Not the Same 'Ole Thing! (but from some 'ole thing...)

I recently bought a set of nesting measuring spoons, each in the shape of a gardening shovel with birds on the handles, as a thank you gift for my mom. I wanted to wrap it in a unique way and was inspired to try my hand at making paper bows after coming across an article in the spring 2011 issue of GreenCraft Magazine, published by Stampington & Company. (Tracie Lampie of www.radicalrecycks.com was the contributing designer.)

What I especially love about this idea is how each and every bow is unique and you can easily create any “theme” you want just by choosing a page from a related publication that has whatever images you like or need. In the image above I found a feature on homemade chutney in a 2009 Country Living.

So, for my mom’s present I selected a page that featured garden images. Some other ideas I’ve come up with include using typeface for a book or stationary present, pages from a tool or golf catalog for a guy's gift, fashion images for a clothing item… can you see the possibilities? I like how clean the look can be, too.

One year at Christmas I used fresh flowers from the garden (it was southern California and there were roses, bougainvillea, pansies and a few other things I can’t remember now) with various satin ribbons. Each person’s “bow” was one of a kind and they loved them!

What unique ideas have you come across or devised for embellishing presents? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Merry Christmas!

I definitely think that cookie decorating is an art form - and I do not possess a particular talent for it. :) I see those gorgeous magazine covers for holiday cookies every year and think, "I could do that!" Hm. Not so much.

But, we did have a lot of fun this year making our ginger bread cookies from scratch and the traditional Christmas Eve fudge. Mine didn't turn out as good as mom's. It occurred to me while I was working away that usually I'm the casual observer, not the confection chef, and that perhaps that would be why it didn't turn out as well as in years past. Hmmm...

Small Gestures

It's the holidays... :) I'm definitely someone who likes to fantasize about all the fantastic things I will do for the holiday season - the decorating, gift-giving, baking, entertainments, all the beautiful, personal gifts and decorations I'll make... and the list goes on! But the reality is that most years I barely make it through with getting the gifts on time! I really do think it's a matter of planning months in advance - and I think the end result would be rewarding, but, I worry I'd be so sick of seeing and thinking about Christmas things for so long that it would lose it's magic by the time Christmas really did arrive.

I "whipped" up these cute little gift tags (and coordinating table place cards not pictured) one evening after visiting a craft supply store and being inspired by a couple of punches. I didn't plan out what I'd do in advance, but I was tickled with the end result.

I gave the set to a friend as a hostess gift one afternoon when she had me over for a lovely little lunch of handmade pasta featuring butternut squash that her daughter had prepared. (yum!) It felt good to have something on hand to give her - something also handmade, to boot! It was a small gesture, but seeing her smile and appreciation was warming and made me realize I'd like to do more of those small types of gestures more often.

Happy Holidays!