Simple Christmas gifts

Christmas comes way too fast each year.  I always am so busy shopping for presents, decorating the house, going to holiday parties, and enjoying all of the Christmas time activities. It can often be overwhelming.  It is important to find time to relax and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.  Here are a few gift ideas that are thoughtful, don't drain the bank account, and are simple. 

1.  Gift: Snuggle fabric softener.

    Message: " Snuggle Up!  It's cold out there!  May your home be filled with Warmth and Love this Special Season."

2. Gift for ladies I visit teach:
               * Gloves: "To warm your hands"
               *Candy cane: "Wishing you a heartfelt and warm Holiday"
               *Visiting teaching message: "To warm your heart"
                * Hot cocoa: "To warm your tummy"
         I also put in a recipe book from Relief Society
       The container is a number 10 can spray painted red with a belt made out of felt.  Here are more details on the can and how to make inexpensive Christmas centerpieces.

3. Gift for the parents who volunteer in my classroom.
Gift: Soap and Lotion
Message: "Thank you for your HELPING HANDS.  Have a wonderful Holiday Season.

4. Gift: Chapstick

Message: Hope this chapstic is dandy when the mistletoe is handy.

5. Gift: Bubblegum
Message: "Blowing Christmas Wishes Your Way!"

6.  Gift: Kleenex, chapstick, hand sanitizer, EmergenC, and any other "health" items you want
     Message: We "tissue" a Merry Christmas and "healthy" New Year!"

Check out some other great gift ideas here.

Cat in the Hat

At the school where I work, we have a Halloween parade.  That means I have to figure out what to dress up as every year.  The tricky part is coming up with a costume that the kids will know who or what I am.  I hate spending money on costumes that I will just wear once.  This costume cost me a whole $2.50!  It was a huge hit.  The best part was wearing it during the evening while trick-or-treaters came to our home.  Their reactions and comments were priceless.  I think they enjoyed seeing the costume more than getting the candy.  

Gloves from Michaels: $1.00 

 Hat: I already had the hat

Felt: $1.50
Bow: I cut felt and then hot glued the bow together.

Shirt: I already had a black long sleeve shirt and an old white shirt.
I just cut out my old white shirt and sewed it onto the black shirt. 

Tail: I just rolled up a piece of felt and the sewed it together.

Black Pants and shoes: Already had

Jingle all the Way

I  absolutely love these!  They are so cute!  I couldn't help myself by making a bunch.  

 

The frames came from Michaels.  We had someone cut the vinyl out for us.  We got the paper in  a Christmas packet of scrapbook paper.  The jingle bells are from Michaels and JoAnns. 

Give Thanks

This idea came from blogger Mommy Misfit.  I love them!  The blocks are just perfect because it's hard to find Thanksgiving decorations and these blocks could actually stay up all year long.

A sweet women from my ward cut out all the blocks for us.  


The dimensions for the blocks are as followed:


G v H k --3 1/4" x 3 3/4"
T S--  3 1/4" x 4 3/4"
e --  2 1/4" x 4 1/4"
n --  2 1/4" x 3 3/4"
a --  2 1/4" x 3 1/4"
I --  2 1/4" x 4 3/4"


I cut the vinyl out with my Cricut.

Directions:

* Sand the blocks

* Paint the blocks

* Put a coat of matte mod podge on the blocks

* Put the paper on top

* Smooth the paper out with a plastic card 

* Once dry, put a top layer of mod podge on

* Place vinyl letters on

Etched Bottles

This past November I was in charge of a "Super Saturday" for the women at my church.  We came up with four crafts that they could choose to make.  One of these crafts was to use etching cream and etch on a bottle.  The example I have below is for Dish Soap; however, many of the ladies etched "oil".
There are two ways to do the etching:
1.  Etch the letters (letters will be whitish) The pictures below were done this way.
2.  Etch the background (background will be whitish)  Picture above was done this way.

First, lay the vinyl on the clean, flat glass.  I used the cricut to cut the vinyl.  

Next, use the armor etch to generously cover the surface you want etched.  Make sure that it is fairly even looking.

Wait about thirty or more minutes.  Don't worry about leaving the etching cream on too long.  The longer, the darker the etch.  Wash off the armor etch under a faucet.  Peel away the vinyl and wash again.  Dry with a paper towel!  You're done!

 

The color of soap I put in the bottle didn't show the etch very well.  Oil or yellow soap works best!