"Christmas in July" Sharpie Plates

Welcome to Day 5 of "Christmas in July" 

hosted by Cowgirl Up!

Sharpie Plates

I am Samantha from Crafty Texas Girls. I am so excited to share my fun and easy "Sharpie Plates" with you today!

Like any good crafter, I love finding 'vintage treasures'. And on a recent thrifting trip at our local Goodwill, I came across these pretty white plates. So for $6, I snatched up 4 coffee cups and 4 plates.

How to Make Your Own Sharpie Plates

Inspired by a project I found via Pinterest, I decided to use my 'new' plates and a Sharpie marker to create some Christmas dishes. 

One of my favorite color combinations is black and white, so I loved the contrast and simplicity of this project. I used a piece of tape to make a 'guide line'-- it helped me keep the letters straight. Then I free-handed some polka dots on the edge of the plate and on the mug. If you make a mistake, don't worry! Just use some fingernail polish remover to wipe away the ink.

Finally, I baked the dishes in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then let them cool, they will be hot!

How to Use Your Sharpie Plate

When the holidays roll around, these plates can be used so many different ways!
-For serving Christmas breakfast
-On display in a Christmas vignette
-Or even filled with Christmas goodies and given as presents to the neighbors.

Be Creative 

 I loved making this funky mug. The doodle was inspired by this plate.

And my favorite dish ended up being this one, my daughter made it!

Is is December Yet? 

I can't wait for December to roll around so I can incorporate these plates into my Christmas decor.

-Coffee Filter Wreath 

-Christmas Pillows

-Shabby Chic Ornaments

See More Crafty Inspiration on my Tutorial Page

If you are a new reader, I hope you'll stop by and visit Crafty Texas Girls- my girls and I are always working on something crafty and fun. Check out the newly updated tutorial page for lots of great home decor, parties, sewing, recipes and family centered projects.  You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.

-Vintage Chairs: Making the most of thrifted furniture

-Ruffled Lampshade: The beauty of muslin and hot glue

-Birthdays/Showers: Throwing a party you will love

-Cooking: Memories made in the kitchen

-Top Posts from Crafty Texas Girls: Don't miss these great project ideas!

What would you make with a sharpie marker and some white dishes? What Christmas crafts are you excited to try this year? Stay tuned, "Christmas in July" continues tomorrow with my friend Missy from "Lookie What I Did"!

Christmas in July- A Vintage Christmas Card Pillow

COWGIRL UP! CHRISTMAS IN JULY PARTY AND WEEK 25 OF THE COWGIRL UP! LINK PARTY Woo hoo! There’s a whole lot of partying going on tonight! First, we are on Day Four of the Christmas in July Party and it’s my turn to host! This is Debbie at Confessions of a Plate Addict and I am so excited because I have a fun and easy Christmas project for you! And…it is also time for Week 25 of the Cowgirl Up! Link Party! That’s a whole lot of inspiration all in one place! First, I’d like to show you my Christmas project…a vintage Christmas card pillow! In case you are new to my blog, I should explain that I could almost rename it Confessions of a Pillow Addict! And this one is super easy and fun to make. I started with a vintage Christmas postcard and added a craft scissors border from Picmonkey. Next, I printed it on iron-on transfer paper and applied it to a scrap of linen, following the directions on the package. I have already flipped it for you to make it easy! (postcard credit Royce Bair/ The Stock Solution) I left the raveled edges of the linen to give it a more vintage look and stitched it to a burlap pillow cover that I made.  I used an envelope closure (tutorial here) for the back of the pillow because I have a storage problem for my many pillows and need to be able to change the covers! lol Finally, I used the glue gun to add a few felt holly leaves and red pom pom berries to finish it off and add some interest and texture. You can find a pattern for a holly leaf shape here. And here’s another look at the finished project! I really like the way it turned out! And it was practically free since I had almost everything on hand…including the down pillow form from Goodwill for under $3.00! Woo hoo! Behind it, there’s a pillow I made from a Goodwill sweater last winter topped by a burlap flower (flower tutorial here.) Sooo…now I am thinking…what will my theme be this Christmas? Last year I used some old drapery panels to create a French ticking, mercury glass and burlap themed Christmas. (Click here to have a closer look.) And the year before I used vintage sheet music, mercury glass and burlap in my Christmas decorations. (You can get a closer look at these decorations here.) Hmmm…are you seeing a pattern here? Our co-host Baby Kitty is pointing out that I seem to be using burlap every Christmas! And it looks like I’m already headed that way again! This year maybe holly, birds and...what else...burlap? lol What about you? Are you thinking about  Christmas yet? Do you have a theme in your decorations? Be sure to come back tomorrow as our Christmas in July Party continues to see more Christmas ideas and inspiration!

Feel free to check out all of the blogs!  Here are the links: Amanda @ The Ivy Cottage Blog Korrie @ Red Hen House Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch Debbie @ Confessions of a Plate Addict Samantha @ Crafty Texas Girls Missy @ Lookie What I Did Linsey @ The Farmhouse Porch Pamela @ From My Porch to Yours

And now...on to the Cowgirl Up! Link Party ! And…the party will have a little different twist this week!

Welcome to Week 25 of

Cowgirl Up! Link Party . . .

the party with a cowgirl can-do spirit!

1 Party, this week 8 Blogs

Because of the Christmas in July event this week, we won't be including any features from last week.  We hope you will join the fun as Cowgirl Up is on 8 blogs this week, woo hoo!!

And since we are all celebrating Christmas in July this week, we encourage you to link up your favorite Christmas projects as well…current or past!

Now about the party...

You link up on my blog and this week your link will show up on EIGHT blogs.

More exposure, less time.

We are looking for the latest and greatest projects, tutorials,

ideas, crafts, recipes, decor, and inspiring stories.

Anything that you are proud to show off.

Cowgirl Up! is the link party that saves you time and brings you inspiration.

Doesn't get any easier than that!

What blogs will your link appear on? Check us out below!

Linsey with The Farmhouse Porch

Anita with Cedar Hill Ranch

Amanda with The Ivy Cottage Blog

Samantha with Crafty Texas Girls

And this week, we also have 4 guest hosts:

Korrie @ Red Hen House

Debbie @ Confessions of a Plate Addict

Missy @ Lookie What I Did

Pamela @ From My Porch to Yours

The four of us are all Texas bloggers, but you don't have to be Texas, country, western, or own horses to participate in Cowgirl Up! You just need that "can-do", cowgirl spirit!

Cowgirl Up! Link Party Guidelines:

(Please read the guidelines before participating)

* When you link with Cowgirl Up!, your link will automatically show on four different blogs. Awesome!

* Please follow your host blog before linking up on GFC (and if you have a linkyfollow account, then please follow that way too.)

* You may link up decor, DIY, crafts, guest post, recipes, giveaways, sewing, inspiring stories, and anything that you feel related to the listed categories.

* You may link as many links as you want.

* Be sure to include the Cowgirl Up! Button or text link to Cowgirl Up in your linked post, (mine can be found on my sidebar.) Mandatory to be featured!!

* Be courteous and visit the two links before yours.  Several projects will be featured each week!

* By linking up you are agreeing that we may use your photos to feature your project in a blog post, on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter with a link back to your blog of course.

"Christmas in July"-French Script Cones

*If you are here for The Cowgirl Up Link Party, this week only it will begin Tuesday morning at 8 am, so please come back then to link up.*


Hi, it's Anita here from Cedar Hill Ranch.  This post is part of our Christmas in July series.  We have 8 days of Christmas projects to break up this July heat, and the posts are showing on 8 fabulous blogs.  I'll show you the schedule later in this post. 


When the Cowgirl Up ladies were discussing doing a Christmas in July, I have to admit I panicked a little. I had no idea what I was going to do, because I don't think of myself as being crafty.  

My first reaction was to say no.  But then I might be considered the "Cowgirl Grinch"  or the "Texas Scrooge", so I decided to keep my mouth shut.  I'm the oldest of of the Cowgirl Up group,

so I work at not being "the frumpy, cranky, old one."




Everyone chimed in about what a great idea it was, so that was that.  I could go along with the group or be the "Debbie Downer."  Now I had to come up with something, or be the mean mom that tells the cool kids they are being too loud.  


Before I get to my project, I wanted to tell you a little bit about the ranch. Come on, and pull up a chair on the back porch.

Or we could hang out on the front porch.

This spring when the bluebonnets were in full bloom, this was my view when I had my morning cup of tea. I love it when the bluebonnets are blooming. It's a magical few weeks. 

Cedar Hill Ranch is a 30 acre ranch in the heart of Texas. It's what I call "Texas Living with a French accent."  Dinner on my back porch with my friends and family is really a picture of what life is here is all about. 

Come for a visit any time, just click here. 


Here's the schedule for the entire Christmas in July Series.  You can see all of the posts by visiting the blog you are looking at right now, but I would love it if checked out all of these wonderful blogs.   

Here are the links


Amanda @ The Ivy Cottage Blog
Korrie @ Red Hen House
Anita @ Cedar Hill Ranch
Debbie @ Confessions of a Plate Addict
Samantha @ Crafty Texas Girls
Missy @ Lookie What I Did
Linsey @ The Farmhouse Porch
Pamela @ From My Porch to Yours


I had some ideas of what I could do for this project, but they required my sewing machine that was in the shop.  Since then I have received news that it will cost $200 to repair it, so I'm shopping for a new one. So what to do...  I pulled everything (and I do mean everything) craft-related out of every drawer in the house, and laid it all out.  After surveying my materials, I came up with the idea of making Christmas cones that could double as place cards.

The first thing I did was to use my script stamp to add French script to my card stock.  (Honestly I can't read this, so it could be in French, English or Spanish and I wouldn't know. I'm calling it French, but really I'm not sure what it is.)

Next, I formed the cardstock into a cone shape and used tape to keep it in place.

I thought I would try adding a little je ne sais quoi to the cones. I used a Martha Stewart snowflake paper punch to make some paper snowflakes, and added them around the outside of the cone.

I think solid green paper might have worked better, but I didn't have solid green, so I used what I had. I added a twine bow to the top of the cone.

I also used these card stock tags from Pick your Plum for the placecards, using just the first initial of each guest's name.  I also cut a little piece of snowflake trim to top off my cone.  Later, these cones can be hung on the tree using the twine bow at the top.

I filled the cones with tiny, little pinecones. Okay, pinecones don't come this small, they are actually from Hemlocks in North Carolina. I grab these from the ground each year when we go there.  I also used vintage sheet music from my FIL's collection to go under the saucers. These are church hymns, and the date of publication was 1926. 

Here's a view of the table with my new Christmas cones.

I used my Lenox Wheat dishes for this table. These dishes were my MIL's and she always talked in reverential tones when discussing how special these dishes were. I wondered when we would ever have an occasion special enough for her to use them.  Sadly the answer was "never."  

She kept these stored away for that special occasion that never came.  I'm sure she did use them at least once when she was yonger, but in the 30 years that I knew her, they stayed snugly stored in one of her china cabinets.  

After I made the cones, I realized I needed a way to keep them upright on the table.  I thought of placing them in a tall glass, but then remembered my chicken wire that I had left over from my chicken wire project, click here to see it.  I cut small pieces of the wire and made them into small cylinders, then squeezed them together to better hold the cones.

To go with all of the gold trim on the dishes, I used my MIL's solid brass napkin rings, and also her embroidered napkins.  (She had an pretty impressive stash of linen and cotton napkins.) 

I also used her embroidered tablecloth, 

And her bronze flatware, that she picked up on a trip to Thailand.

This turned out to be fun! Thanks for joining our Christmas in July party. Remember to come back Tuesday morning for Cowgirl Up.  Next week Cowgirl Up will resume it's normal schedule of going live Monday night at 9 pm.