Dancing Ribbons

With all the cousins, friends and school mates your child (and mine) know and love, and with the certainty of the yuletide spirit happily infecting those kids; it's good to have easy, inexpensive and useful items on hand for Christmas gifts.

This week, we'll spotlight mail-friendly crafts for the wee out of town friends and relations.

I cannot remember what book or magazine I first learned about Dancing Ribbons from, but from the first read, I was a big fan of this sweet craft.

Supplies: any round item that can be grasped (like shower rings, O-rings, jar rings, rubber band, etc), lots of ribbon in varying colors, patterns and textures.

Directions: tie lengths of ribbon onto the ring until the ring is fully covered. For a nice finish, use a no-fray product or a lit match to seal the end of each ribbon.

Your child can give this happy dancing ribbon with a burned CD of perfect dancing tunes for a gift that delights both the receiver and the parent of the receiver!!

Gift Craft: Body Scrub

image @ fromnaturewithlove.com

i love soft skin. i really do. and i am thinking maybe you know someone else who does too? someone who might like a gift? get in the kitchen a whip up a batch of fabulous sugar scrub, and you are set to pamper people you know! here's the skinny:

* equal parts oil and sugar (or salt)
* essential oil in a fragrance that smells yummy!
*pretty jar to put it in

I use a light olive oil, but rapeseed is great as is almond oil. You want something that is not overpowering in the smell department. Then use sugar or salt. Turbinado or granulated are both excellent choices, and salt is a tiny bit finer and thus a little smoother for the scrub. Just remember the larger the granule, the rougher the scrub will end up being. All will work well. And about 1 cup of each is perfect for a decent sized jar. Just mix the ingredients in a medium bowl and add several drops of essential oil (you can skip the scent if you'd like). I love citrusy scents and ones that smell like dessert!

freshpreserving.com

I am certain that there are lots of lovely containers out there, but my fave is the newer ball jar with the super sleek platinum lid. Very crisp and looks finished without a lot of fuss. However, add your own flair with a ribbon and a sweet tag explaining that the recipient should: scoop up, then scrub it up in the shower, and rinse. Revealing that baby soft skin that everyone loves!

Gift Craft: handmade cards

a super cute and super easy card from howaboutorange!

I do love paper crafting, especially making cards. I have a big crush on my stockpile of cards for birthdays, thank you notes and just because mail.

Not everyone enjoys crafting, but most everyone appreciates the gift of a nicely made handmade card. Make a set for a friend, a thank you gift or a hostess present.

I like these websites for creative card inspiration:

How About Orange
Stampin' It Up
Martha Stewart

Gift Craft: Vanilla Sugar

Holiday dinners and parties are on the way. Get ready with your hostess/host gift now with a gift craft that is easy and elegant. Vanilla Sugar.

Directions:

Fill a container with 2 cups of sugar, cut a vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape those fragrant seeds into the sugar, bury the bean in the middle of the sugar, cover and let sit for 2 weeks.

The Food Network gives great directions.

Vanilla sugar can be used just like plain sugar, but gives recipes a nice homey vanilla taste.

Gift Craft: rice packs

A few weeks ago, I missed the birthday of a friend (sorry Laura!) and realized, I needed to prepare for birthdays way ahead of time. So, I whipped up a bunch of b-day cards for out of town friends and I made a birthday gift for local friends- and even wrapped them up.

What's my gift you ask? Rice Packs. I cut up a pair of pink flannel PJ pants that had lost the drawstring, hand stitched a flower, then sewed a few straight lines, filled the squares with rice, then finished off the sewing job.

Now I just need to remember to give them out when birthdays roll around!

This is such an easy gift craft! You can use fabric from your stash, or buy a low cost flannel. Rice is usually on hand and the sewing can be done by hand or machine.

Halloween...Tree!

I should just say it out right: I am a thief of sorts. There, I feel better. I have a habit of taking an idea from someplace, and twisting it around to create something i need or love. Not the most original plan I know, but it does get my creative juices flowing! Last year I spied a version of this Halloween tree for sale in the Pottery Barn catalog, and my brain wheels started spinning. Here is how I worked my magic:

Black container (I love pails)
Floral foam-stuff
Spooky looking twigs
Black spray paint
Spider webbing
Glass pebbles of any color (or sand, or rocks from your kids' stash)
Black pebbles

The twigs should be clean and dry, then lay them outside on a tarp and spray them til black all over! While they are drying shove the floral foam into the container (I bought a cube, and didn't even take off the plastic so it would be less messy), make sure it is in there nice and tight. Once those sticks are dry, push them into the foam, in a lovely artistic array. Finish off the spookiness with a small amount of the spider webbing. That stuff stretches forever! To help keep the container stable, I filled it to the top of the foam with glass pebbles and rocks. Then spread black pebbles over the top of the foam until it was totally covered. You can hang your little ghosties from this tree, and place it outside or on your table. The best part is your kids can help with nearly all of this craft. As a family, we went for a nice walk and gathered great sticks. Then Toran helped spray paint, and really in less than hour the entire thing was complete. From start of painting to placing it on the piano. Go grab your family and start collecting some sticks, and new fantastic fall memories!

Candy Corn Decor

This Halloween decoration is so so easy! Buy some candy corn, fill a clear container with the sugary sweets, and done! You probably should buy some extra candy corn though since snacking hands just might sneak into this tasty decoration.

For extra fall flair, add some leafless branches!

For some learning fun, have your kids or hubby or guests guess how many pieces are in a jar. Then give a prize to the person with the closest guesstimate!

Milk Carton Ghosts

Last year, I decided to donate my cutesy Halloween decorations. Which left me with basically nothing. I was so happy to see this adorable idea pop up at Family Fun. Easy, spooky but not scary and free!

The steps couldn't be easier!

1. Wash out milk cartons (I emptied a few of my storage cartons, note the exp. date!).
2. Cut a hole in the back, about 2 inches around. I used a sharp knife.
3. Draw spooky faces using a dark color permanent marker.
4. Insert lights into the hole in the back. One string of lights takes care of my 3 ghosts.
5. Put inside or outside.