With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to share a few freebie love note designs.
What’s not to LOVE about watercolor hearts, arrows, rainclouds raining down hearts? My illustrations were scanned and formatted into sweet little note cards with matching diy envelopes. Keep reading for the how-to and to download the files!
STEP THREE / fold up bottom, press firmly to crease
STEP FOUR / use glue dots (or other adhesive) to attach bottom flap to sides
STEP FIVE / write a love note and slip it in
STEP SIX / fold down top flap and seal with washi tape
Add a name to the front and send to your valentine!
There are four designs with matching note cards + envelopes, but feel free to mix & match!
These cards and envelopes can be found in THE ARCHIVE along with all of our best free prints, templates and fonts. If you are not an Archive member, simply add your email to the list and you’re in!
Valentine’s Day is coming! Which basically means the kiddos have parties in their classrooms and get to eat massive amounts of candy hearts and pass out valentines to their classmates.
Ryan and I don’t really do Valentine’s Day – our dating anniversary is on the 15th and that has always been a special one to us so we just skip over the holiday and celebrate the next day.
I am, actually, a big fan of the holiday. My mom always made Valentine’s day special for us with little treats and notes and so Valentine’s day has always been more of a day to just tell the people you love that you love them rather than a super romantic red-long-stem-roses-fancy-dinner-out kind of celebration. It’s sweet and special and a good chance to share the love.
This year, with a handful of businessprojects and just as many family ones, I went the no-fuss route and ordered the kids’ classroom valentines from Minted. (Correction: I ordered the three younger kids their classroom valentines from Minted. Our oldest reminded me that passing out valentines in middle school is not a thing).
I spent way to long looking around at all the cute designs, then narrowed down my favorites to let the kids choose from.
The note on the order form says that these are not big enough to mail, but I didn’t realize how perfectly tiny they are in real life! The cards and envelopes are truly mini and perfect for passing out to friends. We’ll pop a few in the mail to cousins and out of town friends and just stick them in a bigger envelope so they make it through the mail.
The last day to order to ensure Valentine delivery is Sunday February 7th (with rush shipping) so make sure you pop over to minted asap to place your order.
How about a quick giveaway? Minted is partnering with me to give away $50 shop credit to THREE lucky winners. Yay! Click below to enter.
Contest ends Thursday 2/5 at 5pm pacific. Good luck!
How festive is our stag in his new pom pom wreath?!
Last year I made a bunch of pom pom garlands to hang around the house (see an example here). This year, I thought I’d take the yarn pom pom thing a step further and make a big, fluffy, wintery wreath to hang around the neck of the stag head hanging above the fire place.
About the stag head: it was an on-a-whim purchase by Ryan when we redid our fireplace and it is such a great statement piece. I know deer heads have been all the rage, but I’m still into this one. We bought it from Restoration Hardware. Good news! It’s on sale now for over $100 off.
So back to the pom poms. I made a bunch using two full skeins of chunky yarn (be sure to use your 50% off craft store coupon as each pack is about $9). I had a few leftover poms in a different shade of white from the garland that I added in and the slight variation in creamy white is nice.
To make the pom poms, I use this large pom pom maker. You can see the exact pom-making steps on this post. For this large wreath, I used about 35 large pom poms (I probably could have used more).
(PLEASE NOTE: I bought the 12″ styrofoam wreath form at my local craft store for $5.99. The link above is some outrageous price, so don’t buy from there, but I just wanted to link you to the product so you can see exactly what it is.)
STEP ONE: wrap the wreath form in yarn
Tie a knot to hold and start wrapping, keeping the yarn taught. You can add drops of glue every once in a while to hold the yarn in place, but it is not necessary.
I’m sure you’ve seen wreaths just wrapped in yarn – they look very modern and pretty, so go ahead and stop the project at this point if you’d like :)
STEP TWO: add the pom poms
You could add your poms in a number of ways – hot glue would work or that tacky glue. I just wasn’t sure how well the pom poms would stay with glue, so I decided to stitch them on using embroidery thread and a large needle.
Thread the needle with a long piece of thread and knot the end. Run the needle through the center of the pom so it goes through the center knotted part to hold. Now stitch it to the wreath either under the wrapped yarn (but not through the styrofoam) or by wrapping the thread around the wreath and back through the pom to secure tightly.
As long as your embroidery thread matches your poms, go ahead and be messy with your stitching method.
I stitched poms to the front and outside edge because I knew it was going to be a tight fit around the stag’s neck. You could fill in as much as you prefer.
With space for about three more pom poms, I ran out of yarn (oops!). Not a big deal in my case since it was going around the stag’s neck and you can’t see the top. But if you are hanging yours, go ahead and finish the wreath.
Once it was done (ish) I pulled the stag off the wall, put the wreath around his neck and hung him back up.
What a fun way to add color and texture for very little time and less than $20.
We’re slowly adding in Christmas decorations to our house (I’m trying to go with white, white and more white) and this pom wreath is a great start.
Need an afternoon craft? Give this pom pom wreath a try!
Merry Christmas, my friends! I’m so happy to finally share this newest watercolor illustration with you!
The Christmas Essentials print has been on my ‘can’t wait to make’ list for a while. I did a winter essentials print (found here) to go along with the seasonal essential prints (here is the spring, summer and autumn designs), but the winter print is missing a few of the best parts of Christmas, so it seemed a new print was in order.
I posted my initial sketches on instagram asking for your Christmas must-haves and you all came through! So many fun, christmasy things were mentioned and I had a great time picking my favorites, sketching and watercoloring for the new print.
After I painted the illustrations, but before turning them into digital art, I had the crazy idea to screen-capture the whole process. I put this little video together so you can see how this art print came to be!
Isn’t that fun?! I am not video expert, but I’m pretty proud of myself for putting this together!
I mentioned earlier this week that a group of 11 other talented designers/small business owners have gathered together to give away something great each day for 12 days. Here we are on DAY 5 and – you guessed it! – I’m giving away this new Christmas Essentials print for free!
I have some good things in store for you this holiday season – Christmas party outfits, my gift wish list, a few simple tutorials for fancying up your house this season, and, of course, lots of freebies!
Let’s start by talking about 12 Days of Giveaways.
I’ve teamed up with a handful of talented small business owners and we’re each giving something GREAT away for 12 straight days. Day one is Leah Remillet who is giving away her Building Balance Worksheets (because don’t we all need a little help building balance!).
Stay tuned each day for the next item up for grabs (I’ll be posting on instagram each day!). For a sneak peek at what I’ll be giving away in a few days, check out this photo.
The winner of the Favorite Things Christmas giveaway has been randomly selected.
Congratulations to Laura M.! An email has been sent to you and I’ll get your box of wonderfulness out to you as soon as possible (so you can start the SRT Advent Study right away!). Thank you to all who entered.
(P.S. there were a bunch of questions about a few things included: the candle is from Target, as is the deer ornament, I have a handful of the super-soft alpaca throws I’ll put in the shop in a few days, the pom pom garland is a diy and those tags are now found in The Archive.)
Speaking of … have you checked out THE ARCHIVE lately?
I thought it would be fun to put a gift together based on what you see in the article, so I pulled together a handful of my favorite things for Christmas and I’m giving them all away!
You’ll get a copy of the magazine, as well as some things that just make me happy (and hopefully you, too!).
Let’s talk about a few items included in the giveaway:
Peace On Earth 8×10 art print. This is a new one I am releasing for our Black Friday/Cyber Monday big sale (details to come later this week on how you can save big).
Three yards each of my favorite green, black and white ribbons, and lots and lots of baker’s twine.
The most luxurious cream Alpaca wool blanketfrom Ecuador (I’ll have more available for sale soon!).
Printed watercolor gift tags with string.
Spruce scented candle which will make your house smell like Christmas.
One striped dishtowel (my last one!).
$25 Starbucks gift card.
One large pom pom garland and one small pom pom garland.
The new She Reads Truth Advent book.
Not pictured but so darling: ceramic stag head ornament.
I’m pretty sure you will love each and every item and can’t wait to send the package to one lucky winner.
You may not know this about me, but I designed custom Christmas cards for the first 10 years of my business.
By fortunate connections between my sister and a very talented local photographer in Seattle, I worked on projects for some wonderful Seattle families including a pretty famous one by the name of Gates. Each year they ordered 750 handmade cards with handwritten front and return addresses. I did this nine years in a row. Those nine years were insane.
One year, I finalized a design with The Family, gave birth the next day to our son, then worked non-stop on cards for the following 4 weeks. Needless to say, I can’t really remember much about November 2007.
This was all during the time when handmade cards were the rage. Layers of paper, ribbons, vellum, cutouts, a real photo (here’s a sample of some of my past projects). I loved the families I created for and loved the way it helped support our family, but 10 years in and with JDC moving in a different direction, it was time to say no to custom work.
But even after no longer taking custom clients, I continued to design our family’s yearly Christmas cards. It felt wrong for a stationery designer to not design her own cards!
Then one year, I just didn’t have it in me. With four little ones and a blog to keep up with and a hundred other Christmas traditions to carry on, creating our Christmas cards felt like something I needed to let go of. Rather than giving up on the tradition altogether, I decided to let someone else design our cards. That year was the first time I ordered through Minted.
Honestly, I’ll probably never go back to making Christmas cards myself :)
I’m not saying you shouldn’t if that is something you love to do. In fact, I love receiving handmade cards and so appreciate all the time and effort that goes in to putting your creative touch on your cards. Being your own designer can save you money and you get to create exactly what you want. Plus, it can be very fun.
But if you’re not as inclined to design your own (or you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with all the to-dos already stacking up this holiday season!) may I suggest taking a peek at the wonderfulness over on Minted?
I had so much fun looking through all the designs this year, trying out our photo in each one and finally made a selection (they should arrive any day!) There are so many great designs to pick from and I thought I’d share with you a few of my favorites this year:
I know, forever ago. We did our family Christmas like normal last year and then I started fresh with a new tree in a different spot and new greens and decorations created and put out the first week of January.
This is the third time BHG has come to our house to photograph (so crazy) and I love this spread most of all. They sent a photographer and stylist from Iowa all the way to the Pacific Northwest for one day of shooting. The kids were off at ski school with Ryan (until they returned for our family portrait – hence the ruddy faces and messy hairdo on Audrey!) so it was just me and the BHG team.
I always thought that a magazine brought in tons of props and actually styled a house for photos. Perhaps this is true some of the time, but in our experience, the props are minimal. In fact, for this christmas shoot, they didn’t bring a thing. It’s nerve-wracking and affirming all at once to know that magazine people think your style is good enough to publish without the major re-styling by a real stylist.
Molly, the stylist, was there to take care of all the details – moving a pillow or gift or picture just so. I would love her job. She and the photographer work together to get just the right shot (moving the couch at a slight angle, for example, which isn’t detectible in the photo, but makes it look much more open).
At one point we needed to style the center of the dining room table and she asked me to put something together because she wanted it to look like us. See? Super flattering, but also a little stressful. (We went with clear glass apothecary jars filled with sparkly ornaments).
We moved fairly quickly from room to room trying to beat the sun going down in late afternoon. I wasn’t sure what rooms would make it into the magazine and was so excited to see how many photos did make it. I’m sure my style will change over time, so its really fun to have these pictures in print to look back on and remember how things used to look. And also, my grandma is really proud to show her retirement-home friends that her granddaughter’s home is in a magazine :).
The tags make the perfect topper for gifts and, best of all, they are free!
The tags are now in THE ARCHIVE in a new Christmas section along with all of our best free prints, templates and fonts. If you are not an Archive member, simply add your email to the list and you’re in!
Our cards are sent (we chose this one from minted this year), the kids are done with school and the finishing touches are being put on our plans and menus and tables and (hopefully) hearts. How did this Christmas season fly by so quickly?!
A new favorite tradition is having our family photos taken – for our card, but also to document our family at this time in our lives. This year, we were photographed by the talented Stacy Jacobsen at a local christmas tree farm. It was super chilly out and the kids are at goofy ages where they have a hard time smiling for real, but she worked her magic and captured some beautiful images.
I’ll be enjoying lots of family time and a short break from blogging this week but will continue to post a glimpse into our holiday on instagram(jonesdesigncompany). Feel free to find us there!
Wishing you and your family a time of joyful celebration this Christmas.
Today I’m hoping on the Blogger Stylin Christmas Home Tours hosted by Lindsay at White Buffalo Styling Co. Normally, I would show my own home (like I did last year and the year before that) but we just found out that Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Ideas Magazine will be coming in January to shoot photos for next year’s publication (so fun!) and so I can’t share our christmas house with you on the blog this year. Truthfully, this arrangement works in my favor because I’m dragging my feet getting our house decorated. I’m hoping all of these amazing homes on tour will stir up some inspiration.
Instead of showing our home, I asked my friend Erica if I could come take pictures of her cute new house. We met Erica and her husband Scott at college, they were in our wedding and even though we don’t get together often (they live about 45 minutes away), its one of those friendships where we just pick up where we left off. Their family just moved to this darling house on an island with the Puget Sound for a front yard. Even on the cloudiest days, it is still so beautiful to look outside and see the water and she’s found that she doesn’t need a lot of decorations with a view of nature out every window. Her house looks simple and classic all dressed for Christmas and I’m excited to show you!
Isn’t it great?! I love how bright and open the space feels, but still cozy and christmasy.
/ SOURCES/
wall color: Sherwin Williams Sensible Hue couch: ikea ektorp living room rug: ikea red plaid pillows: ikea chairs: world market curtains: made by Erica, ikat fabric from fabric.com silent night pillows: etsy kitchen table/chairs/bench: world market Noel marquee letters: made by Erica
Continue on with the blog tour with Laura at Finding Home and to start at the very beginning head over to Lindsay at White Buffalo Styling Co. I hope seeing other homes brings you inspiration for your own spaces and the permission to make your home reflect your style!
I happen to fall in the love it category. Like, really, really love it. Served cold, as punch, in french toast – I’ll take it any way because eggnog tastes like Christmas.
And my favorite way to drink eggnog is as a homemade latte.
It’s easy as can be and tastes delicious. I actually don’t drink coffee in the morning, but most days I enjoy an afternoon decaf latte. Here’s what you need to make them at home:
Really, it’s quite easy. Just brew a cup of espresso, and add half eggnog, half milk to the frother and push the start button.
When the coffee is brewed and milk hot, pour the eggnog over the espresso, then grate a little bit (or a lot) of nutmeg on top.
Mmmmm.
I heard that some starbucks around the country are not serving eggnog lattes this holiday season (what?!!). But don’t worry … now you can make you own at home. Enjoy!
I made this blanket at the beginning of September, took photos of the process to share with you, posted the finished cutie on instagram and promised I’d show you how I did it. Then I uploaded the photos from my camera and they were terrible. Blurry and dark and not what I wanted to share. So I waited and waiting until I had a chance to make a new blanket and take new (and better!) photos of the steps and so here you go. The long-ago-promised Pom Pom Blanket tutorial.
The best part about this one is that you don’t have to have any crafty skills to do it. Just find a blanket you love, some coordinating yarn, a pom pom maker and you’re set.
yarn – I took the blanket in with me to the craft store and found the yarn that matched best. The teal was harder to match than the gray, but I ended up finding this nice Martha Stewart yarn and it was on sale (yay!). You’ll need lots of pom poms which means lots of yarn. I used almost two whole rolls (spools? skeins? I’m not sure what you call them) for one blanket.
pom pom maker – there are many methods for making pom poms, but this little tool makes it super easy and keeps them uniform in size and shape.
scissors, needle, thread
STEP ONE / make pom poms (about 30-40 for one blanket)
Start by wrapping yarn round and round on one end of the pom maker. When full, move over to the second side and wrap. Close and trim the end of the yarn.
Now cut down the center of the pom pom maker (make sure you keep both ends closed)
Cut a small piece of yarn and wrap tightly (as tight as you can) around the center to hold pom pom together. Pull both sides of the pom maker apart and fluff the pom pom.
Trim any uneven ends.
Keep going until you have a pretty stack of yarn pom poms (about 30-40 per blanket).
STEP TWO / attach pom poms to edge of blanket
Start by spacing the pom poms out evenly and deciding how close you want them to be. Then, using a needle and coordinating thread, stitch through the center of the pom and sew onto hem of the blanket. Be generous with your stitches to make sure the pom pom is secure. Continue for the rest of the blanket and then on the second end.
For about $25 and a few hours of pom pom making, you end up with this cozy, funky, super cute throw blanket.
Which might make the perfect little surprise for someone on your list this Christmas.
This tutorial is included in my brand new Handmade Holiday Gift Guide (have you grabbed your copy yet?!) along with nine other simple projects you can make and give.
You’ll get the full projects with printable tags/patterns/templates, helpful tips and inspiration.
There is something just a little extra special about receiving a gift that’s been handmade. The thought, the time, the unique end-product … all of these things make a difference.
It’s not always easy to come up with unique – yet do-able – homemade gift ideas. Just glance at pinterest and you’re sure to be overwhelmed with options! And then once you decide, there is nothing worse than attempting to do a project you find online and ending up with a big craft fail (believe me, I’ve been there).
If you’re going the handmade route this year and need a few tried and tested ideas, I have narrowed it down to 10 simple gifts (I promise you can do these!) to make and give this holiday season. Each one, with step-by-step photos and complete supply lists, are included in the brand new 51-page Handmade Holiday Gift Guide.
In it you’ll find super cute projects like these foot/hand/neck warmers:
These darling modern wood blocks (for baby, of course, or toss them in a pretty bowl for an unexpected coffee table accessory):
For book lovers, try making a few tassel bookmarks to tuck into a new novel:
or for the techie, sew up a padded ipad cover (the little x stitch on the closure is my favorite):
What teacher wouldn’t love some precious jewel magnets to use on their whiteboards (hint: they are not actually precious):
and a cozy pom pom blanket is a great choice for your mom or sister or teenage daughter who is impossible to shop for:
(I made my first pom blanket with a solid gray throw from IKEA, added the pom poms and it looks so chic! See it in action here)
Get all 10 projects with full steps, supply lists, sources, helpful tips and printable templates in one downloadable 51-page pdf. Your friends and family with love you for it!
May your weekend be filled with inspiration and creating!
This year, our thankful tree sits on the bar cart in the dining room. I thought it would be fun to have some sort of interesting art to hang nearby and decided to try a technique I’ve seen and loved all over the web. Here are a few of my favorite string art examples (1 / 2 / 3). My version is subtle and the white string and linen backing look pretty next to the vintage gold frame.
For the past three years our family has done a thankful tree and it has become my kids’ favorite tradition for this time of year.
Our entry table was the spot for our tree last year, and this year it sits on the bar cart in our dining room (photos coming tomorrow!)
A full explanation is on this original thankful tree post, but the idea is simply to grab a few branches, pop them in a pretty urn and put out tags to write on and then hang from the tree. As the boys went out the door to school this morning, each stopped to think of something they are thankful for and put it on a tag. It was so sweet to watch them do it on their own and take a few seconds to reflect before they went on with their day. You can dedicate a time each day to do this as a family, or just let them go at it – which is probably our approach this year – every time they pass the tree, they are welcome to use another tag.
There are thankful tags from that first thankful tree post which you are welcome to use, or choose your favorite from these designs.
Just dowload the pdf, print on your favorite paper (see my favorite sources here) and cut around the edges. Punch a hole in the top if you’ll be hanging from branches, or just use as little cards to keep in a pretty bowl, or on your thanksgiving table or as lunchbox notes.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to share a few freebie love note designs.
