My new favorite plant is the succulent. These tiny pieces of greenery are making their way onto the scene and into the spotlight as a great go-to in all types of décor. I thought they would be the perfect plant/garden look for my kitchen door wreath. Here is how I made this darling wreath. So simple, you can make one for yourself in less than 30 minutes!
Step 1: Run floral wire thru each terra cotta pot hole in bottom. Place in alternating spots around wreath securing by tying floral wire ends together, twisting, and tucking into back of wreath. See picture below.
Place wire thru Pot
Secure terra cotta pot onto wreath
Step 2: Check to see that pots are visually pleasing along the wreath. Place them at random points as well as stagger positions of each pot. Double check that pots are secure to wreath.
Visual check of terra cotta pots around wreath
Step 3: Add embellishments and bows/ribbons to wreath with hot glue to fill in empty areas. Inside of pots, add Spanish Moss and succulents.
Add embellishments to succulent wreath
Add ribbon/bow to succulent wreath
Step 4: Add a floral wire loop to top of wreath to hang onto a secure wreath hanger or cup hook. Note: this wreath is heavier than most wreaths.
Simple DIY Succulent Wreath
It didn’t take long to put this darling wreath together and I love how great it looks on my kitchen door. The perfect way to greet neighbors passing by my tiny garden on the side of the house. ~Susie Peas
You have to see my DIY Picture Frame Wreath how-to. It’s a great keepsake wreath that would look amazing in your home. Just like my huge DIY Chalkboard. It’s the perfect large piece to add to your wall décor.
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I got this darling picture frame wreath as a Mother’s Day gift from Becki a few years ago. I absolutely love how well it goes with my farmhouse décor. Since then, I have changed out the pictures a few times as my family has grown.
I have had so many compliments and questions on this wreath, that I decided the next time I updated the pictures, I would deconstruct the wreath and show you how to make one for your self.
Step 1: Remove easel part on hinges from back of picture frames and discard. This will help the frame to lay flat on your wreath.
Cut floral wire in half. This should be long enough to go through hinge on back of frame and wrap securely around wreath allowing for a twist to hold together. Thread floral wire through hinge on back of frame.
Print Pictures
Black and white prints in 2×3 inch frames
Step 2: Print pictures. In the past, I have done in sepia which looks great with the burlap bow. This time I had my pictures printed in Black & White. LOVE!! Have some printed horizontally and others vertically.
Use plain photo paper, wallet sized prints if you do them yourself at home. I get mine done with 1 hour photo development at Walgreens. Be sure to use coupons for 40% when you place your order online.
Trim prints and add to frames. Remember to do both horizontal and vertical pictures.
Attach Frames to Wreath
Step 3: Add frames to wreath by wrapping the open end of the wire around the grapevine wreath branches, secure tightly, and twist closed.
attach frames horizontally and vertically
twist floral wire closed to secure frames
Tuck the ends of the floral wire into the wreath.
Add Bow/Hanger
Step 4: Add burlap bow to wreath and hang.
Picture Frame Wreath
What a great way to display pictures. A perfect keepsake wreath showing all of your favorite family pictures. See more Mother’s Day Gift Ideas here. If you like DIY’s, see how I made my Spring Burlap Wreath here and my DIY Chalkboard here. ~Susie Peas
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What do you do with all those t-shirts from your ball teams, fun runs, and old school t’s? My husband had so many that our dresser drawers were bursting at the seams. No amount of Konmari Method of minimalism was going to fix this. I decided to recruit my seamstress mom to help me make them into a t-shirt blanket.
I gathered 25 of Jason’s old t-shirts and headed to my mom’s. It sounds like a lot to get rid of, but he still has a drawer full. These things are like rabbits!
Here is how we put this amazing blanket together. It was so quick and easy!
Measure a 12×12 square on cardboard and cut with a utility knife. This will be your template when making your batting squares and t-shirt squares.
Place batting on quilting board or cardboard to protect cutting surface. Using template as a guide, place on batting . Align straight edge along cutting side of template (see image above), run rotary cutter guide cutting through batting. Make 25 batting squares.
Now let’s work on t-shirts. Place t-shirts on quilting board. Place template over front of shirt covering design on front of shirt.
The image on back of shirt will be image on reverse side of blanket. Keep this in mind when choosing template placement. For more than one of my t-shirt squares, I had to cut the front and back of the t-shirt separately. Not any harder, just more time consuming.
Use your straight edge as guide over top of template. (See image above). Run rotary cutter along straight edge guide making sure to cut through front and back of t-shirt.
T-Shirt “Sandwiches”
Put your t-shirt squares and batting squares together like a sandwich. Place back of t-shirt on quilting board, place a batting square on top. Now add front of t-shirt on top of batting square. Straight pin each side to hold in place.
Mark corner to corner with fabric marker making and X on front side of your t-shirt sandwich. This will be your guideline when sewing to complete t-shirt square.
T-Shirt Blanket Layout
Lay your t-shirt sandwiches on an area big enough to allow for 25 squares. I just used the good old floor. Arrange sandwiches 4 across and 5 down. Be sure that you are using the front of each t-shirt sandwich.
Now you can begin sewing your squares. Use your fabric marked X to secure t-shirt and batting.
Then sew sandwiches together row by row going across. Place 2 squares next to each other placing a 1/2 to 1 inch lip together. Sew along this line connecting squares. (see image above). This will give you 5 rows of 4.
Attach these 5 rows together using same 1/2 to 1 inch lip. And there you have it! Easy and quick T-shirt blanket full of memories.
The funny thing is Jason didn’t even miss all of those t-shirts. He thought they were in the laundry!
Thanks Momma!! He loves it! For more DIY’s, check out my Picture frame wreath. It has tiny photos of my darling sweet peas, plus it was so simple to make and looks amazing. And take a look at my DIY Lakehouse décor. There are tons of cute ideas there too. ~Susie Peas
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When I think of summer clothes, I think the main have-to-have is a good pair of cut-off shorts. Comfortable and go with literally everything. The perfect pair of cut-offs scream summertime fun. But finding them can be difficult as well as put you back a pretty penny.
Have no fear. There is an easier and less expensive way to get your summer go-to’s.
I am sure that you have a stack of jeans that you just wont let go of. Dust them off and grab your favorite ones that you no longer wear, and turn them into a great pair of blue jeans shorts.
Making Your Cut-Offs
Measure 3 inches from inseam and cut jeans straight across. Cut the front separate from the back of each leg to ensure that you don’t cut too high either side.
Use discarded pant leg as guide to cut 2nd leg. Match jeans at bottom cuff and then cut along line as shown in image.
Keep in mind that fray of cut-offs will raise length slightly. Try on shorts to see if you are happy with length, or need to make adjustments.
Making the Fray
Snip 1/8 – 1/4 inch high (This is depth of fray) the bottom hemline about every 1/4 inch. This will help to make easier when pulling out the threads to make fray.
Use a fork to scrap bottom of shorts to pull out some threading. You can also use a seam ripper. Scrapping back and forth to rough up threads will also help.
Work around whole cuff of pant leg and repeat on 2nd leg.
Pop into the washer & dryer to complete the finished look. Like a fine wine, your cut offs will look better with time. The more washings, the better the look.
My new summer cut-offs
Pair with your favorite comfy T and you have a great summer look! ~Susie Peas
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Little “I” loves playing with his Bean Box. Making messes is part of the fun.
A Bean Box is a great way to work on fine motor development and wrist turning skills. This helps children when learning to feed themselves and prepares them for eventually writing. Yes, we all need to be working on this now. Hand and wrist strength is an important milestone.
Inexpensive plastic tubs with lids are great for stacking and storing your Bean Boxes.
How to Make A Bean Box
I made this Fireman box with a plastic bin with lid for easy storing. I added beans. Other ideas for fillers could be lima beans, corn, shredded paper, kinetic sand. I included plastic firemen, red and yellow pompoms for the “fire”, firetruck🚒 and safety cones, and a scoop for pouring. And that’s it!
Little “I” loves getting crazy with scooping and pouring. He is still learning the rules of keep the beans in the box, but the amount of joy he has playing with it and the fact that he is working his fine motor skills makes it a great activity for him.
These simple burlap wreaths are popping up all over front doors and Pinterest pages everywhere. They are so easy and inexpensive to make, I thought I would show you how I did mine.
pipe cleaners, floral wire – optional to secure burlap and trinkets to wire hoop
Directions for Making a Burlap Wreath:
1. Use one end of the burlap ribbon to make a knot around the wire wreath. You can also secure the burlap with a piece of string or pipe cleaner.
2. Push the burlap into one of the sections of the frame. You can then secure it onto the frame with a pipe cleaner or knot. Make a loop or bubble with the burlap as shown.
3. Continue making loops but make sure that the next “bubble” in the wreath is next to the one you just did. This helps hold the previous loop in place. Keep the loops even in size as you push the burlap through the frame.
4. Continue making loops until the wreath is as full as you want. You can make all your “bubbles” the same size or vary the size for a more asymmetrical finished burlap wreath.
5. Cut off the burlap if you have extra.
6. Make another knot to complete the wreath or tuck the end into the bubbles.
7. Use pipe cleaners to keep the burlap in place on the back of the wreath.
Add something special to your Burlap Wreath
8. Add trinkets, flowers, ribbons, and embellishments. I attach mine with clothes pins because I change my wreath up several times during the year. It makes changing things out easier, and I think the clothespins help give it that farmhouse feel that I am looking for. You can use hot glue to make it more permanent, or floral wire/pipe cleaners.
9. Step back and look at your wreath and see if you need to fluff some of the bubbles or reshape them.
10. Add a twine loop held together with a simple know to the top of the wire wreath. I cut my twine 6 inches and folded in half giving me a 2 inch hanger plus the knot.
I used plain burlap, but there are tons other ideas of burlap and material that you can use with this DIY Wreath idea. Burlap comes in different colors, and designs. You can use burlap with chevrons, dots, or lace overlays. There are so many fun and creative ways to make your wreath unique and beautiful. ~Susie Peas
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One of my favorite DIY projects is my Chalkboard. I love how BIG it is. I recently moved this doll from behind my couch to it’s current home on the wall by my dining room table. It looks absolutely perfect here. It would look amazing with my Springtime Succulent Wreath hanging from the middle too!
The best thing about my chalkboard is how easy and inexpensive it was to make. I had searched online for one this size. Not cheap! So I decided to make one so that I could get exactly the size I needed and wouldn’t have to break the bank.
This big guy is a whopping 39″ x 74″ beautiful piece of artwork. And it was so easy to make. It was harder hanging it than building it – believe me!
So here is how I made my DIY Chalkboard. You just need to adjust your measurements to the size that you would like for your home.Supply List:
Supplies For DIY Chalkboard
2 1x2x34 boards
2 1x2x74 boards
4 flat corner braces
37×72 Luon precut board (trimmed by associates)
screws, hanging wire
stain for wood frame
Choose Your Wood
I chose Pine for my project. It is lightweight which is what I need because of the size chalkboard I wanted. Plus it is a softer wood so it was easy for me to work with when I screwed in braces, etc. Key for my girlie muscles. 😉
Getting The Wood Cut for FREE
I had an associate cut my boards to the sizes I need. They will cut anything for you as long as it is a straight cut. Mine doesn’t have corner (picture frame type) cuts, because of this. But I like how it turned out. I also had them trim my luan board to appropriate size to leave one inch on my pine board frame.
You will find the precut luon pieces in this section of the store by lumber. I actually painted my luon board with chalkboard paint. Now they offer chalkboard painted boards so you can skip that step.
Staining and Bracing your Boards
Stain your boards using directions on can. Allow for drying. Be sure to stain all sides of board. Add more coats until desired color.
You need four total angle braces for the 4 corners. As you can see in pictures of my project, I put 2 shorter boards inside the longer boards to make my frame. (If you prefer to make your frame more of a ‘picture frame’ joint, you will have to cut corners yourself. @younghouselove.com has a simple DIY on how to do this.) Be sure to allow for the luon board to fit into the frame as well. When you add the luon board to frame, it will make an even more secure chalkboard.
Now add your hanging kit and wire on back of board to put up on the wall. And your done! So easy and way cheaper than buying the premade board.
I love changing up the sayings or adding holiday bunting and wreaths. It is such a cute way to add something special to my décor.
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Look how proud Jase was when we finished his lizard habitat. He couldn’t wait to take it home and show his mom and dad. Even though he is young, this was a great opportunity to teach him about habitats of animals. About what animals need to survive. How to be nurturing? And about responsibility. All important skills that we need to share with our little people.
Listen for Things That Interest Them
My day didn’t start out planning to make habitats. Like most things with Jaserbugs, he brought it up. He found a rubber lizard at the bottom of the toy box. Since he has an amazing imagination (we have worked on helping him grow his imagination – get ideas here) his whole afternoon became about this lizard.
After hearing all about his new lizard friend, I decided to jump on the opportunity and turn it into a teaching moment. He was already interested so I had half the battle won.
Books are a great place to start when you want to introduce an activity or concept to children. I had a couple of books about lizards on hand. We relaxed in great grandma’s rocker, and enjoyed some cuddle time. The local library is another resource for finding information on what your kids are excited about.
The internet is a fascinating visual for them as well. (I do have a terrible story on rotten teeth for kiddos that are fighting the whole toothbrush thing! I learned the hard way to view videos myself before I share with them. WARNING!)
Guide Their Learning
Jase and I worked on a list of what lizards need to survive. What do lizards have in their natural habitats? I asked him guided questions to help him when he couldn’t come up with some ideas. “What do you need when you are hungry?” “What about if you’re thirsty?” He was 3 when we completed our habitat. Use questions geared to the child’s age. @thecornerstoneforteachers.com does a good job of explaining this strategy here.
Making Habitats
We found supplies for our lizard habitat around the house. Easy Peasy!
Stick from the backyard for lizard to climb on
Grass clippings for a soft bed
pompons for ‘food’
a ping pong ball – Jase thought his lizard needed a toy for exercise – and that’s ok! 😉
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Every year on the first Saturday of December I host a Grandma Camp. It is a jam packed day from 8am to 8pm entertaining my little sweet peas. We play games, do crafts, and eat all day. It’s an amazing time filled with fun cousin bonding. We call it Christmas Camp.
I wanted to share this year’s Christmas Camp schedule with you along with food and crafts examples. Here are simple ideas on how you can host your own Christmas themed event. For more tips, read my post on How to Run A Successful Grandma Camp here.
Invitation to Set Up Theme
Grandma Camp Invitation
My invitation to Christmas Camp this year was a simple Christmas Card addressed to the campers. I always send invitations the week of my camp. This helps the little ones begin to get excited about the weekend event without having to wait too long for the day to arrive.
Christmas Camp Schedule
I make a schedule for all of my camps to help me plan and prepare for the day. Here is what my Christmas Camp Schedule looked like:
8:00-8:30 Arrive at Camp. Decorate Take-Home Buckets
8:30-9:00 Reindeer Pancakes
9:00-9:30 Ornament Crafts & Bird Feeders
9:30-10:15 Reindeer Games
10:15-10:30 Candy Cane Hunt & Hand Bird Feeders
10:30-11:00 Free time while Grandma prepares lunch
11:00-11:45 Lunch and Clean up
11:45-12:15 Photo Shoot
12:15-1:00 Play dough fun with Christmas cookie cutters
1:00-3:00 Chill Zone
3:00-3:30 Snack time
3:30-4:30 Free time
4:30-5:15 Hang Christmas Lights on ‘Gingerbread House’
5:15-6:00 Karaoke & Dance Party
6:00-6:45 Dinner
6:45-7:15 Christmas Lights Walk
7:15-7:30 Jammies and Brush Teeth
7:30-8:00 How the Grinch Stole Christmas
8:00 Parent Pick-Up
Activity Breakdown
I had buckets ready for each child to decorate with Christmas stickers as soon as they arrived. This is where they kept all of their projects and treats when completed. It is a great way to keep things organized. Remember to send home with them at end of night.
Breakfast to Get the Fun Started
Reindeer Pancakes
Next we had reindeer pancakes for breakfast. It is always fun having some of your food geared around the theme.
Crafts & Service Projects
We do simple Bird Feeders and crafts during our day. I made sure to include craft ideas that were easy enough for the small ones. My ornament ideas and crafts worked on skills such as working with glue and using scissors. This is a great way to work on fine motor development. To ensure that I am not wasting time searching for supplies, I always prep my activities. I precut for the smaller kiddos to guarantee that I am ready for each activity. Here are some more Christmas ornament ideas for kids.
Bird Feeders
Service Project
It is ok to skip things that you have put on your schedule. You may need to allow for longer engagement on an activity that they are enjoying. I like to plan extra activities that I can easily fit in as well. Some of the kids finish sooner than others and may like something else to do. Being flexible, but organized is key for a fun day.
Lunch and Dinner were not Christmas themed foods. It was more important to make meals that I knew my sweet peas would eat. I didn’t want to have hungry campers due to picky eaters.
Our snack later in the evening was a fun treat that did go with the theme. Here is the recipe for The Grinch Muddy Buddies snacks that we devoured during our movie.
Chill Zone
I planned “chill zone” time into our day. Some of my campers still require naps, and the older ones like to have some peace and quiet for a scheduled amount of time. This asured that I didn’t have any grinches ruining the day.
Christmas Lights
Sweet Pea’s “house”decorated with Christmas lights.
Earlier in the day, I took out all of my extra Christmas lights, gaudy garland, Christmas decorations and bows. I locate an empty cardboard refrigerator box to set up in the family room. The sweet peas went to town decorating their own “gingerbread house”.
After dinner, we bundled up and headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. The grandbabies loved seeing all of the beautiful Christmas lights.
End of a Magical Day
Christmas Camp
About 30 minutes before mommies and daddies arrived, we got on our jammies and brushed our teeth. We put pillows and blankets into our “house” and snuggled in for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.
I sat back and relaxed with a warm cup of hot chocolate, reflecting on my fun day with my sweet grandbabies. I hope this gives you some great ideas on how you can host your own Christmas Grandma Camp. Send me some pictures and comments when you do! 🧡 ~Susie Pea
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Ahhh, to be young again! I remember living in the concrete world of the city. Our Backyard was a tiny area with a little bit of dirt. About the size of your kitchen sink. But I loved to play in that dirt. Play with the bugs and ants that inhabited that space. (I made my little sister eat an ant one time before I would allow her to play with me. Sorry Melissa!) Add water to make mud pies and concoctions. Throw in some dandelions and clover ‘pickles’. Precious memories of childhood.
So naturally, when my grandchildren were big enough to play in the mud without ‘really’ eating it, I jumped at the opportunity to throw a mud kitchen together.
I wasn’t as keen on the idea with my own kids. This meant more messes than I had time to clean up. In those days, I don’t think I ever saw the bottom of my laundry baskets. Of course I wasn’t going to allow an opportunity to add to my chores unless it was unintentional. Now I know that the laundry didn’t matter. That my house would never be clean until they were grown and gone raising families of their own. What I would do to get those days back. Momma’s, take the time to do this with your kids now!
Gather your Supplies
Rob your cabinets of any extras that you were already considering donating anyway. Or you can go to thrift stores and find some great kitchen utensils and pots for next to nothing. Use an old laundry basket to store your mud kitchen supplies in for easy transport and to allow air drying after you rinse toys and kids off. Here is a list of supply ideas for your mud kitchen.
pinecones, grass clippings, flowers, leaves, sticks, rocks, and DIRT
Make some play food out of rocks. Paint food images on rocks and seal with clear fingernail polish. Check out Munchkins and Moms post for the How-to’s.
Food Ideas for Mud Kitchen @indulgy.com
Mud Kitchen Design Ideas
My mud kitchen was an old hand me down Little Tykes picnic table. I placed it under a shade tree so it was perfect for an afternoon of messy fun. It was an easy clean up with some squirts of water from the hose and bubbles. (For the little guys too!)
There are tons of neat ideas on Pinterest for setting up your own muddy mayhem. Take a look at my Mud Kitchen board while you are there. Below are some nifty pictures of mud kitchens for a few quick ideas.
Your kitchen can be as simple as a tree stump to pat out mud pies. Or an over the top, fully stocked play area including running water. It’s up to you. No matter what you put together your little pigpens will love playing in the mud! Have fun and GET DIRTY! ~ Susie Pea
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