DIY FESTIVE FRINGE TREES

Friday, December 23, 2016

Well, we're literally just days away from Christmas at this point, and if you haven't done any decorating yet, 1. What's wrong with you?! 2. Don't you have any holiday cheer?!, 3. It's time to change that. This stupid easy (and dare we say glamorous) DIY will have your halls decked in no time at all!



M A T E R I A L S

+ Party hats
+ Pom poms
+ Fringe tape



S T E P   O N E

Begin by wrapping the fringe tape layer by layer on the party hats starting from the bottom of the hat. If it creases a bit, perfectionists, don't worry, the next layer will cover it up!

S T E P   T W O

Continue sticking on layers of fringe tape until you get to the top of the hat. Cutting the fringe tape once you get to the high part of the hat makes it easier to place!

S T E P   T H R E E

Finish off the tree by adding a sparkly pom pom!


Want to double these as New Year's Eve hats? Keep the elastic string on the hat to wear! If you're still in need of last minute Christmas decorations check out the rest of our DIYs from the month of December.

#twoforone #getfestive

Last Minute Gift Guide

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Christmas is this weekend and yes, we're still gathering up presents (don't judge us, we know you're doing the same thing). For whatever reason, Christmas seemed to sneak up on us this year even more than usual. We love to be personable with our giving, so we've put together a little gift guide if you're looking for last minute gifts. Be sure to stop by your local shops to support the small businesses in your town! Plus, you'll find unique things you won't find at a big retailer! We present you with...



RAYS'S PICKS


A'S PICKS


There you have it people– our top picks (we might be hoping to see some of these things in our own stockings, and we'll never object to a gift). Happy shopping!

Have a favorite last-minute gift? We'd love to hear about it! Share it below, and make sure you're tagging us with #rayandablog on instagram!

#giftitwell

DIY CERAMIC DOODLE ORNAMENTS

Wednesday, December 14, 2016


I don't know about you, but we've been making homemade ornaments since we were in grade school, and let's face it– they weren't all Instagram worthy to put it lightly. Now that we're older and can hold a marker the correct way, it's time to revisit the handmade ornament. 



All you'll need for this one is some paint pens and baker's twine. Doodle a festive word, some classic snowflakes, or maybe even a sassy holiday phrase. The possibilities are endless, and these ornaments are super cheap so you don't have to limit your imagination!


And it wouldn't be a DIY without Butternut, who turns out to be quite the natural model. Not currently taking any gigs, but one day he'll make it big. Until then, happy holidays, and happy crafting!

We'd love to see your creations– share them on Instagram and tag us @rayandablog

#doodlealltheway

DIY WINTER CAT ORNAMENT

Thursday, December 8, 2016

It's week two of our Christmas DIY, which means we're almost halfway through December! If you didn't already know we are as crazy as crazy cat ladies get, minus the home full of cats. To show our appreciation to our felines we made a Christmas ornament purrfect for any cat lover.


M A T E R I A L S

+ Open front plastic ornament
+ Cotton balls
+ Glue
+ Mini cat figurine
+ Spray paint
+ Mini bottle brush trees
+ Glitter
+ Twine or ribbon




























S T E P   O N E

Get your cat figurine and spray paint the color of your choice, we chose gold! Apply a couple coats and let dry in between. Choose a bright, poppy color for a retro or modern Christmas feel, or a metallic for a more classic holiday look.

S T E P   T W O

Pull apart a couple cotton balls for the fluffy snow and lay them inside the ornament to make sure it fits nicely. Apply glue inside the ornament at the bottom and press down the cotton on top, let dry.

S T E P   T H R E E

While the cat is drying, glue the mini bottle brush trees inside the ornament on top of the cotton. You might even want to pull apart the cotton to make an opening so they're secured to the bottom of the ornament.

S T E P   F O U R

Glue the cat on top of the snow. Depending on how heavy the figurine is you will want to dig it deeper into the cotton so it doesn't fall over, or create a small opening like you did for the mini trees to secure to the bottom of the ornament.

S T E P   F I V E

Sprinkle some festive glitter onto the cotton for a super fun, sparkly holiday touch. Don't forget to tie your favorite twine or ribbon to the top of the ornament!



We couldn't have done this DIY without the help of Rachel's cat, Butternut, who kept us on our toes while he proceeded to play with literally everything on the table– such a curious lil guy! Follow us on Instagram @rayandablog for more updates and fun!

#meowychristmas

DIY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

Sunday, December 4, 2016

To start off the month of December we made this little Christmas countdown for your home! All the supplies can be found at your local craft store and you may already have most of them in your craft drawers. We stood gushing over this adorable little wooden house smack in the middle of AC Moore, we were that excited. You can even customize the little house any way you want! We decided to keep the house in its nat-ur-al wooden state.






































M A T E R I A L S

+ Wood house
+ Two wood blocks
+ Spray paint
+ Paint pen
+ Baker's twine 
+ Scrapbook paper
+ Scissors



























S T E P   O N E

Spray paint the blocks and let dry in between coats. Apply two or three coats. Let fully dry.

S T E P   T W O

Start by cutting out triangles from scrapbook paper and space it out to say "Days til Christmas." Write a letter on each triangle and glue onto the baker's twine. Let dry. And let it be know– mini is better!

S T E P   T H R E E

Glue the mini garlands onto the wooden house. (See? It's adorable.)

S T E P   F O U R

After the blocks are fully dry, using the paint pen write on the numbers "0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5" on the sides of one block and "0, 1, 2, 6, 7, 8" onto the sides of the second block.



Set the blocks into the wooden house and you have yourself a Christmas countdown to display! We would love to see how you customize your own countdown. Tag us on Instagram @rayandablog

Keep an eye out for more Christmas crafts coming your way every week! We're getting realllll crafty this month, get ready...

#christmascountdown