Vintage Homemaking Week: Day Three

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VINTAGE

Welcome to Vintage Homemaking Week! This series is designed to bring back some of the old-fashioned skills of homemaking for the woman of today.

Each day I’ll feature a post or guest post here on my blog as well as links to some others who are participating. Each individual post will not only have a how-to on a skill of homemaking, but also a great giveaway!

And, there is a grand prize giveaway for one gal who either Tweets, Pins on Pinterest or writes a Facebook status about our series. She’ll win a $50 gift certificate to our Proverbs 31 ministries Online store to buy books and products just for her! {details at the end of this post}

Here today I’ve talked my best friend from college, Kelly Hovermale, into sharing one of her many creative gift ideas with you: handwritten scripture tags! But first, be sure to check out the other bloggers in today’s tour: {And remember that Samantha from Fields of Gold has a new how-to gardening post every day this week!}

MaddysRecipesDarlene Schacht from Time Warp Wife and her husband Michael I live in Manitoba Canada. Married 25 years, they have four children (three still at home), a birds and two cuddly pugs. Their lives are basically surrounded with three things: faith, music and everything books. She’s an award winning and New York Times best-selling author who is nothing without the grace of God. {And she is a blast to hang out with. We just spoke together at the Women Living Well conference this month!}

Today she’s sharing five ways to encourage young homemakers. She’s also giving away a free printable chore chart to all readers. Click here to get to her post.

natural-wood-stainNext we have Jennifer Smith. Jennifer leads a community of over 150,000 women through her blog UnveiledWife.com where she publishes daily encouragements for wives. She is passionate about being a wife and mother, she enjoys writing and using her talents to help marriages thrive. {You may remember her from when she offered a guest post here last week}

Jennifer is sharing with us how to get the vintage look with a DIY Non Toxic Wood Stain. She is also giving away a copy of her new devotional Wife After God. Click here to see her how-to lessen!

applesauce_breadMy new friend Ashley Schnarr from Stay at Home Daughter is a young, single girl living in the southern part of the US. {We also hung out at the Women Living Well conference} She is a homeschool graduate and stay-at-home daughter who lives and serves at home with her family.  She has a love for singing and a heart for encouraging other young women to prepare along with her, for their wonderful, future roles as wife and mother.

Today Ashley is sharing a tutorial on her blog about baking homemade Applesauce Bread.  She will also be giving away a copy of her new ebook “Single Girl- the single woman’s guide to life, liberty and the pursuit of godliness” Great for single women or mother’s of single women! Click here to see her post.

Pot_on_FIre_

My ministry partner Lynn Cowell is a Proverbs 31 speaker and author who really doesn’t enjoy cooking meals from scratch but does enjoy eating them! In between writing books and speaking to teen girls and their moms, Lynn attempts to feed her family food they like as well as food that is good for them! She is sharing the 4 step system she uses to get that done!

For all us busy moms, Lynn is giving away a 3 month subscription to emeals.com, the resource for taking the stress out of dinner with pre-made weekly meal plans and shopping lists too! Valued at $27!

Lynn is also offering you the opportunity to get the recipe for her family’s favorite birthday treat – The Cowell Cheesecake recipe! ANYONE can make this no fail cake! Click here to get to her post.

Now, for Kelly’s creative idea! She gave me this for my last birthday and it is one of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever gotten! Here’s Kelly to tell you her idea:

2We all know people in our lives that need encouragement and what better way to show we care for that special someone than to create some handwritten Scripture tags. In a day of texting, email, and twitter, we are getting closer to seeing the art of handwriting become extinct.

While making anything homemade takes time, each minute I write, cut, and glue sends a special love that could not be shown any other way.  Yes, it would be easier to type out the verse in a pretty font, but to copy Scripture in my own handwriting helps me to meditate more on the Scripture because I am physically writing each word. Also, praying the Scripture for the person as you write each one out, sends even more blessings.

A retro picture of Kelly and me from 1982 and one of us from about a year or two ago.
A retro picture of Kelly and me from 1982 and one of us from about a year or two ago.

In thinking about what verses to use, it is helpful to use those that would encourage a loved one in the situation of life they are experiencing. Maybe it is a fearful daughter going off to college, or a new mom who needs encouragement in her new role even in those wee morning hours. There may be a friend going through a tough valley because of her health that draws her closer to Jesus through the reading of each verse. Plus the act of making the Scripture tags slows us down. We cannot use spell check or the delete button, so it makes us more careful in how we handle God’s Word. For me, handwriting is a way to relax and wind down.

I hang a tag per week on my kitchen window above my sink.
I hang a tag per week on my kitchen window above my sink.

Here are some Scripture ideas to use:

  • Psalms
  • Proverbs
  • God’s Promises
  • Jesus’ words in the Gospels
  • Use a Bible Concordance or Biblegateway.com to look up words such as fear, hope, faith, thankfulness, God’s goodness, grace, joy, prayer, perseverance and many others.

Now, how to make them!

photo-1Supplies:

  • manila file folders
  • scrapbooking paper( about 3-4 coordinated designs with print on front and back)
  • white cotton yarn (mine was purchased on a cone and I use it for several things around the home)
  • White reinforcement hole labels
  • glue stick (one for crafts not kid’s glue)
  • hole punch

Instructions:
The size of my tag is 3 3/4 inch by 1 3/4 inch. Cut out a rectangle this size from the manila folders. At about the 3 inch mark cut away up to the middle of the top of the rectangle on both sides to make the point. Now use this as a pattern to cut as many rectangles as verse cards you will need. I made about thirty for a set. Next, cut out  3 1/4 inch by 2 1/4 inch rectangles from the scrapbooking papers. Glue these papers onto the back of the Scripture tags. This should leave a small border around the tag. Use a hole puncher to punch a hole in the arrow portion of the tag. Reinforce with a hole label. Then, cut a piece of yarn 12 inches. Fold in half. Tie a knot at the bottom, then loop in through the hole and pull to knot. The knot should be the part that is hanging.

1You could give them in a jar or basket, or just wrap them up and let them choose from a container they have that works for them. You could also make a tag with the verse from Ps. 119:105 and attach it to the gift. They could then attach it to their jar or basket. And remember, they don’t have to be perfect. But they will know it was given from the heart.

TODAY’S  GIVEAWAY: A $15 Hobby Lobby gift card to buy some supplies to make your own handwritten scripture tags!

To be entered to win this giveaway, leave a comment here with who you’d like to bless with a handwritten note or set of gift tags. All winners announced the Tuesday after Labor Day.

To be entered in the grand prize drawing for the $50 gift certificate to Proverbs 31, Just grab a Tweet, Facebook status or Pin below and then tell me by clicking here and commenting that you did so. If you share one way, you’ll be entered once. Share two ways? Twice. All three? {You get the picture}

Here are two tweets to copy & paste into Twitter:

Old-fashioned how-to homemaking skills from over a dozen bloggers! @karen_ehman Its Vintage Homemaking Week at karenehman.com

Homemaking need some new ideas? How about some old? @karen_ehman Vintage Homemaking Week karenehman.com A dozen bloggers & prizes!

Facebook:

Homemaking need some fresh new ideas? Well…….how about some old-fashioned ones instead? It is Vintage Homemaking Week at karenehman.com Over a dozen bloggers & awesome prizes! Baking, canning, freezing, gardening, cleaning and organizing strategies, re-furnishing furniture, throwing a vintage party, retro-hair & make-up and other old-fashioned how-tos! It will spark your creativity and re-energize your home, marriage and mothering. Join us!!!

Pin:   http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756333513747/

See you tomorrow for more vintage ideas!

103 Comments

  1. This year, one of my 2013 goals was to write a handwritten note to every female family member — aunts, cousins, grandmas, sister, mom, etc. There were 26 when I counted them up, so I’ve been trying to write one every other week. I have enjoyed it greatly and even received a few handwritten notes in return!

  2. I would love to make these for all sorts of people… my mother-in-law, my friends that live far-away, and my friend who was newly ordained a deacon’s wife. Cute idea!

  3. Love this idea! I can think of SO many ways to use this. I know a number of girls who went off to college this year and it would be great for them! Thanks!

  4. This would be such a great gift for a dear friend of mine who is very involved in our church and going through a difficult time in life right now. : )

  5. There is a beautiful soul in our Monday morning Roof Crashers Bible Study that has beat breast cancer & keeps on fighting obstacles along the way. She just found out that the pneumonia she thought was being treated for 6 weeks now is not pneumonia & going for a biopsy today at noon. I sent her a scripture yesterday & one this morning on FB but absolutely love the idea of our 35+ study group making some scripture tags and give to her so she has them placed everywhere she might need a reminder & lift as she faces another uncertain obstacle. She always goes out of her way for others & animals as well & I find her to be a true inspiration as many do. I found this to be a beautiful gesture of His Love Letters! Thank you!

  6. I love these tags:) I would make these for my mother-in-law, who is going through a rough time now and needs encouragement.

  7. wow! I LOVE this idea! I have a heart to encourage! I will def use this idea! thank you for sharing! I instantly have two people in mind to do something like this. An amazing mom of 3 and a brand new mom who is awaiting the arrival of her baby :-) thanks again and God bless!!

    1. I would like to give this to my mother. She can’t get out much and she could
      read these scriptures and then give them to a friend who visits her. Also, I
      would like to give them to the different teachers we are having each week
      for our Wednesday evening Bible class. Thanks for the great idea!!

  8. I would like to make the Scripture tags for my 19 year old granddaughter who just moved about 60 miles away from her parents to be on her own for the first time.

  9. This also would be a great craft to share with the ladies at Shalom House here in my town. It is a program for women who are fighting an addiction.

  10. I would share these with the sweet people I serve on my job daily and anybody else I might think that needs encouragement.

  11. Love the scripture tags. These would make great Christmas presents. So I hope no one I know is reading this because these will be under my tree this year.

  12. I would bless the special education teacher I work for at my middle school. Some days are tough and I know these would really lift her up on the tough days. I think I would also make another set for the aide I work with also. We 3 make a great team but some days a little encouragement goes along way!!

  13. I will be making these for a very special lady who has mentored me through a lot of stuff in my life. I also have a friend who loves scripture and memorizes all the time.

  14. I would love to make these for the women at Dove’s Nest and for a few friends that need encouragement that God is there and Loves them through the hard times!

  15. Kelly’s daughter spent a few days with us last week. Our daughters are best friends. I am do thankful for the Godly influence their family is for myself and my daughter. These cards are a great idea for our preteen daughters. They can always use encouragement at this age.

  16. I would love to make this set of scriptures for my bestie who lives in Arizona for her birthday in September. We haven’t seen one another for over 3 years. I live in Kentucky. She is a wife of a Youth Pastor and is very involved in the ministry. She is an amazing woman who has really helped me along with my faith in Christ.

  17. I would like to encourage my 1st grade teacher that I assist. We have a lot of challenges in our class this year and she is stressed about it. I think these scriptures will strengthen and encourage her.

  18. My sister is struggling spiritually, emotionally, physically & in her marriage. She really needs to see God at work in her life. Even if I don’t win these, I am going to try give her some Scriptures~even if they don’t look quite as nice as the ones in the picture:)

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