Name: Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 32
Ingredients: Two Sticks Softened Butter; 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract; 1/4 Cup Cornstarch; 1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour; FOR THE GLAZE; 2 Cups Powdered Sugar; 4 Tablespoons Milk; 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Celebrations/Vacations Christmas holidays

Christmas Doodles (Easy Doodles for Your Journal or Planner)

October 27, 2020

Learn how to make easy Christmas doodles and drawings in this post! You don’t have to be an artist to make realistic and cute doodles.

Guys, there are just so many things to love about doodling.

It’s a great way to relax, and it’s truly something that anyone can do!

First, though, let’s define “doodles” so we know what we’re talking about.

What is a Doodle?

Doodles are “simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines.”

So, basically, any simple drawing can be considered a doodle. And because it’s simple, no artistic skills are required. Promise!

Why Doodle?

Doodling has so many purposes!

For one, doodling is great stress relief and self care. It can be considered a form of meditation.

When you focus on creating a doodle, you’re not focusing on everything else in your life. It’s a great escape, and one that can be done anywhere and with very few supplies.

Christmas Doodles

Let’s get into how to create some easy Christmas doodles.

These are perfect for your bullet journal, planner, notecards, gift tags, gift wrap and more!

You can use your doodles to create phone and computer backdrops, use them to decorate place cards and holiday menus, and add them to notes to (and from) Santa and your elf on the shelf! There are so many possibilities!

You can even sell your doodles on notecards, art prints, holiday cards, mugs and more on places such as Etsy or Society6. You don’t even need a scanner as long as you have a good smartphone and maybe some photo editing software!

Let’s get started…

Snowflake Doodle

Crazy Laura shares these easy and doable step by step snowflake doodles!

Check out her post for other festive doodle ideas!

Snowman Doodle

Diary of a Journal Planner shares so many Christmas doodles, including an easy snowman doodle.

Holly Doodle

Marie Browning shares her easy holly doodles and even shows you how to turn them into a holly wreath!

Other Christmas Doodles

Sweet Planit shares a bunch of adorable Christmas doodles, including a darling snow globe and Christmas tree!

Christmas Doodle Art Books

Sometimes, I find that buying a book is the easiest way to learn to doodle.

It can be nice to have a full set of themed-doodles all in one place!

This is my favorite Christmas-themed doodling book…

How to Draw a Reindeer Doodle Book

Pens for Doodling

Fortunately, the supplies for doodling are minimal!

You need paper (though I like a sketchbook to keep my doodles together and to be able to see my progress)!

And you need some pens (my favorites are below).

You could also use markers, twistables or colored pencils to add color to your doodles!

I love Tombow’s Mono Drawing Pens for doodling!

I also like these colored pens, which are currently on sale and have some great reviews.

Fall Doodles

Not ready for Christmas quite yet?

I can relate!

Here are some easy fall doodles from Medium that you may want to check out while you’re preparing for Halloween and Thanksgiving 🙂

I’d love to know: do you doodle? What kind of doodles do you most like to create?

Thanks so much for reading all about Christmas Doodles (Easy Doodles for Your Journal or Planner).

Have a great day!

food and recipes holidays Valentine's Day

Edible Tic Tac Toe Craft Idea

January 6, 2020

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, this edible tic tac toe game is the perfect activity! Try it today!

I’m always on the lookout for fun and easy ways to celebrate the holidays.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I thought this fun and edible tic tac toe game would be perfect for my kids.

In the recipe card below, I share how to cover your Oreos in white chocolate, but if you can find these fudge-covered Oreos (they’re normally sold around the holidays), you’re halfway there!

I found my X and O gummies from Trader Joes! If you have the fudge-covered Oreos, simply use some melted candy melts to attach the gummies to the cookies.

To make your playing board, use washi tape on cardboard or scrapbook paper. Easy peasy!

Covered Oreos for Tic Tac Toe

An easy and colorful recipe idea! You just need a few ingredients for these delicious and fun dipped Oreos!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Sandwich Cookies
White Candy Melts
X and O Gummies (found at Trader Joes)

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Melt candy melts according to package instructions. I often add a tablespoon or so of coconut or canola oil to help thin the melted candy.

Dip your cookies, place on parchment, and add your gummies.

Refrigerate until firm.

Notes

Store in refrigerator for 3-5 days

Thanks for reading all about our Edible Tic Tac Toe Craft Idea. Have a crafty day!

Christmas crafty things holidays

How to Make Easy Glitter Christmas Trees

December 8, 2019

Love the look of those glitter Christmas trees from Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel? Learn how to make your own here!

Easy holiday decorating ideas are our favorite here at all crafty things.

We know that crafts don’t have to be fancy, or expensive! In that vein, we wanted to create some glitter Christmas trees like we’ve seen in Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel, but for a fraction of the price.

Now I’m not usually one to decorate for the holidays beyond a Christmas tree and a wreath on our front door, but this year I decided to add one more craft to the list.

Here’s what you need:

-foam trees (you can find these on amazon)

-glitter

glue or Mod Podge

The idea was to cover foam cone forms (from the floral department of our local craft store) with silver and gold glitter .

This was my way of recreating those high-end sparkly tabletop Christmas trees that you see in places like Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel.

First I set my foam cones on cardboard outside and liberally sprayed them with spray adhesive.

Then I simply poured the glitter overtop until it covered the surface. One thing I wish I had done during this process was wear gloves…I ended up with glitter covered, sticky fingers all day long because I skipped that step. Don’t make the same mistake!!

Once they were dry, I went back and sprayed the entire surface with a clear top coat (found in the spray paint section of any hardware store) to make sure everything was nice and stuck.

After giving both cones a day to dry completely, I set them on our entry table and could immediately tell that they were just what I had envisioned to greet our guests throughout the holidays.

What’s your favorite way to sparkle this time of year?

Thanks so much for reading all about our How to Make Easy Glitter Christmas Trees. Have a crafty day!

Christmas holidays

Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas

December 2, 2019

Sharing some favorite, outside-the-box ideas to traditional christmas trees!

Maybe you love to put a unique spin on traditional holiday decor, or maybe you just dislike the idea of lugging home a tree, lugging it back out after the holidays, and still finding needles in your home months after Christmas.

Whatever the reason, I have 10 christmas tree alternatives that may make even the most enthusiastic tree trimmer rethink their holiday decor!

From free people, this alternative tree idea uses items from nature, as well as postcards and other interesting pieces of paper.

Homey Oh My had this adorable idea to create a tree from washi tape. Use small ornaments, more washi tape, or other tiny items to decorate.

Handmade Charlotte never disappoints, and this beaded Christmas tree is no exception! She shares a full tutorial on her blog.

These ice cream cone Christmas trees are a fun family craft…place them in the center of your dining table to double as a creative centerpiece!

burlap+blue shares these washi tape Christmas trees...make them in any size you want and display around your home for easy decor!

This photo display tree from Emily Henderson is a modern and unique Christmas tree alternative!

A PVC pipe Christmas tree is a darling alternative to a traditional tree…this one is super cute and from Martha Stewart.

Did you find an alternative Christmas tree on this list you love?

So many creative and fun ideas!

Thanks so much for reading all about our Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas. Have a great day!

Christmas food and recipes holidays

Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Icing

November 29, 2019

Christmas shortbread cookies with icing are crisp, buttery and not overly sweet! Add these to your holiday baking rotation today.

If I had to choose my favorite type of cookie, it would have to be shortbread. And not just any shortbread, but these shortbread cookies.

If you love a cookie that’s slightly sweet, buttery, and super light, these are for you.

I added a vanilla glaze and sprinkles to my shortbread cookies, but these are just as good with nothing on them.

You can even change up the sprinkles to match the occasion, or add coloring to the glaze.

Here are a few tips and tricks when making these shortbread cookies with icing:

Mine were done after 13 minutes. Keep a close eye on them. Burnt cookies are no fun.
I add my sprinkles to the cookies over a bowl. This helps catch the excess and keeps the sprinkles from rolling all over the kitchen.
If you want to quickly cool your cut out cookies, instead of placing in the refrigerator, place in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Glaze is super forgiving. If it’s too thick, simply add more milk. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
For the glaze, you can substitute peppermint or almond extract for the vanilla for a slightly different flavor.

Yield: 32