First on the agenda: my bedroom. Since I’m coming to terms with my inability to sew, I’ve decided to turn my sewing desk into a vanity. Along with that, I wanted a pretty way to showcase my jewelry that also made them easier to find. I’ve seen a lot of tree branch jewelry stands lately, and I especially like the ones from Urban Outfitters, but $30-40? Puh-lease!

So I made my own.

Here’s how I did it: I went in the woods near my house and gathered some branches. I combed through them to find the one that had the shape that I was looking for – curving to one side with lots of little branches to hang stuff from. I “molded” the branch to my liking by removing the extra little branches so that it took on the shape I envisioned. I then cleaned the branch well and spray painted it with clear coat. For the base, I took a bag of $2 decorative sand and filled a vintage vase with it, inserted the branch and voila! A cheap jewelry holder.

This is how I used to store my jewelry:

Yikes, right? The branch is so much better.

If you’re feeling like I am and want to start creating some thrifty decor, there’s a lot of places you can look for inspiration. One of my favorites is CraftyNest. This weekend, I’m going to be working on a variation of this CraftyNest photo collage.

But don’t let your budget stop you from making your house a home. There are plenty of ways to dress up your space without breaking the bank. Get creative and have fun!

Want to do the same for your wee ones? Download the stocking stuffer printable here.

I grabbed a sweater from the back of the closet, some black acrylic paint, leftover felt,  sequins, thread and super glue, then got to work. Whaddya think?

(I know, the photo’s a little fuzzy. You try getting your 10-year-old to take a steady shot in low lighting next to a lit Christmas tree. Next to impossible. )

Here’s how I did it:

• I made a Christmas tree stencil with contact paper ala Pee Wee Herman.
• I painted trees all over the sweater using a sponge brush and black acrylic paint with the contact paper stencil
• I cut stars freehand out of felt while the paint on the sweater dried
• I sewed the stars to the tops of the trees and attached a sequin to the middle
• I then super glued sequins to the trees all random like

I was really happy with the result, and it only took me a couple of hours from start to finish.

The party was excellent. We scored a huge pirate flag for the boys playing dirty Santa, and since the flag also included a Lady Nelson and the Lords LP, I’m dying to find some good vinyl craft ideas.

Know of any?

Check out these fun photos of the gals getting all crafty and stuff.

Shelly, Brooke, Sydney, and Tara get started with an intense bang.

My stencil is made out of contact paper, and you’ll never guess who I chose to stencil. That’s right, I said who.

Shelly stencils two lovebirds on branches.

And the silliness begins. It all started when I took this photo of Sydney with her pretty poppy bag.

Then everyone took a turn posing for the camera upside down. Don’t ask questions. It was really funny at the time.

Brooke poses.

Danielle poses.

By the time we got to Shelly, it was all over with. I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t keep the camera still.

Isn’t Shelly’s jellyfish the coolest thing? I love the colors and shading she used.

Danielle made a Perfect Mommy bag. On the other side, Perfect Mommy was upside down since we all feel that way at least… well, often.

Tara (who claims she doesn’t have a creative bone in her body) created this lovely coral reef. Me thinks she discovered some creative bone she didn’t think she had.

Brooke’s bicycle.

Sydney’s pretty poppy.

Shelly’s lovebirds.

And Pee Wee! I made this for my brother and my cousin for Christmas. We grew up with Pee Wee’s Playhouse, and since he’s making a comeback, I indulged. I think I’m going to have to make a shirt with Pee Wee for myself because I like it so much.

Check back on Tuesday for the Pee Wee stencil tutorial. In the meantime, check out this craziness:

I really wanted Pee Wee’s bike, too.

Since they both started school last week, they thought it would be really cool to make their teachers button necklaces. My youngest picked out all the shinest and most unique buttons, while my oldest went for the almost-matching, frilly buttons.

They each picked out their favorite color of coordinating cotton yarn from my stash and proceeded to string up the beads as carefully and as beautifully as they could.

I must say, their necklaces were darling.

After cleanup, there were Coraline impressions at the prompting of my oldest. I think that it’s now pretty much impossible to craft with buttons and not do Coraline impressions. If you haven’t seen Coraline yet and enjoy the strange and macabre a la Tim Burton, you must queue it now. Your button art will never be the same.