If you are anything like me, you have:

a). a big stash of creative supplies & a plethora of random items in your possession.

b). lots of friends, family, co-workers, &  teachers to buy gifts for.

c). little or no money to buy those gifts.

d). all of the above.

If you answered (d), you have come to the right place!

Today, i’m going to show you & give you a few ideas for a “handmade” holiday using stuff you probably already have lying around the house.

idea #1:

recycled glass jar

i took a simple glass jar that i had left over from some pasta sauce (washed weel, of course), glittered the top of the jar, and added a few simple strips of  paterned paper & a label from my kenner road october kit. voila!

i made mine into a “piggy bank” type of jar.  you can cut a slit into the metal top of the jar for easy insertion of coins, but make sure you file/bend down the edges to remove any sharp/jagged pieces.

you can also fill the jar with some treats, or any small fun gift.

idea #2:

mini board book album

I purchased these 2 board books at the target dollar spot a couple of years ago. they’re about 6×6″, very sturdy & come with a little button in the bottom right hand corner that says a phrase. the one i already stripped (on the right), says, “that rocks!”. i’m going to fill it with pictures of my daughter’s friends for her.

you can use almost any childrens board book. i found that they are usually laminated with thick, glossy pages that can be easily peeled back to reveal a smooth cardboard surface to decorate, paint & embellish! if the one you have doesn’t peel back easily, you can always sand/roughen up the pages to give you a surface that is easily alterable.

more ideas:

for a truly “HANDmade” gift…

how about make a wreath of your children’s hands to give to a grandparent?

trace your child’s hand onto brightly colored patterned paper & attach to a wire form. this a great keepsake to remind you and them of the size your tiny child once was (sniff, sniff).

how about:

a jewelry/earring holder using an old frame, some material or paper?

or using an old embroidery hoop for the same above idea or mini tack board?

i hope you make this the year of a “handmade holiday”…

your family, wallets, &  planet will thank you!

Mothers day is this Sunday in the US and i wanted to create a little brag book for my mom {with pictures of the littles} that she could either carry in her purse or display on a shelf. The Fancy Pants whimsy journal book was perfect for this; and all of those different size papers made the stacked interior easier to create with. I used products from all three of the April kits, but you could easily take these ideas and create it with items, including vintage ephemera, that you already have on hand.

Time needed to create : 1-2 hours maximum

Kits & additional products used : Central valley, Hen house, Two-by-Four, mini manila tag

Adidtional Tools used : sewing machine, dry adhesive, AC slick writer fine point in black, Foam adhesive or Pop Dots,

To begin I removed excess pages from the interior that i didn’t want to use. I chose one page to remain for each differently cut journal page inside {this will be more obvious as you look at the images below}. Then i sewed the edge of the sheer cover on my sewing machine and then i gathered various chipboard shapes, ribbon, and fabric and slowly layered them to cover the logo on the front cover. The ribbon actually wraps all the way around the back of the scalloped chipboard piece, the adhesive on the chipboard helps keep the ribbon in place once it is tied in the front.

I didn’t use alot of alphabets with this, but you can obviously add any journaling or titles that you’d like on yours. I adore how the book looks open, all the layers and pictures peeking out… i’m a sucker for whimsy and odd shapes and sizes. lol

This piece was so fast and easy to create. The natural chipboard is actually a pink paislee chipboard piece and i removed the top pattern and then stitched a sqaure with my sewing machine. {Debee’s april gallery totally influenced this decision. I love how she stripped the alpha in her layouts.} Then i punched the photo with a circle punch and used foam adhesive so the picture floats on top a little. Those small teardrops are the negative pieces from the Y & Z alphas that came in the central valley kit.

Aren’t my littles the cutest kids ever… ;)

I love how quick and easy creating page was. I just stitched around the photo and then adhered it to the page. I added a rubon accent and those Jenni Bowlin pearls and it was done.

This accent was created by again stripping the pattern off of the chipboard house and stitching a felt butterfly to the house before it is adhered to the page. Then simply add the rubon right onto the butterfly. The trick when putting rubons on fabric is to go slow and make sure you hold it firmly in place so it doesn’t slip or slide. Felt fabric generally works well because it has a high tack surface. ie : it is like a sanded surface with paint, it allows something for the rubon to stick to.

This page is actually stitched right to the back cover. I applied the tall flower to the left edge but cut the left side leaf off and reapplied it to the right side. Don’t be afraid to take embellishments and turn them into something else or to make it fit your project better.

This little corner actually hides a stitching error i made. Totally common when i sew. Sometimes I leave because it adds a quirky quality i like but this one was a thread problem that was all clumpy… so not cute! So I hid it with a chatterbox sticker and the prima pebble {which fit perfectly inside}.

The back was covered with another page from the interior. I simply cut off the perforated edge and used a corner rounder so it would all match and so there would be clean edges. Then I added the alphabet stickers.

Because this is the back outside of the album I was worried the little pink paislee alphabet stickers wouldn’t stay on the butterfly so i stitched them down with the butterfly right onto the chipboard flower. I don’t think they’re going anywhere now. ;)

I hope this has inspired you to create something, anything, handmade for a mom you love. If you do please feel free to share here in the comments or post it in our flickr gallery.

Happy mothers day to all of you moms. It’s truly amazing work that you do!!

xoxo