tea lights. 

Christmas Tree Basket Stand

I suspect that many of us will be rushing to get our Christmas trees this weekend or next, because December just sort of snuck up right after Thanksgiving.  We ventured out to Moon Mountain in Sonoma for our annual tree hunt, where we snagged a 14' Norway Pine, which we had cut in half, creating a slender tree for our living room, and a big bushy fella with old fashioned lights for outside our back cottage. I wired it's upper branches to shape it into a Christmas tree. For our indoor tree I wanted to keep things more delicate. I've always admired the clean lines of the Scandinavian style potted live tree- I think it looks so much more buttoned up than a skirted stand, but a 7ft cut tree needs a substantial base to keep it upright, so until this year I made do with creative tree skirts like last year's cut paper version. For this year, I designed a basket stand using an abaca woven storage bin and a standard issue metal tree stand. In just a few steps, you will have a sturdy, understated base to surround with pretty packages! 

Materials:

1 large, flat bottomed storage basket (20-24")
1 metal tree stand
Pruning sheers

Mark the location for clipping using a piece of masking tape.  Snip 2" across to make a slot for base legs.  Insert legs, and build stand from inside basket.  The bowl should touch the bottom of the basket and the legs should rest on the floor.

Insert tree into stand, positioning with screws, we used stick for shims as our Norway Pine has a thin trunk. Fill base with water and adorn!

Just a reminder, Monday is the last day to used code "poppyhaus" to get one third off luxe holiday cards with Pinhole Press.

Pinhole Press Holiday Cards- Reader Discount!

So here it is, the official 2013 Jennings Family holiday card.  When they arrived in the mail last week I tore open the package and did a little fist pump. Yes, my dudes look very handsome, and the design of the card is my kind of understated, but the best part about these cards is the way they feel. They delight the part of my brain that appreciates high quality paper. When Pinhole Press contacted me to see if I'd be interested in using their site to create my holiday cards I knew I had to get the ultra-thick stock. Look closer...

Pinhole Press is offering 33% off holiday cards to Poppy Haus readers through Cyber Monday, just use the code poppyhaus when placing your order. I also picked a customized photo Memory Game on the same paper as a stocking stuffer for Grandma Jennings, who spends a lot of time with the cousins. I think they'll love turning the pictures over to reveal Darth Wylie, and Baseball Jasper.

Warm Fuzzies

Introducing Snow Ball, our papier mache rabbit, rescued from the rubbish bin of the Anthropologie display room. I brought her home for the boys and as I suspected, they immediately made "SB" our pet. Here she is modeling for this year's first holiday decor DIY: Woolen Trees. I've been working a lot with wool yarns for my textile class, and it's becoming my new favorite material for decorations.  For this first project I wrapped wool yarn around cardboard cone bases to create a textile forest. See tutorial below!

To make Woolen Trees, you will need:

Cardboard Cones (Found at Michael's)
Knitting Wool (or acrylic), use Ivory for snow
Scotch or Masking Tape
Hot Glue

Portion out a few feet of yarn. Start at the top, layer a strand of yarn over the tip and secure with tape. Wind around in concentric layers about 1/4 way down the cone. Secure end of strand with tape, and add second color. Wind to base and dot with hot glue to secure final layer.  If the tip is popping up a bit, secure with a small dot of hot glue to reinforce. 

The Clay Magnets Project

I know, I know, my presentation is a bit "Christmassy" when we are barely into November- there's a good reason. I designed this DIY for Apartment Therapy's Homemade Holiday Gift Idea Exchange, a clever series where bloggers share their ideas for making handmade holiday presents. I chose to share this project, because it's something that kids and grown-ups can work on together. Fancy magnets make a great all-purpose gift for teachers, co-workers, friends, and as stocking stuffers- they aren't something you buy for yourself, and they can really spruce up the fridge. Get creative! Use different shaped cookie cutters to personalize your magnets.  I used white clay, because I love Jonathan Adler, but oven bake clay comes in a variety of colors. My project will be up on AT later today.  Here's the link to the entire series: Homemade Holiday Gift Idea Exchange.

Here's how to make them:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees

1. On a sheet of wax paper, roll out clay until it is smooth, and uniformly 1/4" thick

2. Cut the circles with the cookie cutter

3. Using the tip of handle of a wooden spoon or the back side of a clay cutting tool, make uniform divets about 1/8" deep into the clay, taking care not to get too close to the edges or it will warp the shape.

4. Bake on a wax paper-lined sheet pan for 15 minutes.  

5. Allow to cool completely on a rack.

6. Apply magnets to the back side of the clay disk using a pea-size amount of hot glue. Press firmly and allow to set for one minute.

I used the top to a small gift box, hand-lined with glued down decorative paper to display the magnets for gifting.  Simply apply a small amount of rubber cement to the magnet and press onto the paper.  The magnets will stay put until pulled off, the rubber cement will stay on the paper.  

Sweet and Savory Cookies

It's the last week before winter break, and I'm in the kitchen baking dozens of Rosemary-Pine Nut Cookies for the teachers at Adam's school.  Our favorite holiday cookie, it is most coveted by my sister-in-law Stacey who will be up visiting with her family on Sunday so I'll make her a special plate. I found the recipe in a Martha Stewart Living several years ago and it's become tradition for us. To make them yourself, follow the recipe below...

Rosemary Pine Nut Cookies

• 3 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, plus more for topping cookies
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 large egg
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely chop rosemary in a food processor. Add pine nuts; pulse until coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in 2 cups flour, the baking soda, ginger, and salt; set aside.
2. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in oil. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture. Add cream; mix until well combined, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg, then remaining 1/4 cup flour.
3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls, and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with fingers, and top each with a pine nut. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, about 13 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on sheets on wire racks. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 3 days.

Now and Then

I made a version of this wreath last year with red and white straws, and I loved it so much that it stayed up well past Christmas.  Using dark gray and white or Kikkerland's new beautiful birch print straws make the look more neutral and sophisticated. To make this, all you need is a flat craft ring (this one is 10"), a box of 144 straws and hot glue.  Begin by gluing down straws at the 12-3-6-9 position and subdivide until full filled.  Clip 2" on an angle from every other straw to create texture.  

The Woodsies

Every year I like to give all of the kids in our extended family  a new ornament.  Being that they are all boys, and boys sometimes need a little sentimentality provided for them, the idea is that when they grow up, their parents will hand 'em over, and they will put them on their own tree with their families, and have a sweet memory of cousins and Christmas. This year I'm doing woodland critters, because all of the boys are nuts for animals. Here's a tutorial for making a felt fox.  The concept is very simple, and easy to make if you have basic sewing skills, which I do. To make a fox cut out, think of a heart, with the rounded tops cut down the middle.  Materials include: craft felt, stuffing and tacky glue.  Trace the shape onto a piece of paper, cut out two pieces of felt for front and back.  Cut out and glue down the features (I added the eyes and nose after I sewed down).  Face the outsides in and sew all around leaving a space open at the top of the head.  Stuff and hand stitch close.  Sew a hanging loop at the top and you're all set!

Well Dressed

I love to look at images of beautiful packaging, but rarely do I actually have the time to wrap each gift uniquely, let alone with Martha Stewart perfection, plus nice packaging is really expensive!  Keeping it simple, and understated is my trick to making presents look special.  This year I will be wrapping my gifts with craft paper and I'm employing an old kindergarten trick of writing with school glue and sprinkling with old fashioned glitter which adds pizzaz and takes the place of a gift tag. Craft paper is so versatile. You can use it year round, switching out the embellishment to suit the occasion.  I've spent about $15 on wrapping supplies this year, including tape, colored yarn and glitter. I've been using the same sturdy gift bags for 3 years (IKEA), and I'm using trimmings from the tree to make festive accents.

All That Glitters

So, a funny thing happened.  I was updating my Pinterest boards and stumbled upon a project that as it turns out, I have had sort of half-finished for a few weeks.  Their tutorial was fabulous, and it's definitely going viral. As it's pretty much exactly the same design, and tutorial that I had photographed to post I can't help but feel disappointed. Does it make my balsa wood modernist Christmas trees any less relevant?  I feel very silly for even saying that.  

So what the heck, I'll share anyway. Here are two simple projects to add a little minimalist sparkle to your Christmas decor. I have a few sets of wooden slat trees that I put out at Christmas (and sometimes leave out all year).  The way they work is quite simple.  See below:

To make them, cut out a tree stencil from some card stock.  Using thin balsa wood, a ruler, and an X-acto knife, cut out the tree shape (x3).  Cut a slit up the bottom of one, about 2mm wide, at the center, about 2/3 way up the tree.  Cut a slit at the top of another, with the same width and depth.  Cut a third tree, 1/3 from the top and 1/3 from the bottom.  Paint one of the panels with clear glue, then coat with old fashioned glitter.  Allow to dry, then coat the other side.  

The next project is a painted glass bulb.  I use blush colored acrylic paint to secure the glitter, which makes it quite pretty looking in through the glass.  Tutorial below: