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Peppermint Meringue Cookies {Recipe}

cindylouh — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:29:00 +0000

Peppermint meringue cookies make a beautiful {and yummy} addition to your holiday parties or wrap them up pretty for a much loved homemade gift! They are crunchy, minty and sweet!

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Fit a pastry bag (12″ or 18″) with a 1/2″ large open star pastry tip. With a small paint brush paint stripes on the inside of the bag with a gel food coloring paste.

Ingredients

3 large egg whites (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (peppermint oil will not work)
dash of salt
3/4 cup sugar
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In metal mixing bowl beat egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter, a dash of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract to soft peaks. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating until very stiff peaks form.

Fill pastry bag with meringue and pipe one inch stars onto the parchment paper.

Bake for 90 minutes, but do not let them brown. Allow to cool completely. Meringues will be crunchy. Store in an air tight container. The meringues should keep for a couple of weeks.

If you are looking for more homemade gift ideas, from edible gifts to sewn gifts you might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide!

Let’s Wrap it up {holiday gift wrapping ideas}

cindylouh — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:00:16 +0000

It’s time to wrap those gifts! If you are crazy about gift wrap, you are going to love these ideas found around the net! If you need some easy and impressive ideas, you’ve come to the right place.

Heather Bullard shows how to recycle paper that might already be in your home. Wrap a gift for a traveler in a map; use a sewing pattern for the seamstress on your list; and for a relative, embellish vintage wallpaper with old family photos!

Here’s an easy idea to make bows from recycled magazines from whole living

For a gorgeous package, Ambrosia Girl adds velvet ribbon and a little glitter!

A Little Hut has this super cute idea and tutorial using popsicle sticks instead of a gift tag.

Oh, my gosh! Wait ’til you see this confetti embellishment shared by tokketok! Just place a little 2-sided tape on your wrapped gift and dip away! Love it!

….and I love baking cups so had to share one more!

How easy is this? Family Chic has such a fun alternative to a bow! These would be great in holiday colors.

Check out Sweet Baking supply for a fantastic assortment of the cutest cupcake papers you have ever seen!

If you are looking for a few more homemade gift ideas, from edible gifts to sewn gifts you might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide! You still have time to whip up something extra special.

Rudolph Cookies

cindylouh — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:49:31 +0000

Here is a fun way to decorate a sugar cookie as Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer!

How to Decorate Reindeer Sugar Cookies

I used this sugar cookie recipe. It does spread a bit, but I love a soft sugar cookie. My bests tricks for rolling out sugar cookie dough are to use rolling pin rings and to roll the dough between wax paper. The wax paper keeps you from having to use flour when rolling out the dough, which can make the dough tough. Just keep lifting up the wax paper and replacing down on the dough to keep the dough spreading.

I used a candy corn cookie cutter to cut out the reindeer heads.

Place shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, this helps keep the dough from spreading too much when baking.

Bake cookies according to recipe directions.

I used a royal icing to frost these cookies. Here is a download for the Royal Icing recipe. Mix the icing into two consistencies; a thick to pipe and a thin to flood.

With a pastry bag fitted with a number 2 or 3 round tip, pipe all the way around the outside edge of the cookie.

Next, place the thin frosting in a squeeze bottle and flood the area inside the piping.

Use a toothpick or a sucker stick to work the frosting to the edges and fill in areas.

The frosting will settle and become very smooth.

While frosting is still wet add pretzel antlers, a nose and eyes. If you like a large nose, use a red gumball.

Or if you prefer a smaller nose a red sixlet works great!

If you are looking for homemade gift ideas, from edible gifts to sewn gifts you might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide!

Snowman Treat Bag Toppers

cindylouh — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:00:21 +0000

Skip on over to AlphaMom to download these free snowman treat bag toppers I made for you.

Handmade holiday gifts

cindylouh — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:00:27 +0000

Here are a few impressive, inexpensive and inspirational gifts for everyone on your list. Take a peek at Friday 5′s favorites! With a few weeks before Christmas, you still have time to whip up a gift or two!

WOW! Aren’t these luminaries beautiful? They are made with water balloons as the form! Follow the tutorial on Candletech.com and make a few for yourself or for an extra special gift.

Evie S. has a super simple tutorial on how to make these fab paper-clip earrings! Any girl would love to find these in her Christmas stocking!

A little embroidery floss or satin cording dresses up hair combs for a fun gift for the girls on your list. Lemon Jitters shows you how.

For the bird lover on your list, make this whole peanut bird feeder from a slinky! Re-nest shows you how!

33 Shades of Green has designed a wine bottle sleeve that you have to see! Wouldn’t you love to give this to your favorite holiday party hostess?

f you need more inspiration take a look at my handmade gift guide below….

Spreading holiday cheer- homemade ornaments

cindylouh — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:35:39 +0000

One of our favorite activities to get ourselves ready for Christmas (like most of you) is to decorate our tree. A big part of this always includes looking over the many handmade items we have created over the years. While having all my decorations matching is tempting, it means so much more to my children (and to me) to add those items that we created together. We love to spend time around the holiday’s crafting and feeling the spirit of the season. This is a great way to get your kids involved and help them spread that Christmas cheer!

Painted Santa Ornament

To make the Santa you will need one medium size round ornament, paint (flesh color, white, black and red), Snow Tex by DecoArt, paintbrushes.

Paint a flesh color rectangle on the front of the ornament. It will need at least two coats.

With the end of the paint brush handle make dots for the eyes and nose.

Mix the Snow Tex with a little white paint (about 3:1 ratio) to make it a bit thinner consistency. Paint down the sides of the flesh rectangle and around the top of the ornament.

Paint a mustache, beard and add a small little dot for the mouth. Be very generous with the Snow Tex. It will shrink slightly as it dries.

{Drum Roll} you have a darling Santa Ornament.

If your looking for a Holiday Craft for younger kids you might enjoy this tutorial for these Christmas idea’s pictured below.

Pom pom ornaments

Paper candy canes

I promise you next year when you get the decorations out your child will grab for the decorations they created first; all while telling you exactly what you did together to create it. This is how I create memories while spreading holiday cheer.

Now I’d love to know, how do you spread real cheer with your holiday decorating? Show me with your photos! Click “Add me” in the Cheer Tree below to upload your holiday decorating photos and share them with your Twitter followers and Facebook friends. Be sure to click on “Special Offers” to unwrap the hidden coupons and deals exclusively from Sears. Keep checking throughout the holidays–new deals are unlocked every day! For all your holiday decorating needs and solutions, don’t forget to visit Sears and discover real deals, real cheer!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine.

Recycled Tin Can Advent Calendar {50 Family Activities}

cindylouh — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:57:09 +0000

It is fun to countdown to Christmas with an Advent Calendar. The calendar not only builds some excitement, it is a particularly festive decoration. Every year we try to create a new idea for our family Advent Calendar. This year we saved cans and spray painted them! I love how it turned out and my kids do too!

We painted the cans, drilled holes in the sides and added wire handles. The numbers were cut on the Silhouette out of white vinyl.

We will fill the cans with a tiny sweet or trinket for each child and then a slip of paper with an idea for a family activity.

50 Family Activities

Go Ice Skating
Make Christmas cards
Go Christmas caroling or sing Christmas songs at home
Give everyone manicure & pedicures
Let each child choose a favorite dinner
Push the furniture back and dance
Watch It’s a Wonderful Life or the How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Play a game
Decorate Christmas cookies and share with neighbors
Have a special friend for dinner
Make Christmas ornaments
Make hot chocolate and read Christmas stories
Make a Gingerbread house
Make a simple pine cone bird feeder
Have a special breakfast
String popcorn and cranberries
Play cards
Make a paper ring garland
Have a fireside meal (we use this and make grilled cheese and apple pies in the fireplace)
Cut snowflakes for the windows
Make and hang beautiful wrapping paper stars
Drive around to see neighborhood Christmas lights (put hot cocoa in to go cups and put on pjs)
Go to a holiday movie
Roast marshmallows in the fireplace
Offer to help an elderly neighbor with their Christmas decorations
Work together as a family to make some handmade gifts
Make decorative sugar cookies
Purchase gifts for a needy child or family
Invite friends over in their pajamas to read Christmas stories
Play in the snow, build a snowman
Go for a walk at night and look at the stars
Try out these printable crafts
Make paper candy canes
Make some yummy peppermint candy covered popcorn
Make gift tags and wrapping paper
Make super simple sugar cookies
Make snow paint
Make homemade stickers
Make homemade playdough
Make a pie and take it to a friend
Have ice cream sundaes with this special ice cream topping
Make a candy wreath to give to a friend or decorate your own home
Make shrinky dinks
Have breakfast for dinner (serve smiley pancakes)
Make glittery snowflakes
Make Candy Cane Mice
Make Candy Cane Reindeer
Invite Santa for breakfast and serve snowman doughnuts
Hand write letters to friends that live away.
Write something nice about each family member on a slip of paper and place it under their pillow

Spreading Christmas {Cheer}

cindylouh — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:05:35 +0000

When thinking about decorating for the holidays I like to keep things festive, but also meaningful. To make sure we have a constant reminder of why we are celebrating this season we hang an Advent Wreath from our ceiling or place one on a table and find a time during the week to light the candles and slow down in this busy time. The wreath makes a beautiful holiday decoration, while providing my family just a wee bit of focus and time for reflection.

Now I’d love to know, how do you spread real cheer with your holiday decorating? Do you have ways to make the holiday more meaningful for your family? Please reply below and unwrap coupons and deals from Searsby seeking inspiration in the Cheer Tree. For all your holiday decorating needs and solutions, don’t forget to visit Sears and discover real deals, real cheer!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sears. The opinions and text are all mine.

Counting down to Christmas {Advent Calendars}

cindylouh — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 06:30:15 +0000

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Advent calendars, originating in Germany, have been used for well over 100 years to count down the first 24 days of December. As each day is “marked off,” a tiny gift, candy or suggestion of a fun family activity is revealed. With only a few days before December 1st, there is still time to make one. From the traditional and elegant to the contemporary and simple, here are a few links to some favorites. If your family has never had an Advent calendar, here is your chance to start a new family tradition.

From Pink Suede Shoe, these paper cones would make a huge impact on a mantle, hearth or table.

Love this pin board ornament calendar from Bower Power Blog. Move an ornament to the tree everyday!

Kids love Christmas books and bedtime stories! What a great idea to wrap your Christmas books (existing or new) in beautiful wrapping paper. Every child would love this tradition from Babyccinokids!

From DIY Father, a really fun Advent Calendar. Have the kids help you choose tiny boxes for this calendar.

Have you tried Origami? This is a sweet Advent calendar using the ancient Japanese paper-folding technique. Aren’t these pockets the cutest?

Over the years I have shared a few advent calendar’s myself…

Here are a few…

Printable advent calendar

Tree advent calendar

Birdie Advent Calendar

Stocking Advent Calendar

Whatever you do to count down till Christmas I hope it’s something that can bring the family together and helps them enjoy the spirit of the holiday’s together!

Fabric Gift Tag Advent Calendar Tutorial

cindylouh — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:47:50 +0000

How to make a fabric Advent Calendar

1/8″ of a yard wide pieces of fabric or other fabric scraps can make a darling keepsake Advent Calendar. I think they make a great gift to give a family. We will go ahead and fill it with some candy, notes, small gift cards and even an invitation to come to our house for dinner and games!

Cut fabric according to template.

Fabric Advent Calendar Template

Turn top edge of pocket piece over about 1/4 inch and top stitch.

Make a fabric sandwich. Bottom tag piece right side up, pocket piece right side up and second tag piece right side face down.

Stitch all the way around about 1/4 inch from the edge. Leave an opening for turning. Be careful to line fabric up to catch all layers.

Turn and press. Slip stitch opening closed or edge stitch all the way around to close the opening.

I found these awesome Tim Holtz wooden number disks at Michael’s Arts & Crafts. Paint or purchase painted clothespins (from Canvas Corp) and hot glue the numbers to the clothespins.

Clip to a heavy ribbon or jumbo ric rack.

Want more great fabric to do some projects just like these? All the fabric above was from Harts Fabric! The generous folks over there have offered us a great giveaway! Just stop by this post and comment to enter http://bit.ly/ucG8Uc ! You could win $100 in fabric of your choice!

I love making Advent Calendars! You might like to see more ideas:

Christmas Tree advent calendar

Felt Birdie Advent Calendar

Felt Stocking Advent Calendar

Printable Paper Stocking Advent Calendar