25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 14 Reusable tote bag

I absolutely love my reusable tote bags! I take them everywhere and they are good for the environment. But the ones you can buy are not always the cutest. This one is much cuter than any one I have seen in the stores!


For today's project I used the following supplies;



a canvas tote bag
newspapers, lots and lots of newspapers!
a stencil
bleach water in a spray bottle
paper towels
apron and gloves
Iron on gems


Start by putting on your apron and gloves before you start working with the bleach. Lay down some of your newspapers to protect your work surface. Put lots of folded up newspapers inside your bag. They should be all the way across, and all the way from top to bottom. Put your stencil on the bag. I used a freezer paper stencil (cut with my Cricut) but you can use one from the t-shirt craft section. After you get your stencil ironed on or taped to your bag, spray some bleach water on it.



Don't let it pool, use some paper towels to blot up the excess. It will get lighter over time, so give it a couple of minutes before spraying again.



You can see mine starting to get lighter.



Once it's the shade you want it, remove your stencil. I sprayed some more bleach water on the tote to add some spots around the design. Leave the newspapers inside until it's completely dried. Once it dried, I used my iRock to add some gems to it. If you don't have an iRock, look for iron on gems to add to it.




Now your all done! Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts- Day 13 Personalized Candle

I have been wanting to try this project for a while. It was super easy to make and you can only imagine how many ways you can decorate these!

Here are the supplies I used for this project;

a pillar candle
gift tissue paper
printer paper
tape
printer
scissors
heat gun or hair dryer
ribbon
straight pins
sequins

Trim your tissue paper to fit onto a sheet of printer paper. Tape the top and bottom to your paper. The tissue needs to be close to the color of your candle. My candle was cream and I used white tissue paper.



Make the design or phrase that you want on your computer. I just picked a phrase, but you can use a photo, just print those on regular white paper. Run your tissue paper through the printer. Then trim around your design.



After your done, put the tissue paper on your candle and using your heat gun (or hair dryer) start softening the wax. You will see the paper start to soak up any melted wax. Keep your heat gun moving and try not to over melt it or you will get drips. If that happens, let it cool for a few seconds and then roll it on your table to help smooth it out.




I shortened some straight pins and added some sequins to the side of my candle, and tied a ribbon around it. It's all done!

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts- Day 12, 12 days of goodies tin

I love the idea of this gift, mostly because I would love 12 days of Christmas candy! You can do so much with this little gift, and there are so many different ways you can make it!

For this project, I used the following supplies;




Metal lunchbox
candy
tissue paper
ribbon
tags
scrapbook paper or stickers
tacky tape
and some yummy candy!!


I started by cutting the tissue paper into squares and tying up 12 pieces of candy. I made some numbered tags for the candy and tied them up with some ribbon. I alternated between white and red tissue paper when I put them inside the lunchbox. If you can't find a lunchbox like this one, then you can always just use a Christmas tin or box. If your box is a little too deep for your candy, just use some shredded paper to fill it up a little bit. You can make your own candy, but you may need to use wax paper to keep the tissue paper from getting greasy looking.







I used some Dove peppermint bark candy (oh so yummy) to wrap up, and I just had to have a piece while I was working on this. How appropriate was this wrapper?




After I put the candy inside, I used a Santa gift tag to put on the outside, along with some letters that I cut out with my Cricut. You can always use stickers here. I also added a ribbon along the bottom.


After you finished decorating the outside, you're all done!




Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 11 Framed vinyl wall quote

Today's project is a cheater homemade gift, but a great on none the less! Alot of people love the vinyl wall quotes, but once you put it up, you can't move it. This is a great way to use seasonal quotes, or be able to take it with you if you move.

For this project I used:

a vinyl wall quote and
a frame from a garage sale that I got for $1!!
hot glue gun

Take the backing off your frame and leave the just the glass. Run a bead of hot glue between the backside of the frame and the glass.




Following the directions on your vinyl wall quote, put it on the front of the glass.

Now your project is all done!

Don't forget to leave your comments for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts- Day 10 a can of pineapple?

Today's project is not so much about the gift, but about the packaging! This is a big hit with tweens, teens, and some grown ups too!

Here are some of the supplies that I used for this project;





A can of pineapple or something else with a pull top
Safety can opener
**I used a Pampered Chef can opener and it would not work with Progresso Soup cans. They have a funny bottom that wouldn't work with my can opener**
scrapbook paper
stickers
glue
ribbon
items to stuff inside
hot glue gun


Use the saftey can opener to open the bottom of the can. Empty everything out and wash and dry your can.



Measure the heighth of your can. Cut your paper wide enough and long enough to wrap all the way around the can. Or if you want to let someone think they are getting a can of pineapple, then leave the label on!!




Decorate the label. I used stickers from a Christmas scrapbook pack, some stamps, ribbon and some sticky gems. Use a heavy adhesive to secure it around the can. Stuff the goodies inside the can. These aren't too big, but if you are giving a gift card to someone, this is a way to make it a little more interesting. Use the hot glue gun to run around the lid and put it back on the can.



Your gift is done! Your friends or family will wonder how you did this when they have to pop the top to get their present! Make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 9 wooden sign

This project was not planned for today or even on my list of 25 gifts. But I was cleaning up my old scrap area and found this little wooden sign. I bought it about a year ago and started a project with it, but never finished it. After seeing it laying on my desk this morning, I thought about making one of the these signs with it. I think for a twenty minute project, it turned out cute!

Here are the supplies that I used for this project:
(sorry I forgot to take pictures of the supplies before I started!)

a wooden sign- I found this one at the Dollar Tree, but they do have them at Michaels and Hobby Lobby
Scrapbook paper
Modge Podge
craft knife
sandpaper
Acrylic craft paint
sponge
ribbon
I also used my Cricut for this one.

I started by coating the top of the sign with Modge Podge and then adding the scrapbook paper to the top. Make sure you smooth out all the wrinkles and if you get bubbles that you can't work out, use a pin to make a small hole and work from the outside of the bubble in to get it flat. Use the kraft knife to cut the excess paper off and then sand smooth with a finish sandpaper. Poke holes in the paper where the ribbons go.




Add your lettering. I used my Cricut to cut out these letters, but you could use stickers too. I laid my ruler over the sign so I could get the placement right and to keep it straight.



After your finished with the top, use a piece of a kitchen sponge to paint the sides and a little bit on the top to hide the edge of the paper.



Once the sides are dry, add a coat of Modge Podge to the top to seal it. Use a couple of thin coats. Add your ribbon and you are all done!

I will be taking tomorrow off from posting. I plan on enjoying the day with my family and friends. But I will be back on Friday. I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday! Take plenty of pictures and write your journaling down as soon as you can!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 8 tile magnets

If you visited yesterday, you saw that we made a necklace pendant out of an acrylic tile. If you buy the supplies and don't want to make that many necklaces, this is another way to use up your supplies!



Here are the supplies I used for this project:

Tim Holtz acrylic fragments
Glossy Accents
Scrapbook paper
craft knife
magnets



You would need to follow yesterday's directions, but stop before you put Glossy Accents on the back. Instead, add a piece of magnet to the back!



This is a great way to use up the rest of your supplies. You can add pictures to the back, use magazine pictures, or something such as a wedding program! Make it as unique as you want to!

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 7 Tile pendant

Todays gift is a tile pendant.





Here are some of the supplies that I used for this gift:



Tim Holtz acrylic tile fragments-$8.99 use your coupon-These are in the scrapbook section.
Glossy Accents- This should be in the same section as the fragments
double sided scrapbook paper
rub-ons
glue on bail-found in the jewelry section
craft knife
E-6000 adhesive

Use your acrylic tile to help you decide what part of your paper you want to have on your pendant.




Then add your rub-ons to the part of the paper you are going to use. I decided to add a little bit of glitter to the flower.



Once it's done, add a glob of Glossy Accents to the paper and then squish the tile down on top of it. After it's dry, use your craft knife to cut around the edges. If you cut your paper a little jagged, you can use some finish sandpaper to even it out.



Now, I accidently got Glossy Accents on my fingers and touched the top of the tile, so I added a layer of Glossy Accents to the top. It gave it a wavy look because I didn't get it very smooth. I would try to avoid having to do this! I also put a coat on the back so it would protect the paper from rubbing off. Let this dry overnight.



Once it's dry, add a little bit of E-6000 to the glue on bail and put it on the back of your tile.




I would let the E-6000 cure for a day before wearing it. Now you are all done!

These same supplies will be used on another gift, so make sure you check back! And don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card! Happy holiday crafting!

25 {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 6 Daily Planner

Are you a fan of the dollar bins or the dollar store? I am, and so I found a daily planner in the dollar bins at Michaels and thought that after a few changes, it would be a cute gift.

Here is what I used for this project;
a daily planner
scrapbook paper-Mine were left over from another project
paper trimmer
ruler
stickers
adhesive

and I did use my sewing machine on my cover.





Measure the cover of the planner and cut your paper the same size. Don't put a hard crease in your paper. Once you are finished decorating it, you can wrap it around the planner and let it crease that way.

I cut my cover from black paper then added the black and white printed paper on top of it. I sewed around the edge with a zig zag stich. Then add your stickers or anything else you want to decorate with. Once you are finished, just put your cover in the plastic sleeve and then add the planner back. I didn't cut my cover quite long enough to cover the yellow on the planner, so I just trimmed it off just a little.

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michaels gift card. Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemeade} Christmas Gifts-Day 5

Today's gift is so easy to make, that I didn't even take pictures of the steps, because there are only two, paint and decorate!

Here are the supplies I used:
wooden picture frame from Michaels-$1
acrylic craft paint-.59
ribbon-Mine were from another project
letter stickers
hot glue gun or a staple gun

Paint your picture frame and let it dry. Don't forget to paint the backside. Since it's wooden, the frame may soak up some of the paint, so add another coat.


I added some ribbon to each side and tied a bow. I stapled the ribbon to the back, and put on the letter sticker.

Hobby Lobby has a section just for decorating picture frames. At my Hobby Lobby, they are near the poster section. They have buttons, beads, and some other things in different themes. Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 4 ornaments

Every year I make an ornament for our family tree. I love these glass ornaments, you can come up with so many ways to decorate these. They are very easy to personalize for anyone you want to make one for!


Here are some of the supplies I used for this gifts:




glass ornaments- I like the ones that are a little flattened, they are easier to decorate
stuff to put inside-curling ribbons, glitter, fake snow, paper, lots of stuff!
ribbon, scissors
paint pens

If you want to glitter the inside of the ornament, you will need FINE glitter and either a liquid glue or Pledge Futura Floor Wax. (Yes you read that right!)




For the glitter ornaments, put a few drops of glue or wax inside the ornament and swirl it all around to cover the inside. Add some glitter to the inside and shake it until it covers all sides of the ornament. If you missed some places, add a second coat.

For the outside, use rub-ons or stickers to decorate the outside. I used stickers and some sticky jewels to give it a little sparkle. I added some Christmas ribbon to the top.




My twins made this one at daycare last year. They painted their fingers in white paint and put it on the glass ornament. They used paint pens to make them into little snowmen! Inside they added some fake snow. These are some of my favorite ornaments!

I also made the beaded hanger for the larger one. If anyone would like directions on how to do that, just let me know. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michael's gift card. Happy holiday crafting!

25 Days of {homemade} Christmas Gifts-Day 3 magnets

These little magnets would be a perfect gift for a teacher, parent, or really anyone! If you buy supplies to make these, you could easily get several sets made.

Supplies for this project are:




Wooden clothespins-$2.33 for 24
Acrylic craft paint and brush-.59 for each color
Rubons and craft stick, stickers, or whatever you can come up with to decorate them.
Adhesive backed craft magnet sheet-$1.99
Scissors

To get started, take apart your wooden clothespins, and paint them. Protect your workspace! The wood will soak up the paint pretty fast, but you still may get it on your table. If your clothespins need it, add a second coat.






Once they are dry, put the rub-ons. Cut out the design, and leave the backing on until you get your placement right. Use the craft stick to rub the design onto your clothespin. If your set didn't come with a craft stick, you can use a credit card or something similar. You could use stickers, adhesive jewels, or something else, get creative! I used leftover rub-ons from a class that I took forever ago!

After you are finished decorating, put them back together. Make sure you get them back the right way, or they won't be as springy!! (Ask me how I know!!)



Use your scissors to cut out a strip of the magnetic craft sheet for the back of the clothespin. Add that to the back and wrap them up! Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a Michaels gift card! Happy holiday crafting!!