makin' it monday // thankful leaf garland

this week's project comes just in time for thanksgiving! i had many plans for thanksgiving projects and activities this month that just didn't work out because of the hurricane and being without power for almost 2 weeks. i picked one of my favorites to share with you this time around and by thursday i should have one more mini-project for you. well...for the kids ;)

here's how to make your own thankful leaf garland:

you will need: leaves (real or fake will do fine, we used real), paint, brushes, glitter, sharpie markers, embroidery floss, and a needle

with a sharpie, i wrote down some things we are thankful for on the medium sized leaves. i tried asking norah what she was thankful for but it was much easier to just ask "what do you love?"

norah painted the large sized leaves and then i helped her shake on some glitter

once the large leaves were dry, i paired each one with a medium sized leaf and tied them together with embroidery floss.

i alternated a leaf pair with a small leaf and strung them up with a needle and the embroidery thread

hang where you please and there you have it!

what are you thankful for?

makin' it monday // yarn tassle garland

so you guys may or may not know, but mark, little mouse, and i are living with my mom and dad right now. it's hard this time of year because all i want to do is decorate for fall but my parents already have that covered! i feel like i'm in a creative rut because there's nothing for me to do. they have some pumpkins out on their mantle but not much else so i figured out a simple way to spruce it up without going overboard in their house. (i CANNOT wait to be in our own space again! looking at pinterest can be especially painful in this respect. all i want to do is decorate and design in my own house!)

so this week's simple and quick project: yarn tassle garland (in fall colors)! this can be adapted in many ways too. i already have some "winter" colors that i'll be making this in to hang up after the christmas stockings come down. also, you can add as many or as little tassles as you'd like to change the look of the garland.

all you need is yarn, scissors, and about ten minutes!

wrap the yarn around your hand - i did 5 times for thicker yarn and 10 for thinner

cut the loops formed at your pinkie

tie a knot around your index finger and trim the edges. slide the tassle off your finger. one is done! now make as many or as little tassles as you'd like

string your tassles on another piece of yarn. tie up on your mantle (or headboard, doorway, windows, etc.) enjoy your easy fall garland!