Annie Lang's Blog!

It's time to break out the brushes and get this year's ornaments ready for Holiday annual decorating here that begins the day after Thanksgiving!  Being naturally attracted to more "out of the box" surfaces to paint, I stumbled on these adorable little mini gourd ornaments that will be simply perfect for my small Christmas tree display.  Each one of these real gourds is unique and on average range in size from 1.25" to 2".  These along with many other varieties of Amish family farm grown gourds from Pennsylvania Dutch Country, in Lancaster County are available for sale through a co-op venture you can find online at amishgourds.com    I found that permanent marker brushes and pens were ideal for turning these mini gourd ornaments into tiny birdhouses.  Gourds are naturally porous so they really absorb the color well.  Start with lighter colors and then gradually work in the darker colors for best results.  If you want to add outlining, it's easily done u

  The holidays are fast approaching so I've already started to plan this year's holiday decorating theme!  Potted trees, painted wood round ornaments, evergreen branches, farmhouse style clay pots and painted bottles filled with poinsettias and holly, are on my "to-do" list so I thought I'd get things started with a simple sign that anyone can make.  This sign was hand painted with black, white and forest green acrylic paints.  I also used red and silver Sharpie paint pens to highlight the upper lettering and add accent border lines.  I used a wood innkeepers sign I purchased several years ago, but this design is easily suited for wooden trays, metal sheet signs, painted on burlap, chalkboards and more.  To download the full size free pattern (also suitable for electronic cutting machines) simply right click and save the image to your computer.  You are also encouraged to share this link with friends, family and Pinterest boards!  Happy crafting!

Don't throw out those wrapping paper, paper towel or cardboard mailing tubes just yet!  You can easily upcycle them for fun holiday decorating and gift items in no time at all. Here's just a few project ideas of how I used them to brighten up the holidays.  Make some holiday visitors and hide them anywhere!  Use large mailing tubes if you want your character short and stout or gift wrap tubes for long and lanky house guests.  Whether it's boots, socks or fuzzy slippers, I'm sure you'll find the perfect footwear in your closet or sock drawer to make your visitor whimsically  festive.  Tubes can be painted white or cover them with white paper.  Spray the paper with adhesive, lay it flat o a table and then roll the tube and press the paper in place.  To make candy stripes, I wrap it with red masking tape spiraling downward and pressing it in place. This idea is also great for making glittery tinsel fairy legs or black and orange striped witch legs for Halloween decorat

The autumn winds are blowing in and 5 new autumn fairy themed greeting card designs have just fluttered into Annie's Greeting Card Store !  Best of all, these vividly colored cards are printed on 5"x7" heavy cardstock with a glossy finish making them suitable for framing and crafting.  So go ahead and add some accents to your autumn themed decor or simply send some smiles to your autumn friends and family.  Happy fall to all because Annie Things Possible this season!  

Home is where you hang your hat so here's how you can jazz up an old straw hat in no time at all with items you may already have on hand!  The pictured project was made with a straw beach hat I had tucked in a closet and had long forgotten.  The silk flowers were purchased off season at a local department store and I used a cardboard ring cut from a shipping box to attach them to the hat.  You can attach the flowers right onto the hat, but if you want to easily change them out with seasonal colors, you can simply remove the cardboard ring and use the same hat all year around.  Whether you hang it on the door, wall or garden fence you'll find this craft quick, easy and so very fun to make.  This is a project that's been around crafting circles for decades so it's absolutely timeless!  Enjoy... SUPPLIES:   You'll need a straw hat, silk flowers and leaves with stems removed, cardboard cut into a wide ring to glue flowers to (optional), glue gun, ribbon color of

Recycle empty paper towel or bath tissue rolls to make festive rings for any occasion.  These rings will also hold battery operated tea lights. You can print your own paper print image files, use wrapping paper you have on hand or right click Annie Lang's FREE full size patterned print below to get started!  Enjoy... Right Click and SAVE full size printable to your computer

Have you seen a baby bird or bunny hiding inside a cracked egg lately?  If not, here's a fun and FREE printable project that will "crack you up"!  Simply cut out and wrap the character mask around any egg and then go ahead and hide them in the grass if you'd like!  To download the full size project, just right click the project page and save to your computer.  Enjoy!

Fun ideas to make a Shabby Chic Baby Shower memorable   We have a little Grandbaby on the way!  My sister-in-laws recently threw a fantastic baby shower to welcome little Maryann to the family and I thought I'd share a few of their decorating ideas with you in hopes you'll be inspired when coming up with new ideas for your next hosted gathering.  I   digitally scrapped this collage page of  some of the photos I took of the event and hope to add it to our Granddaughter's scrapbook once she safely arrives.   Decorating in "Shabby Chic" style allows the hostess greater flexibility when it comes to working with a theme. One simply needs to gather up some on-hand materials