Holiday Cross-Stitch Cards Workshop at West Elm

make-and-mingle-embroidery-west-elm-flowers

The Every Hostess and your truly hosted a lovely event at West Elm, Denver just in time for the holidays. We gathered to cross-stitch holiday cards, sip coffee and apple cider and snack on cheese, crackers and, of course, cookies! We made wonderful memories with old and new friends, and laughed as we crafted at our 2nd Make & Mingle workshop.

Thanks to everyone who joined us, and to Colby Elizabeth Photography who captured all the cross-stitching fun.

See the beautiful party in its entirety at Couture Colorado. You won’t want to miss all the pretty little details…and the big ass balloons, literally.

joy-holiday-cards-red-polka-dot-embroidery

joy-holiday-cards-red-polka-dot-embroidery-workshop-diy-cards

confetti-balloons-white-west-elm-party

 

cross-stitch-holiday-cards-west-elm-denver-party-christmas-holiday-joy-card

make-and-mingle-santa-chocolate-straws-party-gifts

denver-west-elm-girls-laughing-party-white-balloon

Vendor List

Photographer: Copyright Colby Elizabeth Photography | @colbsta
Location: West Elm, Denver | @westelmdenver
Florist: Ladybird Poppy |@ladybirdpoppy
Stationery: Fleur de lis, a paperie | @fdlpaperie
Balloons: Big Ass Balloons | @bigassballoons
Polka Dot bags and straws: Bake It Pretty | @bakeitpretty
Planning/Styling: The Every Hostess | @theeveryhostess and J. Sorelle | @jsorelle3
Cookies: homemade by J. Sorelle @jsorelle3
Food and Hot Apple Cider: The Every Hostess | @theeveryhostess
Ornaments: Sage 8 Studio | @sage8studio
Chocolate bars and peppermint malt balls: Curly Girl Design | @curlygirldesign
Business card holder: Cory Renee Handcrafted Bags and Clutches
Coffee: Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Cherry Creek North | @peetscoffee

DIY Cross Stitch Coffee Sleeve

red-coffee-cup-star-coffee-sleeve-holiday-cheer-star

As we bundle up and head outside this winter, we like to keep a to-go mug of coffee or tea between our hands. It’s a habitual thing. Sure, we need to caffeine most days {okay, everyday}, and we like the taste of tea, but it really comes down to the fact that we like to have something warm in our hands. It feels comfortable and cozy.

Well, we’ve made our comfy habit a bit cuter with our latest DIY featured at our Make & Mingle last week – a DIY cross-stitch coffee sleeve. Anyone can do it…even with no sewing experience.

Thanks to Peet’s Coffee & Tea in Cherry Creek North for the cups and hot coffee, and Colby Elizabeth Photography for the photos.

Materials:

Directions:

  • Find a pattern or shape to cross-stitch. We used this file from Fleur de Lis, a paperie, and printed them at 30% or 40%, so the stars were small enough to fit on our coffee sleeves.
  • Set the print out of the shape on the coffee sleeve, and with your pearl pin in hand, punch small holes on the ends of every line where you will stitch. When you remove the paper, you should see the shape that you want to design on your coffee sleeve. If you need to make the holes more visible, punch them again once the paper is removed.
  • Cut the embroidery string, insert one end through the needle loop, and tie a knot on the other end of the string.
  • Insert the needle from inside the coffee sleeve up through the top of the coffee sleeve. Then go back down through the next hole. Continue going up and down through each hole until you have completed the shape.
  • Once you stitch the last line, tie a knot inside the coffee sleeve with the original knot.

Warm wishes to you this winter!

red-coffee-cup-star-coffee-sleeve-holiday-cheer-star

Photography: Copyright Colby Elizabeth Photography

DIY Santa Bag

santa-bag-special-delivery-christmas-gift-wrap

Santa has brand new bag.

This Pottery Barn {one of our favorite store’s} hack can be made for under $10.

Find the file by Fleur de Lis, a paperiehere for just $5. Read the full tutorial on Momtastic.

Merry Christmas.

DIY Merry & Bright Ornament

diy-christmas-ornament-merry-and-bright-red-gold-confetti-tree

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through blogging land,
bloggers were hustling with super glue in their hand.

Ornaments were hung on the tree with care,
but one was missing from bloggers who hope to put one of their own there.

We knew in a moment, it must be #swapthatdiy time,
For those who read our first one, it was a sublime.

Lifestyle, DIY, food and fashion – not one of them the same,
A Joyful Riot, Pretty Life Girls, DIY Candy, Cut, Cut, Craft!, A Bubbly Life, The Bold Adobe, The Sweetest Occasion, Tell Love and Party and One Little Minute Blog – we called them each by name!

Happy ornament making to all, and to all a good night.

diy-christmas-ornament-merry-and-bright-red-gold-confetti-tree

It’s our 2nd official DIY swap, and it’s a good one. We made Merry & Bright ornaments to brighten up the sisters of A Joyful Riot holidays. We couldn’t do a Merry without a Bright, so we sent all three. Our ornaments were inspired by big, 36” balloons by Big Ass Balloons, so the ornaments are meant to be 36” balloons with the string of tassels.

Merry Christmas, Malissa and Machelle, and everyone who participated.

Materials:

  • Bulb ornament, less than $1
  • Gold mylar
  • White tissue paper
  • Red acrylic paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Hot glue and hot glue gun
  • Red embroidery string
  • Red craft/jewelry wire, Michaels
  • Drill

 Directions:

Drill two small holes on the top of the ornament, one of each side of the top of the ornament.

ornament-red-wire-gold-confetti-holiday

Trace or free-hand the word Merry & Bright on the ornaments, then paint the words with a small paintbrush and red paint.

merry-and-bright-ornaments-diy-gold-confetti

Fill the ornaments with confetti {we cut small squares of the gold mylar and hole-punched tissue paper for white confetti}. There is a natural static that occurs, so some of the confetti will stick to the sides of the ornament.

diy-christmas-ornament-merry-and-bright-red-gold-confetti-tree

Cut a piece of string about 1 foot long for the tassel string. We made little tassels from the white tissue paper and gold mylar. We tied each mini tassel to the string with a knot, one above the other. Once all the tassels were in a row, we dabbed a bit of super glue on top each one, to keep them in a straight line.

diy-christmas-ornament-merry-and-bright-red-gold-confetti-tassle

Cut a 4-inch piece of the red wire and string it through the two holes on top of the ornament. To add a touch of cuteness, make a bow out of the red wire, and wrap additional wire around center of the bow to keep it in place.

IMG_2947

 

 

diy-christmas-ornament-merry-and-bright-red-gold-confetti-tree

 

Joyful Holiday Photo Shoot

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

We just realized we never shared one of our first and favorite photo shoots on the blog. It’s a favorite because we were able to work with our friend and photographer, Meredith Moran Photography, and because amongst all the pretty red and white details, our children were running around in the background at our parents house. It was a lot of chaos, but also a lot of laughter, and if you can laugh in the midst of the chaos, that can be a good thing.

We hope you make the DIY peppermint tray this Christmas season and find the time experience pure joy, just like the marquee lights by Saddleshoe Designs reminds us to do.

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

hot-cocoa-to-go-mason-jar-candy-cane

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

peppermint-diy-tray-red-white-joy-holiday-party-christmas-table-silver-tree

joy-marquee-light-red-white-christmas-party

Vendor Love:
Photography: Meredith Moran Photography | Marquee Lights: Saddleshoe Signs | Tabletop Accessories and Stationery: Fleur de Lis, a paperie