Making Simple Things Beautiful

Raise your hand if you have a boy! I know some of you have many boys, but I only have one son and he's my oldest and lately, I have found myself getting increasingly irritated at him. He loves to bug his sisters and make them cry, he doesn't love to read, he loves to play with his legos, he doesn't love to pick them up (OUCH!). But my son is still 9 and he's in that limbo place where he wants to be a boy-boy, but he still wants to snuggle mommy. I love that.

Last week, just when I thought I was going to pull my hair out, I come home from work and he's waiting by the door. He has a surprise for me...which sometimes brings huge messes...so I'm a little skeptical. He said that he knew I loved crafts and he bought something from his teacher for me. I asked him if he spent all his behavior points on my gift and he said that he didn't have enough, but he wanted them for me so he took his own money to school and asked his teacher if he could buy them for me. Of course I started crying because I thought that was so sweet...and then he had his dad's look of confusion...was it a good cry or a bad cry. I hugged him so tight! And I thought...this is what Christmas is all about. The joy of giving and the joy of receiving a gift of love!

So, my idea this week is an idea for a gift and it was an idea that could showcase my son's cute gift to me which here below! Aren't they cute push pins. They're something Simple Made Beautiful! They are buttons glued to push pins! So simple, but so cute.

But I didn't even have a cork board...and this is where today's idea comes in.

You just need a frame without glass, a piece of cork board that fits your frame, some crazy securing do-dads, fabric and a staple gun. And then off course you can add the cute push pins after.

Cut the fabric to be able to cover the cork and fold over the sides. Then staple the fabric to the cork board, pulling tightly all the way around.

And then place into the frame. I secured the cork board with something the guy at Michael's told me to use...it was totally wrong though. These are to secure the glass, but my husband stepped in with his putty knife and made a slit in the frame and pushed these pieces in for me.

And then I added the pushpins. I think this is going to make a beautiful message board right on the wall in kind of a busy place. And I'll get to see my son's push pin present and be reminded that he's a sweet, sweet boy...even if he does smell like metal after playing outside.

P.S. If you're looking for ideas for neighborhood gifts or teacher gifts you can make, browse through our site. You might really like these easy projects:

Teacher Gift Plant 
Bead Bracelets (for Teachers maybe) 
Cute Jars for Teachers' desks
Body Scrub
Magnet Boards
Home/Linen Spray - perfect for the neighborhood