Did You Set Goals Just For Yourself?

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Most of us know that we have goals but get lost in the achievement of them sometimes.  Distractions come in all forms and colors, they interfere with the plans you make to achieve your goals.  Sometimes, however, it is the goal itself that sets us up for frustration.  If the goals are not right, no amount of effort will bring them into reality.  Today, let’s look at how to actually set goals for ourself.

set goals
Do you have your goals set?

There is a lot more to goal setting than just picking a goal and moving forward. While that is important, it’s also important to ensure that you are setting the right goals at the right time so that you can truly be successful. In order to ensure that you are setting the right goals for yourself, answer the following questions:

 

Are You Setting Specific and Realistic Goals?

 

It takes a little research to set a goal that is realistic. If you’re not sure if something is actually achievable then you’ve not done enough research. Once you’ve set a goal that is indeed realistic, then you need to be specific enough in your description of it so that it’s also easy to take the goal, and work backwards to create a schedule of actions needed to succeed.

set goals
Are these applied to your goals?

 

Are Your Goals Multifaceted?

 

Focusing on only one part of your life is a bad idea. People live multifaceted lives and need to set goals for all areas of their lives in order to feel successful. If you have a wonderful business and career but your personal life suffers, then no matter how successful you are, you will not feel successful. Something will always feel as if it’s missing from your life if your goals aren’t inclusive. Therefore, set goals to include something from each aspect of your life.

 

Is Your Scheduling Representative of Real Need?

 

Once you create the schedule for yourself to reach each set goal , you need to truly consider how representative it is of reality. Say your goal is to be healthy and reduce your cholesterol by 10 percent in six months. But, you haven’t set aside the time needed to exercise and eat right. If you don’t schedule in the time needed, you won’t succeed because something will always be in your way taking time away from you. It will be very frustrating to practice your schedule because it doesn’t represent reality.

For instance, if you are going to exercise 30 minutes per day, setting aside only 30 minutes isn’t going to be realistic. You’ll probably need to set aside an hour to account for getting ready as well as cooling down or getting cleaned up to go back to work.

 

Are You Learning from Failure?

 

Many times when we set goals and schedules, instead of learning from failure, people give up. Using the example above, once you implement your schedule to reach the goals that you have set, when you notice there are things you’ve forgotten to take into account, don’t give up. Learn from the failure and change the schedule to be more realistic.

set goals
This is the path to reach goals.

You might find that in practice you have to rewrite all your goals and your schedule, but this is perfectly acceptable. Many people believe failure is something negative, but the truth is, if you don’t fail sometimes you’re not going to learn much and it’s likely your goals are too easy.

 

Do Your Goals Represent Your Needs and Wants or Someone Else’s?

 

A lot of people set goals that represent what someone else wants instead of what they want. This can really cause a lot of bad feelings and resentment which can derail the best laid plans. As you set goals for your life, ask yourself if they’re really what you want for yourself or what someone else wants for you. Ask yourself if you’re okay with any goal you make being for someone else before you embark on your journey.

It’s okay to do things because of someone else, but it’s important that you are honest about that and make some goals for yourself too that don’t involve anyone else’s needs or wants.

 

Are You Checking in Often to Stay on Track?

 

Schedules are very important to the success of reaching any goal in life. To do lists pale in comparison to a well laid out calendar of tasks and activities that get you from point “A” to point “B”. Ensure that you look at your schedule every morning and every night and note when you succeed on sticking to your schedule and where you don’t. Noticing a pattern of activity can be helpful in fixing a poorly written schedule as well as staying realistic about whether or not you’re sticking to the plan.

 

Are Your Goals Focused Positively?

When writing a goal it’s important to write them in a positive way, or at least a way that feels positive to you. In the quest to improve your life, try writing down a goal and then changing the words to sound more positive to see if it isn’t more motivating. For instance, “losing weight” seems like a good goal, but for some people it might signify deprivation. So instead, the person might frame the goal as “improving my BMI by 10 points” or “improving my cholesterol by 10 percent.”

set goals
Are you on the way to meet your goals?

Just as setting too few goals can be a problem, so can setting too many. Everyone has a personal life and a career life and points in between. If you have set goals in too many areas of life at once, you might tire yourself out and get overwhelmed. Instead pick one personal goal, and one other type of goal to focus on until you reach them, and then you can add more goals as time goes on. You don’t need to do everything today. Slow and steady wins the race is a good motto to hang on to.

To set goals for yourself takes some thought and consideration. Don’t try to set all your goals in one day – instead, set some goals in different stages and in different areas of your life and give a lot of thought to why you’re making the goal in the first place.

So next we work on making our goals SMART.  Then we break them down into manageable steps.  And if you are interested, here is a workbook to help you on your goals.

 

In case you missed it,  here is the first part of this journey to satisfaction with your life.

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Disorganization from Distractions

1 Comment / Organization /

Disorganization from distractions happen to all of us.  We have never been so productive, so busy and at the same time so distracted. Throughout history there have always been issues that have prevented us from doing what we set out to do.  But, it’s never been as hard as it is today to try staying organized in this age of distractions. Technology has its benefits but also its drawbacks.

disorganization from distractions
Is this what you are looking at?

The very fact that we have so many choices in terms of technology can also cause problems. Having instant access to family, friends, work and the rest of the noise can be very distracting. Email, smartphones, mobile devices, laptops and other “screens” can get in the way of staying organized, even though the technology was originally created to make you more productive and organized.

Identify Areas of Disorganization

The very first thing to do is take an honest look at your life. Look at your home, work, extra activities and more. Make a list of the areas where you see a lack of organization and then start to tackle them.  There are different types of disorganization from distractions to deal with.  You can learn to capture what you need to do, break it down into logical steps, prioritize those steps, figure out what’s next and then get to work doing what needs to be done − without feeling distracted, overworked, stressed out, and out of control. You just need to have a plan of action and an understanding of why you need to do things in a certain way. Then you’ll finally really be organized.  Here’s a short article on ways to get organized.

Technology

The technology can actually cause you to feel pressure to do even more. No matter how amazing you are, you start feeling inadequate that you cannot do more. The technology ends up becoming more of a distraction rather than a useful helper. Take heart, though; you can learn how to wrangle the technology and make it work for you. You can become more organized even if it doesn’t come naturally. You can give yourself permission to do things differently.

disorganization from distractions
Does this keep you from getting organized?

Life Event

– Circumstances can happen that interrupt your normal way of life, such as a death, a wedding, a birth, or other once-in-a-blue-moon event. This can also happen if you have a special deadline at work or other situation. These things can cause you to lose track of what you planned to do for a short period of time, although usually you can get back on track. Simple things like your family dropping in unexpectedly to visit when you have a full day scheduled, or you get a call from a friend who needs your help when you are working on a big project with an upcoming deadline.  All of us have been there.  These issues lead to disorganization from distractions while preventing our ability to remain focused on our goals.

Bad Habits

– Many people just develop bad habits over time that get out of hand. For example, you start stacking your mail on the corner of your desk without a plan of action and then before you know it, you have no idea where to find the phone bill and you end up paying it late. Or when you come home, you simply throw your coat on the couch and take off your shoes right then. Unfortunately, they may end up staying there and creating disorganization and distraction for you.  Maybe, over time, you have started to stack dirty dishes on the counter in the kitchen and simply forget them until much, much later.  Not only is this a health issue (bugs anyone?) but it creates a very disorganized kitchen.

disorganization from distractions
Is this you? Constantly scrolling for something to watch?

Your Upbring

– Disorganization from distractions can manifest in various ways. It can be because of the way you were raised , or the opposite of your upbringing. Some of this depends on your personality and how rebellious you might be.  Not everyone lives and grows up in a picture perfect home and not everyone was raised by a family who had the time to teach correct behaviors.  Today, most parents have to work just to feed everyone, so children end up spending time raising themselves.

Your Social Network

– These days, we are all encouraged to have a lot of things and do a lot of things, and the people who you hang out with seem to determine what kind disorganization you have in your life.  If you hang with the partying crowd, you will not put much emphasis on being organized because having fun is such a distraction.  Who wants to become organized when you could be out having fun?  While these distractions are temporarily fun, if you live your whole life with this mind set you will find that you may spin out of control.  What works for teens and very young adults does not always translate to being productive for the older adult.

disorganization from distractions
Are these your social connections?

Habitual

– If your home or workspace or both are piled high with disorder, there is a possibility that you have a situation called “chronic disorganization” which is a real condition that can require professional help to overcome. There are many people who love to organized and will help you straighten out your environment to help you become a more productive and happier person.

Regardless of your personal situation, the best thing that you can do is to try some of the tips, suggestions, and ideas that will follow.  You can prevent disorganization from distractions if you know what to do.  Next we will look at goal setting and how that can help with organization.

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5 Tips for Getting Out of a Creative Slump

Leave a Comment / creativity /

When you find that you suddenly have run out of ideas, lost your inspiration to try something new, or don’t feel creative t all in life or work, you are facing a creative slump. This is like writers’ block, but not just in writing. It can affect nearly every area of your life, and even halt your work progress.

Luckily, it is possible to get out of a creative slump, with just a few different exercises.

Switch Up Your Routine

One of the best things you can do when you are in a creative slump is to get out of the routine you are in, and switch it up. We aren’t talking about a completely different lifestyle, but just changing minor things. If you typically get up at 8 in the morning and make coffee, why not get up an hour earlier and do some yoga or go for a walk? Find small things in your routine that will make it just a little different.

Stop Forcing the Creative Spark

 The more you try to force yourself to be creative and come up with new ideas, the harder it is going to be. This tends to lead to more frustration and stress, which is only going to push you even further from being creative.

When you don’t feel inspired, just put that side and find something else to do. Look for new activities, or just don’t worry about being creative at this moment.

Try Something New

 

 Put aside all the activities you used to turn to, and try something brand new. It can be a creative activity, but it doesn’t have to be. It might be a new workout you haven’t tried, going to a local coffees hop you have always wanted to check out, or reading a new book you picked up from the library.

Spend Time with Friends

Get out of your comfort zone and spend time with friends or family. This is another great way of switching up your routine and being in a different environment. Call up a friend to see if they can meet you for lunch, plan a game night at home with a group of friends, or make Sunday dinner with your family.

Get Outside in Nature

 Nature provides wonderful healing and stress-relieving properties that just might be what you need to find your creative spark aga

in. If the weather permits, go for a walk or hike, sit and watch the waves if you are on the coast, or sit by the lake with a book and a picnic if you live in the mountains.

Every little change you can make will open up that creative spark.

 

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Make money by pinning for affiliate marketing

1 Comment / affiliate marketing, Pinterest /

This post is about learning how to use pinning for affiliate marketing.  I hope this will be interesting and useful to my fellow retirees who may need to add some extra cash to their income. Since I retired, I have had to learn how to live on a much smaller income and getting paid once a month.  It was a difficult change, but I think I have finally gotten used to it.

I am constantly researching ways to make extra cash to help my income go farther.  One of the ways I stumbled upon was affiliate marketing.  It sounds so easy but as I am learning, it is not.  There are many things to learn and put in place before you start making any money, but now that I have gotten all that behind me I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Now, I watch those video about making a ridiculous amount of money without any effort and in a short amount of time, but that’s just ridiculous and I hope no one really falls for that way of thinking.  Any type of income producing activity will, by default require some time and effort on your part and comes with no guarantee that you will ever make a penny.

  • Introduction to Affiliate Marketing 

Affiliate marketing has been around for a very long time.  Basically, what it is is “word of mouth” marketing.  You find a product you like and use and you tell your friends about it.  They try it out and you get paid a small amount for sending them to the product.  That’s it in a nutshell.  There are many videos and blog posts on the internet that explain affiliate marketing better, so I will just leave it at this.

  • How do you reach people to tell them about your product?

One of the ways that I have been exploring lately is the use of social media to attract people to my offers.  Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Pinterest all have built in traffic that you can use to your advantage if you know how to do so.  I have read countless blogs and watched innumerable videos on this topic and I have to tell you that there is a definite learning curve, but the end result is that using social media is an easy way to get started.

Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok have introduced stores that you can use to sell your products, but I have not yet tried this method.

Pinterest is a great place to get started with affiliate marketing. With over 300 million active users, there’s definitely a market for your products. You can promote your products through Pinterest by creating pins that focus on promoting your product and by creating boards that focus on a specific topic.

Simply Pin It
Here’s an example of a pin that is for affiliate marketing

You can also connect with other Pinterest users who are also interested in your product.

Most people already have a Pinterest account, but if not, just go to Pinterest.com and sign up for yours (it’s free!).  You need to decide if you want your account to be for personal use or if you want to make it a business account.  You can decide this later, so for our purpose just get a personal account.  Once that is completed, you are good to go!

  • Introduction to Pinterest 

Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to “pin” images and videos onto a board for later viewing. The site also offers users the ability to share boards with other users. One of the main benefits of pinning for affiliate marketing is that it allows you to share affiliate links with your followers. This means that you can earn commissions on any products that you recommend to your followers.

Another advantage of pinning for affiliate marketing is that it can help you to connect with a wider audience. This is because Pinterest is popular with people who are interested in a wide range of topics. Pinterest is actually a search engine much like Google, but you have to admit it is much prettier than Google.  In the search bar you enter the subject of your pin and see if there are boards you can join or follow so when you make your pin, you will automatically get some attention.

  • How Pinterest works as an affiliate marketing platform

When a user pins an image, Pinterest adds a link to the image that can be shared with others. Pinterest also allows users to follow other users and receive updates when they pin or share content.  When a user follows a pin, Pinterest sends an automated message to the user’s followers informing them about the pin and providing a link to the pin. If the user clicks on the link, the user is taken to the page where the pin was pinned.

 

Affiliate Marketing for Simply Pin It"!
This is what you get with this product

In pinning for affiliate marketing you use images and links to products or services and can be an effective way to promote your business and make sales.  There are, however, some basic guidelines you need to follow.  Pinterest is about “pretty” so first and foremost your pin needs to be visually attractive.  You must make sure that your pin is truthful.  If it is an affiliate link, say so.  You need to set up “boards” on your account to pin your images to.  Then when someone follows your board, they will see your pins.  The more people who see your pins, the more chances you have to make money.

  • The different types of pins that can be used for affiliate marketing

There are different ways of pinning for affiliate marketing. Some pins are designed to attract attention, while others are meant to help affiliates promote their products. Some pins are designed to be colorful and eye-catching, while others are more subtle. There are pins for affiliate marketing that feature logos, images, and text.

It’s important for affiliates to choose the right pin for their marketing campaigns.

  • Tips for creating successful Pinterest affiliate marketing campaigns

There are a few tips to keep in mind when creating successful pinning for affiliate marketing links.

1. Pin interesting, relevant pins that will help promote your product.

Pinning relevant pins to your product can help increase awareness and encourage buyers to explore your product further.

2. Use keywords in your pins to help promote your products to Pinterest users who are interested in that topic.

By including relevant keywords in your pins, you can help people find and follow your content more easily. Additionally, using keywords can help you rank higher in search results, which can help potential customers find your content more quickly.

3. Use a variety of pins to increase your chances of being found by Pinterest users.

A variety of pins can help you stand out from the crowd and ensure that you’re easily found when you need to be.

4. Make sure your pins are high quality, and that they accurately reflect your product.

Pin quality and accuracy is important if you want to build trust with your audience.

5. Make sure your pins are updated frequently, so that they remain relevant to Pinterest users.

6. Be sure to include a link to your product in your pins.

7. Promote your pins on other social media platforms, as well.

8. Use analytics to track the success of your pins.

9. Keep a positive attitude, and enjoy the process of creating successful Pinterest affiliate links.

  • Conclusion

Find yourself one product that you think you would like to tell others about, then sign up with that vendor to be an affiliate of their product.  Once you are approved, make a beautiful pin using whatever editor you want (I use Canva, it’s free) and when you are satisfied, pin it on one of your boards.  Even better, join a Pinterest Group Board that is about affiliate marketing or about your product and pin there.  Talk about built for you traffic!

I hope you try this out and make yourself some extra cash to spend in your retirement.  Follow this link to get the information you need!

 

 

 

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Are you ready for Christmas?

Leave a Comment / Crafts /

All my adult life, I worked on holidays.  That is just what you do when you are a nurse.  It never bothered me because I just don’t get holidays.  Who decided that a specific day should be a holiday anyway?  Christmas is one holiday that I stopped participating in long ago.  When it became all about gifts and money and outdoing the neighbors with decorations, I said enough.  So I always volunteered to work Christmas so others with small children could be home with them.

Since retiring, I find that I am more understanding of the need for holidays, but I still choose not to participate in them.  This year, and every year, my sole hat tip to Christmas has been to send cards that are handmade by me.  I enjoy the process and love to send them to my friends and family.  Sending cards at Christmas gives me joy, even though it is a lot of work, it is well worth it. This year is no exception.  I finally found a video on YouTube that described a new type of card.  So I took my inspiration from Ellen Crimi-Trent’s video and went all out.  I made a total of 13 cards using metallic watercolor on black paper.  I have to say they were beautiful and so different.  I forgot to take pictures of them, so I can’t show them here.  I’m sorry.

Since it was such fun, I have decided to make a card-a-day to prepare for next year.  I found another video that gave me ideas, so I am currently making several cards alike.  Below is a picture of the two I have completed and the beginnings of several others.  I do plan to stick to a card-a-day, but since the background has to dry naturally, I made those up ahead of time.

What are you doing to get ready for Christmas this year?  Are you doing anything special?  Do you send Christmas cards out still?  I’d love to hear what you have to say on this subject so please leave me a comment here.

 

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Homemade Christmas Cards Anyone?

Leave a Comment / Crafts /

Every year, I try to make my own Christmas cards.  I have managed to get them done and in the mail the last 3 years.  I usually paint my cards, but I could just as easily collage, or craft some.  I try to find unusual cards to make, so I scour YouTube for videos about making yours own Christmas cards starting mid-October.  This year, I have really had a hard time because I don’t want to make a card with lights, or ornaments, or trees, or wreaths on it and that seems to be the videos I am finding.  That said, I finally decided to see how I could make those same type of cards but with a different spin.  That was an interesting search for me on YouTube.  I started by searching painting videos, card making videos (just not Christmas ones) or some combination thereof.

I was about to give up and go with the usual cards, when I found this video and I knew in a second that this was the card for me to make this year.

Yes, I know that it is a tree and it is pine boughs, but the use of metallic paint really makes it different, don’t you agree?  So this week I will be busy making cards to get in the mail as soon as possible.  It is a little late, since my search took me so long, but I think they will still get there in time.  What do you think?

Do you make your own Christmas cards or do you buy some?  I know some people have even stopped sending cards anymore and I think that is a shame.  Getting a Christmas card from friends far away is a perfect time to catch up on their family news that may not have been posted all over social media.  Anyway, these are the cards I will be making to send out this year.  I am so happy I finally found something different.

Thank you for being here with me.  I know that time is a premium item right now so I really appreciate yours.  If this post interested you, you could go to my FB page, and see other similar posts.  If you go there, please like that page and leave me a comment so I know you were there. Please leave me a comment here to tell me what your thoughts are on sending Christmas cards, too.

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What is an Art Journal and What is it For?

1 Comment / Art Journaling /

I’ve been journaling in one form or another most of my life.  I started making an art journal long before I knew there was a name for the type of journal I was making. It seems that many people would like to journal but have so many questions that they never get started.  I hope to answer most of those questions here and help you get started, if that is on your mind.  Journaling is a wonderful way to free up your mind from stress, expand your creativity, and make a mess!  If you start a journal now, you can have as much fun as I do with my journal.

What exactly is an Art Journal?

Most people who make art journals will answer this question simply.  An art journal is a visual diary–a place to put your thoughts, keep a record of your day, save your memories, and to try new things out.  You can write in an art journal; you can paint in an art journal; you can collage in an art journal.  You can combine any or all of these things in your art journal.  It is your safe place to play, record thoughts and feelings, try new mediums, learn new techniques, or write about your day.

Why would you write in an Art Journal?

Some art journalists like to write in their art journals, some do not.  I sometimes write stuff down to get it out of my head then I cover it up with paint or collage. What you write, or even if you write, is a personal choice.  Either way is correct.  You can write a quote, you can write a song, you can write your feelings, you can just write about your day.  Anything goes.  As I said, I write to get things out of my head mostly, but sometimes I write quotes that resonate with me that day.  If I write about my feelings, I usually cover that up with paint to keep it private, but you don’t have to do that.  Sometimes my day is perfect and I want to capture everything that happened, so I write it down.  Like I said before, it is your journal and there is no right or wrong unless you make it so.

Why should you keep an Art Journal?

Keeping an art journal is a way to express yourself creatively.  You can try new things and experiment with new materials there.  It is a reasonably cheap place to make mistakes and you don’t expect to get any masterpieces there.  With your art journal, you have permission to play and make a mess.  No one will punish you for it and you just might learn something about what works for you and what doesn’t.

How does it work?

You can use loose paper to journal on or you can use a bound book.  It’s your choice.  It is an open-ended art form where you are free to practice and try out new ideas without inhibition.  You can let your creativity loose and see where it takes you.  You are in control.

What are the benefits to keeping an Art Journal?

Art journals help to relieve stress, help you to focus on the activity at hand, and inspire creativity.  You will find that if you art journal regularly, you will be inspired to do more creative work in all aspects of your life.  It has been researched and proven that journaling benefits your brain in many ways.  When you art journal, you get into the zone and your body relaxes and your mind empties.  It is a refreshing break from the stress of everyday life that you can do anytime you want.

What are some good journal topics?

Anything goes in an art journal.  The topic is a personal choice, but if you draw a blank, Google “journal topics” or “journal prompts” and you will find more things to journal about than you can ever do in your lifetime.  Seriously, you can journal about anything and everything.

In case this has not answered all your questions, below are a couple of good videos about Art Journaling for you to enjoy.  Keep in mind that for every person who give you advice, there are many others who will tell you something completely different.  That’s because journaling is such a personal and private thing and everyone is different.  So, watch the video, gather your tools, and start journaling.  You will not regret it and may even enjoy the process.

I hope you enjoyed this post.  I know that there are many other blogs that have this information, but I thought I would tell you about it from my point of view. If you made it this far, please leave me a comment to let me know what you think.  I also have a new post on my FB page that you could check out if you have time.  It is about making Christmas cards and I think you would enjoy it.  If you go there, please like that page and leave a comment please.  Thanks for being here with me.  I really appreciate you giving me your time. I hope you come again!

 

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Another Kid-Friendly Christmas Craft

Leave a Comment / Crafts /

I was scrolling through YouTube yesterday and saw this really cute Christmas craft that is easy, cheap and turns out really nice.  It looked to me like the hands belong to a young child, so I assume children can do this with supervision.  I really liked the finished product with the glitter on it.  I can see it on the tree twinkling with the lights.

Anyway, without any further ado, here is the video.  Let me know if you try this and show me pictures, please.  I think I may be trying my hand at this on the weekend.  The only drawback I could see was that it is time intensive, in that you have to let them dry completely between stages and that could take a while.

I hope you try this with your family.  It really looks like a fun family craft to me!  Also, please leave me a comment here to let me know that you visited.  I really appreciate you spending some of your precious time here with me.  Thanks for reading!

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Another neat Christmas craft for Mom’s of small children

Leave a Comment / Crafts /

 

I was scrolling through my Instagram feed yesterday and I spied a really cute idea for a Christmas craft (but I forgot to bookmark it and can’t find it now).  It is perfect for this time of year, but I can see it being used anytime during the year as decorations.

Basically, we all know that when you have children in school, they love to bring you their art they made.  You of course put it up on the refrigerator because you are so proud of your baby.  However, it quickly gets covered over with other important stuff and then it gets lost.  Well, what if you too, that beautiful art and made a decoration from it?  That was the premise for the Instagram story/post.

She cut stars out of the art and folded the stars to be somewhat 3-D, then she placed the cut out stars back to back and glued the edges after inserting a string for hanging.  What you end up with is a beautiful 3-D star made from your child’s art to hang on the tree or on the garland around the house.  Think how proud your baby will be when their work is hanging on the tree!

All you have to do is find a template for your star and then cut out both sides from the same piece of art.

Here’s a tutorial I found for both cutting out the stars and gluing them together.  The only thing different is you are using your child’s art to make them.  I think this is a really neat way to showcase your child’s artwork and show your child just how much you like their work.  We all know how important it is to build esteem in our children and this is one way to do just that.

As you can see below, I have made these stars before myself and they are really simple and easy to make.  I just made mine into a wreath and painted my stars.  I hope you try this craft out and enjoy the process.  If you make some, please send me pictures and leave me a comment about the process.

 

My stars are ready to paint
All painted

 

As always, if this post interested you, you might want to visit my FB page to see another idea there.  If you go there, please like and comment on the page.  I really appreciate you spending your time here.  Come back soon.

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Still feeling crafty? Here’ s a round-up of cool Christmas crafts

1 Comment / Crafts /

There is something about this time of year that makes me want to do fun crafts–maybe it’s the time change, or the change in the weather, or just the holidays all lined up at the end of the year.  Whatever it is, I have been in the crafting mood lately and I wondered if you also might be feeling the urge to craft?

If so, then you are going to love this post.  I have a round-up of cool crafts for you to try.  So let’s jump in:

  • If you have toddlers at home, here are a few crafts you can do with them and they can ACTUALLY do these crafts quite easily.  I know when mine were little it was a challenge to find fun crafting activities geared to their little hands and coordination.  So, try some of the crafts found here:  https://www.lifewithmylittles.com/toddler-christmas-crafts/— I  really like the photo tree here. 
  • If you don’t have toddlers, but still have young children at home, here are a list of fun crafts that you can turn into fun family activities:
    https://crazylittleprojects.com/simple-christmas-crafts/— since this blogger is a mom to 4 boys, I think she may know what she is talking about.  I especially loved the String Christmas Trees; I thought they were really pretty and would look lovely as part of your Christmas décor.
  • If crafting with children isn’t your thing, here are several crafts for adults to enjoy:  https://www.prudentpennypincher.com/christmas-crafts-for-adults/ .  In this group of crafts, I really loved the framed wreath ornament.
  • Last year, I discovered how to make Christmas star yard decorations using plastic hangers and this one was a really good tutorial for me:  https://thefrugalgirls.com/2021/11/diy-plastic-hanger-star-with-lights.html .  Try it out and let me know how yours turned out.  Mine was really beautiful and I hung it on the door.
  • Here is a Pinterest board that shows you that you can configure
  • these hangers in many ways to get different looks: https://www.pinterest.com/sherron/plastic-hanger-crafts/ .  I may try my hand at another one this year and I’ll pick a different look this time.
  • This is video that shows you how to use these hangers to make an angel: https://youtu.be/lvl6B8Vtq4I   .  I may try this at another time because it looks really big to me and I am not sure where I could put it up, but if that isn’t an issue for you, you may want to try it.
  • And finally, here is another video that shows you how to make another type of angel using Deco Mesh: https://youtu.be/_GkhiAGhvvw .  I think they are precious and will definitely be trying my hand at these!

So if you try any of these, please send me a picture of how they turned out and I will post a follow-up here with all of your results.  Don’t forget to leave me a comment below and visit my FB page to see more art and crafting posts. If you go there, please like my page and leave me a comment to say “Hi!”.  Thank you for being here and enjoy the crafting time!

Still feeling crafty? Here’ s a round-up of cool Christmas crafts Read More »

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