Valentine's Day Sock Gnomes (made from dollar store supplies)

I love simple crafts, and the Valentine's Day sock gnomes that I'm sharing today are easy to make and super-cute. All you need are a few dollar store supplies and a glue gun. You are going to love this one!

First, gather your supplies. You'll need: a mop, white socks, Valentine's Day socks, rice, elastics, and something for a nose (pom poms, painted styrofoam balls, or wood balls).

Then: cut the sock, fill the sock with rice, and secure the top with an elastic. (If you are concerned about the elastic breaking over time, you can reinforce with a piece of thread.)

Use pieces from a dollar store mop to make a beard. Cut strips to the desired lengths, use hot glue to attach the strips to the front of the rice-filled sock, place a Valentine's Day sock over the beard (and glue in place), and separate the strands of the mop. 

Note: For the sock hat, I suggest putting some stuffing in the sock to give it some shape. I also cut the toe off my sock and used red thread to close the end.  Alternatively, you could hot glue a pom pom to the end, or you could put a styrofoam ball in the toe, and secure it with an elastic to make a "faux" pom pom.

Finish by using hot glue to attach a pom pom nose.

At this point, you can consider your gnome finished, or you can add some arms or other embellishments.

To make arms: Use the piece of the sock that you cut off. Cut it to the desired length and width (to fit your gnome), and roll each arm and secure with glue. 

Then, make mittens by cutting twp pieces of red felt, wrapping them around the ends of the arms, and securing the mitts in place with a piece of embroidery floss. Use hot glue to attach the arms (under the hat).

You might find this video helpful too!

I left my gnome plain, but you can embellishment yours with felt hearts, heart-shaped jewels, and/or any accessories you want.

I am using my gnomes as part of my Valentine's Day decor, but I think they'd be perfect to give to friends and family as Valentine's Day gifts. You could add a cute gift tag to make it extra special. I designed a few options that you can print for free.

To print the six gift tags I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Don't you just love homemade Valentine's Day decorations? There is something really lovely about all the shades of white, pink and red.

Do you think you'll make your own Valentine's Day sock gnome? I gave you a basic template, but feel free to express your creativity. You can use different coloured socks, add your own embellishments, and play with the size and scale of the gnomes. Have fun!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

Dollar Store Craft: Simple (and cheap!) Pom Pom Valentine's Day Wreath

Have you seen those tacky tinsel Valentine's Day wreaths at your local dollar store? If you unwrap the tinsel, you'll uncover the perfect inexpensive base for a gorgeous high-end pom pom wreath. Cool, right?!? Keep reading because you are going to love this dollar store craft. This pom pom Valentine's Day wreath is easy to make and absolutely gorgeous!

This is what I started out with. These tinsel wreaths were ONLY $1.25 each at Dollarama.

If you cut the wrap with a sharp pair of scissors, you can unwrap it. It's a little tricky to get started, but once the first part is loose, it's easy to unwrap. 

You will be left with a heart-shaped wire wreath form.

Then, pick up some chunky yarn in any Valentine's Day colours. I chose a light pink, dark pink, and grey... but you can use whatever colour combination you like.

The number of pom poms you need to make will depend on the size of your wire wreath form and the weight of your yarn. I made 12 pom poms for my wreath.

You can find a video tutorial for making pom poms here, but basically:

1) Wrap yarn around your hand (or a piece of cardboard) about 60 times. 

2) Tie a piece of yarn around the centre of the wrapped yarn.

3) Cut the loops.... leaving the long piece used to tie the pom pom together (as this will be used to attach the pom pom to the wreath form).

4) Trim the pom pom.

Tie each pom pom to the wire wreath form (per below).

Keep tying pom poms to the wire until the entire wreath is covered.

Then, when you are happy with the positions of all the pom poms, secure them in place with hot glue.

After the glue has dried, you are ready to display your wreath. You can set it on a shelf.

Or you can add a piece of yarn for hanging. I hung mine on the chalkboard in my kitchen, and I love it!

You might also want to check out this quick (2 minute) video tutorial.

 

What do you think? I love that the frame was only $1.25. I will definitely be making more of these DIY Valentine's Day wreaths to display this year. I'm thinking I will try one in different shades of pink... or maybe all red. What colour combination will you try?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

And for MORE fun things to make with Pom Pom, click here.

Valentine's Day Gnome Ornament

Holiday crafts are the best, don't you think? They are fun to make and can be used as festive decor. Many crafted items also make wonderful handmade gifts that can be shared with family and friends. Today, I am sharing a step-by-step tutorial for adorable Valentine's Day gnome ornaments.

To make your own Valentine's Day gnome ornament:

1) Gather your supplies. You'll need: a ruler, sharp scissors, and empty paper towel roll, a pom pom, a bit of felt (or other heart-shaped embelishment for the hat), hot glue, and two colours of yarn (white and pink or red).

First, make the hat:

2) Cut a 1 cm slice from an empty toilet roll. Then, cut approximately 35 strands of yarn (30cm in length). Note: You may need more or less yarn. It will depend on the weight/thickness of the yarn.

3) Loop all the strands (one at a time) through the cardboard roll and pull tight. Continue until the entire cardboard piece is covered.

4) Push all the yarn down through the centre of the roll to create a hat "brim", and tie the top of the hat (about an inch from the top) with a piece of matching yarn. Tie a loop (at the top of the piece of yarn used to tie the top of the hat) to create a hanger for the ornament.

5) Trim the top of the hat to make a pom pom, and use hot glue to attach a felt heart to the front of the yarn hat.

Next, make the pom pom for the beard:

You can also find a video explaining how to make pom poms here.

6) Wrap yarn around your hand approximately 60 times (or more if the yarn is a lighter weight/thinkness).

7) Carefully remove the yarn from your hand and tie a piece of yarn tightly around the centre.

8) Cut the loops with sharp scissors, and trim the pom pom until it is round and fluffy.

Then, assemble the ornament:

9) Use hot glue to attach the hat to the handmade pom pom.

10) Use hot glue to attach the pom pom nose.

Here's a 3 minute video that shows you how I made my Valentine's Day gnome ornament.

These ornaments can be hung anywhere, but I love how sweet they look on this little lighted tree. Cute, right?

I can't stop making these cute ornaments. They are easy to make, use simple supplies, and are totally adorable. If you make one (or a bunch), let me know. It really is the perfect Valentine's Day craft for kids, tweens, teens, and adults.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

BEST Ideas for Preserving and Organizing Special Pieces of Kids' Clothing

In my home, January is all about "getting organized", and sentimental items always pose a particular challenge for me. When it comes to kids, "special" pieces of kids clothing can be difficult to part with, so today, I am sharing some of my best ideas for preserving and organizing the clothes that kids have outgrown.

1) Keep a few special pieces... but be ruthless. Just keep the items that you can't bear to get rid of... the ones with sentimental value. For example, a Christening gown, the outfit they wore home from the hospital, their favourite t-shirt as a toddler, etc... Each one of my boys has ONE tote where I keep some school work, special toys, and a couple of pieces of clothing. When they leave home, they can take their tote with them.

2) Make Christmas ornaments - I love the idea of turning important items into Christmas ornaments. Consider: filling a clear bulb with a baby hat and bracelet, sewing an ornament from a piece of clothing or special blanket, or popping a piece of material into an embroidery frame.

3) Create unique artwork - Special items can easily be turned into unique artwork. Frame a jersey or stretch a special t-shirt and staple it over a piece of canvas. It's also a good idea to frame an outfit with a picture of the child wearing the clothing.

4) Upcycle old clothing into something new - Old clothes can easily be upcycled into something new. Consider making a no-sew tote bag, scrunchies, sachets, face masks, headbands, scarfs, eye pillows, stuffed animals or pillows. 

5) Sew a memory quilt - I don't have the sewing skills to make one, but I think it's a great idea. Maybe I'll put it on my "to do" list.

What do you do with those pieces of kids' clothing you can't bear to part with? Do you think you'll try any of these ideas? I hope I've given you a bit of inspiration today.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)