Footprints for Grandma

Before Gluing and Framing

I really adore framed little footprints and handprints, but I'm not too keen on buying expensive and hard to use print-making kits--especially since it is really inexpensive and easy to come up with a colorful print on your own!

For your mom on Mother's Day (or Mother-in-Law, child's godmother, or Aunt), why not make prints of your little one's/ones' hands or feet using non-toxic, washable paint and a little bit of pretty paper? Just follow these easy steps:

1) Paint your little one's hands and feet, one at a time, with non-toxic washable paint such as Crayola Washable Kid's Paint.

2) Press each hand or foot onto a sturdy piece of paper such as poster board or heavy card stock. You may need to make multiple prints if your kid moves around a lot like mine. You can make things a little easier on yourself by putting him/her in a high chair while you paint his feet and print (Andrew really liked the squishy feeling of the paint too!)

3) Cut out the best prints and use glue dots or a glue stick to paste them to a pretty piece (or layered pieces) of paper. I again used some scrapbooking paper that I had lying about the house. You can also add a photo and a label with your child's name and age as I did above.

4) Frame the whole darn pretty thing and give it away! (And, if you're like me, you'll make yourself one as well!)

The finished product! Sorry for the bad photo resolution!

This is by far my favorite project of the week and I know my mom is really going to be pleased and surprised when she gets it (hope she doesn't read this post!) Its just so pretty and sweet--and you can't by anything like this in a store. That's something special!

With that, my week of easy, budget-friendly Mother's Days gifts is over (I'm resting tomorrow before the big day, of course!) I hope you've enjoyed reading the ideas I've posted and have been able to come up with a creative gift of your own for the moms in your life.

I also hope you have some special time planned with your family this Sunday. We'll be at the amazing Magnanini Winery in Wallkill, NY.  Nothing makes an Italian mama more happy than good wine, food, Italian music and family!

Read More

Super Cute Handmade Clutch for Mom (and for you... and for your friends... and...)

I think the girls at The DIY Dish are adorable and their latest handmade clutch handbag project is just perfect for Mother's Day gifting (and birthday gifting! and just because gifting!) You don't have to be too handy with a sewing machine to make these clutches--and, in my opinion, you could even forgo the machine all together in favor of hand stitching these cute little clutches.

All you need are:

• Two different 9"x12" pieces of fabric
• One 9"x12" piece of fusible interfacing
• 1/7" of ribbon or elastic and a button (for clutch closure)
• Optional embellishment items (lace, flowers, etc.) 

Once you've gathered up these materials, pop on over to DIY Dish for their easy video instructions. Try not to be too flustered by their description of how to use their super-fancy sewing machine/embroiderer  (I was at first!). All you need to worry about is what to stitch and where to stitch it.

I hope you'll post links to pictures of your own handmade clutches in the comments below. I'll definitely be back to post my creations once I free my sewing machine from its packing box (how slow-going at unpacking can I be??)

Happy sewing!

Read More

Pretty Paper Goodie Box for Mother's Day Treats

If your mom likes yummy treats this quick and easy Mother's Day Gift idea (or any other day gift idea) is right up your alley. All you need is pretty paper, a couple minutes of origami-inspired patience, and the video and written directions on the following website to make a cute paper box to hold your mom's favorite candies, cookies and other treats:

http://www.origami-fun.com/origami-box.html

As you make your box, just remember a few things: 

1) The stronger the paper, the stronger/longer-lasting the box. If you want to have heavier treats in the box, you'll need cardstock or similar heavy paper. 

2) The bigger the paper, the bigger the box. Your box will come out to a little bit smaller than a quarter of your starting paper size.

3) Unwrapped candies, cookies, etc. should be wrapped in plastic bags or cellophane before going into the box if you want mom to be able to reuse it. 

For the box pictured above, I used different sheets of pretty patterned scrapbooking paper that I always seem to have on-hand. You can also use any suitable squares of paper you have on hand--as long as it is heavy enough to hold what you intend to put inside the box. You can even decorate paper yourself with markers, stickers, etc.--or have your kids decorate the box for an even more special gift for grandma.

Your final step? Fill up your beautiful creation with goodies and hand it over to mom. How can she not be pleased by your origami prowess--and that you took the time to create something special just for her. 

Happy folding! 

Read More

Homemade Body Scrub for Mother's Day

Today's easy and budget-friendly Mother's Day gift idea is handmade body scrub, courtesy of the March 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine (my fave!).

You can make this gift even more budget friendly simply by using baby oil instead of expensive body oil and also by reusing a suitable toiletry jar that you have at home. Just empty out the old/rarely-used contacts into Tupperware or a zip-lock bag (if possible) or into the garbage (even better!) Clean and dry the container thoroughly. Wrap a piece of pretty paper, fabric, or tissue paper around the container, covering the old label, and secure with glue or tape. Slap a paper label of your own design on top--and voila--you're even more budget and eco-friendly than Martha!

You could even use a wide-mouthed mason jar, but please warn your giftee to be careful using glass containers in the bathroom or tub.


Homemade Body Scrub
Excerpted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine, March 2011

Materials:

• Body Oil
• Epsom salt, sea salt or organic cane sugar
• 12 oz PET jar with cap, sks-bottle.com (or see my not about reusing above!)
• Lemon zest 

Homemade Body Scrub How-To:
Combine 1 cup of body oil with 2 cups of Epsom or sea salts or organic cane sugar (depending on how fine a grain you like.) We added lemon zest for color and fragrance. Package in jars (plastic is safest by the tub).


Happy gifting!

Read More

A More Special Bouquet for Mother's Day (Budget Friendly!)

Working from home leaves me with a lot less money for birthday and holiday gifts, which means I've got to get frugally creative when a special day rolls around. So, with Mother's Day less than a week away, I'll be posting a budget-friendly handmade gift idea a day that would be perfect for any special mom in your life. 

Today's gift idea is a twist on the traditional Mother's Day flower bouquet. Instead of popping into a grocery store or onto a retail florist website for a premade bouquet, how about creating something more personalized? 

• Step 1: Stop by your local florist and pick out a couple blooms that you know she prefers and are within your budget. Buy just enough flowers to make a special number, such as the number of grandchildren or number of children (or both) the honored lady has in her life. You can choose to buy all of the same flower, or have different flowers/colors for male and female children, or children and grandchildren.

• Step 2: Place the flowers in a vase or mason jar and create vase filler with any attractive long-stemmed foliage, wild flowers, or sticks from your back yard. If you have the funds, you can also purchase baby's breath or other filling foliage from your florist--or simply let your purchased blooms stand on their own. (You'll obviously need to put water in the vase too!) 

• Step 3: Create a pretty tag using cardboard, construction paper, scrap fabric, or any other suitable material you may have lying about the house. Write on the tag something to the effect of: "Mom's Growing Garden," "Grandma's Special Flowers," or "Thanks for helping us grow!" and list the name each flower represents. For example, our tag would read: "Thanks for helping us grow! We love you, Matt, Lisa, and Andrew." Punch a hole in the tag, pass a ribbon or piece of yarn through it and attach it to the vase.

And that's all you have to do to make a pretty, budget-friendly bouquet for Mother's Day! 

Tulips, daffodil, hyacinth &
wild brocollini flowers from our backyard.

If you live in an area where wild flowers are abundant, you might not even have to visit your local florist at all. I myself will be picking flowers or visiting Stony Point Florist. Stony Point Florist provided gorgeous flowers for my wedding three years back, and they always have created beautiful bouquets for any special occasion that we need flowers for. They are also very friendly and have been a neighborhood fixture for years--and it just feels good to support a local business!

Happy gifting! 

Read More