Frosted Candles

Welcome back! Thanks to Pinterest, today is another fun project day here in our household. And I've brought you a fun tutorial on how to bring some winter cheer to your home for FREE! Today's project is a super easy way to glam up your home by using Epsom Salt. Let's get started!

Here's what you'll need:

Epsom Salt (mine is lavender scented, which is optional, but smells oh-so-good!)

Mod Podge or Glue (such as Elmer's school glue)

Candles (I get mine for cheap from the Goodwill)

Paper Plates

Foam Brush

First, you'll want to spread out a few paper plates, and top one with a pile of Epsom Salt to dip your candles in. The other plates you'll use to place your dipped candles on to dry. 

Next, you'll want to dip your foam brush into the Mod Podge or glue, and paint the outside of your candle. Use an extra paper plate to paint over to prevent any drips or spills from sticking to your table top surface. Be generous in your coat of glue, but don't make it runny. You want your Epsom salt to stick to the candle and stay put until it dries. 

Finally, dip your candle in the Epsom Salt, and rotate it until all of the surface is covered. Once your candle is adequately "frosted", place it on a paper plate to dry.

Repeat the easy steps above for any other candles you wish to frost, and allow them to dry before decorating. Be sure to handle them with care when placing them on their holder so that you don't accidentally chip off the frosted exterior. 

Voila! A quick and simple project to glam up your home for the upcoming holidays. I used my candles to decorate our mantle for winter, but they would look especially beautiful on a table centerpiece or a decorated entryway. 

If you try this easy project out, please share the results! Want more easy craft projects? Check out my Frosty in a Jar, where we brought the snowman indoors for the winter season. Have any other nifty decorating ideas? Please share! I love decoration inspiration!

Frosty on the Mantle

Winter is in the are here in upstate New York. And while the ground isn't covered in that white stuff just yet, it's quite frosty in the mornings. At least that's what my husband tells me. I don't get out of bed that early. :)

That nip in the air must have nipped me in the bottom, too, because today I was inspired to take down my fall mantle, and winterize it. Hurricane Sandy destroyed the gorgeous tree kaleidoscope we had going on in our neighborhood, and so I was no longer feeling the leaf motif.

I posted yesterday about our fall mantle and my penchant for using Pinterest as a decoration inspiration. Well, today I bring you a quick and easy tutorial for the snowman urn that didn't cost me a dime! This freebie decoration is so cute, and will be sure to make a charming addition to your holiday decorations. Let's start!

Here's what you'll need:

Epsom Salt (mine is scented with lavender oil, which is optional, but smells so nice)
Apothecary jar or Vase (a canning jar would probably look cute, too!)
Twigs
Hat (I stole ours from a felt snowman ornament)
Mitten (mine came from the scrapbook section)
Carrot nose (Thanks to Lego, I had the perfect carrot)
Scissors
Eyes (this is an option I left out, but you could easily add eyes with two peppercorns)

So first, you'll need a hat for your snowman. I clipped ours from an old felt snowman ornament. It was the perfect size. You can always clip your own from a piece of black paper or felt if you don't have a spare felt snowman handy.

Next, you'll want to gather the rest of Frosty's parts. The size of your jar will depend on how large you will want to make your accessories. I snapped a small twig to size for his arm, and used a felt mitten from a scrapbook decoration. The carrot came from my daughter's Easter Bunny Lego character. If you don't have the good fortune of owning one of these, a piece of felt will do. I would be careful of using paper, especially if you use a scented Epsom salt. The oils may absorb and discolor the paper.

Next, fill your jar with Epsom Salt, and let the decorating begin. Be sure not to fill your jar too full so you will have room to place Frosty's accessories on the top.

And there you have it! The perfect indoor snowman! Place it on your mantle, entryway table, or as centerpiece. I placed ours on the mantle to keep him safe from curious little fingers.

Cost breakdown? FREE! I didn't spend a dime on this project. If you have the materials and some creativity on hand, this quick and easy decoration won't cost you a penny. 

Stick around this week for another breakdown of how I used Epsom Salt to create beautiful, frosty, and FREE decoration project! If you've made your very own indoor Frosty, please share your project with me! I would love to see it or any other decoration inspiration you have. Thanks for hanging out with me today!

That's Pinteresting!

The world of Pinterest, as you may know, is ripe with lots of holiday decorating ideas. This year I gleaned a few DIY inspirations that didn't cost me a dime! Hey, if it's free, it's me! Who doesn't love a project that they can complete with items they already have on hand?

I decorated my mantle early this year. Like, right after Halloween early. After Sandy had hit, my beautiful kaleidoscope of fall colors had been destroyed, and our neighborhood trees were totally bare. It was at that point I felt winter set in. The temps swiftly dropped, and we even saw a flurry or two. So down came my pumpkins and witches, and up went a winter inspired decor. The great thing is that it is not necessarily "Christmas" themed, so I didn't feel too bad about skipping over Thanksgiving (sorry, Mr. Turkey).

Don't you just love that wreath? I do. I made it last year for less than $5 thanks to the goodwill (where I found the wreath) and Hobby Lobby's 40% off holiday decor section (where I scored the greenery and bow). I took a red satin ribbon, looped it around  the top of the wreath, and secured it to the hanging wire on the back of the mirror.

I'm a huge Diana Gabaldon fan. Love her Outlander series with a passion. In fact, I had the pleasure to meet the author, and have her sign my prized copy of the book. It's no surprise that I would jump at the chance to feature a few selections from her to stack on my mantle, and I couldn't think of a title more appropriate to display. Call it fate. :)

If you haven't already recognized, my mantle project involves a nice little bag of Epsom Salt. I dipped several candles in it for that frosty effect, and also made a snowman urn.

Isn't frosty adorable in that little apothecary jar? Such a simple project, too! In fact, I made sure to take lots of pictures for a tutorial. If you check back tomorrow, you can learn just how I created him in all his bottled magic hat glory.

The candles were a very quick and easy project, and I intend to post a tutorial on those, too. I just love how the crystals glisten-- especially in the candle light.

The greenery is courtesy of our back yard-- a few small branches had fallen due to Sandy, and so I gathered them up and used them to balance the rosemary plant I placed on the opposite end of the mantle.

So there you have it! Our winter mantle. In  the next week or two, I'll be transitioning it into more of a Christmas mantle (since our family celebrates), but I love how it has that winter spirit without being too festive, which is a great alternative if you and your family don't celebrate Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to check back tomorrow for a tutorial on how to make your very own snowman urn!