Showing posts sorted by date for query thanksgiving. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query thanksgiving. Sort by relevance Show all posts

11 Cheap and Effortless DIY Vase Filler Ideas



Whether you’re decorating for an event, a house gathering, or a reception, it can be a little intimidating what kind of ornaments to put up. On top of that, it can be pretty expensive too if you expect a lot of guests who have their own tables. That is why decorative table centerpieces always come in handy in situations like this.
If you ever find yourself scrambling to make last-minute additions to decorations or looking for cheaper alternatives, consider buying glass vases in bulk because they’re cheaper and there’s a lot you can do with them. You can easily customize glass vases to make centerpieces and have them fit into the theme of any party as you like.

Looking for ideas? Take a look at the list below.
Stones, Water, Candles


This sounds easy enough because you only need three things: stones, water, and a candle. You need to check the size of your glass vase if you want to achieve this because it can get crowded pretty easily. This is ideal for parties that are held outdoors and at night because, as a centerpiece, it can provide extra illumination once the candles are lit up.
Corn Kernels

This is a perfect DIY centerpiece for autumn because it fits in beside the general color theme of the season, which is reds and yellows. Corn kernels are one of the easiest and cheapest vase fillers to find because, if you love eating popcorn, you may already have some in your kitchen.

For this, you can display the kernels all on their own or add candles and maybe some ornamentation like dried maple leaves and some string. If you’re curious, here’s how the finished product should look like.

Coffee Beans

If you’re a coffee aficionado and have coffee beans lying around, consider getting a handful and turning them into vase fillers. It doesn’t matter what kind or grade you have. They’re perfect for any season, and you will be greeted by that wonderful coffee smell whenever you walk into the room.

Acorns

One of the best ways to save up on money when decorating is to use what nature has to offer. If you have a lot of acorn trees around your place, you can pick up some to use them for your own table centerpiece. This is perfect for autumn, and if you want the acorns to fit with the theme of your home or a party, you can paint them in any color you want.

Wine Corks

Show off your love for wine by using the corks as vase filler. Not only does it look like it was bought from a store, but you also recycle used items and help the environment. If you don’t have a lot of corks, you can buy a pack in bulk instead. Or you can simply fill out the vase slowly with each new wine bottle opened. You can find a simple tutorial online.

Snowflake Ornament

If you want seasonal centerpieces, snowflakes look great and would be perfect in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can make use of snowflakes from your collection of Christmas-tree ornaments if you plan to get new ones for this year. Instead of throwing them out, give them a second life instead as a table centerpiece.

Fresh Citrus Fruits

For an eye-catching pop of color, you can actually use fresh citrus fruits as vase fillers. This is great for any outdoor party. All you need to do is slice up some lemons, for example, and put the slices in the vase, along with some water and some flowers. If you want to get a beautiful effect,  

make sure to use bigger glass vases.

Another popular citrus fruit choice is oranges. Take a look at this tutorial if you’re curious.

Colorful Cereals

Cereals are one of the things that you can always find in the kitchen, but not everyone realizes that they make good vase fillers as well. Colorful ones make a vase look good without you needing to spend anything. They’re great for birthday parties and other kid events.

If you want to use them for this kind of purpose, it is up to you whether you want the vases to remain as centerpieces or whether you want to use them to hold treats to give away other than the cereals.

Loose Toys

Suppose you want to tidy up your child’s room but it is hopelessly filled with a lot of random loose toys and small knickknacks that you can’t seem to place or put away. Instead of putting them in a box somewhere to be forgotten, why not display it as a centerpiece?

Put little plastic army men, bouncy balls, Lego blocks, and puzzle pieces in a vase to make it look stylish. You can add flowers, faux or real, to make it look deliberate.

Dyed Rock Salt

Substitute fake gemstones with rock salt if you want to make a centerpiece with tea candles. Rock salt is cheap, and for just a few bucks, you can actually use dyes to paint the salt grains in different colors that you like.

What’s more is that they’re biodegradable, so if you feel like changing decors or using another batch of colored rock salt, then you don’t have to worry about polluting the environment. If you’re unsure how to dye rock salt, this little tutorial will help you out.

Beans

They’re the first beads of any kind, and that is why they make great vase fillers. Depending on the occasion and look you’re going for; you can easily find beans for the task. If not, you can always spray-paint them in batches and choose to put them in the vase by themselves or with other baubles.

Get Creative

There are a lot of cheap, easy, and free things you can use for vase fillers. You only need some  
imagination and maybe a little DIY here and there to make it happen. In terms of decorations, centerpiece vases are one of the easiest to do, and their beginner-friendliness makes them a top choice for those who want to try out small DIY projects for their home.
What do you think are other vase fillers that you can easily find and use? Share what you know in the comments section below.
     


Whether you’re decorating for an event, a house gathering, or a reception, it can be a little intimidating what kind of ornaments to put up. On top of that, it can be pretty expensive too if you expect a lot of guests who have their own tables. That is why decorative table centerpieces always come in handy in situations like this.
If you ever find yourself scrambling to make last-minute additions to decorations or looking for cheaper alternatives, consider buying glass vases in bulk because they’re cheaper and there’s a lot you can do with them. You can easily customize glass vases to make centerpieces and have them fit into the theme of any party as you like.

Looking for ideas? Take a look at the list below.
Stones, Water, Candles



This sounds easy enough because you only need three things: stones, water, and a candle. You need to check the size of your glass vase if you want to achieve this because it can get crowded pretty easily. This is ideal for parties that are held outdoors and at night because, as a centerpiece, it can provide extra illumination once the candles are lit up.

Easy Cornucopia Snack for Kids

Thanksgiving is near and there is no better way to build excitement for the kids than with a yummy and easy snack like this kid made Cornucopia snack!





This is such an easy snack to make with little kids. My preschooler and first grader had a ton of fun making, sharing and eating this!

It is as simple as dumping your ingredients in a large bowl and giving it a stir! You can completely customize the ingredients to match your preferences or what you have on hand!

Ingredients:
Unless otherwise specified, use one small box or package of each ingredient
Cheerios
Cheeze Its
Honey Nut Cheerios
Fruit Flavored Mini Marshmallows
Dry Roasted Peanuts
Peanut Butter M&Ms
Craisins
Milk Chocolate M&Ms
Peanut M&Ms
Chocolate Chips
Sugar Waffle Cones

After mixing well scoop the mix into sugar cones and serve!



This stores for 3-5 days in an airtight container or ziploc baggies. We like to substitute Rice or Corn Chex for Cheerios and Reeses Pieces for M&Ms sometimes. No matter what you mix into this Easy Cornucopia Snack, it will be a delicious hit with anyone you share it with!


17 Pies for Thanksgiving

Can there ever be too many pies at Thanksgiving? I think not! This year I am going to prepare several varieties to share with the people I am thankful to have in my life. This list gives me a great starting point in my pie baking. If you are looking for a few great pie recipes, I know you will find a few on this list that you will love!



Pumpkin
Skinny No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate
French Silk Pie
Mud Pie 
Chocolate Fudge Pie

Fruity
Peaches & Cream Pie
Cranberry Sauce Pie
4 Ingredient Berry Pie
Blueberry Banana Cream Pie
Easy Cherry Pie
Caramel Apple Pie
Apple Pie

Nutty
Brown Sugar Pecan Pie
Corn Syrup Free Pecan Pie
Vegan Pecan Chocolate Pie

17 Must Read Thanksgiving Books for the Kids

This post contains affiliate links, but the list was inspired by the reading material I have for my children this month.

Thanksgiving is near and everyone is excited for the time with family, the parades and of course the food! This year, why not build on that excitement while offering your kids a chance to read, learn and be entertained without screentime?

I have compiled a great book list for my kids, Roo and Harp and I think your kids will love these titles too. You can order them via the links below or perhaps look for them at your local library.


Pete the Cat's Thanksgiving

Reading Railroad : Giving Thanks

Little Critter Just a Special Thanksgiving

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Helper

Bright Baby Thanksgiving

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie

Ladybug Gives Thanks

What is Thanksgiving?

The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks

T is for Turkey: A True Thanksgiving Story

Happy Thanksgiving Curious George

Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Banquet 

Arthur's Thanksgiving

 Five Silly Turkeys

Turkey Trouble

10 Fat Turkeys

Have your kids read any of these books? If you have a favorite I would love to hear about it so we can look for it!


How We Afford the Holidays Without Credit Card Debit

When I talk to my friends and family about the holidays, the subject of budgeting and credit card debit comes up. No one can ever believe me when I tell them we accumulate $0 credit card debit for holidays and I never spend more than $50 on gifts.

I have had people say things like "That is a flat out lie Sara. The gift you gave us last year cost at least $30!"
They always want to know how I can decorate, gift and give without spending more than $50 out of my own pocket. Today I am going to share the low down with you too.

First, being a family that lives on a budget, events such as back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays are always on my mind! Creative ways to accumulate funds or gifts is a year round project.

I do a variety of things online to add to my kitty.

If I see a great item on clearance I will buy it, but only if I have the extra cash on hand. I don't buy on my debit card or credit card.

At the end of each season I buy the goods I need next year on clearance. I use my stash of gift cards to do this. I buy wrapping paper when it is down to 50 cents a roll or less. Instead of going out and buying decorations, I usually make my own using items that I already have at home. For example, I use Christmas ribbon to decorate not only the tree, but to also add finishing touches to garlands, wreaths, and wrapped gifts. Same with bows, gift tags, bags  etc. Seasonal trinkets are also great to get when they get marked down to 80-90% off. I get stocking stuffers for 20 cents and stash them for the next year. Or I might buy Easter coloring books for 10 cents and stash them too.

Inbox Dollars I spend about 25 minutes a week reading emails, playing games, watching videos and more. I have cashed out several times. It is pretty easy money and you get a $5 sign up just for joining!

I shop Zuilly. I shop here because it is easy to earn credits and they have such super deals. I get really low priced deals here through out the year and add to my "Gift Box".

I use the WalMart Savings Catcher App. I scan each receipt I get from WalMart and accumulate savings on products. I wait to 'cash out' until there is something I need to buy for a holiday.

I have the Shutterfly app, so I watch out for special offers, free prints and more. Photo gifts are always a hit. If you are not using Shutterfly sign up here for FREE Prints!!

I of course watch amazon for deals. I save money on everything! I do tasks on m turk to earn money too. I don't have much time for this, but I would estimate I spend about 30 minutes a week turking and making some spare change on easy tasks.

As a blogger, if I participate in a campaign that pays via a gift card, I save it.

That is how I can afford to celebrate all of the major holidays without dipping into our budget for any extra expenses. I limit us to about $50 for last minute things like batteries.

 How does your family afford the holidays?


7 Ways To Entertain a 3 Year Old

Photo Credit: the photos belong to their respective owners. Visit the links to see the original sources.

It is winter and my 3 year old son has cabin fever already. I have been searching pinterest for activities to keep him happily learning and playing all day long. These are some of the cutest ideas I found.


This pretend plate of food for Thanksgiving activity would be a good way to build my son up to eating Thanksgiving dinner. He is pretty sure he doesn't like anything but chicken and crackers.

My son might be down with this pretend ice cream cone craft. 


Hand print flowers would be fun to make and cute to display.



My son would like this make a lion craft. This is a must try soon idea!



My son loves playing matching games so this Popsicle  game would be a lot of fun for both of us.


My son loves to check out tanks of fish so he would like creating a fish of his own I am sure.



My son really loves the idea of Christmas and he loves cereal. Win, Win.