Columbus Day crafting: Weekly menu board

The other week, I had off for Columbus Day, but my husband did not.  So, the morning was spent combing Pinterest and crafting.  I made this menu board, which is an altered version of one that I found on Pinterest.

I used a big piece of cork, leftover from my Scrabble coasters craft (as you can see, that was not the only Scrabble-related item that made a reappearance in this project).  I covered the cork with an old bandana, fondly repurposed from my days working at an Environmental Education Center, and used masking tape to secure it to the back of the cork square.  I glued a few large magnet strips to the back as well.

Then, I used a small cardboard gift box (think the kind that jewelry comes in), with a side cut off, to create a box to hold menu item strips.  Card stock, glue, and a little bit of puffy paint were used to make days of the week details and the menu items.  I glued the ends of paper clips under the days of the week, so I would have something to slip the menu items into (I also considered using tacks, given that the background is cork).

The most fun part was going through all my recipe books, reminding myself of about 30 favorite recipes (and half-watching some solid daytime TV in the process).  As I identified favorite recipes, I wrote the ingredients on the back of each menu item strip.

I made this project in part because I like decorating my fridge (seriously), but lo and behold, it's functional!  It's been only a couple weeks, and the Sunday afternoon menu-planning-for-the-week and creating-a-grocery-list processes are noticeably easier and even fun.  When we get bored with this, I'll add some new recipes into the mix.

Granola Party Favors

This weekend, I attended the wedding of one of my closest friends, Cassie.  It was a wonderful occasion, and the newlyweds were married outdoors on a beautiful fall day.  Returning from the wedding inspired me to post about one of the projects that I worked on for Cassie's bridal shower a few months ago.

The shower had a nature theme.  Cassie's cousin, Claire, made beautiful decorations with lots of greens, browns, and oranges abound.  We also created a "river rock guestbook" where guests could leave Cassie and Scott some well wishes by using a permanent marker to sign a rock from the nearby Delaware River, a place that is special to all of us who grew up in Northeastern PA, and of which Cass is a particularly big fan.

For the favors, we wanted to go with something useful and something that fit with the general nature theme.  I ended up combining elements of different granola recipes that I found online, testing the product, tweaking the recipe, and then baking batches and batches of "Cassie's Crunch".  (Cassie didn't even think it was weird when I emailed her to verify her favorite fruits and nuts.  We have that kind of friendship.)

I decorated pint-size mason jars using fabric squares, ribbon, and card stock, and filled them with the granola.  The tags that hung from the lid contained the recipe for the granola in case guests wanted to make their own.

I love a project that combines cooking and crafting.  Reusable, multi-purpose containers are great, too.  But most importantly, it seemed like my good friend enjoyed the favors and the other aspects of the shower that her bridesmaids put together with her style in mind.  It was a great day!

Here is the recipe for Cassie's Crunch:

 

1/2 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. oat bran and/or wheat germ (I mixed the two)

3 T. brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

3/4 t. salt

1/3 c. honey and/or maple syrup (I mixed the two)

1/4 c. applesauce

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. dried fruit (Cassie likes blueberries)

1/2 c. nuts, chopped (I used a mix of almonds, walnuts, pecans)

 

Directions: Heat oven to 350.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients (through salt).  Whisk the liquid ingredients (through vanilla) in a small bowl.  Pour liquid over dry ingredients, add nuts, and stir until combined.  Spread onto a large sheet pan.  Bake, stirring occasionally, until mixture is golden brown, 25-30 minutes.  Allow granola to cool.  Stir in fruit.

 

 

*Photos were taken by Kristin C., with Roseann H.'s magical yearbook camera

 

Scrabble coasters & a DIY mission

I want to make more things. 

Sometimes it's hard to find the time for "unnecessary" projects.  When I do make the time, though, I find it to be a relaxing, creative (and usually cost-saving) pursuit. 

As a kid, I was a little obsessed with the idea of personalization (it was lucky for my parents that they gave me a common name - otherwise I can imagine minor tantrums amidst gift-shop displays of personalized pens and keychains). 

While there's an age at which personalized pens no longer seem appropriate, we never seem to outgrow the joys of giving (or receiving) a gift made "just for us".  My goal here is to collect and share fairly simple ideas - whether borrowed or my own - for giving that gift to loved ones (or ourselves). 

Up first: Scrabble coasters.

I borrowed this idea from a website targeted toward men interested in DIY projects (interesting, huh?):

It's unclear who thought of this idea first, though, as similar versions appear throughout the blogosphere, Pinterest, etsy...

I created my version using sheets of cork, super glue, Scrabble pieces (via ebay), and mod podge.  My mom received the first set (as pictured above), and I'm currently making a second set for a close friend who is about to get married.  Obviously a great gift for Scrabble enthusiasts, I think these also work well as a housewarming gift or for fans of food/drink/entertaining.  By hiding words amongst the letters, it's easy to add that personal touch.