Christmas Banner Tutorial

This past weekend, one of my projects was to make a couple of banners for a friend of mine. Similar to last year's Christmas banner, but with the words "Joy To The World" on in.

I selected some different papers but in the same colour scheme, found some gold ribbon, eyelets, & glitter. Then I went to work.

Here's how I did it:

Using your Cricut, cut out rectangles.

I used the George & Basic Shapes cartridge & used size 5 1/2".

Cut backgrounds out of cream cardstock.

I used the Birthday Bash cartridge & used size 5 1/2" for these as well.

Adhere the cream backgrounds to the pattered rectangles.

Cut out your letters with your Cricut. 

I used the Winter Wonderland cartridge & used size 3".

I also cut out a cute bird & some flourishes to help with the word spacing.

The bird is from the Winter Wonderland cartridge in size 3".

The Flourishes are from the Cindy Loo cartridge in size 2 1/2".

Then add eyelets to the top corners of each rectangle.

I used my Big Bite Crop-a-Dile for this.

Then add glitter along the edges of the cream cardstock. Use a toothpick to correct any mistakes. Trust me, it works like a charm!

I use Stickles glitter glue.

Wait for the glitter to dry & then thread ribbon through holes.

Hang it wherever you wish...

 ... and enjoy it for the entire Christmas season!

I really love the glittery shimmer of all the gold on this banner - not usually my style, but beautiful! 

I hope I've inspired you to try making a banner of your own to help you celebrate the Christmas season.

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

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And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Enjoy your day!

Check out the great parties I link up to!

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Peppermint Meltaway Cookies

This past Saturday, some friends of mine organized a Christmas cookie exchange. It was a great success & I have to tell you how nice it is to have a HUGE chunk of my Christmas baking stroked off of my Christmas to-do list!

We each made 8 dozen of one type of cookie & this is the one I chose to make. They are delicious & literally melt in your mouth. So. Very. Yummy. It's like Christmas in your mouth. :)

**Update: for those of you that have been asking, these are similar to a shortbread cookie. You really could change up the flavours however you wanted!**

Peppermint Meltaway Cookies   Print recipe

Original Source: Taste Of Home

1 cup butter, softened - make sure it’s at room temperature or you won’t have good results.

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch (yes, you read that right - 1/2 cup)

Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons 2% milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies (I use candy canes)

In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, & extract; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container. 

Yield: approx. 3 1/2 dozen.

Have you ever done a cookie exchange? What's your go-to cookie recipe? 

I sure hope my friends make this an annual event because I think it's a fabulous idea!

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Enjoy your day!

Check out the great parties I link up to!

and The Country Cook

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Sheet Music Tree Filler Ornaments

I found this neat sheet music tree ornament idea at a home decor store done slightly different & thought I could easily tweak it a bit to fit into my Christmas decor. Happily, I was right! It was really easy to make these cute tree fillers! 

For those of you who don't know what I mean by "tree fillers", here's my definition: Christmas decorations that don't hang on the branches but sit on the branches. I use twiggy things & sprigs of silver leaves, & now these little goodies on my Christmas tree.

Here's the how to:

Start with:

• Sheet Music
• Birds (or other decoration) on a wire stick
• Decorating twigs (I used glittery blue & silver ones)
• Hot glue gun
• Tape
• Wire cutters or pliers with wire cutters

Roll the sheet music & tape.

Take the wired birds & bend the wire into a "J" shape to start if off before you wrap it around the sheet music. If you don't, you'll crush the music.

Now wrap the wire around the rolled sheet music.

Cut some twigs off of the bunches you have, using wire cutters or pliers, arrange & glue the around the bird.

They were so fast to make too. I made 6 & it took me maybe half an hour - I'm happy about that!

What do you think? I'm slowly, but surely giving my Christmas tree decor a little makeover. And I'm doing it DIY style too! Next week, I'll have another sheet music ornament to show you as well as a tree topper. (Can you see a theme developing here? I can, and I love it!)

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Enjoy your day!

Check out the great parties I link up to!

Decking The Halls

December is here & so is the winter weather here in Saskatchewan! 

We had yet another dump of snow last night & it certainly looks like Christmas outside. There's no shortage of snow this year! :)

It's also looking very Christmasy everywhere you go - including our house! 

Our halls are decked & Christmas preparations are in full force.

This year, I decorated in keeping with my silver theme, but added some turquoise into the mix. Just touches here & there, but it a little goes a long way. It's so pretty!

Most of our gifts are purchased & wrapped already, but we have a few left to buy.

I kept my sheet music wreath up from my fall decor & just changed out the seasonal touches. The clothes pins make it perfect for displaying Christmas cards!

A trifle bowl filled with shiny baubles & candles add a bit more sparkle to the living room.

My silver side table in the entryway is in its glory during the Christmas season.

I also found some beautiful printables to use in my decor this year. The one below is available here. 

I printed it off & backed it with wrapping paper. Into the frame it went & it adds so much to the decor as well as reminding us what the Christmas season is all about... the biggest birthday party ever!

Isn't that owl the cutest?

My lanterns also got a touch of Christmas added to them. One is filled with glittered pinecones, the large one has a battery operated candle on a timer so it comes on every evening. My sequinned reindeer finishes off this little grouping.

On the bar top between the living room & kitchen, I added another printable (available here) in a frame & more shiny baubles with a sweet little birdie.

And can you see my snowy owls in the background??

Here's panoramic shot (taken with my phone so not super high quality) of the living room & bar top.

One last little touch... My mom came & helped me decorate this year (btw, she's a professional interior decorator - I know, I'm blessed!) & between her & I we created this white, turquoise, & silver vignette on top of the cupboards in my kitchen. 

Lots of milk glass, some vintage pyrex, & more shiny baubles help bring Christmas into the kitchen as well.

There you go! I hope you enjoyed the tour of my main floor Christmas decor. I'll be sharing lots of Christmasy goodness over the month of December, so be sure to follow along!

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Enjoy your day!

Check out the great parties I link up to!

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November Wrap-Up

Can you believe November is over already? What has happened to this year?

At the beginning of the month I came up with a photo-a-day challenge for November.

 I used my phone camera & I edited with instagram (You're welcome to follow me if you'd like) to make things easy. If you've been following me on Facebook, you've likely already seen some of them.

  Here's this month's photo-a-day recap:

I would love for you to join me for December's challenge! It's full of Christmasy goodness. :) 

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Here's to a great December!

December Photo Challenge

Monthly photo challenges are a lot of fun & they sure make me think about ideas & objects in a creative way.

This month since Christmas is coming, I made my list centred around all things Christmasy. Enjoy!

Follow me on Instagram to see my daily photo. Let me know if you're taking the challenge - I'd love to see your photos too! I'll be using the hashtag #SBphotochallenge. Please join me & we can share our photos with one another!

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Here's to a great December!

Check out the great parties I link up to!

Christmas Crafts & Recipes Of The Past...

Now that American Thanksgiving is over, I know a lot of you are looking for Christmas ideas & recipes to get started on. I know I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for new ideas! 

Since many of you have followed along since last December (Thank you!), today I'm doing a run-down of my favourite crafts, recipes, & projects from last Christmas.

Let's start with some fun crafts...

Christmas Banner

I still need to make one of these babies for myself! I made a few last year & sold them all. Must. Keep. One. :)

Spool Christmas Trees

These little trees were so fun to discover as I pulled them out again this year. They're a fun part of our decor.

Spool Tree Ornaments

Possibly my favourite Christmas craft ever! I have these arranged on a wreath this year with some twinkle lights.

Let Heaven & nature sing...

Light Bulb Snowmen (with photo tutorial!)

Our kids get such a kick out of these snowmen every year. 

They love that they have one that is personalized & belongs to each one of us.

Glittered Pinecones

These sparkly cones are filling a metal lantern in my front entryway this year.

Now on to recipes...

Classic Sugar Cookies (No rolling or cutting needed!)

Merry Berry Cheese Bars (Cranberry Cheesecake Bars)

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge (Fast!)

Almost Instant Buckeyes (Another fast one!)

Egg Nog Tarts

Cards, tags, & gift card holders...

Gift Tags

Use your Cricut or Silhouette to cut out some cute shapes, attach string & create your own gift tags!

Gift Card Holders

Make your own simple gift card holder for those hard to buy for people.

Christmas Cards

Create a few custom made Christmas cards for your friends & family with these ideas.

Those are just my favourites! I hope you found some inspiration here.

Thanks for reading. If you like what you see here on Silver Boxes, I'd love it if you would become a follower on Google Friend Connect, subscribe by email (sign up on the right sidebar), 

or follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or Twitter. 

And please leave a comment when you do so I know who my new friends are! :)

Enjoy your day!

Check out the great parties I link up to!