5 Ways to Add Holiday Fun to Your Photos

The holidays are officially here! I know they’ve technically been here since just after Halloween (so weird-hah!) but now it’s after thanksgiving so it’s socially acceptable. Everyone’s starting to post all their fun holiday photos, so I’ve got some tips to add a little bit of holiday fun to your IG updates! It’s actually really easy to spruce up your photos and a bit of Christmas cheer. I’ve got 5 easy ways to add a little holiday fun to your photos!

*this post contains affiliate links 

Add Props

This is an easy one! Grab everything and anything Christmas-y to add to your photos. It can be ornaments, a wreath, or a garland. Also, go big and bold with a Christmas tree, holiday backdrop, or even amazing lights! Don’t forget perfectly wrapped gifts- they make amazing props and don’t cost any extra money! And if they’re not perfectly wrapped? Well that’s ok too. It’s the season to be efficient! I’ve got a post with all my holiday photo essentials- you can find that here!

Wear Red

Nothing says Christmas quite like the color red. Put on a red sweater, lipstick, earrings or pants. Bonus points for mixing and matching shades of red and pink, or even adding a pop of green too!

Accessorize

It’s not all about the decor! You can add some holiday decorations of your own, like a santa hat, reindeer antlers, or pair of holiday earrings. This is also a perfect opportunity to wear an ugly sweater! Don’t be afraid to DIY something- it’s about having fun and getting into the holiday spirit! If you’re more traditional, go with tartan, plaid or snowflakes on a scarf. You can wear it all winter long!

Sweets

Christmas is all about the treats! From cookies, candy canes, hot cocoa to gum drops and sugar plums, there’s plenty of delectable goodies you can add into your photo shoot to show off the sugar of the season. Whether it’s a whole tray of cookies, a single lollipop, or a mug of hot cocoa near an ice rink, you’re all set for your photo op!

Winter Warmers

If you’re in the colder climates, these are essentials for outdoor pics! Don we now our gay apparel- our favorite coats, scarves, mittens, vests and more! Bundle up on layers and add some earmuffs or cute gloves. Bonus points if there’s a snowy backdrop for your pics too! 

I’d love to see the holiday themed photos you take! Use the hashtag #sleighyourholiday when you post your pics so I can find them and leave a comment! Also, if you’re looking to improve your holiday photos, I’ve got a free webinar that will teach you my J.I.N.G.L.E. method for taking great pictures! Learn more here. 

DIY Santa's Coal Soap

Know someone that’s been a little bit naughty, but still very nice? Give them Santa’s extra special secret stash of coal- a skin soothing coal soap! I love a fun gift idea that’s easy, and this ticks both boxes. It’s a great stocking stuffer or secret Santa gift too! It’s almost too easy to count as a DIY project, so it’s perfect for anyone to make.

You will need:

Pouch (here)
Iron-on paper (here)
Iron (similar here)
Coal soap (here)
Ribbon
White tissue paper or fabric (here)
Printer (I have this one and love it!)
Free Printable

The printable is available in my resource library, which you can get totally FREE access to, just by signing up. What exactly do you get? Access to all my printables, including party planning guides, checklists, and my projects. By signing up, you'll have access to all projects- past, present and future! 

Directions:

1. Print out your free printable & cut it out on the inside of the pink guidelines. Place against your pouch and cut off any excess from the bottom, sides, or corners.

2. Pre-Iron your pouch to remove any wrinkles. Once it’s cooled, place your iron-on decal face down and iron the design onto your pouch. You’ll probably need to go over it a few times to make sure it really sticks.

3. While it cools, wrap your soap with tissue paper or white fabric

4. Place your soap in the pouch, tuck the drawstring to the center and tie a knot. Trim your excess string.

5. Take your ribbon and tie in a bow.

6. Add a gift tag (try this one, this one or this one!)

I love all of these fun designs and how they look so festive with a pink or green ribbon! I want to make these for all my friends as a fun little Christmas pick-me-up. Throw on a mini wine bottle in a cute fabric bag or a pair of jingle tassel earrings and you’re all set!

The printable is available in my resource library, which you can get totally FREE access to, just by signing up. What exactly do you get? Access to all my printables, including party planning guides, checklists, and my projects. By signing up, you'll have access to all projects- past, present and future! 

The Ultimate Amazon Prime Gift Guide

It seems like everyone’s had their Christmas shopping done for months now, but I’ve always been a last minute shopper! Those people rushing through the stores 2 days before Christmas, when they’re the most crowded? Yep, that was me! Since starting my own business and becoming a mom, I don’t have the time (or patience!) to try to find parking in a crowded mall and battle the other shoppers for the best deal. Not when I can have everything delivered to my door via Amazon Prime! 

I’ve got your ultimate, last minute amazon prime gift guide. From your travel-loving sister to your elegant MIL all the way to your pup, I’ve got gifts that are as adorable as they are affordable. And the best part is that they’re all available through Amazon Prime! So, grab a tea and get comfy. You’re about to finish your Christmas shopping early this year. 

*This post contains affiliate links.

Gifts for Pet Lovers

1. Dog Lovers T-shirt

2. Dalmation Rain Boots

3. Cat Bottle Opener

4. Daschund Slippers

5. Cat Necklace (so sweet!)

6. Dog Bone Canister (I want this SO BAD)

Gifts for Pets

7. Laser toy for cats (my cats would go nuts for this!)

8. Pineapple Chew Toy

9. Cat Bed

10. Gorilla Dog Chew Toy

11. Dog Treats

12. Pet Camera and Treat Thrower (Perfect for keeping an eye while you’re away!)

13. Fluffy Pet Bed

14. Toy Basket (My dog loves going in and finding her toys!)

Gifts for on the go

1. Carry On Cocktails Kit (Because traveling is rough for everyone)

2. AirBNB Gift Card

3. 3-in-1 Scratch off Map

4. Travel Mug

5. Foldable Travel Hangers (perfect for the overpacker- like me!)

6. Laptop Bag

7. Bag Tag with Tracker

8. Chapstick Holder Keychain (keep that Chapstick handy in the winter months!)

9. Poppin Retractable Pens

10. Foldable Silicon Straws with Case (save the turtles!)

11. Striped Tote Bag

12. Pineapple Portable Phone Charger

13. Flower Mirror

14. Sleep Mask

Gifts for Coffee & Tea Lovers

1. French Press Coffee Maker

2. Electric Tea Kettle

3. Re-usable K-Cups (better for the environment and SO pretty)

Fun to Open 

4. Striped Ice Bucket (I want this!)

5. Bookends

6. Daily Calendar

7. Pizza Socks Box (perfect for Pizza lovers and silly Brother in Laws!)

8. Golden Girls Monopoly

Christmas Fun

9. Cactus Cup

10. Reindeer Antlers Headband (I have these- so cute!)

11. Warm & Cozy Mug

12. Santa Sunglasses Mug (Xmas mugs make hot cocoa better)

13. Cozy Blanket

14. Reindeer Thermos (take your Christmas spirit on the go)

Gifts for Dad

1. Sarcastic Mug

2. Wireless Headphones

3. Globe Whiskey Decanter

4. Golf Ball Cup

5. Car Vacuum (also great for mom & grandpa!)

6. Puntastic Dad Jokes

Gifts for Mom

7. Silky PJ set (treat mom! Perfect for date nights at home with dad)

8. Book Tote Bag

9. Mom Mug

10. 12 Month Planner

11. Mom Life Coloring Book

12. Revlon One Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer (my favorite!)

Stocking Stuffers

1. Dino Necklace

2. Unicorn Mug

3. Keychain Screwdriver Tools (perfect for anyone handy!)

4. Starbucks USB Phone Charger

5. Beard Balm

6. Phone Charger Coil Cord (the cutest retro charger!)

7. Rainbow Pens

8. Pumice Stone Foot Scrubber

9. Toddler Snack Cup (Hailey LOVES hers!)

10. Pom Pom Tassel Keychain

11. Rainbow De-Stress Ball

12. Baby Babble & Rattle Microphone (Another of Hailey’s faves!)

13. Blue Light Glasses (perfect for anyone that works on a computer long hours)

14. Rainbow Work Hard, Play Hard Pouch

Baby & Kids Gifts

1. 3-in-1 Unicorn Scooter (Hailey’s Fave!)

2. Doctor Kit (on Hailey’s wish list!)

3. Gratitude Journal

4. Letter, Numbers & Shapes Puzzle (kids love puzzles!)

5. University Board Books Set: Science

6. Digital Camera

7. Pretend Play Tea Set (Hailey is obsessed with this!)

8. Soft Rattle Set

9. Avocado Guitar

10. Baby Einstein Piano (Another fave, and so pretty!)

11. The Wonderful Things You’ll Be Book (We love to read this together!)

12. Fox Block Walker

Grandma

1. Neck Massager

2. Recipe Book (grandma can save all her family recipes in one place!)

3. Crockpot

4. Shawl

5. Digital Photo Frame (fill it with pics of the kids!)

6. Grandma & Me Aprons

Grandpa

7. Whiskey Decanter with Antique Ship

8. Picnic Wine Set (perfect for dates with grandma!)

9. BBQ Tools Set

10. Kindle (also great for grandma!)

11. Fondue Maker Set

12. Golf Ball Shaped Whiskey Chillers (add a bottle of his fave whiskey and he’ll love it!)

I hope this list was helpful so you can find a little something for everyone on your list!

DIY Jingle Bell Christmas Tassel Earrings

As soon as it’s socially acceptable (aka, right after Thanksgiving!) I go into full-on Christmas mode. I can be found wearing a Christmas sweater, reindeer antlers, or Christmas accessory at any given moment. Sometimes, all of the above! A great way to add some Christmas spirit is to wear some holiday earring. One of my favorite types of earrings is tassel earrings! They always add such a fun pop of color to an outfit. They add a LOT of drama but weigh practically nothing. They’re perfect! Since I love decking myself out for the holidays, especially Christmas, I created this fun DIY project so you can jingle everywhere you go!

*This post contains affiliate links.

You will need:

Embroidery floss (similar here)
Jingle bells (similar here)
Earring hooks (similar here)
Jump rings, optional (similar here)
Jewelry tools (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)

1. Make your tassel earrings by following these instructions. If you want thicker tassels, follow these instructions. Also, a note: if you try to use the first method (where you use the entire spool) and it gets tangled up, you can try using the second method (where you use cardboard) instead!

2. Brush out your tassels to give them a nice fluff. I recommend using a comb although I used what I had handy- a Barbie brush!

3. Now that your tassels are made, it’s time to make them into earrings! Attach a jump ring to the top of your tassel by looping it through the first string you tied at the top. Then, loop your earring hook through and close it. You want to make sure that the knots are at the back, so figure that out before you put the earring hook on. You can also skip the jump ring altogether and attach the earring hook directly to the string at the top.

4. A note: I’d recommend getting a set of these clear earring backs so you don’t lose your earrings. I sadly lost one of the Halloween ones I made!

5. Using a piece of embroidery floss, thread on your jingle bells. You can either use floss that is the same color (or similar color) or an alternating shade.

These are a great stocking stuffer or even something to add to an advent calendar! If you want a fun way to display them, try this tutorial to turn them into fun ornaments!

What do you think about these tassel earrings? Will you be having a Christmas movie marathon and make them with your girlfriends? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY No-Sew Wine & Liquor Bag

It’s no secret that I love to make Christmas crafts! I’ve got a whole bunch of projects here on the blog but I’m always on the lookout for more! This time, I decided to make a bag for your wine and liquor gifts. It’s so easy to make and the best part of this project is that it’s NO SEW! Because as crafty as I am, sewing is NOT my strong suit! This project is a great way to use up all that fabric and ribbon in your stash. Because let’s be real- we all have a giant stash of fabric that we hoard!

You will need:

Fabric (a fat quarter from Joann Fabrics makes 2 bags)
Ribbon (similar here)
Fabri-Tac (here)
Scissors (similar here)
Iron (similar here)

Directions:

1. Cut your fabric in half or approx 11 x 18 for a standard small bottle of wine. If you’re gifting a larger or double bottle, you’ll need to adjust for that.

2. Iron out all the wrinkles on your fabric, using water or steam for any deep folds.

3. Fold your edges down and iron it for a smooth edge. I started with the sides and then did the top and bottom. You don’t want to fold too deep on the sides since it’ll be a little tight already.

4. Glue the top fold closed using your fabric glue. This is so that it has a nice edge when you put the bottle in.

5. Use your fabric glue in a zig zag pattern along the folded edge and fold shut so that the WRONG side is on the outside.

6. Glue your bottom edge shut with a zig zag of glue.

7. Once it’s all dry, turn it right side out.

8. Place your bottle inside and tie a ribbon bow at the top. Double sided ribbon works best for this, since you can see both sides when you tie the bow.

Add a gift tag and place the bottle bag under your tree. The best part about this project is that the bag can be reused again and again! WAY better for the environment than a paper bag that gets tossed away after its first and only use. Also, these are SUPER cute and also double as Christmas decor! I can totally see making them for your wine bottles on your bar cart, and even making tiny versions for mini wine bottle favors at your holiday party!

So, what do you think about these wine bottle bags? Will you be making them for friends and family? I’ve never wanted to gift liquor more! Let me know who will be getting these in the comments below.