Crafts Archives - Simply Kierste

{design your own business cards} an easy tutorial

May
15

Want to see my new business cards? I {LOVE} how they turned out, and they were so easy to make. I used PicMonkey--one of my favorite places to edit pictures and fancy them up a little for posts. If you don't have access to Photoshop or something similar, and want an easy option to make your own cards, you'll definitely want to try this. {1} Go to www.picmonkey.com, and select "edit a photo. You'll need to upload a high resolution white paper, and I've shared one HERE. {2} Re-size to a business card size, 1062 x 615 pixels. {3} Click the "overlays" icon (the group of three--with the heart) on the far left hand side of your page. It will open … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Crafts, Organization | 3 Comments

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{chipboard key chain}

May
09

Y'all know how much I love personalizing anything and everything, and what could be better than a darling key chain? (I sound so Texan with that "y'all", don't I? ☺ ) As soon as I saw the new chipboard by Silhouette, I knew it would be the perfect way to make one! Seriously people, isn't that SO cute??!!! I just want to carry around my keys all day! The front has darling scrapbook paper embellished with my stamped initial, and the back features a picture of my kids, which I LOVE. (It's missing baby Caroline...time for an update!!!) These are super easy to make, and make the best gifts. Think Mother's Day, Father's Day (not as cute-sy, of course), birthdays, teachers, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Birthdays, Crafts, Father's Day, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Silhouette | 2 Comments

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{keep calm and teach on…teacher bookmarks}

May
06

It's the season for teacher appreciation and end-of-year teacher gifts! At our school they do teacher appreciation for a full week, and I wanted to send in something small everyday, with something bigger on Friday. I was trying to think of cute ideas that were also inexpensive, and I came up with these fun bookmarks...Keep Calm and Teach On! These are super easy to make, and perfect for any teacher! {supplies} -printable (see below) -white cardstock -ribbon -distress ink -hole punch -paper trimmer {directions} 1. Download printable, and print onto white cardstock. 2. Use paper trimmer to cut them to size (2x6). I use the polka dots at the bottom as a guide for the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Printables, Teachers | 4 Comments

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{footprint rug}

May
02

I am in love with capturing my children's footprints and hand prints. Seriously {LOVE}. For Mother's Day this year, I made my mom a footprint rug for her kitchen, and it is ADORABLE. That tiny little footprint, next to all of her siblings? Darling. I can't stand it, it's so cute. ☺ It's perfect. And...it's super easy! I was SO excited when I came across this rug in the kitchen aisle at Target (only $8) last week, because I knew was going to save me a lot of time not adding the border myself. It was exactly what I was looking for! The border frames the footprints perfectly, and the red makes the white lettering pop! {supplies} -kitchen rug (a plain color) -fabric … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Crafts, DIY Decor, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Silhouette, Teachers | 11 Comments

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{striped straw birthday candles}

Apr
30

It was my girls' birthday this weekend, and we had such a blast celebrating! They wanted a pink cake, which was a pretty easy request considering what they've asked for in past years. I made a simple pink cake, and when it was time for the birthday candles, it just seemed like it needed something more. I was getting out some striped straws for our hot chocolate, when I had an idea... The hole in the straw looked to be just a tad bigger than the plain birthday candles I had (just the regular white striped ones), and I decided to see if they would fit inside, and they did! It was a tight fit, but I was able to slide them in just far enough that they were secure. SO CUTE!!! It made … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Birthdays, Crafts, Entertaining, For the Home, Gift Ideas, Home & Family | 1 Comment

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{paper sack mother’s day card} a child’s Q&A

Apr
23

paper sack mother's day cards | simplykierste.com

At my church, I get to work with the Primary children (kids aged 3-11), and I LOVE it. Mother's Day is just a few short weeks away, and this week I designed a super fun card that I think all their moms are going to love! I wanted to make a card where they could each express some favorite things about their mom. I was talking to one of my best friends this week, and she reminded me of an idea that I have actually loved for a long time...in fact, my oldest son wrote a card like it for me when he was in preschool, and it's one of my most treasured possessions. Asking a child questions about their mom--some funny, others serious--and putting it all together in a cute package was just what I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Birthdays, Crafts, Father's Day, Gift Ideas, Home & Family, Kids' Crafts, Mother's Day, Packaging, Printables, Teachers, Thinking of You | 57 Comments

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{chalkboard & fence post family home evening board}

Apr
17

Family Home Evening Board | simplykierste.com

Every Monday night is a special one at our house...it's Family Night, or Family Home Evening as we like to call it. We put everything on hold, and don't put anything else on the schedule. Everyone stays home, and we enjoy some really fun and quality time together as a family. We do have a structure, not only to stay organized, but to also give each member of the family an opportunity to contribute. We sing songs, have a simple gospel lesson from the scriptures, pray, eat treats, play games, have a talent show (you should see some of the crazy talents my kids have, lol!), and do some kind of activity--whether it's playing games, going on a walk, bike ride, or to the park, bowling, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Crafts, For the Home, Home & Family, Organization, Re-purpose & Refinish, Silhouette | 7 Comments

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{baby announcement hershey kiss stickers} easy tutorial included!

Mar
06

Baby Announcement Hershey Kiss Printables | simplykierste.com

I really wanted something fun to give visitors at the hospital and at home when I had the baby--something small & simple, and with her name on it. We've all seen Hershey Kiss stickers for every season & holiday, and I've always loved them, so I thought designing one as a tiny baby announcement would be PERFECT! The idea came to me when I was in Michael's, and saw bags of Hershey kisses that said "It's a Girl" and "It's a Boy". I immediately fell in love with them, and knew adding her name to the bottom was exactly what I was looking for. If you can't find them at your local Michael's store, just google them--lots of links come up where you can buy them online...or use regular … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies, Babies & Children, Crafts, Gift Ideas, Home & Family, Printables | 8 Comments

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{spring cleaning!} printable checklist & tips

Mar
05

Spring Cleaning List & Printable | simply kierste.com

The words "spring cleaning" might strike fear deep into your heart, but I'm here to tell you that it is totally doable, and that you will love the difference it makes in your home. As soon as March hits, I start thinking about spring cleaning. I like to take a couple of months (March & April) to get it all done, rather than all it once--otherwise it just seems to overwhelming, or I kill myself (and my family, lol) in a week to finish. I've learned a lot about what works for me, and I'm going to share my tips with you. {THE PLAN} 1. Make a list! This probably comes as no surprise, since I love lists so much, but it's the number one thing you can do to get your spring cleaning … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cleaning, For the Home, Organization, Printables | 3 Comments

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