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Get "Thanks" for Giving
by Sara KendrickScrapping Deck Crewmember
Well if you're just now getting here - YOU'RE LATE! I mean getting to the place where you think about making your Christmas gifts. But help is on the way and the day can still be salvaged!
Let me explain... I do this every year (which qualifies me to spew advice on the subject.) I usually start in October and I make these grandiose plans for personalized scrappy type gifts for everyone on my "you're-lucky-to-be-receiving-this" list. There are personalized tribute albums, calendars, card and stationery sets, lovely embellished journals and address books, shadow boxes... All these thoughtful, creative gifts I'm going to hand render for those I love, and sometimes even those I barely know. But then it hits me full-on about mid November - the Christmas season - and in the end, after all the cleaning, decorating, picture taking, entertaining, cooking, programs, shopping, shipping and general chaos... all I've made are "plans", (and a few trips to my local scrapbook store to stock up on supplies.)
So here's my answer for all you overworked Scrapbookers that want to give something personal and memorable this year: Buy the gift and make the wrapping! Sounds simple, no? Well it IS! Each of the projects I feature this month can be made in about 30 minutes or less. (Hmmm... sounds like show idea for the "All Scrapbooks All Day" channel on the cable network in my mind.)
I've got some ideas for the upcoming holidays as well as a few birthday and "general gift giving" occasions. Just about every one can be made with scraps and leftovers as well some things you just might have hidden in your kitchen pantry.
Long ago, when I was a mere child, if you didn't have a gift (or a clue) you gave cold hard cash as your offering. Well, we've come a long way in the last couple of decades and now gift cards are just one step up from cash. Now instead of your gift saying, "I haven't the slightest idea what you would enjoy!" now it can say, "I haven't the slightest idea what you would enjoy - but perhaps you'll find it at the Home Depot?"
Gift cards make for easy and fast gift giving. Just this summer I was vacationing back in Florida and in my old local grocery store they had a rather large spinning rack of dozens of different gift cards. Gift cards for stores and restaurants that weren't within a hundred miles of my old small town! To take the sting out of giving a gift card, package it in an adorable personalized container. There are a lot of options out there that are "gift card sized" but my favorite right now is the handled bandage box. These are very inexpensive, usually less than $2 each, and easily decorated. They're even easier if you find one without the handle on top, but then you don't get to add all those cute little ribbon snippets.
Another gift card sized option could be this unusual tin I picked up in the Dollar Spot at Target. It really holds a body shimmer rub and little applicator puff, but that was easily removed. This little tin went together in 10 minutes! (And I'm NOT a fast scrapper by any means!) Most of the speed for this project can be credited to the great self-adhesive textured tape and matching papers by Making Memories. It's just the right size for sticking to the side of the tin and lid. All I had to really do was trace and cut the paper for the top and add a little machine stitching. You can't beat that for $1! Recently I picked up a handful of miniature lunch boxes with candies in them. They were marked 75% off so got several of them to alter. What a bargain at $.25 each!
Now for some pantry raiding! Do you recognize either of these little containers? The first one is a Crystal Light canister and the second is a lunch size pop-top fruit can - this one happened to be diced pears. There are lots of fun trinkets that can fit in these, but a nice candy would be the easiest. Any pop-top can will work, but I look for one without directions printed on the top. All you do is open it on the bottom with a safety can opener, the kind that cuts the end completely off with the rim intact. Once you've decorated and filled it, just glue the bottom back on with a few drops of super glue. I like the pop-top cans as party favors as well. Last Christmas I made several as favors for my gift-wrapping get-together. Three truffles fit nicely in each one. For the ones filled with milk chocolate truffles I checked the "naughty" box on the tag and for the ones filled with white chocolate truffles I checked the "nice" box. That way my guests could choose whether to be naughty or nice for the evening.
A favorite standby for unusual gift-wrapping the last few years has been the paint can. I love giving a gift in a paint can! The can actually becomes part of the gift! I don't recommended trying to clean out a can full of paint... Go ahead and spend a few bucks on a new paint can. Pick up a few - they're great to have on hand for a quick gift!
My favorite theme is "a date in a can". I include either a DVD or gift card for movie rental, some microwave popcorn, and a few of those movie theater style boxes of candy you can pick up at the grocery store, only at a fraction of what they would cost you at the theater! A couple of Christmases ago I printed a gift certificate for a one-month subscription to Netflix and slipped it in the can with popcorn and some favorite candies. These went over very well.
My mini Santa can uses velvet paper and ribbon that gives it an elegant feel. This quart size is perfect for a gift card and maybe a decadent kitchen creation like homemade truffles, fudge or candied nuts. (And if you're as well intentioned and overworked as I am, the store bought kind looks good in here too!)
When decorating a two-toned paint can, a simple rule is to have the top third of the can one pattern and the bottom two-thirds a different pattern. Be sure the style and scale of the two patterns is complimentary. Perhaps a floral and plaid or a dot and a stripe will look good together. Don't let your patterns be too different in size. You don't want a tiny floral pattern on top and a large plaid on the bottom. By the same token, you also don't want your patterns to be too similar in size or shape either - a small floral on top and a small dot on the bottom. Try to shoot for the middle ground here.
Think about other pattern possibilities too. Try pairing a monochromatic stripe and romantic toile print paper with a satin ribbon dotted with some old buttons and a bit of tea dyed lace. On the other hand, consider a denim and bandana paper with a touch of jute as your "ribbon"? Wondering what to do with that cute "tool" paper you bought? Pair it with a wood grain printed paper and give that handyman of yours a home improvement store gift card so he can finish building your scrapbook space.
I always like to include the "key" to open the paint cans. Usually the paint department person gives them to me free of charge when I purchase either a gallon of paint or an empty can. If not, you can pick them up for pennies. Try tying them with a bit of matching ribbon or fibers and maybe attach your gift tag. I usually tie mine to the handle at the side of the can. (Helpful hint: don't pack the key inside with your gift...)
So there you have it - some last minute gift ideas that don't look last minute at all. Keep your creative eye open and on your next trip to the market be on the hunt for some interesting packaging. I've purchased some products just to recycle the packaging for my gift giving!
Other containers you might have around:
- Altoids or other mint tins
- International coffee tins
- Chocolate milk or hot chocolate powder containers
- Potato crisp canisters
- Cigar boxes
- Cookie tins
- Baking cocoa tins
- AOL freebee mailers
- Larger pop-top fruit cans
- Butter or cream cheese tubs
- Four or six-pack bottle carriers
I hope I got your creative juices flowing and opened your mind to some innovative gift-wrapping - with a personal and loving touch.
Until next time,
Smooth Scrapping,
Sara Kendrick
sarakendrick@ssreflections.com
Scrapping Deck Crewmember
Reflections Publishing Group, LLC
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