Cranberry and Brie Pastry Bites

Today's update is to share a really easy, quick appetizer recipe I made over Thanksgiving.  I've been wanting to make this for ages, but in my household cranberries and brie just aren't appetizing for some reason.  So instead, I made this as an appetizer Thanksgiving day, which was happily gobbled up by my in-laws, and again that same week for a family game night.  Trust me- tuck this away for future reference when you need a nice, impressive snack with minimal effort!  The original recipe comes courtesy of Yummy Mummy Kitchen's blog, and she has plenty of other good things to check out as well.

Cranberry and Brie Pastry Bites
Makes 16

Ingredients

• 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed (I use Pepperidge Farm)
• 1 4-oz wedge Brie cheese, or 1 container of snack-size Brie wedges, opened and divided into 16 portions
• 1/3 cup homemade or store bought cranberry sauce (whole berry; not jelly)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry rectangle.  Using a pizza cutter, cut into 16 small squares.
3. Place pastry squares into muffin tin, pressing down gently in each opening.  Bake 8 minutes or until pastry begins to turn golden brown.
4. Remove muffin tin from oven and use the back of a spoon to gently press down in the center of each pastry square to create room for filling.
5. Place a portion of brie onto each pastry square.  Top with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce.
6. Place muffin tin back into oven for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is soft and pastry is golden brown.
7. Remove from oven, gently remove from muffin tins and cool on a wire rack.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Optional: Top with toasted pecans and/or sugared cranberries.

Ornament Wreath

 

I have been wanting an ornament wreath for years now.  Each fall/winter I see Pinterest blow up with these awesome looking wreaths, but I can never find inexpensive shatterproof ornaments to do it myself.  I'm also not ok with shelling out $100 for one of these store bought guys.  This year, I finally found it- $5 for a set of 12 shatterproof ornaments at Bed Bath & Beyond.  Yes!!!  And of course once I clued in to the term "shatterproof" I saw tons of listings on Amazon to get anywhere from 60 to 100+ of these bad boys.  Anyway, now that I'm in the know, I'm happy to share my great wreath with you.

Supplies

• 4-6 dozen shatterproof ornaments
• 2-3 dozen mini ornaments
• Foam wreath form
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Knife

Directions

1. Cut hole in wreath form large enough to fit the top of your large shatterproof ornament into (the part you normally put the hook in).  Put a dab of hot glue in the hole, and set the top of the ornament into the hole.  Hold a minute to set.  Repeat times a gajillion until the wreath form is evenly covered in larger ornaments.
2. Hot glue a circle around the top of a mini ornament and glue into gaps between the large ornaments.  Repeat times a gajillion until gaps are well filled in.
3. Hang!  Bow optional. :)

This really isn't a complex project.  The key is to varying the placement of your ornaments so they have a pretty organic flow and don't look like perfectly lined up rows of ornaments.  You want them to look random and bubbly, and you use those small ornaments to fill in the spaces so you don't see your wreath form underneath.  That's it!

First layer down.  Looking good!  The base is well covered, I alternated red and silver, shiny and matte, and the inner part of the wreath out to the edge.

Now we've got the mini ornaments layered on to fill in those gaps.  I even pulled out and rearranged and added more of the larger ornaments as I went.

Mini Ornament Christmas Tree

 

This is such a super cute, easy project you can do in less than 30 minutes.  A friend and I each made these at our recent Christmas crafting Pinterest party, and I love the end result.  This is a great decoration for the holidays, and I think it would even be a special gift.  Lots of wow for the beginning crafter.  :)

Supplies

• 2-3 dozen mini ornaments
• Picture frame or other solid surface
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Optional: Star ornament for the top of the tree, cut branch or twig for your tree stump, scrapbook paper presents under the tree, paint words onto the glass, draw on the glass with sharpie, etc.

Directions

1. Remove the toppers from all of your mini ornaments.  Lay out ornaments in your pattern, arranging colors, matte vs shiny, etc. to get nice variation in your tree design.
2. Hot glue the top of each ornament and glue onto the glass of your picture frame.  Hold in place a couple seconds until it sets.  Repeat until all ornaments are glued in place.

THAT'S IT!  Seriously, it can't get much easier than that!  Yes your ornaments will roll around a bit as you get things in place, and yes you may get some off-centered situations going, but it's all ok.  This craft is all about simplicity and not over complicating things.  Love it and display with pride!

Fab!

Mummy Onesie!

This quick baby craft came courtesy of my friend Kelly, who sent me this adorable pin a whole day before the most recent Pinterest party.  Sneaky Kelly!  How could I resist?  Luckily this little treat is SO SIMPLE, I already had everything on hand at home.

So cute!!!

Supplies

• White baby onesie
• Gauze or strips of white fabric
• 2 googly eyes
• White thread and needle

Directions

1. Sew strips of gauze criss-cross on the onesie.  I only attached mine at the ends, but I may go back over it and sew down the whole way on each strip.
2. Poke needle through the back of a googly eye and thread through.  Sew to the onesie and knot firmly.  Repeat for the other eye.

How easy is THAT?!

Framed Burlap and Bunny Silhouette

I came across this super cute framed bunny silhouette pin a while ago, and loved the idea of it in my daughter's woodland-themed nursery.  The original blogger meant it for Easter but pfft, why limit yourself like that?  They also painted the silhouette on their burlap, while I just cut mine out of construction paper.  I think my way is great, naturally.

Supplies

• Frame, such as this laser cut frame I got at Michael's for just a few bucks!
• Paint
• Burlap- enough to fill frame opening
• Black paper
• Ribbon
• Hot glue

Directions

1. Paint frame white and let dry.
2. Cut burlap to size, and use hot glue to attach to frame back.
3. Print bunny silhouette outline (found here or here or going with any Google image search result you're happy with) on black paper.  Cut out bunny shape.  I cut inside the outline, rather than leaving that thick black ink outline on my bunny.
4. Glue bunny to center of burlap.  
5. Tie ribbon into a bow and glue to bunny's neck.

Optional: Decorate your bunny for the season!  Give him a trick-or-treat bucket, pilgrim hat, Santa hat, wings and a bow and arrow, etc.  Let your bunny be an active guy in your home!

Red, White, and Blue Streamer Wreath

I saw this idea for a patriotic streamer on Pinterest, and unfortunately the pin goes to a defunct Tumblr page.  Oh well- I got the gist of it from the picture so no harm there.  Best part is that this is something you can make with whatever materials you have on hand.  I already had the right colors of streamers, but could just have easily used tissue paper, construction paper, etc. cut to length or strung together.  This also turned out to be a great craft to do with my four-year-old while we discussed what Memorial Day was.  At this age, he loves spotting and directing patterns, so he was all over making sure the red, white, and blue streamers were in order.

 

Beautiful end result. :)

Supplies

• Paper plate with the center cut out, to make your hoop
• Red, white, and blue streamers
• String or fishing wire to hang the wreath

Directions (photos follow)

1. Cut center out of paper plate.
2. Cut 6 lengths of streamer from each color, 2 or more feet long (arm's length).  While you want them all approximately the same length, exact measurements are not required.
3. Tie streamers onto hoop one at a time.  To do so, fold streamer in half and hold looped end over rim of your hoop, with the loop kind of in the center.  Pull the loose ends of streamer behind the paper plate rim and through your loop.  Pull and adjust until the streamer is secure against the hoop.  If you pull too tight, you'll tear the streamer, but that's what tape is for.  ;)
4. Repeat until hoop is fully covered.
5. Tie a length of string around the hoop in one direction, and tie another length in the other direction, making an X over the opening of the hoop.  Tie another length of string where your lines cross, forming the X, and loop onto a garden hook, nail, etc. to display.

Center cut out of plate to make a hoop; streamers ready to go.

Blue streamer already done.  Time to do the next one.  Red streamer folded in half, loop over the plate, hanging out in the opening.

Loose ends of the streamer being pulled around the back of the plate and through the opening of the loop.

Pulled through all the way.  Now to tighten that little necktie-looking situation.

Gently tightened in place

Streamers all knotted in place, strings tied in an X over the hoop, and then knotted in the center and hung by a 3rd string.  I feel like I'm losing out on a football joke here.