DIY Jingle Bell Christmas Tassel Earrings

As soon as it’s socially acceptable (aka, right after Thanksgiving!) I go into full-on Christmas mode. I can be found wearing a Christmas sweater, reindeer antlers, or Christmas accessory at any given moment. Sometimes, all of the above! A great way to add some Christmas spirit is to wear some holiday earring. One of my favorite types of earrings is tassel earrings! They always add such a fun pop of color to an outfit. They add a LOT of drama but weigh practically nothing. They’re perfect! Since I love decking myself out for the holidays, especially Christmas, I created this fun DIY project so you can jingle everywhere you go!

*This post contains affiliate links.

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You will need:

Embroidery floss (similar here)
Jingle bells (similar here)
Earring hooks (similar here)
Jump rings, optional (similar here)
Jewelry tools (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)

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  1. Make your tassel earrings by following these instructions. If you want thicker tassels, follow these instructions. Also, a note: if you try to use the first method (where you use the entire spool) and it gets tangled up, you can try using the second method (where you use cardboard) instead!

  2. Brush out your tassels to give them a nice fluff. I recommend using a comb although I used what I had handy- a Barbie brush!

  3. Now that your tassels are made, it’s time to make them into earrings! Attach a jump ring to the top of your tassel by looping it through the first string you tied at the top. Then, loop your earring hook through and close it. You want to make sure that the knots are at the back, so figure that out before you put the earring hook on. You can also skip the jump ring altogether and attach the earring hook directly to the string at the top.

  4. A note: I’d recommend getting a set of these clear earring backs so you don’t lose your earrings. I sadly lost one of the Halloween ones I made!

  5. Using a piece of embroidery floss, thread on your jingle bells. You can either use floss that is the same color (or similar color) or an alternating shade.

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These are a great stocking stuffer or even something to add to an advent calendar! If you want a fun way to display them, try this tutorial to turn them into fun ornaments!

What do you think about these tassel earrings? Will you be having a Christmas movie marathon and make them with your girlfriends? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY No-Sew Wine & Liquor Bag

It’s no secret that I love to make Christmas crafts! I’ve got a whole bunch of projects here on the blog but I’m always on the lookout for more! This time, I decided to make a bag for your wine and liquor gifts. It’s so easy to make and the best part of this project is that it’s NO SEW! Because as crafty as I am, sewing is NOT my strong suit! This project is a great way to use up all that fabric and ribbon in your stash. Because let’s be real- we all have a giant stash of fabric that we hoard!

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You will need:

Fabric (a fat quarter from Joann Fabrics makes 2 bags)
Ribbon (similar here)
Fabri-Tac (here)
Scissors (similar here)
Iron (similar here)

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Directions:

  1. Cut your fabric in half or approx 11 x 18 for a standard small bottle of wine. If you’re gifting a larger or double bottle, you’ll need to adjust for that.

  2. Iron out all the wrinkles on your fabric, using water or steam for any deep folds.

  3. Fold your edges down and iron it for a smooth edge. I started with the sides and then did the top and bottom. You don’t want to fold too deep on the sides since it’ll be a little tight already.

  4. Glue the top fold closed using your fabric glue. This is so that it has a nice edge when you put the bottle in.

  5. Use your fabric glue in a zig zag pattern along the folded edge and fold shut so that the WRONG side is on the outside.

  6. Glue your bottom edge shut with a zig zag of glue.

  7. Once it’s all dry, turn it right side out.

  8. Place your bottle inside and tie a ribbon bow at the top. Double sided ribbon works best for this, since you can see both sides when you tie the bow.

Add a gift tag and place the bottle bag under your tree. The best part about this project is that the bag can be reused again and again! WAY better for the environment than a paper bag that gets tossed away after its first and only use. Also, these are SUPER cute and also double as Christmas decor! I can totally see making them for your wine bottles on your bar cart, and even making tiny versions for mini wine bottle favors at your holiday party!

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So, what do you think about these wine bottle bags? Will you be making them for friends and family? I’ve never wanted to gift liquor more! Let me know who will be getting these in the comments below. 

How to Find Your Christmas Style

A few years ago, we celebrated our first Christmas in our new house. I wanted to go all out and decorate. We bought a new (fake) tree at a black Friday sale and I made plans for the perfect decor to fill my new home. Our old tree was about 5 feet tall, and while it was a perfect fit in our tiny NYC apartment, it would look like a dwarf in our large house. With this new tree came the need for new ornaments. Since we had 3 cats, and hoped to have some kids soon after, we decided to go with plastic ornaments instead of glass. In case you aren't aware, it's really hard to find cute plastic ornaments. They're usually cheesy and cheap looking, without necessarily being inexpensive. I looked at all the pretty glass ornaments and felt envy for the types of people who could buy them. It felt like my childhood all over again.

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How my Christmas Past Affected my Christmas Present

You see, back at my parent’s house, we used to have this big beautiful Christmas tree. I remember making ornaments with my dad and putting up the same ones every year. Each one seemed to have a story and while it was kitschy, it was really sweet. We used multi-colored lights (because, you know, the 90’s!) and metallic gold fluffy garland. After a while, my grandmothers got sick and my mom did too. It took a heavy toll on her since she had to care for them, rushing from the hospital to the nursing home to see them both. My dad had to work a lot and my sister and I often ended up at his office with him. She and I would share his secretary’s chair after she left so that we could go online, since they had internet access there.

Because of all this stress my parents had, our house got forgotten. It filled with junk and we essentially became hoarders. I don’t use that term lightly- we were. The holidays became a little less glamorous for us. There was literally no place to put our tree anymore. Because my parents were so overwhelmed, we’d usually end up cleaning a spot for the tree and putting it up at the last possible minute- Christmas eve. After a few years, even this didn’t happen anymore. We bought a tabletop pink tree (the cutest!) and this replaced all our old decor.

Now, back to out first Christmas in our new home.

When my husband and I bought our house, this felt like a new opportunity to have that special Christmas I could only dream about. I had visions of Hallmark-movie-style decor in my head and I imagined a home fully decked out for Christmas. I bought a ton of new stuff to go with all the stuff I had brought over from our apartment. I had the perfect decor, the perfect home, and possibly even the perfect life. Finally, it was like everything had come together for me.

I'm not sure if it was the new house, but Christmas didn't feel like Christmas that year. The whole house had been decked out, but it somehow didn't look Christmas-y enough for me. Everyone else that came in felt the Christmas spirit, but I sure didn't. I struggled to figure out why as I packed up all my perfect decorations.

It wasn't until a month later, when I went into a thrift store near our wedding venue in Hawley, PA that I realized what had happened. I never had perfect Christmases growing up. We were a "put the tree up in a scramble on Christmas Eve" type of family. Perfect Christmas trees and decorations were only found in catalogues and hallmark movies. Cheesy, bright 90's holiday decor was all I ever really knew. So, while I might have dreamed about a day when I could have that perfect Christmas home, I didn’t truly feel like the kind of person who would have one.

It turns out, making a place feel like Christmas doesn't have to mean a perfect catalogue home. It can mean vintage ornaments, nostalgia, and the cheesy ornaments you had as a kid. Now, I try to keep my Christmas decor feeling fresh but also traditional. That means taking the same items out of storage year after year, and trying to buy ornaments and decorations that have meaning to me. It’s less about what’s pretty and more about what feels like me. I know my style will change over the years, but right now it’s a slightly nostalgic and colorful version of Christmas. A more upscale version of the ones I had as a kid, if you will.

To find your Christmas style, I’d recommend asking yourself these questions:

1. What did I love about Christmas as a kid?

2. What kind of decor am I drawn to? Think about colors and styles.

3. What’s my favorite piece of Christmas decor that I currently own? How can I add more decor like it?

4. What decor do I put up every year that I don’t like anymore? And, what don’t I like about it?

5. What color do I have most in my Christmas decor? Do I want to continue with that, or change it up?


How to Find Your Christmas Style

I’ve been asking myself what exactly I want my home to look like and what Christmas means to me. It turns out it’s less about being the picture perfect Christmas, and more about being my picture perfect Christmas!

What does your perfect Christmas look like? Are you into traditional colors, fun colors, muted colors? I think we all know which ones I’m drawn to, haha! Let me know your preference in the comments below!

Colorful & Glam Holiday Kitchen Upgrades

I took a look at my kitchen the other day and realized it needed a facelift. The counters were filled with all our junk, various appliances, dishes, baby items… you name it, the counter is covered in it! The issue with our kitchen was the same as everywhere else in our home- I didn’t love the items we had displayed in there, and therefore it didn’t matter that everything was covered with junk. What I mean by that is… when you’ve random stuff on your counter, it’s SO easy for the random stuff that should be there to get mixed up with clutter and suddenly you can’t see your countertops. Also, if there’s more stuff than there are places to put things, you end up in the same little pickle!

During the holidays, this problem gets even worse. Between the bake sales and guests coming over, it feels like the counters always get covered in items that don’t ned to be there! To combat this issue that we all face, I’ve rounded up 14 gorgeous, functional kitchen items that will elevate your whole kitchen and have you WANTING to keep it clean. Because when your kitchen accessories are a show stopper, you need to make sure everyone sees them!

*This post contains affiliate links

Between the bake sales and guests coming over, it feels like the counters always get covered in items that don’t ned to be there! To combat this issue that we all face, I’ve rounded up 14 gorgeous, functional kitchen items that will elevate your who…


1. Chip Clips- Ah, the item that started this whole post! My original chip clips were an assortment of adorable, cheap plastic ice cream cones, bows, animals… essentially, whatever someone found at a register and gave me because they thought of me! And of course, a few that I bought impulsively as well. But when we ended up losing and breaking most of these clips, my husband asked me to order a new set on Amazon. I was originally planning to get a plastic set again (because that’s what I’m used to!) and then I saw these beauties. They felt too fancy for my stale chips but you know what? My chips deserve to be fancy too.

2. Wire Bread Basket- I think this basket is so cute because it’s gold and gorgeous. However, the wire design ensures that you actually SEE your bread and therefore are more likely to eat it. I’m one of those “out of sight, out of mind” type of people so even something like bread can get forgotten! Right now, our bread is just tossed on the counter but prior to that we somehow acquired a black basket that had our bread in it. Neither was a very pretty solution! Now I’m antsy for a new basket!

3. Utensil Cup- I have a cute utensil holder on my counter that’s actually a large canister (minus the lid) but I love the idea of this cool, simple white and coral one. It feels so glam and upscale for a fraction of the cost! It adds such a subtle pop of color.

4. Keurig Cup Holder- In my kitchen, the Keurig just feels like an eyesore. We have a large black one that isn’t even made anymore. We need an adaptor just to use regular k-cups! We have a drawer-style cup holder which accentuates the dark hole that it creates. While I may dream about replacing my old keurig, I figured getting a nice k-cup holder to go next to it could be fun! I love this one because if you organize your k-cups in color order, you’ll have a glam little rainbow on your counter!

5. Re-usable K-Cups- If you want to reduce your kitchen clutter, save the environment, AND make your kitchen glam in the process, try switching to these pretties! I love the gold color and the fact that you don’t need to fill up a landfill with k-cups. (I should note- I don’t drink coffee and therefore don’t use a Keurig. But my husband does!) You can pop these in a cabinet or drawer since they’re so tiny which would save some much-needed counter space.

6. French Press Coffee Maker- If you prefer to get a little fancier (and more eco friendly) with your coffee, you can grab this french press! I love it’s gorgeous gold finishes and I think it would look amazing on your counter or stove. It also comes with a set of cups that matches which makes it perfect for guests during the holidays!

7. Ceramic Mixer Bowl- give your mixer an upgrade with this gorgeous bowl! Mine has a clear glass bowl and I know a lot of them have metal bows. Since they’re big and always sit on the counter, they could use a nice and spiffy bowl to catch everyone’s attention! 

8. Gold Serving Utensils-My bamboo serving utensils are literally falling apart (they’re breaking apart into pieces!) so I’ve been debating getting a new set. These gold ones are gorgeous! I can only imagine how pretty they’d make my countertop look as they glimmer in the light. I don’t like to cook, but these might change my mind!

9. Canister- I love using canisters in my kitchen for hiding the less-than-pretty stuff that needs to be accessible. Whether you fill it with rice, coffee, tea bags or sweeteners, this canister will perk up your kitchen while hiding your eyesores! I also love to place these in cabinets so that those look nice too.

10. Phone Stand- between recipes, kitchen timers, and text updates from family, we need to keep our phones handy all holiday season! This holder will keep your phone in place and safe while you do everything you need in the kitchen. No more crying over spilled milk- your phone is up and off the counter so it’s safe!

11. Garlic Keeper- before we got a garlic container, it always sat in the fruit bowl looking funny. This container fits your garlic perfectly and still looks adorable. If you keep a lot of garlic at home (like we do!) try this larger size.

12. Pet Canisters- Few things are as hideous as pet items. Between cardboard boxes of treats and giant bags for food, these items are totally necessary, yet very ugly. Since they need to be accessible, they often end up on the counter taking up space and being their ugly selves. So, I recently switched to canisters for our excess pet food and everything looks prettier now! You definitely don’t want to go for anything clear, except maybe for cute dog bone treats. I love how colorful but glam this canister is. I think I need one for Lexie’s treats now!

13. Electric Tea Kettle- ok while we are on the topic of morning drinks, let’s talk about tea! I love tea and have several cups a day. I have a stovetop kettle which looked cute in the store and became ruined within a month of regular use. I guess they can’t withstand the heat and turn black! I love the idea of a countertop version, and this one automatically turns off when it’s done instead of whistling! Paired with a tea bag storage box you’ll be serving your guests tea easily with less mess! 

14. Utensils- if you’re anything like me, all your kitchen tools are random items you acquired over the years. Upgrade to a gorgeous matching set that will make everyone jealous! This set comes in a variety of handle colors, like navy, mint and pink. It’s sure to match any kitchen! It’s also very reasonably priced so you don’t even need tot talk yourself into it!

With a few small updates, your kitchen and countertops will look amazing once again. I find that with less on the counter and having things there with a purpose, I’m able to keep it clean much more easily. And also, I WANT to keep it clean! I love to show off the gorgeous items I find, rather than my extensive collection of junk I tend to keep.

What do you think of these items? Will you be ordering some? Any tips for keeping a counter clean or items you love? Let me know in the comments below! 

The Simple Solution For Ruined Chairs

When we first purchased our house, I was going through a very gray phase. I had seen some cool homes that were very monotone and I liked the idea of purchasing neutral furniture so that I could add any color through my decorating. I figured, if I had gray furniture, I could add some colorful rugs, throws, pillows, etc. and swap them out for the seasons. But I mean… everything I got was gray. And I mean EVERYTHING. Couches, chairs, curtains, even the wall colors! It was never-ending and earned my home the nickname “50 Shades of Gray”. I couldn’t even be mad at that nickname… I’d earned it and within just a couple of months, I started to hate all the gray in my home. 

I sat there for 3 years, dreaming of a day when we could re-decorate. Getting all new furniture wasn’t in the plans so I just had to wait. In the meantime, I loathed my home and my furniture, especially my dining chairs. You see, we have 3 cats who were very well behaved in our apartment. They never scratched anything. However, as soon as we moved into our home, they decided they loved to scratch. Their top choice? My brand new (very grey) dining chairs. Within a few months, they went from pretty, fancy-ish chairs to destructed Western chic. My cats had shredded the edges which looked like bad fringe. Some of the chairs even had the foam sticking out! 

Looking to fix your upholstered chairs? I’ve got the perfect solution for you! Whether you need to pet proof your home or protect dining room chairs from kids, you’ll be able to do it in style. Click to see how I transformed my dining room for less …
Looking to fix your upholstered chairs? I’ve got the perfect solution for you! Whether you need to pet proof your home or protect dining room chairs from kids, you’ll be able to do it in style. Click to see how I transformed my dining room for less …
Looking to fix your upholstered chairs? I’ve got the perfect solution for you! Whether you need to pet proof your home or protect dining room chairs from kids, you’ll be able to do it in style. Click to see how I transformed my dining room for less …

Once again, I planned for a day when I could replace the chairs I had JUST spent several hundred dollars buying. And every time I would walk by that table, I would think about it. One day, I was perusing Amazon for a couch cover since our dog Lexie had been getting our (gray) couch super stinky, and that’s when I stumbled upon these awesome chair covers. I was so excited- I could get new chairs, without having to buy new chairs?! WHAT?!! The price was right, the style was perfect, and now I just needed to pick a color. 

Looking to fix your upholstered chairs? I’ve got the perfect solution for you! Whether you need to pet proof your home or protect dining room chairs from kids, you’ll be able to do it in style. Click to see how I transformed my dining room for less …

Oh, I forgot to mention the reason why my house was gray. You see, I went through a period where I was afraid I’d regret picking something in a specific color. I vividly remember it starting one time in college. I was trying to figure out which awesome iPod nano color I wanted, only to settle on the gray one because I was too afraid I’d end up regretting the blue. It only got worse from there, as I always picked a neutral color from then on. It was almost a way that I hid myself and my childish nature. The truth was that I loved colors, I just lacked the confidence to pick one.

Fast forward to the chair covers. I didn’t know which way to go. Did I choose gray again? But ugh… how about aqua blue, like the rest of our home? Meh. White? Taupe? Nothing in my house is taupe. So, I bookmarked it and put it aside for later. Here’s the thing- these chair covers are easily removable and affordable. So you know what I did? I BOUGHT THE FREAKIN PINK ONES. I thought they were so pretty and I imagined my husband being annoyed but I did it anyway. I figured, worst case, I can buy another set later to replace it with. I thought the pink would be SO cute with all my holiday decor!

Looking to fix your upholstered chairs? I’ve got the perfect solution for you! Whether you need to pet proof your home or protect dining room chairs from kids, you’ll be able to do it in style. Click to see how I transformed my dining room for less …
Looking to fix your upholstered chairs? I’ve got the perfect solution for you! Whether you need to pet proof your home or protect dining room chairs from kids, you’ll be able to do it in style. Click to see how I transformed my dining room for less …

When the covers first arrived my husband was a little confused by the pink. But, once they were on, he said that it already looked so much better than before. No longer did we have shredded chairs that informed everyone that came to our door that we had 3 naughty cats. Instead, we were classy folks again.

These chair covers are machine washable, easy to put on, and come in so many colors. They’re really affordable (about $8/chair) and so soft! I no longer have to worry about guests coming over and dripping on the chairs, or having Hailey wandering around with her sticky fingers. If a cat lays down on the chair and covers it in fur? Eh, that’s ok too! I feel like I not only got a new look for my dining room, but I got some peace of mind too. If one cover gets horribly ruined, I can replace it. Much cheaper than if a chair gets ruined!

Looking to fix your upholstered chairs? I’ve got the perfect solution for you! Whether you need to pet proof your home or protect dining room chairs from kids, you’ll be able to do it in style. Click to see how I transformed my dining room for less …

I love our “new” dining room now. I’ve been covering our black Ikea table (that I also hate!) with a sequin tablecloth which is breaking up some of the darkness over there too. Slowly but surely, I am making changes to our home with a small budget. Although I may dream of having my amazing, Pinterest-worthy home some day, I can make small steps to improving the one I have. I guess from seeing everyone overhauling their furniture regularly, it made me feel like that was the only way to get a new look. Turns out, I could find my own way. A much more affordable way ;)

PS- You can find the DIY table runner here and the floral pumpkin DIY here!

I do plan to go back and smooth out some of those wrinkles, since I think I pulled them down a little too much which left a bunch of excess at the bottom. But overall, I’m SO happy with how they look! And, I love that I can give my living room a new look with ease.

So what do you think of these chair covers? Will you be getting a set for your chairs? They’re honestly great for cat owners and parents!