Felted Acorns Craft

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I thought I would squeeze in one last fall themed post before it is no longer seasonally appropriate. Today, I'm going to share a kid-friendly craft of felted wool acorns.

There are many different tutorials on how to make these on the internet. You can follow this full tutorial written by Nicole for Catch My Party.

What you need:
Wool roving (found in most craft stores in the needle crafting section)
Acorn caps
Warm, soapy water
Glue (I used hot glue)

The basic idea is to agitate the wool by rolling it between your hands using the warm, soapy water to speed up the felting process.

Once you have a dense ball of felted wool, just let it dry out, then glue it into your acorn cap.

There are many possibilities when it comes to decorating with your acorns. I have simply scattered them on the dining table, and I've also just kept them out in a small dish. Just be warned: cats think these make great toys to bat around. So, maybe that is another use for them.

And I figure, if you are out of time for making these this fall, you could also turn these into adorable ornaments for your Christmas tree. You could even use them to decorate holiday packages.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know I'm looking forward to it!

Succulents in Pumpkins Thanksgiving Centerpiece DIY

Christmas is just around the corner, but Thanksgiving isn't over yet. I was inspired by an article I saw in Sunset Magazine about planting succulents in a pumpkin for a decorative display. I love succulents, I just can't get enough of them, so this was right up my alley. I think these would look great as a centerpiece for a beautiful Thanksgiving table, but if you don't want to bring them indoors, they would also be lovely on your front porch to welcome your guests for Thanksgiving dinner.

I used two different pumpkins that I grew this year. I didn't carve any of them for Halloween, so I turned them into my succulent planters.

I cut into the tops of them, just like how you would when you are carving a jack-o-lantern. Then clean all of the goop out (my least favorite part). You can save the seeds for roasting or to plant for next year.

 Fill them part way up with cactus and succulent soil, then start arranging your succulents. I usually play around with the arrangement while they are in their containers until I find a layout I like, then just start planting them in the soil. After they are in, I fill in any gaps with a little more soil.

And as a finishing touch I like to add a layer of gravel or pebbles over the top of the soil. I was thinking you could even tuck some dried moss in and around the rim of the pumpkin so you don't see any of the exposed flesh. I didn't have any on hand, so I just left it at the gravel layer.

I recommend not leaving these indoors for too long, so you don't end up with a mess on your dining room table. After Thanksgiving is over you can replant the succulents into another pot, or you could plant the whole thing right in the ground, the pumpkin will break down and feed your succulents over the coming months.

I hope that everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving, but I plan to pop in one more time before then with one last fall craft, then we can shift our focus on to the Christmas season.

We're Loading Up in Time for Christmas!!

Hi All!  Make sure to check out our store - click the "Hey Little, Little Shop" icon to the right - because we've been busy adding new items!  It's never too soon to start your Christmas shopping, and our accessories are perfect as gifts and stocking-stuffers! 

Christmas Card Special from Hey Little, Little!

Welcome to November!  The Christmas season is officially off and running.  Red cups at Starbucks, decorations galore at Costco, and advertisements for Black Friday are already underway.  All of which mean it is time to start thinking about those seemingly mandatory but oh-so-fun Christmas cards! 

With so many options to choose from, we've decided to compile a list of Christmas card ideas ranging from incredibly easy to creative do-it-yourself cards.  

1) If you're considering personalized family photo cards, now is the time to schedule that photo-sesh!  Overwhelmed by the thought of getting the family together in coordinating outfits and smile-worthy attitudes?  Don't be!  Here are some tips from my friend Marlene (whom I deemed the photo pro):

"I'm not sure I qualify as a pro at taking family photographs (you should see my family's outtakes!), but we have had A LOT of family photo sessions! Here are a few things that have worked for my family.

1. Start thinking about outfits right away! I choose our colors based on how I plan on using the pictures. When I knew I wanted to order a huge canvas enlargement for our living room, I choose colors that would match in my house. When I wanted a picture of the kids for the bedrooms, we all wore colors that coordinated with their room decor. I'm not even kidding. Once I know what colors I want then I start looking for the one stand out outfit. If I get in a bind, one or two of us can be neutral tones and throw in a color accessory.

Marlene and her Beautiful Family
Photo by Moments Captured Photography

2. Timing is everything! With two little ones, I plan our sessions for times they will be most rested. 4:30 in the afternoon usually works best for us. That way I know they will have taken a nap! We once made the mistake of a session right at 3:00 in the afternoon. We had to wake them from naps and it was not pretty.

3. Pack distractions. A good photographer should pack a rattle or toy to entertain kids, but don't count on it. I always try to pack a favorite loud toy to get the kids to look at the camera. A whistle, squeaky duck….

4. Relax! Some of my favorite pictures came from sessions I thought were flops. The kids were whiny, it was cold, I don't even remember them looking at the camera. But in the midst of it we just kind of threw our hands up and said "oh well", and had fun. We got some of the best "real" shots! On the flip side, we once took extended family pictures that my mom had wanted for 10 years. There was so much pressure for them to be just right. The pictures all look fake and awkward.

Photo by Moments Captured Photography

5. Bribe the kids. I'm not sure if I should admit this, but I always pack a bag of treats. I've done jelly beans, yogurt covered raisins, smarties, any small candy I can say "Just smile for this picture and then you can have one more!"

6. Lastly, choose your photographer wisely. Get recommendations from friends and find someone you feel comfortable with. This is especially important when kids are involved. Make sure the photographer is someone who will engage the kids. It doesn't hurt for them to have lots of patience either."

Our daughter
Photo by Moments Captured Photography

Love the pictures you see?  These were taken by Christina from Moments Captured Photography.  She does AMAZING work.  Fun to work with, creative, and flexible!  Check out her website for more information.  I (and Marlene) highly recommend her for your family photos!

Our Christmas 2012 Card
Made on cardstore.com
(With our own photos) 

Once the photos are done, check out one of these sites:

• Cardstore.com is currently doing 50% off holiday cards, plus free shipping with a purchase of $30 or more.  They have tons of styles to choose from, and they will send the cards directly to your family and friends (which in my opinion is the hardest part!)!

• Already signed up on snapfish.com, shutterfly.com, or costco.com? They all have incredible deals, too! 

2) Feeling creative?  Have a little extra time to spare?  Then why not try your hand at making your own Christmas cards! Babble.com has a really cute compilation of 10 DIY Christmas Cards.  My favorite is the Reindeer Thumbprints because it looks fairly easy and can involve the whole family!

Reindeer Thrumbprints Card from Babble.com

3) Feeling creative but don't want to bust out your craft supplies?  In the past, I've bought a card making kit that came with blank cards, decorative cut-outs, and craft paper.  We found an adorable kit on Kim's Card Kits.  This kit has so many components, it truly turns out handmade.  They've made it easy to get your craft on, without having to spend the time and effort to buy the components separately.  How about a family craft night to assemble them, complete with apple cider and haystacks?

Christmas Cheer Card Kit
Makes 12 Cards, $22.00

4) Just want to get those cards out with as little effort as possible (we won't tell!)?  We love all the boxed cards at World Market!  Here's our favorites:

                  

                        Merry Christmas Boxed Holiday Card
                          Set of 15, $9.99

Owls on Branch Boxed Holiday Card
Set of 15, $12.99

We're so excited about this season and all that it brings!  We hope this list give you some different ideas for getting those Christmas cards out.  If you have any other ideas, we'd love to hear them, so please comment below :)