Christmas is quickly upon us.  Are you still looking for a something to give those hard to shop for people on your list?  I consider one of the hardest age groups to shop for teen girls.  I wanted to share an easy and fun craft you can do with your kids that would thrill any girl this Christmas {even your own}. This picture frame bulletin board makes the perfect gift for a child to decorate their room. It would be an especially fun adult/child DIY project to make for a sibling or a friend!  You are never to young to start fixing up, remaking and giving handmade gifts!

This project starts with an old picture frame. We found ours at our local Goodwill store. You will also need a can of spray paint, beautiful fabric (mine is from Waverly), a ceiling tile cut to fit the picture frame, staple gun, glue gun, thumb tacks and a covered button kit.

Remove the picture from the frame and give the frame a couple coats of spray paint. Allow paint to dry between layers.

While the paint is drying make custom thumb tacks by covering buttons in a coordinating fabric (again from Waverly). Following package directions to cover buttons. Be sure to remove the shank from the back of the button before placing into the plastic piece.

Use hot glue or  an extra strong adhesive like E600 to fasten  a washer on the back and then  a  thumb tack. The washer will help raise the tack up so it is even with the edges of the button.

Cut the ceiling tile to fit inside the picture frame. Cut fabric big enough to wrap around the ceiling tile.

Starting with the corners staple the fabric around the ceiling tile.

Staple fabric all the way around. Staple on one side, then move to the opposite side.

Place fabric covered tile into the frame. Secure with duct tape or nails.

A perfect way to make an extra special bulletin board!

If you love Waverly as much as I do, you may want to pop over to the Waverly Facebook page  and enter to win one of the two $100 giftcards they are giving away right now.

Check out the other amazing blogger’s participating in this event.

Full disclosure: Waverly provided the fabric  for my use with this project along with compensation for the additional supplies I chose to use in the completion of  the project.

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!

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….

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.

If you would like to make a paper stocking Advent Calendar here are the files you will need for cutting on the Silhouette.

Silhouette Stocking Advent Calendar

If you are cutting by hand here is a pdf.

Paper Stocking Advent Calendar

Cut out stockings and lightly fold on score marks.

Glue about an 2 inch circle of white paper on the back of the stocking.

Fold stocking and glue flap. Allow to dry.

Push in bottom and top flaps of the pillow box.

Glue a ribbon for hanging.

Glue an embellishment to the top if you like. I used a fur trim (two yards will be enough for all the boxes) found at the fabric store for mine. Hot glue to top front.

TaDa! You are ready to countdown to Christmas!

If you would like a Silhouette for Christmas, make sure Santa’s elves know about this  Black Friday Silhouette Deal.

 Details for Black Friday Sale

Exclusive Reader Discount

Gear up for the best Black Friday sale this year – Friday, Nov. 25 through Monday, Nov. 28, save 40% on everything* at silhouetteamerica.com. Best of all you don’t have to wait in any lines or camp out in a tent. Just be sure to visit silhouetteamerica.com before the end of the day on Nov. 28 (MST) and use the promo code SKIP during checkout to save 40% off your entire order*. Everyone else will use the code Black Friday to get 30% off.

* Offer excludes Silhouette CAMEO™, download cards, and gift cards. Promotion valid 11/25/2011 12:00 AM through 11/28/2011 11:59 PM only at silhouetteamerica.com. 30% off sale only includes physical products purchased at silhouetteamerica.com while supplies last.

If you want the CAMEO { and I know you do}  then you have to go to this secret page and enter my code ‘skip’ (it will have a great discount too): http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/blackFridayCameo.aspx

Don’t forget to enter to win the Silhouette Cameo here. It closes tonight!

Linking up with these parties:
1. Tip Junkie- Tip me Tuesday

Welcome Marie LeBaron from Make and Takes.  I’m excited for her to share a craft from her new book! Read on for your chance to win a copy of her new book!

Hi everyone! I’m happy to be here at Skip to My Lou sharing a festive fall craft from my recent kids craft book,  Make and Takes for Kids. This Crunched Leaf Plaque is the perfect decoration for the kids to help make and display for the fall season. You can also enjoy your time together as you gather the leaves from around your yard or over at the park.

Supplies for a Crunched Leaf Plaque:

• 10–15 dried leaves
• Large bowl
• 4 × 24″ piece of craft wood, 1/8″ width
• Orange craft paint
• Paintbrush
• Pencil
• White craft glue

1. Paint your piece of wood with orange craft paint. Let this dry.

2. Using the photo as a guide, use your pencil to write “THANKFUL” in all capital letters on your painted board. Make sure the letters are evenly spaced across the board.

3. Trace the pencil letters with your white craft glue. Make sure each part of the letters is covered in a line of glue.

4. In a large bowl, crunch up your dried leaves. Try to get them as small as possible.

5. Sprinkle your crushed leaves onto your glue, shaking it around slightly to get each part of the glue covered in leaves. Shake off any excess leaves back into the bowl. Let your board dry overnight.

The kids are going to love to crunch up those leaves as they make a super cool sound. Have fun crafting for fall!

Thanks for stopping by Marie.

A little about her book…

Make and Takes for Kids offers 50 projects to make with kids, each centered around an upcoming holiday or season. The ideas are unique and simple to produce, and each project is thoughtfully constructed and designed to create an ideal environment and setting for crafting. Each craft requires little preparation, few supplies, and almost everything can be readily found at home or at a local craft supply store.

Author/Crafter: Marie LeBaron
Photography: Nicole Gerulat

A sneak peek of some of the cute projects!

Look at this adorable Turkey.

or this snowman puzzle.

You will have tons of things to do this winter when your kids have Cabin Fever.

Marie’s book is filled with fun and simple crafts that you can do with you kids.  It’s a perfect gift for the holidays, maybe stocking stuffer for teacher, parents or grandparents, it’s also a great way to unplug and have some one-on-one family time, encourage creativity in your little ones.  I love it!   Do you want to see it for yourself?  Just leave a comment and one lucky winner will receive a copy!

and more fun crafts go to Wiley crafts.

If you like to up-cycle, check out how we used cereal boxes to make masks for pumpkins.

It is easy to turn your plastic pumpkin into a cat with this free cat mask template. Load the plastic pumpkin bucket with goodies and “Boo Your Neighbors.”

I got to see where creativity happens!

Michael’s is working hard to provide a quality experience! They have a team of ladies dreaming up ideas, testing products and giving us plenty of projects to create.  You don’t want to miss their fun crafty videos.

It was a complete honor to meet Jo Pearson and Kathy Kromer! They are part of Michael’s Where Creativity Happens team. They are two amazing and talented women that I have come to love and adore!  It was easy see by their bubbly personalities that they receive unmeasurable joy from creating.   This joy was contagious and their warmth and generosity created a wonderful energy!  They are full of creative ideas that provide immense inspiration!  There is no way I can possibly express the impression these women made on me! How lucky I am to have had the opportunity to meet then.

Michael’s provided us an afternoon of  crafting with this amazing team!   What a blast we had!  Kathy Kromer helped us make an embellished journal. She has generously allowed  me to offer a download of her beautiful paintings so that you may make your own!

How to embellish a journal

It is a simple project that would make a lovely and thoughtful handmade gift. So gather up a blank journal with cardboard cover, Liquitex gloss gel and a foam paint brush and you are ready to go!

Download Kathy’s artwork and print in color on good quality copy paper. There are two different designs.

Kathy Kromer Art  1

Kathy Kromer Art  2

Tear the paper around the picture to leave an interesting border and to size it for the journal.

Paint Liquitex gloss gel on the back of the artwork.

Place artwork on the cover of the journal and give the top another coat of the gel medium.

Smooth the paper and remove any bubbles.

Allow gel to dry and you are finished! You can even add some embellishment to the wire spiral ring.

What a fun two days! I loved learning about the people who run Michael’s and spending time with some amazing bloggers:  Amy from Amy Atlas Events, Jenn from Hostess with the Mostess, Amy from Living Locurto, Kari from UCreate, Alison from HowDoesShe, Jen from Tatertots and Jello, Kami from No Biggie, Kelly from Make Grow Gather, and Ashley from Make It and Love It.

We were treated with loads of the best supplies! (don’t worry you will have the chance to win some too)

We used the supplies to make the perfect display for artwork!

We used a bi-fold foam board, markers, gel pens, paper, fun shaped scissors, glue and a black alligator/binder clip.

We colored…..we glued and cut….

to make the perfect frame for artwork. Just clip the favorite picture of the day onto the foam board frame with the clip and hang on the wall! (The picture frame even folds up when not being used)

Now you can win some goodies from Elmer’s by leaving a comment on this post. One lucky reader will win an adult kit that includes:

· CraftBond Gel Pens
· CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Stick
· CraftBond Tape Runner
· Painters Markers
· X-ACTO Zigzag and Scallop scissor packs
· X-ACTO 8” Scissors
· X-ACTO Corner Rounding Punch

and two kids kits that include:

· CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Stick
· CraftBond Glue Spots
· Project Popperz Markers
· Mini Bi-Fold Foam Board

truly a treasure chest of goodies!

Leave a comment by September 1st for a chance to win. (US entries only please) Contest closed.

Congrats to the winner!