Archive for the ‘Knitting’ Category

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern (VIDEO)

Sunday, November 24th, 2019

How to Cable: Knitted Ear Warmers For Those In Need from MomAdvice.com

Learn how to knit this chunky cable knit headband. This is the perfect beginner pattern to learn how to cable. The best part? No cable needles required! Use this free knitting pattern to make these gorgeous ear warmer headbands for women that can keep those ears warm in the fall and winter.

As a knitter, I am often intimidated by things that look too complex.

I find myself gravitating towards things that I think will be easier and not even considering things that I think will take me out of my knitting comfort zone.

Cabling was one of those things for many years. It looked far too complex and I can barely handle the basics of knitting.

Here’s the thing.

It is truly one of the easiest things you can do in knitting especially when you know a few of my favorite tricks for cabling quickly.

Today I want to show you how to cable and how this project can benefit someone in need.

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern Close-Up Different Colors

This is the time of the year where the homeless and those in need really need us.

When the temperatures drop and you are in that cold-in-your-bones zone, you are welcomed by the warmth of your home, maybe a fire, and a hot drink to settle in with when you arrive home.

What if you had nowhere to escape?

Worse yet, imagine you were out in the cold without the warmth of a hat, gloves, or a scarf.

Let’s think of the children whose families can’t afford these simple luxuries of warmth.

You can’t knit a hat?

I get it!

Those double-pointed needles are a pain in the rear, aren’t they?

That is why I thought a simple knitted headband would be a great option for gift-giving and for a quick gift to share with those in need.

In fact,I highly recommend knitting a few of these for your homeless care packages to keep in your car.

Here are a few questions that I get asked a lot when it comes to knitting!

Bluprint Craft Box for Knitting

I Want to Learn to Knit. Where Can I Learn How to Knit?

Want to learn how I learned how to knit?

A good friend taught me.

She had all of her friends over that wanted to learn and I was one of the only ones that took this skill and has never stopped.

I am also pretty darn lucky because my mother-in-law is a knitter and has helped me through many of my more complex problems.

If I didn’t have these resources, I would take courses online that fit with my schedule.

Here are 5 of my recommendations on how to learn to knit. If you want to give your family a gift idea, consider asking for a gift card to cover your classes!

Skillshare

Honestly, this is going to be your most affordable option for knitting courses and I use my membership ALL THE TIME.

The best part is that you don’t have to be limited to just knitting.

This platform has classes for EVERYTHING. I have been taking an amazing weaving course through this that has helped me get started on my loom.

For business, I have been learning how to work on technical aspects of my site.

I can’t recommend it enough. In fact, this link should give you two months of free classes to get you started.

Bluprint Classes

I ask for Bluprint classes almost every Christmas (and for my birthday) and absolutely love them.

I have taken courses on knitting, cake decorating, and even food photography classes so I can do a better job showing food off for you here.

They are constantly running specials so it is easy to find an affordable class. If you like them, they also offer unlimited monthly class memberships too.

All Free Knitting

If you are on a budget, you can use this free resource to learn to knit. This is still set up as an organized course series, but costs you zero bucks.

YouTube always helps, as a great assistant, when using free online classes. I still pull up videos all the time to learn more complex stitches.

Bluprint Craft Box Subscription

Again, this is one of those fantastic gift ideas to ask for.

Bluprint (formerly Craftsy) curates incredible craft boxes that give you the supplies and everything you need to get started with a craft project.

They send you supplies, instructions, and everything you need to try a new craft. You get sent four boxes a year to learn new craft skills.

The best part?

It also includes a premium subscription so you can take unlimited online classes too.

How Do I Pick the Right Yarn for My Knitting Projects?

The yarn aisle can be very intimidating to new knitters. I can’t tell you how many times I have assisted fellow craft store shoppers with finding the right yarns for their projects.

Yarn can be light and delicate or super chunky and bulky (like the project that we are doing today).

Without getting TOO technical, the Craft Yarn Council assigns numbers to yarn that tell you what type of weight they are (you can see their detailed chart online) and these numbers can range from 0 (which would be perfect for knitting lace) all the way up to 7 (which would be used in a pattern like this chunky knit blanket I made).

At the top of the pattern, you should see what yarn weight category is recommended. While this pattern did call for 7, I felt like it became too wide and turban like (for my head) so I used a bulky weight of 5.

What is a Yarn Lot Number and Why Should I Care About It?

For small projects, you might not need to worry about this as much, but you can still end up with two balls of yarn with the same color name, but NOT be the same color.

Why?

Yarns with the same dye lot number were all dyed at the same time. Dying is a chemical reaction and that can make items dyed at different times turn out differently, even if the dye recipe was identical from one dyeing session to the next.

I could go into crazy details, but I don’t think it is important for this project.

What you should know is that it is almost impossible to get an exact match between yarns dyed in different dyeing sessions.

I am not talking about just pretty artisan yarn either, I’m talking about the big brands, like Lion Brand or Red Heart, can also have completely different dye jobs.

It happened to me once when I was whipping up a pom-pom wreath for the holidays.

Make sure that the yarn you get has the same lot number on the package (you can usually just find it by purchasing your yarn all at one store).

If you don’t, you could end up with unintended variations in your finished work.

I Have Arthritis and Hand Pain. What Can I Use to Minimize My Pain While Knitting?

If you are just stopping by from Pinterest, you might be unfamiliar with my story. I have chronic pain in my hands and elbows from a connective tissue disease.

For three years, I stopped knitting because I just couldn’t get my fingers to cooperate.

I am back to knitting (which I’m incredibly grateful for) and these are the tools that helped.

Curable– This app has been transformative for my pain. It uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help you retrain your brain and the pain signals it is sending. It has done more for me than anything else because I am learning to reroute the bad signals to my hands. This takes time and practice, but I’m thankful for a drug-free way to reduce my hand pain.

Oval Ring Splints– Oval rings can act as supporters to your fingers and are one of my most relied upon tools through hand pain. Since they are made from plastic, they can fit/not fit based on weather conditions and inflammation. I recommend one of these sets because it allows you to switch sizes based on the swelling in the joints.

Arthritis Compression Gloves– Compression is your BFF when you have chronic pain and compression gloves are so helpful for arthritis or for Raynaud’s Syndrome. I find that it restores warmth to the tips of my fingers and also feels very comforting to have them compressed.

Ergonomic Knitting Needles– While I haven’t made the investment in these (yet), I do think that this is one more thing you could explore to improve your comfort levels.

Take breaks, as needed, and be patient with yourself. I know how frustrated and sad I was about this. I hope these suggestions can help you as much as they have helped me.

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern

How to Cable: Free Knitted Ear Warmers Pattern from MomAdvice.com

Supplies Needed

Any Bulky Yarn (My top preferences for this project are the Lion Brand Hometown USA & Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick)

US 11 Bamboo Needles

US 10 Double-Pointed Needles (you just need one!)

Optional: Stitch Counter (to help you stay on pattern)

How to Cable: Free Knitted Ear Warmers Pattern from MomAdvice.com

(video below)

Trying to show you how to cable in a picture tutorial was a little impossible so today so I thought I would do a video.

I am so terrible at videos so please forgive me.

I’m off to a conference this week where I am hoping to learn more about doing these better for you all- it’s one of those work challenges I need to learn to tackle.

I know how helpful it can be to show these techniques in a video. Scroll to the end of this post to watch!

This cable is called a Shadow cable.

In this pattern, we will be bringing three stitches in front with our double-pointed needle and three stitchescabled laterbehind our work.

This cabling adds a double layer of warmth in this pattern and I’d love for you to scroll down to the bottom so that you can see how I do this.

How to Cable: Free Knitted Ear Warmers Pattern from MomAdvice.com

Cable needles look like this and I have a ton of them.

I hate them.

I usually lose my stitches and I find it difficult to transfer stitches especially when it comes to bulky yarn.

You can certainly buy them,but I recommend just doing a double-pointed needle one size down from the work to grab your stitches.

I am a big fan of bamboo because they grip the yarn so well especially when moving stitches around.

It’s the only type of needles I knit with!

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern from MomAdvice.com

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern from MomAdvice.com in Red

 

Not only are these quick to knit (they shouldn’t take you more than two hours!), but I think they look pretty fashionable too. I have noticed that many stores are now carrying these in their hair accessories.

Can we also acknowledge how cute the girls have it these days with hair accessories?

The aisles are filled with gorgeous patterned headbands, head wraps, turban headbands, and hair clips.

It has been so fun seeing the revival, for my daughter, of those adorable scrunchies and wide headbands.

I bet your tween or teen girl would love this homemade gift!

For gals with long hair, ear warmers are a dream for keeping your locks in place.

For ponytail days, you can just pull your hair through a hair band and still have warm ears.

I gave them a test run on the most miserable weather day which is ALWAYS, ALWAYS Halloween.

My husband was freezing, but I was delightfully warm thanks to these cozy ear warmers.

The cabling really adds a double warmth to them.

For particularly rotten Indiana days (I know they are coming), you can layer this under your hat for extra ear protection.

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern from MomAdvice.com in Blue

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern from MomAdvice.com

 

 

 

Can you just imagine the warmth you can give this season to someone in need?

This little project is fast to memorize and easy to execute with a good audiobook (can I recommend our books section to you?) or with a great big Netflix binge (I’m sure you can find loads of recommendations on my 3 Little Things list).

Thank you to Nancy Ricci for sharing her beautiful Vanessa Headband Pattern for free with the Ravelry community- I am so honored to share her pattern with you today!

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE PATTERN AND TUTORIAL!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This post contains affiliate links.

Love this knitted gifted idea? Here are a few more posts I think you will love!

DIY Chunky Knit Hygge Blanket diy chunky knit blanket (big fat hygge free blanket pattern)

7 easy scarves and cowls to knit this fall 7 free patterns for scarves and cowls to knit this fall

How to Make Knitted Wine Hats & Scarves Wine Toppers how to knit wine bottle hats & scarves for hostess gifts (great way to use scrap yarn!)

knitted coffee cozy sweater tutorial how to make a knitted sweater coffee cozy (these make fun teacher gifts!)

Free Knitted Ear Warmer Pattern Download HERE:Vanessa Headband Pattern by Nancy Ricci

Check out my video below to see just how easy it is to cable with your double-pointed needle!

Visit our Knitting section for more great ideas and be sure to friend me on Ravelry! You can also pick up my beautiful knitted boot cuff kit in stores RIGHT NOW! Happy knitting!

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern from MomAdvice.com

Ear Warmer Headband Knitting Pattern from MomAdvice.com Header

 
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How to Knit a Scarf for Fall (FREE Scarf and Cowl Knitting Patterns)

Monday, November 4th, 2019

Are you looking for a few quick knitting projects? Today I’m sharing a few of my favorite free knitting patterns to make a quick easy cowl, an infinity scarf, and more. From super bulky knitted cowls to pretty ruffled scarves, I have 7 great patterns for you today!

I was madly in love with scarf knitting when I first began to knit.

Knitted scarves are a fabulous way to learn pattern, try stitches you have never tried before, and can be an elegant (and frugal) gift to give when the holiday season rolls around. 

I have spent many days learning the techniques of different stitch patterns that now, many of these feel like an old friend. The first stitch pattern I mastered was, of course, garter stitch. After that, I knitted a seed stitch and worked my way out to a more complex lace cowl.

Have you always wanted to learn to knit a scarf? This is a great time to start thinking about asking for knitting classes for Christmas.

I love doing courses through Skillshare because their memberships are super affordable.

Want to try out a Skillshare membership? Here is a coupon for two months of free classes to get you started!

I love to knit scarves and I want to share with you 7 fun patterns to add to your knitting projects. Each of these is uniquely special and the patterns are free!

It may not feel like scarf season just yet, but for knitters, it is time to start our engines for holiday knitting.

Each year I try to knit a scarf for our teachers, friends, and family.

I already have my eyes on a few new patterns to try for this year, but wanted to share with you a few of my favorite scarves I have done in years past and how to package them for gift-giving this year.

Are you my friend on Ravelry?

If not, I would love to be friends! My username is momadvice on there. I am always looking for new friends to knit with and share project ideas!

 

How to Knit a Scarf for Fall (FREE Scarf and Cowl Knitting Patterns)

(don’t forget to download the Rakuten app to get cash back on all of your craft purchases)

 

How to Knit a Ruffled Lace Scarf from MomAdvice.com

I knitted three of these ruffled scarves last year and all of them turned out so pretty!

These ruffled scarves are definitely a statement piece, meant to add a punch of femininity to your winter coat!

I made one in this light gray for a friend, one in a charcoal gray for my sister, and one in ivory for my mom. I am determined to knit one of these in a fun jewel tone this year for myself.

How to Knit a Ruffled Lace Scarf from MomAdvice.com

How to Knit a Ruffled Lace Scarf from MomAdvice.com

How to Knit a Ruffled Lace Scarf from MomAdvice.com

Beautifully Ruffled Lace Scarves

Pattern:

Ruffle Lace Scarf by Suzie Blackman

Needle Size:

US 10 Needles (40″ circular needles)

Yarn:

Caron Simply Soft in Heather Gray (or a thin worsted weight yarn)

What You Should Know About This Ruffled Lace Scarf Pattern:

If you want a scarf that is wildly impressive, can be created with a single ball of yarn, and looks like a million bucks than this scarf would be the perfect gift to give this holiday season.

It is a very mindless knit, but is an INSANE amount of stitches, especially in the last two rows (over one thousand stitches!).

The beauty of this scarf though is that you only need to know how to knit, purl, and yarn over to create it.

The twisting is created by knitting the scarf lengthwise, rather than width-wise and through the series of yarn overs.

As pictures above show, you can see that it is really hard to see your stitches, let alone if it is actually going to twist.

The good news is, as you cast off, you will see that scarf naturally twists, making that beautiful ruffled twist.

This one is definitely a statement piece and is also a statement of your absolute love for whoever you might make it for!

I followed the pattern that is linked above, but added four more rows to give the scarf a fuller appearance. I repeated rows 11-14 two times before I started rows 15-16. I am really glad I did and love the lush fullness of this scarf.

How to Knit a Gorgeous Gathered Scarf Pattern from MomAdvice.com

Gorgeous Gathered Scarves

Pattern:

Gathered Scarf by Maryse Roudier

Needle Size:

US 4 & US 7

Yarn:

Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Lime

What You Should Know About This Gathered Scarf Pattern:

I knitted two of these beautiful scarves in a soft lime green and in ivory for my sister and one for a friend as holiday gifts and they both wore them often with their winter coats.

This was the first time I attempted anything that ruffled or gathered, and thought it would be a fun pattern for someone who just wants to start trying a pattern with some texture in it.

This pattern is so easy for a beginner and was a gift that was loved by both of them. 

You actually use two different needle sizes to create the gathered effect on these scarves which added beautiful detail and a bit of ruffling to the scarves.

I loved that the cotton is so stretchy and soft.

I would definitely recommend this pattern especially to a beginner who is looking to add a little variation to the traditional scarf!

How to Knit the Merci Scarf Pattern for Men from MomAdvice.com

 

Merci Scarf

Pattern:

Merci Scarf by Susan Rainey

Needle Size:

US 8 Needles (I used size US 9 needles, which created a little bit wider scarf, but you could use the US 8’s that are recommended)

Yarn:

Premier Yarns Serenity Chunky Weight in Molten Lava (2.5 skeins)

How to Knit the Merci Scarf Pattern for Men from MomAdvice.com

How to Knit the Merci Scarf Pattern for Men from MomAdvice.com

What You Should Know About This Merci Pattern:

This scarf is so simple and fast to whip up that it would make the perfect gift to give to any man in your life. The super bulky yarn and simple stitch pattern make it one of those scarves that is easy to have on the knitting needles.

This pattern is one that you can complete while watching your favorite shows on television and is almost impossible to get off track. 

This yarn was also perfect for creating a really warm scarf, perfect for our Midwest winters. 

I would recommend this scarf pattern for a beginning knitter or for a last minute gift for someone special in your life!

I made these for my husband and brother and they both wore them every day.

It made me so proud to see my knits were loved by them and to know they were wrapped in something that I made just for them.

How to Knit An Anthropologie Inspired Scarflet from MomAdvice.com

 

Anthropologie-Inspired Scarflets

Pattern:

Anthro-Inspired Scarflet (available as a free Ravelry download with your free Ravelry membership) by Kim Seio & Lydia Flowers (optional, for embellishment) or cute buttons.

Needle Size:

US 8 Needles (straight) for both the flowers and the scarflet

Yarn:

Premier Yarns Chunky Weight in Pristine (scarf) & Yarn Bee Boucle Traditions in Black (for the first scarf) & Premier Yarns Chunky Weight in Brown with simple ivory button threaded with pink embroidery thread (for the second scarf)

How to Knit An Anthropologie Inspired Scarflet from MomAdvice.com

How to Knit An Anthropologie Inspired Scarflet from MomAdvice.com

How to Knit An Anthropologie Inspired Scarflet from MomAdvice.com

What You Should Know About This Anthropologie-Inspired Scarflet Pattern:

I followed the sizing and increases that ilikecookies(another Ravelry member) had shared in her pattern.

She said, “Increased until 30 stitches, worked 15 rows even until ribbed section and knit 15 rows of ribbing to make a slightly larger scarflet.”

I added a black Lydia Flower (size small) with a red button center to finish it or colorful buttons with contrasting embroidery thread to finish!

Next time I make this, I will have to write on the label though that these were scarfs.

The teachers thought they might be hats…which I guess you could do too! 

Regardless, I got such wonderful compliments and tried to make each of them unique with flower embellishments or different unique buttons and colored embroidery threads on each one.

Want to take your gift to the next level? Invest in a personalized stamp that lets the recipient know that their gift was handmade.

How to Knit a Dolce Neck Cozy Pattern

 

Dolce Neck Cozy

Pattern:

Dolce Neck Cozy by Fiddle Knits Designs

Needle Size:

US 9 Needles (straight)

Yarn:

Bamboospun Natural Bamboo Yarn (purchased at Hobby Lobby)

How to Knit a Dolce Neck Cozy Pattern

How to Knit a Dolce Neck Cozy Pattern

How to Knit a Dolce Neck Cozy Pattern

What You Should Know About This Dolce Neck Cozy Pattern:

This was one of my first projects when I learned to knit and would be a perfect project for a newbie knitter. 

At the time I had no idea how to do buttonholes or how to knit with two strands of yarn so this was what I was able to do with my limited knitting knowledge.

I completed the Dulce #2 (Browns) Pattern. This took almost all 148 yards, but I knitted loosely so I would not have to make the buttonhole.

I opted for one button instead of two and chose a black wooden button to bring the cowl together.

This would be a great pattern to take on a trip because it has only one row of real pattern and alternates only between two rows one of purling and one of pattern.

It has a herringbone type of look to it and looks far more complicated than it is.

Thanks to the large needles, it is an easy cowl pattern to whip up.

I made this in bamboo which was so soft, it felt just like a blanket.

This is a great project for instant gratification!

It is a wonderful pattern for a newbie knitter in understanding yarn overs.

How to Knit the Rainy Day Scarf Pattern from MomAdvice.com

 

 

Rainy Day Scarf

Pattern:

Rainy Day Scarf by Beth Collins

Needle Size:

US 9 Needles (straight)

Yarn:

Bernat Cottontots in Strawberry

How to Knit the Rainy Day Scarf Pattern

What You Should Know About This Rainy Day Scarf Pattern

I remember being so darn proud of these scarves because these were my first scarves that I had ever knitted and gave as gifts to our kids teachers.

This is a great pattern because it is easy and straightforward for a beginning knitter because you only need to know how to do the purl and knit stitches.

This scarf was packaged with my homemade cocoa mix and vanilla chai mix in a green and lovely way… in those old Crystal Light containers.

Isn’t that a great upcycle?

I used some holiday gift wrap to cover them and tied a gift tag with some raffia around the drink mix containers.

These are ideal, particularly for teacher gifts, because I don’t have to worry that my children will break the jars in route to school.

Waterproof and airtight, it keeps the drink mix nice and safe. With a handmade or store-bought scarf, it makes a perfectly cozy gift to give.

How to Package a Knitted Scarf from MomAdvice.com

How to Package Up Your Handmade Scarves for Gift-Giving

For a sweet and simple gift idea, tuck a small denominator gift card in the pocket where the scarf slides in or tie it with a little ribbon or yarn to your handmade item.

I made a stack of these for our teacher gifts last year and each one had a $5 Starbucks gift card tucked into the pocket that was created in the scarflet.

I also finish all of my knitted gifts with fun homemade gift tags.

I used my Cricut to create the rounded rectangle template. I made these simple tags out of ivory card stock or you can just buy a package of tags to add to your handmade gifts.

As a holiday treat to myself last Christmas, I bought myself a personalized stamp and, I have to say, it really added that professional touch to my gifts! 

They have one for knitters and one for crocheters too.

Happy knitting, friends!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This post contains affiliate links.

Looking for more great knitted gift ideas? Here are a few of my favorites!

How to Make Knitted Wine Toppers from MomAdvice.com how to make knitted wine bottle hats and scarves for hostess gifts

DIY Chunky Knit Hygge Blanket how to knit a big fat hygge blanket (DIY Chunky Knit Blanket)

Knitted Leaves Centerpiece how to make a knitted leaf centerpiece with branches & scrap yarn 

How to Make Knitted Sweater Coffee Cozies from MomAdvice.com how to knit sweater coffee cozies for gifts

Have you knitted any of the scarves we featured today? I’d love to hear about your knitting projects!

7 Easy Scarves and Cowls to Knit from MomAdvice.com

7 Easy Scarves and Cowls to Knit from MomAdvice.com

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How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath

Tuesday, October 29th, 2019

How to Make a Yarn Pom Pom Wreath from MomAdvice.com

I know everyone is very different about their decorating.

In my house, I try to only decorate with items that I have handmade for the holidays and that really mean something to our family.

Our home doesn’t have a lot of storage so I have to be selective about what we carry over from year to year.

In a nod to my yarn and knitting habit, this year the house is decorated in pom-poms for the season.

I created this easy yarn pom-pom & ornament garland and I got out my yarn pom-pom trees that I had created, to decorate a shelf in our kitchen.

Other than that, we keep it fairly simple with fresh greenery that doesn’t take up valuable storage.

Each year I dedicate my Black Friday to one craft that I have always wanted to try.

When I first started knitting it was all about finding projects out of my comfort zone.

This year though,  I decided to tackle a crafting to-do that I have wanted to do for many, many years…it is a pom-pom wreath for our front door.

Just as my autumn burlap wreath carried me through from Halloween to Thanksgiving, this pom-pom wreath in cream has all of the magic of the holiday season, but can be carried over into the spring months due to its neutral tones.

This craft can’t be whipped up quick, but the reward is great.

In fact, I smiled today as I pulled up to my front door.

Just seeing it and knowing the labor of love that went into creating it makes my heart truly happy.

If you are a maker, you know the joy that comes with the completion of a craft project you have always wanted to do and then have done it well. It’s unlike any other feeling.

I also ADORE when you share your pictures of crafts that you have done from our site.

If you are looking for a little color on your door, check out this INCREDIBLE wreath that Christy made. 

I mean, how gorgeous is that??

Thank you, Christy, for letting me share your beautiful wreath with my readers.

How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath

How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath from MomAdvice.com

How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath from MomAdvice.com

Supplies Needed (don’t forget to use your Rakuten app to get money back on your craft purchases!):

1- 18″ straw wreath (leave it wrapped in the plastic)

5-6 skeins of Lion Brand Hometown USA Los Angeles Tan Yarn (you can also check for price comparisons HERE)

Pins

Large Clover Pom-Pom Maker (we are using the blue one)- be sure to check here for a price comparison

Scissors

wreath door hanger

Directions

How to Use a Pom-Pom Maker

How to Use a Pom-Pom Maker1. Following the pictures above, create your pom-poms using your Clover Pom-Pom Maker.

You can create these and pin as you go to see how many you end up needing for your wreath.

2. After you make your pom-poms (which will take one million years- don’t say I did not warn you), you can begin pinning them on your wreath form.

Make sure that you leave your straw wreath in the plastic.

Using pins, pin your pom-poms with two to three pins each and then fluff them.

You will want to start adding a pom-pom in the center, then on one side, then on the other side.

Continue stacking them this way, next to each other, making sure that the form is covered.

No need to make these extremely tight so you can make sure that your pom-poms really fluff up and stand to attention.

3. Continue adding pom-poms, pinning, and fluffing until your entire wreath is covered.

Once you hang your wreath, pull on pom-poms to see if everything is secure and add any pins as needed.

How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath from MomAdvice.com

How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath from MomAdvice.com

How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath from MomAdvice.com

I hope this wreath makes you as happy as it has made me.

I couldn’t be happier to have tackled this project over my Black Friday weekend and I hope it can brighten a corner in your home too!

this post contains affiliate links

Love this tutorial? Here are a few more of my favorites on the site!

how to make a pom-pom and ornament garland

yarn pom-pom & ornament garland

DIY Chunky Knit Hygge Blanket how to knit a chunky knit hygge blanket with fur pom poms

yarn pom-pom flower bouquets

how to make yarn pom pom trees

yarn pom-pom trees

how to make an autumn burlap wreath from momadvice.com

autumn burlap wreath

how to make a burlap wreath

easy burlap wreath

diy apple fall wreath

fabric flower wreath

fabric scrap wreath & fabric scrap garland

how to paint laminate wood

tour all the winter crafts in my holiday home

What fun crafts do you do with yarn pom-poms? Let me know in the links below!

How to Make a Yarn Pom Pom Wreath from MomAdvice.com

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DIY Chunky Knit Blanket

Sunday, October 6th, 2019

Big Fat Hygge Blanket Free Pattern

 

Are you ready for your next quick project? This knit throw is made with chunky yarn, big knitting needles, and a little faux fur to finish. This warm and cozy project is affordable and happens to make beautiful Christmas gifts. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to make a big fat hygge blanket of your own.

It has been a long time since I’ve shared a knitting project with you. I’ve had difficulty with hand pain, for the past couple of years, so I had to take a break. I’m so thrilled to be feeling better though and am SO excited to share with you a super easy hand knit blanket.

Blankets can be labor intensive, but this one can be finished in just a few evenings, thanks to this super bulky yarn!

These chunky knit blankets have been catching my eye A LOT on Etsy. Most of these are made with a chunky , merino wool roving yarn that create big beautiful stitches. They also cost a pretty penny to purchase or even to diy yourself.

I stumbled upon the Bernat Blanket Big yarn, on a recent trip to the craft store, and absolutely loved the feel of it. This is, honestly, the coziest yarn and I knew it would make the perfect blanket.

Originally, I had planned to cable knit this blanket, but I quickly realized that working with these big needles and yarn made it difficult to work with and the thickness felt unnecessary.

I inspected a few of the patterns, sold online, and noticed that most offered a 2 x 2 ribbing or they were knitted in a simple stockinette stitch (knitting one row, purling the next, knitting one row, purling the next, etc..)

I settled on the 2 x 2 rib, mostly because I find it slightly more impressive and I like the variation in the stiching.

I’m nicknaming this blanket, “the big fat hygge blanket,” because I’m ALL ABOUT THE HYGGE in the winter time.

Not familiar with hygge?

In Danish culture, hygge refers to coziness , comfort, and a general feeling of contentment. When I think of hygge, I think of warm drinks, cozy slippers, a big stack of books, tea, and a big blanket.

Even as I knitted this blanket, I was feeling all the hygge feelings because this yarn is so darn cozy.

I have never arm knitted a blanket, but I do know that many people use this strategy to knit blankets like these. 

Instead, I bought some big needles (here is my exact pair) and knitted the blanket that way.

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com

My kids thought that these needles were a decoration for our home and got a big laugh out of seeing me use these.

Seriously, they are so big that they could be hung as decorative art, like people do with oars or surfboards.

No one was laughing though when the blanket was finished and they all wanted one for themselves.

Who is laughing now, kids? 

I even got my first birthday request from my girl and have a big stack of pink yarn to knit through next.

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com

How to Knit a DIY Chunky Blanket

Here are a few tips for knitting a super chunky blanket of your own!

Master All the Basic Techniques

If you are a brand new knitter, WELCOME TO THE CLUB! Bulky projects are super satisfying because of how quickly you can make them. I love this super simple illustrated guide to explain basic knitting techniques. You can also learn a lot through YouTube, Bluprint, or Skillshare.

Personally, I’m addicted to Skillshare because of its affordability and the variety of classes offered. It is how I have been learning about loom knitting AND about digital marketing. 

I’m a girl with many hats.

I find this yarn is hard to see the stitches, but still wanted to show you a few of the basic techniques with your Bernat Blanket Big Yarn!

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com

here is a picture tutorial on how to cast on your yarn for your diy chunky blanket

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com

here is a picture tutorial on how to do the knit stitch

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com

here is a picture tutorial on how to do the purl stitch

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com Do you see how differently these two stitches look? Two have humps and two don’t. Not only does this help you with your counting, but it also gives you an indication of what row you are working on. After you do your first row, flip your work, and take a peek at the back. This will help you if you lose track of your even and odd numbered rows.

Learn the 2×2 Ribbing Pattern Before You Start

If you have never done a 2×2 pattern, try practicing this with a smooth thin yarn and smaller knitting needles. Since this yarn is super bulky, it can be difficult to see what you are doing on the back of your work and this practice project will help you figure out what this will look like.

Normally, a 2 x 2 ribbing is set in multiples of 4 (K2, P2). Since we want this blanket to begin and end on our two knitted stitches, the blanket pattern has added 2 additional stitches (written separately like this- K2, *P2, K2*) so we end and start our rows with 2 knit stitches.

Make Sure You Understand the Pattern Fully- This is a fun beginner project, but you might be confused what certain abbreviations mean. I know that I was when I first started knitting and had to look a lot of terms up.

For this pattern, you will need to know these abbreviations:

CO- Cast on

K- Knit

K2- Knit two stitches

P- Purl

P2- Purl two stitches

*blah, blah, blah*- This means that the pattern will be repeating. In our pattern, for example, it is a *P2, K2* so we will want to repeat what is between those asterisks until the next direction in our pattern. In the case of this pattern, you will just be doing the *P2, K2* or *K2, P2* all the way to the end. How easy is that?

Keep Your Stitches Loose

You do not want to cast your stitches on tightly or knit them tightly because it makes it very hard to slip your needles in and out. Try to maintain consistency so your stitches look similar throughout the project.

Are you ready to get knitting? Follow the directions below or scroll all the way to the end for a free printable pattern.

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket

Supplies Needed (super saver tip- make sure you are signed up with Rakuten to get cash back on your craft purchases)

4 skeins of Bernat Blanket Big Yarn

U.S. 50 Knitting Needles

Big Eye Wooden Needle for threading yarn

Faux Fur Pom-Pom Balls (optional)

Directions

Cast on 18 stitches

Row 1- K2, *P2, K2* to end

Row 2- P2 *K2, P2* to end

Repeat Row 1 on all odd-numbered rows.

Repeat Row 2 on all even-numbered rows.

Repeat until you come close to the end of your fourth skein.

Cast off LOOSELY and finish with fur accents, homemade tassels, or even four yarn pom-poms. I have the ultimate yarn pom pom tutorial, if you haven’t tried making these before! These would be beautiful in an accent color. I love the Lion Brand chunky yarn, in particular, for a fat pom-pom.

Good luck tackling this fun project! 

Want a printable version of this? Well, here you go!

DIY Chunky Blanket FREE Pattern from MomAdvice.com

If you have caught the knitting, bug I have loads more knitting and yarn projects to check out!

how to knit a chunky cowl

how to knit a chunky cowl

Knitted Baby Viking Hat Pattern knitted baby viking hat pattern

knitted wine hats and scarves

Knitted Sweater Coffee Cozies knitted sweater coffee cozies

How to Make a Yarn Pom Pom Wreath how to make a yarn pom pom wreath

Happy crafting friends! 

*this post contains affiliate links*

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DIY Yarn Wrapped Letters Tutorial

Tuesday, March 12th, 2019

Create a beautiful wall display with letters and scrap yarn. This Anthropologie-inspired craft really adds a beautiful element to any home. This tutorial will show you step-by-step how to achieve a wall display of your own!

There are a few decorations in our home that have stood their test of time and the wall display in our bedroom remains one of those tried-and-true craft projects that I still love today.

I love to create projects that can be great stash-busters for the knitter AND a great yarn project for someone who doesn’t knit, but would love to have those textures in their home. Today’s project requires zero knitting skills and is simple enough that you could yarn-wrap those letters with your child.

I can’t wait to show you how easy it is to make this yarn display for a wall in your home.

Additions to my home, like these, really bring that Anthropologie shopping experience right in my home. It is, in fact, a lot of the inspiration for the crafts I try to do around here!

Let’s get started!

How to Yarn-Wrap Letters


Supplies Needed

23.5” paper mache letters that spell LOVE  (or your word of choice)

6 skeins of bulky yarn (the back of the packaging should tell you the weight of the yarn)

Scissors

Hot Glue/Tape, or even a Thumbtack for securing yarn in place

Large Package of clear 3M hooks for damage-free mounting

 

Directions

To begin, grab a skein of yarn and begin wrapping your letters in one direction (I started going up and down first).

Do your best to cover the letter in that direction and feel free to cut and secure yarn on the back as you go to cover the entire letter.

You can begin and end the securing of your yarn with a thumbtack, a piece of clear tape, or a little dab of hot glue.

Once you have covered the letter to the best of your ability, now begin wrapping the yarn in the other direction.

Navigating around detailed corners will be tricky. Don’t be afraid to stop and start the yarn to wrap the letters. I found that the corners were a bit bulkier to try to cover, but no one will notice that.

For the last letter, utilize all the ends of each of your skeins to create a scrappy letter from the three colors used in your L,O, and V.

I tried to layer the colors in places, securing again with a little hot glue, tape or thumbtacks for starting and finishing these wrapped places.

I also added a few knitted accessories to my last letter. The same idea could be achieved with fabric, interesting buttons, or purchased accessories. The possibilities are limitless and can fit your own style.

To mount them, I used clear 3M hooks, and used a razor blade to cut an “X” in the back of the cardboard letter to create a spot to hide the hook internally. Some of the letters could be mounted with just one hook (like the O) while others require d two or three hooks to secure.

The best part is that you can move your letters around or remount the hooks if you struggle with getting everything level.

These won’t damage your walls and when you get tired of this display, you can remove them and try something else.

bed from overstock (if you can believe it!!)

DIY Yarn Wrapped Letters Tutorial from MomAdvice.com

As you can see from my giant display, I tend to go all out when I tackle projects like this, but you could definitely use smaller letters and thinner yarn to make this display of LOVE on a smaller scale.

Anybody else want to curl up and read Little House with me?

Love this yarn project? We have SO many more fun ways to use yarn on the site!

check out this viral sensation- how to make a pom-pom wreath

diy yarn trees (make in different colors for different seasons!)

6-stitch knitted ruffle scarf

knitted leaf centerpiece (made from scraps and twigs!)

quick & easy knitted boot cuffs

knitted sweater coffee cozies

how to make a pom-pom flower bouquet

 

This is one of those projects that you can make all your own and I hope you share your interpretation with us! xo

This post contains affiliate links.

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower Bouquet

Thursday, April 14th, 2016

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower Bouquet

As Mother’s Day approaches, I thought it would be fun to revisit one of my favorite crafts that I did with my daughter (a fellow expert pom-pom maker!). What a great way to use up scraps of yarn! xo

 

What could be a better gift for Mother’s Day than a bouquet of pom pom posies that you can enjoy all year long? You won’t believe how easy it is to make pom pom flowers for a special mom in your life. Walmart challenged us to come up with a fun Mother’s Day project that anyone can do for someone special in their life and we are so excited to show you how easy (and thrifty!) this little project is!

Supplies Needed:

Scrap yarn in any color (we used scrap yarn from my overflowing yarn bin)
Hot Glue Gun
Glue Sticks
Scissors
Large Clover Pom-Pom Maker
Wilton Cookie Sticks (over in the cake decorating supplies aisle)
Jar

How to Use the Clover Pom-Pom MakerHow to Use the Clover Pom-Pom MakerHow to Use the Clover Pom-Pom MakerHow to Use the Clover Pom-Pom Maker

How to Use the Clover Pom-Pom Maker

Directions:

 

1. Make an assortment of Pom-Poms using your desired method of pom-pom creating. Follow my picture tutorial above if you would like to use the Clover Pom-Pom Maker that I discovered.

Why I Am Using The Clover Pom-Pom Makers: I have tried every thrifty known method for making pom-poms from cardboard, to forks, to compact discs. To make this bouquet of posies, I decided to see if I could find a gadget to help me and I cannot rave about this Clover Pom-Pom Maker enough. It is the perfect tool to add to your arsenal if you are making pom poms and it is simple enough that my 7 year-old could use it.

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower Bouquet

2. Open a package of cookie sticks and remove one from the package. Begin wrapping yarn around the cookie stick, covering all of the white parts. I start the yarn weaving the tail in at the top so that I don’t have to glue it at the top. It’s okay if there is a bit of white showing at the top because your pom-pom will cover it!

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower Bouquet

3. Once you are almost to the bottom of the stem, add a dab of hot glue and continue wrapping until you get to the bottom. Snip the end of the yarn that has been secured with the glue.

4. Add a dab of hot glue at the top of your stem and then secure a colored pom pom to the top. Hold in place for thirty seconds.

5. Gently bend your stem (gently or it will break) to create a more natural looking flower. Set aside and repeat this process with the rest of the flowers.

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower BouquetThat’s it!

TA-DA!

Easy yarn pom-pom posies that are sure to brighten any mom’s day! If you want to really make this cute gift stand out even more, here are a couple of more sweet ideas to really set the mood for a special mom in your life.

Pom-Pom Cupcake Topper

I went ahead and bought the Small Clover Pom-Pom Maker to show you how cute this one is for decorating a cupcake for a special mom in your life. We just hot glued this little cutie on the top of a toothpick and it only took a couple of minutes to add a little pom-pom magic to a store-bought cupcake!

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower Bouquet

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower BouquetWho could resist a gift as sweet as this?  Not only is it the perfect Mother’s Day gift, but it would make a sweet gift to celebrate any occasion. Pair these pom-pom posies with a gift certificate to pick up craft supplies for the crafty mom in your life.

I also joined Vine this weekend which is a fun app for making a quick 8 second video. Here is my 8 second video of my pom-pom making. I would like to disclose that I am in my favorite polka-dotted pajama pants here for this super professional tutorial!

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower Bouquet

Happy Pom-Pom Making, friends!

How to Make a Pom-Pom Flower Bouquet

walmart_mom_disclaimer

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3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards

Friday, December 18th, 2015

Tracking Pixel

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

 

I’ve really enjoyed sharing some new holiday gift-giving strategies and traditions that are important to our family with you.

Today I wanted to talk about a gift that I really struggle with… the gift card.

While practical in so many ways, I have found it difficult to make gift cards feel personal.

I want people to always know that when I give them a gift card, it isn’t because I don’t care about them to shop, but only that I want them to treat themselves to something they really love.

I can tell you that I don’t know a single girlfriend, sister, or mother that would object to a shoe gift card.

I may not know their shoe sizes to always shop for them personally, but I know that if I give them a gift card for shoes that they would be more than thrilled to peruse the shoe aisles for the perfect gift.

Bonus points if that gift card accompanied a gift card to their favorite coffee shop so they could sip while browsing.

Today I wanted to share with you 3 ways I have created to make a gift card to Shoe Carnival more personal and make it truly stand out!

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

(Shoes: Nicole Carleigh in Black)

Create a Snow Globe Jar

If you put anything in a jar, I think it instantly amplifies its level of awesomeness on any gift.

Jars are very inexpensive gifts to give and this little snowy-filled scene only took a couple of minutes to pull together and requires zero craft skills.

Simply add a little faux snow on the bottom with whatever you might have in your craft supplies or purchase those delicious rolls of snow they have out with all of the snow villages this time of year.

Place a little snow on the bottom, add an inexpensive ornament, and finish with a bottle brush tree. TADA!

With just a few moments you have created something really cute for their mantle out of items that they can use for their own holiday decorating or food storage.

Best of all, tucked underneath that blanket of white is a gift card to do a little shoe shopping!

WINNING!

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

 

Knit a Gift Card-igan

As you know, I am a knitter, so I always find fun ways to use my hobby for the holidays.

This year, I stumbled upon this amazing little pattern for a Gift Card-igan and knitted this out of a little scrap yarn I had left over from another project.

It is a perfectly gratifying project since it is so small in size and the pattern is easy enough to execute while watching holiday movies on the couch.

Whatever your craft skill set is, consider using it to create a unique gift card holder of your own.

Sewing, embroidery, decoupage, crochet… there are so many fun ways to incorporate your own crafting skills to make a gift card holder that is unique and special. It adds that personal touch to any gift you give and showcases your talents in such a fun way!

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

 

(Shoes: Crocs Cap Toe Rhinestone)

Add Our Free Holiday Sparkle

I’m all about the holiday sparkle from attire to the gifts I give.

These Crocs Cap Toe Rhinestone shoes add that holiday touch I love with their shiny cap toes and rhinestone embellishment.

Did I mention how comfy these are?

They are the perfect shoe for any gathering because you can be on your feet for days without any discomfort!

I found the same holds true for the Nicole Carleigh Boots I got, thanks to their low and wider heel.

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

Of course, sparkle can also be added to your gift and I wanted to share this fun printable that our designer, MJ from pars caeli, created just for you to add that personal touch to your gift card this year!

(scroll to the bottom for this freebie!)

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

 

I hope you can use a few of our ideas for your gift-giving needs this year!

3 Unique Ways to Package Gift Cards (GIVEAWAY With Shoe Carnival)

FREEBIES Galore:

FREE Colorful Cute Shoes Fund Envelope

FREE B&W Cute Shoe Funds Envelope

 

Happiest of holidays!

 

*This post was sponsored by Shoe Carnival.  Thank you for supporting the companies that support this site!

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The Big List of Handmade Gifts on Mom Advice

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015

Big List of Handmade Gifts on MomAdvice.com

Since you all know I’m a crafty girl, it’s probably not hard to figure out that handmade gifts are high on my list of great things to give and receive! Over the years on Mom Advice I have complied a pretty good size archive of crafts and ideas that make great gifts any time of year, can be made easily – and sometimes really quickly – and would be perfect for your holiday gifting needs. So I decided to put them all together in one big list (that I can easily add to in the future!) to make it easy for you to find them.

You’ll find something for everyone on this list – kids, teachers, friends, family, as well as DIY projects that work for every skill level- easy to a little more involved. But never difficult, I promise!

Here’s how I’m organizing the list (and the categories are in order, so if you’re looking for kid’s gift ideas, you’ll know to scroll to the bottom):

  • Crafty Gifts
  • Knitted Gifts
  • Food Gifts
  • Fashion & Pampering Gifts
  • Kids Gifts

Crafty Gifts

DIY Paint dipped spoons make a perfect hostess or Christmas gift!

Paint-Dipped Spoon Sets

DIY Personalized Stamped Pencils 

DIY Herb & Garden Markers

Easy DIY Terrarium

DIY Monogrammed Wine Glasses

DIY Slow cooker candles on MomAdvice

Slow Cooker Citronella Candles

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Candles

Vintage Book Page Art

Heart String Art on Wood (free template!)

Knitting/Crochet Needle Holder from Vintage Linens

Knitted Gifts

Knitted coffee cozies made a great, stash-busting gift!
Knitted Coffee Cozies

Knitted Sweater Coffee Cozies

Knitted Wine Bottle Hat & Scarf

2 Dishcloth Patterns: Circle & Chinese Waves

4 More Dishcloth Patterns (& Homemade Cleaners to pair them with)

2 Sweet Little Baby Blankets 

Make a pair of quick knitted boot cuffs tonight!
Quick & Easy Knitted Boot Cuffs

Knitted Dovetail Cowl

Ruffled Scarf with Sashay Yarn

Snowflake Scarf from Purl Soho

7 Easy Scarves & Cowls to Knit

Knitted Headbands

3 Scarves, 2 Fingerless Gloves & 1 Hat Pattern

Learn cabling and make a Headband ear warmer to keep or give away.
Cable Knitted Ear Warmers

Violet Ruffled Shawl

How to Make the Perfect Prayer Shawl

Knitted Gap-tastic Cowl

2 Kids Knitted Hat Patterns

Food Gifts

Make chocolate coffee covered spoons.

Chocolate Coffee Spoons

No-Bake Peppermint Cheesecakes in a Jar 

Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows

Sugar & Spice Nut Mix

Oreo Biscotti 

Gingerbread Biscotti

DIY grill seasonings plus free printable labels for gift giving!
Grilling Seasoning Mixes with Printable Labels

Easy Microwave Peanut Brittle

Drink Mixes: Creamy Hot Cocoa & Vanilla Chai Tea

Quick Breads with Printable Gift Tags

Vanilla Scented Granola

Homemade Mint-Truffle Coffee Creamer

Fashion & Pampering Gifts

How to make a blanket scarf - it's easy!
How to Make a Blanket Scarf 

DIY Fitbit Bracelet Tutorial

Easy Felt Fabric Brooch

T-Shirt Flowers

Rosette Bib Necklace Tutorial 

Add cute fabric flowers to slippers to make a personalized gift.

Slippers with DIY Interchangeable Fabric Flowers

Rolled Ribbon Rosette Hair Accessory

Sweet Ribbon Rings

DIY Mojito Bath Salts 

Peppermint Bath Salts & Oatmeal Cookie Bath Soak (+ Free Printable)

Kids Gifts

DIY Book Tote with free printable designs
Library Tote Bags with Free Printables

Knitted Princess Leia Hat

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Homemade Playdough

Kid’s Crafts: Painted Mugs

World’s Greatest Homemade Bubbles

 

See? That’s a lot! And you’ll want to pin this or bookmark it since I’ll be adding to it as I post more handmade gift ideas. Let’s get making!

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My Little Holiday Home Tour

Monday, November 30th, 2015

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

Can you believe that December is here? I am so excited to celebrate another holiday with my family in our home. You know bloggers that do those beautiful home tours? I am always in amazement at their beauty & style and it inspires me so much. Our ’60’s fixer upper has never felt blog tour worthy, but I started to think about the types of things that really appeal to me in my real life. They aren’t always the big and elaborate homes with loads of store-bought accessories or even what one might find Pinterest-worthy, but more simplistic in beauty & a nod towards homemade.

Doable stuff, that’s what I am after. I think that our home accomplishes those two things so well so I wanted to invite you in for a bit!

I hope you like coffee because that’s what we serve around here! Please leave your shoes at the door in our beautiful boot tray that I have left out for you. It’s usually one of the first things people remark on and I found that gem at Target years ago! It’s perfect for the narrowest of hallways like ours!

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

(bells: michaels)

Guess what? I will have already known you have arrived because I put bells on our door. Typically, I am more of a wreath girl, but I loved the minimalistic simplicity of these bells. I also happened to get them while they were 60% off  at Michael’s and I had a gift certificate to spend from my birthday so these babies were FREE. Yay! Welcome to our little house- we are awfully proud of it!

Pay no mind to our hideous yard and feel sad for our neighbors who must view it every day. Notice this is not a yard tour because, seriously, we aren’t that amazing at yard work.

Let’s just ignore it for now and move on into our front room where no televisions are allowed, only vinyl.

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

(sources: bucky cardboard deer head/yarn pom pom trees tutorial/every day i’m hustlin pillow/knitted leaves centerpiece tutorial/pillows (a daily deal)/curtains (a daily deal)/fabric-lined bookcases tutorial/ thumbtack pumpkin tutorial/charlie brown vinyl)

Here is a wide shot of our front room. I am leaving my mountain of knitted cabled earwarmer projects because I am too lazy to move them.

Now that I think about it, this is probably why I don’t get invited to do blog tours.

Hey, we live here!

We just had this room painted in my favorite Benjamin Moore Gray Owl paint color along with fresh ceilings, new trim, and the window trim painted. This was a much needed update to this tired old house. This is my favorite room in our home now because it houses our record player that was gifted to us by my husband’s father and all the light spills into this room making it warm & cozy in the winter.

Our favorite accessory is our deer (I even included him in our gift guide!). We have way too much fun with this cardboard deer and decided to move the furniture around to really put him on display because Bucky is the star of the show. I loved decking him out for the holidays, although there is rarely a day when Bucky isn’t decked out in some way. In fact, he looks ridiculous now without glasses.

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

(sources: love grows best in little houses pillow cover/eddie ross modern mix/vintage home ec trophy (similar)/ pom pom wreath tutorial/ laura ingall’s wilder collection reissued b&n classic (similar)/wuthering heights reissued b&n classic)

I wanted a creative spot to put our keys and found a vintage first place home economics trophy from the 60’s on etsy that I absolutely love for throwing our keys into.  Let’s face it, no one is giving me any awards around here so I have to award myself. Well done, self.  It’s not Christmas-y, but it is one of my favorite things in our house.

My pom pom wreath was so labor intensive that I never put it away and it is now a year-round addition. I find that happens with a lot of homemade goodness around here. When you work that hard on something you really should show it off!

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

(source: mrs. meyer’s everything/ painted desk with bookshelf tutorial/ painted kitchen table tutorial/painted kitchen cabinets tutorial/ barclay light gray armchairs/yellow metal dining chairs/furry throw/ornament wreath handmade/succulent wreath/ yarn pom pom garland tutorial/chalkboard)

I have found the addition of red to anything green instantly makes it feel like Christmas. I tacked on a few bows to my green wreaths so I don’t have to switch them out for a month and just wired them on with a little floral wire for easy removal. Instant holiday!

Our kitchen is transitioning slowly which can be hard to do for this go-getter, but the funds needed for a complete kitchen overhaul just aren’t there. I wasn’t ready to make a big financial commitment in a new table & chairs so we switched out chairs for now and added a fresh coat of paint to our 13 year-old table to make things feel new again. Those two things have brought a lot of contentment for me in this space.

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

(source: owl ornaments/ornaments/bells/plaid ribbon/have yourself a merry little christmas pillow- all from Michael’s! Grab your coupons!)

We divided and conquered our tree this year. The boys went tree shopping and the girls purchased fresh ornaments. Our fifteen year-old ornaments looked REALLY bad last year, but I thought my kids would appreciate the sentiments behind them.  When I “broke the news” that I thought we should get some new ornaments, Emily said, “OH GOOD! You mean we will have Santas for our tree with TWO LEGS?”

So….surprisingly, they did not care one bit.

My husband was the only one who was like, let’s still have a tree with Santas with only one leg, but he got vetoed by the three unsentimental people in the family.

I guess he can have a tree for his office with the Island of Misfit Ornaments and we will keep this shiny tree here for the fancy folks!

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My best friend said I should show you all this because she had never seen anyone do this before. I wire my ribbon garland to the tree limbs. I know it is completely OCD, but I never want it to move once I put it on. You can twist it there or just do what I do which is kind of bubble it up and then cinch it with an ornament hook. It makes it look super PROFESSIONAL. Which I am not.

When I was in high school I worked at a hardware store where we decorated trees every holiday season so I know a lot of things that seem useless like how to make bows and make garland stick and wrap lights around limbs like your life depends on it,  but these useless things definitely comes in handy around the holidays!

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

(source: bar cart tutorial/blanket scarf tutorial/forbidden desert/carcassonne/boss monster/tapple/ticket to ride/alvin & dexter/boss monster extension/love actually/white christmas/annie (don’t forget a treat!)/nightmare before christmas/yarn garland tutorial)

I switch the bar cart out for the season and it doubles as a great entertaining tool when hosting large groups in our home. Although our house is on the smaller size (about 1,500 square feet), we maximize every space with little storage ideas like this for our home. For the winter, it is loaded with our favorite board games, holiday movies, holiday puzzles, and all my vintage records that I collect from Goodwill for just a quarter each!
My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

(source: blanket scarf tutorial/diy painted laminate fireplace/furry throw/copper deer head (michael’s)/winter garland (michael’s)/storage ottoman)

The picture above the mantle distracted from the beautiful copper deer head so I covered it with one of my blanket scarves for the holiday. This little fireplace is probably one of the smartest home investments we have made. This is our sub-basement (our home is a quad level) so it can get chilly down here in my office. This addition not only added warmth, but it added a focal point to this room that wasn’t my work and desk.

The only bad part is feeling motivated to work when I have such a cozy spot to curl up in.

I mean…look at that focal point.

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

(source: yarn pom pom & ornament garland tutorial/yarn-wrapped letters tutorial/sherpa blanket/bed/nightstand/nobody puts baby in a corner pillow (similar)/q&a for couples/ yarn trees/bell wreath (similar))

I photographed my bed with yarn pom pom garland, but I think I pushed too much yarn bombing on my husband so we are back to the minimalist metal frame. He’s actually such a good sport about yarn, but maybe that is because his mom is a knitter.

Basically, he was raised right.

One vow I have always made to myself is that our room will be treated like a sanctuary which means NO CLUTTER. There is nothing relaxing about sleeping in a room that is filled with stuff so this is truly a retreat space for me during the holiday season. I would stay in this room all day if I didn’t have kids and have to work.

My Little Holiday Home Tour from MomAdvice.com

And just because everything feels more magical at night, I wanted to close with this photo. I love the twinkle of Christmas lights!

I don’t know if this home is “blog tour worthy,” but I couldn’t be prouder of our sweet little home if I tried. It is filled with my favorite people which makes it the most special place of all.

And if I want to retreat from those special people even more, you can find me hiding out in my She Shed thanks to the heating unit out there. It’s like my own private getaway.

I hope you liked touring our little house with us! Happy holidays!  xoxo

*This post contains affiliate links. I promise to only recommend what I love!

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DIY Knitted Boot Cuffs With Hazel & Ruby

Wednesday, November 4th, 2015

DIY Knitted Boot Cuffs from MomAdvice.com

Friends, I could not be more excited today to share with you my Knitted Boot Cuff Kit that I have created with Hazel & Ruby for their Holiday Crafternoon line that is available in Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft stores nationwide. It was such a great challenge for me as a crafter to design a kit like this and I have learned so much (and have a new appreciation for) about how people create these kits for the stores.

DIY Knitted Boot Cuffs from MomAdvice.com

What is Crafternoon?


The purpose of these kits is to be able to create a great gift in an afternoon for the holidays. In this kit, we have lovingly prepared everything you need to create a beautiful set of boot cuffs from lace to yarn to buttons. Instead of you spending time hunting down patterns, materials, or trying to muddle through a pattern alone, Crafternoon puts it all together to you in one easy-to-use package! Check out the video above to see what the fuss is all about!

Why I Know You Will Love This Kit

The thing that I believe really sells this kit though is a set of bamboo needles that you can use over and over again for knitting small projects in the round without the need for double-pointed needles. This particular set is typically not available in most craft and yarn stores. In fact, I have had to order my sets overseas and they cost about the price of this entire kit once I factored in shipping and the expense of the needles. This set includes my favorite needles and once you have them, you can use this pattern over and over again, adding your own unique and beautiful details to these cuffs.

DIY Knitted Boot Cuffs from MomAdvice.com

Will This Pattern Challenge Me?

I really hope so! I didn’t want to just a simple knitted pattern, although you can definitely do that with the materials provided too. I wanted to create a pattern that would help you learn a little bit of the lace technique (without that super thin yarn!), but that there are enough basic stitches that you could zone out a bit with a Netflix binge and just enough that will hold your interest and create beauty within the cuff.

DIY Knitted Boot Cuffs from MomAdvice.com

If you have never knit in the round before, these needles make it possible.  Crystal, from Money Saving Mom, shared on her Instagram feed her pride of knitting in the round for the first time thanks to this little kit. I couldn’t have been prouder of her and I know that you can do it too!

The kit not only includes step-by-step instructions, but you can also access a video where I walk you through every step of the way through this process and be accessed with the QR code on the back of your packaging or you can just watch it above! Doesn’t it feel like we are crafting together?

Amy Allen Clark from MomAdvice.com

Now hurry up and order a kit so we can knit together or order one for a holiday gift for a favorite crafter in your life. You can also pick a kit up at Jo-Ann that you can use this weeks 30% of total purchase on Wednesday AND of course they always have a 40% off coupon!

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Have fun blog-hopping through all of the beautiful Crafternoon projects! Lolly Jane has a beautiful Christmas Art Kit that she would love to share with you so swing by to see her Crafternoon project.  Be sure to check out the entire Crafternoon line from Hazel & Ruby for all of your gifting needs!

xoxo