. . . . . Everywhere you go.
I just love homemade gifts. Whenever I receive ornaments made from noodles or homemade fudge or a knitted scarf, I am absolutely gleeful. To be completely honest, these gifts are always my favorite, and most memorable. Not saying I wouldn't be ecstatic for a new sewing machine (hint, hint SmittenHub).
With the economy the way it is, this year may be perfect for a homemade gift exchange. Homemade gifts don't have to be fancy or even perfect. They only have to come from the heart. Think about the gift receiver, and brainstorm some ideas of what they like. Does grandma just adore pigs? Have the kids make a piggly wiggly paper weight. Does your husband love sports? Make him a team tag blanket. The possibilities are endless. If you don't know how to do something, don't be afraid to Google or look for tutorials on Youtube.
This year, the gifts i made varied in difficulty. I hope to inspire you to get out there and craft.
the lovely ladies: Chalkboard Finish Wine Glasses
Have you seen those very charming wine glasses with the stem painted with chalkboard paint? What a great idea right! The down fall is the color: Black. Wouldn't it be cute to match their kitchen decor? So why not put a spin on the idea and add a pop of color with DIY chalkboard paint. You can pick ANY color!
Pick up wine glasses from your local thrift store. I did for $.69 each!! Wash them and let dry. I primed the glasses with a white base coat, using Martha Stewart's new multi-surface acrylic paint. I am not sure if this was necessary. I prime everything. I would rather be safe now than regret not priming later. Next mix your paint. Pick your favorite color or colors (for this set I choose purple jewel-tones). Use any acrylic craft paint. For about every three tablespoons of paint add half a teaspoon of UNSANDED tile grout. After a few tries and research I also decided to add one and a half teaspoons of a water based glazing medium. Stir the paint until hardly no clumps are left. Paint a few coats on the wine glasses with a sponge brush (the two darker colors needed five coats but the two lighter only needed three). Once satisfied, condition the chalkboard finish by rubbing chalk all over it and then wiping it off.
For the studdly men: A Duck Call Lanyard
My husband has been asking me to make him a lanyard for awhile. I was having a hard time finding good directions though. Finally, I ended up using a tutorial by Issak9898 off Youtube. He did a great job explaining the how to's. After watching the video a few times, I finally got the hang of it. I bought 100 ft of paracord here for $8. It made five lanyards. Just in case the hubby's peeking, I don't want to post a picture until after christmas.
the strapping young men: Marshmallow Blow guns
Super Cheap AWESOME present and incredibly easy. One PVC gun cost a whoppy total of $2.64!!! Add a one dollar bag of mini marshmallow and you will be amazed at how much fun your little boy can have with less than four bucks.
You will need:
2 1/2" PVC Tees
2 1/2" PVC Elbows
2 1/2" PVC Caps
2 8" pieces of 1/2" PVC40 pipe
5 4" pieces of 1/2" PVC40 pipe
Now all you have to do is put together the pieces according to the picture below. I don't recommend gluing the gun together. The marshmallow can become very sticking, jamming the gun with too much spit.
Load the marshmallow gun , by placing ONE marshmallow through the top open pipe. Blow as if it were a trumpet. But be careful the marshmallow can come out very quick leaving a sting if hit LOL
For the sugar and spice and everything nice in your life: Homemade Kool-aid lip gloss
To make lip gloss you will need small jars, various kool-aid mix, petroleum jelly, a bowl and a spoon. First add the desired amount of petroleum jelly to a bowl. Warm it up for about forty seconds. Add appropriate amount of kool-aid. Stir thoroughly for a minute or so. Microwave for another thirty seconds. Stir until consistency is just a bit thicker than honey. Easy peasy!
The Droolers: Stocking Caps.
Every little bambino needs a cute hat to keep their ears warm. I recently taught myself how to knit, but before I made hats, scarfs, blankets with looms. Loom knitting is super easy and nobody can tell the difference. Looming is great for kids too.
I made both these hats with my loom. they are infant size. They do have looms that vary in sizes. So you can make adult or kid sizes as well.The pick hat I doubled the rim and the green I did not. I highly highly recommend buying soft and high quality yarn. The Loom Room has a great hat tutorial plus many more.
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