Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Bath Salts Gift Wrap


I’m always looking for ways to personalize my gifts – especially with the holidays right around the corner. My mom came to me last Mother’s Day with two glass jars of bath salts. She wanted to give one to my aunt and one to my grandma. While the gift itself was very thoughtful (who doesn't love to indulge in a hot bath?), the plain jars needed a little sprucing up. So, I dived into my crafting supplies and pulled out exactly what I was looking for: ribbon, flowers, buttons, pearls, and one of my favorite sentiment stamp sets.


I simply wrapped each jar with sheer ribbon and secured the ends with a Glue Dot (a great, strong adhesive for almost any craft project!). I then layered two flowers, a button, and then placed a pearl in the middle. For the tag, I pulled out my Birthday Sampler stamp set from Paper Smooches and cut the “a gift for you” stamp in half. That’s right, folks! I only wanted the “for you” part of the sentiment, so I took my trusty scissors and snipped the stamp into two sentiments. For future use, I can still put them back together on my clear block or use them separately. Remember, your stamps are yours…make them work for your individual needs! (Ironically, there’s already a “for you” stamp in this set. If you like a cursive font and can’t bear to cut your stamps, you’re in luck!)

After I stamped “For You” with black ink on white cardstock, I carefully trimmed around the edges. Or you can use a small oval die if you don’t trust your fussy-cutting skills. Then I simply added a foam dot for dimension and secured it behind the flower. I love how the tag resembles a leaf here. 

And there you have it! A simple gift that’s ready for any occasion. You could even change up the colors or sentiment to personalize it even more. For the record, I normally detest sheer ribbon, but this was the right color and the right width. And it was all I had on hand. I actually think a solid, satin ribbon would look even better!

PK :)

Monday, October 21, 2013

Keep Calm & Eat Chocolate


As a self-professed sweet tooth, I always have a little treat tucked away in my office drawer, purse, or compartment in my car. I love any kind of gummy candy (Sour Patch Kids are my fave!), but a girl can’t wrong with good ol’ fashioned chocolate.

My sisters gave me an assortment of candies for my last birthday. They know me so well!
And while I have my favorites in chocolate category (Peanut Butter M&M’s are at the top of that list!), I pretty much like love all varieties.

And since I think most women appreciate the gift the chocolate from time to time, I love coming up with new ways to gift wrap this divine treat.

We’ve all seen the many renditions of the “Keep Calm and Carry On” slogan. When I came across the “Keep Calm and Eat Chocolate” version on Pinterest, I was immediately inspired to print it out, attach it a king size KitKat bar and wrap it in baker’s twine. I even added a little note on the back that said, “When life gets rough, remember to ‘Keep Calm and Eat Chocolate.’ Repeat dosage as often as needed.”


When I handed out a few of these to the ladies at church, they were a big hit. You could even laminate the quote and add a magnet to the back, so the recipient can add it to their fridge once the candy is long gone. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

PK :)