Christmas journal

Need an easy DIY gift idea that any kid will love?  Jaime from That’s My Letter here to share DIY Christmas journals made from inexpensive kids composition books.

There’s still time to make this Christmas journal gift for all those kids on your list who love to write and draw, it makes a great small gift or a nice add on to a larger gift.

Christmas journal 1

Take a peek inside and you’ll see the kids composition books are printed with lines just their size and bonus!  a place to draw pictures above the writing:

Christmas journal 3

Kids can use the journal to keep track of gifts received for thank you cards, adventures and travels during the school break, all the exciting events surrounding the holiday and on and on.

Wrap your  journal with a fun holiday pencil and printed ribbon:

Christmas journal 4

Supplies required:

Christmas journal 5

Instructions:

Step 1: Give the exterior cover (front and back) a quick sanding to rough up the ‘shiny’ surface – this will help the kraft paper adhere better. Read more

Laundry Fun Gift Basket | Pretty Handy Girl

Laundry Fun Gift Basket | Pretty Handy Girl

Today I have a bit of an unconventional gift idea. But, frankly it is a gift that is sure to bring some fun and enjoyment to anyone who is tasked with the domestic chore of doing laundry. I think this Laundry Fun Gift Basket would be a wonderful gift for a new homeowner. Or a college student who finally moved out of the dorm into their own apartment. Heck, even Grandma would surely love this gift.

If you don’t have anyone on your list that would enjoy a laundry themed gift basket, I’ll show you how to sew a custom liner for an oval basket! You can use the same instructions to sew a liner for almost any shaped container and turn it into a beautiful gift basket with your own theme.

Laundry Fun Gift Basket | Pretty Handy Girl

Materials:

Laundry Fun Gift Basket | Pretty Handy Girl

Optional: Pin on flower

Ideas to put into the Gift Basket:

  • Lavendar scented clothes pins
  • Bottle filled with DIY liquid laundry detergent
  • Dryer balls (Check out these West Elm Hedgehog Dryer Balls)
  • Lavendar dryer bags from Trader Joes
  • Fels Naptha Soap (available at any supermarket in the laundry aisle)
  • Linen scented hand soap from Trader Joes
  • Fresh towels
  • Bar soap
  • “Laundry Loads & Loads of Fun” Artwork

Directions for sewing a basket liner:  Read more

star-wars-themed-party

Today we are going to talk about DIY Star Wars Birthday Party. But first, I have a special guest for you today. Jenelle is a woman who shares my passion for upcycling and creating treasures from trash. She creates at TrashN2Tees. When I say creates, I should say works amazing transformative magic on old shirts and clothing. She turns them into the most adorable shirts and accessories! Like this Fox Applique Geeky Kids shirt:

Fox_geek_shirt

And this too cute for words Hungry Bear Shirt:

Bear_stomach_shirt

But, kids’ clothing is just the beginning. She also sells jewelry made from shirts! Like these funky chunky bracelets:

Upcycled T-shirt Funky Chunky Bracelets

You won’t believe all the cool things she has in her Trash N2 Tees Etsy Shop (First time buyers receive 10% off with coupon code FTB10Off):

Trash_N2_Tees_Etsy

She also launched a clothing recycling program for used, stained or out of style clothing! She’s like the Upcycling Wonder Woman! And, she has a son who LOVES Star Wars. All you mamas of boys know how obsessive our little Jedis can be for Star Wars, right?!

Jenelle knew that her little guy deserved a fantastic Star Wars themed party that wouldn’t break the budget. She did a fabulous job creating a memorable Star Wars Party for very little money. I leave you in Jenelle’s capable hands: Read more

You Rule Valentines | Pretty Handy Girl

On Friday, I shared my tutorial for making You Rule Candy-Free Valentines.

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

I also created a tutorial for making those cute tags. If you have a Silhouette or other craft cutter, I have a few tricks for making the cut out tags. In particular, I want to show you how to attach the centers (technically called the counters in typography) of letters so they don’t drop out after being cut. You could simply glue them back in, but when you are making 50 tags that can become time intensive. I guess an alternative would be to  simply change your child’s name to something like Nick where there are no letters with centers. 😉 Yeah, maybe not. Here’s how I dealt with those pesky letters with centers: Read more

Chocolate Gift Basket

Warm & Cozy Chocolate Gift Basket

I love making my own gift baskets. They cost less than a store-bought version. Plus, they don’t need to be wrapped! (Call  me lazy, but I prefer a pretty gift basket to a wrapped gift any day. And I’ve been known to pop a gift in a gift bag for an even easier “wrapping.” But, today I want to show you how to create this super simple and quick Warm & Cozy Chocolate Gift Basket.

If I ever quit blogging, I need to find a job where I can make gift baskets for a living ;-). Or maybe a job where I can sniff sawdust and drink coffee all day. Do you know of a job with those perks?

My last trip to the grocery store had me wandering down the seasonal aisle where I spotted warm fuzzy scarves for $6.99! (If you have a Kroger near you, look for them!) I thought they’d make great teacher gifts, but by themselves they seemed a little…errr meek? But, add some chocolate, gourmet hot cocoa mix and a mug and the recipient might just exclaim…Eeeeeek!

Chocolate Gift Basket Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Chocolate Gift Basket

 

Non-Candy Warm & Cozy Gift Basket Fillers:

I get it, you may not want to fill your gift basket with sweets. No problem, here are a few warm and cozy ideas that don’t involve sugar.

  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Mittens
  • Hat
  • Throw blanket
  • Hand warmers
  • Ear muffs
  • Mugs

 

Chocolate Gift Basket Instructions:

The key to a beautiful gift basket is creating layers and propping things up so you can see everything.

Chocolate Gift Basket

Start by using tissue paper (bubble wrap and recycled cardboard under tissue paper can help hold heavier objects.)

Fold the scarf neatly inside the bottom but let the ends hang over the bin.

Chocolate Gift Basket

Work from tall to short putting the taller items in the back.

Chocolate Gift Basket

Add the rest of your gift items: hot chocolate mix, filler candies, basket filler, etc. If you have a paper shredder or pasta maker you can shred your own paper. Brown paper bags look like nest material when shredded.

Chocolate Gift Basket

Write on an ornament or tag using a permanent marker or ink pen to create a unique gift tag.

Chocolate Gift Basket

Prop up any items that sank and fill in any holes with more candy!

Chocolate Gift Basket

You can buy cellophane bags to protect your gift basket, but I prefer the eco-friendly option of just leaving the basket as is.

Chocolate Gift Basket

These Warm & Cozy Chocolate Gift Baskets look so cozy, warm, and —who am I kidding—YUMMY!!!

Chocolate Gift Basket

I hope this quick Warm & Cozy Chocolate Gift Basket took some of the stress off your gift-giving tasks this year.

Chocolate Gift Basket