Valentine Heart Banner

Have you decorated for Valentine's Day yet?  How about this cute banner for your decor this year?  It's really simple to make and best of all its inexpensive!

I normally try and use black and red on my mantel, so that's what I used as my color scheme when making this banner.  I just used what I had in my craft stash and this little cutie cost me nothing!  Shop your own goodies when you want to create for less.

I used some basic packing twine to hang it, you know, the kind you use for postage type projects.  For the length of your twine, you will just need to measure your space where you plan on hanging your banner and go from there.

I used my Cricut Expressions machine and the Doodlecharms cartridge for my hearts.  My big heart measures 6", the medium one is 2" and the smallest one is 1".  I used old book pages and scrapbook papers in Valentine colors to cut out my hearts.  I got my wrinkle ribbon HERE.  I used it to make my little bow on the upper right hand side of each heart.  Each one is tied with more of the postage twine.

To make the little dangling hearts you see here, I used an old book page with my Cuttlebug and my scalloped heart Nesties to cut those out.  I cut out 12 hearts and then used two each to glue the red sewing thread in between each of them to create this look.

After you created your four completed hearts, attach them to the twine with tiny clothespins and then wrap the threaded hearts on by wrapping the thread around the twine.

Here's the cat's eye view.  When I first hung this up, the cats were very intrigued, but thankfully they have not bothered any of it. YAY!

I love this little vignette that I created on the fireplace area.  So happy and cheerful!

Ornament Heart Wreath, go HERE.
Pretty Rose Kissing Ball, go HERE.
Vinyl and Vintage Plates, go HERE.

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Home Sweet Home
We Call It Junkin

Cupid's Arrow Heart

I have another heart shaped craft for you and this time its a little more involved than last week's wreath.  I actually had this yarn wrapped heart left over from a wreath I made last year.  You can read about that HERE.  You'll find directions on wrapping the heart with yarn in that post.

The heart you see below was made using items I had in my craft stash, but in case you don't have lots of "stuff" just hanging around like I do, it will be pretty cheap to recreate.

Since you probably don't have a yarn wrapped heart already lying around like I did, the yarn wrapping will be the hardest part of this project.  Okay, and maybe the flowers too if you don't already know how to create those.  Okay, so maybe its not so easy now!  Gosh!

Here's what you'll need to recreate my heart:

1 each - 9" foam heart form
1 roll - white/cream crepe paper streamer
1 skein - red yarn
1 square each - red and pink felt
10 each - pearl head pins
1/4 yard - Valentine fabric
1 each - 1/4" dow stick (about 18" long)
1 each - scrap of heavy card stock or cereal box
Hot glue gun and glue
Quick Dry Glue - I use Zip Dry or Aleen's Quick Dry Tacky Glue

Don't pay any attention to the roll of ribbon there, I change my mind a lot! I didn't end up using the ribbon.  To make the flowers from crepe paper, look HERE.  For the fabric flowers you can look HERE.  This is how I made paper roses, but its about the same thing only using fabric instead of paper.

To make the frilly little felt flowers you see on the right of the heart, you need 8 pink felt squares that measure 2" x 2".  First fold one point to the opposite side like you see above.

Then bring one of the free corners to the middle

Then the other free corner to the middle.

Now place a pearl head pin through the bottom point.

Push the pin into the foam heart form.

Using a hot glue gun, add the flowers you created with crepe paper and fabric.

Then using the above steps for folding the little felt squares, add about five more squares here and there around your flowers wherever you feel it needs to be filled in.

I took two small pieces of fabric and a few pearl head pins and added to the "flowers" on the right side of the  heart.  I felt it needed a bit more something else here.

To make Cupid's arrow, you'll need the 1/4" dow stick, red felt and a small amount of heavy card stock or cereal box.  I used my Nestabilities and Cuttlebug to cut out my hearts, but you can free hand them as well.  You will need two (2) hearts for the arrow.  Glue the felt heart onto the card stock for sturdiness.

Of course leave one heart intact, but cut the second heart in half and then place one piece on the other as you see above and glue together.

Hot glue your dow stick to the foam heart form in the position you want and then hot glue the full heart on at the top end of the stick and the half heart on the lower end of the stick.

This turned out stinkin' adorable if I do say so myself!  I hope you try one too.  Let me know if you do, I'd like to see it!  What kind of  Valentine's Day decor are you making?

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Home Sweet Home
We Call It Junkin

Valentine Ornament Wreath - Using a Clothes Hanger

You're not going to believe how easy this is to make! Seriously, it took me less than 30 minutes from start to finish.  It looks all fancy and expensive, but it was less than $5.  That's my kind of decorating bargain!

I purchased the shatter proof (aka plastic) ornaments for 50% off last year after Christmas and saved them until this year.  I knew I wanted to make a wreath, but originally, I didn't intend on it being a Valentine wreath.

I had 18 large ornaments and about 40 smaller ones.  All together there was 3 different sizes of ornaments.

I used a large metal uniform shirt hanger for my base.  My honey shaped it into a heart and then unwrapped the top part so I could slide my ornaments on it.

As I started sliding the ornaments on, they kept sliding past the "point", so I used a clothespin to stop them.  I filled one side with half of my ornaments and then the other side with the remaining bulbs.  After I placed all the bulbs on the wire I had my honey refasten the top part of the hanger back together, my hands were not strong enough.

When you hold the wreath up by the hanger, all your ornaments will want to slide all down toward the point.  Grab the "hanger" like so and gently jiggle the ornaments into place.  Adjust them until you have them where you want them.

Very carefully, lay the wreath on the table making sure the order you had them in doesn't change.

Now with your glue gun on the low setting (this cools faster) start gluing the ornaments to the wire.  Keep adding glue until they don't move anymore.

The first pass I went over pretty quickly, I let that cool and then picked it up to see what was still wanting to move.  I added more glue where it was needed.

I flipped the wreath over and added some glue on the front where I thought it needed it.  Try to keep your glue on the front out of site if you can.

Lastly I added a small bow using some ribbon I got on a gift this year.  I save everything!  LOL!  That's how a crafter's mind works, right?  I really love how this turned out and now I want to make more!  I need to go see if there are any plastic ornaments left in the 1/2 off Christmas sales.

Would you like to see what else I've made with a wire hanger?  Look HERE.

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Home Sweet Home
We Call It Junkin

Clover House's Top 10 Posts of 2014 - A Year in Review

Whoa! What a collection of top posts we have for the year 2014! It's quite the diverse collection of subjects, that's for sure!  One thing though, we couldn't have done it without all of our visitors this past year.  THANK YOU!

Here's our top 10 project posts of 2014.  Just click on the link below each picture to be taken to the original post, there you can read all the good information that a lot of people found interesting too!  Enjoy! :)

#1 - Building a Drop-in Kitchen Cabinet

#2 - DIY Soft Summertime Feet

#3 - How to Clean Your Return Air Vent

 #4 - Make Your Stainless Sink Shine - My Natural Secret Ingredient

#5 - Old Book Page Heart - How to Make Paper Roses

 #6 - Pantry Remodel Revealed - You Won't Believe the Before and After

 #7 - Cleaning Your Hairbrush the Easy Way

#8 - Yarn and Felt Valentine Wreath with Loopy Felt Flower How-tos

#9 - RV Fridge Makeover with Chalk Paint

 #10 - 2 x 4 Candy Corn - A Tutorial

People love a good how-to, that's for sure!  I hope you've enjoyed browsing our top 10 posts of 2014!  Did you get some good ideas?  I hope you pinned them to try later! Thank you to all who visit our blog and especially to the readers who take time to leave a sweet comment, we love comments!   Keep watching in 2015 for more great ideas, recipes, tips and tricks!  :)

Would you like to see our 2013 in Review?  Even more awesomeness HERE.

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Home Sweet Home
We Call It Junkin

Yummy Cheese Ball

The new year is just a few days away so I thought I'd share my yummy cheese ball recipe with you.  It's a perfect recipe to take to a party because everyone seems to love it!  I've been making this one for years so I guess you could call it a tradition at our house!

It's only 4 ingredients and like most of my favorite recipes are, its very easy to put together.  When my boys were teenagers, they would even make this for me to take to one of our family parties.  It's that easy!

You will need  the following list for a double batch, which is what I normally make.  But if you just need a small cheese ball for a few people, half the ingredients.

Yummy Cheese Ball

2 boxes of 8 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
1 bunch of green onions
4 packages of the thin sliced lunch meat ( I always use turkey)
2 packages of the 2 oz size of sliced almonds

Using a medium size mixing bowl, add all ingredients and thoroughly combine by hand.  Place the mixture in a rounded bowl lined with plastic wrap.  Chill until the cheese is firm again.  Overnight is best to mingle all the flavors, but 30 minutes to an hour is enough to look good for your party.

This is the best little tool I've found for making this recipe.  The Handy Chopper Plus by Black and Decker.  I'm not even sure if they still make these are not, but its perfect!

Add your cheese to your mixing bowl so it can continue to warm up while you chop the remaining ingredients.

Rough chop your green onion, place it in the chopper and chop until its in small pieces.  Don't over do it or you'll have onion puree'.  Add this to the cream cheese.

Next is the lunch meat.  I normally chop one package at a time.  I tear it into smaller chunks to fit into the chopper, then chop fine like you see here.  Add this to the bowl.

Lastly, the almonds.  Yes, they are already sliced, but it makes it easier for spreading onto crackers if you have smaller pieces.  I normally just pulse the almonds about 5 times and its perfect.  Add to the other mixture.

Place an over-sized piece of plastic wrap on the top of your bowl like so.  You'll want to make sure and do this step before you go onto the next step.  I learned this step by lots of experience!

Now get in there with your hand and really mix the whole thing together.  Squeeze, mash and mix until its all incorporated together.

Now scoop the whole thing out and place it in your bowl being careful that the plastic wrap is equal all the way around your cheese ball.

Press the mixture into the bowl until you have it all level and flat on the top.  Pull the remaining plastic up over the mixture and refrigerate.

I like to serve mine with fancy little crackers like Sociables or Veggie Crackers.  But use whatever kind of cracker is your favorite.

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
DIY Home Sweet Home
We Call It Junkin