Eileen

Easy Homemade Elmo and Cookie Monster Cupcakes

August 25, 2016 by Eileen 36 Comments

The Sesame Street desserts were my favorite part of my son’s Sesame themed party. Based on the rave reviews, I think they were my guests’ favorite part too. I made a huge Elmo cake and then I made homemade Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes.

I just loved how the homemade Elmo cake turned out… so much that I was actually sad cutting into it.

The DIY Elmo cake was a 12″ two-layer, gluten-free vanilla cake with chocolate icing. Red sprinkles covered the sides of the cake, along with two Elmo face cut-outs – made from cut-out cookies and chocolate melts.

The homemade Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes were regular vanilla cake with chocolate icing and decorated with sprinkles, icing tubes, and chocolate chip cookie halves to resemble Elmo and Cookie Monster.

Our guests were totally impressed with the Sesame Street desserts – and the homemade Elmo and Cookie Monster cakes were so easy to decorate.

DIY Cookie Monster Cupcakes Video

How to Make Elmo and Cookie Monster Cupcakes

After making the homemade Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcake batter, I filled the muffin liners 3/4 of the way full. I wanted to have a nice dome at the top of the cupcake. If the cupcake was too flat, the Sesame Street faces would be harder to make and wouldn’t look as nice.

Elmo and Cookie Monster Cupcake Decorating Materials:

a large bag of red sprinkles for the Elmo cakes – I looked for just red and just blue sprinkles everywhere – Michaels, Joann, AC Moore, Walmart, Target, the grocery stores – and couldn’t find any! I found these on Amazon. The bags are pretty big, and I had a lot of extra 🙂
a large bag of blue sprinkles for the Cookie Monster cakes
chocolate chip cookies – broken in half and used for Cookie Monster’s mouth. Homemade or store-bought both work fine. I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies a week earlier and put about a dozen (broken in half) aside and froze them for the cupcakes. Working with frozen cookies was easier too.
icing tubes in white, black, and orange .- used for the eyes, mouth, and Elmo’s nose. When looking through the aisles at Joann and Michael’s for ideas, I kept seeing pre-made candy eyes. I preferred using icing because those little candies can be a choking hazard for little ones.

Pictured above is my Cookie Monster cupcake set-up.

For Elmo’s mouth, you could always use half of an Oreo, but since I already had a black tube of icing for the pupils and I didn’t have Oreos – I went with the easier option.

If you are thinking of making the Elmo cake also, you can use leftover sprinkles and icing tubes from the cupcakes 🙂

How to Make Cookie Monster Cupcakes

First, after the homemade cupcakes cooled, I iced them. I was running a little low on icing, so I put just enough on so that the sprinkles would have something to stick too.
Next, I filled a small bowl with blue sprinkles, and then I flipped the iced cupcake upside down and dipped it into the sprinkles. I twisted it around a little to give the sprinkles a good stick.
Then, I used a white tube of icing to make Cookie’s eyes. I first made a circle outline and then carefully filled it in.
After that, I used the black tube of icing to make the pupils. I made sure to make one higher than the other, as that is Cookie’s signature look.
When the eyes were done, I took a chocolate chip cookie half and ran a strip of icing across the edge of the cookie (the part that would to stick to the cupcake), and then stuck it on.

I used a pizza pan to put the cupcakes on, so the Cookie Monster sprinkles didn’t run everywhere.

A cookie sheet would be fine too, but I was using all of those for my butterscotch batches that were baking.

Here is a picture of the finished Cookie Monster cupcakes.

The homemade cupcakes turned out so cute and were much easier to make with sprinkles, rather than the blue icing 🙂 The only decorating that was needed was the eyes. So these Cookie Monster cupcakes are pretty fool-proof!

How to Make Elmo Cupcakes

For the homemade Elmo cupcakes, I took almost the exact same steps as the Cookie Monster cupcakes listed above: I baked the cupcakes large so they would have a dome, iced the top, and then dunked them into a bowl of red sprinkles.

I then used the icing tubes to draw on the face. A little more skill was required for Elmo’s nose, eyes, and mouth (compared to just Cookie’s eyes), and I was tired from baking all day – but they still turned out pretty nice.

If your toddler can recognize Elmo, then you know it looks pretty good 🙂

The Elmo Cake

The Elmo cake consisted of three main parts – the Elmo face cut-outs used on the sides of the cake, the icing, and the actual cake. All of them were pretty simple to make. I made the face cut-outs the night before I did the Elmo cake, so two nights before the party. Then I made the Elmo cake and icing the day before. I also did the Elmo cake decorating the day before.

Elmo Cake Decorating Materials

Listed below are all of the materials for the Elmo cake. I had 50+ people coming, so I wanted to have plenty of Sesame Street desserts to go around.

Large Round Cake Pan – I used a 12″ cake pan, found on Amazon. It came in a set of four cake pans for $26, as it included a 6″, 8″, 10″, and a 12.” I figured if I was going to undertake this Elmo cake endeavor this year that I was sure to use the other sizes in future endeavors (maybe a tiered cake next year?). I also compared prices at Michaels, AC Moore, and Joann, and even with a coupon, this was the best deal.
Cardboard Cake Circle – I hemmed and hawed about purchasing these 14″ cake circles, and I’m so glad I did because in hindsight, I wouldn’t have pulled off this cake without them. Not only did they make taking the cake out of the pan so easy, but I also used them to hold the cake while in the fridge, and they easily allowed me to place the cake right on top of the cake holder. With a cake this big, cookie sheets and regular round plates would not have been a help at all.
Double Recipe of Cake Batter – I made my cake gluten-free from the most amazing recipe. Yammie’s Gluten Freedom has a recipe called The Best Gluten Free White Cake Ever. Instead of using eight egg whites, I used four whole eggs, and instead of using her gluten free flour blend, I used this one from America’s Test Kitchen called America’s Test Kitchen’s Gluten Free Flour Blend. It’s the only gluten-free recipe I have used that people have no idea it’s gluten-free. Even my gluten-loving husband was fooled. However, you can use any cake batter recipe for this – even two cake boxes. 🙂
Double Recipe of Icing – I used a chocolate recipe that my mom makes for every family birthday. It’s quite simple but results in a lot of taste-testing for the correct balance of sugar and chocolate.
Extra icing or icing tubes for decorating – I used the leftover orange icing tube from the Elmo cupcakes to write on the cake, and also I used the leftover chocolate icing to do borders on the cake.
Red sprinkles – These are for the sides of the cake – to make Elmo red. I found a great bag of red sprinkles on Amazon that I used on the cupcakes and the cake, and I still have leftovers.
Elmo’s eyes/nose cut-outs – I made these from cut-out cookies. In addition to having cut-out cookie batter (I made a half-batch), you’ll need candy melts in orange, black, and white. You will have lots of leftovers from these for future baking projects – or for delicious chocolate covered pretzels. Keep reading for instructions on these 🙂

Decorating the Elmo Cake

So my plan was to make red icing from beets to give the Elmo cake his red color.

I know that sounds crazy, but I didn’t feel like dumping a whole bunch of red dye into the icing that I knew my son would be eating by the spoonful.

I read that beets can be used for red icing, so why not try and make an MSG-free alternative?!

Well, in short, tampering with the beets was a waste of time the day before having a huge party at your house. The beets turned the icing hot pink.

Like really hot pink.

Too bad I wasn’t making an Abby Cadabby cake.

The teacher in me thought that I could still use the hot pink beet icing to ice the cake, and then put the red sprinkles over the side to make Elmo.

Well, that idea sunk when the cake started looking like Valentine’s Day with the hot pink and the bright red.

I laugh now, but oh was I frustrated!

So, how did we get the Elmo cake red?!

We sent Ash out to the store for more powdered sugar, and my sister, who is the icing master, made another huge batch of icing in chocolate.

Our altered plan was to ice the Elmo cake with chocolate frosting and then use the red sprinkles for the sides.

It worked out well, and we absolutely loved the way the Elmo cake looked!

The most time-consuming part, beets aside, was getting the sprinkles to stick to the sides of the cake.

My quick google search showed me there was no good strategy, other than tilting, and I was not tilting a two-layer 12″ cake.

So, I grabbed a handful of sprinkles and pressed them up to the icing to make it stick. It took a while, but it was worth it in the end. I absolutely love the way the Elmo cake turned out.

Making Elmo’s Face Cut-Outs

This was actually the easiest part of making the homemade Elmo cake.

First, I made a half batch of my mom’s cut-out cookies. You can make these a day early and leave the dough refrigerated overnight.

I used circle cookie cutters to get Elmo’s eyes right, overlapping the circles a little. Then, I made two different sizes – a smaller and a larger, so that I could pick the better of the two after they baked.

I made about a half dozen of each version – just to have extras.

For Elmo’s nose, I used a large oval cookie cutter to go with the larger eyes.

Since I didn’t have a smaller oval cookie cutter, I set the large one down in the dough as a guide and used a knife to cut a smaller oval. I made about two or three of each size nose.

As a visual guide, I had an Elmo party hat in front of me that I used on the party decorations. This was helpful to look at as I worked.

After the Elmo face cookies had baked and cooled, I picked from the two sizes I had made. I actually chose the smaller size, and then I got started on the decorating.

I used candy melts in white and black (see materials above).

For the whites of the Elmo’s eyes, I melted the candy melts and half dipped/half iced it onto the cookie.

Then, I simply took two chocolate morsels from the black candy melt bag and stuck them on for Elmo’s pupils.

The size was perfect!

For the orange, I thought I bought orange candy melts, but I hadn’t. Ugh!

I wasn’t making another trip to the store, so I had to improvise and use a little of the orange icing tube that was for nose on the Elmo cupcakes.

I just spread it over the nose cookie until it was smooth. It would have turned out better with the melted candy, as the icing was a little streaky.

But hey, it saved me a trip back out 🙂

If you haven’t used candy melts before, the trick with these (or melting any kind of chocolate in the microwave) is to microwave the morsels for 30 seconds at a time.

After 30 seconds, stir the chocolate up really well. Continue this pattern until the chocolate is all melted.

When you are heating it up in 30 second increments and giving it a good stir in between, you don’t run the risk of burning the chocolate.

Making Abby’s Magical Wands

For Abby’s Magical Wands, I simply bought pretzel sticks and dipped them in hot pink candy melts.

After dipping, I placed them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. This contains the drips and sprinkles. I also used some of the white candy melts to drizzle on them too, after the pink had set.

I was so pleased with how the Elmo and Cookie Monster cakes and Abby’s wands turned out. It was definitely my best cake ever.

Last year, I tried to draw on a bear that looked more like a blob….

This year, I used cookies, sprinkles, and chocolate melts to mask my poor decorating skills 🙂

The homemade Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes totally impressed my party guests and myself. These simple tutorials show you exactly how you can make your own party desserts.

The homeamde Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes were a big hit among the kids! And, the adults loved the cake.

When you enjoy baking and creating something totally awesome, the time spent was absolutely worth it.

And, it was all in a day’s work!

How to Throw the Best DIY Sesame Street Party

August 22, 2016 by Eileen 17 Comments

Three things I love are planning, making, and decorating. And of course, seeing my son smile. This summer, I achieved all of those things through throwing a fantastic summer Sesame Street theme party. Almost every guest made a kind comment on how wonderful everything was – from the decorations to the party games to the themed food and homemade desserts.

How did I do it without going too crazy? I spent a lot of time scouring the Internet (Happy 25th Birthday today, Internet), compiling ideas, and crafting my own.

I carefully documented my techniques to make it even easier for you!

Without further ado, here are some highlights from the cutest, do-it-yourself Sesame Street party.

My sister made the above Sesame Street party lamp from planters, PVC, and spray paint! It also lights up! Pretty cool, right?!

Sesame Street Party Decorations

I love efficiency almost as much as I love a good theme party, so I had planned to make the decorating as easy as possible, without compromising my extravagant plans.

You see, I used the same Sesame Street faces to make seven awesome party decorations. I used the same character face cut-outs on the pennant banner, party hats, goody bags, balloons, party buckets, pom-poms, and photo booth props.

Decorating was super easy when you reuse the same things for each decoration. The party hats I bought at Walmart and then simply glued the faces on. I did the same with the goody bags, buckets (I used to tape so I could reuse the buckets), and balloons.

For the pennant banner, I cut the pennants out of brightly color cardstock (a combination of this pack and this pack), and then used fishing line and hot glue to connect.

The photo booth props were super simple – just glue some signs and faces to popsicle sticks. Once you have the props, you only need two more things for an easy do-it-yourself photo booth – a backdrop and the photo booth app.

Ash wrote the app Easy Photo Booth, and you can download it for free!

Last, the pom-poms were a mix of dollar store finds with homemade ones – and then again, I simply glued the faces on.

I made the party hats using the same character cut-outs from above.

Sesame Street Homemade Desserts

Let’s move on to my favorite part of the Sesame Street party (and well, every party) – the desserts!

I made a 12″ two layer, gluten free vanilla cake with my sister’s delicious chocolate icing. I used red sprinkles on the sides, and the eyes/nose are actually sugar cookie cut-outs that are dipped in chocolate melts. For step-by-step, instructions, see my cake post.

I loved this cake so much that I was actually a little sad cutting into it.

The pretzels – labeled Abby’s Magical Wands – were the easiest to make. Just dipped in melted pink chocolate!

The cupcakes were the most fun to make! They are simply dipped in sprinkles and decorated. To show you just how simple it was, I wrote a step-by-step tutorial on exactly how to make these cute Sesame cupcakes.

Sesame Street Themed Food

Making the snacks into character faces came totally from Pinterest! Look how cute Oscar turned out!

We also made a Big Bird out of cheese and crackers along with a watermelon Elmo.

With the menu not finalized until a few days before the party, I almost nixed labeling the food to coordinate with the theme of the party.

However, I’m so glad I didn’t because who doesn’t get a good laugh out of “Oscar’s Scram-burgers” and “Ernie’s Rubber Doggies?!”

Sesame Birthday Banner

Here you can see more of the table, the amazing DIY birthday sign (so easy to make), the party hats, and the goody bags.

Below is a close-up of the DIY sign as it was still in the making. I actually couldn’t find any free, printable letters, so I created my own.

In doing so, I created free banner letters for you (just the letters – no characters). The best thing about these is that you can customize the letters and just print what you need. Four letters fit per page too!

I love the way it turned out! Zeus did too – even though his face isn’t showing his excitement 😉

Sesame Street Party Games

Now, onto games! We had quite a few at the party. This was my favorite – Cookie Monster’s Cookie Toss.

I painted Cookie’s face on a piece of foam board from the Dollar Store, and Ash gave it a nice wooden frame.

The cookies are homemade from felt and beans. We also did “Pin the Nose On Elmo” made of felt on felt…

…as well as “Count with the Count” made with card stock, wrapping paper, and 3D stickers.

There’s also Abby’s Magical Shapes, which was my son’s favorite. He learned these shapes in just days playing around with this board prior to the party.

And, last but not least, we can’t forget “Hoppin’ with Zoe,” an indoor/outdoor hopscotch rug made entirely from felt! Check out my tutorial to make your own – it’s so, so easy!

Sesame Party Photo Booth

We also had a Sesame photo booth at the party. On our deck, we set up this sheet of felt (you could also use a blanket as a backdrop), along with the computer app that Ash made!

Here are the props I made. Some of them were character cut-outs, and others I threw together. This was also a last minute activity 🙂

Here’s a few characters posing 🙂

Here I am, Ernie, cutting the cake. My sister, PK, is the Count, and seems to be concentrating pretty hard on holding that plate:

Here’s the entrance to the Sesame Street party:

It definitely was a party to remember!

Just one last picture that has left me laughing – my party decorating helpers, pretending to float away 🙂

Overall, I put a lot of time into planning and creating. However, I detailed the steps for you to make it easy. Your Sesame Street party should be a breeze!

Making a Simple Ice Cream Sundae Gift Basket

August 19, 2016 by Eileen 31 Comments

I love making cute gift baskets – so much that I have a board on Pinterest entirely devoted to homemade gift baskets and boxes.

Whenever I’m stuck for a gift, whether Christmas gifts or shower gifts, I always think about what I can put in a gift basket as a themed gift.

My sister-in-law and her family were staying with us for their family vacation this year, and I wanted to do something special for them. I made this cute DIY ice cream sundae gift basket, and it was a hit!

Collecting Materials for the Gift Box

First, I collected the materials that I needed for DIY ice cream sundae gift box. I went to Michael’s and they were having an awesome summer blowout sale on gift boxes.

I got this gift box for just three dollars! Of course, I bought a few of them for later projects.

Next, on my weekly trip to the grocery store, I purchased a few of the ice cream box necessities – chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, cherries, and cones.

I also bought a few boxes of candy that could be used as toppings. The boxes were on sale for .99 cents.

As for other toppings, I already had tons of sprinkles and a box of walnuts at home.

My final trip was to Walmart for a cheap but cute ice cream scoop. I found one for .88 cents! (Side note – if you are looking to get a better scoop, there’s an awesome scoop on Amazon that uses the heat from your body to heat up the ice cream!)

Also at Walmart, I found polka dot napkins and turquoise spoons for a dollar per pack. I also found ice cream cups there for $3 per pack.

If you are looking to buy a kit, there’s a great ice cream sundae kit on Amazon, which has the cups, spoons, straws, and little umbrellas in bright and cheery colors.

Last, I purchased the condiment cups on Amazon. Love Amazon! I also needed the condiment cups for my son’s Sesame Street themed birthday party, so I bought a big bag.

I already had scrapbook paper and ribbon in my craft collection, so I didn’t need to buy those things 🙂

Putting the Ice Cream Sundae Box Together

The next step was the fun part – putting everything together into a cute ice cream sundae gift basket.

I poured the boxes of candy into the condiment cups. The boxes were a perfect fit because I had little to none leftover.

I also filled condiment cups with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, and crushed walnuts.

I unwrapped two different kinds of cones (I bought a variety pack) and wrapped a stack of them in cellophane for freshness.

Then I took a piece of ribbon and tied a few spoons to the ice cream scoop with a sign that read, “Just add ice cream.”

I took scrapbook paper and cut pieces to cover the store labels – to make them prettier 🙂

Then I printed my own labels that read “chocolate syrup, cherries, etc” (see download below) on regular white printer paper.

I glued the labels to the scrapbook paper and then taped them to the jars, for a cute, uniform look.

I didn’t love the design on the ice cream cups, so I wrapped a polka-dotted napkins around the cup, to match the napkins and make for a brighter box.

Last, I added a sign to the top of the box, covering up the bicycle design.

I love the way the box turned out! My sister-in-law and her family loved it too. We had a great time creating ice cream sundaes at home 🙂

As far as cost, I saved a lot of money with the discounted box, grocery store sales, and good finds at Walmart.

Altogether, I spent just less than $35 dollars (with the condiment cups being $10.50 and tons of these leftover for other projects) on the this DIY ice cream sundae gift basket.

Considering we had ice cream sundaes for seven people and tons of leftovers, I still think that’s a great deal!

It’s a great summer gift basket, housewarming gift, a sunshine gift for someone who needs some positivity – the list is endless, and everyone always loves it!

Making Adorable Cards from Toddler Art

August 7, 2016 by Eileen 7 Comments

Looking for an easy way to make homemade birthday cards from toddlers? Check out this easy trick – perfect for card making with toddlers.

I’m always looking for cute greeting card ideas for my kids to make.

There are so many fun cards out there that creatively use kids’ hand and footprints.

Although cute, I always had trouble getting one decent hand or footprint for a greeting card.

Not to mention the mess it makes.

As soon as my son was old enough to paint, I had him “paint” with cotton swabs, instead of paint brushes, so he could easily dab the paint onto the paper.

This kept the paint really confined but still allowed him to create artwork. (Sponge brushes and foam stampers are great for making cards with toddlers too.)

As any toddler’s paintings would be, my little guy’s artwork was very abstract. 🙂

I was having him make birthday cards for all of the August birthdays in my family. Yet, rather than give messy toddler paint prints, I thought of a great way to showcase his art but to also turn it into a nice-looking greeting card.

Homemade Birthday Cards from Toddlers

So after my son did a little abstract painting, I did a little cutting and gluing – and voila! Don’t the birthday cards look nice?!

Materials for Making Greeting Cards from Toddlers

Making these greeting cards is so simple. The materials are so easy too. Most likely, you will even already have all of these things.

Card stock – I like having toddlers make artwork on card stock because it is so thick. When they layer paint on paint on paint, the card stock works really well. I mostly used this bright color pack. The brighter the colors, the better the cards turned out. (Looking at the purple card (below), I wished I used a brighter color for the actual card.)
Kids paint – I love this washable Crayola paint. Lots of color choices keep my son very interested in painting!
Paintbrushes – sponge brushes, cotton swabs or stampers work too! My son loves making greeting cards with these foam painting stampers. He has this farm set, but they have transportation ones, animal ones, sea-life ones, and even holiday sets too! He only uses the paintbrush for so long, but the foam stampers keep him interested for longer
Scissors – just the regular ole pair you have laying around the house 🙂
Glue – or even tape 🙂
Sharpie/Marker (if needed) – I used a sharpie to add the balloon strings. You could use ribbon or pipe cleaners or anything else you find around your house.
Stickers or embellishments (if desired)

Making Cards with Toddlers

After my toddler painted on the card stock papers, I let them dry for a few hours or so. Then, I cut his paintings into shapes – cupcakes, presents, balloons, and layered cake for the birthday cards.

I then took a new piece of card stock (a contrasting color), folded it in half, and trimmed off the top (unless I was going for a tall card – like the balloons and train). After, I took the birthday items that I cut and glued them down to the card.

I even did a train cut-out for my train-loving dad. I used a nearby water bottle cap to trace those perfect circles 🙂

Using Patterned Scrapbook Paper for Toddler Cards

After making cards for all the August birthdays, I was running low on paintings, so I substituted printed scrapbook paper (here is a similar one) that looked like a cupcake wrapper.

The greeting card turned out so cute that I wished I thought of it sooner 🙂

Birthday Shapes

As far as the shapes, I free-handed them as I cut. You could certainly draw on the paper and then cut.

Adding Embellishments

While making cards with toddlers, you can dress up the cards by adding some embellishments to the front of the card. I added the word happy with letter stickers because the present birthday card looked a little plain.

A Personal Touch

Last, to give the greeting cards just a little more of a personal touch, I had my son decorate the inside. He colored with his crayons and picked out stickers. This gave him another opportunity to be creative making birthday cards.

I just love how the birthday cards turned out! My son got to be as creative as he wanted with no restrictions (like finger prints or footprints), and I got to help my toddler create something to give to others that was refrigerator-worthy.

Card-Making for Older Kids

You can easily alter this activity for older kids by having them paint and then cut and glue their shapes. It makes a fun alternative to them drawing cards – and it gives kids practice with scissors and putting shapes together to make things.

Birthdays, Valentines, Anything!

Even though I used birthday shapes for this batch of greeting cards, you could easily alter the shapes for holidays too. These are perfect birthday cards from toddlers to dad or mom. They also are great Valentine’s cards to make with toddlers.

Making cards with toddlers is a win-win for everyone involved. Your child gets to do a fun activity, you get to save some money with homemade cards, and your family members/friends get a creative, cute card, showcasing your child’s work.

And, the best part is that there is no need for hand or footprints.

Now that’s a win right there 😉

Easy Thank You Cards Kids Can Make – Check out 4 super simple cards that kids can make – perfect for thank yous!
Felt, No-Sew Finger Puppets – These are a fun easy DIY for kids!
Tissue Paper Suncatchers – Such a fun crafts to make – they really work too 🙂

A Terrific Table Saw for DIYers

July 17, 2016 by Eileen 6 Comments

Kobalt KT1015 Table Saw Review

In short, the KT1015 Kobalt table saw is an outstanding saw for its value and should perfectly suit the needs of any DIYer.

From ripping plywood sheets to cutting lap joints with stacked dado blades, this table saw does it all for a budget price.

Earning 4 out of 5 measuring tapes, it’s definitely one of my most treasured tools. With the Kobalt in my collection, I am able to complete a whole new range of projects.

The Nitty Gritty on the Kobalt Table Saw

For many years I got by without a table saw. I’d always just used my trusty handsaw or circular saw.

Because our previous home was small, I just didn’t have a need for it. I couldn’t work on as many projects as I wanted to.

This changed once we bought a larger home. The list of projects we wanted to complete on our new home was endless.

A larger yard meant things like planter boxes, storage sheds, and picnic tables. A more spacious garage meant custom shelving and work benches. The projects went on and on.

It was inevitable that the need for a table saw would come up. It was the construction of the shed that prompted this.

The first couple weeks of working on the shed, I used my handsaw and portable power saws. Then as I got deeper into the project, I ran into a wall.

I realized that I needed to make certain long narrow cuts. These cuts were nearly impossible to do reliably and consistently with my current means.

So it was time for a table saw. I was really excited as I had always wanted one, and this was the perfect opportunity to make the investment.

I researched many types online so I could find the best table saw. At the time, the prices ranged from around $250 to thousands of dollars.

I opted for the Kobalt KT1050 table saw from Lowes. After a 10% coupon I purchased on eBay for $2, I got the table saw for just under $300 with free delivery. (Here’s a very similar tablesaw on Amazon.)

Why I Chose the Kobalt Table saw

There were two main deciding factors for choosing this saw versus others in the same price range. The first one was the maximum cutting depth at 90 degrees.

The KT1015 Kobalt table saw allowed up to 3.5 inches of height on the blade, which meant I could cut a 4 x 4 with one pass on the blade. Most of the other saws maxed out at 3.125.”

I could also cut 2 x 4s on the longer side if I needed as well.

The second decision factor was that the Kobalt table saw came with a folding built in stand.

I didn’t fully understand the mechanics of its intended operation until watching some YouTube videos. Then I decided this saw was perfect for me.

During normal usage, the saw sits on its stand and works like a regular table saw.

Then when you’re done your cutting for the day, you press a foot lever, raise two handles and the saw tilts vertically on its side and is wheeled away for storage.

The Kobalt table saw in its wheeled storage position:

In this mode, it looks and maneuvers like a two wheel dolly. Because it stands up vertically, it takes up minimal space against the wall when not in use.

This was perfect for my setup as I did not want a permanent spot for the table saw and was hoping to easily pull it out as needed.

In the picture below, the lever with the lock icon transforms the saw into working position.

The Kobalt Table Saw In Action

The table saw arrived about a week later at my front door. I was held up from working on the shed project due to cuts needed from the saw, so I was eager to set it up and continue construction.

It took about an hour to assemble all of the parts and learn operation of all the features.

Since it was my first time using a table saw, I did a number of practice cuts with scrap wood to get a feel for the saw and its mechanics.

I verified the 3.5” max blade height with a piece of 4 x 4. Then, I tried some angled cuts with the included miter slide. I also ripped some bevel cuts on some 2 x 4s.

The cuts were clean and effortless.

The dust port sprayed most of the sawdust out and away from me, piling it up in a hill.

Once I was comfortable with the Kobalt table saw, I did the real cuts I needed for my project and was very happy with the results.

Here is a picture of the side showing the yellow power switch and the blade adjustment wheel. You can raise or lower the blade by spinning the wheel.

Also, attached to the wheel is a bevel lever that you can use to adjust the angle of the blade. I found the power switch to be in the perfect location because it is easy to turn the saw off with your knee after a cut.

The opposite side of the saw is where the sawdust shoots out.

One thing I was not too happy about with the Kobalt table saw was the misalignment of the riving knife. The riving knife is a metal splitter that sits just behind the blade.

As the saw blade cuts through the wood, the riving knife slides right into the freshly cut groove and forces the wood to remain parallel to the guide fence.

It’s a safety feature of table saws that helps to prevent a lot of kickback (when the spinning motion of the blade forces the wood to jerk back at you).

The riving knife is supposed to be aligned perfectly with the blade, but mine was not. It actually wasn’t too bad at the beginning, but as I used the saw over the next couple months, the alignment got worse.

The Kobalt table saw manual did come with instructions on aligning it via some hexagonal screws, but I haven’t gotten around to fixing it.

I did also read online about a number of people having trouble with the alignment and could not fix it regardless of the adjustment screw settings.

Some people have even had to stick washers into the riving knife mounting points to align it manually.

Hopefully when I get the time to look into it more, it will work out for me.

In the meantime, when I cut wood, the riving knife either happens to nudge into the cut groove, or I have to place a pre-cut block of scrap wood to force the alignment.

I do occasionally just use my finger to manually nudge the riving knife into place with the blade spinning, but this is highly dangerous and I would not recommend to anyone (note to self to stop doing this and fix the alignment).

Another thing that I was not too fond of was aligning the guide fence. This is the guide that runs parallel to the blade that you slide your wood against to ensure your cut is even.

The guide has two clamping levers on both ends that you engage to lock it down to the table saw surface.

The problem with this technique is that you have to manually ensure the guide is parallel to the blade. If the guide isn’t parallel (within a close margin of error), then your cut is not going to be straight.

Also, your wood will likely get stuck at some point as you slide it through the blade. So both ends of the guide have to be the same distance away from the blade.

It’s really not that difficult to do. However, it can get annoying if you’re making a number of cuts and constantly adjusting the fence.

I’m used to using a tape measure to ensure both ends of the guide fence are the same distance from the edge of the table. Other people use a speed square to quickly align the fence.

The fancier table saws use a rack and pinion system for the guide fence. This is where you spin a handle to slide the fence left or right.

This would be perfect for me if I had a few more hundred dollars to spend on a table saw. Yet, that was outside my budget.

Here is a picture showing the guide fence with one of the adjustment levers.

There is a ruler on the front to help you set the distance from the blade, but I find this not to be always accurate. I tend to rely on my trusty measuring tape.

So the misaligned riving knife and the work needed to setup the guide fence are my only squabbles with the KT1015 Kobalt table saw.

It’s a terrific saw for a great value and should satisfy the needs of your typical home DIYer. My most prized item in my tool collection is definitely this Kobalt table saw.

For a mere $300, it has put me on a whole new level of craftsmanship, and allowed me to accomplish projects that would have been nearly impossible in the past.

Kobalt Table Saw Accessories

I ended up buying a featherboard. Some people make one but I found it easiest to just buy one.

Featherboards are great when you need that extra bit of precision as your guiding your piece of wood into the blade, the featherboard will keep the beginning flush against the fence ensuring a more consistent cut.

It was a pretty cheap purchase, and it’s a really nice accessory to have with the Kobalt table saw.

Hammering It Home…

Listed below are the projects where I used the Kobalt KT105 table saw. To see detailed steps and pictures, click the project below.

Gel Stain that Completely Transforms Furniture

July 16, 2016 by Eileen 11 Comments

General Finishes Gel Stain

General Finishes Gel Stain is a DIY dream. If you are up for the work, you can completely change the look of your dated kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanities. You can also refinish furniture with this stain.

Easy-to-use, General Finishes gel stain is undoubtedly the best gel stain brand, as it involves little prep, and produces high-quality results.

With kitchen renovations costing thousands of dollars, this gel stain is about $30 for a quart (a quart goes a long way).

My only complaint is the strong smell, but a well-ventilated area solves this.

Earning 5 out of 5 measuring tapes, it’s my best kept secret.

The Nitty Gritty

When we moved into our new house, a lot of our cabinets were old oak originals from the 1970s. Our bathroom looked completely dated with an oak vanity.

In our kitchen, the previous owners updated the countertops with granite but left the old oak cabinets. The speckled tan and brown granite clashed with the oak.

I wanted a cost-effective solution, and at this point, I wasn’t quite sure how to do it.

Here’s a picture of our dated kitchen. I couldn’t wait to refinish those oak cabinets with a much darker look.

Deciding Factors

Spending time scouring pinterest and googling my options, I stumbled across a blog post where gel stain was used to completely change the look of a bathroom cabinet.

The blogger recommended General Finishes Gel Stain and emphasized this was the best brand of gel stain.

I had some time on my hands and decided to try the gel stain finish on the bathroom vanity. I started small – on the inside of the cabinet door.

If I liked the way it turned out, I could go ahead and finish the cabinet. In the back of my mind I was thinking that if it went really well, I could attempt the kitchen.

Below is a before and after of the gel stain used on the bathroom vanity. I was thrilled with how it turned out.

Between the gel stain on the vanity and the new mirror, this bathroom had left its aging past behind.

Prior to gel staining cabinets, I had a lot of experience working with regular wood stain, but I had never worked with gel stain.

However, it was easy-to-use and yielded exactly the results that I was going for.

I was so thrilled with how the bathroom vanity turned out that a few months later, I gel stained all of my kitchen cabinets. It was a huge project, but the results were phenomenal, especially for the money.

What makes gel stain different?

To give a little background on gel stain versus regular stain, when using regular wood stain, or thin-liquid stain, it actually penetrates into the wood. Whereas with gel stain, the stain sits on top of the wood.

When using regular stain, sometimes the wood unevenly absorbs the color and you end up with some dark splotches.

With gel stain, you don’t have this problem because the wood doesn’t absorb the stain. Because it sits on top, it masks the grain of the wood, especially if you pick a dark color.

When using gel stain, even though no uneven spots will show through, you will also lose some of the grain of the wood, depending upon how dark your stain is.

This is a matter of preference though.

General Finishes in Espresso is very popular color stain on the blogs. It’s so dark that is almost opaque, hiding the grain or any other imperfections.

I thought Espresso would be a little too dark for my kitchen countertops. I went one shade lighter and used Antique Walnut.

With this hue, you can still faintly see the grain of the wood, which makes the cabinets look authentic.

When using gel stain, you don’t wipe off the excess stain the way you wipe off regular stain.

It also is a thicker consistency and doesn’t really drip. This makes it easy to stain vertical surfaces.

After loving the bathroom cabinet and doing a little more research, I decided to tackle the kitchen. Here’s the after picture. (We also installed backsplash and new appliances, but the difference just in the cabinets was amazing.)

I haven’t even told you the best part – when using this gel stain, you don’t need to strip the wood or spend too much time sanding.

You do need to do a thorough sanding, just enough to give the gel stain something to stick to.

General Finishes Gel Stain in Action

Here’s the back of the cabinet door after a light sanding.

After sanding and thoroughly wiping down the pieces, I used foam brushes to start applying the stain.

I preferred using the foam brushes (I used a regular size foam brush and a smaller size for crevices) rather than rags because I was wearing thick chemical gloves. So, I was able to get into the nooks and crannies with the foam brush more easily than with rags.

The stain went on easy – just like painting. And again, there’s no need to wipe it off.

I did three to four coats, and while it did look streaky during the first and second coat (it is supposed to), the third coat is magic.

One thing you have to be careful of is leaving a build-up in the corners and grooves.

These will harden and dry, and then stand out like a sore thumb.

After each coat, thoroughly check the grooves and other areas for any build-up.

After three to four coats, the cabinets looked great. You can get by with three coats, but four seals the deal. There were absolutely no streaks or uneven surfaces.

As far as color, Antique Walnut is a solid dark brown – like Hershey’s chocolate brown.

As far as smell, the stain isn’t too pleasant on the nose. Make sure to keep your area well-ventilated.

I did a lot of the cabinet doors in the garage with the garage doors wide open, but I still prefered having a fan, blowing out the stinky air. (The good news is that the polyurethane sealer is water-based and has little to no smell.)

Will it match?

During this project, we added a cabinet to our kitchen, so we ordered two new, unfinished cabinet doors.

I was worried about the gel stain looking the same on the unfinished cabinet doors – as the rest of the kitchen, where the gel stain was resting on top of an oak finish.

I’m happy to report that the gel stain went on the unfinished doors easily and matched all of the old doors almost perfectly.

The only difference is the two new doors looked a tad shinier than the other doors.

In hindsight, we would have only used one coat of polyurethane.

The Savings

Because I put on thick coats, I went through three quarts of the General Finishes gel stain between the bathroom and the kitchen.

Between the foam brushes, stain, and polyurethenane, the whole project was under $150. You simply cannot beat that!

Kitchen renovations are thousands of dollars.

If you are willing to put the work in, this is a fantastic solution.

General Finishes Gel Stain is the only gel stain that I’ve worked with, but I heard it’s the only brand to work with.

Ash used a different brand of gel stain with a piece of furniture years ago and ended up sanding the stain off.

He was extremely skeptical of my desire to use the gel stain but was sold when he saw the bathroom vanity completely madeover.

I’ve also read posts from other bloggers who have tried different brands and been disappointed with their results.

If you are thinking about using gel stain, definitely go with this brand!

Pictured below is Ash reattaching the cabinet doors.

Where can I find General Finishes Gel Stain?

General Finishes Gel Stain is a little hard to find – you have to buy it a specialty shop or on Amazon.

We bought the first quart on Amazon and found the next at a speciality shop a couple hours away, due to poor planning on my part!

I did have a funny conversation with the store owner, who asked me what I was using this stain for because it was selling like hotcakes. He also thought I was crazy for driving to another state, so I could finish my cabinets 😉

Looking at the before and after pictures of our kitchen cabinets, the difference is incredible. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of work, but it completely modernized our kitchen.

Hammering It Home…

Here are the projects where we’ve used this gel stain. For detailed steps on how to gel stain kitchen and bathroom cabinets, click the project below.

Easy and Fun Bridal Shower Game with Free Printables

July 8, 2016 by Eileen 40 Comments

In addition to our home projects, I always have a crafty project (or two) up my sleeve. A few months ago, I was asked to be a bridesmaid in my friend Meg’s wedding, and her sister reached out to me asking for help with fun bridal shower games.

Thinking back to fun bridal shower games, my sister PK planned an awesome game at my shower. She collected a dozen photos of me at different times in my life and projected them onto the wall. The bridal shower guests guessed what year the photo was taken.

Even though I loved the game, putting a version together for Meg would have involved collecting and scanning a lot of photos, not to mention getting their dates correct.

Although it was a fun bridal shower game to play, I probably wasn’t the best person to head up that game.

I thought a little more and remembered my friend Tiff’s bridal shower. Tiff and her closest friends always go all out and plan the most awesome parties.

And, you know that I love a good theme party (Check out our Beatles party, Sesame Street party, and Seinfeld party)!

Tiff’s bridal shower theme was Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and everything was so amazing – from the invitation to the party props. (See her awesome invitations)

At Tiff’s bridal shower, we played the best bridal shower games. One of them was called Mustaches and Tiaras and it had bridal shower game questions about the couple. And, there were props! Everyone got tiara and mustache props (card stock cutouts glued to popsicle sticks).

How to Play this Fun Bridal Shower Game

To play this fun bridal shower game, each player received one tiara, one mustache, and a list of questions that were asked to the bride and groom ahead of time. It’s basically a game of “Who said it?” with silly props.

The Hilarious Details

The bridal shower questions that the bride and groom answered can include anything from favorite ice cream topping to biggest fear to random questions, such as, “Why doesn’t the glue stick to the bottom of the bottle?”

The bride and groom answer these questions about themselves and then submit them to you, ahead of time. They aren’t allowed to share answers.

From the bride and groom’s responses, prior to the party, you chose one answer to be read aloud.

Then at the party, you read the question and then the one answer you chose. The guests needed to decide if that answer was the bride’s answer or the groom’s answer.

If it was the bride’s answer, they put their tiara up, and if it was the groom’s answer, they put their mustache up.

Once in awhile, there’s an answer that both the bride and the groom gave, and then the party guests hold both the tiara and the mustache up.

When you see a sea of faces staring back at you with tiaras and mustaches held up, it’s pretty funny! (Check out some great pictures of this game being played at Tiff’s shower on her blog).

I had to recreate this unique bridal shower game for Meg. I emailed her and her fiance the couple questions ahead of time, and sorted through their answers for the bridal shower game.

Here are the mustaches and tiaras, along with the question cards that I made for her bridal shower.

The great thing about this fun bridal shower game is that it’s so low pressure. Everyone can participate and have a good time. There aren’t any fill-in-the-blank parts about how well guests know the bride or questions about milestones in the bride’s life. The bridal shower game is easy on the attendees, always gets a good laugh, and fun to create!

Ready to start making Mustaches and Tiaras?

Download the free templates below – and you’ll have all of the templates you need for this hilarious bridal shower game!

Materials

Pink scrapbook paper
Brown or black scrapbook paper
Thick popsicle sticks
Gem stickers (I found mine at Dollar Tree)
And, the files listed above

I used this pink paper (lots of shades to choose from and use for later projects too), and I used the brown paper in this collection. I didn’t need too many sheets of brown and liked the other paper colors this pack had.

Making the Tiaras and Mustaches

Print one copy of the tiara sheet on pink scrapbook paper and one copy of the mustache file on brown or black paper.

After I cut out the tiaras and mustaches from the pages I printed, I took one tiara and traced as many as could fit on a piece of pink paper, and then cut these out. I continued to do so until I had the number I needed.

You could also print as many sheets as you need directly to the printer, rather than tracing. I preferred to save some scrapbook paper and not burden myself too much with our testy printer.

Then, I simply hot glued the tiaras and the mustaches to the popsicle sticks. I made sure the traced version was face down, in case any pencil marks came through.

I also made sure I hot glued the popsicle stick to the back of the right-side of the tiara and to the back of the left-side of the mustache (vice versa would also work), so guests could hold both up to their faces simultaneously, without having one backward.

Last, I placed a few adhesive gems on each tiara, which made for a great final touch.

Getting the Couple’s Game Questions Ready

Email your bride and groom with the list of bridal shower game questions well in advance, so you have time to read through them and decide which responses you will announce for each question. That’s part of the fun!

When choosing the responses for this fun bridal shower game, I tended to go for the funny ones because everyone loves a good laugh at a bridal shower.

I also tried to have an equal number of responses from the bride and groom. Additionally, I had at least 3 “boths” thrown in there too for good measure (and more laughs).

Be sure to make yourself a good answer key for the bridal shower game. It will help with easily referring to that when reading the correct responses at the end.

For the question cards, I simply printed these on regular blue paper (blue because that’s what I had). For efficiency, I formatted the questions so fit two on each sheet.

I was so busy running the bridal shower game that I simply forgot to take pictures of the guests with their tiaras and mustaches. However, here’s one of our favorite pooch, sporting the props with just a little bit of help. 🙂

If you are looking for fun bridal shower games, definitely look no further! This laid-back, hilarious game is one of the most fun bridal shower games – and it’s easy for all to participate and play.

Four Happenings from our Fourth – A DIY Holiday

July 4, 2016 by Eileen Leave a Comment

It’s been a busy holiday weekend over here.

We didn’t go to the beach like most do on the Fourth nor did we see any fireworks this year (although hearing them was a different story).

And, we certainly didn’t party like it was 1776.

Instead, we got a heck of a lot done off of our DIY summer projects checklist.

Finishing the Bookshelf

First, we wrapped up the window seat bookshelf project, which was my favorite of our DIY summer projects, so far. 🙂

This was a long project, being that a lot of the work needed to be done in the room next to where our little one sleeps.

With our downtime being his naptime and bedtime, the project was more drawn out than we had hoped.

After taking the above photo, I caulked a few last spots and put the last coat of paint on the shelves.

Here’s a selfie (or should I say shelf-ie) before I did some last few spots.

I’m just so pleased the shelf is done. Not only is another project checked off the list, but we have about 12 boxes from our move stacked in our mudroom that are filled to the brim with books.

We hadn’t unpacked them because we hadn’t a place to put them.

So, now we can finally finish unpacking from our move.

I’m so excited about that! (Now if only I could finish getting all of our pictures on the walls…).

Check out how the bookshelf looks completely finished and filled 🙂

A Picnic Table in a Day?

Just when I thought the weekend couldn’t get any better, Ash finished the picnic table that he started the same morning.

He built a picnic table in ONE day.

Crazy, right?! And, his post tells you how you can too!

Here’s what I saw Ash working on in the morning, when I snapped a few quick shots:

And, the same evening, a perfectly-built, sturdy picnic table was in our driveway.

I was floored!

But I shouldn’t be too shocked being that this is also the guy who single-handedly built a shed last summer.

We brushed the table off and moved it to the backyard, so we could put it use on the Fourth. Definitely a useful summer project:)

Fresh Veggies!

Our third item of the weekend was discovering vegetables in our garden! So exciting!!

Ash and I have been together over a decade, and this is our first garden.

This year, we have made a switch to clean eating and living a more healthy lifestyle.

I have been living by Anthony William’s book The Medical Medium, which is all about healing our bodies through what we are eating.

His information is life-changing, and he most prominently discusses just how amazing organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs heal our bodies.

With our new way of life, our beautiful backyard, and Ash’s talent at construction, we decided to plant a garden this year. Ash built a DIY planter box as an early summer project.

We hadn’t seen too much happening in the planter box…until this weekend. First we noticed a couple of hot peppers…

…then a few tomatoes, and finally some itsy, bitsy red and green peppers. It was a Fourth of July miracle!
I can’t wait to keep checking it, let alone harvest our fruits and veggies! If our garden is a success, I might have to help Ash build another DIY planter box next year.

Catching Some Shade

The fourth, and last project we had happening this weekend (other than some yard work) was installing a shade sail for our very sunny patio.

We were looking for a cost-effective way to throw some shade on our hot patio in the summer months, and we came up with this solution.

A shade sail is a weather-proof fabric that is held up by the house and a few poles.

It appealed to us because it’s quite modern-looking and not permanently affixed to the house. We didn’t get too far into the project, but we will keep you posted on how it turns out (update – check out the full tutorial).

Here is Ash double checking the measurements of the fabric, and Zeus who always seems to make his way into the photos 🙂

We didn’t have a conventional Fourth of July weekend, but it was a great one. We spent some time checking off a few projects, starting a new one, and of course, discovering our homegrown fruits and vegetables!

Above all, the best part was our family picnic on our new outdoor table – built in ONE day. I’m still impressed 🙂

How to Beautifully Fix Up an Old Mailbox

June 23, 2016 by Eileen 14 Comments

Having recently moved, we loved our beautiful new yard. It was spacious and neatly groomed with lots of seasonal foliage.

However, there was just one thing that needed a fix – our leaning mailbox. When I opened the box to collect our letters, the mail would literally fall right out.

To make matters worse, the wood on the mailbox post seemed to be rotting. And, there was the day that the mail was covered with ants.

Here we had this amazing yard with an eyesore of a mailbox. I was on a mission to fix the old mailbox.

Here’s a closer picture of our mailbox before the makeover. You can’t tell just how badly the mailbox was leaning in this photo, but you can see how badly the mailbox needed to be beautified.

I was hoping Ash would take on this mailbox fix project soon, but he was preoccupied building the shed.

So, I did want I do best, and I got project “how to fix your mailbox”rolling.

Planning Mailbox 2.0

To kick off fixing up our mailbox, I did what I usually do for exterior projects: I went on a few walks around the neighborhood looking at other mailboxes, deciding what I wanted for version 2.0.

Taking walks around your neighborhood is almost like searching through Pinterest. You can see what you like, see what you don’t like, and make an idea work for you.

For our updated mailbox, I decided on the classic look of a white mailbox post with a black mailbox, as it really made the red flag pop.

To keep the mailbox momentum going, Ash made the material list, and I offered to pick up the materials.

I love using Home Depot’s store pick-up, especially for heavy items, since the materials are already pulled aside and placed in a cart.

Then, all I have to do is get them from the cart to the car, which usually is not a problem.

This time, I struggled a little with the 6 ft posts – they were a lot heavier than they looked! Yet, I managed, as I was determined to not catch our falling mail anymore.

With the materials for the mailbox now laying around the garage, Ash started working on the new mailbox post. Victory!

How to Build a New Mailbox Post

The mailbox post design was fairly simple. It consisted of 2 perpendicular pieces of 4 x 4 pressure-treated wood joined together with a lap joint.

The vertical 4 x 4 would have about 2 feet submerged into the ground for support, with the remaining 4 feet above ground. The horizontal 4 x 4 served as a mounting piece for the mailbox.

Finally, a shorter piece of 4 x 4 ran diagonally below this horizontal 4 x 4 to provide additional support, stability, and aesthetic appeal.

The first step of the mailbox post process was cutting the 4 x 4s. After, Ash created the lap joint.

This joint was very simple to make and was very strong. It involved cutting out half the thickness of 2 pieces of wood, and combining them together, as in the diagram below:

Next, Ash had to cut the grooves.

He used his 7 1/4″ circular saw, with the depth of the blade set to half the thickness of the 4×4 (so 1¾”).

Then, he repeatedly ran many perpendicular cuts into the wood, staying within the confines of the outlined groove. This left him with slivers of wood that he easily removed with a hammer and chisel.

Finally, he used a small Mouse sander to smooth out the carved groove, since the chisel left it a little rough. If you happen to have a set of dado blades for your table saw, you can also use those to cut the lap joint groove. (I’ll have to remember that when I need a gift for Ash.)

After repeating the process for the second piece of 4×4, he applied some construction adhesive to the grooves and merged the 2 cuts. He further strengthened the joint with 2 lag bolts.

Using 2 more lag bolts, he attached the diagonal support piece to reinforce the mailbox arm. The new mailbox post now had its basic design.

How to Paint the Old Mailbox and New Post

I then applied 2 coats of white exterior paint to the mailbox post and let it dry overnight.

The next day happened to be Sunday, which was perfect for replacing the existing mailbox (no mail delivery). We didn’t want our mailman puzzling over where to deliver our mail.

The old mailbox came out quickly. I unscrewed the box itself and put it aside for some refurbishing.

I removed the red flag post and sprayed the metal mailbox container with some black exterior spray paint.

If you are looking to fix your mailbox – fresh paint works wonders.

How to Install a New Mailbox Post

As the paint was drying, Ash used a sledge hammer and pounded the old rotting mailbox post out of the ground.

We started to think about how to securely install the new post, so we wouldn’t have to deal with another slanted mailbox down the road.

The old post was just stuck in the ground with a long metal spike, and over time, it started leaning forward. So, in figuring how to fix our leaning mailbox, we decided to use concrete.

So, Ash prepped the new mailbox post by partially screwing in some lag bolts at the bottom.

These bolts would be engulfed in concrete and provide some extra grip to prevent the mailbox post from lifting up out of the concrete.

They would also give the mailbox post a lot of stability and help prevent any wiggling inside the concrete over time.

He then dug a 2 feet deep hole where the mailbox post would be going. Then, Ash made the hole about 1 foot wide for the concrete.

Of course, Ash sent me to Home Depot again for a 50-pound bag of concrete mix for fixing up the mailbox post. (Good thing I have practice from those 40-pound dog food bags!)

Before mixing the concrete, he had to get the mailbox post in place and leveled properly. He dropped it in the hole and used a level to get it standing straight up.

Then using some scrap wood, he nailed on some temporary wooden supports to keep the mailbox post in place.

For the concrete, Ash emptied the mix into the wheelbarrow. Then, he used the original packaging box as a measurement cup and added in the correct proportions of water per the directions.

He gave the mixture a really good mixing with a shovel until all the chunks were gone and a nice flowing slurry of concrete was left. After, he tilted the wheelbarrow and carefully poured the mixture into the mailbox hole.

Ash let the concrete dry for most of the day in the hot sun. By evening time, he was out working again. He removed the temporary supports from the mailbox post and gave it a gentle push.

The brand new mailbox post stood very firm and straight in the concrete.

Happy with the results, we covered the rest of the hole with extra dirt and packed it down tightly with an 8 lb tamper.

How to Finish Up Fixing the Mailbox

For decorative purposes, I had purchased a pointed plastic fence post cap to install at the top of this mailbox post. It made the mailbox look so stately.

Sized to fit a 4 x 4 mailbox post, it went on very easily. I secured it in place with some small screws.

Then, we attached the freshly painted mailbox to the new post, and adhered some exterior numbering stickers for the address.

Here’s a picture of our fixed up mailbox:

Our slanted eyesore of a mailbox became a stately structure almost overnight.

We now had a beautiful mailbox which suited the rest of the yard. This fixing up our mailbox project that had a huge impact for minimal cost and effort.

If you are looking to fix your mailbox, you can’t go wrong with price or simplicity. The total cost was under $20. We completed it over the course of a weekend. A prefabricated mailbox of this quality would cost at least $80. If you are looking to fix your mailbox up, doing it yourself is definitely the way to go.

The best part? Our mailbox stood perfectly tall at 90 degrees – which meant no more falling mail. You’re welcome, mailman 🙂

How to Easily Make a Wedding Wine Basket

June 19, 2016 by Eileen 62 Comments

Looking for a great bridal shower gift? Make a wedding milestone wine basket. It’s fun to put together and is such a thoughtful gift! Be sure to download your free year of first wine labels.

Recently, I took a little break from the home project list to work on some crafty things for my dear friend Meg’s bridal shower (check out the funniest bridal shower game we did too).

My fellow bridesmaids and I wanted to make a first year of marriage milestone wine basket that would include 12 bottles of wine for our her first year of marriage.

After scouring the Internet, I couldn’t find what I needed – so I created my own. I’m including the printables for you too!

First, I choose 12 occasions that Meg and Steve would celebrate during their first year of marriage.

I wanted to pick milestones that they would definitely enjoy their initial 12 months of being married, such as first Christmas, first Valentine’s Day, first snowfall.

I didn’t want to use occasions such as first baby and first home – because those milestones might not be in the couple’s immediate plans.

Therefore, the occasions I went with were wedding night, first New Year’s, first Valentine’s Day, first snowfall, first spring bloom, first beach trip, first big purchase, first dinner party, first fight, first Christmas, first Thanksgiving, and first anniversary.

Next, I needed tags to go with each milestone.

I used cute poems that fit the occasion and I fitted them all to one sheet of paper with the titles running vertically.

This made it easy to print just one sheet of paper for all of the tags.

Download the Wedding Wine Basket Tags

The wedding wine basket tag is a PDF, and it is not personalized, meaning none of these poems include the bride or groom’s name. Therefore, it’s easy for you to simply print, cut, and attach. No formatting necessary 🙂

Making the Wine Basket Tags

First, I printed the wine tag sheet out on thick manila paper. Afterward, I used squiggly scissors to cut out each blurb. Squiggly scissors are my favorite because they hide my lack of ability to cut in a straight line.

Then, I took out my scrapbook paper collection and cut out tags. I coordinated the scrapbook paper colors and designs with the occasion. After that, I glued the poems to the tags, punched a hole in each, and voila!

The tags were done. Don’t they look cute?!

Choosing the Wines for the Wedding Basket

Ash and I then took a trip to Joe Canal’s, a discount liquor store, for the bottles of wine.

We had a ton of fun, as we ended up matching the occasions to the names of the wines. Although, this wasn’t the initial plan, Joe Canal’s had such a great selection that it was easy and fun to pair each milestone with wine.

We found a Christmas Chardonnay to go with the first Christmas tag, Jersey Blush to go with first beach trip, a wine called 30 degrees to go with first snowfall, and the list goes on.

Putting the Basket Together

To attach the tags to the wine, I simply cut a piece of ribbon and tied it in a bow around the neck of the bottle.

I then bought a basket from Michael’s and covered the bottom of the basket in tissue paper. Then, I added the title “Quenching Your Thirst Through a Year of Firsts” and a sign that said “Carry from the bottom.”

Twelve bottles of wine get heavy!

Wedding Wine Basket Bliss

Overall, the first year of marital bliss wine basket turned out great! My mom, who isn’t normally a fusser, fussed over it every time she came over (I had it sitting on a bench in the mudroom for a few weeks). At the shower, the bridesmaids and guests loved it, raving over it.

Additionally, a few sweet older women at the shower asked me if they could find the idea on the Internet. 🙂

Moreover, recently a friend of mine was looking for a special gift for her nephew’s engagement party. She asked me if I had any ideas for the couple that had everything.

She LOVED this idea and put together her own, also adding a beer of the month club gift too to keep with the theme. I thought that was another cute idea!

Overall, the milestone wedding wine basket is a creative, fun, and unique project, with plenty of opportunities to add a personal touch. And of course, Meg and Steve loved it too.

My all-time favorite gift basket was making my sister this Year of Dates Gift. We put together 12 planned and paid for dates for her first year of marriage – and it’s pretty awesome!
Need an easy banner? Make this cute burlap banner with just the burlap, paint, and a homemade stencil.
My sister asked my kids to be in her wedding with this cute puzzle question 🙂

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Eileen

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