Christmas or Birthday Countdown

I've seen several of these on the internet and decided to make one of my own. Seeing as I received a Christmas Countdown/Advent calendar as a Christmas gift one year, I opted to make a birthday one. I know big sis gets so excited around her birthday - perhaps this will eliminate the, "Is it my birthday yet?!" question!

Supplies needed:
Muffin tin (mini 24-count for a full Christmas one, size of your choice for birthday)
Cardstock and either scrapbook paper/embellishments or a computer program
magnets (I bought an adhesive roll)
possibly glue

If you choose to use scrapbook paper:
Cut cardstock circles out in a size large enough to cover the muffin tin holes. I just used a variety of glasses to make the circle shapes. Decorate as you see fit, adding the countdown numbers as well.

If you choose to use the computer: Design your circles and print onto cardstock.

Cut little pieces of magnets and attach to the backs of each circle. I ended up gluing mine on as the adhesive didn't work well.

Overall, my circles ended up being a little stiff and they don't always lay well over the muffin cups. Possibly using lighter weight paper, adjusting the circle size, or using more powerful magnets would help eliminate this problem.

Fill each muffin cup with a special surprise, cover with the circles and let the countdown begin!

Do It Yourself Tiered Plate Stand

When I saw this tiered stand blog, I knew immediately I wanted to try it. Another neat take on it can be found here, although you would likely need to buy a few more supplies.

I love tiered stands, but they take up so much storage space and can get pricey. Here's a way to make your own that you can change with the seasons/occasion and keep low cost (I know I spent less than $10). (You may want to see her directions as she was better at remembering to photograph each step!)

Supplies needed:
Two different sized melamine plates (make sure they have a decent ring on the bottom)
Threaded rod (hardware store)
4 nuts to fit your threaded rod and maybe 1 stop nut
Drill
2 Bic pens
Paint

Take apart the pens - you only need the tube that covers the ink. Paint it whatever color you wish. These tubes will cover the metal rod as you assemble the stand. (I recommend spray paint. I used acrylic and it chips off easily unless you coat it with a sealant or something.)

Drill holes in the center of your plates. I used some markings on the back to find the center, but you may want to measure. You'll want the holes to be pretty exact so the two plates line up nicely. I've read of others having problems cracking their plates when too much pressure is applied while drilling, but I did not have trouble. Some of the plates took a while to drill through, however.


Run the threaded rod through your larger plate and hold it there by placing a nut at the bottom making it even with the plate's rim. I do not recommend a stop nut as they are thicker. Most of the plates I've seen don't have a very wide rim that will work with a stop nut.

Next slide on one of the pen tubes and top it with a nut.

Slide the second, smaller plate on top, screw on another nut, then add the other pen tube. Lock everything in place with a nut.

Finally decide how you want to top it. The original post sawed off the excess rod and tied a ribbon to the top. I bought two different wooden bead type things, painted them white, hot glued a stop nut inside one of the beads to serve as the cap. I plan to tie a ribbon in the small gap that remains. (When I have access to a better saw, I may also just saw off some of the rod.)

TIPS:
If the bottom plate isn't deep enough, the whole stand will be wobbly as it tries to stand on the small nut. One remedy if you face this problem: use little felt anti-scratch tabs (like the ones you put on the bottom of chairs to keep them from scratching the floor) around the rim to get the plate a little further off the ground.

Mine sometimes becomes unscrewed a little easily so I might try adding a nut below and above the upper tier plate. I'm also wondering what would happen if you painted the bolts.

It is a bit of a pain to screw/unscrew, but it's worth it to me as it has saved money, is easier to store and gives lots of fun options!

Ornament Wreath

I've always liked the ornament wreaths you can buy around the holidays, but not enough to purchase one. However, when I stumbled upon do-it-yourself directions, I was determined to make one! I cannot remember the original blog I read this on, but there are lots of other examples and posts on this project. Here's how I made mine:

To keep it cheap, purchase your ornaments after Christmas. I bought 3 boxes of small ornaments for around $5 I think. I know they cost $5 each regular price at Target. (Although I wish I would have purchased 4!)


Supplies needed:
Wire hanger
Ornaments (how many depends on size you want to make...deciding how many to purchase is the hardest part!)
Possibly ribbon (I actually found mine at the Dollar store!)

Untwist your wire hanger and form it into an open circle. Start stringing on your ornaments.
Once full enough for you, twist the wire together again at the top. If desired, you can make a loop with the wire for hanging. I used pliers to help me as my hanger was a really stiff one.

If you wish to add ribbon - go for it. I made a bow and attached it with pipe cleaner, then used some extra ribbon as a hanger...not sure I will keep that part. We'll see how it looks this Christmas!