Picket Snowman Christmas Countdown

I wanted to get in a little Christmas in July before it was too late! Here’s a great project to work on now so you will be all ready for the holidays!

Good morning! It’s almost Thanksgiving!! Can you believe it! Do you start decorating already or do you wait until after Thanksgiving? I have started, mostly because of this blog, but I love it! I especially like the twinkling lights.So festive!

I have a Christmas craft for you today. I should have pictures of the living room and dining room for you next week. There are just a few finishing touches and it’s all ready for the holiday!

*(affiliate links are included at the end of the post for your convenience)*

For this project, I started out with a old painted clay pot. I sanded it down a little and then spray painted it white.

picket snowman countdown clay pot

After the paint had dried, I mixed up the Plaster of Paris. The package I had contained 4 lbs. of plaster. I used all of it. Of course, this is because one package drained out the hole in the bottom, even though I tried plugging it. After putting another piece of cardboard in the bottom and letting that plaster dry, I added the rest. I used a couple of disposable containers to mix the plaster in. I poured in the required amount of water, added the plaster and then mixed until  smooth. Then I poured each one into the pot.

picket snowman countdown plaster of paris

Once the plaster had set for a bit, about 1/2 hour, I put an old picket into the pot. You could use pallet wood or buy a piece from the store too. I then put some scrap pieces of wood around it to keep it upright until it completely hardened, about 24 hours.

picket snowman countdown propping up the picket

Now comes the fun of decorating my snowman. I found an old pair of socks and used a red one to make the hat. I cut off the toe and then slid it over the top of the picket and tied it with a plaid ribbon. I also found a piece of red fleece to tie as a scarf. I hot glued some buttons for the eyes and the mouth.

picket countdown snowman hat

Steve cut a small triangle for scrap wood to use as the nose. I painted it bright orange and then attached it with hot glue.

picket snowman countdown orange nose

I found these numbers awhile ago at a thrift store with no idea what I was going to use them for. This was a perfect craft for them! You could also use scrapbook numbers or house numbers or even print some off the computer to use.

picket countdown snowman numbers

I hammered in small nails, below the scarf, that didn’t have much of a head on them, so I could easily slip each number on each day.

picket snowman countdown nails

I added a little batting to the pot to look like snow and he is done! He adds a little cuteness to the front porch!

picket snowman countdown on the porch

Maybe I will add some stick arms too! With mittens!

picket snowman countdown close-up

This is a great way for your kids to count down the days to Christmas and a reminder for you every time you come to the door!! Of course, we don’t get real snow here, so maybe this makes him more likable. 🙂  See you next week with Christmas decor!

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*Here are some of the items available at Amazon. If you make a purchase, a little comes back to Home on the Corner. Thank you!*

                       

Backyard Camping Crafts and Activities

Good morning everyone! I know I haven’t been posting as often, but I have been busy with stuff around the house. Most things have been simple projects, nothing really to blog about, but I think I will take some pictures, just to show you what I have been up to!
Today I have a special guest post for you all to enjoy! Back in February, we shared Gabrielle’s valentine printables. We have some new summer printables for you today. My family went camping a couple of weekends ago, and while I don’t have any little children, we still had fun with these!
Here’s Gabrielle:
Summer is finally here and backyard camping is super popular. You don’t have to leave the safety of your own yard to enjoy some camping-themed fun in the sun. Of course, no “camping trip” would be complete without plenty of activities. Below, check out some printable crafts and activities to get you started. You’ll be creating summer memories before you know it!
Creative Nature Collage Critters
Use natural materials found in your backyard to make creative critters. Collect flowers, twigs, leaves, and more to design unique-looking animals. All you need is some glue and imagination! You can download these printable animal faces here.
backyard-camping-printables-nature-collages-mockup.jpg
Campfire Story Activity
Have some laughs together by taking turns storytelling based on random story elements. All you need is a single die, the story creation sheet, and your creative mind. Each person rolls the die 5 times, circling whichever story elements correspond with the number rolled under each category. Download this printable story activity here.
backyard-camping-printable-storytime-activity
Sensory Scavenger Hunt
Discover the hidden wonders of your own backyard using your senses. Download this printable sensory scavenger hunt here.
backyard-camping-printable-scavenger-hunt-mockup
Constellation Connect-the-Dots
Connect the dots of some favorite constellations to prepare for stargazing. You can color in the constellations, making them as bright and elaborate as you would like. When the stars become visible at night, you can find the constellations together with your knowledge gained by drawing them. Download this connect-the-dots activity here.
backyard-camping-printable-star-constellations-mockup

Thank you so much Gabrielle! These are so cute and fun!

 

Okay, now I will show you our versions! My girls and I each created a collage critter. We gathered our supplies from around our campsite and then started gluing our pieces on. I love how different each one was!
 Next, we did the story time activity. Um, I found out we are NOT very good story tellers! Haha! We had a story about a Ship Captain and a Vampire struggling to rule the kingdom in the middle of the dessert, a Witch and a Detective battling to save the world, and lastly, a Werewolf and a Detective in an adventure to solve a mystery on the ocean!
camping story
Lastly, we did the scavenger hunt. We divided into two teams and set a timer for 5 minutes. We tried to find each thing on the list and take a picture of it. We got one point for each item, but if we had the same answer, neither one got a point. It was interesting to see what we each came up with for our answers!
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Can you guess which category each of these pictures went with? Scan over each picture to see the answer!
 This was so much fun to do together as a family! Thank you again Gabrielle for sharing these activities with all of us!
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Here are a few other posts you might be interested in!

ocean wooden buoys orange, turquoise, blue    Wander Supplies  rV cushion title

Cute Valentine’s Day Printable

Good morning!  I hope everyone is doing well this week!  We are just a week away from Valentine’s Day and we could not be more excited!

We have a special featured guest post for you this week.  Gabrielle from Siege Media was kind enough to send us this cute printable to share with you!  I hope you enjoy the printable and her little post.

Valentine’s Day is coming up fast, and it’s the perfect time to share love and appreciation for each other. There’s nothing better than spending quality time with your family and enjoying a festive activity together. These folding heart cards are easy to create and provide just enough space for customization.

To get started, print out several of the cards below. Don’t forget to print front-to-back to make sure the pattern is on both sides. Cozy up in some pajamas, play your favorite music, and get crafting! You can also turn the activity into a fun pajama party and play some games, too. You’ll be making Valentine’s Day memories before you know it.

I downloaded the printable and did it myself.  I made each of my kitties a cute little Valentine!  Neither of them were super thrilled with receiving a piece of paper but they were mostly good sports about taking photos.  I made the heart envelopes on cardstock to make sure they were more stable.

Click here to download the printable card.

Sparkle

50 DIY Holiday Ideas For You!

Good morning! Lauren and I are so excited to join the 12 Days of Holiday Ideas Blog Hop! This is our first year joining in and we have been very busy! Do you need some holiday ideas? There are ideas for decorating, crafting, cooking, games, baking and the grand finale will be our Christmas Trees! We are hosting a BIG GIVEAWAY from our Sponsors this year! Be sure to scroll all the way down for more information and to enter to win!

It’s the fifth year of the Holiday Ideas Blog Hop! If you aren’t familiar with this annual blog hop, it’s a 4 week event where 50+ bloggers share Christmas ideas 3x a week. Scroll down to meet this year’s Holiday Ideas Team and grab the free printable event calendars! The official Holiday Ideas Blog Hop starts Monday, November 11, with all sorts of Gift Guides! In the mean time, enjoy this round-up of the Best DIY Holiday Ideas from this year’s hosts and get started on your DIY holiday projects!

Holiday Ideas Blog Hop Kickoff

Intelligent Domestications  ~  My Pinterventures  ~  Chicken Scratch That Fit Fam
An Alli Event Domestically Creative  ~  Rosewood and Grace  ~
From House To Home  ~  Happily Ever After, Etc Across the Blvd  ~  Farm Girl Reformed
Creative Cynchronicity  ~  Country Hill Cottage  ~  My Humble Home and Garden
 PolkaDot Poplars  ~  Family Around the Table  ~  Domestic Deadline
Purple Hues and Me  ~  Glitter On A Dime  ~  Sparkle Living ~ Crafting Is My Therapy

As For Me and My Homestead  ~  Cookies, Coffee and Crafts  ~  The Aspiring Home
Practically Homemade  ~  The Fresh Cooky  ~  Simply Inspired Meals 
Love My Little Cottage  ~  Mom Home Guide   ~  Blogghetti
Nourish and Nestle  ~  My Family Thyme  ~  Simple Nature Decor
Interior Frugalista  ~  Elle Marie Home  ~  DIY Adulation  ~  Through My Front Porch
Weekend Craft Our Crafty Mom  ~  For the Love of Food  ~  Tikkido
Home on the Corner  ~  Adventures of a DIY Mom  ~  My Hubbard Home  ~  Hello Central Avenue
Harbour Breeze Home This Autoimmune Life  ~  Creative Ramblings
Radiant Pearl Living  ~  Super Mom – No Cape  ~  Little Vintage Cottage  ~  Christmas Tree Lane

Get the FREE November and December Holiday Ideas Blog Hop Calendar at the end of the post.

50+ Best DIY Holiday Ideas

Holiday Decor Projects

Holiday Signs

Best DIY Holiday Ideas - Rustic signs 1

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Signs 2

Misc. Holiday Decor

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Decor 1

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Decor 2

Holiday Wreaths & A Tree

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Wreaths

Best DIY Holiday Ideas - Wreaths 2

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Wreath 3

Crafts

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Crafts 1

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Crafts - Wood Christmas Tree Signs and rustic luminaries

Ornaments & Tree

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Ornaments 1

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Ornaments 2

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Ornaments 3

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Ornaments 4

Games

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Games

Gift Ideas

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Gifts 1

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Gifts 2

Recipes

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Recipes 1

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Cookies

Best DIY Holiday Ideas Recipes 3

Hope you enjoyed these holiday ideas. Remember to check back on November 11 for Gift Guides!

Printable Holiday Ideas Blog Hop Events Calendar

Print these Holiday Ideas Blog Hop Calendars and stick them on your fridge! It’s a great way to have all the holiday topics and post dates!

Just click on the image to view and print out the November and December Holiday Ideas Blog Hop Event Calendars.

November Holiday Ideas Blog Hop Calendar

December Holiday Ideas Blog Hop Calendar

 MEET OUR SPONSORS who have generously donated fabulous prizes for the Big Christmas Giveaway!

DecoArt  winner will receive a prize package valued at $100!

Dixie Crystals/Imperial Sugar winner will receive a Keurig Coffee Maker valued at $100!

Oriental Trading winner will receive an OrientalTrading.com gift card valued at $200!

Cabot Cheese winner will receive a gift basket of Cabot products valued at $75!

Burlap Fabric winner will receive a prize pack of products valued at $50!

Zulay Kitchens winner will receive one Milk Frother and a Lemon Squeezer valued at $21

It’s Home To You winner will receive one wooden Santa sign valued at $65

12 Days of Holiday Ideas Event Sponsors 2019

 

Giveaway begins Nov. 8, 2019 and ends Dec. 6, 2019. Winners will be notified by December 13, 2019. Sponsors will ship each prize to the winner. There will be a total of seven winners, one for each prize. Drawing is by random selection using the Rafflecopter widget. 

Must be 18 to win. Open to U.S. residents only. Terms and Conditions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you are all as excited as we are! I can’t wait to see all the different ideas these talented ladies come up with! See you on Monday!

sunshine-and-blessings-picmonkey  sparkle

Fall Kid’s Crafts

Hello!  How has everyone’s weeks going?  I cannot believe that it is school time already, where did summer go?  Anyway…it is getting closer to fall and I wanted to show of some cute fall crafts that can be done with your kids.  And even though I don’t have kids I love doing crafts myself.  Enjoy!

Fall-Leaf-Suncatchers

Leaf Sun Catchers from The Best Ideas for Kids

Paper-plate-yarn-weaving-apple-craft

Woven Apple Paper Plate from Non-Toy Gifts

pressed bookmarks.jpg

Leaf Pressed Bookmarks from Buggy and Buddy

Thanksgiving-Crafts-for-kids-Paper-Strip-Turkey-5.jpg

Paper Strip Turkey from Housing a Forest

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Simple Black Cat Craft from Easy Peasy and Fun

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Turkey Cones from Crafty Morning

acorn mosaic

Acorn Mosaic from Crafts by Amanda

Leaf-Bowl-MWH

Leaf Bowl from Made with Happy

Paper Strip Apple.jpg

Paper Strip Apple from Fireflies and Mudpies

Owl-Handprint

Owl Handprints from The Best Ideas for Kids

Sparkle