How to Make a Gluten Free Number or Letter Cake

I don't know about you, but I'm definitely not a cake decorator. 

I love making cakes and I love eating cakes - but the whole decorating process stresses me out.

Recently, however, we had a milestone birthday in our family and I was tasked with baking the cake. Wanting to make something a little bit special, I took to Pinterest to search for ideas.

First I went looking for easy cake decorating ideas and my page was filled with chocolate cakes topped with plastic diggers and cake crumbs or cakes that looked anything but easy. So then I browsed the number cakes instead.

What I ended up finding was a Pinterest trend I actually thought I could master - and I found a secret weapon that would enable me to do just that...

So let me tell you all about it! >> 

DIY Christmas Blanket (on a Budget!)

How to Make a DIY Christmas Blanket using the Cricut Maker and Iron On HTV | This polyester blanket is the perfect budget handmade Christmas gift idea. No sew and super easy, this fleece blanket is perfect for everyone on your Christmas list and can be made in minutes. Includes free gift tag and design SVGs and images as well as a full tutorial. 

Click to pin this post on Pinterest!

I am one of those people who always likes to be snuggled up in a book. It doesn't matter the time of day or the weather, whether I'm reading a book or watching TV, you'll find me curled up under a blanket as cosy as can be.

And I know I'm not the only one - I have so many other friends and family members who share my blanket love - and that sparked an idea! A Customised Blanket would make the perfect Christmas gift, so I had to come up with a super easy way to do just that. 

And with a $5 blanket in hand, my Cricut maker and some iron on HTV, I did exactly that and created the easiest (and most impressive!) budget friendly handmade gift idea that anyone would be happy to receive this Christmas.

So let me show you how to make it! >> 

How to Make a Shadow Lantern (Disney Inspired Peter Pan Lantern Tutorial)

How to make a DIY Shadow Lantern on a Budget | Learn how to turn an IKEA Rotera Lantern into a DIY Disney Peter Pan Shadow Lantern with this easy tutorial. A perfect weekend craft project you can make in under an hour for less than $10. Customise your lantern for a birthday present, handmade Christmas gift idea, custom home decor piece or whatever you fancy. Made with the Cricut Maker and adhesive vinyl.

Click to pin this project on Pinterest!

Our Disneyland trip is just 41 days away - so naturally, all of our free time has been filled with Disney things. Jesse and I have been making t-shirts with our Cricut Maker, and this weekend we decided to come up with a super quick weekend project.

This Shadow Lantern is SO simple to make. It can be made for less than $10 and in less than half an hour - and you can customise it to create any theme you like. 

So what are we waiting for? 
Let me show you how to make it!

Recipe: Homemade Chocolate Covered Popcorn + A Free Cricut Father's Day Printable

This Homemade Chocolate Coated Popcorn Recipe is gluten free, vegan (or not!), refined sugar free, nut free, dairy free and so easy to make. The post also includes a free Cricut Vinyl Sticker design for a “World’s Best Pop!” Father’s day or Christmas gift for your Dad or Grandpa! Perfect for kids birthday parties, a homemade gift idea or whenever you want something sweet! Popcorn can be air popped or popped on the stovetop.

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

I love popcorn. I don't know what it is about it, but I just do - especially if it's flavoured popcorn. 

Growing up, there was this popcorn stand at a local shopping centre that had all the flavours you could imagine - and every time I went shopping there with my Dad, he'd let me get a small cup of whatever I wanted.

Sometimes it was chocolate, sometimes it was caramel, sometimes it was salt and vinegar - and for my sister, it was always rainbow popcorn. 

And that popcorn recipe is exactly what inspired this super simple Father's Day gift idea!

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

This Chocolate Coated Popcorn Recipe is super simple to make - and it's seriously impressive. 

To turn it into a gift, all you need is a big airtight jar (my one pictured is from IKEA but I don't recommend it as it doesn't actually seal!) and my World's Best Pop! sticker which you can access here on Cricut Design Space.

I printed my sticker on some white adhesive vinyl, but you could use whatever colour you like. Simply go to the design page and hit make it! Also included in the design is a second back layer which you can use if you wanted a layered sticker. 

Don't want the layer? Don't worry! Simply remove it or just cut the top layer. 

Once you've cut your sticker, weed out the excess pieces, apply your transfer tape and clean the outside of your jar with some rubbing alcohol (this helps it stick). Apply your sticker and you're ready to fill your jar with popcorn! 

Click to pin this recipe on Pinterest!

This popcorn is also perfect for any time eating - or for a birthday celebration. You can also cut your own DIY popcorn boxes using cardstock and the Cricut with this Popcorn Box Template. Once you've cut it, simply decorate with vinyl or whatever you like, fill it with popcorn and you're good to go

But let me share the recipe with you! >> 

DIY: How to Make a Custom Painted Doormat on a Budget

How to Make a Custom Painted Doormat with the Cricut Maker - Create your own personalised doormat in under an hour with this budget friendly DIY project. Make it funny, sweet, quirky, use a monogram, gift it as a Christmas gift or house warming gift - the choice is yours. This tutorial also includes the secret to making your doormat last as long as possible as well as stencil files and tips for making your own.

Click to pin this post on Pinterest

I love a good weekend project - and this DIY Custom Doormat may be one of my easiest (and most impressive) ones yet. 

Made in under an hour and for less than $20 (you can actually make three for $25!), it's a project that almost anyone could do and would make an awesome gift idea. 

Best of all? It's super simple - but everyone will be in awe of your creative talent because it looks so much more complicated than it is!

So let me show you how to make it! >> 

UNBOXING: What's Inside The New Cricut Maker?

See what's inside the new Cricut Maker and learn what projects you can make with it with this easy video tutorial. A must read and see for beginners with tool and accessory recommendations, project ideas and more.

This is not a sponsored post, however, Cricut did send me a Cricut maker.

Click to pin this post on Pinterest!

I love crafty things and always have. As a kid, I spent hours making canvas artworks and friendship bracelets. In high school, I used my free time to make hand-sewn plushies and fell in love with scrapbooking. Now, as an adult, I love a good craft projects and spend many weekends dragging Jesse through craft stores and hardware stores looking for materials for my next project. 

So, when I heard that Cricut had a new machine that had dozens of tools to allow you to work on a huge range of materials -  I needed to know more... and apparently you guys did too! 

When I first posted that my Cricut Maker had arrived on Instagram, I got so many replies from those of you who were either desperate for your own, wanted to know what it could be used for - or wanted to know how it differed from other Cricut machines.

And I thought.... what better way to tell you what comes inside the new Cricut maker than to show you.... and thus my first ever actual Youtube video was born... 

So let me show you (embarassingly/cringingly?) what's inside the new Cricut Maker >> 

DIY: Textured Concrete Look Photography Backdrop (For Under $10!)

This Step by Step Tutorial will show you how to make an Easy DIY Textured Concrete Look Photo Backdrop on a Budget (For less than $10 each!). This handmade photo board is the perfect background for product photography, bloggers, food photography, flat lay photos and more! 

Click here to pin this tutorial on Pinterest!

Photography, it might seem simple and straightforward - but when you're photographing for a blog or a business, a seemingly simple thing can suddenly become complicated - and expensive. 

That styled flat lay? You've got to have a background, some perfectly curated props, the right angle - the list goes on and on. 

Over the last 10 years of blogging (yep! 10 years! I was blogging before Southern In Law too!) I've seen photos change dramatically - and if you're a blogger or an "influencer" or even a brand today, you're probably feeling the pressure.

But I want to help you take some of the pressure off!

You see, a quick Google search will give you hundreds of thousands of photography backdrop/photography board/photography backgrounds you can buy - but they're pricey. A single backdrop could set you back $75-100, especially if it's textured.... but what if I told you that you could make your own DIY Textured Backdrop for around $7? 

That's exactly what this DIY will show you how to do. In just a few hours (I say hours because it needs to dry, but it will only involve about 10-15 minutes of actual work) you'll have a custom made textured concrete look backdrop that's perfect for photos. 

Whether you're a food blogger wanting to take beautiful food photos, a beauty vlogger wanting a background for Instagram flat lays or a business owner looking for new ways to photograph products for your website, this backdrop DIY is perfect for you. 

So let me show you how to make it! >> 

Easy DIY Canvas Quote Art + A GIVEAWAY!

This post is sponsored by Canvas Champ.

I spend a lot of time in my office, so I'm always on a mission to make it as inviting and functional as possible. The reason I choose to work from home over my actual office, more often than not, is simply because I feel so much more motivated when I'm in a space that I love. 

That's why I love redecorating and filling my office with the things that make me happy. From stacks and stacks of books (my office book collection is currently sitting at 289 colour coordinated books) to cute little trinkets, lots of live plants and quotes to remind myself of throughout the day. 

But finding that perfect quote print is often hard... sure, I could go to a store and buy a cheesy art print... but do I really need to remind myself to BREATHE or is seeing the world RELAX really going to make me relax? And is reminding myself that I'm beautiful really going to decrease my stress levels when I've got deadlines looming and clients calling me incessantly? Probably not.

That's why I love creating my own art pieces - and I wanted to show you how to make the EASIEST DIY Quote Art Prints for your walls - and also host an awesome GIVEAWAY! (Because who doesn't love the chance to win something!) 

So let me get on with the show and reveal this giveaway!

June Styling: House Plants That Are Hard to Kill + My Boho Inspired Office Theme

Another month - and another theme!

It's currently winter in Australia so I've been on a mission to make our house as cosy as humanely possible. Borrowing some ideas from my Hygge Home Decor Theme Ideas and Inspiration post last month, this month I've created a boho inspired theme that was created around my new plant babies!

You see, I may have a black thumb (and bad luck with plants) but I've found some of the easiest to care for house plants that I want to share with you - as well as give you a little tour of this month's theme!

So let me share what house plants are the hardest to kill - and some fun decor bits and pieces too! >> 

May Styling: Hygge Styling with a Pink, Gray and Metallic Theme

The temperatures have been dropping in Sydney lately. The fireplace is on in our front lounge room, the heating is on in the mornings and evenings and I'm finding myself putting on long sleeves instead of short and covering my freezing cold feet in socks and slippers. 

So what does one do when it's getting colder?

Why, if you ask me - the answer to that question is quite simple. You go on a hunt for ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL the warm and cosy things in life.

I'm talking cosy sweaters, new varieties of tea, slippers and when it comes to decor - that means blankets, warm lighting and a wintery colour palette.

So let me share my Calm and Cosy (not quite) Winter Theme with you! >> 

April Styling: Adding Colour and Personality with a Rainbow Theme!

It's no secret that I'm not a monochrome kind of girl. Whilst I do have a gazillion and one plain black t-shirts in my wardrobe, they're only there so I can add a pop of colour elsewhere. 

I definitely live life in colour (especially pink!) and that's why this month's decor theme turned out completely different to what I originally planned. You see, I started out wanting a book theme for the month - but that quickly turned into more and more of a rainbow theme as I gravitated towards all of the bright coloured things.

So let me share the details of this month's styling! >> 

How to Make a DIY Statement Pillow on a Budget (No Sew Option!)

I'm one of those people who goes into a store, knowing exactly what I want... but you see, that's not always a good thing, because often times, the store doesn't have exactly what I want. 

As I was pulling together my themed decor for this month (after putting away my Easter decor!), I decided I wanted a book related pillow. Something to add to my reading chair that was totally "me".... but do you think I could find it?!

Nope. What I did find, however, was a plain grey pom pom pillow that I loved - but felt was too plain... and then it hit me. Why not take the plain pom pom pillow and turn it into a statement pillow myself?

And thus I got to work. 

So let me share how to make a DIY statement pillow on a budget >>

How to Make Your Own Curious Easter Bunny Pots (An Easy DIY Easter Craft!)

If you've been following Southern In Law for a while, you'd know I love a good project - and this Easter, I may have the easiest project of all for you!

These DIY Bunny Pots are perfect for kids, school teachers, friends and family this Easter and are a perfect way to make a little treat just that extra bit special.

Best of all? They take just minutes to make and will only cost a few dollars. Even if you're a crafting newbie, I promise you can make this! 

So let me show you how to make them! >> 

March Styling: My Easter Home Decor

Hello, lovely ones! It's now mid-March and I'm back for another month of decor goodness! As I've done since I've had my new office, I've changed up my office decor with a new theme for March. 

With Easter at the end of the month, I thought March was the perfect month for an Easter decor theme - especially as it gave me the perfect excuse to buy ALLLLL the cute bunnies.

So let me share this theme with you! >> 

The Time We Decided to Make a Bookshelf from Scratch

If you've been following Southern In Law for a while, you'd probably know that Jesse and I LOVE a good project. 

Whether it's a craft project, a DIY project or a home makeover, we tend to always be doing something. 

Why? Because I'm one of those people that doesn't know how to just relax and do nothing (I relax by doing things) and so I rope my husband into everything I decide to do 🤣

And a few weeks ago, that thing I decided to do was building a bookcase.... from scratch.... as you do. 

So let me share our story of that time we decided to build a bookcase >> 

February Styling: My Easy Valentine's Day Themed Home Decor

With a new month, comes a new decor theme - and I might have said this last month, but this theme may be my favourite!

Whilst Jesse and I may not necessarily celebrate Valentine's Day, it was the perfect chance to change up my office decor with a pink, red and love filled theme!

So let me show you how our February Decor Theme! >> 

How to Make String Art Using Recycled Wood (an Easy DIY Step-by-Step Tutorial!)

Somehow the first month of 2018 is already at it's end. I don't quite know how that happened - but I do know what that means... 

It's time for a new decor theme!

And with a new decor theme, comes a new DIY project! For February, I decided I'd go with a Valentine's theme. Because, whilst Jesse and I may not celebrate Valentine's Day, it was the perfect excuse to use ALL the pinks and reds and cute heart things. 

This month I knew I wanted to try a craft project that I'd never tried before. I'd seen string art all over the internet and always wanted to try it myself - so this month I bit the bullet and did it and I was super surprised by how easy it was!

So let me show you how to make your own DIY String Art, step by step! >>