Holiday Bucket List - Homemade Marshmallows

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We did, but just like every other weekend, it was jam packed! Jam packed full of holiday fun! Friday I found myself baking holiday treats to give to neighbors and friends AND I made my first patch of marshmallows. It was so easy and I'm addicted! And, just like anything else made from scratch, they taste better than store bought.

I used a recipe I found on Pinterest, there are tons if you want to know, and the ingredient list is very minimal. However, one minor detail that wasn't added in the directions. Use a whisk when mixing your ingredients in your stand up mixer!! I tried the paddle and absolutely nothing happened. I found a different recipe online and immediately noticed the whisk! HUGE difference in it all coming together.

This is definitely a gorgeous site! And hard to resist while waiting for them to set!

Now for the messy, and I mean messy part! Turning out the marshmallows. Make sure you use lots of powered sugar on your surface. These guys are sticky! Once you have them out of the pan, cut them into squares. Any size will do. And there are several methods suggested for cutting. I used a small serrated knife, but they also suggested a pizza cutter. Wet your knife periodically to make the cutting easier and the marshmallows less likely to stick. 

Now for the decorating! You can leave the marshmallows as is or you can add a little holiday tszuj. I went with sanding sugar in red and green. It's best to use the marshmallows from the center as you will have all four sides to decorate. The edges won't have any stick. You could also melt some chocolate and dip half of the marshmallow in chocolate and let set. Seriously, the options are endless, and if we hadn't been leaving for dinner, I would have decorated each and every marshmallow in something!

How cute are these? Placed in a darling mug of hot chocolate, your family is going to feel so special! And your favorite hot drink was just elevated to the next level!

And why stop at sanding sugar? Let's add crushed up peppermint! And remember when I mentioned dipping half in melted chocolate? Why not dip that melted chocolate in crushed up candy canes! Oh my very goodness! Imagine what your hot chocolate will taste like after the chocolate and peppermint have melted! Heaven!

I now want to make marshmallows in different flavors. Coffee, caramel, chocolate! I may never buy store bought marshmallows again!

XO,

Andrea

Mama DIY: Jingle Bell Wreath

One of my favorite things to make, and gifts to give, is the old fashioned jingle bell wreath. I started making them a few years ago and then McKinley got in on the action and began helping me. And, he's been giving them as teacher gifts every year since Preschool. They are a great teacher gift, actually. Nothing like giving a handmade/homemade gift. 

This year wasn't any different. We made a jingle bell wreath for McKinley's first grade teacher, but we also plan to make on for our neighbor who so sweetly gifts McKinley things throughout the year. I love gifting to our neighbors. And these wreathes are so easy to make. Follow along below.

You'll need:

Jingle bells of different sizes, stem wire (I used 16 gauge), crafting pliers, and ribbon.

Using your pliers, start with the stem wire and make a small loop at the bottom of the wire.

When you start stringing the jingle bells, start with a small one at the end. It's helps cover the loop when finishing off the wreath.

Then start stringing the bells. Go with any pattern of colors you like. I am loving these more metallic bells and the blush colors! A little modern take on the jingle bell wreath.

Your strand will start looking like this. Add a smaller jingle bell along the way. I added two after three larger ones to help balance out the look.

When you come to the end of the wire, leave yourself enough room to string the end through the loop you made at the beginning. You probably don't need this much, but you can snip off the extra like I did, after you make the loop.

Once you string the wire through, use your pliers to make a loop to close the wreath. Snip off the extra and continue to try and hide the wire behind the jingle bells.

Once you've finished off the loops, shape your wire to create the roundness you desire! It's going to need a little finesse to get to the circle you want!

Now it's time to add the bow. I add the bow to the bottom of the wreath where the loop is. Yet another chance to hide the entrance! And if you can get your mom to make it even better! Gives me an excuse to take pictures of the bow making process and have someone make a better bow than myself! My mom is an expert bow maker!

In the past, we've made the bow and then strung floral wire through the back of the bow and attached it to the loop of the jingle bell, but it doesn't lay as well. Making the bow around the bells helps it hold its shape.

And here is the final product! Isn't it so pretty? I love hanging them from doorknobs, but they also look cute on smaller trees as a large ornament! We've done that in the past when displaying multiple wreaths in our booth. 

What do you think of this Holiday DIY? Is it something you will try and make and then give as a sweet gift? What are some of your favorite things to make and give as gifts? I would love for you to share.

XO,

Andrea