Gifts

Awesome Ideas for Making DIY Photo Books

May 18, 2017 by Eileen 32 Comments

I absolutely adore photographs. My walls are covered with galleries of pictures – whether they date back to when my parents and grandparents were young or when my siblings and I were growing up.

Not to mention, Ash’s childhood pictures which are just amazing.

And, I simply adore looking back at pictures of our sweet son. It’s funny how quickly kids change.

Whether it’s a look back on one’s life in pictures or a little memory book of a fun day trip, DIY photo books are simply the sweetest gifts.

They spread love and laughter, bringing back all those happy memories that are forgotten in the day-to-day.

My sisters share my love for photos, and we love making picture albums with all kinds of DIY photo book ideas.

We love to choose some kind of theme with funny, silly, or relevant sayings that accompany the pictures. These photobooks are so unique and such a hit, as they turn out amazing!

Keep reading for all of our DIY photo book ideas!

Check out our four favorites – a photobook of commonly-used sayings, quotations from various countries of travel, a Seinfeld-themed book, and special occasion photobooks. Then, see how you can easily make a DIY photo book for the ones you love.

60 Photos, 60 Catchphrases

The first photo book my sisters and I made was a scrapbook style album for our mom’s 60th birthday. Over the years, our mom has coined so many cliches and phrases, so we used these sayings in the DIY photo book gift. 🙂

She always says “I’ll let you get going” but keeps talking. When passing a hay truck, she always asks if we made a wish. When seeing something that reminds her of her parents – our nanny and poppy who have passed- she always says, “You know who would have loved this…” 🙂

And growing up, there was the saying I used to dread. At the end of the weekend or a vacation from school, she would always say in a bummed out tone, “Back to reality.” Boy did that snap us right back…

So, my sisters and I brainstormed all of the the phrases we could (this involved a few phone calls and visits to mom to jog our memories) and picked our favorite 60 phrases.

Then, we went through all of the photos – past and present – and matched the phrases with relevant pictures. This was especially entertaining. Looking through piles and albums of old photos was a blast – and we were cracking up matching photos with mom’s sayings.

We found one of mom cleaning the dishes for “The kitchen is closed,” a picture with all of us standing with our coats on for “I’ll let you get going,” an old first day of school picture for “Back to reality,” a picture of us playing in the hay for “Did you make a wish,” and many more.

Then, we put the pictures in chronological order, so it was like a real photo album, telling the story of the past 60 years in the DIY photo book.

As far as the design for the DIY photo book, we made this book like a scrapbook, printing the pictures and gluing them down.

We even printed each saying in a unique font. For example, the school pictures had a font made of pencils and the “Ok ty <3” text message was written in a typewritten font. I love how much character that fonts add, so this definitely made for a nice touch.

The DIY photo book turned out amazing. Not only does my mom treasure it, but the photo book always gives us a good laugh too. It’s such a fun way to put together a collection of photos from the past.

4 Countries, 40 Years of Marriage

With my in-law’s 40th anniversary coming up, my sister-in-law and I decided to make mom and dad a photo book too. Ash and his family have had the unique experience of living in four countries. Each of these places had their own sayings, dialects, and cliches.

Ash, my sister-in-law, and I picked out sayings that were common to those countries. Then, we paired them with pictures of his family at that time. I absolutely love the way this DIY photo book turned out!

The sayings were so funny to hear. I mean Ash talking in a Jamaican accent alone was cracking me up.

The DIY photo book started in Guyana, referring to spicy curry and roti.

Here are a few from Jamaica – Ash loves the picture on the right of the photo book. He’s climbing a fallen tree after a huge hurricane hit.

The DIY photo book went all the way to present day in New York. I just adore the wedding picture of my sister-in-law and father-in-law with the phrase, “Anything can happen in a New York minute.” So beautiful and true 🙂

We included photos with all the grandchildren and phrases like “hold your horses” and “pretty darn quick” that are unique to the United States.

The DIY photo book turned out so cute – and was such a beautiful montage of all the experiences and memories of the past 40 years in four countries.

Seinfeld Quotes Paired with Pictures

With my sister turning 30, we planned a surprise party that was Seinfeld-themed. When discussing how to make it special, my mom said, “Why not make her one of those nice photobooks?”

So, we did exactly that.

We ran with the Seinfeld theme, using dozens of hilarious quotes from the television show and pairing them with pictures of Bridget over the years. The DIY picture book turned out awesome.

We started the photos chronologically, beginning with a baby picture of her and our Nanny, quoting the Seinfeld episode from The Hamptons.

The photo below is one of my favorites. We were at a family get together and someone took this candid shot of us. I mean, look at each of those faces! After all these years, we finally found the perfect Seinfeld quote to go with it.

And, of course, we had to include “close-talker” in the DIY photo book.

We tried to limit the quotes and photos in the picture book to 30 in honor of 30 years. Yet, with all of the funny Seinfeld quotes and pictures we had collected, 30 was a drop in the bucket. The Seinfeld DIY photo book ended up being much longer (and hilarious).

Special Occasion Books

As a thank you to grandparents or friends going on a day trip or vacation, I love making a cute book of the pictures we took.

We recently went on a trip to a train museum and petting zoo, and it was a really perfect day. To thank my parents, we made them a little memory photobook with our favorite pictures from the day. They LOVED it.

There weren’t any fancy quotes in this one – just some cute designs and fun pictures.

How to Make a DIY Photo Book

You have so many options when creating your DIY photo books. We have made so many of these, so we have plenty of tips to share!

Digital Photo Books or Scrapbook Photo Books

You can make your DIY books either digitally or scrap book style.

I find digitally to be a little faster. It takes a little bit of time to arrange layouts, but it’s fun to pick layouts and embellishments. And, my time is much better spent creating something cool rather than on my newsfeed 🙂

I like using Walgreens for photobooks. You can use same-day pickup on some items (check which items for your local store before starting your book). The hardcover photobooks tend to be better quality when you have them sent to your home instead of same-day. Yet, if you are running short on time, same-day pick up is a great option for your DIY photobooks.

If you are working on the project with someone else, like a sister or friend who doesn’t live close, you can both log in to work on the photo book before printing.

Also, definitely search google for a Walgreen’s coupon code. They always run deals, so you will do well with the price of photo books.

You can also make the book scrapbook style. Albums can be ordered on Amazon or picked up at a craft store with a coupon. We made my mom’s DIY photo book this way, and it was nice because each of my three sisters and me had a role.

One of my sisters printed the photos with her 4×6 photo printers. (It’s awesome!! We always have her printing pictures for us 🙂 One of us bought the stickers, album, and embellishments, one of us printed all the quotes in cool fonts, and another sister put everything together.

To keep everything organized in the DIY photo books, as far as quotes and pictures, we used Google docs. You can easily share this with others. So, we made a simple spreadsheet of quotes and then wrote a description of picture we planned to use. This kept everything organized and sequenced properly.

DIY Photo Album Ideas

As far as themes for the sayings or quotations for your photobooks, you can be as creative as you want. Think about your recipient’s life and interests, and I’m sure something great will come to mind.

DIY photo books also make a great gift for father’s day and mother’s day. You could pair photos of your kids with funny things they say (I should make this for Ash!). It doesn’t have to be a grandiose book – a collection of 10-20 photographs in the picture album will turn out wonderfully.

Why You Should Make Photo Books

With today’s technology and everything being digital, it’s hard to find time to organize and print photo albums. Dropboxes and clouds (wherever they are) are filled with hundreds of pictures that aren’t looked at often.

This is exactly why I love making photo albums for others as gifts. And, exactly why these picture gifts are adored so much.

DIY photo book gifts are simply awesome presents to give. Not only will your recipients love the collection of pictures, but they’ll just adore the cute or funny sayings you included too. My mom, sister, and in-laws absolutely LOVED the photo books.

So much, that my sister is already asking for an addendum with more Seinfeld quotes and pictures 🙂

I can’t tell you how many laughs the Seinfeld book got – or how much my mom chuckles looking back at her photos and her sayings.

And who couldn’t use more laughter and love in their life?

For other gift ideas, check out our ice cream sundae gift basket and our Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt.

200 Ideas for Gift Baskets that Aren’t Junk Food

March 23, 2017 by Eileen 52 Comments

Every holiday has become alarmingly food-centric. Quite frankly, it stresses me out.

Bags filled with candy for Halloween, baskets and plastic eggs brimming with junk for Easter, stockings filled with sugar for Christmas.

Even Irish potatoes have taken over Saint Patrick’s Day. I’m talking the sugary cream cheese kind, not the ones the Irish actually eat.

My family and I have opted out of this candy culture for wholesome, healing foods. In doing so, we have overcome a myriad of health problems – but I’ll save that for another post.

I came up with 200+ awesome ideas for Easter basket ideas that are not only candy-free but also free of sugar and junk.

Also, the Easter basket ideas are organized by theme – because who doesn’t love a candy-free themed basket?!

A Summery Easter Basket

In this candy-free Easter basket, you can include all the things one would need for a summery beach trip. Then, line this summery basket with a beach towel, or instead of an Easter basket, use a beach pail.

Beach toys
Flip flops
Frisbee
Visor
Sunglasses
Pool toys
Beach towel – hooded towels for little ones
Kite
Beach books – board books for the little ones, beach reading for the older ones
Sunscreen
Sun hats

For Kids Who Love Crafts

Crafty is the theme of this candy-free Easter basket. There are so many craft ideas out there that you can be as creative as you want. As a nice addition, line this crafty candy-free Easter basket with a plastic tablecloth, for easy cleanup after art activities, and an alternative to Easter basket grass.

Markers
Colored pencils
Paints
Paintbrushes
Coloring books
Craft kits from AC Moore – foam kits, suncatcher kits
Stickers
Sticker books
Sidewalk chalk
Play dough
Mini canvases
Crayons
Dry Erase board
Cute erasers
Pencil Box
Festive pencils
Plastic Tablecloth – for easy cleanup

For Kids Who Love the Outdoors

Outdoor activities, games, and accessories make for a great candy-free Easter basket. Use a blanket, for picnics or relaxing outside, to line this Easter basket idea.

Bubbles, bubble maker, bubble toys
Sidewalk chalk
Sand toys
Jump rope
Bat and ball set
Mini football
Soccer ball
Baseballs or softballs
Hopscotch Game
Ball cap or spring hat
Frisbee
Sunglasses
Kite
Golf balls
Golf tees
Tennis Balls
Badminton Set
Garden tools
Garden gloves
Blanket for picnics or relaxing outside

Rainy Day Basket for Kids

With kids accumulating so many toys these days, why not make a rainy day basket as a candy-free Easter idea? Kids could pick a few toys to play with and the rest get saved for a rainy afternoon. Line these Easter baskets with a picnic blanket or cuddly reading rug.

Match box cars
Stuffed animals
Card games – decks of cards, learning cards, matching games
Coloring books and crayons
Craft Kits
DVDs
Army men
Blocks
Plastic jewelry
Books – board boards, chapter books, high interest books, etc
Tea party toys
Small or travel board games
Mad Libs
Bingo cards
Picnic blanket

Bath and Body Care Easter Basket

These candy-free Easter baskets is one that’s always loved and appreciated. Who doesn’t love a basket filled with these to decompress with – like cozy slippers, a favorite bath soap, and a good book? This basket is also great for teenagers. As an Easter basket grass alternative, use a cozy blanket or bathrobe to line this basket.

Lotion
Bath toys
Books – for toddlers bath books, for adults a good read
Bath scrub
Chapstick
Lip gloss
Slippers
Cozy blanket
Bath soaps
Socks
Nail polish
Nail file
Hair accessories
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Make-up brushes
Loofah
Favorite fragrance
Cute hand sanitizer

An Entirely Homemade Easter Basket that’s Candy-Free

Whether you are trying to save money or your crafty side is running strong, make an entire Easter basket filled with homemade items. There are so many cool things you can make that guarantee hours of fun. Line these homemade Easter baskets with your knitting, hopscotch mat, or t-shirts, as a fun basket liner.

Homemade finger puppets (check out my tutorial on how to make felt finger puppets)
Handcrafted matching game
Photo puzzle
Hopscotch mat (check out my DIY hopscotch mat made from felt)
Dry erase board from a picture frame
Scavenger hunt clues
Felt busy boards
Sticker Scenes – drawing/printing a landscape for kids to put stickers on
Homemade knit scarf, hat, or blanket
Iron-on or puffy painted t-shirts
Homemade games – Bingo, Mad Libs, etc
Popsicle stick bookmarks
Painted Mugs

Easter Baskets For College Students

For a candy-free Easter basket for college kids, the possibilities are endless. You can put together office supplies, tech items, healthy snacks, or favorite things from home. A cute spring scarf or a college t-shirt would make a great basket liner, rather than using Easter basket grass.

Post-Its
Highlighters
Handy wipes
Travel tissues
Teas
Notebooks
Pens/pencils
USB cord
USB drives
Hard drive
Screen protector
Cell phone case
Headphones
Totes
Spring scarf
iTunes gift card

Healthy Living Easter Basket (With No Candy, Junk, or Sugar)

For those that have an organic lifestyle or love healthy, healing foods, this Easter idea is perfect! It’s a healthy living basket that is filled with healthy foods – like fruit, nuts, and rice snacks, you could fill it with natural bath and body products, or a mix of the two. A reusable bag would make a great liner for your green friend or family member. I would love to get one of these Easter baskets – it would save me a trip to the grocery store 🙂 It’s amazing to know that in the candy-loving, sugar-centric world we live in that you can fill a huge basket with all healthy foods!

Mini cutting board
Seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, etc
Dried berries
Apple
Oranges
Nuts
Avocado
Herbal Tea
Honey
Almond butter
Rice cakes or rice crackers
Lara bars
Coconut water
Reusable glass water bottle
Organic lotion
Natural soap
Organic shampoo (love this one!)
Organic conditioner
Gift card to a local juice bar
Books on juicing or healthy recipes
Reusable bags
Plants – aloe plants, spider plants
Seeds for the garden (non-gmo seeds)
Garden gloves

Easter Baskets For Adults that Are Crafty

This is another Easter basket I would love to receive (…hint hint Ash). It’s filled with so many fun crafty things – you can be as creative as you would like, and your craft-loving family member or friend will not even miss the candy. Instead of using Easter grass, use felt for a creative liner.

Ribbon
Squiggly scissors (I love these so much)
Card stock
Markers
Colored pencils
Acrylic paints
Nice set of paintbrushes
Coloring books for adults
Stickers or embellishments
Washi tape
Journal or notebook
Stamps
Inkpads
Fabric markers
Sharpies
Window markers
Patches
Embroidery floss
Hoops
Yarn
Needles
Felt or cute fabric

Easter Ideas For Your Significant Other

Before we had kids, Ash used to make me an Easter basket every year. It was such a sweet thing to do, especially because Easter baskets are usually geared toward children. Whether you have five kids or none, I’m sure your significant other would love a thoughtful basket filled with creative, candy-free items. Use a spring scarf or cozy blanket to line this basket.

Stuffed animals
Framed photo
Books – think about hobbies –trains, crosswords, crafting, eating health, etc. Some
People love biographies
Fresh flowers
Photo presents – photo puzzle or photo book of recent trip
Coloring book for adults with colored pencils
Tickets to the movies or a restaurant
Spring scarf or cap
Socks
Mugs
Magnets
Cozy blanket

Easter Ideas for Dads

Having your kids make a basket for their father – or you making an Easter basket for your father is such a thoughtful gesture. You can fill these candy-free Easter baskets with all kinds of dad things – like socks and batteries – and I’m sure they would mind a few fun things too like an iTunes gift card. Use a dad t-shirt to line the basket, as a green alternative to Easter grass.

Hearty mug
Batteries
Honey
Duct tape
WD-40
Lint roller
Tie
Watch
Totes
Socks
iTunes gift card
Wine key
Flashlight
Crafts from the kids
Small tools
T-shirts – homemade are great!

Easter Baskets for Mamas

When putting together Easter baskets, don’t forget about your mom. There are lots of fun things you can fill the candy-free basket with that she will love. I’m sure she’ll love that you thought of her. A cozy blanket makes for a perfect basket liner.

Candles
Teas
Cute mug
Crafts made by the kids
Photos of the kids
Lara bars
Almonds
Sunglasses
Cute post-it notes
Fresh flowers
Sharpies
Jewelry
Totes
To-go wipes
Favorite magazine or book
Gift card for a night out
Cozy blanket

Practical Easter Basket Ideas

If you are stuck on ideas for a candy-free basket for a friend or family member (who probably has everything), why not make them a basket with one of these practical Easter basket ideas. Fill it with practical things that you always need – like scissors, batteries, and sharpies. My sister filled our stockings one year with practical items, and they were a big hit! Line the basket with bubble wrap or packing paper, something practical that will be reused.

Sharpies
AA batteries
Rubber band ball
Pencil sharpener
Thumb tacks
USB wall plug-in
Scotch tape
Magic eraser
Scissors
Lint roller
Handy wipes
Ziplock bags
Travel sewing kit
Extension cord

Easter Gifts For Dogs or Cats

With all these Easter baskets, don’t forget about your beloved pets. Pets are easy to shop for, and they don’t eat candy – so anything goes! Use a basket that you can reuse as your dog or cat’s toy bin.

Chew toys
Biscuits or treats
New collar
Bandana
Brush or comb
Frisbee
Tennis balls
Pick-up bags
Dog or cat bed
New dish
Collapsable dog dish (pictured above)
Treats or pieces of pet food in Easter eggs
Homemade biscuits
Homemade toys for cats – bell on a ribbon

Easter Basket Ideas for Eating and Kids

Healthy eating is so important for kids, and many kids these days have food aversions, allergies, or only eat macaroni and cheese and chocolate. The below fun eating dishes and other ideas can be used to encourage and promote healthy eating. Use the easy wipe cloth as a basket liner, as a cute Easter grass alternative.

New plates or cups with a favorite character
Utensil set with favorite character
Silly straws
Healthy snacks – puffs for toddlers, honey sticks, fruit pouches (read the ingredients)
Travel Tupperware
Game Plate – these are so cool. They help toddlers finish food on their plate by making it a game. My son loves this one 🙂
To-go cups
Waterproof splat mat
Fun place mats

Easter Ideas for Filling Eggs

Just as I was stressing out about filling candy-free Easter baskets, I was also wondering what I was going to fill Easter eggs with. I came up with two lists – a small toy list and a toy-free list. I LOVE the toy-free list – it has so many creative, fun ideas.

Match box cars (fits in the big eggs)
Stickers
Finger puppets
Small figures
Rings or bracelets
Keychains
Legos
Bouncy balls

Creative Easter Egg Ideas for Hunts

Legos – Fill all the eggs with legos. After the eggs are found, have kids each build something with the legos from their eggs.
Alphabet magnetic letters – After collecting all of the eggs, see if you can spell any words from your collected letters. Use cookie trays for a magnetic surface for word building.
Jokes – Everyone loves a good laugh 🙂
Silly actions – Fill each egg with a little piece of paper that has silly actions or tasks – i.e. hop around the yard like a bunny, give your little sister a kiss, do 5 jumping jacks,etc
Scavenger hunt clues – Start by giving every participant an egg. Participants will open the given egg for the clue to the next egg.

From crafty baskets to summery baskets to outdoorsy baskets, kids will love these creative items and not even notice that they don’t include candy or junk. And, adults will love the time and thought you put into creating these candy-free Easter baskets.

Additionally, the creative Easter egg hunt ideas are perfect for friendly competition or a good laugh.

With hundreds of ideas for Easter baskets and egg hunts, you can totally pull off a candy-free, junk-food free Easter without any stress.

Thrifty Indoor Winter Picnic Basket

February 2, 2017 by Eileen 49 Comments

When out shopping, I can’t resist a great deal. This past holiday season, I bought quite a few things that I loved but had no need for.

Yet, when the price is right, I can’t resist.

At Michaels, I picked up the below wire basket with the burlap ribbon and the two navy snowflake mugs 70% off. Yet, the holidays came and went and I hadn’t done anything with these items.

Shortly thereafter, I thought of putting together a winter picnic basket. I love giving gift boxes and baskets – they are fun to put together and unique gifts are always so appreciated.

This indoor winter picnic basket is perfect for so many occasions – a special gift for your husband or wife, a Valentines picnic basket for couples or families, or a holiday gift for someone who has everything.

It’s even something you could save for a snowy day spent fireside.

My favorite part of this gift is the soft, fluffy blanket that I used to line the basket.

The blanket is perfect for an indoor picnic – and who couldn’t use another cozy throw?! Indoor Winter Picnic Basket - Perfect Gift Idea

I just love this wire basket – it’s rustic yet modern looking.

It came with the burlap ribbon wrapped around it, which meant no additional fussing or ribbon was needed later on 🙂

Gathering Winter Picnic Basket Items

I picked up the red snowflake plates and napkins to go with the mugs (Dollar Tree finds).

Navy and red are one of my favorite color combinations.

I put together some snacks to go in the basket. We love Mary Gone Crackers (vegan and gluten free!) as well as Lara Bars. The chocolate coconut ones taste like brownies 🙂

When picking snacks, don’t forget to think about refrigeration. If you are giving it as a gift, you probably want to stay away from things needing to be refrigerated – like cheese.

You could also include a thermos that could be used for hot chocolate or soups.

Assembling the Winter Basket

To assemble, I simply laid the blanket at the bottom of the basket, wrapping the extra around the back, and arranged the items.

The blanket worked great for the lining because it made propping up the items easy – and it served as cushion for the fragile mugs.

I had a little “help” with the arranging… our buddy Zeus. He actually wanted the crackers in the basket and was begging 🙂 He looks huge next to the basket.

As a side note, in this picture, I was attempting to use tissue paper at the bottom of the basket, but the drab tissue took the elegant basket down a few notches. That’s when I decided to make the blanket work.

The basket took minutes to put together, and the total cost was around $30. The basket, mugs, plates, and napkins were $8 – you can’t beat that!

The snacks and blanket brought it up to $30, but the blanket was on sale too 🙂

The winter picnic basket is not only a unique, creative gift but it’s something friends and family will find so thoughtful. You can put a romantic spin on it for husbands, wives, boyfriends, or girlfriends, too 🙂 Especially with Valentine’s Day coming up 🙂

And, I have to say buying things you love at the right price definitely results in some creative, cute gift ideas 🙂

Simple Cookie Decorating Gift for the Holidays

December 14, 2016 by Eileen 72 Comments

With the Christmas season upon us and holiday traditions in full swing, making and decorating cookies definitely holds a special spot in my heart.

This year rather than just exchanging cookies, think about putting together a holiday cookie decorating box for kids and their families to enjoy. This gift provides a festive activity that kids will long remember.

I made one of these boxes for my niece years ago. Each Christmas, we would always bake and decorate cookies together – it was our special thing.

However, one Christmas I had just had my son, so I made my niece this little box, so she would still be able to decorate Christmas cookies that year.

In addition to putting together a holiday cookie decorating box for others, you could also make one for your family.

Save it until Christmas Eve, when you can then decorate cookies to leave for Santa:)

Not only is this box super easy to make, but it doesn’t involve screen time nor is it another toy.

And, if you are even a little bit of a baker or crafter, you probably already have a lot of the materials.

Cookie Decorating Gift Box Materials

About a dozen roll-out cookies – Baking the cookies ahead of time cuts out on the mess, and let the kids go straight to the fun part – the decorating.
Candy Melts – I used chocolate and red
Decorating Materials – sprinkles, candies, etc
Small containers for the sprinkles/candies – You can use condiment containers, small tupperware, or you could buy the the sprinkles/candies in small containers
Decorative Box – Michaels always has great ones
Ziplocs – to put the cookies and candy melts in
Ribbon – to spruce up the ziplocs

Holiday Cookie Decorating Box Instructions

First, you’ll want to bake your cookies and let them cool.

My family eats pretty healthy these days (one day I’ll share that story). So, I always make things as healthy as possible.

Additionally, I made these cookies without dairy, egg, or gluten. I’ve gone through quite my share of recipes, as well as trying to use substitutes on my own recipes.

Hands down, the best one is from The Unconventional Baker. She also shares recipes for chocolate roll-out and vanilla roll-out cookies. Her instructions were great. And, the cookies rolled out very well! Also, they don’t use cane sugar, and they taste just as a roll out cookie should.

After they cooled, I placed about eight of each type of cookie in a stack and put them into a ziploc bag. I folded the bag, so you wouldn’t see the zipper part when placed in the box.

Then, I adorned the top gingerbread man from each pile with a little bow:)

Next, I took the candy melts and poured them into ziploc bags.

Afterward, I also tied ribbon around these to make them look more festive.

Additionally, I found these cute little containers at Dollar Tree (10 for $1) and filled them with sprinkles and candies for decorating.

I also had all of these items in my pantry – so no additional cost for decorating materials 🙂

Next, I arranged everything into this Michael’s box. They have the cutest boxes for all holidays and seasons – and I always seem to shop when they are 70% off, which made this box $3!

The last thing I did was add a few candy canes because they make everything look so festive.

If I had a little more room in the holiday cookie decorating box, I would have added hot cocoa, paper cups, and cute straws, which would have made for a nice touch.

I spent only around $7 on this holiday cookie decorating box, as I already had everything but the box and candy melts.

Spending only $7 on a gift is quite amazing, right?

This year, as you get caught in the whirlwind of the holiday season, remember that decorating cookies is something simple, thrifty, and delicious to give!

And, I’m sure if you start this Christmas Eve tradition of decorating cookies for Santa, your kids will remember and blissfully look forward to it each year.

Easy DIY Gingerbread Decorating Gift Basket

December 5, 2016 by Eileen 60 Comments

I love buying fun boxes, and I especially can’t resist when they are a good price. I usually buy them on sale and then I figure out what to do with them later. That’s how my ice cream sundae gift box came to be:)

Michaels Crafts always has beautiful gift boxes.

They run a lot of 70% off sales, especially at the end of seasons, making them only a few dollars. I wasn’t planning on making any Christmas gift boxes this year. However, they ran their 70% off sale last weekend, so I picked up quite a few boxes and baskets.

I picked up a gingerbread house decorating kit too – also on sale. My niece and nephew love to do these, but we usually don’t have enough candy to decorate the house with – so we end up buying more to supplement.

Thinking of this sparked an idea…

Making a Gingerbread House Gift

I was thinking I could unpackage the pre-made gingerbread kit, compile more decorating items, and arrange everything into a pretty gift box. I also added hot cocoa items.

Now what store-bought gingerbread decorating kit also has hot cocoa?! :)The best part is that I only spent $18 on this gift box! So many times gift boxes are filled with things that really add up. This one is cheap and the items were easy to throw together.

Materials for Making a Gingerbread House Gift

As far as materials, you can really use anything you like – you could even use graham crackers, a container of frosting, and decorating icing, rather than buying a pre-packaged kit.

However, I thought $6.99 (plus my 25% off coupon) that I spent on the gingerbread house was worth it for all of the materials it provided

So, here are the materials that I used:

Gingerbread House Kit – Craft stores have the best prices on these (the one I used is pictured below and was pre-made!)
Additional Decorating Materials – Candy and sprinkles
Containers for Candy – I used a combination of cute little tupperwares I found at the Dollar Store (10 per pack!) and condiment containers that I bought a while back and keep using for various projects 🙂
Holiday Cups and Napkins – Dollar stores are great for this
Hot Cocoa – I used two individual packs
Tissue Paper – to line box or basket
Gift Box or Basket
Icing Spatula – I found a holiday-themed one at Michaels
Ribbon – to add a little flair

Instructions for Making a Gingerbread House Gift

First, I unpackaged everything in the gingerbread kit to see what I had to work with.

Then, I added in more candy that would be fun for decorating – twizzlers, smarties, peppermints, gum balls, starbursts, skittles, and tootsie rolls. I probably bought too much candy, but variety makes for fun decorating.

I also grabbed a few kinds of sprinkles that I already had, and then I simply filled the containers with all of the sweets.

Speaking of sweet, my little toddler helped me, and of course, everything is a lesson with me – so we counted, sequenced, and sorted the candy. 🙂

Then, I put together the non-food items – cups, cocoa, straws, the spatula, and napkins.

I tied a few of the things together with some holiday ribbon, as pictured below.

Next, I put together the icing. The kit came with three icing packets along with disposable icing bags and plastic tops.

All of them were in boring packaging, so I spruced them up using these little holiday cookie bags that I have had for years! It definitely made a difference 🙂

Then, I started arranging everything. I love arranging things, whether it be cookie trays, home decor, or gift boxes. It’s always my favorite part of projects. It takes me forever, but I love the results 🙂

The gingerbread house looked a little plain so I adorned it with ribbon (another 70% off Michaels find). If anyone has an easy bow-tying trick, let me know because I am the worst at it!

Also, I found a cute Merry Christmas tag (from a Dollar Store photo prop kit!! Check out our DIY photo booth post).

The tag was simply the perfect touch 🙂

And, last but not least, my plan was to glue a picture from the original box, along with the instructions (for the icing) to some scrapbook paper, so my recipients had this information. It’s always nice to look at an already-made gingerbread house for inspiration.

I love that this gift cost under $20. The kids will have to much fun making a gingerbread house. It turned out so cute, and I love that I used so many items I already had 🙂

That’s the great part about doing crafts – your craft bank grows and grows, and then you have so much to work with.

Making a Simple Ice Cream Sundae Gift Basket

August 19, 2016 by Eileen 31 Comments

I love making cute gift baskets – so much that I have a board on Pinterest entirely devoted to homemade gift baskets and boxes.

Whenever I’m stuck for a gift, whether Christmas gifts or shower gifts, I always think about what I can put in a gift basket as a themed gift.

My sister-in-law and her family were staying with us for their family vacation this year, and I wanted to do something special for them. I made this cute DIY ice cream sundae gift basket, and it was a hit!

Collecting Materials for the Gift Box

First, I collected the materials that I needed for DIY ice cream sundae gift box. I went to Michael’s and they were having an awesome summer blowout sale on gift boxes.

I got this gift box for just three dollars! Of course, I bought a few of them for later projects.

Next, on my weekly trip to the grocery store, I purchased a few of the ice cream box necessities – chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, cherries, and cones.

I also bought a few boxes of candy that could be used as toppings. The boxes were on sale for .99 cents.

As for other toppings, I already had tons of sprinkles and a box of walnuts at home.

My final trip was to Walmart for a cheap but cute ice cream scoop. I found one for .88 cents! (Side note – if you are looking to get a better scoop, there’s an awesome scoop on Amazon that uses the heat from your body to heat up the ice cream!)

Also at Walmart, I found polka dot napkins and turquoise spoons for a dollar per pack. I also found ice cream cups there for $3 per pack.

If you are looking to buy a kit, there’s a great ice cream sundae kit on Amazon, which has the cups, spoons, straws, and little umbrellas in bright and cheery colors.

Last, I purchased the condiment cups on Amazon. Love Amazon! I also needed the condiment cups for my son’s Sesame Street themed birthday party, so I bought a big bag.

I already had scrapbook paper and ribbon in my craft collection, so I didn’t need to buy those things 🙂

Putting the Ice Cream Sundae Box Together

The next step was the fun part – putting everything together into a cute ice cream sundae gift basket.

I poured the boxes of candy into the condiment cups. The boxes were a perfect fit because I had little to none leftover.

I also filled condiment cups with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, and crushed walnuts.

I unwrapped two different kinds of cones (I bought a variety pack) and wrapped a stack of them in cellophane for freshness.

Then I took a piece of ribbon and tied a few spoons to the ice cream scoop with a sign that read, “Just add ice cream.”

I took scrapbook paper and cut pieces to cover the store labels – to make them prettier 🙂

Then I printed my own labels that read “chocolate syrup, cherries, etc” (see download below) on regular white printer paper.

I glued the labels to the scrapbook paper and then taped them to the jars, for a cute, uniform look.

I didn’t love the design on the ice cream cups, so I wrapped a polka-dotted napkins around the cup, to match the napkins and make for a brighter box.

Last, I added a sign to the top of the box, covering up the bicycle design.

I love the way the box turned out! My sister-in-law and her family loved it too. We had a great time creating ice cream sundaes at home 🙂

As far as cost, I saved a lot of money with the discounted box, grocery store sales, and good finds at Walmart.

Altogether, I spent just less than $35 dollars (with the condiment cups being $10.50 and tons of these leftover for other projects) on the this DIY ice cream sundae gift basket.

Considering we had ice cream sundaes for seven people and tons of leftovers, I still think that’s a great deal!

It’s a great summer gift basket, housewarming gift, a sunshine gift for someone who needs some positivity – the list is endless, and everyone always loves it!

Making Adorable Cards from Toddler Art

August 7, 2016 by Eileen 7 Comments

I’m always looking for cute greeting card ideas for my kids to make. There are so many fun cards out there that creatively use kids’ hand and footprints. Although cute, I always had trouble getting one decent hand or footprint for a greeting card. Not to mention the mess it makes.

As soon as my son was old enough to paint, I had him “paint” with cotton swabs, instead of paint brushes, so he could easily dab the paint onto the paper. This kept the paint really confined but still allowed him to create artwork. (Sponge brushes and foam stampers are great for making cards with toddlers too.)

As any toddler’s paintings would be, my little guy’s artwork was very abstract.

I was having him make birthday cards for all of the August birthdays in my family. Yet, rather than give messy toddler paint prints, I thought of a great way to showcase his art but to also turn it into a nice-looking greeting card.

So after my son did a little painting, I did a little cutting and gluing – and voila! Don’t the birthday cards look nice?!

Materials for Making Greeting Cards from Toddlers

Making these greeting cards is so simple. The materials are so easy too. Most likely, you will even already have all of these things.

Card stock – I like having toddlers make artwork on card stock because it is so thick. When they layer paint on paint on paint, the card stock works really well. I mostly used this bright color pack. The brighter the colors, the better the cards turned out. (Looking at the purple card (below), I wished I used a brighter color for the actual card.)
Kids paint – I love this washable Crayola paint. Lots of color choices keep my son very interested in painting!
Paintbrushes – sponge brushes, cotton swabs or stampers work too! My son loves making greeting cards with these foam painting stampers. He has this farm set, but they have transportation ones, animal ones, sea-life ones, and even holiday sets too! He only uses the paintbrush for so long, but the foam stampers keep him interested for longer
Scissors – just the regular ole pair you have laying around the house 🙂
Glue – or even tape 🙂
Sharpie/Marker (if needed) – I used a sharpie to add the balloon strings. You could use ribbon too!
Stickers or embellishments (if desired)

Making Cards with Toddlers

After my toddler painted on the card stock papers, I let them dry for a few hours or so. Then, I cut his paintings into shapes – cupcakes, presents, balloons, and layered cake for the birthday cards.

I then took a new piece of card stock (a contrasting color), folded it in half, and trimmed off the top (unless I was going for a tall card – like the balloons and train). After, I took the birthday items that I cut and glued them down to the card.

I even did a train cut-out for my train-loving dad. I used a nearby water bottle cap to trace those perfect circles 🙂

Using Patterned Scrapbook Paper for Toddler Cards

After making cards for all the August birthdays, I was running low on paintings, so I substituted printed scrapbook paper (here is a similar one) that looked like a cupcake wrapper.

The greeting card turned out so cute that I wished I thought of it sooner 🙂

Birthday Shapes

As far as the shapes, I free-handed them as I cut. You could certainly draw on the paper and then cut.

Adding Embellishments

While making cards with toddlers, you can dress up the cards by adding some embellishments to the front of the card. I added the word happy with letter stickers because the present birthday card looked a little plain.

A Personal Touch

Last, to give the greeting cards just a little more of a personal touch, I had my son decorate the inside. He colored with his crayons and picked out stickers. This gave him another opportunity to be creative making birthday cards.

I just love how the birthday cards turned out! My son got to be as creative as he wanted with no restrictions (like finger prints or footprints), and I got to help my toddler create something to give to others that was refrigerator-worthy.

Even though I used birthday shapes for this batch of greeting cards, you could easily alter the shapes for holidays too.

Making cards with toddlers is a win-win for everyone involved. Your child gets to do a fun activity, you get to save some money with homemade cards, and your family members/friends get a creative, cute card, showcasing your child’s work.

And, the best part is that there is no need for hand or footprints. Now that’s a win right there 😉

How to Easily Make a Wedding Wine Basket

June 19, 2016 by Eileen 62 Comments

Recently, I took a little break from the home project list to work on some crafty things for my dear friend Meg’s bridal shower.

My fellow bridesmaids and I wanted to make a first year of marriage milestone wine basket that would include 12 bottles of wine for our her first year of marriage.

After scouring the Internet, I couldn’t find what I needed – so I created my own. I’m including the printables for you too!

First, I choose 12 occasions that Meg and Steve would celebrate during their first year of marriage.

I wanted to pick milestones that they would definitely enjoy their initial 12 months of being married, such as first Christmas, first Valentine’s Day, first snowfall.

I didn’t want to use occasions such as first baby and first home – because those milestones might not be in the couple’s immediate plans.

Therefore, the occasions I went with were wedding night, first New Year’s, first Valentine’s Day, first snowfall, first spring bloom, first beach trip, first big purchase, first dinner party, first fight, first Christmas, first Thanksgiving, and first anniversary.

Next, I needed tags to go with each milestone.

I used cute poems that fit the occasion and I fitted them all to one sheet of paper with the titles running vertically.

This made it easy to print just one sheet of paper for all of the tags.

Download the Wedding Wine Basket Tags

The wedding wine basket tag is a PDF, and it is not personalized, meaning none of these poems include the bride or groom’s name. Therefore, it’s easy for you to simply print, cut, and attach. No formatting necessary 🙂

Making the Wine Basket Tags

First, I printed the wine tag sheet out on thick manila paper. Afterward, I used squiggly scissors to cut out each blurb. Squiggly scissors are my favorite because they hide my lack of ability to cut in a straight line.

Then, I took out my scrapbook paper collection and cut out tags. I coordinated the scrapbook paper colors and designs with the occasion. After that, I glued the poems to the tags, punched a hole in each, and voila!

The tags were done. Don’t they look cute?!

Choosing the Wines for the Wedding Basket

Ash and I then took a trip to Joe Canal’s, a discount liquor store, for the bottles of wine.

We had a ton of fun, as we ended up matching the occasions to the names of the wines. Although, this wasn’t the initial plan, Joe Canal’s had such a great selection that it was easy and fun to pair each milestone with wine.

We found a Christmas Chardonnay to go with the first Christmas tag, Jersey Blush to go with first beach trip, a wine called 30 degrees to go with first snowfall, and the list goes on.

Putting the Basket Together

To attach the tags to the wine, I simply cut a piece of ribbon and tied it in a bow around the neck of the bottle.

I then bought a basket from Michael’s and covered the bottom of the basket in tissue paper. Then, I added the title “Quenching Your Thirst Through a Year of Firsts” and a sign that said “Carry from the bottom.”

Twelve bottles of wine get heavy!

Wedding Wine Basket Bliss

Overall, the first year of marital bliss wine basket turned out great! My mom, who isn’t normally a fusser, fussed over it every time she came over (I had it sitting on a bench in the mudroom for a few weeks). At the shower, the bridesmaids and guests loved it, raving over it.

Additionally, a few sweet older women at the shower asked me if they could find the idea on the Internet. 🙂

Moreover, recently a friend of mine was looking for a special gift for her nephew’s engagement party. She asked me if I had any ideas for the couple that had everything.

She LOVED this idea and put together her own, also adding a beer of the month club gift too to keep with the theme. I thought that was another cute idea!

Overall, the milestone wedding wine basket is a creative, fun, and unique project, with plenty of opportunities to add a personal touch. And of course, Meg and Steve loved it too.