Gift Idea: Soap Dispenser From A Liquor Bottle

Gifts for guys is difficult - at least for me. I'm horrible at shopping for guys. We needed a fun gift for the guys on our list and came up with this - a soap dispenser from their favorite liquor bottle. This sort of thing would be perfect for a twenty-something guy living on their own or a guy's 'man cave.'

 

You can also use the same concept with a decorative bottele if you aren't into the idea of a liqour bottle.

 

You need: A soap dispenser pump (we got this from a old bottle of lotion, but I'm sure they sell just the dispenser somewhere) and a small empty bottle of your favorite liquor.

 

First, drink the liquor! Chris helped with that.

To find the right size soap dispenser pump, carry around the lid to your bottle to compare (you'll get less judgy looks than if you were to carry around the whole empty bottle). Luckily we had lotion that had the perfect size pump. I hated the color though, so I spray painted it black.



Then I just took off the plastic rim of the bottle, cleaned out the inside and poured in some soap. It's not my style, but I am pretty pleased with how it turned out!

What do you think, would this gift work for somone on your list?

Gift Idea: Hand Painted Mug

Chris & I were in Starbucks yesterday and saw this two-tone, gold and white mug while we were waiting for our fancy coffee drinks. I needed to re-create it.

Mugs are a great holiday gift - you can put hot chocolate mix, tea or coffee inside to make the gift more fun and festive. Also, you can never have too many mugs. Well, you can, but it takes a while to reach that point.

Here's the inspiration...

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Another idea is to try out patterns, like polka dots! Or stipes! I went with a two-toned look like the original inspiration but am thinking of heading to the thrift store after work to find more white mugs to paint polka dots on. Aren't these adorable?

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I love this idea too, which you'd use a similar technique for. I'm actually raid the thrift stores home goods section and paint everything gold!

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You will need: white mugs (we got them from IKEA for $2.99 each, but you can also try a thrift store), enamel paint and masking tape.

 

 

Use maksing tape to create a curved line at the middle of the mug. I then used an exacto knife to touch it up.

Then, paint! It took several coats, but they dried fast. I removed the tape carefully and reused the same piece for the second mug so that they would look the same. Also, the line was not perfect from the tape in some areas so I went through and touched it up after.

So the paint doesn't come off after you wash your mugs, bake it for 10 minutes at 325 degrees. You can also just let it sit for 20 or so days before using.

I love this set of mugs so much! And each was less than $5, rather than the $9.95 each that Starbucks was charging. Since I have so much paint left over, I will be making more tonight. This time, like I said earlier in this post, polka dots!

Happy Monday, friends!

Gift Idea: Tree Branch Ornament

Ornaments are such a nice, meaningful gift to give during the holidays, so we really wanted to make some.

As you know from some of our past projects, we love using elements from nature. So as we were brainstorming a special ornament to make for our families, this seemed perfect. Inexpensive, easy, customizable and very much our style. 

You will need: A tree branch, a drill, a knife or saw, five beads, thread and a needle. 

First, cut your pieces to size. You'll want to start with the longest one at the bottom and make the pieces progressively smaller. We cut 5 for the tree including a small one for the top and a vertical pice for the trunk. 

Then using pliers and a drill, put a hole in the center of each piece of branch.

For the piece for the trunk, you need to drill through vertically (see the image below).

Finally the fun part. Choose the beads you'd like to use and lay out your branch pieces. We plan to use different beads for each ornament we make.

Last simply thread them together and create a loop at the top.

I'm going to make it a tradition to hand-make an ornament each year. How about you? Do you collect ornaments for your tree or give them as gifts?

Gift Idea: Teacup Candles

Candles are a great gift - they are something just about everyone enjoys but don't often buy for themselves. Pretty much the point of a gift, getting someone something they want but won't buy, am I right? Like I said, candles are a great gift. 

We plan to give them to all of the older ladies in our families. We also decided to make them ourselves using teacups found in thrift stores. I love teacups and even have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to them, so searching for the perfect ones was fun. 

You will need: Partially used candles or wax, a candy thermometer, a teacup, wicks and a glue gun 

You can do a few different things - use old candles, use unscented wax and add the scent yourself, buy these wick-less scented wax cubes. Chris & I actually picked out the scents together we smelled them all and discovered that I love classic evergreen scents while he likes sweet scents such as sugar cookie. 

Whatever type of wax or scent you choose, place it in a pot. Don't use your best pot, because melting wax can get messy. Keep the thermometer in the pot and make sure the wax doesn't heat up over 185 degrees. I kept my stove top on medium and the wax around 150 degrees.

Next you'll want to use a bit of hot glue to attach the wick to the bottom of the teacup. Before you do, make sure the cup is completely cleaned and dried. 

I attempted to make a mason jar candle s well, but ran out of wax. When I make more I'll try again. 

When all of the pieces of wax are melted, pour it into the teacups. If you spill any wax on the edge, clean it up before the wax dries. 

Let the wax dry, then trim the wick.

Each candle cost about $4. They are unique and a cute decoration for any home. This is a gift that is sure to get some use.

Gift Idea: Hand Stamped Scarf

This year Chris and I decided that every gift we give will be handmade by us. My list of people to get gifts for is small - my mom, my dad and my brother, while Chris' is a bit more extensive. His family is close and he has quite a few cousins that he gets something for each year. We don't have a lot of time or money, but we'd rather have some late nights than credit card debt, so we began our quest to have a handmade Christmas.

The first project turned out to be my favorite - hand stamped scarves for all of the ladies. I love to recieve scarves as gifts, especially in the middle of winter! To get a unique one is expensive though - these ended up being about $6-7 each and I made three different patterns.

Geometric print - This is for a young, trendy gal in collage. Geometric prints are in (according to the Internet) and I think she'll love it!

You'll need: A solid color scarf, fabric paint and a piece of foam (found at any craft store)

First just cut your shapes, I did a few different sized triangles.



 The scarf I stamped is light blue and I used gold fabric paint. Then I just stamped alternating rows of triangles. Your pattern doesn't need to be perfect because the scarf will be worn scrunched up.

I used a paint brush to make the stamping process a bit less messy.

Then, since the triangle shapes were small and easy to work with, I just used the foam rather than mounting it on something.

 



This scarf was the most time consuming of the three because the stamp was sp small. I love how it turned out though!

 

Horse Print: This is for an animal lover! I decided to replicate my very favorite vintage scarf. You will need: A scarf, fabric paint, an exacto knife and foam

Chris helped me make the stamp for this. He took a picture of it on his phone then blew up the image and printed it.

After that he cut out one of the horses, traced it, then cut it out with an exacto knife.





Because this stamp was bigger and more intricate, he mounted the foam piece on a thicker piece of foam board.

To make the stamp even easier to use, we glued an old spool on the back to create a handle. 



Again, I used a paint brush to reduce the mess. Also note, if you're doing this project on a nice table, put something like a paper bag under the scarf so the paint doesn't bleed through onto the table. I was working on my craft table, so I wasn't concerned.

This scarf turned out so well I'm going to make a few more!



Apple Print: This is for a new teacher! I wanted to experiment with using a fruit or vegetable as a stamp.

You will need: Fabric paint, a scarf and an apple.

Just cut an apple in half, eat one half and use the other as a stamp! I wanted to use a real piece of fruit for the texture.

This was the easiest scarf to make and I think it turned out the best.

 

Here's a look at them on! 



We went craft crazy over the weekend, so stay tuned for more easy gift ideas. Let us know if you are having a handmade holiday and what projects you're working on!

Lace Doily Bowls

Friends, we've been busy. That's no excuse for letting the bigger projects fall to the bottom of our list (ahem, reupholstering the chair), but it's true. Chris with his multiple jobs and an upcoming art show, me with my shop, but I've been able to find time for smaller projects while Chris is working evenings.

This one is quick and easy, I've been wanting to try it for a while.

You will need: A crochet doily, fabric stiffener (or equal parts glue and water) and plastic wrap

You can find doilies at most fabric stores, or you can stop by an antique store. I used to see them at thrift stores all of the time before I decided I wanted to do make these bowls, then of course I stopped seeing them Funny how that happens. You best bet is to search for vintage ones though, because they are less expensive.

First you will need to find the right size bowl to mold your doily around, then cover it in plastic wrap.

Next you'll want to put your doily in a plastic bag and pour fabric stiffener in - enough to soak the doily.

Once it's been soaked in the fabric stiffener, place it on top of the bowl. Smooth out any wrinkles and let it sit overnight.

See how easy that was?

These bowls are a bit more decorative than useful, but I'm excited to pretty up some of my craft supply storage. I think these would be perfect for a table display - fill them with seasonal items such as pine cones. They would also be great as a fruit bowl. 

 What would you use lace bowls like this for? Have you been working on any small projects? Do share!

Mason Jar Organizer

As I think you can tell from past projects, I love distressed wood. We were also recently given six jars of apricot jam in mason jars. Thanks to some hungry roommates, three of them were emptied pretty quickly. I of course was holding onto the jars waiting for the right project. Then I saw this on Pinterest, the perfect project. 

So, ideally, I will eventually turn this into an herb garden. Easily accessible fresh basil is a dream of mine. But I'm waiting on the other three jars and some tips on growing herbs from my mom. So for now, it will be a craft supply organizer, because you can never have enough places to store buttons if you're a crafter. 

Supplies: A piece of wood, mason jars, metal pipe clamps (found at any hardware store), a drill and three screws.

You'll first want to cut the piece of wood to size if it's not already. Ours is 19 inches long.

To be honest, I have no idea what Chris is doing in this picture, but the sparks looked awesome, so I kept it in the post.

When you have your piece of wood cut to size, lay out where you want your jars. Ours are about 2 or so inches apart.

Then you'll want to adjust the clamp so it fits tightly around the lip of the jar. We kept the metal rim part of the lid on the mason jars so they'll be able to screw off easily. You'll see what that looks like later. 

Before attaching the clamps, loosen them a bit so you'll be able to put the jar back in. Position the clamp so that the screw can go threw one of the cutouts rather than the solid metal, like in the picture above. 

When all of the clamps are attached, add the jars and tighten the clamps.

There you have it - a mason jar organizer. It's stylish and useful, which I love.

See how keeping the metal rim from the mason jar lid makes the jars easy to remove? This is great for quickly emptying and refilling the jars. 

How do you stay organized? Also, if you have any indoor gardening tips, please let me know and help me make my dream of fresh basil a reality!