If you have hopped on the bread making bandwagon, or if you like to make roll out cookies, you are going to LOVE just how easy it is to make your own giant teak cutting board... for around $50!! Yep, you read that right, 50 big ones!

I love to make bread. I love being able to control what does (and does not) go into my bread. I love the smell of homemade bread when it's baking. I love that my kids are willing to try new flavors if I sneak it into a loaf of bread, ha!

Want to spruce up your home for the holidays without breaking the bank? Decorating doesn't have to be expensive or over the top, it just needs to be YOU! 

It's hard to scroll through Pinterest and Instagram after Halloween without being bombarded with photos of beautiful Christmas trees perfectly adorned with ribbons, ornaments, and lights. Open Pinterest and your screen is instantly flooded with holiday recipes, crafts, and ornately decorated tables and mantels. As much as I want to have a Pinterest and Insta worthy home for Christmas, I tend to stick to a few simply basics to give my home a holiday feel. Here are my top 3 ways to get your home ready for the holidays.

1. Trees. While I am dreaming of the day when I can afford a King of Christmas or Balsam Hill Christmas tree, I have settled on a simple  6.5 ft tree that I bought on Black Friday 10 years ago from Michaels. It makes me itch when I connect the pieces, and half the lights don't work... but I just love the way that added a tree (any tree) to a space instantly makes it feel more cozy! Over the years I have added some mini trees in varying sizes to my Christmas decor. Smaller trees are great for shelves, bookcases, table tops, and centerpieces. Green and flocked trees are my favorite, but there are also trees made of yarn, wood, cork, glitter, brushes, and more. 

When we lived in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment, we didn't have space for a regular sized Christmas tree. Instead we had three small trees that I would place on the back of our upright piano and decorate them with teeny tiny ornaments and lights. It was all we could do, but it made a huge difference in the way our small apartment felt. 

2. Lights. The yearly debate over colored vs white vs warm white lights happens every year. Personally, I love the simple look of white and warm white lights both inside and outside of our home. It allows me to change up the other decor without having to buy new lights to fit my color scheme. With the right lights, you don't have to add much else to create a wintry look and feel in your home. There is something magical about snuggling on the couch with a soft blanket, and your family to watch a Christmas movie, that is made even more fun by only have a few strands of Christmas lights to add a warm glow to your home. 

3. Textiles. Not only can they add texture to any space, but it's a way to have fun with patterns, styles, and colors. You can add bold, colorful throw blankets and pillows to bring in a cheery design palette. If you like to keep things neutral, consider the look above by my friend Tammy Kate on Instagram @paisleypearhome She used a simple worded pillow along with a fun ticking stripe (from my Etsy shop) to create a cozy corner in her home using simple neutral colors. 

The thing I love most about adding textiles to a space, is that you can instantly change the entire look and feel of your home by adding a few simple items. Pillow covers are an easy way to get a whole new look for less than buying an entirely new set of pillows. Neutral throw blankets can be used year round too! 

 First of all, let's start by explaining what a pillow insert is. I posted a poll on my Instagram feed a while back and was shocked to find out that so many of you didn't know what I was talking about when I say "pillow insert". 

I absolutely LOVE changing out my wood signs for the seasons and holidays. As a DIY-er it's hard to justify going to Hobby Lobby or Joann and purchasing a cheaply made wood sign. Granted, they are definitely affordable, and way easier ... but, making something yourself for your home is the best feeling in the world (and you know that the quality is top notch!).

If you've been wanting a large wood sign for your home, read on and see just how easy it is to create one on your own.

 

 

Before we purchased our "fixer upper" home, my husband and I were managers of a small apartment complex near a local college. We managed the apartments there for almost 4 years before we had saved up enough to purchase our first (and current) home.

One of the benefits to being the managers was checking out what our renters left behind after they moved. We collected a few pieces of furniture over the few years we were there and one of the best ones we ever found was a beautiful, solid wood, HEAVY, dresser. We used it in our tiny master bedroom before moving out here. It has 6 drawers on the sides, and three drawers in the middle door. It's old and beautiful.

But, over the years the top part, which was laminate, was starting to peel off. One of the sides had built in tie/belt hooks ... that we never used. It needed a little TLC. So, when I decided to redo our master bedroom, I also decided this dresser needed an overhaul.

This fun and easy craft project is something you can get done in just a few hours. You can give them away as gifts, or use them to decorate your own home.

If you like to sew, you can go full DIY and sew your own pillow cover (like I did), or you can buy a white cotton cover from IKEA or Amazon and make the project even easier! I used a 100% cotton canvas fabric to create my cover.

Everyone has a special space in their home where they feel the most creative, productive, and just all around happiest. Right? For me, it's in my office/craft room.

While at times it becomes a dumping ground for everything my husband can't seem to find a place for, it is my inner sanctuary. The family knows that when I am in my space I am working. I like to fill my space with simple motivational and inspirational messages. They keep me going when I get in to a creative "funk".  Those of you who think outside the box probably feel that way too from time to time.

So, while I sat down to work this morning I decided that instead of tackling my mile-long to do list, I would create something fun and FREE for you guys!

Painted wood signs are a hot new trend in farmhouse, rustic, and country style decor. If you go on Etsy and search for "wood signs" you will get upwards of 250 PAGES full of signs for sale. Some have vinyl lettering on painted wood, but those aren't nearly as popular as the all painted wood signs.

BUT, if you struggle like I do with painting a straight line, it can be a daunting task to try and make your own wood sign. That's where products like our vinyl stencils come in to play. They make wood signs an "easy peasy lemon squeezy" kind of project!

Want to see just how easy it is to use one of our vinyl stencils to create your own hand painted wood sign? Check out the latest video we added to our YouTube channel and see for yourself!






Now do you believe me? Whether you buy a vinyl stencil from us, or use your own vinyl cutter and design to create your own sign, I hope that you have discovered just how easy it can be to add a little homemade farmhouse touch to your decor!






* If you would rather purchase a painted wood sign, you can find them in our Etsy Shop.

I have put together 15 new products for our fall line and I couldn't be more proud of them. It's been several weeks in the making, and the day is finally coming to share all of the fun new things with you!

I know I may be a little late on the bandwagon on this one, but it took a LONG time to convince my husband that we should shiplap anything. If it were solely up to me, I would shiplap all the walls! BUT, in order to try and convince my husband that we want to shiplap a few more of our walls, I tackled one of the smallest walls in our little home.


Want to learn how to get this look?

This has been a long time in the making. For years I have enjoyed creating custom home décor items for our home as well as friends, family, and other customers homes. I love being able to help other to bring a little something special into their home that they can cherish for years to come!

Currently I have hand painted signs (some that can be customized) and pillow covers available. I am constantly adding new items to my shop, but here are a few options that are listed right now!






If you aren't looking for a giant statement pillow, this half size (18"x12") pillow cover is the perfect one for you. Live Simple and Love Always is definitely a motto that I try and love by!

This Stay Wild sign is going up in my boys' bedroom as soon as I get their shelves built. They are already pretty wild... but they are boys, so what else is to be expected, right?

Be sure you visit my Facebook page for current coupon codes and sales, and check back in my shop often for new goodies!

I am already starting to think about planning and calendaring for next year. When I work at my computer I don't like to be constantly going back and forth in my planner looking for dates... so I created a simple year at a glance printable that I just taped to the wall behind my computer desk. Now it's easy to reference dates and see everything on one page without having to find my planner -- that is probably buried under the mail or school papers in the other room.

Since I love you guys, I am giving this to you too! Plus, I am going to have a small social media contest too... here are the details:

• Download your FREE calendar printable
• Print it out
• Display it in your home
• Take a picture of how you displayed it and where
• Post it somewhere on social media (be sure it's a public post) and tag me on Facebook @naturallycreativemama or on Instagram #naturallycreativemamacalendarcontest

I will randomly choose a winner the last week of each month until the end of the year (September, November, December) to win a fun little something!!

If you are like me you are hoping to get some little rustic odds and ends into your home décor without breaking the bank. Am I right?

I have been watching Fixer Upper (who hasn't) and my favorite bloggers on YouTube (Shanty2Chic) and decided that I needed some flower blossom stems in my home. BUT, as much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE the recycled glass vases that you see those stems in, it just isn't functional in my home. With four kiddos (10 and under) I need something that is a little more durable than a big glass vase.

So, I thought about it and decided that I was going to raid our wood scrap stash and build a vase (really, it's just a long skinny box without a lid) for my plum blossom stems. I wanted a rustic look to it though, so I came up with this way to get what I was wanting. The best part was, the only thing I spent any money on was the stems themselves (from World Market). Everything else I already had on hand.