DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

  This diy comes to us from www.notjustpaperandglue.com .  Something to dress up your cupcakes and you could probably make some smaller ones for your candies too.  Good luck!    Welcome to Homemade for the Holidays ! Since we have lots and LOTS of cupcakes here, I thought it would be fun to share a Cupcake Wrapper Tutorial with you! During a Live Chat recently in the Seasonal Celebrations Community, my friend Tammy from Not Just Paper and Glue , mentioned that she makes her own cupcake wrappers . When she showed me a picture, I thought they would be perfect for our Homemade for the Holidays series! Here’s Tammy… Cut a piece of patterned cardstock 2.25 x 12 inches Use decorative scissors or a border punch along one edge. Score paper strip every .25 inches Here is the reverse side of the strip of paper after it has been scored. Accordion fold along score lines. The entire strip is now accordion folded. Apply adhesive to one end. Attach to ...

   Burning Yule logs is a tradition dating back long before the birth of Jesus. In pre-Christian times, the Yule log was burned in the home hearth on the winter solstice in honor of the pagan sun god Odin, known also as the Yule Father or Oak King. The winter solstice, known amongst pagans as Yule or Gwyl Canol Gaeaf, falls on December 21 or 22, whichever is the shortest day and longest night of the current year. The Yule festival symbolizes a battle between the powers of light (Oak King) and powers of darkness (Holly King). A Yule log, typically a thick branch taken from a oak tree, would be burned in the hearth beginning on this night as a celebration of the Oak King's triumphant defeat over the Holly King. Burning the Yule log     The traditional Yule celebration would begin at dawn with the cutting of the oak branch, which was then ceremoniously carried into the house. Lit by the father or oldest member of the family, the Yule log would be ...

   This great tutorial comes from www.thatswhatchesaid.net .  You make these for all year around depending on how you paint them and what you would fill them with.  I am definitely goint to make a few a these for Christmas time, instead of going out and paying $20-30 dollars on one. My Take on Apothecary Jars I’ll just dive right in! I love Apothecary jars. Love, Love, LOVE them! Here is my take on making your own! Really easy to do, just time consuming because you have to wait for things to dry. Supplies: (3) Glass Jars (3) unfinished wooden Candle Sticks (3) 4″ unfinished wooden plaques (3) 3″ unfinished wooden plaques (3) unfinished wooden finials STRONG glue or Epoxy Spraypaint 1. Start out by removing all the price tags. This will take you forever! Goo Gone may also be your friend right now! Hobby Lobby is laughing at me right now because their damn SKU tags stick like mad to that damn unfinished wood! (Ye...

  The story of the Pilgrims has its origins in early 17 th Century England. It was at that time, nearly four hundred years ago, when religious persecution was making it difficult for many people to practice their religions and live comfortably and safely in London and in the rural areas outside of London.   England, at that time, was a monarchy. Today, it is a Parliamentary Monarchy in which the Queen has no real power. At that time, however, the King had absolute power over all of the nation’s citizens and, as a result, could make the practice and observance of religion difficult. That is exactly what happened. Persecution ruled the day … especially if the religion you chose to practice was different from the “national religion.” England, at that time and today, as well, was and is primarily Protestant. These persecuted individuals met frequently and, after a time, decided to seek permission to start a new life in “the colonies.” Remember, it was very early in th...

   This comes to us from www.craftaholicsanonymous.com .  These would look great in a grouping witha little holidays snow on them and some red or green velvet ties. Enjoy!    One of my fabulous readers, Jodi, sent me a link to a project inspired by Country Living’s Pine Cone Door Hanging. And needless to say, I fell in love with the concept. So here’s my twist on a CL classic. {This was a last minute addition to Tutorial Week.}    Ok, back to tutorial mode. Where was I? Oh, this would be a great project for the kiddos to help out with: they could round up the pine cones and help hot glue (with assistance!) the ribbon on. This should take you all of 5 minutes to do or so. Supplies needed: 7 Pine Cones, cleaned off (you can do more if you want) Ribbon, cut into seven 18″ strips and one 6″ strip (I used 5/8″ ribbon) Frame (mine is an 11″x14″) Scissors Hot Glue Gun Take each pine cone and put a dot of glue on the top. And ...

   The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition. However, the actual origins are uncertain. There is evidence of pre-Christian Germanic peoples using wreathes with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended-sunlight days of Spring. In Scandinavia during Winter, lighted candles were placed around a wheel, and prayers were offered to the god of light to turn “the wheel of the earth” back toward the sun to lengthen the days and restore warmth.    By the Middle Ages, the Christians adapted this tradition and used Advent wreathes as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. After all, Christ is “the Light that came into the world” to dispel the darkness of sin and to radiate the truth and love of God (cf. John 3:19-21). By 1600, both Catholics and Lutherans had more formal practices surrounding the Advent wreath.    The symbolism of the Advent wreath...

   This comes from marthastewart.com .  Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts and one that I love to make on any occasion.  The pumpkin just adds a little richness and spiciness.      Two popular favorites -- pumpkin pie and cheesecake -- are rolled into one delightful dessert. This is a good make-ahead dessert, as cheesecake keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.    To prevent the top from cracking, be careful not to overmix the batter, and do not open the oven door while the cake is baking or cooling inside the oven.           Prep Time 30 minutes Total Time 8 hours Yield Serves 12 Ingredients For the Crust 1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (from 10 whole crackers) 1/4 cup sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted For the Filling ...