DIY holiday surprise crackers

I love learning about holiday customs from other countries, and this is one that I could easily see myself including in seasons to come. Kate Petty of Mini-Eco sent over this easy, modern version of Christmas crackers, a popular holiday tradition in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom, where Kate hails from.
She has created templates for small and large crackers, so all you have to do is print them onto a pretty paper or cardstock, cut, assemble and fill them with candies, notes or other little treats. I looked around and saw many versions of these available for sale, but none were as attractive as Kate’s geometric paper versions, and you can make these for almost no cost. Thanks so much for sharing your traditions and your project with us, Kate! — Kate
*If you like this project, you may want to check out Kate’s paper gem tutorial as well —it also has a free downloadable template and super easy instructions. Thanks Kate!

DIY Polka Dot Copper Tape Planter

I’ve gone planter crazy lately so I’ve been looking for creative DIY planter projects to share here on D*S. Thankfully a great one landed in my inbox a few weeks above from D*S reader Tempest of Ellomennopee. Tempest is an electrical engineer, so she works with copper tape on a regular basis. It’s a great material because not only is it cute and shiny, but it repels snails! So Tempest decided to make polka dots from copper tape using a punch. The self-adhesive tape attaches to the outside of the pot and looks just like paint. It’s a quick and easy how-to that’s perfect for after work – and getting you outside in the yard for a bit. Thanks so much to Tempest for sharing this with us! xo, grace
The full how-to continues after the jump…

DIY Ombre Tassel Placemats

 When I was home a few weeks ago for my grandmother’s memorial service, I spotted some adorable placemats on my family’s kitchen table. They were simple bamboo mats that had a few giant tassels on them. Since I’ve never met a tassel or pom pom I didn’t like, I though it would be the perfect project to make on my own- with an added ombre flare. I love the idea of rolling these up to use for picnics, outdoor dinners or just sprucing up your at-the-desk lunch breaks at work. I hope you’ll give them a try or perhaps they’ll inspire a little extra color at your next dinner party. xo, grace
The full how-to continues after the jump…

Eraser Heart Stamps

OK, the second one is similar to last week’s polka dot wrapping. But this time you do a little sculpting.
Materials: scissors, x-acto, pen, wrapping paper (I used red art paper instead), stamp pad (white can be hard to find, here’s my recommendation from Amazon)

DIY Heart Cut Gift Wrapping

Materials for cut out hearts: x-acto knife, cardstock (or business card), pencil or pen, scissors, wrapping paper, cutting board, secondary color paper (I chose glitter scrapbook paper)

DIY Project: Heart-Patterned Cake Roll

My love of desserts is legendary. Most of my friends know me as someone who will regularly bypass entire savory meals in exchange for a piece of chocolate cake the size of my head. I’m not sure how I got wired that way, but nothing makes me happier than a great piece of cake. So for Valentine’s Day, I love finding creative ways to dress up desserts for the holiday. (Side note: In college I bought (and consumed) an entire heart-shaped Carvel Ice Cream Cake. One of my best Valentine’s Days ever). Whether you’re making this for yourself, friends, family or loved ones, it’s hard to go wrong with a sweet heart-themed dessert.
This clever project comes from Raiza Costa. Originally from Brazil, Raiza now lives in New York City, where she loves to cook and bake for fun. She came up with this creative heart-patterned cake roll and made a new version for us that uses only natural ingredients (no artificial dyes). I think this is such a fun thing to make for the holiday and it would be equally cute (and just as easy to do) using just white hearts, if pink and red aren’t your thing. Thanks so much to Raiza for sharing this with us. You can watch her full how-to after the jump! xo, grace

DIY Pet Name Tags

Personalizing our pets is a fun way to not only showcase our love for them, but also to make them look even more adorable. There are a range of colors and styles nowadays on the market to personalize your pet in vast array of accessories from head to toe. I have been searching for leather nametags and when I couldn’t find them, I created my own. It turned out to be so fun and simple that I had to share it. Leather is such a rich looking material with a great texture that will showcase your pet’s name beautifully, along with elevating their look. Below are step-by-step instructions for upgrading your pet’s nametag to a personalized leather tag, to fit your furry friend perfectly. -Lindy
Click through for the full how-to after the jump!