Fall Candle Holders and Thankful Tree!

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Items Needed:

Mod Podge (Gloss)

Leaves (Any from outside)

Glass jars (I just bought some at the Dollar Tree)

Plastic Saran Wrap

Paint brush or Sponge

For the Thankful Tree:

Scrapbook paper (thick)

Twine

Glass vase (from the Dollar Tree)

Tree Branch with a lot of little branches

Using the paintbrush or sponge, spread the mod podge on the jar on the section you are going to arrange your leaves. Then paint the back of the leaves. Add your leaves to the jar. (The less you use the faster it will dry and stay on the jar). Now I use Saran Wrap next, once you let it sit for a few minutes to dry, wrap the saran wrap around the whole jar and let it finish drying. This worked for me in keeping all the edges of the leaves glued down. Other sites I saw didn't use anything.


Once it is dried (30 mins to an hour), carefully remove
the plastic wrap. Then I added another layer of mod podge all over the entire outside of the jar. Once this is completely dry, I then used the paint brush (or sponge) and dabbed the mod podge all over to create a less smooth look. After this, just let it dry and put your candle in!

For the Thankful Tree:

Place the branches you find in your vase. Using the twine, wrap a bow around the vase. You can use ribbon or anything to decorate your vase. I kept mine simple. You can add pine cones and other decor to put in the vase as well. Using the scrapbook paper, cut out leaf shapes and punch a hole in the top. Your family can then write what they are thankful for on the back and just hang them on the tree branches! Keep adding the more the days pass! It'll start to look like a full tree! Have fun with these crafts! 

Moist Carrot Cupcakes!

Carrot Cupcakes! 

Super moist and delicious!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

4 eggs

1 1/4 cup oil

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups grated carrots (Use the bigger hole on the grater)

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325F. Line 2 cupcake pans. Mix together in a bowl, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix for about 2-3 minutes. Add your grated carrots and mix. Pour batter into cupcake pans and bake for 45-50 minutes until done. Cool completely and frost and decorate with the carrot spirals. to make the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add in the  confectioners sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add more sugar if it is too thin. 

Candied Carrot Twirls

1 Large Carrot or 2, peel layers lengthwise with a peeler (the longer the better)

1 Cup Water

1 Cup Sugar

Boil water and sugar, mixing until all sugar is combined. Add the peel carrots and simmer for 15 uncovered. Remove and strain using a sieve and discard the sugar water. Let rest for 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Lay carrots flat on the baking sheet. Put in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until dry, but still flexible.  Using a chopstick (or whatever you have similar), wind the carrots, 1 at a time, around the chopstick in a spiral and carefully slide it off the chopstick and place it seams side down onto the baking sheet again. Do this for all the carrots. Place the sheet of spiral carrots back into the oven for another 30-45 minutes until crisp! Then frost your cupcakes and add the decor!

I hope you enjoy! My family sure did!

Fall/Thanksgiving Day Craft for the Whole Family!

Great fun for the kids!! Even the hubby can join in, especially if you have one that is a wonderful colorist!

ALL YOU NEED:

Canvas Board

Thin Wood Palets (for the side decor)

Acrylic Paint

Sponge

Paintbrush

Gold Metallic Pen (if you like)

Fabric leaves/acorn

Twine

And the best tool...YOUR KIDS FINGERS!

 1. Mix your colors for the backdrop of your canvas!2. Using the sponge, pat the sponge in the paint then the board, smearing a little to blend is perfect!

3. Using the paintbrush, paint the trunk of the tree. Now the children's part: Finger painting! Let your kids choose the colors (we stuck with autumn colors) and let them have at it! Make sure you put something under the work so paint doesn't get everywhere!

For the side art, you can do the same thing, paint the background.

Using a pencil, or stencils, in my case a pencil...carefully draw out what you want yours to say! 

If using stencils, great, color it all in at once using marker or paint! After, you can outline in the gold pen!

I used a hot glue gun to glue on the fabric leaves and acorns in the corner. And then made a bow out of the twine and glued it as well.

Now to hang all of these beautiful creations, I simply cut some twine and glue gunned it on the back to keep the rustic look going! 

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!