Darling Doodles - Printables, Party packages, and Custom Designs

DIY Wooden Holiday Signs

By Brie @Darling Doodles | September 13, 2017 - 10:29 am |September 13, 2017 Christmas, crafts, DIY, fall, Halloween

I just can’t seem to stop decorating for fall. I had my piano all set up and decorated which is usually enough but then I had to move into my family room and set up a little decorating there too. Call me fall-obsessed! I found some really pretty fall flowers at the Dollar Tree, you’d be surprised at their floral section if you haven’t checked it out already! And they inspired me to create a second vignette.

I love how it turned out! My favorite part is the Pumpkin Patch sign, which was so easy to make! I offer this print in my Etsy Shop in both a digital instant download and a printed and shipped physical item. The print is available in three different sizes: 8×10, 11×14, and 16×20. (I used the 11×14 size for my project) All you need to create your own board is the print, some paint, mod podge, and a board cut to size.

I decided to make several wooden signs at once since they are so quick and easy. Boards cut to size (did you know that Home Depot will cut boards for you if you don’t have a saw!?) and then I painted the edges. No need to paint the whole board, all you need to do is cover the edge of the wood!

I used the same technique from my DIY Wall Art from Gift Bags and used Mod Podge with a rolling pin to glue the prints onto the board. The print goes right to the edge perfectly.
*Tip* If you would like to make multiple signs, you can put one print on the front of the board and one print on the back. With a fall print on front and a Christmas print on the back you only have to think about storing one board and when the seasons change just turn the board around!

I made four different signs (well, only two since they are on the front and back) and I am really happy with the finished product. I am going to enjoy using them in all my holiday decor!

You can find any of these prints here:

Autumn Acres Pumpkin Patch: Instant Download or Physical Print

Poison Apple Apothecary: Instant Download or Physical Print

Kringle Farms Christmas Trees: Instant Download or Physical Print

Gingerbread Bakery: Instant Download or Physical Print

These are just some of the many Home Decor Prints I have in my store and I’m offering a special coupon code too! Buy any 3 Home Decor Prints and receive 20% off with the coupon code 3DECORPRINTS. And when you decorate with your prints don’t forget to tag me on social media! I’d love to see your creations!

September 2017 Visiting Teaching

By Brie @Darling Doodles | September 1, 2017 - 6:39 am |August 31, 2017 LDS, Relief Society, Visiting Teaching

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The Visiting Teaching message for the month of September is called Of One Heart. This is probably one of my favorite messages that the gospel teaches. I cannot wait for the day when we as people can all be fully of one heart and one mind.

“At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others.” – Elder M. Russell Ballard

President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, taught: “Where people have [the] Spirit with them, [they] may expect harmony. … The Spirit of God never generates contention … It leads to personal peace and a feeling of union with others.”

If this isn’t the exact message that we need to hear right now, then I don’t know what is. These are inspired words and I would encourage us all to look a little deeper inside ourselves and see how we can be kinder, more sensitive, respectful, and loving to everyone around us. To emulate the Savior and follow His teaching, ““And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18)

Here is the printable handout to take to the sisters you visit teach, send in a card in the mail, or even email or text them the picture.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Fall Mantel Decor and Ideas

By Brie @Darling Doodles | August 30, 2017 - 5:10 am |August 28, 2017 fall

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Halle-pumpkin-lujah! The time is finally here to decorate for my very favorite season! Actually from Labor Day until New Years is the BEST time of the year as far as I am concerned. And it all starts with colorful pumpkins and leaves, and a splash of glittery gold.

Once again I decorated my “mantel” by shopping around the house and a few seasonal items I pulled out of storage. These pumpkins that look like a sweater material were on clearance at CVS last year after Thanksgiving, I think I scored them for $2 each! And the little gold pumpkins were ugly ceramic pieces from the Dollar Tree that I just spray painted gold. I love the classy touch that the little bit of gold sprinkled throughout adds. It contrasts nicely with the rough wood and old books.

The Pumpkin Sign? I picked up a plain wood tile from Home Depot (in the flooring section) for $1.50. With some white vinyl and a Cricut machine to cut out the letters and arrow I was able to make this fun sign!

The tall candlestick I picked up for free when someone was giving it away. And the gold charger in the back I got from Michaels on clearance last year after Christmas. I may have bought several.

But the best part of the decor in my opinion is the leaves and flowers, which is the best part of the actual fall season if you ask me! I just love the colors, and they help me pretend that it isn’t still 100 degrees outside here in lovely Arizona.

All together this was a very inexpensive display that hardly took any time at all to set up. I will probably make a couple small changes for Halloween and then Thanksgiving but I don’t want to change this display too much because I love the whole look. But we’ll see…maybe in another month I’ll be itching to get out all my bats and ghosts!

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DIY Handprint Oven Mitt- The Perfect Gift!

By Brie @Darling Doodles | August 23, 2017 - 5:38 am |August 14, 2017 gift ideas, Gift Tags

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I don’t know about you, but I am pretty sure my kids won the grandparent lottery. They are so blessed to have such amazing grandparents who spoil them rotten! People often talk about how strong a mother or father’s love is, and I am pretty sure a grandparent’s love could be counted right up there too. Did you know that there is a special day set apart to honor grandparents? September 10th is Grandparents Day and I think it is definitely a day worth celebrating! And a cute and useful Handprint Oven Mitt is the perfect gift!

Just a suggestion…you could also tuck this gift idea away for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. It is such a sweet idea and it is USEFUL! I like giving gifts that are practical as well as fun so that they don’t just end up gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. And since pretty much everybody has to eat, and cook at least a little, then a Handprint Oven Mitt is a gift that will be used often and bring a smile while being used.

To make this gift I found a nice matching set of kitchen towels and oven mitts at Bed Bath & Beyond and bought some fabric paint at Joanns. It was then as easy as dipping my kids’ hands into the paint and pressing them onto the oven mitt! And if you’ve ever wrestled with a two year old with his hands covered in paint, then you know how easy it is. :)

I’ve even included a gift tag with a sweet poem to make your gift giving even easier! This poem is perfect for grandparents, mothers, and fathers. If you wanted to create your own gift tag you could easily adapt this gift idea for teachers too! Perhaps just change the wording up a bit and it is ready for teachers.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF GIFT TAG

Organization Tips for the New School Year

By Brie @Darling Doodles | August 16, 2017 - 5:56 am |August 2, 2017 back to school, organize

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There are certain times that just beg for some organizing and cleaning up of clutter around the house. The New Year, spring cleaning, and back to school are perfect times to get some order going! I’ve rounded up some great ideas that are not only practical for the new school year, but are sure to keep you organized in all areas of your life!

I think I NEED something just like this wall file folder to keep our paper clutter organized. Right now we have a tray on our entry table that works well, but I love the neat and clear way everything is categorized. See more at Simple Stylings.

I love the idea of having a cute basket to keep the library books separate from our books. Any basket will do the trick, but Blue I Style has a great tutorial on how she made this leather and wire basket.

Can I use this next idea from Here Comes the Sun for myself, as well as for my kids? This will solve so many problems in the morning when I’m getting dressed! And my 4 year old, who loves to do everything “by myself!” will most definitely approve.

Kids bring home lots of artwork and papers throughout the school year, these School File Boxes from Simple as That are perfect for keeping the most precious of memories safe.

I would like someone to come and prepare all my meals just like Fabulessly Frugal has done for her family. I am currently accepting applications for the position of Meal Organizer in my household.

A backpack station like this one from Goodbye, House. Hello, Home. can help tame some of the mess and chaos on those busy school mornings!

Take note of this next project from A Bowl Full of Lemons. When it comes time to find supplies for homework or crafts keeping everything organized and together will help your kid’s creative minds flourish! These over the door holders are great for organizing everything from pens and pencils to cleaners and beauty products!

Wondering how to keep track of everyone’s schedules, to do lists, and the weekly menu plan? How about a dry erase calendar and menu planner to keep you organized?! You can place this calendar and menu planner in your favorite frames and write directly on the glass with dry erase markers. Then simply erase the markers off the glass to use the set again and again, month after month. Use different color markers for each member of the family to really stay on top of everything! I could not function without our calendar and I use it multiple times a day. It hangs on the wall with our menu planner right in the kitchen and serves as a great command center for all our comings and going!

I have several different styles of these calendars and menu planners in my Etsy shop and guess what…? I’m hosting a GIVEAWAY right now on Instagram for your choice of any Printed Calendar and Menu Planner set! Head over now and enter to win!

Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you have the most organized school year yet!

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Visiting San Francisco with Toddlers

By Brie @Darling Doodles | August 9, 2017 - 5:00 am |August 2, 2017 Travel

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Whether it is a quick weekend away or a cross country road trip, traveling and going on adventures is one of our family’s favorite activities and is a big priority for us! In fact, we have a dedicated savings account just for family vacations and even if some months we only put in $10, we always put some money in. Then when we have saved up enough we plan our next adventure! This summer we went to San Francisco! Neither of us had ever been before and it was a wonderful week long vacation with our two sweet kids in tow. They did awesome with the long car rides, busy days, and tons of walking. It was such a fun time and no one wanted to come home! Why can’t vacations last forever?

Here’s what we did:

Union Square
Trolley Cable Cars
Seafood at Fisherman’s Warf
Pier 39
Play on the beach
Ferry ride to Sausalito
Explore Sausalito
Muir Woods
Ghiradelli Square
Painted Ladies
Full House house
Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
Lombard Street
China Town

The highlights for me? I loved the Muir Woods. Walking around those beautiful, tall, ancient trees I felt so small and in complete wonder of God’s creations. The ferry ride was also a lot of fun! It was calm, the water was gorgeous, we got to sit and rest our feet, and went right by Alcatraz and had great views of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge.

In such a big and diverse city there is tons to see and I know we didn’t even come close to seeing it all but we did try to hit the major highlights! When planning our activities we kept our kids in mind and allowed plenty of time to stop and rest if their little legs needed it.

The famous trolley cable cars were a huge hit! The kids felt just like Daniel Tiger, so pretty much their dreams coming true. :)

Our small umbrella stroller was perfect. It folds up easy for getting on buses and subways, or tucking in the corner of a restaurant. The streets are crowded and it didn’t get in the way and both kids slept in it at different points during the day.

When people say that San Francisco is known for its hilly streets, they weren’t kidding. Some of the streets are very, very steep. Wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking a lot, and take advantage of the public transportation. From the trolleys to the buses to the subways, we did not have a hard time finding our way around the city.