December 17, 2009

Last Minute DIY Gift Ideas

Pin It Now! I'll admit it.  I'm a Procrastinator with a capital "P".  I always wait until the last minute to do anything.  So if you're like me, here's some easy gift ideas for those of you, like me, who would prefer to give a handmade gift.



{ This is one of the gift baskets I made with all of these great ideas  }




Now get to it!  We only have 7 days left until Christmas!!  

DIY Hot Chocolate Packets

Pin It Now! Who doesn't love hot chocolate in the winter?  And these make adorable additions to any gift - and are really easy and fun to make!







Ingredients:


11 Cups Dry nonfat milk
1 Cup Non-dairy creamer
2 Cups Chocolate Drink Mix (Like Nesquik)
1/2 Cup of Cocoa
1 Bag Mini Marshmallows



Mix all ingredients, except marshmallows, in large bowl.  Scoop out 1/2 cup servings into little cello bags.  Top hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and tie with ribbon.  


Easy, cheap, fun! 



Thanks to Happy House for this great recipe!

DIY Lotion

Pin It Now! Everyone in my family loves lotion.  I decided to make some homemade lotion to add to some gift baskets and it turned out smelling so great I just have to share it.


Supplies:


Baby Lotion
Petroleum Jelly - I used creamy, but you can use traditional if that's what you have
Essential oil 
{ I was able to get all supplies at Dollar Tree - so this can be a very thrifty project! }


Squeeze entire bottle of baby lotion and petroleum jelly into bowl. (I cut the tops off the containers to be sure I got out every last drop!)  Mix with mixer until thoroughly combined.  Add 2 - 3 drops of essential oil and mix.  Add more oil, only 2 - 3 drops at a time, until you are happy with the scent.  Put in small containers or jars.  





Easy, huh?  This is one that I will use for many gift-giving occasions.  

DIY Tile Coasters

Pin It Now! These were really easy, and look amazing.  You can get really creative with these little coasters and your loved ones wil love them!


Supplies:


Tiles - I bought mine for $.32 each at Lowe's
Permanent Pigment Ink - Staz-On solvent ink pad
Sealer - I used Rust-Oleum Ultra-Cover Clear Gloss { Any sealer that specifies it's safe for ceramics will work }
Felt
Super Glue Gel
Rubber Stamp


Stamp each tile using the ink pad and rubber stamp.  Let each tile dry completely - about 20 minutes.  In a well-ventilated area, spray a VERY light coat of sealer on tiles.  Let dry about 20 minutes.  Spray an additional coat of sealer on tiles.  After about 20 - 30 minutes, check the tiles to be sure they are completely coated, spraying a third coat if needed.  Add felt to each corner of the back of the tiles using the super glue.  Allow glue to completely dry.  Stack tiles and tie with ribbon.  





I'm really happy with how these guys turned out.  Sorry for the crappy picture!  These are my tiles as they are drying.  I will make an additional set for myself, I loved them so much!  


Thanks to Edie for this great idea!

DIY Candied Almonds

Pin It Now! These are yum-O!  I'm adding these tasty little treats to the gift baskets I'm giving out this year.  







Ingredients:


Almonds - I bought a big canister at Target 
2 Egg whites
2 tsp water
1 cup sugar - I used brown, but you can use white sugar also
1 tsp cinnamon


Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and water until frothy.  Dump in almonds and toss to coat.  In a seperate bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and salt.  And dry mixture to bowl of almonds and mix well.  Place coated almonds on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, flipping almonds every 15 minutes.  


{ Thanks to My Happy House for this great idea! }

December 16, 2009

And The Winner Is...

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The winner of the year subscription to Oprah Magazine is:







#10  Erin 


Thanks to all my followers!  

December 10, 2009

Christmas Memories

Pin It Now! Christmas was always a big celebration growing up.  We decorated every inch of the house with big gold bows and garland.  Purchasing our Christmas tree was always exciting.  We'd head over to our local Target and pick a tree out of the garden center.  Okay, not so exciting I admit, but there aren't many forests in Southern California.  


We baked Christmas cookies and wrapped them in cellophane on decorative Christmas plates for all our neighbors.  My sister and I would walk to all the neighbors and give them their freshly baked, decorated cookies.  On Christmas Eve we would cook a huge dinner and invite the entire family over.  After our Christmas Eve dinner the adults would sit and sip their coffee while trying to ignore all of us kids begging to open gifts. 


One of our favorite gifts would be the snuggly pajamas my mom would wrap for us.  She lovingly picked them out, knowing we would snuggle into bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads.  As soon as our company left we'd dash upstairs and put on our new jammies and tuck into bed, looking forward to Santa's visit.  


The dinner was always good, we enjoyed the family and appreciated the gifts.  But my favorite memory of Christmas was always the snuggly warm pajamas we'd nestle into bed wearing.  Husband and I have decided to continue the tradition with giving each other pajamas to wear Christmas Eve.  When we have children I will lovingly pick them out a pair of warm snuggly pj's and place them under the tree, so they can await Santa's arrival cozily in bed.  


What's your favorite Christmas memory?  Link it to The Chick Momma's link party!  


Be sure to enter my Oprah Magazine giveaway!!  

How could I have missed...

Pin It Now! ...my 100th post!  I can't believe I've blogged 100 posts and that you have stayed with me this long!  I really appreciate my followers, and wanted to say thank you with a giveaway.



{ credit }




I am giving away a one-year subscription to Oprah Magazine!







To Enter:


*Leave a comment for each entry*


Become a follower { mandatory } ~ 1 Entry
Current followers { thank you!! } ~ 3 Entries
Tweet about this giveaway and link to me @CraftyCouponer ~ 3 Entries
Blog about this giveaway and link back here ~ 3 Entries


*Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 15 at 11:59 pm PST*

{ If you are already a subscriber to this magazine, don't worry - you can regift it and I will have it put in your friend's name }

Good Luck!

Etsy Finds Thursday!

Pin It Now! Here's some last minute gift ideas for your procrastinators out there...  only 15 days left!  
































December 9, 2009

DIY Christmas Cards

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I can't believe there's only 15 days until Christmas!  Where, oh where did the time go?  If you're like me, I really like making handmade cards and gifts for family.  All of the family members I send gifts to have everything, so they really appreciate the time and thought that went into the gifts and cards they receive.  

This year I decided to go with a snowflake "theme" for my cards.  I love red and light blue, and I could incorporate those colors on this cute little card.  These cards turned out so great, and are super easy to make.  Your family and friends will appreciate a handmade card from you this year!


Supplies Needed:


Patterned paper - I picked a colorful snowflake scrapbooking paper
Note cards
Eyelets
Scalloped scissors
Mini Pop Dots
Die-cut snowflakes - I don't have a die cutter, but my local Craft Warehouse has a die        cutting machine that is free to use when you purchase paper







I started with blank notecards from Craft Warehouse.  I used some white notecards, and some red.  I definitely prefer the red.  





From the patterned paper, I cut out a little rectangle about 1/4" to 1/2" smaller than the front of the note card.  For this I used scalloped scissors.  




I attached the rectangle to the front of the card with eyelets.  I chose to alternate between light blue, green and red for the different cards.  You can also use brads or glue.  { If you've never used eyelets, I highly recommend them!  They add a classy touch to any project and come in tons of shapes and colors. }




Attach the die-cut snowflake to the center of the front of the card.  For this I used mini pop dots and attached them to each "leg" of the snowflake to give it a 3-d effect.  I also attached a rhinestone to the center of the snowflake.



December 8, 2009

Coming Soon...

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Tomorrow I will post some great DIY holiday gift ideas

Stop by to see my ideas for DIY easy, but beautiful Christmas/Holiday cards and DIY gift baskets.  

Until then, have a great evening and stay warm.  It's freezing out there!







December 7, 2009

Merry SITSmas!

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The blogging community is filled with so many wonderful ladies that love nothing more than to support each other.  I belong to a group of these such ladies called The SITS girls.  They are amazing bloggers and awesome blogland friends. 


I can't wait to check out all the blogs this SITSmas - and look forward to your wonderful comments!  


Have a great day!




December 5, 2009

Midnight Blogging

Pin It Now! I should be in bed.  In my warm, cozy bed.  But I have this urge to read through blogs.  I follow many, MANY blogs and I have been behind lately in my reading.  There are so many fabulous blogging ladies out there I just can't miss what exciting projects they're working on, cute kids photos, or just everyday antics.  I can sit in front of my laptop for hours oohing and aahing over the great photos and amazing ideas. 


I don't think I could really pick a favorite, but here are a few I adore


To The Max - I can only hope that when I have a child of my own I can adore him or her just as much as Ellen does her son.  She is truly remarkable. 


A Baby? Maybe... - I have been following Beverly's blog for as long as I can remember.  Her story is inspiring, and her daughter is beautiful.  


Life in the Fun Lane - Her style intrigues me.  An all white house and furnishings would never work for us, but I dream of being able to decorate the way she does.  And she has a knack for painting furniture.  What that girl can do with a spray gun... 


Pewter + Sage - Gorgeous photos, gorgeous decor ideas, gorgeous everything. 


Project Pretty - Amazing DIY ideas.  Sunburst mirrors, damask upholstery and burlap... oh my!

December 4, 2009

Where to Eat...

Pin It Now! Don't know where to go for dinner?  And who doesn't love a handy-dandy little flowchart.  This particular ditty  should help you.  Or just confuse the heck out of you.

All I Want For Christmas...

Pin It Now! Santa I've been good this year.  I promise.


And Husband, if you're reading you may want to take notes...  



{ Amazon }






( Target }






{ Amazon }

{ Amazon }




{ Amazon }




{ IKEA }






{ IKEA }












A girl can dream, right? 

Feed It Forward

Pin It Now! Restaurant.com is offering an amazing oportunity to give your friends and family $10 restaurant gift certificates - for free!  Be sure to include everyone on your gift list in this awesome deal.

December 3, 2009

Etsy Finds Thursday!

Pin It Now! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!   Only 21 shopping days left...











December 1, 2009

Amazing Giveaway at Fantabulously Frugal

Pin It Now! Wow this is a great one!  Lisa over at Fantabulously Frugal is offering 3 really awesome prizes in her giveaway.  Go check it out!!