If you’re looking for ways to upcycle or use materials you already have at home this holiday season, there are endless possibilities for gift ideas. Clothespins are versatile, and you may already have them around your home. Here are three sweet and simple gift ideas using clothespins – perfect for stocking stuffers or Secret Santa at the office.

Make Photo Gallery Clip Kit

example by SmoothPebble via sfgirlbybay

Wall photo galleries with wire and metal clips are quite popular, but you can make your own with clothespins and twine. Packaged neatly in a small drawstring bag, this gift is both useful and resourceful (see top photo).

Cut your twine to the length you would like – mine is about 1 yard. Tie the ends in a loop for hanging, and knot them tightly.

Air Plant Planter

This project is quite simple – all you need is an air plant, a plastic container, and clothespins. I suggest using a short container, such as a yogurt cup or any plastic container about two inches tall. This is a wonderful opportunity to reuse plastic. If you don’t have one short enough, you can always cut one down.

Pin the clothespins to the edges of the cup, all the way around. Place the air plant in the center of the pins. That’s it!

Decorative clothespins

Clothespins can also be used as desktop organizers, and are useful on calendars and cork boards. Use calligraphy to label clips for days of the week, tasks, and names.

Or, you could cover the clips with adhesive fabric, felt, or decoupaged paper. Hot glue flat thumbtacks to the backs of the clothespins to be used on cork boards as organizers. The possibilities are endless!

Out to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

wrap up: {clothes pins} {crafts} {diy} {eco friendly} {holiday} {ideas} {recycle} {reuse}

every year i try to make the majority of my christmas gifts. there are really two reasons for this; the first is that i love to make things. i love everything about the process, from picking out a project-to-pouring myself into it-to-getting anxious about seeing the recipient open it. it’s just all good. the second reason is that it saves us money. christmas on a budget is tough, and when you can get crafty it can save you tons. i’ve been cataloging my favorite project ideas over on pinterest, and here are a few of my favorites. i still need more ideas though! do you have any crafty gift plans?

1. pretty poufs (discovered via itty bitty impact)
2. braided leather belt
3. drawstring bag (discovered via indie pretty projects)
4. tub teas (perfect for making your own tea)
5. handmade envelope tutorial
6. reversible journal covers

wrap up: {diy} {gift} {handmade} {holiday} {ideas} {make} {pretty} {projects}

dinners this week were a mixture of some old favorites combined with a few new recipes as well. for some reason, i found myself craving peas and sweet potatoes all.week.long, so you’ll find those intermixed within these recipes!

i’m also trying to learn more about food photography. it (sadly) gets dark here around 5:00 now, and pictures without natural sunlight are jut not-my-thang. i found this post on food photography for bloggers (also from one of my favorite recipe sites!) and hope that it will help. do you have any good tips on food photography, especially after dark?

monday: hearty sweet potato chili with sliced avocado and homemade bread
tuesday: mini veggie pot pies served with a garden salad
wednesday: vegan fettuccine alfredo with shiitake mushrooms, kale, and sun-dried tomatoes (yum!)
thursday: vegan sausage and cabbage saute* w/ potato cakes & broiled black pepper tofu
friday: tofu bay cakes (image via vegan dad) and a side of steamed veggies (we love these bay cakes!!)

vegan sausage and cabbage saute

directions

1) heat olive oil in a large frying pan and add onion and sausage, stir until lightly browned- about 5-7 minutes.

2) add the white wine and can of beans and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. cover and cook for about ten minutes.

3) add the veggie stock, cabbage and bay leaves. cover and let cook until liquid has evaporated and cabbage is soft- about 20-25 minutes.

wrap up: {dinner} {ideas} {recipes} {sausage and cabbage saute} {savory} {seasonal} {simple} {vegan}

oh, the flavors of fall how i love you so much!

monday: butternut squash and apple soup served with stuffed figs and seasonal salad
tuesday: (leftover!) butternut squash and apple soup, savory carrot fries, spiced apple cider and homemade bread
wednesday: roasted purple potatoes and spaghetti squash saute*
thursday: spaghetti squash saute*, steamed broccoli and broiled black pepper tofu
friday: tofu bay cakes (image via vegan dad) with savory roasted potatoes and steamed kale
 

spaghetti squash saute

 
this week, we had one very big spaghetti squash arrive in our csa box. yum! it ended up lasting us two meals, because half was all we needed. feel free to sub other veggies into this recipe, or whatever you have on hand.

ingredients:

- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 tbs fennel seed
- salt and pepper to taste

directions:

1) roast the spaghetti squash: slice lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place face down on a lightly greased baking sheet. roast at 450°f until easily poked with a fork- about 30 minutes. take out and let cool for about ten minutes. using a fork, ‘fluff’ the spaghetti out with your fork (this part is fun!).

2) meanwhile add the olive oil, bell peppers, onion, garlic and fennel seed to medium pot and saute until onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. add spinach, salt and pepper to taste and spaghetti squash. toss to combine and serve.

what are a few of your favorite recipes from this week?

wrap up: {dinner} {fall} {ideas} {recipes} {savory} {seasonal} {simple}

it’s officially pumpkin season here in california! (that’s only my favorite time of the year.) this week’s menu was packed full of hearty fall veggies, pumpkins and comfort food. i hope you find a few new seasonally inspired recipes to try! what have you been cookin’ this week?

above: veggie pot pies, tuscan kale chips, pumpkin soup, cashew coconut and pumpkin curry, tomato basil cream pasta, fall veggies with lentils

monday:

personal veggie pot pies with roasted potatoes and tuscan kale chips

tuesday:

tomato basil cream pasta with roasted veggies and smoky miso tofu

wednesday:

cumin black beans served over forbidden rice, topped with sauteed kale & potato cakes

thursday:

thai green curry with homemade bread

friday:

cashew coconut and pumpkin curry, fall veggies with lentils, pumpkin soup (sub veggie broth)

wrap up: {dinner} {fall} {ideas} {pumpkin} {recipes} {seasonal}

this weeks meals were full of fall veggies and new recipes. this week at the farmer’s market, we had fresh corn, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, red onions, spinach, eggplant and sweet potatoes. as always, you’ll find this week’s menu was inspired by our seasonal produce. what’s growing in your town?

monday: purple potato cakes*, roasted veggies and grilled corn

tuesday: farmer’s market burritos* and strawberry salad

wednesday: dinner on the grill (too hot to cook inside)! grilled tofu, corn and eggplant, served with a salad topped with avocado and cranberries.

thursday: ceviche spring rolls (minus the cod and + fresh basil) with a summer sprouted salad, zucchini pasta and baked sweet potatoes

friday: roasted fall vegetables with lentils with whipped sorbet and no bake brownie bites

*purple potato cakes

these remind me of my childhood. any time we used to have leftover mashed potatoes, mom would always make us potato cakes the next day. these were purple because i used purple potatos (not to state the obvious, or anything) and were leftover from this shepherd’s pie. simply make patties and pan fry with a little olive oil. yum-o!

*farmer’s market burritos

we make burritos a few times a month and i always just throw in whatever is in season. this week i stir fried corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans and black beans. i also used quinoa instead of corn (an excellent replacement!). add cumin, nutmeg and chili pepper to taste and serve in sprouted whole wheat tortillas. i always top mine with sliced avocado as well.

all pictures: whole living recipes

wrap up: {autumn} {burritos} {dinner} {fall} {ideas} {potato cakes} {recipes} {seasonal}

moon phases by katie daisy

problem: as i lie awake in bed last night, i realize that inspiration always strikes me in the middle of the night. the best blog post ideas, pattern inspiration or general design related to-dos pop in and out of my head. then, they keep me awake as i’m determined to still remember them when the sun comes up! seriously, i often feel pregnant with inspiration and ideas.

ok, not really a problem: i’m not really complaining here, i’m glad for the inspiration. i just need to sleep.

remedy: i will start to keep a notebook by my bed. this way, i’ll (hopefully) be able to jot down ideas (i.e. get them OUT of my head and ON to paper), and be able to go sleep.

think it will work? how about you, when does your inspiration strike?

wrap up: {ideas} {inspiration} {notebook} {problem} {remedy} {sleep}

simply stated, i think these are so pretty.

these beautiful tabletop delights are found in the anniversary preview issue of rue (discovered via mochatini), and i’ve got to say.. the preview did it’s job! i cannot wait until the full issue is released (you’ll be able to find it here). wouldn’t it be pretty to have chalkboard place mats for thanksgiving? or watercolor place cards to match what’s on the menu?

wrap up: {art} {chakboard} {design} {dinner} {ideas} {inspiration} {tabletop}