I really love it when my Better Homes and Gardens magazine shows up in the mailbox. I always find something useful and interesting in there. It’s not often that I tear out something from a magazine for future reference, but it happens a lot with this one.

This month there are some adorable Valentine’s Day crafts that I really like.

They featured some really sweet cookies; love notes tucked into sugar cones and topped with meringue cookies; and — my favorite — votive holders with muffin liners over the top. They look really easy and really fun (not to mention inexpensive).

Basically, you take a votive candle holder, top it with a cute muffin liner, tie with some colorful string or ribbon and you’re set! You can fill the votive with a little gift. Cheapest route is a little poem, a truffle or other chocolate. I plan on making these with my daughter.

On the same page is another craft with muffin liners. Just glue the liners on a handmade card, glue your child’s picture in the middle of the liner (just their face) and cut out a few “stems” to make the picture complete.

The cookies I like are also easy. You start with a box of chocolate wafer cookies, put a heart-shaped stencil over a cookie and “paint” inside the lines with piping gel and dust the gel with edible glitter. Nom, nom. And pretty, too!

Several months ago we started looking for the craftiest mamas in Northwest Arkansas. And, boy, did we find ‘em. We were blown away by how creative the submissions were. We saw photos of a wide range of projects, everything from refurbished chandeliers to tooth fairy boxes and even a zebra-striped ceiling! It was awesome, but it sure did make it hard for our panel of judges to decide who would win the Crafty Mama crown.

But, after much deliberation… the newly crowned Crafty Mama Queens are Brittany Phillips and Molly Clark of Fayetteville! (Insert pageant wave here.) These two ladies created a collage of their favorite spots around Northwest Arkansas. Each spot is represented with a hand-crafted tag and fastened to a wall canvas bearing a map of Fayetteville. Check it out:

Here are a few close-up shots of the tags. The judges were impressed with how much thought went into this project, and they said the execution was spot-on. There are tags for places including the Botanical Gardens, the Farmers Market in Fayetteville, Hog football, Old Main, Dickson Street, Bordinos, Richard’s Meat Market, George’s Majestic Lounge, Walton Arts Center and more.

I called Brittany to give her the good news and asked for the story behind this creative piece. She said she and Molly have been friends for a while and like to work on projects together. But busy schedules were making it tough to get together as much as they wanted, so this tag project solved the problem. Each of them worked on separate tags and then got together a few nights a week to collaborate and put it all together. That’s how this tribute collage to Fayetteville was born.

The collage was eventually auctioned off in a charity event and now belongs to Joe Fennel who owns Bordinos restaurant on Dickson Street.

Brittany is a designer at Doxa in Fayetteville and Molly runs her own Ebay store called Strange Young Pony. She also works as a home remodeler.

So congrats Brittany and Molly! You girls will enjoy a gourmet lunch at Cuisines Bistro in Rogers and you can follow that up with a $100 shopping spree at Signed Sealed Delivered, who sponsored the Crafty Mama Queen contest. (Signed Sealed Delivered is now located in the Shoppes at Pinnacle Hills, close to the Cold Stone Creamery and across the street from the Embassy Hotel.)

Thanks so much to all of you who submitted photos of your crafty projects. You all deserve the crown, if you ask me. The last thing I made was a crocheted potholder in the 7th grade, and that thing was pitiful. You ladies, on the other hand, have been blessed with real crafty talent.

With as much time as most moms spend in the kitchen feeding kids, it sure is nice to have something pretty to look at on the kitchen island or table. So we asked our crafty friends over at Signed Sealed Delivered to give us some ideas on how to make great fall centerpieces to use anywhere in your house. They even threw in some ideas for pretty holiday centerpieces, too. Enjoy!

Idea No. 1: Everyone has a crystal bowl or pretty glass dish in their cupboard. Fill the bowl with water and float some fall flowers, flower petals or floater candles on the surface of the water for a lovely glow.  Surround them with preserved fall leaves or small gourds or pumpkins.

Idea No. 2: Hollow out a pumpkin and place a potted mum inside for an inexpensive and colorful fall arrangement that works inside and out.

Idea No. 3: Place tea lights inside hollowed out vegetables, mini pumpkins, or fruits and set around the table for subtle illumination.

Idea No. 4: For seasonal table décor, place moss balls, pine cones, Easter eggs, or Christmas ornaments in a decorative bowl or footed decorative glass vases, depending on the season.

Idea No. 5: Fill wine glasses, martini glasses or footed candle holders with various seasonal candies and nestle a tea light in the candy. Candy corn, red hots, gum balls, jelly beans… anything goes!

Idea No. 6: Wrap a potted flower, like a mum or a geranium, with burlap and tie with rope or ribbon.

Idea No. 7: Wide mesh is one of our favorite ribbons right now. We love to open it up and run it down the center of any table and decorate for fall and holiday events.

Idea No. 8: If you are decorating for a child’s holiday event, start with a favorite toy (or a new one) that is tied with a beautiful fall or holiday bow. We love to theme even our holiday parties. Try filling a Tonka truck with candy for the boys and tea cups for the girls.

Idea No. 9: Let beautifully wrapped gifts become your centerpiece. Choose papers and ribbons that match the décor of the room or your holiday theme, and then wrap small, medium and a few larger boxes to make a statement. You might even fill each with a small gift and put a tag for each guest at the party to take with them when they depart.

Idea No. 10: Buy or grow a series of small evergreen trees and place them down your table’s center.  Add fresh greens, berries and pine cones directly onto the table to add a bit of nature to your holiday.

Don’t forget: Children love to help with the holidays. Let them create a series of holiday ornaments and décor with paper, Styrofoam, glitter, ribbon and add them to a fabric, mesh or ribbon covered center.  No other table will look as special as yours and the kids will love to see their work.

Our thanks to the ladies of Signed Sealed Delivered for all the great ideas you see listed above. If you are short on the time or energy to create your own centerpiece this fall, you could always swing by Signed Sealed Delivered and take home something you really love. The store’s designers, Terri, Shirley and Barbara, have become well-known for their gorgeous centerpieces and arrangements that have a real “wow” factor. They can even design arrangements specifically for your event, home decor, colors, etc. (The centerpieces you see pictured in this post are available at Signed Sealed Delivered, too.) For more info, click here to see their website or call the store at 479-271-7747.

If you’re in the process of planning a baby’s nursery or trying to figure out a way to refresh a nursery for a second or third baby, you’re going to LOVE these ideas sent over by our crafty mama friends at Signed Sealed Delivered in Rogers. We especially love that many of these crafty ideas are also great ways to save money and still create a truly beautiful room for a beautiful baby. Read on.

1. Make a plan: The majority of nursery decor mistakes stem from a simple lack of planning. So make a plan before starting your nursery, moving into a new home or building a new home with a nursery. Don’t forget that the space will need to grow with your child. The changing table and rocking chair will one day be replaced by a twin bed or something larger.

If you’re having trouble figuring out if and how everything will fit into the room, try using a “Room Spacing Kit.” Layout your nursery just like the professionals, using repositionable stickers to determine where furniture and accessories will go. (You can find room spacing kits at Signed Sealed Delivered in Rogers or online by clicking here.)

2. The walls: If you have a wall that needs a little repair or are looking for a trendy look, try painting one wall with chalk board paint. Now available in a wide range of colors, it’s the perfect way to let creativity live in your home. (And toddlers love it, too!)

3. Re-purpose furniture finds for the new baby: A variety of furniture in different colors and finishes becomes a unified set when painted. We love “Canvas Home Basics Furniture Cabinet and Trim Paint”.  (You can find it at Signed Sealed Delivered in Rogers.) It will adhere to any surface without priming or sanding, and that includes stained, painted and finished furniture and cabinets. It’s a very doable weekend project and a great way to re-purpose furniture you have. Use a great flea market find and then mix in that piece from the garage sale. One note: Make sure that when choosing a crib that it meets current regulations and safety standards.

4. BIG pictures: We love photography and we love to see it larger than life. Plan space to hang large pictures that begin at birth and show the steps along the way. Kids love to see their own photos and this a great way to decorate with one of a kind shots. Studies show that babies are naturally drawn to look at faces versus other types of pictures.

5. Bring in the armoire: Armoires were once the most popular piece of furniture in almost every home, housing the television in every living room. With the invention of flat screens and larger televisions, the need for armoires has decreased. It might not be necessary for the TV anymore, but it’s the perfect storage space for clothes and toys in the nursery. Repaint white or black and the original style fits perfectly into your nursery style. For fun, add dots, stripes or even hearts to make a one-of-a-kind focal point for the room.

6. Pillow talk: Beautiful fabrics are abundant these days, so don’t let the high price of interior fabrics scare you away. Take a look at the remnant bins, sale fabrics and any damaged goods specials. You can make pillows in any size and shape, so you have the flexibility to use a wide range of fabric sizes and shapes, which allows you to take advantage of the specials.

Don’t forget about our Crafty Mama Queen contest! The winner gets a gourmet lunch and $100 to spend at Signed Sealed Delivered in Rogers. Click here for the details!