Repurposed Salsa Jar

I love trash to treasure projects! I was minutes away from disposing of this empty salsa jar when I decided to make a jazzy repurposed jar!

1.) Clean the jar thoroughly and remove the adhesive label
2.) Apply a thin layer of Modge Podge around the jar
3.) Wrap the jar with a piece of leftover wrapping paper or scrapbook paper
4.) Apply a thin layer of Modge Podge over the paper and allow to dry for about 10 minutes
5.) Apply another thin layer of Modge Podge over the paper and allow to dry for about ten minutes
5.) Attach ribbon around the edges of the paper using super glue

Voila! You can use this repurposed jar for pencils, utensils, candy, etc!

Refinished Furniture Project

My friends Ted and Alison gave my husband and I a beautiful platter from Tiffany's for our wedding. Alison said, "Every girl deserves a little Tiffany's." I loved the pristine platter and equally loved the signature "Tiffany blue" box! With a little help from the Home Depot paint department, we used the signature "Tiffany's blue" color to brighten up a Katrina-damaged armoir. In the center of the armoir is the gorgeous white Tiffany's platter. Thanks to Alison and Ted for the lovely gift and redecorating  inspiration!

Handmade Wedding Cake Pulls

As my one year wedding anniversary approaches, I continue to reminisce about the happiest day of my life. With the help of my family and friends, I had a memorable night

In an effort to customize a wedding tradition, I put a handmade twist on my cake pulls. Instead of the traditional ribbon pulls, I made freshwater pearl bracelets with silver charms for each of my girlfriends. This way the ladies could wear the charm as a bracelet after the wedding. I have to credit my good friends and the owners of Flour Power Confectionery, Ronda and Doyle DeForest, for giving me this great idea. Our wedding cake was designed and prepared by Ronda and Doyle. The photographs are by Beebe Tran.

Hope you can pass this idea along to any bride-to-be!

All you need is LOVE

For most, February 14th is a time to celebrate Valentine's Day Love. The month of February is something special for me this year because it marks my one year wedding anniversary. On February 13th, one year ago, I married the love of my life, Barry. As I anticipate this special day, I have been decorating with pink and white memories from my wedding, the best day of my life!





Here is an easy and affordable Valentine's decoration!


You will need:


4 Dollar Tree picture frames
leftover scrapbook or decorative paper
ink, paint, or markers
printer




Use Microsoft Word or any other word processing program to spell out the word Love in different fonts.


Cut scrapbook or decorative paper into 4in by 6in rectangles and print each letter on a seperate rectangle.


Assemble frames and Voila!

Hope you enjoy! Stay tuned for more Valentine's fun!

New Orleans Mardi Gras Wreath

Here's my latest Mardi Gras decor edition. I used a plain $3.oo wreath from Micheals and jazzed it up with some Mardi Gras ribbon. The rest of the wreath decorations came from last year's Mardi Gras catches! I wrapped the wreath with some purple, green, and gold beads and a big gold fleur de lis that I plucked for another Mardi Gras catch! I put some red and pink beads aside for a Valentine's project...stay tuned!

Fleurdelicious Mardi Gras Ornaments

The following New Orleans Mardi Gras ornament is fun, festive, and fleurdelicious! Enjoy!


Fleurdelicious Mardi Gras Ornaments

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup salt

1 1/2 cups water
 
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  



2.Combine the flour, salt and water; mix well and knead for 10 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface.


3.Cut into fleur de lis shapes using a cookie cutter. Us the end of a plastic drinking straw to make holes for hanging.

4. Bake for 30 minutes; allow to cool.


5.Decorate with acrylic paints. Allow to dry and spray with clear polyurethane on both sides to preserve. Use ribbon or ornament hooks to hang.
 

Mardi Gras Decor "Oyster Shell Ornaments"

After painstakingly packing and putting away all of the Christmas decorations this year, my husband said, "I wish we could leave the tree up a little longer so that I wouldn't have to put it in the attic." So since I decided to do something a little different this year and update my Christmas holiday tree into the next New Orleans holiday, Mardi Gras.





For my holiday tree, I started with some store bought purple, green, and gold ribbon. I used last seasons leftover Mardi Gras beads to string together a shimmering gold garland by simply cutting and twisting the strands of beads together.






For an eco-friendly ornament, I used another New Orleans staple, oyster shells. My husband and I love to indulge in charbroiled oysters on the half shell whenever they are in season and we are always left with tons of empty shells.




Here are the steps to making an adorable OYSTER SHELL ORNAMENT

1. Soak the empty oyster shells in warm water, mild dish soap, and a capful of bleach.


2. Lightly scrub the shells with a toothbrush to remove any excess dirt or debris.


3. Paint one coat of gold acrylic paint to the interior side of the shell.


4. Cut magazine or any paper clippings in an oval shape sized to fit in the interior side of the shell. I used images of New Orleans parades to decorate my ornaments


5. Use a thin layer of Modge Podge to adhere the paper design to the interior side of the shell and one or 2 layers on top of the picture and allow to try.


6. Use Gorilla Glue to attach an ornament hook to the top of the shell. Make sure to use a strong adhesive because the shells are heavy.


7. Options: Add rhinestones or glitter to the outside of the shell.

Voila! You're very own oyster shell ornament!

Stay tuned for some more festive Mardi Gras decor!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!


Katherine