Make your own gift card holder

I try really hard to not give gift cards for Christmas.  But sometimes, that's what people want.

In the case that I do give gift cards like for weddings, bridal showers, baby gifts, (ok Christmas too), I try to spice them up so that it appears as though I put a little more thought into the gift. I do this by making my own gift card holder.

It's really pretty simple and you only need a few things.

Supplies: Stamp, ink pad, glue spots, paper cutter, card stock, and a gift card!

Here's what to do:

Step 1 | Cut the card stock to size. I cut my to approximately 8 1/2 by 3 1/2 - 4 inches.

Step 2 | Fold the card stock in half.

Step 3 | Use your stamp of choice to stamp on the outside of the card.  

Step 4 | Attach the gift card to the inside of the card with a glue dot.

Step 5 | Write your note.  (optional: Write the value on the card, behind where the gift card will be attached.)

Step 6 | Give!  (This is the best part!)

This is super simple and can be used for any occasion!  I happened to make this one for a friend's bridal shower. 

Last minute mother's day gift: Vanilla Lavendar Sugar Scrub

It's true. I have a tendency to do my best thinking at the last minute.  While I was at the gym today, doing my daily cardio, I was frantically looking for Mother's Day gift ideas on Pinterest.  Considering that our mom's both live a couple of hours away from us and we didn't have plans to see them this weekend I need to get a gift in the mail today so that it gets there on time!  That's when I came across this pin for making your own sugar scrubs! (Thanks U Create!)

Here's what you need:

Sugar

Oil (I used olive)

Lavendar essential oils (Hobby Lobby)

Vanilla Extract

Half pint, wide-mouth mason jar (WalMart)

Pretty paper (for the lid)

Tag (optional)

Baker's twine (optional)

What you do:

Step 1: Follow this recipe from U Create

Step 2: Package the sugar scrub in a jar

Step 3: Decorate the jar

Super simple!  If you don't like the idea of vanilla and lavendar, there are other recipes as well! 

Shhh... Don't tell my mom...

DIY Personalized Wedding Gift

I mentioned yesterday that I we went to a wedding this weekend in celebration of some our friends in the area!  Instead of a traditional gift (since registries are usually cleared by the time I get to shopping for a gift) I created this personalized wedding gift!

I've seen so many great ideas, like this one, on Pinterest and had to make this project happen. 

Here is what you need:

Canvas

Chip board letters

Tacky Glue (hot glue doesn't work)

White spray paint (matte finish)

Large Letter

First... punch out the letters you need. I got my letters in a huge pack from Hobby Lobby.

Next, arrange them on the board before you glue them down with tacky glue.  Hot glue doesn't work.  It dries too fast and raises the letters up off the canvas.

Here is how your canvas may look pre-spray paint....

Here is your after! I like to use a matte finish spray paint.  You never know where they might hang this is their home (hopefully they do...) so to reduce glare from the sun shining through a window matte finish spray paint works great.

It's pretty simple!  I would definitely hang one in my house.  Rule of thumb for gift-giving: Never give something you wouldn't like to receive! (unless it's on their list...)

Wedding Wednesday: Gifts For Bridesmaids

Last week I did a little post with gift ideas for groomsmen.  I received a lot of comments and notes of thanks for pulling ideas together into one place so I thought hey - why not pull ideas together for bridesmaids to share with you all this week!  

First, let me tell you, girls are way easier to buy for!! (Maybe it's because I'm a girl??) I could keep on buying for my bridesmaids but that would probably max out my wedding budget and I have a few big expenses left.  Here is a roundup of some of my favorite finds!

Hangers // Totes // Clutches // Monogram Necklaces // Robes

If you do some searching on etsy you can find some really great deals! What other ideas do you have?  Please share in the comments below!!

If you are interested in more Wedding Wednesday posts, filled with wedding planning ideas go here!

Wedding Wednesday - Gifts for Groomsmen

I am moving right along in this wedding planning process and getting into the details including the fun stuff like gifts for our wedding party.  Let me tell you what - there are way better awesome gift options for bridesmaids than there is for groomsmen.  Since we've been on the hunt for wedding party gifts I thought I would share a round up of gift ideas for groomsmen.

Tie Clips // Soapstone Drink Cubes // Money Clip // Flask // Golf Ball Marker // Bottle Opener Key Chain

I really like the monogram items that can, in a way, commemorate the day.  Then again I would like it to be something that is fun and useful. 

A few other ideas I came across were a membership to the Tie of the Month Club (None of the guys in our wedding party would ever join it.  I would probably be considered the worst bride ever) or a bottle (or case) of their preferred beverage.

What other ideas do you have?!  I would love to hear them! 

Shopping Bags to Gift bags (a DIY project!)

One week until Christmas and I am working on wrapping my gifts!  This year I'm not going overboard on my gift wrapping considering it just gets ripped off and thrown into a black garbage bag. (I know, I'm kinda being a scrooge about it, but I'm also trying to be practical) I did however get a little creative when I realized that I hadn't bought any gift bags or extra boxes to actually put the gifts in and came up with these DIY beauties for gift packaging! :)

I dug out some of my nicer shopping bags and Birchbox boxes and simply covered the store name with scrapbook paper.  I also used a couple of holiday stamps to add some extra holiday spunk!

Before

After

I must say, they look pretty nice under the Christmas tree! :)

DIY Animal Jars

Have you seen these animal jars?! Aren't they the cutest storage jars that you've ever seen?!

I first saw these over at the Kreyv blog - she has a series called 'So Cheap So Easy' and they are cheap an easy.  A jar from WalMart, spray paint, an animal figure of choice and  super glue is all it takes to make one of these cuties. (*Tip: If you make one of these, scratch up the jar lid so the super glue sticks well.)

This one was a gift to my favorite God Daughter for her 5th birthday complete with beads and string to do some jewelry-making.

Gift Ideas For a Fabulous Father

Father's Day is this weekend! ahhh - this holiday completely snuck up on me! If you are still looking for a gift for dad (like I am) here are a few clever ideas to get your thoughts going!

1.  Create your own 6-pack

Have you ever noticed this section in your local 'wine and spirits' store? (I love this section!) Create a personalized 6-pack for your dad, most liquor stores have this option and it's fun to get creative and help dad to experience something new!

2. Tickets to a sporting event

Does your dad have a favorite sports team?  If so, spoil him with tickets to see his team play their rivals!  Even better, get tickets for the whole family - this will make the father's day gift extra special! We love to take my dad to Minnesota Twins baseball games, the stadium is great and it's not something that he does on his own regularly.

3. Gift Cards

Yes, gift certificates might seem like the easy way out, but you can't go wrong with them!  Get them a gift certificate for a place they love to browse, get tools, or their "project headquarters."  Sears, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards are some great places for dads.  My dad generally uses his gift cards when the four women is his life (3 daughters and a wife) drag him along shopping! :)

4. Support a hobby

If your dad has a hobby - help support it!  

Golf - A box of golf-balls or a new driver he's been eye-ing

Grilling - Get him the latest and greatest grilling accessories or maybe a set of spices?

Hunting - shot gun shells or hunting must-have's

Yard Work - options are unlimited

Hopefully these ideas help you out if you are still searching for the perfect and clever gift for your dad! 

Here is a shot of me and my dad after I ran for Miss Minnesota in 2009!  He is a fabulous, kind, smart and supportive dad... I wouldn't trade him for anything!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is this weekend - YIKES!  Are you still trying to figure out what to get for your mom that is fun, funky, creative, sentimental or simply something she will love?!  Well, I've come up with a few gift ideas for Mother's Day to hopefully help you out if it comes down to the last minute.

This summer-y placemat and napkin set is from Target.  It is so bright and happy!  I think it also comes in shades of orange! Click here to get it.

Funky dessert plates and napkins are probably not something that mom is going to rush out and buy for herself (that's the beauty of gift-giving)!  So why not pick out something that is just a little bit different?!  I love these desert plates and double-sided napkins from Target.  Click here to get the plates and click here to get the napkins.

If you're mom is more the jewelry type I would suggest a statement piece like this watch from New York & Company.  I believe it comes in white, green, magenta and red too.  You can also find some cool pieces at from Lia Sophia - my favorite jewelry source!

Summer is just around the corner so what about getting her some hosting piece like this pitcher and blue tumblers!  There is no need for them to match, just make them fun outdoor pieces.  These are both from Target also.  (Can you tell I love to shop here?! But who doesn't!) Click here for the pitcher and click here for the tumblers.

Ok - so for those of you who are DIY-ers these next projects are for you!

Make and gift your own seasonings!  I think this is a clever idea for a lot of reasons and I can have a vision of them being beautifully packaged in mason jars with clever labels!

Check out Self Reliance by Jamie to get the recipes!

These DIY air fresheners are super cute and easy to make.  Check out this post from my blog last week!

If your mom likes wine - purchase a bottle from a local winery (if you have one nearby) and wrap it in a cloth napkin.  Pair it with a couple of classy wine glasses and encourage your mom to take a step back and relax.

There are my Mother's Day gift-giving ideas!  Hopefully you found them helpful!  

Mom - if you read this, your Mother's Day gift is shown in this post!  Can you guess which one it is?!

What is the best Mother's Day gift you've given - or received?!

Easy DIY Air Freshener

Spring seems to be the time of year that most of my friends celebrate their birthdays - toss in Mother's Day which is around the corner and all of a sudden there is a lot of gift-giving happening!  I don't find this to be a problem at all since I love to give gifts!  

Lately, I've been gifting these DIY air fresheners because not only are they stylish but they are SUPER easy! I found the idea on Pinterest via the blog titled Smashed Peas and Carrots.

Here is what you need to make your own air fresheners!

Baking Soda

Mason Jar - 8oz wide mouth Elite Collection (Walmart)

Essential Oils (Amazon)

Scrapbook Paper - heavier weight (Hobby Lobby)

Quilting or Tapestry Needle (Hobby Lobby)

First I picked out some of my favorite scrapbook paper.  I usually have a lot on hand since I make a lot of greeting cards.  I recommend using a heavier weight scrapbook paper for this project.

Next, trace the lid onto the scrapbook paper and cut it out.

Now take your tapestry needle and poke holes in the scrapbook paper so your scent has a way to escape.  This is larger than a regular sewing needle so it creates large holes.

Next, fill the mason jar with approximately a 1/2 cup of baking soda and add at least 10 drops of essential oil of your choice.  I recommend you start out adding less oil and if you find it's not strong enough add a few more drops at a time.  For this one, I made a Eucalyptus-Mint air freshener by combining two of the oils I had on hand. Lavender is also great for bathrooms and bedrooms! 

Finally, place the scrapbook paper inside the mason jar ring and screw on the ring.  Then lightly shake the mixture and your done!  Whew - that was easy! :)

If you are going give these as a gift, I recommend keeping the lid and screwing it on the top of the jar, underneath the scrapbook paper just in case your package gets tipped over.  This way you can eliminate any potential mess.

Enjoy!

Gift Wrapping

Happy  Monday to my awesome readers & followers!  I can't believe Christmas celebrations start this weekend.  Remember as a kid when it took FOREVER for Chritmas to get here??!!  Now that I'm "20-something" I wish it didn't come so fast!  However, I did get a lot done this weekend and wrapped most of the gifts we will be giving.

I think of gift-wrapping as an "art."  I'm always trying to come up with new ideas to wrap gifts and make them look beaufitul.  Sometimes I question my own judgement on this knowing that the paper will just be ripped off an thrown into a big black garbage bag...  Oh well - I still like doing it!

Here is what I cam up with this year!

I used brown postal package paper as wrapping paper (found in the office supply dept at Target) and then decorated it with some awesome holiday ribbon I found at Hobby  Lobby. 

I made my own gift tags for all of the packages too! 

 You can go to any office supply store to find the brown tags and metal rim tags.  Then just decorate with rubber stamps.  You can get a small barrell of mini Christmas stamps for $8.99.  (Make sure to use this Hobby Lobby coupon to get an additional 40% off)  You can use these tags for other holiday hosting ideas.  Take a look at this post about Thanksgiving Hosting Ideas that work for Christmas too!

One of the best things about using this brown shipping paper is that it is heavier and more durable then regular Christmas paper. This is nice because the presents that can easily get holes poked in them with regular paper will stay nicely packaged and still look beautiful after transporting them.

One more thing I have to share...  Isn't he SO cute!

"Someone" thought that he should let our outside dog in the house to hang out with me while I was working on Christmas gifts.  He was actually pretty well behaved (except wanting to play with my rubberband ball) and even let me tie a Christmas ribbon around his neck.

In case you are wondering... he left it on for a couple of hours!

Happy Wrapping!
Beth



{Gift DIY} Clutch + Giveaway

I was definitely a "Suzie-homemaker" this weekend.  I spent all of Saturday sewing. (My mom would be proud at how far I have come with my sewing skills - I have moved past straight lines and can now sew around curves...)  Amongst other things, I made a few of these chevron clutches as Christmas gifts for some of the awesome ladies I have in my life!

I found this awesome tutorial from a blog I frequently visit called "See Kate Sew."  To get the tutorial for this clutch click HERE.  To find the fabric check out fabric.com.  Choose a heavier weight fabric like a home decor weight so that the clutch has some structure to it.  I chose a chevron print since that is the "in" style right now.

There are so many different things this clutch can be used for:

Purse

Make-up bag

Jewelry Travel case

Diaper/baby wipe holder

Gadget holder (ipod, Nintendo DS, cords)

Do you love it but don't want to make your own?! Good news - I am going to give away one of these clutches!  (Merry Christmas!)  Here are 4 ways you can enter to win:

1. Become a follower (+1 entry, leave a comment saying you are new follower)

2. "Like" Design Your Dwelling's Facebook page (+1 entry, leave a comment saying you "liked" the FB page)

3. Leave a comment with your idea for how you will use this clutch. (+1 entry)

4. Re-post this blog on your Facebook page (+1 entery, leave a comment to let me know you did)

There you go - you have up to 4 chances to win!  The winner will be announced on the Design Your Dwelling Facebook page next Monday, December 19!

Have a great Tuesday... Beth

{Gift DIY} Frosted Wine Glasses

Here is the second DIY gift idea - Frosted wine glasses.

This is such an easy DIY project.  All you need to do is put rubber bands around the wine glasses and spray with frosted glass spray paint.

Pair these glasses with a bottle of wine and your gift is complete!



The wine is from Santa Maria Winery, our local winery in Carroll.  If you ever travel through western Iowa, definetly make a stop!

Have a great Friday!
Beth

PS - If you like this DIY post about frosted wine glasses, click on the link to check out my DIY post for Painted Vases.

DIY Vanilla Extract

I am proud to say that I have officially started my Christmas gift-making for 2011!  This is way ahead of schedule for me, but in order to get this done and wrapped by Christmas I needed to start now.  A couple of weeks ago I came across a recipe for Homemade Vanilla Extract on one of the blogs I follow, Whipperberry.  It looked fun and easy to make so I thought I would give it a whirl!  I think this will make a great gift for our mom's, grandmas and the just-in-case I need a gift, gift.

All you need is vodka (anything cheap) and whole vanilla beans.  I took the recommendation from the Whipperberry blog and ordered my vanilla beans from Beanilla Trading Company. 

Who knew that vanilla extract was made out of vodka and vanilla beans?! Out of curiosity I checked the ingredients on the vanilla extract in my cupboard and sure enough - alcohol and vanilla beans and of course a few preservatives.
As for packaging, the mini wine bottles from either Barefoot or Sutter Home wine work great!

DIY Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1 cup of Vodka for 2 Vanilla Beans

Let it sit in a cool, dark place for 1 1/2 to 2 months, shaking it every couple of days

Remove the vanilla beans and strain the liquid thru cheese cloth

Package it up with a cute label! 

(Go to the Whipperberry Blog for packaging ideas- great ideas!)

So this weekend I picked up my supplies from our local HyVee grocery store so I could start my homemade vanilla extract project.  I didn't think of it until I left the grocery store but, I must have looked like an absolute "soak" when I was pushing my cart through the store.  I had a huge bottle of cheap vodka and eight mini bottles of Barefoot brand wine.... and a six-pack of Shocktop... Haha! 

I'm pretty excited for this DIY project!  I just need to empty out all of my mini wine bottles (1 down, 7 to go) so I can keep this project moving. Guess that means I will be drinking wine! :)

Let me know if you take on this project!

Have a great week and enjoy!

It's A Girl!

GOT YA!! For some of you, I bet you had to read this post because the title completely caught you by suprise and you had to figure out what was going on!  No, I did not and am not planning to have a baby.  Maybe someday, but not any time soon...

However, our good friends in northern Iowa just had their first baby, a girl, named Riley Jo.  And, because I love giving gifts you better believe we mailed them one right away.  I am pretty proud to say that I actually made the majority of their gift (if you count items and not $$ because we did give them a Target gift card.) Some of you might think I am crazy for spending time on this stuff because it is SO MUCH easier to go out and buy something but that's definitely not as fun when you want to give a unique or personalized gift.

Here is what I made.  It's not much (that's why they got a gift card) but it was fun! :)

I love making greeting cards!  I do a lot of rubber stamping and use a lot of Stampin' Up products.  Making cards is something I do to relax.  Not to mention it saves quite a bit of money when you consider buying $3.59 greeting cards these days - Ridiculous!  Even though I love making greeting cards my boyfriend, Adam, said I can't make a living do that...

I also do a little bit of sewing- mostly straight lines yet - so I made a burp cloth.   If you can thread a sewing machine you can make one of these.  Just pick out some cute material, sew the material right sides together and then turn it right side out and stitch up the opening.  Very Easy!

This was my favorite part of the gift!  I picked up a cute jar a Hobby Lobby, (usually 50% off every other week), tied a ribbon around it and used my rubber stamps to jazz it up.  You can't see it very well but I filled it with those cheap, plastic, little girl barrets that I found at Target.  It would be cute filled with diaper pins or candy if you wanted to give something simple as a birthday gift. 

Personalized gifts are fun and pretty easy as long as you are willing to put a little more time into them.  If you don't like taking the time to make gifts or don't feel very creative, let me know, I would be happy to make personalized gifts for you to give.

Happy Crafting!!