Category: DIY

Homemade Vanilla Extract Gifts

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Homemade Vanilla Extract Gifts Make a Thoughtful and delicious DIY Christmas PRESENT

I’ve always wanted to make my own homemade vanilla extract. I finally made my first batch early this spring. My goal was to make a large batch to keep some for myself, and to share with others for gifts at Christmas.

Vanilla extract is a thoughtful, DIY gift for nearly any recipient: friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, or holiday hostesses. After all, nearly everyone keeps vanilla extract in their pantry, right?

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12 DIY Christmas Gifts That Will Actually Get Used

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Looking for thoughtful Christmas gifts that won’t break the bank, but will actually be appreciated and used? These homemade gifts are perfect for hostess gifts, neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, or coworker gifts. Just the right amount of personal and practical, these DIY Christmas gifts will actually get used.

Treasure ornaments are a one-of-a-kind tree decoration made by filling empty glass ornaments with bottle-brush trees, jingle bells, sprigs of pine branches, colorful feathers, or any other pretty fillers you have on hand,clear treasure ornaments filled with colorful feathers

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How to Naturally Dye Brown Easter Eggs

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These natural dyes are food safe and work great for other natural tie dye projects!

Thank you to Nellie’s Free Range for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.

I’ve always wanted to experiment with using natural dyes to dye our hard boiled Easter eggs, but I’ve also been a little intimidated by the idea. 

Over the last few years we’ve made the switch to exclusively using Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. Since their eggs come only from Certified Humane Free Range hens that live healthy, happy lives, I feel better about serving them to my family. So, it only seemed fitting that we would go the more natural route for egg dye this year.

But the big question was…can you dye brown eggs? The answer is, yes! It creates even deeper natural tones, and I’m going to show you how! Continue reading →

Top 20 Best DIY Mother’s Day Gifts

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Thoughtful, homemade Mother’s Day gifts on a budget

I know I can’t be the only one who wracks my brain for Mother’s Day gifts every. single. year. Not only do the moms in my life all live out of state from us, but we are on a super tight budget! Today, I’m sharing some of the best ideas I’ve found for the top 20 best DIY Mother’s Day gifts on a budget.

  1. Homemade Watercolor Tea Towel – It doesn’t get any easier than this watercolor technique! Perfect for even the youngest kids to help out with. Even better, it makes such a pretty and practical gift!Homemade Mother's Day gift ideas: DIY watercolor tea towels
  2. Bathtub Tray  – I love this idea for a super simple DIY lucite bathtub tray! Totally  waterproof,  and  matches  any  bathroom  decor!Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget.
  3. Lavender Bath Soak – Take the Bathtub Tray idea up a notch by adding a relaxing Lavender Bath Soak and presenting it in a pretty jar. Get the recipe here. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - Lavender Bath Soak
  4. Cement Succulent Flower Pots – I’m still obsessed with these cement flower pots, and they are super easy to make! Cement doesn’t have to intimidating at all – check out this easy tutorial for creating your own!
    Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - cement flower pots
  5. Garden Stone – We love to make handprint garden stones as precious markers of how the kids have grown over the years!
  6. Give her a hand – Okay, I really hope allll the husbands and kids out there are giving Mom a hand on Mother’s Day, but if you can’t be there to help, I love this simple idea for making life a little easier on Mom. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - give mom a hand with this cute dinnerware gift set.
  7. Pamper Her with this DIY Leather Pouch – This no-sew leather pouch is easy to make and totally stylish and practical! Drop in a few of your favorite pampering gifts – like yummy hand lotion, or my favorite EVER lip balm for super dry lips (if you can get past the super crazy name!).Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - no-sew leather pouch
  8. Handwritten Heirloom Recipe Tea Towel – I absolutely love the idea of taking a handwritten heirloom recipe and putting it on a tea towel. Totally sentimental and useful. Check out how to make one here. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - DIY heirloom recipe tea towels.
  9. Book Lover’s Gift Set – If she loves to read, give her a mini vacation basket, complete with a good book, chocolates, and a DIY leather bookmark. If you don’t sew – no worries! Just use a super strong, flexible all-purpose glue. Budget tip: upcycle an old purse from the thrift store to course your leather!Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - no-sew leather bookmark.
  10. Garden Gift Basket – This is attractive all on it’s own for a flower container, but I love this gift basket idea including custom garden markers and garden tools.
    Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - Garden Gift Basket with DIY garden markers.
  11. Potted Picking Garden Flowers – I’ve been trying to grow my own flower picking garden, so lately I’ve been loving receiving peonies, hydrangeas, lilacs and more for Mother’s Day! Truly the gift that keeps on giving.Building an 18-year Mother's Day Flower Garden | Five Marigolds #GrowBeautifully #Monrovia Plants #sponsored
  12. Brunch  – If you’re lucky enough to be with your mom for Mother’s Day, make her a special brunch (disclaimer: if you’re a mom yourself…schedule this for a day other than Mother’s Day so you can sleep in and get pampered by your kids!). I’m a huge fan of these Ham and Cheese brunch squares. Or, for something extra simple and a lot lighter, try these overnight Peaches ‘N Cream oats.Ham and Cheese Brunch Bake Recipe
  13. Sunshine in a Basket – Okay, there just might be a floral theme on this list, but I’m obsessed with this cheerful gift basket idea. This collection of candles, chamomile, citrus, herbs, and a charming potted cactus  would brighten anyone’s day. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget. - citrus, chamomile and cactus gift basket.
  14. Framed photo or Photo Book – I mean, what mom wouldn’t love a photo of her kids or grandkids? The Print Your Photos Challenge - how I printed my entire 365 photo a day project with Blurb. | Five Marigolds #blurbbooks #ad
  15. Leaf Print Fabric – Am I overdoing it on the tea towel love in this list? Didn’t think so! ???? They are such a great idea because they are inexpensive, thoughtful, and practical! I love this idea for leaf printing on fabric for more charming tea towels. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - leaf print hand towels.
  16. Send Flowers – I’ve often sent flowers, simply because it can be hard to give a special Mother’s Day gift from out of state. It’s not always frugal, but flowers are always a good idea!  Click here to  get  20%  off  from  FTD.Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget.
  17. Something Sweet – My mom and I both have a serious sweet tooth, so I love this cool idea for saying it with ice cream! Whip up a batch of your favorite homemade ice cream (like creamy lemon vanilla or cookie dough frozen yogurt), add a few toppings, and top it with this cool gift tag. Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget - Mom is Cool Ice Cream Gift Tags
  18. Handwritten Card – Trust me – you can’t go wrong with a caring, handwritten card. Let Mom and Grandma know just how much you love her, and list every. single. reason. why.
  19. Digital Frame – Okay, so this one isn’t truly DIY…or frugal, but I’m obsessed with this digital frame because multiple family members can update it in real time, right from their phones! And, it’s so stylish and sleek compared to the digital frames of yesterday.Top 20 best DIY Mother's Day gifts on a budget.
  20. Last Minute Gift – If all else fails and you’ve totally blown it this Mother’s Day…well, Mom doesn’t have to know. Give her a call (or even better, show up in person), tell her how much you love her and bring a card with a gift card to buy whatever she wants. Amazon gift cards are always a good idea! Buy and print (or e-mail) one in minutes.

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Bring Spring Indoors with these DIY Spring Cleaning Mom Hacks

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Simple, budget-friendly mom hacks and must-haves your grandma would be proud of.

This post is sponsored by Cascade pure essentials. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My grandma Edith lived one of the most simply abundant lives I’ve ever witnessed. Having lived through the Great Depression, my grandma lived a life that many consider trendy and novel now. She reused. Recycled. Upcycled. Ate from her farm and garden, and prepared meals from scratch. Dried clothes outside on the line. Many of her cleaning products were homemade… and her potpourri was, too!

This past year has been all about simplifying for our family. Inspired by my Grandma Edith – I’m sharing some easy tips for bringing spring indoors with simple, budget-friendly mom hacks and must-haves.

Budget friendly spring cleaning mom hacks

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DIY Industrial Cooler + Convertible Planter

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 This shop, DIY Industrial Cooler, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Constellation Brands. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #SummertimeCerveza #CollectiveBias

Today I’m sharing a summer DIY I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I’m excited to show you how to make a DIY Industrial Cooler for less than $7.DIY Industrial Cooler + Convertible Planter for less than $10 | Five Marigolds #SummertimeCerveza #ad

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Living Room Makeover – The Great Wall Edition

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Stikwood Feature Wall

A reminder: I’m participating in the ‘One Room Challenge’ (ORC), hosted by Linda from Calling It Home, that challenges home and design bloggers to make over a room in their house from start to finish in 6 weeks. We have decided to tackle our living room. Here’s what you missed: The Before and Vision , The Design Plans, and Tile and Personalization

I’ve been dreaming of a white wood feature wall for about a year, and it’s finally here!White Wood Feature Wall with Stikwood | Five Marigolds

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Our DIY Fixer Upper Reveal

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Part II: SHIPLAP, BARN WOOD and beams…OH MY!

I’m so excited to have my friend, Alicia Bertram of Berties Build on a Budget, guest posting today to share Part II: Our DIY Fixer Upper Reveal – her family’s incredible story of building their dream house, and turning it into a custom home using creativity, inexpensive resources, and lots of elbow grease. To hear how they built their own home, and the crazy sacrifices they made to get out of consumer debt while they did it, please hop over to read Part I of their story!

Last week, I shared how our family built our own home, nail by nail, all while making some incredible sacrifices to get out of consumer debt. This week, I’m excited to share with you the pretty part of our journey – that is, our DIY Fixer Upper reveal!

Pinterest is a girl’s best friend.  Am I right!?  I knew I wanted to put special touches in most of the rooms but also knew I had to keep our budget in mind at all times.  The most important thing I could do in the planning of our house was to first decide how I wanted the house to FEEL.  Our last house was dark, choppy but cozy.  The dream I had for this space was bright, open and airy.  A space that you walk in and just take a deep breath.  Cool tones, light wood floors, clean crisp lines and simple.    

So here’s what we did:

Entryway:  Summer of 2015 we went out to my parents farm where we pulled approximately 500 square feet of barn wood off the barn.  It now covers the ceiling of our exterior entryway and also our range hood.  We also turned an inexpensive antiqued decoration into a light fixture!  

Fixer Upper Reveal: Shiplap and Barn Wood, Oh My! | Five Marigolds

All Photos by Licia Marie Photography

  • Barnwood: FREE
  • Decoration: Purchased 5 years ago and I think it was $10 on sale!

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Our DIY Fixer Upper Story

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Part 1: Building Our Dream Home While Getting Out of Debt

I’m so excited to have my friend and fellow blogger, Alicia Bertram, guest posting today to share her family’s incredible story of building their dream home, nail by nail,  from start to finish. This, all while paying off consumer debt and making some crazy decisions along the way to reach their goals!Our DIY Fixer Upper Story: Building our Dram Home While Getting Out of Consumer Debt | Five Marigolds

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Quick & Easy Game Day Decor

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SCORE POINTS WITH VARSITY LETTER TABLEWARE

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, MARS. All opinions are mine alone. #ScoreAtCVS #CollectiveBias

Football season is here, and with it, countless Sundays spent gathering with friends for viewing parties. I’ll admit, I’m in this sport for the socializing and snacks, but not the work of prepping treats.

Today, I’m going to show you ridiculously easy ideas for showing up with the most team spirit at your next viewing party. These game day decor ideas are so simple, even the least skilled crafter can pull them off like a pro!

Quick & Easy Game Day Decor #ScoreAtCVS [AD]

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Ultimate Apple Themed Round-Up

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The best of apple Recipes, Crafts, Activities & More!

It’s finally time for me to admit that fall is here. The cold snap of the season started this week, and while I’m mourning the short-lived Midwest summer, I am looking forward to the tastes and activities of the season.

Last week I shared my Salted Caramel Dip recipe. This week, we are excited to share with you this collection of amazing Apple themed posts from the talented and creative Social Fabric community.

You’re going to want to Pin or bookmark this post for later, so you don’t miss out on these amazing apple recipes, crafts and activities for fall!

SoFabSeasons Apples

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Reversible Upcycled Kitchen Sign: Self Serve Only!

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It’ s been awhile since I’ve shared on the blog. I ran out of steam there for awhile, but I’m back with a project I’ve been planning for some time, and finally got around to: my self serve sign for the kitchen.

We’re slowly but surely making some changes to our builder grade home, like a new back splash that we love. Still, I thought the kitchen needed a little more character.DIY Upcycled Self Serve Sign for the Kitchen | Five Marigolds

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