Doing something for someone who can never repay you

John Wooden once said, "You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

That is something to think on.... and act on.

Have you ever had someone do something for you just because? Maybe they helped you do yard work, sent a card, a small gift.... It leaves a lasting impact, a memory, a feeling of gratitude we can never forget. It makes us feel special when someone shows us how much they care.

Now what if someone you DIDN'T know did something for you because they wanted to brighten your day?

As my mom relaxes for the evening, she enjoys making necklaces for children she has never met. She gives them to me to deliver on missions trips to children who are living in poverty all over the world. Although my mom loves making the necklaces, I think I get to enjoy the best part.... seeing the smiles on all those little faces and receiving the hugs and kisses. It is amazing how a simple, thoughtful gift can brighten the days of a child and those around them.

If you would like to do something like this, be prepared... The joy you receive out of doing something for someone else will be beyond your imagination.

Simply gather the supplies needed below, use your creativity and make bracelets or necklaces or bookmarks..... then contact a local church and let them know you would like to give these gifts to community, national, or international outreach. You may even want to be sure to be there when they are shared with others!!

Supplies needed:

• Elastic cording
• Pony Beads (or other plastic or wooden beads)
• Scissors

Directions (for bracelets):

• Cut a 7" piece of cording
• Tie 1 bead to the end (single knot) about an inch from the end (this helps beads stay on cord)
• String beads about an inch away from the opposite end
• Untie the bead and tie the ends of the cord together (triple knot)
• Trim loose ends

Below is photo of bracelets made during a recent family get-together. While I visited my niece, nephew and friend, we put together bracelets for children as we chit chatted and got caught up on what was going on in our lives. We had SO much fun laughing and enjoying each other's creativity!

Bracelets made with "'Pony Beads" and other plastic beads

Enjoy your time making these fun gifts... and know you are making a difference in the lives of others.

DIY Family Tree Home Decor

Create Your Own Family Tree on a Budget

Family... one of God's masterpieces.

Family means the world to us and I have always wanted to create a Family Tree somewhere in our house. After many years of imagining what this might look like, I started the search for vinyl trees hoping the ideas would percolate. I found one, except I wasn't willing to pay the price ($280+) for a vinyl tree that wasn't 'exactly' what I wanted. So, the creative hat went on. The result is what I am sharing here.... the DIY method of creating an original Family Tree that will work wonderfully for your family and add a splash of your own creativity on a wall that can be enjoyed by all who visit.

Less Is More. It is amazing what you can create if you plan, budget, and have a little patience. When you are brewing an idea for a project, keep your eyes open for clearance items, sale items, and plan ahead to get your supplies when they go on sale. Yes, sometimes you need to wait. But it is quite worth it when you see your savings.

STEP 1. Find a tree

• Find a photo or image of a tree shape you like. (I liked the 'blowing in the wind' style.)
• Study it, practice drawing it on a blank piece of paper. 

STEP 2.  Color decisions

• Decide on a color you would like your tree to be
• Decide on a color for the extras (leaves/blossoms)
  (I went with an antique dark brown and used leftover 'Merlot' paint from our kitchen for 'leaves' to tie our rooms together) 

STEP 3. Gather your supplies.

• "Sample-size" paint (you can buy this at Menards/Home Depot/Lowes for $3-$4) - This is the perfect size!
• Foam brushes: Two 1", one 2" (Use foam brushes instead of bristle brushes. You get a much sharper edge.)
• Foam stamps (leaf / blossom) - these are actually hard to find right now (must be a 1990 trendy thing). I had some from back in the day.
• Painter's tape (to hang a picture of your tree you are going to paint and any other additions you will need to paint around - for example a vinyl 'saying' about Family, etc.
• Frames
• Hot glue gun
• Ribbon
• Scissors

STEP 4. Visualize the tree on the wall.

• "Test paint" with a damp foam brush (just dip it in a little water and blot off) or use a pencil to lightly draw the stick shape (no need to be elaborate and draw the wide base, etc. You can fill this in as you paint.) *TIP, using an eraser on the wall will cause shiny lines to appear in the paint. Best to paint over any pencil left over.

STEP 5.  Paint

• I know what you are thinking. "I am not artsy!" Well, I discovered you can't really mess up a tree. Branches crisscross, have angles, are rounded, pointed, square, broken off.
• If you mess up, use original leftover base paint from the wall to paint over what you don't like.



"Sketch" with your foam paint brush.





It is coming together, but.... we don't like the top center of the tree where it splits.
It's weird looking. Time to get out the base color of the wall for some touch-up.





Tree has been touched up. Vinyl lettering applied. Now, for some leaves blowing off.





I used foam stamps from years ago. You could also purchase craft foam
and make your own shapes (blossoms or leaves)



STEP 6. Frames and Photos (remember, the goal is 'not spending much')

• I went to the dollar store (the one where everything is actually $1) and picked up a bunch of random, dark colored 5x7 frames.
• I found ribbon I liked in a clearance bin at a craft store a few weeks before.
• Had photos printed at an inexpensive photo center

STEP 7. Apply the ribbon to the frames

• Cut ribbon to the length you wish
• Remove 'stand-up' things from the backs of each frame so they lay flat on the wall.
• If using multiple colors/styles of ribbon, lay them out on the frames (if using different style frames)



Frames laid out with ribbon ready to be applied.



• Apply hot glue to the back - top corners of the frame.
• Apply the ribbon at an angle.
• While the glue is still hot, place a pencil or point of the scissor (as shown below) at the top of the ribbon (where it will hang from the wall) and gently pull the slack out of the ribbon.
  This will allow you to adjust the ribbon, while the glue is hot, to the angle it will naturally hang on the wall and will prevent any wrinkles.
• Trim excess ribbon from the frame edges. 



Apply hot glue to the back - top corners - of the frame and 'hang' it on a flat surface
before the glue dries to avoid wrinkles in the ribbon when hanging.





The 'almost' finished Family Tree (still a few photos to hang)



STEP 8. Update the couch. 1990 called, they want their patch-work style back.  (Less is more. The couch will have to wait.)

THE ICING ON THE CAKE.... THE SAVINGS: 

Orignal cost would have been $295 for the vinyl tree alone (plus shipping & handling).

Entire DIY Family Tree shown here: $40.

Project Time estimate (doesn't include shopping):

• Painting the tree: 4 hours
• Applying Leaves: 15 minutes
• Applying Vinyl Letters: 20 minutes
• Creating Frames (cleaning/ribbon/inserting photos): 1 hour
• Hanging Frames: 45 mintes (deciding where they go took the longest)
  TIP: Use pins vs nails. Less noticible when you need to move a frame.