BFF Open House Link Party #33 Wrap Up and Features!

I hope everyone had the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of Hanukkahs. It’s hard to believe that it’s the day after Christmas already! I'm off to a slow start and will see what goodies are left at the stores whenever I get there.

I didn’t get a chance to visit all the links like I usually try to do but wanted to share some ideas that caught my eye from last week’s BFF Open House.

While the holiday wrapping may be done with for another year, we all have birthdays, weddings, showers etc to wrap for throughout the year. I usually pick up non-traditional wrapping paper etc on sale after Christmas to use all year. Katie, from blahtobeautiful shared some very creative wrapping ideas using Duck tape and fabric scraps!


This time of year, thoughts always turn to how to be better organized. Keri, from Pressed Down Shaken Together shared a pretty and practical idea to do just that; a cigar box scrapbook:

Inside the box, she’s got a file / tab for each month where she can jot down the happenings from that month, put pictures from that month etc. What a great idea to start in January and give a family member or friend next Christmas!

Planning ahead for next year, I’ve pinned this idea from Aimee at It’s Overflowing. I love the idea of a family photo tree and hers is just adorable:

Now would be a great time to pick up all the supplies with the after Christmas sales!

Finally, like many of us, I will start the New Year trying to be good after all of the holiday indulgences so I think I better make these amazing cheesecake brownies before New Year’s Eve.

These were shared by Andrea from The Cottage Market. YUM!!

Thanks everyone for linking up and looking forward to seeing what you've been up to this week.

BFF Open House Link Party #33 Christmas Edition!

I can’t believe that Christmas is Sunday! Are you ready? I’m not. Just a few last minute things to do. I’m sure there are some brilliant last minute ideas out there right?  So we’ll get right to the party! If you made it, link it, and no advertising or shops please. I know we’re all running like crazy, but let’s support each other and visit at least two other links.

This will be my last post until after Christmas so I just want to take a moment to say:

Peppermint Bark Cupcakes and Cookie Pops

Thought I’d share the treats I did for my husband’s office. You might remember the cookie pops I did for Halloween. Same basic process…candy melts, Oreos, lollipop sticks. This time I just crushed up some candy canes to sprinkle on top. Voila. Peppermint Bark Cookie Pops.

I started out making cupcakes but completely spaced and forgot that he needed more than 2 dozen. So….supplemented the cupcakes with a box of cookie pops. Crisis averted.

Basic chocolate cupcake, vanilla icing, crushed candy canes = Peppermint Bark Cupcakes. I was completely lazy and used pre-made toppers by Wilton. Thank you Dollar Tree Christmas trays.

I wrapped each of the cookie pops in cello bags and tied with red and white striped paper ribbon I had on hand. Then at the very last minute I decided they needed a box so covered one w/ scrapbook paper in like 2 minutes. Made a medallion and stuck on the front.

Ooops. Fixed that tape that sprang loose before I sent them off.

These cookie pops are the stinkin easiest last minute thing to whip up. Seriously.

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Quick and Easy Package Toppers

This is far from life changing but I thought I’d share a quick and easy way to 1.) finish off your packages and 2.) use up those pesky scraps of wrapping paper that always seem to be there.

I neglected to take pics along the way but it’s pretty straightforward.

I just made a medallion, lolly, pinwheel,  whatever you want to call it from my scrap wrapping paper. ( Fan fold either one long piece or two smaller pieces cut the same size ) and make your basic medal-lollly-wheel. 

I did find a video that covers the basics here

I punched a circle from some scrap glitter cardstock and added a metallic pom pom from my stash. You could add another medallion, a die cut, a different punched shape, button etc. Great way to use up leftovers and onesies.

I tried this idea as a more 3-D concept too:

I call this the “half lolly” . Sounds like a diving term!

Instead of bringing the two sides together to form a circle, I just taped them straight to the package so it stands up.

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Peppermint Themed Gingerbread House

House seems like a bit of a stretch. It's more like a cottage. I baked a gingerbread house from scratch one year and realized that I am not an architect! After that, it’s been Wilton, or grocery store pre-baked kits to the rescue. I picked the kit up from JoAnn's and Wilton does such a good job wrapping all of the pieces that nothing was broken.

I decided to go with a simple red and white theme, hence the name. And since this is decidely NOT a family affair ( more like a spectator sport in my house) I get to pick!

The front door is made from Andes Peppermint Crunch candies. Here’s where the charger didn’t make such a great base:

I wanted to make a sugar cube chimney and “brickwork” but need a little more truly flat space than I had. Oh well! Icing hides everything!

Maybe next year I’ll try baking a chocolate one from scratch.  MAYBE!

BFF Open House Link Party #32 Wrap Up and Features !

Welcome to the home stretch ! With both Hanukkah and Christmas this week, it’s going to be a busy one for sure.

Couple of notes before we get to this week’s features:

I’ll have the link party up on Friday, but will skip a Blog Feature this week. Will resume 12/30.
If you are or know a smaller blog ( crafts, DIY, paperarts, or foodie…500 GFC followers or less) and would like to be featured as a “BFF” in 2012, please email me: theanswerischocolate@comcast.net.

Thank you to everyone who linked up on Friday. This was the biggest party yet and I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to link up and share their creativity here.

This is on my list of things to make this week. Cappucino Fudge! Jocelyn from Inside BruCrew life shared this delightful temptation and I just wanted to jump through the screen! YUM!

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah or not, the ideas that Malia from Yesterday on Tuesday shares with her wonderful Hanukkah calendar are things I think all of us could do.

If you need a super cute idea for wrapping paper or something to do around the table, visit Megan at Polish the Stars for this great word search printable. She used it as wrapping paper. So cute!

You really have to see this amazing wreath that Bethany at A Fish Who Likes Flowers did proving that indeed, she likes flowers. She made this out of 902 hand cut pieces!

And finally, At Home with Mrs. H shares this printable that I have a feeling all of us have someone in our lives we could frame this for:

Please feel free to grab a featured button from my sidebar if you like.

Thanks everyone. Have a very creative week and don’t over do. More easily said than done I know! Hope to see you all again on Friday.

Framed Glitter Ornament

This week's BFF Open House link party is still going on here and will be up through Sunday. 

I thought I'd post an idea I recently shared over at The Scrap Shoppe where Michele has had a wonderful Handmade Holiday series going. This week is recipes so you should definitely check it out! It wraps up tomorrow but there have been some wonderful ideas shared. 

I was excited  Michele decided to do another Homemade Christmas and thrilled to be invite  to share a  fun , easy, and inexpensive piece of Christmas décor : A Framed Glitter Ornament

I really enjoy making things using inexpensive materials. Largely that’s because I can justify buying more supplies, but I’m also a firm believer that you don’t have to spend a lot to have pretty things around you. Like so many crafters, one of my go to places is The Dollar Tree.

On one of my trips I found a pack of glittered reindeer ornaments. Five for $1! Had to have.Right next to them was  a pack of red tissue paper “hot stamped” with silver. Also a must have!

One of my other stash staples are unfinished wood frames from Michaels. Yep you guessed it. They’re $1.

I took one sheet of the tissue paper and traced around the frame and cut out. Covered my frame with Ranger’s Glue N Seal and then put my tissue paper on. You could also use Mod Podge. I chose not to seal the top since I wasn’t sure if it would dull the shine of the silver foil.

Don’t worry if you don’t get this exactly measured to your frame. Let your adhesive dry and then I file around the edges with a piece of fine sandpaper or a package of emery boards that you picked up at Dollar Tree!

Waste not want not, so I covered the cardboard that came with the frame with some scrapbook paper:

I covered both sides because it just gives a nice finished look since there’s no back to the frame.

Took one reindeer from my package of ornaments, cut off the string used to hang and then hot glued it to my finished frame, offset so the feet and antlers are glued to the frame vs onto the paper. I liked the dimension this gave.

I cut the letters JOY from black vinyl using my digital cutter but if you don’t have one of those, you could easily use alphabet scrapbook stickers or letter stamps.  Embellished those with red self adhesive rhinestones I had in my stash.

Another reason I like the effect of gluing the reindeer to the frame vs the paper is this shadow effect. The glittered snowflakes I also had on hand and came in a package of 12 for $1.99 at Michaels.

My total cost for the supplies for this project was about $3!

• $1 frame
• $1 Tissue Paper ( over 4 sheets left over  so lots more crafting!)
• $1 Ornaments ( really $.20  for this project since I used one of five)

Let’s say you decided to spend $4 more on frames and make a total of five of these so you used up all your ornaments. Price per project would be around $1.40!! And I guarantee you’ll still have tissue paper left over.

If you're looking for a last minute decor idea or gift, this is a fast an easy way to whip something up.

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