Gift in a Jar - "For your Mistletoes"

I needed an idea for a co-worker Xmas gift, and thought this gift would be perfect.

The materials needed are quite flexible. I will tell you what I used. A mason jar (Target, $2.19), a 4-in-1 foot scrub tool (Marshalls, $3.99), Neutrogena foot cream 2 oz (Target, $4), Essie nail polish - color of your choice (Kohl's, $6 with 30% off), Toenail clipper (Target, $1), Cotton balls (I had some laying around the house), a few scraps of cardstock, some sort of ribbon/decorative string, & a printed out paper that reads "for your mistletoes".

I like to print out a few different fonts & sizes because I never know what will look right until I am almost done with the project. 

In total, I spent about $15 on these items, with the largest cost being the nail polish. I am a huge Essie advocate, but going with a cheaper brand would bring the price down significantly. 

If you don't have a corner rounding punch tool, I highly recommend one. Once I got mine I had no idea how I ever crafted/scrapbooked without it!

I used some scraps of paper that I had to create this little gift tag. Since I only had a triangle piece of the snowflake paper left, I made do with a funky layout of patterned cardstock and plain cardstock. I matched the color to the nail polish in an attempt to be more festive. I wrote a little note on the back of the tag wishing the recipient a Merry Christmas, etc. 

In the end, the 4-in-1 scrub tool ended up too big for the jar. I feel like it actually brought more depth to the gift by leaving it sticking out like this. I put the screw top on the jar, but I left off the center cover so the scrubber could pop out. I reused some paper ribbon that was on a gift I'd already received. Overall I was very pleased with how simple this gift was and how well it turned out. 

Happy Christmas gifting!


P.S. Happy birthday Molly!

Penguin Gift Tags

I always put a lot of thought into wrapping presents. I love how they all look under the tree. This year I decided to make my own gift tags rather than buying them. I found this idea on pinterest, but I put my own spin on it.

Materials needed: cardstock in black & white (you can use another color other than black to switch it up a little), orange cardstock or construction paper, scissors, glue or double stick tape, ribbon & a hole punch.

 If you can't tell, I am not the best cutter. This seems like a trivial skill, but in this project I suppose it plays a big role. I think that despite my mediocre cutting skills, my gift tags still turned out alright. I don't think anyone will be inspecting the tags as they are unwrapping their presents Christmas morning.

The first thing I did was make template cut outs so I could trace them again & again to make multiple tags. I arbitrarily drew an oval shape on my black cardstock and cut it out. I did the same with white, making sure it was slightly smaller. Next I cut out 2 small hearts and a triangle shape for the nose.

I laid the pieces in the way I planned to glue them to assure they were the right size. Once I determined they were a good fit, I used them as stencils for the next set of pieces. 

Switch it up a bit by using different colors besides black to make your penguins. 

 I did not use the hearts and triangle nose pieces as stencils since they were so small. I cut each of these free-hand (it's not that hard!). I used double stick tape to attach the white pieces to the black or pink (or any other color you choose) back pieces and I used a dot of Elmer's glue to attach the feet & nose pieces. Then I used a fine tip black Sharpie to dot on the eyes.

The last step is to punch a hole in the top of the penguin and add a ribbon. I chose a Christmas-y looking red & white striped ribbon. I think yarn would also look really cute and work well for this.

The final product!

You can either write on the penguin's stomach or on the back (use a metallic sharpie for the black penguins) to address who the gift is for. I think these will be a perfect addition to all my gifts this year.

Happy Christmas wrapping!

Going Away Present

One of my friends got an awesome opportunity to move to Toronto for a year for a temporary job assignment. Although I was super excited for her, I was bummed she would be leaving. I racked my brain for a cute going away present, and this is what I came up with.

Materials needed: A bag or bundle of suckers, a piece of foam, a mug, some sort of stick (see below, I used a pen!), and paper. 

I decided to use one of the Starbucks "you are here" mugs. I would've gotten a Toronto mug, except it's impossible (maybe not impossible, but expensive) to get one of the mugs if you don't actually go to that city. Since her home was Chicago, I thought it was a good choice. I took the piece of foam that I got and cut it to fit in the mug.

Next I needed to find something to hold the sign that I made. I was not as prepared for this craft as I should've been, so I had to improvise.

I used a pen wrapped in washi tape since it was all I could find.

I stuck all the suckers and the pen into the foam. I tried to mess around with the spacing so that you couldn't see the foam. I used blow pops, but you could also use something like dum dums that may help hide the foam better! If you don't use blow pops you could change the phrase to "The fact that you're leaving totally SUCKS"

I printed a note and taped it to a piece of cardstock. 

I used a hot glue gun to attach the sign to the pen.

The result turned out super cute!

So, there you have it! A cute going away present that acts as a little reminder of home when dismantled. I highly recommend these Starbucks "You are here" mugs, but they may be difficult to find at this point.

Here is a version I made for a male co-worker who was leaving the company for a new position. I used all the same materials, except I used a cylindrical piece of foam and I actually got some craft sticks instead of using a pen ;)

Happy well-wishing!

Yarn-Wrapped Pinecones

I found this idea for a holiday table decoration on pinterest and decided it seemed easy enough to try. I only needed a few materials: pinecones and yarn. 

I bought 2 bags of pinecones (I know it seems silly to BUY pinecones...but if you get them from outside they could have bugs, etc. These were cheap, so I figured it was a safer bet) These are from Joanne Fabrics and they were only a couple bucks. 

I bought 2 different colors of yarn to add some variety to my project. Since this is a Christmas decoration, I picked red & white. Both of these bundles (is this the correct terminology?) were under $5. 

Next comes the easy part - wrapping the pinecones in yarn.

I started wrapping and tried to tuck away the end by continuing to wrap around the same spot for the first few rotations.

I wrapped in a variety of different pathways so as to cover all of the pinecone. When I decided it was enough, I tucked the end of the yarn in the bottom part of the pinecone where the crevices are tight and can therefore hold the yarn so it doesn't unravel. 

When I was done, I put all my pinecones in a clear circular bowl. You can obviously put them in any sort of arrangement, but I think it looks nice in a clear vase so you can see all the colors, shapes and sizes.

Happy holiday crafting!

Baby Washcloth Bouquets

In my world, social convention dictates that you must gift something thoughtful (it can be small!) when something new or exciting happens in a family member or close friend's life. In this case, my boyfriends cousins had just had new baby girls (yes - 2 different cousins had baby girls within 12 hours of each other!). I wanted to give something thoughtful and creative, so, as usual I trolled pinterest for an idea. I watched a youtube video outlining how to make a baby washcloth bouquet, and then I decided to give it a go. 

Items used: 1 piece of 12x12 scrapbook paper in whatever color/theme you think appropriate, rubber bands, double sided tape, baby washcloths and a little bit of tissue paper in whatever color you decide. 

I purchased three 6 packs of baby girl themed wash clothes at Target.

The video mentioned the importance of getting washcloths with a quilted edge, but I figured out a way around that. Before rolling the wash cloth into a "rose" I folded the edge of the washcloth to give it a quilted edge look. I chose to fold the edge with the tag on it so I could hide it. 

After rolling the washcloth, I folded up the bottom (about an inch and a half) and put a rubber band around it. I did this with all 18 wash clothes before moving on to creating the "bouquet".

To make the bouquet, you take a 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper and fold it diagonally. You have to play with it to get the size and shape you want. Try to get as much of a funnel shape as possible. I used scotch double stick tape to keep the bouquet closed. Once the bouquet is taped and complete, I pushed down on it to flatten it a little bit. This allows for the bouquet to look a little more open and lets you see the "roses" better once they are put in. 

I took a little bit of pink tissue paper and stuffed it in the bouquet before adding the "roses".

Next I just started adding the washcloths. You have to play around with them to get them to fit. Getting the last one in is sometimes challenging, especially because the bottoms are thicker than the tops. I would recommend starting with the ones in the back since those should be the tallest. I also made sure to spread out the different patterns/colors of the washcloths as evenly as possible.

As mentioned previously, there were 2 babies, so I made 2 bouquets. Here is the second one. 

Here is an example of a bouquet I made for a colleague who was having a boy. I added a ribbon on this one. The ribbon does not stay in place on it's own given the conical shape of the bouquet, so in about 3-4 spots around the bouquet I put a drop of hot glue to keep it in place. 

Happy baby gifting!

Etched Pyrex

Keeping with the wedding gift theme, this post is all about how to etch a glass 9x12 Pyrex casserole dish. 

What I used: a 9x12 glass pyrex casserole dish, clear contact paper, Armour-Etch cream, an Xacto knife, a foam paint brush, a print out of the words you are trying to etch, and some newspaper to lay down underneath you. 

Unfortunately I don't have more step by step pictures, but I will do my best to explain.

After laying down newspapers under me, I set the pyrex upside down. The etching is done on the bottom of the pyrex, not on the inside. I printed out the last name "McAdam" in the largest size font that would fit on a 8.5x11" sheet of paper. I cut a box around the last name and figured out where on the pyrex would be the best place to etch. I didn't choose the middle since Pyrex put their name smack dab in the middle of the dish. Then, I took the clear contact paper and used it to secure the name cut out to the pyrex. Make sure there are no air bubbles when you stick the contact paper to the pyrex, it could mess with the shape of the letters.

Next comes the hardest part. Take an Xacto knife and cut out each of the letters. You have the paper cut out as the stencil, but the important part is to cut through the contact paper, since this will be what controls where the etching cream goes, and therefore where the etch appears. I think the cut out part took about 30-45 minutes. Make sure you take your time and try to make the cuts as smooth as possible. Once you've cut out a letter, peel away the contact paper so that the glass is exposed just around the cut out of the letter. Letters with middle areas, such as the A and the d in this case, are much more difficult. Be careful to keep the center triangle or circle (A and d, respectively) in tact so the letter turns out.

After you've outlined and peeled off all of the letter cut outs, it's time to etch! Take your spong brush and the etching cream and start dabbing it over the cut out letters. Make sure you cover all the letter areas evenly so that the etch turns out uniform. Also, be very careful not to get the etching cream on your hands! If you are worried, wear some gloves. Although I can't speak from experience, it is said that the etching cream is very acidic and can burn your skin. You've been warned!

I left the etching cream on for about 20 minutes before I washed it off under hot water. When I first started washing the cream off it didn't look like anything had happened! The etch was very subtle at first, but once you peel off the rest of the contact paper and see the free standing etch, it looks amazing!

This was my first try so there were some small noticeable errors I made in some of the letter cut outs, but as you can see, it isn't noticeable when you look at the dish from a foot or so away. Don't be too hard on yourself, and have fun with it!

Happy Etching!

Captain & Coke

This craft was inspired by a need for a male's 40th birthday party gift. The birthday boy is a huge fan of captain and coke, but you could really use any sort of alcohol (that comes in mini bottles). I am not sure if coke makes any other types of pop in the retro packaging, though. 

Here are the items I used: 6 mini bottles of Captain (they are very cheap at super Walmart! I think <$2/mini bottle), a basket bag from the dollar store, a 6 pack of coca cola in the reto packaging with glass bottles, some ribbon, and an embellishment for the top of the basket bag.

I used red and white striped ribbon to tie each captain bottle to the coca cola bottles. There is a lip just under the bottle cap of the mini captain bottle that made it easy to secure the ribbon. For this part, it might be helpful to recruit someone else to help you tie the bottle tight enough to stay on!

Finished product!

All that was left to do was to put the gift in the basket bag and tie on an embellishment! You'll notice I used a different bow than the one in my original "things I used" photo. I thought the red looked better than the blue/white one I originally intended on using. 

Creative birthday gifts like these are perfect for friend's parties. They add a little personal touch, but are still fairly inexpensive! I've found that people are mostly impressed with the effort I put into gift giving. You'd be amazed at the level of appreciation you get for just taking 15 minutes or so to throw something like this together!

Happy Birthday-crafting!

Bushel & a Peck

Although this isn't my craft, I just had to share it because I am so obsessed. I got this as a Christmas gift (I practically begged for it!). Since this is a craft blog I am going to shamelessly promote the etsy shop that this was purchased from. The product is high quality and absolutely beautiful. 

Also, if you were wondering - the quote is from a song from Guys & Dolls. 

Happy Esty Shopping!

Baby Shower Crafts

Okay, so I can't take credit for this one at all. This was my cousin's idea. She found the idea for an alphabet wall in the nursery on pinterest, and thought it would be fun if at her baby shower, all of the attendees painted/decorated a letter of the alphabet to put up in the nursery. Super cute idea, right!? Anyways, even though I didn't do any of the planning/supply purchasing for the project, I wanted to share since it's such a fun idea!

My cousin and aunt bought a variety of all the letters needed to complete the alphabet. In order to make the alphabet wall look unique, they didn't just buy all of the letters in the same font/style/material. Some of the letters were made of particle board and were relatively flat, while others were made of cardboard and were quite three dimensional. Take a peek in the photos below. 

Some of the items my cousin and aunt purchased to help decorate the letters were: modge podge, stickers that matched the theme/colors of the nursery, paint, paint brushes, buttons, other larger embellishments (flowers, etc.), and scrapbook paper. 

Here are some of the letters drying after guests at the shower painted them. You can see the A covered in hot glued buttons, the I painted on the sides and then modge podged with scrapbook paper to add a pattern. The R and the G were carefully painted with designs, while the V and the U have a few stickers stuck on them. Some turned out much cuter than others...obviously ;)

This is the letter I painted. I used the pink paint that you can see in the photo. Once that dried, I painted it with a clear glitter paint. Finally, I added a flower embellishment and a few pearl stickers to the ends. Elegant and simple!

Happy Baby Shower crafting!

Bridal Shower Cake

More "wedding season" appropriate crafts: a bridal shower cake!

Essentially, this is the bridal shower version of a diaper cake. If you have to give a gift, why not make it fun?!

For this bridal shower cake, I picked all items on the bride's registry at Bed Bath & Beyond. Here are the items I used: Oxo rotating utensil holder, 9.5" Pyrex pie dish, Bamboo utensil set, Calphalon dish cloth (wasabi), 2 Calphalon plaid kitchen towels (wasabi), purple silk ribbon, and a 4x4 box from the dollar tree.

The box from the dollar store was a blue gift box that came with a sparkly covered top. I had it in my gift wrapping box and it was the perfect size to hold the utensil holder at the second tier. You could use a lot of different things to do this - a cylindrical piece of foam, a few toilet paper rolls rubber banded together - be creative!

To build this, I took the dollar tree 4x4 box and turned it upside down on the middle of the pie dish. I then began wrapping the kitchen towels around the box to hide it. I took all the tags off - I felt confident doing this since the items were on her registry. I really only did it so that the end result looked cleaner, you can choose to leave them on. I wrapped 2 kitchen towels around the first tier and secured them with the purple ribbon you can see in the photo. Then, i stacked the utensil holder on top of the upside down dollar tree box and  filled it with the bamboo utensils. I folded the dish towel like a fan, and propped it up behind the utensils. 

The final thing I did was use a basket bag to wrap this up and keep everything held together. I recommend the one from the dollar tree - it works just fine and it's only a dollar!

I think I spent $40 on this gift overall (with the utilization of some bed bath and beyond coupons) and I think the presentation really classes up the gift. It also made it easier to buy a random selection of some of the lesser priced items on their registry and still be able to pull it all together nicely. 

Happy Bridal Shower-ing!

Wedding Invitation in an Ornament

Wedding season is upon us! I always feel like giving cash is so impersonal. I know that more often than not, that is exactly what the couple wants/needs, but I can't help but want to give a little something else! My cousin received a Christmas ornament with her baby shower invitation in it, and I thought it was a super cute keepsake. So, I thought, why not do this for a wedding invitation! Not only did the ornament turn out really great, but it was super cheap, too!

What I used: a plain glass ornament, scissors, my cutter glide tool, the wedding invitation, and a pencil.

I found this 4 pack of ornaments at Hobby Lobby for $6.99. Plus, I used this 40% off coupon!

The ornaments are about 3 inches in diameter.

Are you ready for the hard part? The first step is to cut about a centimeter in width piece of the invitation and roll it around a pencil. I tried to cut each line of text as 1 strip. This way, you can shake the ornament around and find different lines like names, time, place, etc. 

Once you roll the strip of paper around a pen or pencil, you can fit it through the opening at the top of the ornament (you have to pull the top off first, obviously)

I will note that since many invitations are printed white paper on top of cardstock, you may have to gently pull the printed paper apart from the cardstock. It's kinda hard to see in this picture since the cardstock was silver and the printed paper was white, I did cut strips of the cardstock to put in the ornament, too. This adds some color and variety to the ornament. I also tried to cut slightly different widths of paper to allow for some variety.

And there you have it! A finished product. You can even see the line that shows the brides name and the time of the wedding in this picture! 

Happy Wedding Season!