Rachael Ray

Sweeten up your Easter bouquet with this simple centerpiece made with jellybeans. Materials 2 glass containers: one thinner than the other Jellybeans Fresh cut flowers Ribbon Find a container that will fit inside another glass container, but will leave enough space in between for the jellybeans. If the inside container is shorter than the outside container, prop it up with jellybeans, or do what I did, and tape some squares of foam core together. I used two types of jellybeans, so to evenly distribute them I mixed them in a bowl first. Fill the space between the containers with the candy. Add water and arrange the flowers in the center container. Tie a pretty bow around the vase. When I first placed the tulips into my arrangement they were dramatically flopped [...]...

Think outside of the basket. Use blown-out eggs as adorable Easter decorations that can hang, or add an Easter touch to a centerpiece. Check out this video of a recent appearance on the TODAY Show where I show Kathie Lee & Hoda how to blow eggs. Egg Ornaments Materials Blown-out, dyed eggs Ribbon, beads, glitter and/or paint Hot glue gun 18 gage galvanized steel wire Wire cutters Jewelers or needle nose pliers String or jewelry wire Blow out the insides of the eggs, dye them with traditional Easter egg dye, and let them dry completely. Using the carton as a drying rack is a great way to dry the eggs. Decorate the eggs with ribbon, beads, glitter, paint, or any other way you like. Thread a piece of wire through the holes [...]...

Having dinner by candle light, or just lighting a few candles in the evening for some nice mood lighting is so beautiful and romantic. However, there’s always that little bit of candle that needs to be removed before it melts into the sconce or candle holder. If you save those nubs they can be reused and made into a brand new candle. Materials About a dozen used candle nubs Tea cup and saucer Metal bowl Pot of boiling water Plastic fork Bamboo skewer Find an old tea cup or a small ceramic bowl. This tea cup came from a thrift store and wasn’t in perfect condition, but it had a nice graphic pine cone on it. Fill a medium-sized sauce pan with an inch or two of water, and [...]...

Valentine’s Day cards are a thoughtful gesture from a loved one, or friend. However, once the holiday is over they really aren’t very useful. They can be stored away to look at many years later, or, sadly, they can end up in the recycle bin. There is a third option though: they can be made into something that can be cherished for years to come. Here are two ways to do just that. Valentine Card Mat Materials: Valentine card Utility or craft knife, or scissors Artists’ tape Bone folder (optional) Frame Remove the back of the card. Cut a section on the front of the card to accommodate a photo. Using a photo that will fit in the cut-out space, place a piece of tape at the top of [...]...

It’s sweet that your main squeeze bought you that plush toy for Valentine’s Day, but, as an adult, what do you do with it once the holiday is over? It’s possible it will become one of those things that gets kicked around for a while until it eventually ends up at the local thrift store, or as your dog’s toy. However, with a few easy steps you could turn that cute little toy into a secret hiding place that no one will ever suspect. You just have to be able to stomach chopping its head off temporarily. Materials: Medium sized plush toy Small container Scissors Hot glue gun Start by selecting a container that will fit inside the toy’s belly. In order to really conceal the container, [...]...

Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is all about drinking—whether you’re in a couple, or single. Who doesn’t love a glass of pink champagne on this day some argue is made up by the greeting card, chocolate and jewelry industries? This got me to thinking, what else can I drink that can be made pink? Grenadine Let grenadine be your friend on Valentine’s day. It can turn just about anything clear to almost clear into a pink or red drink—from the Shirley Temple to the Hurricane. I thought, if it can make those drinks rosy, how about beer? Hard cider? I did a little experiment, and two tablespoons of grenadine did in fact turn my ordinary beer into a festive Valentine’s Day brew. The [...]...

A Sweet Storybook Romance Here are two really great gifts you can make from Goodwill finds. The candy dish is a sweet and easy project that can be assembled in a few minutes. The book gift is a little more involved, but is a nice, romantic surprise for a special sweetheart—the inside is hollowed out, so a secret gift can be placed inside! Either way, that special someone will love these thoughtful Valentine’s presents, and you’ll be supporting Goodwill which by selling donated goods in its outlet and retail stores and online creates thousands of jobs and millions in revenues that fund job training programs across the United States and Canada, contributing sound investments in the economic health of local communities. Book with [...]...

Surprise your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day with something sweet: breakfast in bed. These homemade pancakes are fantastic with just better and syrup, and are a Sunday morning staple in my house, but topped with fresh, heart-shaped strawberries and homemade whipped cream they become a Valentine’s Day treat. Ingredients Strawberry topping: 1-lb strawberries 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar Pancakes: 1 1/4 cup flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1 tbsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 egg 1 cup milk 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (makes about a dozen small pancakes) Strawberry Whipped Cream: 1 pint heavy or whipping cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tbsp. sugar Juice from strawberries Remove the strawberry stems. Cut a notch in the top to make the strawberry slices heart-shaped. Slice the strawberries into thin slices. Throw the cut out notch into the [...]...

Add some romantic mood lighting to your Valentine’s Day with these easy decoupage candle holders. They make a great gift for your sweetheart, and they’re simple to make, so make a few to light up the night. These can also double as vases if your Valentine prefers flowers to candles. Materials Glass candle holder Red, white, and/or pink tissue paper Decoupage glue (or acrylic gel medium) Paint brush Tea candle Cut the base tissue paper, so it will wrap around the glass candle holder, Tack in place with a little glue on the back edge. Then paint the glue on top. To make uniform, decorative hearts, make a template with paper, fold a strip of tissue paper accordion style, trace the template, and cut the paper. Once the base [...]...