The Best of Home Crafts by Ali in 2015

It's time to share the Best of Home Crafts by Ali in 2015. The top ten posts that you, my wonderful readers, loved to visit this year.

I can't believe that 2015 is almost over with! I thought as a year-end post I would share the 10 most visited posts for the year. I'm glad that you all have visited me throughout the year and supported me with your kind comments.

Here are the 10 most visited posts in 2015 ~

10

Winter Wonderland

This week it snowed here in Utah. That might not seem like a big deal, but it's been a few years since we have had some good snow in the valley. The last few years there was a light dusting in the morning that had melted by the early afternoon. The snow this week softly fell while we slept on Monday morning, then continued throughout the day. Seeing the snow blanketing the yard and surrounding areas makes it look so peaceful and fresh. With the sunshine sparkling on the snow it is a winter wonderland.

When it is cold outside, I prefer to curl up with a good book and enjoy the snow from the window. This week though I decided to venture out and enjoy the beauty of the snow.

2

Healthier Breakfast Casserole

Want to try a healthier version of the tasty sausage breakfast casserole that has all the wonderful taste? This recipe is the one that you have been looking for!

My family loves this healthier version of the well known sausage breakfast casserole. This healthier version doesn't skimp on the flavor either. We love it for breakfast on Saturday morning, or even for dinner sometimes. It's tasty whenever you decide to eat it! You can assemble it the night before for a faster breakfast.

24

A Minted Giveaway

Are you looking for a unique decor piece, gift, or creative card or invitation? Minted offers all of those items on their website. I'm happy to join with Simplistically Living to offer you the chance to win a gift certificate to Minted. I'm sure that you will find items that are perfect for you!

Minted uses technology to allow consumers to discover great creative talent, making Minted a place where artists can learn, gain exposure, and build their businesses. So when you order from Minted you are helping independent artists become known and build their businesses! A great way to help entrepreneurs.

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Monthly Blog Check-in & Goals - Month 11

Can you believe that November is over already? Since the month is over, it's time for me to post my monthly check-in and goals update. I'm excited to share some of the ways I helped my pageviews and social media grow.

November was an exciting month here on my blog. I helped promote two giveaways this past month and joined up with two blog hops as well. It was fun to be part of a group of bloggers sharing holiday ideas (one for homemade ornaments and one for holiday recipes).

I had the opportunity to work with Andover Fabrics during the month as well. They had a new fabric line coming out and sent samples to creative bloggers to sew a project and share. It was also part of the giveaway on one of my posts (enter here until 12/14). The fabric they sent was beautiful and I have actually gone to a local quilt shop to buy more of that collection.

18

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Learn to make this homemade cream of chicken soup. With just a few ingredients you will have soup ready to add to your favorite recipe.

I love to make casseroles and Hawaiian Haystacks, but hate to buy cans of cream of chicken soup at the store. If you look at the labels of those cans, they have so many ingredients that you can't even pronounce. If you have an extra 20 minutes, you can make this soup yourself next time you need cream of chicken soup for a recipe. And it tastes so much better than the canned ones you buy at the store.

2

DIY Holiday Decor Mat

When you display your holiday decor, make sure that your wood furniture is protected. You can make one of these easy DIY decor mats to protect the wood from getting scratched.

Since Thanksgiving night, my girls have been asking to display our Christmas decorations. I have been delaying them because I didn't want my buffet to be scratched. It has been passed down in my family for the last 100 years and I didn't want to be the cause of it getting damaged. I decided to sew a quick decor mat so we could start to display our fun decorations.

My measurements will be for the size I need. You will have to measure your decor to see if you need a larger mat or a smaller one. This is a simple and easy DIY project that will protect your wood furniture from being accidentally damaged. It is double sided, so you can plan use for multiple occasions.

12

DIY Paper Straw Christmas Wreath

Now that Thanksgiving is past, it's time to look forward to Christmas. The first thing I decided to do to get ready for the holiday was to make a new wreath. I decided to make a paper straw Christmas wreath to decorate my front door.

Last week I went to a craft warehouse and bought quite a few craft supplies that I thought would be useful. I saw these Christmas themed paper straws and immediately knew they would be fun to use to make a wreath. After all the cooking for Thanksgiving, I relaxed by making my wreath.

If you follow this tutorial, you should be able to put together this wreath in about half an hour. It's easy to make and is a thrifty project too. All of the supplies together cost about $7.

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