tasty tuesday: granny's pound cake

Did ya miss me last week? Did you notice I was gone? :)

It was a busy week, and by the time it was over I didn't even realize I had forgotten to post!

But I'm back today with another sweet treat (it's that time of year ya know!)

This time it's my grandmother's pound cake recipe.

My mom, one of her sisters, and I got together this weekend for our 7th annual memorial pound cake baking.

We've been baking pound cakes every Christmas since 2005.

It's a twist on an old tradition, that it just wouldn't feel like Christmas without.

My granny never had much money, and with 6 kids, and 15 grandkids, she turned to her baking talents for Christmas gifts.

Every Christmas she would spend days, weeks probably, baking a minimum of 2 pound cakes for each family..

and then extras for friends & family.

It was a definite labor of love.

In 2005 when she passed away my mom & aunts decided to carry on making them in her memory.

Her birthday was December 15th and she LOVED Christmas.

So we do this to celebrate her life & her memory.



plain pound cake:-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-3 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, baking powder & salt. set aside
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs, one at a time.
3. combine dry mixture with wet mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.


chocolate pound cake

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 1/2 cups milk
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp baking powder

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, salt, cocoa powder & baking powder. set aside.
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs.
3. combine wet mixture & dry mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.

marbled pound cake:

1. make one of each of the above recipes.
2. in greased loaf pan alternate dropping batter by spoonfuls in bottom of pan. (should look like a checkerboard)
3. for the next layer drop alternating colors on top of the first layer.
4. once pan is full, take butter knife & insert into pan swirling batters. DO NOT OVER MIX!
5. bake @ 300 for 1 hour & 15 minutes.
We typically make one of each batch. Then mix them together. Each batch makes of Vanilla & Chocolate makes two loafs, together they make four. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!!
xo-k

thankful thursday: generosity of others

i didn't participate in posting something i was thankful for everyday this november,
but i surely THOUGHT of something i was thankful for!
so yesterday.. while i was thinking about what i was going to post today..
considering making it 'thoughtful thursday', a situation that happened the day before, instantly popped into my mind, and decided to make it 'thankful thursday' instead.
(hopefully i can keep up this blogging thing & by next year will have 52 weeks of things i am thankful for!)

so this week i am thankful for the generosity of others.
i am constantly humbled by it.
i was doing some online research on a kitchen playset, as that was what we/i decided to get the babe for his 'want' gift.
he LOVED playing with my little cousins set, and he is ALWAYS underneath me in the kitchen.
so i was comparing all the different features, and sizes, and prices, across the toy trinity,
ya know walmart, target, toys r us.
and i decided to post on facebook asking for anyone's input that had experience with one.
what i ended up with was not what i expected.

i ended up with an offer for the very same set i was looking at, from a friend of a friend, for FREE.
FREE.
i wanted to cry.
this person can't possibly understand how much this meant to me,
'cause to be honest, i wasn't entirely sure i was going to be able to pull of getting it in the first place.
i TRIED to get her to take money from me, and she wouldn't hear of it.
i am so grateful. i can't even begin to express my thanks to her.
(but i'm sure gonna try! i have a little 'thank you' in the works for her two girls when we pick up the set)

this may seem entirely silly, given my son does not NEED a kitchen set.
but for me, it doesn't lessen the gesture.
i'm working with a tight budget, and trying to make sure that my kids experience a little of that magic on christmas morning is important.
the biggest kiddo is excited about having money to spend on others, because we aren't spending it on ourselves.

paying it forward this season.

happy thursday.
xo-k

christmas: less is more

yes, it's november 9th, and i'm going to talk about christmas.
last christmas this idea sat heavy on my heart.

the idea of less being more.

we were struggling with what to buy the babe, cause let's face it..
he was one, and WAY more interested in his brother's toys & everything he wasn't supposed to get into than baby toys.
add to that that the dude is approaching that age were he plays less & less with toys.
and attempting to keep things equal & fair.
and being a one income family....
and we are firm believers if you can't pay cash, you can't have it.

and as i looked around at christmas time last year, i felt like something need to change.

mind you, we have NEVER been a family of extravagance at christmas.
as a child there were times when we had little to nothing under the tree,
and i can clearly remember everything we got those years when presents were sparse,
and i know in my heart how much i appreciated those things KNOWING how hard it was for my parents those years.
and now as an adult, i have always tried to remain reasonable about my urge to shower my kids with gifts.
('cause lets be honest, watching kids open presents on christmas morning is THE best)

but, were before we were able to eek out a little extra to give to family
& do a tree angel, or drop off a homemade item to a friend, or give something small to a teacher..
as a one income family, that's expanded to two children..
it's gotten much more tight at christmas.

the last two years we've cut out the 'extra' giving.
and when i think about all the blessings we ALREADY have in the form of jobs, health care, heat & food...
it seems ungrateful to get MORE, when others have LESS.

so, when i ran across this idea last christmas, i knew i was going this direction this year.
i knew it would allow us to GIVE more to those in need.
and i wanted the opportunity to teach my kids, especially the dude since he understands now..
how AWESOME it is to know you are doing something nice for someone who NEEDS it.

the idea i'm talking about consists of making a list with your kids of the following items:

something they WANT.
something they NEED.
something they'll WEAR.
something they'll READ.

i've seen some variations where they add/substitute something they'll WATCH, or PLAY, all geared towards the child's age..
and then i've seen some where they will add, "and I'd REALLY like it if you brought me..."
(and in our house, santa will still come with a small gift, and stocking treats)

so i sprung this idea on mason the other day.
i explained that instead of just giving me a list of a bunch of toys that he likely wouldn't play with anyways...
we were going to focus on something in each category, like how he needs a new soccer ball, or how he wants a nintendo DS.
i have to admit, i didn't give him (or myself) much credit.. and expected some whining.
i explained that by getting a couple of things he REALLY wanted, we'd be able to give to people we loved, or people who had less.

if i could have fallen on the floor (we were in the car) after his response, i would have.
he simply said 'it's okay mama, i'd rather have the things we need like food & electricity, and this way we can get presents for people so they know they are loved.'
i was SHOCKED.

i explained that he was going to be my big helper this year, and help us do for others.
he was TOTALLY on board, and has been asking me non-stop when he gets to start helping me out.
(sometimes i wonder how i'm getting this parenting thing right, especially when i feel like i'm always failing miserably!)

so, first on the list is Operation Christmas Child.
i won't go into too much detail, but you can look it up here.
there are locations EVERYWHERE to drop off.
(and the deadline is November 19th, so hurry!)
i hope you'll take a few minutes & check it out...
and maybe, if you're able (i know times are tough, but they are soo much tougher for someone else)..
you'll put together a box or two for a little girl or boy.
we are doing two boxes, one for each boy.

and i am ALREADY more excited about this christmas than i have been of any past.

xo-k

ps. i just have to share, because it broke my heart, and showed me how much he really does love his uncle. he said he wanted to use the money we had to buy uncle ricky a present so he won't be so sad. it made me sad & so proud at the same time. having to explain divorce to a child is a horrible heart-breaking experience.

sunday review: post christmas edition

i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday..

we sure did..

aside from an aunt with severe abdominal pain who couldn't eat..

and an another aunt who chopped a piece off the tip of her thumb cooking christmas dinner...

i felt a little sad last night, knowing it was all over for another year..

and, let's be honest.. i'm not looking forward to going back to reality.

the hubs has been home for the last 8 days

& while there were a few times i wanted to send him outside with the dude so i could clean..

it's been nice!

1. the nice thing about the about the hubs being home.. breakfast cooked (and then there is the mess afterwards ;).

2. mr. bells hanging out in the dude's room to make sure he kept his room clean.

3. the hubs outside throwing the football with the dude & next door neighbor kids.

4. hubs makes a late night strawberry smoothie for us.

5. mr. bells sent us a video from santa telling the dude he needed to work a little harder to get on the nice list.

6. the babe is a lollipop lover! (airheads makes a lollipop with a plastic stick.. otherwise he gets to the end & tries to cram the whole stick in his mouth!!)

7. uncle ricky & aunt shea bought the dude some super fluffy camo slippers & he LOVES them.. is always bringing them to me to put on him.

8. shopping. at micheals. ALONE. another benefit of the hubs being home!! :)

9. mr. bells was jailed by the evil penguin.

10. babe's first publix cookie... he was covered in chocolate but totally enjoyed it!

11. candied bacon. yessssss....

12. chocolate chip & candied bacon cookies.. oh yea.. you heard me right!

13. more bacon.. this time for bacon jam.

14. last minute from a box (blech!!) cupcakes & icing. totally improvised the less than stellar last minute decorations.. whatever!

15. cousins! addison & aubrey are sisters.. and then the babe & the dude. my cousin the biggest sports fan i know ended up with two little princess daughters.!!

16. annual christmas eve family get together.. the numbers keep dwindling & the faces keep changing.. but we keep it going.. 

17. the babe & the dude in their pj's christmas eve with papa... papa teasing rance by sticking his thumb in his mouth..

18. the 'bacon basket' or 'basket o' bacon'... a gift for my dad & aunt. bacon salt. chocolate chip & candied bacon cookies. candied bacon butter. bacon jam. (last year was chocolate covered bacon & i needed to up the anty)

19. i about went into shock when i unwrapped my parents gift. a silhoutte cameo. that's what i get for telling my mom about it & suggesting we go into together on it! she's so sneaky! i am BEYOND grateful & totally undeserving.. but she's already put in her first order for custom vinyl.. so i'm guessing she had this all planned out!

20. my gift from stephen...a kindle fire. a TOTAL surprise. we had talked about tablets, but for the dude.. then we decided to wait another year or two. i have always wanted a e-reader... but haven't really expressed it to him.. so i was in shock. and.... i totally cried. a big ugly boo-hoo. again...so thankful & so undeserving.

21. mason got star wars operation from nana & papa & it was a lot harder than he thought it'd be.. and i learned that it was (at least this version) a lot easier than i remembered it being. speaks volumes about fine motor skills & aging! 

22. another family christmas dinner. my dad had some cousins from his mother's side visiting & my cousin who i haven't seen in years (she lives in LA) were there. it was great to catch up with them & hang out in person with people i stalk on facebook! :)  

the hubs goes back to work tomorrow like i said...

and i'm hoping once the year winds down to get started on some new goals

& some new home dec projects..

i hope to pop in between now & 2012!! :)

xo-k

christmas: memorial pound cake baking

each year it gets a little less sad...

it gets a little easier..

it grows to be a little more tradition.

you may remember my post last year about our annual christmas pound cake baking..

or, you may be a new follower (hello! :) & have no clue what i'm talking about.

in february 2005 my granny passed away.

she was my mom's mother, a mother of six children... and was a single parent no less.

she sacrificed a great deal during her life for her children..

more than i'm sure even my mom & her siblings know about.

she has a sad story.. but that's not the story i want to share tonight.

the one i want to tell you is about a woman who was more filled with the christmas spirit every year than anyone i've ever known.

her family grew from six children to include their spouses & 12 grandkids..

and she never failed to have at least one present under the tree for each.

i can't remember a time when those presents didn't include if one

& most of the time, two of her famous pound cakes.

multiply two by six & add the all the neighbors & co-workers she baked for..

and you can understand why one person would have to start two weeks before christmas just to get it all done.

the point is, she loved christmas.

the lights, the songs, the decorations, the baking, the time with family..

and most of all.. giving.

so, when that first christmas after she passed came around..

it was difficult for anyone to imagine what it would be like..

the hole she left in our lives seemed to grow exponentially at christmas time.

we were really grasping at anything to help bring back some christmas spirit that first year...

and somehow we came around to the idea to carry on baking pound cake, just as she had...

that first year we got together was a real eye opener.

we baked ALL DAY.

and i mean ALL DAY.

i think we made something like 30 pound cakes.

it was insane to think one person did all of it alone.

but we laughed.

and we reminisced.

and i'm sure there were a few tears as well.

but we made it through the grief together...

and we created a new tradition, to carry on her memory.

this year was our 7th year making pound cake in her memory.

it's almost hard to imagine that mason was just 19 months old that first year,

running around getting into everything..

and this year it was rance up underneath everyone's feet,

while mason rode the 4 wheeler with his uncle ricky..

i don't think it's ever easy to let go of a loved one..

i'm just glad we have something to bring us together to remember her by..

plain pound cake:

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-3 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, baking powder & salt. set aside
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs, one at a time.
3. combine dry mixture with wet mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.


chocolate pound cake

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 1/2 cups milk
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp baking powder

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, salt, cocoa powder & baking powder. set aside.
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs.
3. combine wet mixture & dry mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.

you can certainly stop here.. but our favorite is marbled pound cake...

marbled pound cake:

1. make one of each of the above recipes.
2. in greased loaf pan alternate dropping batter by spoonfuls in bottom of pan. (should look like a checkerboard)
3. for the next layer drop alternating colors on top of the first layer.
4. once pan is full, take butter knife & insert into pan swirling batters. DO NOT OVER MIX!
5. bake @ 300 for 1 hour & 15 minutes.

(i just realized... in all our years,

i apparently have never managed a picture of an actual BAKED pound cake!)

only three more days until christmas,

are you ready?! :)

xo-k

linking to:
fireflies & jellybeans
house of hepworth
tales from bloggeritaville
ladybug blessings

christmas: my wishlist

in truth, i want nothing for christmas.

i feel absolutely 100% blessed this christmas to have everything i need.

i feel like i'm coming into a season in my life where i can accept who & what i am & be content.

(that's not to say that i don't have faults, but working to better them is part of life i think)

i think that's the mark of a grown up.

well, maybe not.. but it's maybe a sign of evolving as a person?

who knows maybe i'm just talking out my rear-end this morning.

but, like every other human being..

i have a short wish list of pretty things.

(aside from the non-tangible things like peace, forgiveness & selflessness i always keep a wish for in my heart)

i need a break from my christmas present project, and this seemed like a time-filler..

because i really don't want to mop the floor that really needs it.

(can you say no-leak sippy cup, my butt!)

i've had my eye on this q&a 5 year journal for some time now.

i have REALLY good intentions when it comes to journaling..

and REALLY bad follow through.

this one gives you a single question to answer each day

& then space for answers for the next 5 years.

one question? that's totally do-able. 

i've had the same fiskars paper trimmer for probably 6 years..

it's never done me wrong, it's extremely portable & space friendly.

but i'm an american crafts girl... and.. i can't help but love this thing.

cuts paper & has multiple blade attachments that can be stored in the trimmer?!

what's not to love!?!

i sorta feel like a grandma with this thing on my list.

a bed-pillow. but after hours upon hours of reading this year..

a pillow like this (maybe not this exact one) is so high up on my list! 

i stumbled upon this little ring set on etsy over the weekend while cruising for ideas for christmas for my mom, and fell in love.

it's not too often you see 'mama' on stuff

i love that it's stacking & has the #2.

i love that it's made from old pages.

and i especially love that it's handmade!

i've been collecting ideas for wall art for my bedroom the last few months..

i aiming to make most of it by hand..

but i just love this poster, and think it very well may make it's way onto our wall!

anyone who really knows me, knows how much of a techie i am.

i CAN NOT help it.

trust me i've tried.

i've been in love with e-readers since they arrived on the market.

first the regular kindle & then the nook.. my latest affair is with the kindle fire.

::sigh::

i can't help myself.

(but at $199 it's a lot more feasible than the ipad which though desirable, is far beyond what i'm willing to consider for a tablet!)

well.... i guess i didn't kill enough time...

the babe...

(who i'm seriously considering renaming linus, ya know, from charlie brown)

is still sleeping & i should really mop the floor.

so i can get upset later when 2.5 seconds after he is handed his sippy cup there is milk all over the floor again.

joy!

xo-k



movies: the christmas list

i swear the span of time between thanksgiving and december 1st gets shorter every year.

it's like that short week goes into warp speed..

and then from there life is in fast forward until january 1st when everything slows down again.

can you relate?

i didn't finish my advent calender... heck i couldn't even decide on one (still can't.)

i dragged my feet on whether or not to purchase an 'elf on the shelf'...

but nana picked up my slack, because without my knowing it, she picked one up herself!

(nana's are the best! :)

so i'll at least have some elf pictures for you..

i sorta kinda debated on doing a december daily.

truth. i've started two in the last 5 years, and haven't finished a single one.

it's just too overwhelming for me, with all the holiday festivities.

so i'm not guilting myself over it, i'll just enjoy everyone else's! :)

it'll just free me up for some more christmas crafts & baking!

i get just as excited about christmas movies as i do halloween movies.

because there are some GREAT christmas movies.

but i own not a single one on dvd, nor vhs (yep. still have one of those)

why?

1. abc family hosts almost all of our favorites on their 25 days of christmas.

2. we own a dvr.

3. i'm cheap.

so i've searched & set our dvr to record over the next two weeks..

and since it took a little time to gather our favorites..

i figured i'd share the list with you.

i DID NOT however, link each movie like i did at halloween.

it took forever to do that, and i got a tree to decorate here people! :)

for the whole family:

mickey's once upon a christmas

mickey's twice upon a christmas

dr. seuss's how the grinch stole christmas

how the grinch stole christmas

a christmas story (my favorite and a MUST see on christmas day tbs ALL DAY!)

rudolph the red nosed reindeer

rudolph's shiny new year

frosty the snowman

the miser brothers christmas

the year without santa claus

jack frost

rudolph & frosty's christmas in july

frosty's winter wonderland

home alone 1 & 2 & 3

disney's a christmas carol

polar express

elf (i should say. i am not a fan. but i'm outnumbered so i included it :)

ernest saves christmas

gremlins

mickey's christmas carol

the nightmare before christmas

prancer

santa claus: the movie

the santa clause 1, 2 & 3

a charlie brown christmas

a chipmunk christmas

a muppet family christmas

for the grownups:

it's a wonderful life

the shop around the corner

the family stone

national lampoon's christmas vacation

scrooged (my brother's personal favorite!)

christmas with the kranks

deck the halls

dutch (another of my brother's favorites!)

four christmases

die hard (sorry had to slip that one in there, you know i'm a fan of bruce!!)

fred claus

the holiday

love, actually

snow

snow 2: brain freeze

bridget jones' diary

ghostbusters II

edward scissorhands

i  know there are dozens more.. these are just our/mine favorites! if i've missed one you think we need to add to our list, please feel free to leave it in the comments! :)

xo-k

diy: coffeemate snowman.

i get excited when the holiday's roll around, like everyone else...

but i'm pretty sure there aren't many people who get quite as excited about the return of coffeemate's peppermint mocha coffee creamer as i do.

i'm just guessing.

from the time it comes out right around thanksgiving, to the time it disappears again in january, it's safe to say i go through about 2 bottles a week. all by myself.

that's kinda alot of coffee creamer people.

& i feel pretty lame about it, but i have a hard time letting go of bottles & jars. i feel like if i get rid of them i'll find some really cool project that i could use them for, and then i'll be ticked off at myself for not keeping them. it's not just bottles & jars. it's tins too. it's a sickness really. i have no idea what i'll do with them, but they are taking up an entire shelf in my garage....

& i can't let them go.

so imagine how happy i was when i went to put the coffee creamer away a week ago, & it dawned on me it kinda looked like a snowman.

well maybe not EXACTLY like one, but close enough!

close enough for me, ....especially since i figured it'd be an easy craft for mason & i to do while he was out on winter break.  

coffeemate snowman

-empty coffeemate creamer container

-white paint

-black paint

-orange paint

-paintbrush

-pencil with eraser

1. wash your empty container & remove the wrapper.

2. cover the work surface & have them paint just the bottle part white. (i re purposed some old flexible cutting boards for craft usage.)

3. set bottles aside to dry.

 4. while bottle is drying, have them paint the lid black.

 5. set aside lid to dry.

6. take pencil & dip eraser into black paint to make eyes, mouth, & buttons.



(i had two little guys i was working with. mason lost interest, so i stamped his & let the other use it as a guide to do his own)

7. take orange paint & paint on carrot nose. i did this one part for the other little guy. put lid on & you have yourself a little snowman.

i know it's after christmas, but i figure you can fill this with candy & give it as a gift. or fill it with white hot chocolate mix. or flavored sugar. or just set it out as a christmas/winter decoration. or, what i think we will do with it.... use it as a christmas savings, so he has his own money to buy gifts next year.

whatever you decide to do with it, even if you do it just enjoy doing something with your child, it's a fun little way to re purpose something you would have just thrown away!

xo-k

ps. if you decide to do this, please, link up your project... i'm interested to see you put your own twist on it. i contemplated gluing beads on & adding a scarf, but between refereeing 6 & 4 year old boys, and feeding the baby, i figured simple was best!

recipe: granny's pound cake

in 2005 we started a new family tradition, it was a transition from an old one.

each year at christmas, my granny (my mother's mom)would make pound cake. she would start two weeks before christmas day, and she would bake everyday, making more than two dozen pound cakes. she made two for each one of her six children, & she gave them out to neighbors, friends & co-workers. it was the only time of year she made them, so it was always a special treat. when she passed in 2005, my mom & aunts decided to carry on the tradition in her memory. it's been eye-opening as far as how much work she did, and did alone, while there are 5 and 6 sometimes 8 of us doing the work in just a few hours. it's been a way to connect to her memory during the holidays...

today is pound cake baking day 2010.
and since i obviously can't give a pound cake to each of you, i decided i'd share the recipe. and because i KNOW i won't be able to photograph step by step instructions with 6 people going 3 different directions, i'll just leave you with pictures from last years pound cake baking day. enjoy!:)



(ya. we get a little messy!)

there are two recipes below. one is for chocolate pound cake. the other is for plain. granny always gave out one marble, one plain. we have streamlined, and made all marbled.... well because honestly the marbled is better. so you have three different options. plain. chocolate. or for marbled make both & swirl together! it's best cold out of the fridge christmas morning!

plain pound cake:

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-3 tsp vanilla

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, baking powder & salt. set aside
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs, one at a time.
3. combine dry mixture with wet mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.


chocolate pound cake

-1 cup crisco
-1 stick butter
-3 cups sugar
-5 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 1/2 cups milk
-3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp baking powder

preheat oven to 300.

1. mix flour, salt, cocoa powder & baking powder. set aside.
2. in separate bowl cream crisco, butter & sugar. add eggs.
3. combine wet mixture & dry mixture.
4. add milk & vanilla.
5. pour into greased loaf pan. bake 1 hour & 15 minutes.

marbled pound cake:

1. make one of each of the above recipes.
2. in greased loaf pan alternate dropping batter by spoonfuls in bottom of pan. (should look like a checkerboard)
3. for the next layer drop alternating colors on top of the first layer.
4. once pan is full, take butter knife & insert into pan swirling batters. DO NOT OVER MIX!
5. bake @ 300 for 1 hour & 15 minutes.

i hope you enjoy! we always do! :)

xo-k

diy: plastic bag wreath

when i was a kid i remember making these plastic bag wreaths out of white garbage bags. we would sit in my grandmother's kitchen for hours cutting the garbage bags into strips & then tying them onto a old wire hanger. i thought about making one for our house, since it would be relatively cheap.

then i thought about those hours it took for us to all sit there and cut the plastic bags, and changed my mind!

while picking up sandwich baggies for the dude's lunch i had the brilliant idea to use those instead. (i'm sure it's not original, but i was still pretty impressed with myself)

so here's what you need to make one:

-approximately 150 fold-over style sandwich bags

-wire hanger

-wire cutters

-ribbon/paper/ornaments whatever color/style for embellishment

1. first you want to stretch the wire hanger out into the shape of a circle. it doesn't have to be perfect because the bags will hide the wonky bits.

2. fold your baggie in half length-wise, with the opening towards the inside of the bag (i found it just makes the shape more uniform & less sloppy). then tie it in an overhand knot around the wire hanger starting at the top next to the hook.



3. continue tying baggies around the frame in the same fashion, pushing the knots closer together. the tighter you push them together the fuller your wreath will be.

4. you may find it easier to make sure the knots stay in the same direction if you wedge the wire between your knees as you work. i had the circle with the part i was working on at the top of my knees, and moved it around towards the ground as i made the knots. (*tip: make sure you pull the bags tight, but be careful, you can rip the bags. i found that if you held the bag close to the knot it made it easier to pull tight without ripping the bag)

5. use wire cutters to snip off hook at top & embellish any way you choose. i free-handed some banner shapes, painted some chipboard letters, and stapled it all to some silver elastic cording. you could wrap it with ribbon or tinsel, attach ornaments, or just wrap lights around it & hang it up!



6. hang & enjoy!! :)

xo-k