Gifts in a jar!

I was looking up some DIY gifts this morning (my goal is to do all DIY for the holidays) and I found some really cute gifts in a jar!

This is a lemon hand scrub great for crafty relatives or friends! It's really inexpensive and easy to make. You can even use a jar from an empty jelly container or salsa, etc.

I also LOVE baking and think a jar like this is super cute!! I think I would make a sheet cake then cut it into circles and layer with frosting, different colors would be really cute!

And not COMPLETELY "in a jar" but close enough, I think terrariums are really cute! I think my grandma would really like one (plus she loves gnomes!)

I also just realized how many times I said "cute"---!

You can click-through each of the photos for directions. :)

I'm compiling a list of ideas like recipe cards, photo frames, etc. I think it'd be really fun to put together some gift baskets with fun diy-friendly gifts--some things useful and then some just really nice and pampering (like the hand scrub). Last year a simple gift I made was a whole bunch of lady bug magnets for my grandma's fridge. You can find magnets at your local craft store for really cheap. The possibilities are endless!

Have you made any DIY gifts?

Kristi(E)

ETSY CRAFT PARTY

Hi Everyone!

Last night Marc and I went to an ETSY Craft Party!! There were a bunch of free craft projects and food, including some amazing hummus. Some of the projects we didn't get to included making your own leather keychain (yeah, not very vegan friendly), cupcake decorating, painting, and bracelet making. However, we did make these:

For the first time ever I did embroidery! I LOVED IT!!! It was so much fun and not too hard at all. I've been wanting to do embroidery/cross stitch/etc. and was so excited when this was one of the projects :D

It's actually really easy to do. Basically, just get the fabric onto something that will pull it taut. I've always seen those adjustable circles used but she simply glued the fabric between popsicle sticks to make a frame for this simple craft. Then, you start one stitch. After that initial stitch, you will come up from the bottom of the fabric in front of the stitch and then go back through the end hole of the first stitch. Does that make sense? It's called a "backstitch!" You can find tons of stitching tutorials here.

Then I made one of these button necklaces! I've seen them a few times and always thought they were interesting. You pick however many strands you want and double the strings. So if you want three rows of buttons, you would take three long strings but then fold them in half to make six. Take two strings at a time. Feed a button through one string and then tie a knot with about an inch of slack so the button can slide. Continue doing this until you get to the end of a string and then start on the next two! This necklace is five strands which is a lot but I still think it's really neat.

Marc made a dreamcatcher! Luckily that string wasn't authentic because it's originally made out of animal intestines! EEK! The bad dreams get caught in the web and the good dreams go through the hole and down the string/feathers to the sleeper. You want your hole big enough for the good dreams to get through but not too big or some of the bad dreams will make their way through as well! I'm not sure where you get sticks that are this bendable but these were! You just wrap the ends of the stick with the string, called "sinew," go about two inches out, make a wrap, and keep going!

Let me know if you try out any of these crafts, I'd love to see!

P.S. Afterwards, we went to see this:

I truly am a closet X-Men fan. I used to read the comics when I was in elementary school, believe it or not. I didn't keep reading them afterwards so I can't detail the story lines of all of the characters (except maybe my childhood favorite Jubilee) but I do enjoy the films!

Kristi(E)

The Apothecarium on Etsy!

I just purchased the two cutest patches!! (imo) from The Apothecarium on Etsy.

&

So cute! I can't wait to sew them on the elbows of my jacket :D....even though it's summer right now!

Kristi(E)

SUMMERTIME!

I'm gonna go with, IT'S OFFICIALLY SUMMER!!! I am more than looking forward to having some free time to get my life organized again. I was doing pretty well for the first few weeks of the year until college started back up. I just finished up the last of my essays and took my last exam last night so I am home free!

See, Summer!!!!!

I have Tuesday off which will begin my cleaning and crafting sweep. Bit of a late start on the whole spring cleaning thing but 'better late than never.' I've been compiling a list of projects and foods to tackle. Check these out!!

1. The whole not biting my nails resolution has been on and off...when I put effort into painting them and find a design I really like, it helps.

2. IDK what those are but don't they look delicious?? Some sort of oreo cupcake. Whatever it is, I will be making something similar this summer.

3. I think the flower on the cuff is such a cute idea! My pants are ALWAYS too long and I've resorted to cuffing them. I think the accessory makes the super long cuff look not-so-daunting.

Happy summer!!

Kristi(E)

P.S. I always save 8 million photos but never attach a source to them. I'll try to do this more in the future and apologize in the meantime for stealing!

Also, NEW BLOG LAYOUT! I know it's not fancy but the colors are inspiring for summer...at least for me! Whatever keeps me typing.

It's not a Snuggie.

So funny, Frances and I had mentioned wanting Snuggies (yet feel horrible joining the Snuggie bandwagon). Really, they are a great design! Those who are not avid readers just don't understand. Last night we went to get Italian Ice and then walked around the stores (Marc's trying to find some new shorts). The first thing I see is......



Mine! hahaha, and it's not a Snuggie! Technically. Either way, I can now read peacefully on the cold, winter nights. I wish they had two because I would have gotten Frances one. Maybe we can share custody.

Then we went to Sally's and I got some purple haze hair dye.. not sure exactly what I want to do to my hair but I GUESS I'm growing it out again.. I usually get really bored with my hair which is why I always end up chopping it off. I used to dye it orange here and there but now that I have a job that wants you to look """PROFESSIONAL""" I can't--unless I go back to the wig I wore when I had a mohawk (ha). Maybe I could just use the 'punky professional' dye Marc told me about-harhar-

Current hair (after being out in the hothotheat)

kind of a weird growing out shortness

I also made shorts out of a pair of teal pants I had...just TOO much teal to cover all of my legs, idk. Plus I need some shorts-added a Cobra Skulls patch to the back pocket (which I still need to do another run through with needle and thread) and voila! shorts :) and they're the perfect length.



work 11-8 talk about ruining your day..