i like to mix handmade things with store bought accessories to put together a unique gift. for my dad's wife who loves tea & is very cold natured, i saw this tea infuser at the grocery store & knew it would be perfect! i added some organic mint tea & then made these sweet little rice handwarmers to go with them. they are basically a beanbag with rice inside [super easy to make! 2 squares of cotton with a scoop of rice inside.] i used a mix of cotton and a sweater scrap left over from a pillow i made to make them look a little more special.
i made little 'handmade by' tags for everything, & for the handwarmers i added a little note explaining that if you microwave them for 30 seconds, you have a cozy little warmer to slip in your pockets or put on an ache or pain.
the little girls in our family are some of the cutest in the world, i swear. i decided they all [including K] needed some matching hairbows! it was the perfect excuse to try out some felt giftwrap type bows & a little ribbon christmas tree.
with simple packaging on a paint swatch card, also stamped with the 'handmade by' stamp. [the smaller one on the left is for my baby niece due in may! whoo hoo!]
i love how the little ribbon loop trees turned out!the ones i'm most excited about are these photo wall art frame thingys! i saw the idea thanks to the shanty to chic ladies, & knew it would be perfect for several people on my list! it's a really lovely personalized gift but inexpensive enough that you could make dozens of them.
i followed their tutorial pretty exactly, but here are some details: the wood was one 1x10 from home depot & i had it cut into 2 lengths, a 42" length to fit my sister in law's last name, & a shorter 18" i made into say "joy" in christmas colors! there's a short little square-ish piece left over that could make a cute single-letter monogram. home depot makes the first 2 cuts of your board for free, so for about $8 the one board made 3 gifts!
the picture frames are from the dollar tree, and the red frames are spray painted rustoleum's colonial red, a deep rich perfect christmas red. you can print any letters you'd like from this generous flickr site, and the beautiful "joy" photos are a free download from craftily ever after!
i added some picture hangers on the back, and ta-da! easy, gorgeous christmas gift. i'm so thrilled to give this one away!i am still dreaming of someday making all the presents one christmas... but we'll see if that ever happens!
Gilbert Hollins, Gift giving is not so much about the gift itself but away to represent a deeper connection to each other. A way of acknowledging each other through generosity and gratitude by sharing a special moment together. If you are looking at purchasing gifts, the best gifts are ones that inspire's play,are fun, positive and uplifting. Don't forget that the real reason for season is to connect at a heart level with each other more deeply each year.
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