Cheap gift bags for anyone and everyone

Time: Less than an hour
Cost: under $10
Supplies: Something for a base (see below), several bars of candy, Styrofoam cubes, shish kabob sticks, tissue or Easter grass, cellophane, ribbon

This is a quick and cheap gift for anyone or anything. You can edit the basket really easily and make any changes you see fit to give it a personal flair.

I used these as gifts for some mentors at the end of college. I ran with the "Happy Summer" theme. I raided the Dollar Store (the perfect spot for crafting stuff at an all time low price) and got the container at the bottom. However, you can use box candies to make the base, if you prefer.

I used the green floral styrofoam cubes to hold the sticks with the candy. You may have to do some maneuvering and/or cutting to get the foam to fit whatever you choose to use as your base.

After you have the base set up, tape the sicks to the back of your candy bars at different levels. The goal of any gift basket is for it to look awesome from any angle. An easy way to do this is to use a candy bar on both sides of the sticks (sandwiching the sticks in-between the candy bars).

After you have the candy bars in place how you want them fill the ugly parts in with Easter grass or tissue paper. Top the whole thing off with cellophane and a bow.

You can get as creative as you'd like with this craft. I included a pink daisy with a little message that said "Happy Summer." Have fun with it.

My sister made the basket full of mini drinks for our baby sister when she graduated high school (New flash: Freshman drink in college). She used the same concept, taping the sticks to the drinks and sticking them in the pot. The letters on the outside spell "UNF," University of North Florida. Thanks, Sara for letting me use your photo and great idea!

Happy Crafting, folks.

Perfect gift for teachers

Time: One hour
Cost: under $10
Supplies: Shadow box, printer, scissors, tiny sticks, glue (I used a hot glue gun)


I wanted to do something special for the professors who made a difference in my education during college. My mother teaches kindergarten and when the end of the year rolls around she gets a ton of bath supplies, gift cards, chocolate and candles. I wanted to do something a little different to truly express how important they were to my college experience. I came across this idea and thought it was wonderful. It is so simple and brought tears to the eyes of my mentors.

You will need a shadow box of any size and a printer to make the quote. The quote is "To the uneducated an _____ is just three sticks," from Winnie the Pooh. The "A" will be made out of three twigs that you can get from outside. If you have kids, this is an easy and fun task to keep them busy.

Once you get the template the way you want it, cut it to fit in the shadow box and glue the sticks into the shape of an "A". Match this with a card expressing your gratitude and you have the best gift to give a teacher.

Photo collages for any occasion

Time: As long or as short as you want
Cost: $10-$50 (depending on how big of a board you want)
Supplies: Bulletin board, photos

These are great for any occasion. After high school I made this one to take to college with me. The best thing about making the collages is that you can use the scraps from other crafts you have lying around. To get a three dimensional look use glitter, sequins, necklaces and pins.

To the right you can see that I used ribbons, stickers and flowers to break up all the colors in the pictures.

If you have something you would like to showcase, draw attention to it by matting the picture in a thicker border. I think the picture in the center here stands out because it is surrounded by the solid green.

Happy crafting!

Many, colorful and cheap: Paper iPhone covers

Time: One hour
Cost: under $20
Supplies:Clear phone cover, scrapbook paper, scissors, single hole punch


This is a easy craft that really allows you to show your personality. I love to match so this allows me to match to the seasons, holidays or t-shirt color. 

I am a little out dated and have an older iPhone. If you have the newest version, this will be even easier for you. I got this idea from How to Nest for Less. You can check out the blog here. It also has some more specific directions.


1. Choose the scrapbook paper you would like to use. You can get it in any craft store for pennies. And find yourself a clear iPhone case. I got mine for $15 in a kiosk in the mall. They had a lot.
2. Trace the outside of your phone cover onto the paper.
3. Cut it out and place it into the case. Does it need trimming? Mine did a little bit.
4. Trim until it hits your desired look.
5. I used a hold punch for the camera hole, but an X -ACTO knife would work great too.


What a great gift idea for the crafty kind!


Happy crafting folks. If you decided to give it a try, send me pictures.

(Collage) Vegas picture frame

Time: One hour
Cost: $3
Supplies: Frame, Mod Podge, Picture, "Nudie" cards
 
I recently traveled to Las Vegas with Austin. He found it fascinating that people were allowed to hand out little "nudie" cards to pedestrians. He asked me if I could take the cards and make them into a photo frame.

I purchased the frame at Michaels for a dollar.

Then I took all of the cards and taped them all over the frame. I left the edges hanging off all over the place. I enjoy the random look, so this method works for me.


I then went around the edges of the frame with an excato knife. I preformed the same in the heart shape in the middle.

Then I took regular Mod Podge and flattened the photos down so they looked smooth.

Don't forget to sign the back. You can do this project with any kind of pictures.

Happy crafting folks. If you give it a shot, shoot me some pictures.

Pillow Talk: Memory pillow cases

Time: Two hours (depending on how old the children are)
Cost: Under 20 per pillow
Supplies: Pillow case, fabric paint, fabric pen, good handwriting

I acquired this pillowcase somewhere between the ages of 10 and 15 years old at a sleepover with (then) good friends. It is a great idea for a party favor or parting gift and it doesn't get much simpler, or cheap, then this.

The pillow case reads: "Now I lay me down to sleep ... Ill count these hands instead of sheep ... Hands of friends I hope to keep ... Lauren, Brittany, Ashley, Jen, Allison."

Any kind of fabric pen will conquer the your message or a Sharpie. The hand prints are done in fabric paint, my painting your hand and placing it down on the pillow case.

The fact that I still have this pillow case and I am not 22 years old proves that it is a keepsake. I imagine it would be great for slumber parties, or maybe a graduation gift for a group of friends.

Happy crafting folks -- if you give it a whirl, send me pictures.

T-shirt quilt

Time: A few months
Cost: $314 + postage
Supplies: I decided to go with a professional for my quilt. All I needed to do was pay and mail the  shirts.

Austin is my boyfriend of 5 years. We met at summer camp, Everglades Youth Conservation Camp, when I was 16 years old. We spent the summers out there for 4 years as employees. During our employment we racked up a lot of staff shirts and staff hats.

Problem: Austin is attached to these shirts, but they no longer fit him, or are so dirty that they no longer deserve to see the light of day.

Solution: Blanket.

I have found many templates where one could do this craft themselves, however, because of the significance of the shirts I decided that paying a professional quilter was the way to go. I knew if I messed them up I would not be easily forgiven.

I sent the quilts to Key West Quilts, where Mary made a beautiful gift that Austin and I will surely appreciate for years to come. I would highly recommend Mary. I was easily able to get in touch with her and the final product was more than I could have asked for.

 

This quilt is a throw (54 X 60) and is made of 15 shirts. If you are interested in making the quilt yourself, I find these blogs to be helpful:

Condo Blues
Craftstylish
11 Spring Street



If you give it a shot, send me a photo. Happy crafting, folks.