A "Galentine" Gift

Here's a gift I made for a friend for Valentine's Day:

My Favorite MacKenzie-Childs gifts under $50

Have you begun shopping for the holidays yet?

Everything is getting so expensive lately so I gathered a few gift ideas for under $50 from my favorite website/store.

Happy shopping!

Clay Charms for Gift Packages....

Sculpey clay is always fun to play with, and for under $2.50 it is a reasonably priced way to make a few button charms or ornaments!

Unique GIFTS - 10 on the 10th!

The goal of 10 on the 10th is for a group of us to create something that cost under $10.  Visit the bloggers at the end of this post to see what they created!  

This month's theme was GIFTS

Gift giving can be a challenge sometimes, especially when on a budget.

  Here are a few ideas for the one who loves to try a new cocktail during the holidays:

The price of mini bottles start at $1, so be creative and see how you can spend under $10 for a fun gift.  

You could give an assortment of minis

OR

Here are a few fun ideas:

Dollar Tree Holiday Craft

These wooden plaques can be found at the Dollar Tree.  They measure 12" x 3"...

I decorated them for Christmas - an easy craft for any age!

10 on the 10th: Ornaments

ORNAMENTS

Our theme for 10 on the 10th this month is "Christmas Ornaments"  

Do you need a way to store those very special, breakable ornaments?  I have some ornaments that were on my father's tree when he was young and they are made of glass.  I also have a few from my husband's family tree and would feel so bad if any of these were broken in storage.

Here's a way to keep them safe in storage...

Some ways to get a head start on the holidays ....

Don't let the Holidays creep up on you!  Here are some ideas you can begin to work on now!

Thank You Beak and Skiff!

Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard is not far from our home and has been a yearly fall trip for many years. You can read their history HERE 

I recently was gifted 2 bottles of vodka from the general manager to review, 

1911 Vanilla Chai Vodka and 1911 Honeycrisp Apple Vodka:

Pinterest Challenge - Gifts in a Basket

The purpose of this Pinterest challenge is to create something we have pinned.  

This month's theme is "Gifts in a Basket".  

These were inspired by this PIN

Painting on Glass...

I have had a few ask how I paint on glass and I decided to share with you how easy it is!

I wash and dry the glassware well.

I use enamel paints....

...and painter's tape...

...to create these cute stemless wine glasses....

...The flowers and leaves are just painted with a few strokes!

I bake them in the oven to cure the paint 9follow directions on paint bottle)...

...and I hand wash them always!

These can "pretty-up" a table, make a perfect little gift for friends or even make your wine taste better !!!

If you need inspiration for a variety of ideas, visit my friend Jenna's blog, The Painted Apron,  as she has some very clever ideas! 

Sox Cupcakes - a cute gift idea...

I saw this idea over at Apple Street Cottage.  Ann took  a pair of red fuzzy sox and a cupcake liner to create a cute little gift:

So I bought a few pairs of snowman fuzzy sox and some cardboard cups and created a few SOX CUPCAKES!

I rolled the sox with the snowmen inside so that only blue and white would show....

...and then tucked a little candy cane as a topper:

These are not only cute little gifts for kids, but also could be used as a party favor or a secret Santa gift!

To finish them off, like Ann did, I wrapped them in a cello bag!

These are so much fun to make....

...and everyone loves new sox!

You can even turn sox into a cup of "cocoa"!

Thanks, Ann for the clever idea!

Do It Over Designers - Recycling Your Throw-aways!

Today I am sharing a few quick and easy ways to recycle our typical throw-aways to create packaging for birthdays gifts, holiday gifts or last minute hostess gifts.

The first idea is to take a pizza/cookie box....

....and cover it with gift wrap...

...and attach a card, ornament or label on top:

So, what can you put inside?  

How about a chocolate pizza  (recipe HERE).....

...or cookies (try this delish recipe HERE) or candy (recipe HERE)

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I still enjoy magazines.  I know we can see most of the ideas, recipes and stories online, but there is something about flipping through the magazines, dog-earing pages that have something that caught my eye, and ripping out recipes!

I try to pass magazines on to someone else, but I have found a way to use the covers!

So, I created a few tote bags!

  

Sometimes I need just a small reusable bag when I run into a store and this is the perfect size:

These also make unique gift bags!

They are simple to make and all you need is 5 magazine covers, a grommet tool and grommets, ribbon or cording and a sewing machine!

What can you put inside?  Make-up, t-shirt, jewelry or any "fashionable" gift!

********************

My last idea is to use a large tin can and a wooden ornament that you can find at the craft store.  You can paint your own, or buy one already painted.  Spray paint a can and glue the ornament on the front:

These can be filled with cookies, sox, candy, jewelry....the ideas are endless!

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Visit these other creative designers to see what they have created:

Ann - The Apple Street Cottage

Anita - Unique Creations by Anita

Allyson - Southern Sunflowers

Chas - Chas’ Crazy Creations

Cindy - Cloches & Lavender

Donna - Modern on Monticello

Gail - Purple Hues & Me

Kathleen - Our Hopeful Home

Kim - Exquisitely Unremarkable

Naush - DoodleBuddies

*Patti - Pandora’s Box

Sara - Birdz of a Feather

Tania - Little Vintage Cottage

Thanks for stopping by!

Add a little more flavor to your cocoa ...and how to assemble a Cocoa Station

It's so easy to set up a Cocoa Station and to make it special, you can make a few white chocolate spoons...let me show you how!

These Sweet Spoons are very easy to make!

All you need is some chocolate buttons to melt, a few sturdy plastic spoons, and some cinnamon candies, crushed peppermints or sprinkles!

Simply dip the spoons into the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the candies, then lay the spoons on waxed paper.

I wrapped each in "pretzel bags" (I cut them a bit shorter).

All you have to do is stir one into a cup of hot cocoa for added flavor!

To set up a Cocoa Station, all you need is a tray, or area in your kitchen to gather your mugs and supplies needed to prepare a cup of cocoa.  I chose a round tray and 4 mugs:

I bought marshmallows at Trader Joe's (they are the best!!) and put them in a jar and placed some peppermint sticks in a glass:

A bowl of cocoa packets and a jar of peppermints are also on hand:

My handmade spoons are also in a large apothecary jar:

So I can just grab a mug and enjoy a cup of cocoa whenever I catch a chill and add some more flavor if I am in the mood!

If you want to make your own Cocoa mix, here's an easy recipe:

ENJOY!

There's a little bit of irony in this sign for 2020!