Wrapping Idea: Built in Cards
Do your gift cards and greeting cards always get separated from the present? Gift cards will never go astray again thanks to the built-in pocket created by this clever wrapping technique.
Easy DIY: Cute Felt Giftcard Holder
Here’s one of my easy gifts I’ve been working on! I wanted something cute to put gift cards in since I’ll be giving a few gift cards this year. I came up with the felt mitten idea which can be hung on the Christmas tree as well! I had most of the supplies on hand already. Here’s how I did it:
Supplies:
- Felt piece (dollar store)
- Fabric snowflake (dollar store)
- Ric rac
- Christmas tree cut from a piece of fabric I had
- Sparkly button (from an old hair elastic)
- Needle & thread
- Ribbon (for the mitten to hang on the tree)
Basically, I just drew a mitten shape on a scrap piece of paper that was big enough to fit a gift card, then traced it onto the felt. Cut it out, then decorated the one side with whatever I could find around the house with fabric glue and thread! After the one side was decorated, I put the two mitten pieces together by hand stitching them together. You could use a sewing machine, but I liked the handmade look of the uneven stitches. That’s pretty much it! A gift card holder and an ornament in one!
A Homemade Christmas Gift: Holiday Simmering Packages
I thought you guys would like to see what my mom made for a few of her girlfriends for Christmas this year! They’re Holiday Simmering Packages! They’ll make any home smell wonderful, just like Christmas! (They’re not meant for drinking, but for simmering on the stove.) I think I’m even going to make up a few for my girlfriends!
For her recipe, my mom used her dehydrator to dry the oranges, lemons and apples, but you could also dry them in your oven or just use fresh peels!
Holiday Simmering Packages
Ingredients
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1-2 dry orange slices
- 1-2 dry lemon slices
- 1-2 dry apple slices
- 2 tsp. whole cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tsp. whole spice
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1-2 crushed bay leaves
- 2 tsp. dried mandarin orange peel
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a plastic bag.
- Put a label on the bag with these instructions:
- Place ingredients in a pot of water and simmer, adding more water as needed! Makes your house smell wonderful!
Easy DIY Candy Cane Reindeer
I have got the cutest holiday project for you today! It’s so simple too! I think they’d make a good project to do with kids. Maybe as a craft at a holiday party? Or maybe wrap them up to add a cute touch to a hot chocolate gift? Regardless of what you do with them, they’re awesome because they involve chocolate and peppermint! 🙂
Here’s how to make simple Candy Cane Reindeer:
INGREDIENTS:
- 24 small Candy Canes
- 12 Hershey Kisses
- 12 Red Candy Decorations (like Red Hots or M&M’s)
- 24 Candy Eyes
- 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Candy Melting Chips
- 1 White Candy Melting Chip
DIRECTIONS:
- Line a cutting board or cookie sheet with wax paper.
- Heat chocolate candy chips by microwaving for 30 seconds stirring and repeating until melted.
- Take 2 candy canes and dip the bottoms (straight parts) in chocolate and shake off excess.
- Place together on wax paper so hooks of each go off in opposite directions.
- Place an unwrapped Hershey Kiss on the chocolate covered canes.
- Repeat for remaining canes.
- Using a toothpick, take a dab or melted chocolate and glue the red candy on top of the kiss as the nose.
- Using a toothpick, take a dab or melted chocolate and glue on the eyes.
- Take the white chocolate chip and place on wax paper and heat in microwave for 15 seconds.
- Take another toothpick and paint a white mouth on each reindeer.
Aren’t they cute? Are you going to give these Candy Cane Reindeer a try?
Related holiday recipes:
A Homemade Christmas Gift: Make an Apron
If you’ve got someone on your list who would love an apron, you should check out the huge list of apron patterns I have available on Simply Frugal! You’ll find free patterns for full aprons, half aprons and even kid sized aprons!
A Homemade Christmas Gift: Hot Chocolate Ornaments
These simple to make Hot Chocolate Ornaments are the perfect addition to any gift! Add one along with a mug and some extra hot chocolate. Or tie one to a gift bag. Or maybe you could add it to the tree at a party for the hostess to find at some point. The options are endless really.
Just as the gifting options are endless with these ornaments, there are also many ways to put these together.
This is what I used to make these particular hot chocolate ornaments:
- A pack of hot chocolate
- mini marshmallows
- candy cane (crushed)
- plastic ornament (a pack of four from Walmart)
Here’s how to make the ornaments:
- Start with a clean ornament, take the top off, then fill each ingredient into the ornament using a funnel.
- Add the hot chocolate mix, then the crushed candy cane, then the mini marshmallows.
- Put the top back on.
- Create a little label with instructions, then add it to the ornament.
- Make sure to deliver these standing upright, unless you want everything to be mixed up!
Here’s are some other items you could add to each ornament:
- sprinkles
- chocolate chips (or white chocolate, mint chips, peanut butter chips)
- different flavoured hot chocolate packs (rolo, mint, etc.)
- mini rolos
- Skor bits
I hope you enjoy making these Hot Chocolate Ornaments!
