Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
These adorable hand-painted Santa Claus seashells are super easy to make! You don’t need any artistic talent to make them. In one weekend I was able to make 10 of them to give out as holiday gifts this year. You only need a few basic …
Snails, Owls and Birds…oh my! These 3 cuties are easy-to-make with no pattern needed. Once you make them you can use them as paper weights on a desk, colorful yard art in your garden, as party favors or little home decor pieces around the house. …
During the holiday season I like to make several loaves of homemade cranberry sweet bread. I give them to various friends, family members and to my neighbors. They always look forward to receiving them. One thing I like about this recipe is that it makes a “moist” bread, not a dry, crumbly bread. It’s perfect served as a dessert, snack or right along with your morning coffee.
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You can bake these loaves up ahead of time and freeze them for up to 3 months. I like to wrap them in several layers of plastic wrap and then insert the loaves into freezer storage bags. Make sure you purge out the air and ONLY freeze them once they have fully cooled. Don’t need full-size loaves? Pour the batter into mini loaf pans instead.
Classic Cranberry Sweet Bread Recipe
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole milk
12 oz. frozen cranberries. thawed
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. orange zest (grated orange rind)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking or baking spray.
In a large mixing bowl sift together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another large mixing bowl beat together the melted butter, large egg and milk until creamy. Beat this wet mixture into your dry mixture until well combined. Fold in the thawed cranberries and orange zest.
Pour bread batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until done. Remove and let cool. Wrap.
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This year I’m going to be adding a handmade Christmas ornament to all of the gifts that I give out. They’ll be attached to the outside of the gift bag or gift box. For my family and friends who love the beach and coastal life, …
These adorable Thanksgiving Turkeys were hand-painted onto Scallop Shells aka Seashells using Acrylic Paint Markers! The design can be painted on the inside or the outside of the shell (we’ve shown it both ways). A great arts and craft project for older kids, adults and …
These hand painted dragonfly, caterpillar and butterfly clam shells are easy-to-make! You don’t have to be a professional artist to make them. All of the designs shown in my photograph were hand drawn, no pattern or template needed. However, if you feel you need a template do a Google image search for a dragonfly and butterfly. Find one that you like, resize it, print it out and there ya go…a ready-made template.
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You’ll need 3″ to 5″ wide clam shells collected from the beach. Wash them in warm soapy water using Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Rinse with clean water, air dry overnight.
Base coat the clam seashells in your desired color. I used 2 coats of paint with 30-40 minutes of drying time between coats. Use a pencil to lightly sketch the design onto the seashell. They don’t need to look perfect!!! Imperfection is beautiful too!
I used BETEM Acrylic Paint Pen Markers to color in the designs. They contain acrylic paint and have dual-ended tips. A medium and fine tip. There’s no priming, leaks, drips or foul paint odors, plus they dry quickly! The medium tip is great for coloring in areas while the fine tip is great for outlining and writing wordage. They’re easy-to-use and affordable. I buy them from Amazon.
Always start coloring in the larger areas first. Then the smaller areas. Add the details like dots, lines, etc. on the top. Then outline the image in black using the fine tip. If you want to add wordage, use the fine tip for a nice crisp design. I also recommend using contrasting colors that POP off the background color of the seashell. Let all of the paint dry until it’s no longer tacky.
Seal the painted surface using 1-2 light coats of Clear Glossy Mod Podge Sealer. I allow 30-45 minutes of drying time between coats. This will help to protect the painted finish. Plus, you can display them inside or outside of the home. They’re great designs to be displayed in your garden and add a nice pop of color!
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For the past 7 years I’ve been sharing hundreds of easy-to-make arts and craft projects on the Two Classy Chics blog. All of the projects that we share are easy and affordable. We believe that crafting shouldn’t cost a fortune! Today, I’m sharing 8 decoupage …
These handcrafted strawberry ornaments are made out of felt. They can be used as package tie-ons, hung on the Christmas tree, or hung from a peg knob in your home. If you decorate in a country or primitive style you could make several of them …