Custom Invitations

I have had several people contact me regarding customizing my Mason Jar Invitation in their colors with their wording.  I do offer custom set up for any of my projects.  Set up for the Mason Jar project is $25 and includes a full resolution pdf of your invitation, so all you have to do is print and cut.  If you are interested in having your invitations customized, contact me for details.

Chore Bucks Bonus

As a little add on to the Chore Chart Segment for Studio 5....

There is no better way to motivate kids to do chores than a reward.  Chore bucks are a fun incentive that can also teach kids fiscal responsibility.  Try paying children for chores completed with my FREE DOWNLOADABLE CHORE BUCKS.  Then, allow kids to exchange bucks for privileges, activities, or actual money.  Chore bucks come in three different amounts and can be printed and cut apart quickly.

Handmade Chore Charts on Studio 5

We all know that having kids home for the summer means more messes to clean up.  Although summer is a great time for the kids to relax and have fun, it is also important that they contribute to the family and learn responsibility.  Today on Studio 5, I showed some fun ways to motivate your kids to get their chores done every day.  Each of these charts can be designed to fit your family's individual needs...That's the beauty of handmade!
Magnetic Board with Clothes Pin

I love this chore chart because not only does it accomplish it's purpose, but it is also so cute.  The basics of this chart are magnetic chores placed on a magnet board.  When the child finishes a chore, they can move a clothespin to the appropriate chore, marking each one off as it is completed.  You can create a chart for each individual child, or create one family chart and make the chores color coordinated for each child.


To make this board for your home, you will need a magnet board, magnetic strips(with adhesive on the back), mini clothespins, patterned paper, mod podge and any additional embellishments you would like to use.

I made my board Owl themed, just because I love owls.  Use your creativity to pick a theme of your own. I purchased this magnetic board at Michael's for $3.  It had a pre-printed calendar on it, but I knew I would make a quick change to that.  You can use any size of board for this project, different sizes can meet your family's needs.  To assemble the board, simply mod podge your patterned paper onto your board and decorate it as desired.


To create magnetic chore strips, print chores on coordinating paper and adhere to magnetic strips. Cut to size.  Extra chores can be stored on the back of the chart for safe keeping.

I picked up my mini clothespins at the craft store. To dress them up, I mod podged a strip of patterned paper to the top and adhered a button to finished it off.

Bottle Cap Board

Dry erase boards make great chore charts because they are naturally magnetic and can also be easily written on and changed.  I picked up this small magnet board at Walmart for a few bucks.  What a steal!

I adhered patterned paper, stickers and buttons to create my chore chart.  So simple, quick and inexpensive!

Bottle cap magnets are placed on the chart each day and moved from column to column as they are completed.

To make the bottle caps, I create individual chore circles, punched chores out of cardstock with a 1" circle punch and adhered them to the center of the bottle cap.  A magnet on the back and a clear epoxy topper complete the cap.

Wood Peg Board

This is a wood plaque designed for an individual child.  I painted a plain wood board (available at craft stores) and then screwed in two c hooks to the bottom of the board.  Mod podge, patterned paper and stickers completed the board.

I also created individual chore cards, which I printed on white cardstock and trimmed into individual cards.  You can download the chore cards I created for free, or create your own.  I also included some blank cards in the download so that you can customize a few chores of your own.  As the child completes their chore, they move a card from one hook to the other.  I recommend laminating your cards for safe keeping.

Chore Dice

This is a great option for summer jobs that aren't typically done during the school year.  Each side of a wooden block is decorated with a chore (mow lawn, pull weeds, etc).  Each day, kids have to roll dice to determine the chore they will do that day. I made three different dice so they could get a job off each one.  Try coordination chores on the blocks so they will get a variety of chores.  Kids can also roll dice to earn extra money/priviliges, or when they are misbehaving or complaining about being bored...they get to roll the dice.

Family Chore Jar

It is so easy to create a "family chore jar" of your own. This jar is full of decorative popsicle sticks with individual chores on them. Chores on the sticks should be those that are just needed once a week or so...not everyday responsibilites.  I painted my sticks in three colors.  This creates a color code for difficult, medium, or easy chores.  I printed chores on cardstock and adhered a strip to each stick.

Each day kids take turns pulling sticks for daily chores.  Pulling chores could also be used to earn extra priviledges or as discipline for poor behavior.  As sticks are completed, they can be put in a separate jar, by the end of the week, all the sticks should be pulled.  You can also create individual child jars and divide the sticks into the jars at the beginning of the week. This gives you greater control of who does what job.  If you have younger children and older children, you could also color code the sticks according to child. 

Digital Framed Chore Charts

Creating a framed chore chart for your kids is a snap.  I searched for "downloadable chore charts" online and found hundreds of adorable printable options.  I simply printed the chart I chose and placed in a frame.  I added a touch of fun by placing the child's name in stickers on the front of the frame glass.  The child can use a dry erase marker to mark off the chores as they are completed.  At the end of the week, the chart can be wiped off and started fresh.


Try searching online for a chore chart that is perfect for your kiddos.  I found mine at Sew, Craft, Create.  She has a boy and girl version that are just perfect!

Chore charts are a great way to start your summer off right and teach your child some great responsibility.  

Spring Window Decor on Studio 5

It's time to freshen up for Spring, and your home is no exception. Today on Studio 5, I showed how to create a seasonal window treatment that will give your home a real face lift!

I started off by getting some inspiration from the owners of Willow and Wildflowers, a floral shop and boutique in the heart of Bountiful, UT.  These creative gals are known for creating eclectic and unique window displays, that draw in the customers.  Mindy, from Willow, shared three tips for creating a show stopping display:

1. Play up the color-Whether it is red, white and blue or hot pink and black, it is important to create a color scheme for your window display.  Color in the windows can create a mood and set the tone for your home. For my window treatment, I used the Pretty Party Collection from Crate Paper, which mixes soft spring colors with pops of more vibrant hues.

2. Free movement- There is something mesmerizing about watching something turn slowly in the sunlight.  Building a window treatment that is free moving gives life and energy to your display.  To keep my pieces free flowing, I tied them directly to a current rod with fishing line.  The current rod keeps them away from the window and gives them space to turn and move.  Objects that are hung freely will naturally turn as people open doors, walk through the room, or air is blown from vents or fans. 

3. Stick to a theme- Creating within a theme simplifies the process.  When you have a theme, your mind can start processing ideas and the process will develop smoothly.  A theme can be anything from 80's to formal, or Tea Party to Grunge.  I chose to go seasonal with my window decor.  Seasons and holidays create a mood and feeling all on their own, making them the perfect themes when decorating windows. To bring the Spring season into play, I created Posies and Pinwheels from double-sided patterned paper. 

Once I had developed my theme, determined my color scheme, and created a general plan...it was time to get started crafting.  I stuck to simple, paper crafted designs that could be recreated several times without being too time consuming.  I created posies and pinwheels in a variety of sizes to fill the different areas of space.

Pinwheels- If you haven't ever made a handmade pinwheel, you've got to try making one or two.  They are so simple to make, and they turn out just adorable!  All you need to create a basic pinwheel is a square piece of paper, a pair of scissors, small hole punch and a brad. 

-Turn the square piece of paper diagonally (like a diamond), and cut a straight line from each corner to the center (stop about 2" from the center). You now have four flaps.

-Use hole punch to create a small hole in one of the corners of each flap, moving around the square until there is 1 hole in each corner.

-Thread holes through brad, tucking each flap under the next until all flaps are threaded onto brad.  Stick brad through the center of the paper and open prongs on the back side of the pinwheel. 

-Voila!  You have a basic pinwheel that can be strung up or attached to a stick for spinning.

Posies- The classic accordion posy makes a great spring flower.  

Here is a simple how-to for creating the posies: (these are the instructions for creating the large 12X12 pieces, but keep in mind that you can make all different sizes by changing the size of your paper strips and the width of your fold)

1. I like to scor a complete 12X12 sheet before I cut it into strips. This saves time in scoring.  Using your Scor-Pal, scor your paper in 1" intervals alternating front and back side so the folds go back and forth.
2. Cut your paper across the scors at 6"(this will leave you with a 6"X12" strip.
3. Repeat process until you have 5 strips (2.5 sheets of paper).
4. Adhere strips together using strong adhesive (gotta love the scor tape).
5. Adhere two ends together to create a ring.
6. Press ring down so that it fans out.
7. Use hot glue in the center of the fan to adhere it all together.

Pennant Banner-To add a little space filler, I created a simple pennant banner to drape along the top of the windows.  

Creating this banner was a snap!  I simply cut triangles from my double sided paper, punched a small hole in the top two corners of the triangle, and strung the triangles together using twine.  I then spaced them along the twine so that they would fit and drape nicely in the windows.

Once all of your pieces are created, it is time to assemble.  I punched a small hole in the top of each paper piece and tied a length of fishing line to the hole.  I then tied the opposite end to a curtain rod and adjusted the height as desired for each piece.  Play around with heights and combinations of pieces until you love your layout.  I taped the pennant banner directly to the window frame to add some dimension.

Crystal Accents- Adding crystal dangling accents will make your window display sparkle in the happy Spring sunlight!  

I purchased a package of large crystal accents from the craft store and strung them through the fishing line above each hanging paper piece.  I also hung separate strands of crystals between paper pieces for some extra bling!

Your window decorations will create an inviting spirit for your home!  Have fun crafting a bit of Spring into your front room.

From 1 to 18

Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the wonderful opportunity to photograph the children of some dear friends.  One of my subjects is turning the big 1 year old, the other is graduating from high school this year.  It was so fun to get out in the Spring weather and play with these two adorable people.  I wanted to share a few of my favorite shots with you.

Keeping in line with his first birthday party theme of airplanes, Owen had his photo shoot at the local Air Force Base Museum.  Despite, being just one, he did a great job and we got some really fun shots of this little guy.

This high school beauty had her photo shoot at the old Union Pacific station in downtown Ogden.  It was such a blast photographing her in this vintage setting. 

Pretty Party by Crate Paper

I just had to give a shout out to the amazing Crate Paper.  This month, my segment for Studio 5 is all about spring, and the Crate Paper Pretty Party Collection is going to be just perfect!

In fact, I just started thumbing through the pieces and they are so adorable. It's vintage and vibrant, how could I not love it?  All of the colors and designs are so sweet...in fact...they are almost too pretty to cut...ok...I said almost!  I just wanted to share a sneak peak of the line I will be using in my April 27th segment.  Be sure to tune in to Studio 5 that day for some fun Spring Window Decor inspiration!

Sweet Baby Shower Blessings

It seems like spring is a time of birth, not only for mother nature, but for us girls too!  With all those new babies on the way, there are sure to be lots of fun girlie get togethers....and that means invitations!  My dear friend asked for some help creating a unique invitation for a small shower she was throwing, and of course, I couldn't resist.

I created the base of the invitation by folding two strips of paper in half and adhering the back of one piece to the front of the other.  this creates the fan fold book.

I added several paper strips, words, and images cut from my Silhouette machine.

A ribbon tied around the entire invitation helps to keep the mini book closed.

Although this is definitely not an invite you would want to create for a guest list of 50, it is adorable for smaller gatherings with a close group of friends or family.