Quick and simple gift #2: "Love" Frames

Here's a 10-minute gift that could be used to decorate your home for Valentine's Day or an anniversary.

You need:
- Four small frames in red and pink (or your choice of colors--maybe the colors you used for your wedding, if these frames are to celebrate an anniversary?)  Various shapes look best.  I purchased mine at Michael's Hobbies and Crafts for $3 each.
- Computer and Desktop Publishing Program, or word processing program, that includes some unique fonts.
- Printer and Ink
- Paper

To make:
1) Measure your frames to determine the size of your letters
2) Go into your dtp or word processing program and select a unique font.  Type the letters "L"  "O" "V" "E", allowing space between each letter
3) Print letters; cut them out
4) Insert in frames
5) Enjoy!

They look especially nice on a fireplace mantel.

You could also attach strong magnets to the back and attach the frames to a refrigerator or other magnetic surface. 

Here's a close up of the frames:

Quick and simple heart-themed gift #1: Embellished backpack

Lately, I've been inspired to create a variety of simple heart-themed gifts.   Yes, these would make great gifts for Valentine's Day, but they are also appropriate for wedding anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions.

My first idea would be perfect for tween or teen girls, hip young adults or young moms who need to carry baby supplies with them every where. Actually, I can think of a few older moms who would like this gift too!  It would also be a great gift for a dog owner for carrying a water bottle and treats for her four-legged friend. 

I was inspired by my 11 year old daughter, who loves small backpack-type purses.  I saw a pink backpack on sale for only $3 at Hobby Lobby.  It was pretty as it was, but I wanted to do something more with it.  So I threw some chalkboard fabric in my cart along with the backpack.

Once at home, I set out my supplies:  the backpack, chalkboard fabric, fabric glue, fabric scissors, large heart shaped cookie cutter, and a pen. 

I traced heart shapes on the chalkboard paper like this:

Then I cut out the hearts and glued them to the backpack:

I let it dry for 24 hours, and here is the finished product:

I'll gift it to my daughter with a chalkboard pen.  It's changeable art, since she can scribble drawings, notes and even reminders to herself on the chalkboard hearts!

Starting again

This blog has been sitting in mothballs for the last few years, while I tried blogging on other platforms.  But truthfully, those options were frustrating and time-consuming to update, so I've decided to return to this blog.  I have tons of photos and ideas in my archives that are just waiting to be shared with all of you!


Let's start this month with 'tons of inspiring projects -- simple heart themed gifts.  These would be perfect not only for Valentine's Day, but also for wedding/relationship anniversaries!  I'll be uploading a ton of ideas in the next few days, so keep checking back! 

Cheryl

Another Creative Gift Giver website --- please check it out!

My new Creative Gift Giver website is up and working!  Please check it out at:

CreativeGiftGiver

The website will provide even more ideas for creative gift giving. It also has the ability to broadcast podcasts and other web technologies that I'm not able to do on this blog. 

I won't stop writing this blog, however.  I'm hoping the two spaces can provide more content and great ideas! 

Free Advent Bingo Game

Over the last few days I've stumbled across some great freebies online, many which would make appropriate little gifts for stocking stuffers.  I will be sharing them over the next few weeks.

For example, right now Loyola Press is offering a free Advent Bingo Game that can be downloaded from their website.  I may print this out and tuck it next to my children's shoes on December 5 (as a small gift from St. Nicholas). The cards include terminology appropriate to Advent, like Isaiah, St. Lucy, Emmanuel and John the Baptist.  What a fun way to open a discussion about Advent with your kids!  You can download the bingo cards and directions from the Loyola Press website.

A free Advent Retreat for Kids and a Free Stocking Stuffer CD

Looking for a fun, simple way to teach your kids more about Advent and the Jesse Tree?  The wonderful people at Holy Heroes are offering a free Advent retreat.  Every day, you will get a link to an online video lesson about Advent and a second lesson about the Jesse Tree.  My 8 year old daughter and I have been following it; she is really enjoying it because kids narrate both video lessons.  The website also a variety of helpful free downloads, including a sacrifice list, the words to "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," coloring sheets, word searches and more.

To enroll in the free retreat, visit the Holy Heroes website here.

While you're at the website, why not order the free Glory Stories CD?  Glory Stories are high quality audio shows about saints that were originally broadcast on Ave Maria Radio and EWTN Global Radio Network from 2003-2006. Production was discontinued on the series and the CDs were getting hard to find, until Holy Heroes recently purchased the rights to them.  This would make a great stocking stuffer.  Normally these CDs cost $14.75 but for a limited time you can own one for the price of shipping only.  Find out more here.

Here's a little gift idea for St. Nicholas Day (or a great stocking stuffer)

It's almost time to start supper, but before I do, I wanted to quickly write a blog entry about my newest find--a toy line called "So Small Pets."  I saw them in Target today and they are adorable!

"So Small Pets" are 3" soft, poseable pets that fit nicely in a pocket or backpack, making them a great "take along" toy on holiday trips.  They would also be a great way to keep your little girl entertained while you run errands or wait at a doctor's office. They are wonderfully detailed and look like mini versions of plush toys.There are many different pets--Haylee the Horse, Bully the Cow, Jackie the Dog, Pinky the Pig, and several others.  You can buy little accessories and clothes for them.  They also have the cutest playsets (that's what caught my eye at Target--the Treehouse Playset was wonderful!) I like the idea that these little guys have alot of play value (and will help your child's imagination) but they aren't large or cumbersome.

This might be a great gift idea for a little girl. (My seven year old daughter is fascinated by them.) The little figures would fit in a shoe for St. Nicholas Day or a stocking for Christmas Eve!

You can check out some of the available animals and playsets on the So Small Pets website. Or, on your next trip to Target, stop by the doll aisle.  In my store they were near the Barbie dolls and Fancy Nancy stuff.