Tuesday

{Homespun Christmas Gifts}



I love making handmade gifts.  I started doing this in college years ago. I was on a tight budget, so I bought a beautiful antique frame at a garage sale and took meaningful momentos and photos and gave it to my Mom.

She cried.

And  I was hooked.

Here are two of the gifts I'm giving this holiday season:

Picture Frame Wreath

This was my inspiration:



I saw it in the Exposures magazine and loved it. But it costs several hundred dollars, which is pretty much several hundred dollars out of my price range.

I remembered I had these cute place card holders. I bought them for a fancy party I never had. Because they were dirt cheap.


I removed the little white  place cards and replaced them with family pictures:


I bought this wreath last year after Christmas. It's fairly plain, but classy.


I attached the 'frames' with ribbon. 


And it cost me nothing!  

Monogrammed Coaster Set

1. Buy a small box of tiles from Home Depot or Lowes. I bought my box for under $5.
2. Other supplies:

 
Ink Pad, stamp, felt pads (also at hardware stores) and clear spray.


3.  Put felt stickers on the bottom of the tile.


4. Stamp monogram initial onto the front of the tile. I found the rubber letter monogram stamps at Hobby Lobby for a great price. The clear stamps worked great for this project.


5. I put four coasters in a set (10 came in the box, so I can make two complete sets with a couple extra for mistakes).


6. I sprayed each one with the clear coating and let them dry completely.

7. I tied the set up with a pretty bow!


59 comments:

Kim said...

I love the tile coasters. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by stamps. Are those decals/transfers or are they inked on?

I just might have to rip that idea off!

Thanks! {slinks away with idea under arm}

Julie said...

How COOL!! I love the picture wreath. You make everything look so easy....

Chaotic Joy said...

Very very cool.

Anonymous said...

You make it look so easy! I'm waaaaay intimidated by the crafty geniuses on Etsy. Love their stuff, but my inner Martha is currently being suppressed (oppressed?) by my 3 kiddos, so I don't have the time to tackle that mountain. These are really great projects that I feel totally comfortable having a go at; Thank You!!

Blessings, Whitney

Anonymous said...

WOW!!!! I love these ideas. I hope you don't mind but I am totally stealing the coaster idea. Thanks for the inspiration!!!!

Grateful for Grace said...

Thanks for sharing the coaster idea. I love it and I'm not really into crafts anymore. This one I might actually do!!

Jessica said...

cute wreath! i love handmade gifts!

Takin' time to smell the flowers! said...

Love it all. I might just do the coasters:) Homemade gifts are the best.

La said...

Love it! We just remodeled a bathroom and have some tiles that look just like that left over. They've been sitting there staring at me and I've been wondering what to do with them. Well, why I didn't I think of making coasters???

Jenni said...

LOVE IT! You are so crafty! How did tonight and today go?

Anonymous said...

I'm totally in the middle of making coasters too!! I got the idea here:
http://www.reluctantentertainer.com/2008/11/prickly-friends-another-balcony-girls.html

Check out the pics... they are awesome!!

Anonymous said...

I love both of those!!! Oh, how I wish there was a craft store or a hardware store somewhere around here!

asnipofgoodness said...

Your wreath is simply beautiful!!! I love it, and the coaster sets are very classy. I think I might try that one!! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Two great projects! I make my wreaths, but I've never thought to personalize them with pictures!

The coaster thing?? BRILLIANT. I feel like I need to run out to a hardware store right now. =)

Lori said...

I especially love the coaster. Beautiful! I once saw an online craft via hgtv where you print a picture on special paper then affix it to a tile just like yours, then hang them on the wall. Just in case you're looking for '09 projects... :)

Unknown said...

Those coasters are great!

Precision Quality Laser said...

You are SO CREATIVE! I love the coaster idea...might be just what I needed for those people who seem to have everything! :) Thanks :)

Unknown said...

LOVE that photo wreath - a definite maybe for me to make for next year!

Thanks for sharing.

Off to stumble it :)

Anonymous said...

Super cute! I love both of them equally . . . . and I might have to rip off the coaster idea.

Tania @ Larger Family Life said...

I have publicly admitted stealing a couple of your ideas on my blog today. I shall be stealing more!

Looking forward to another year of them!

Tania

The Mommy said...

Beautiful wreath! And you can do tons of things with tiles! I think a monogrammed trivet would be so cute!

Nancy M. said...

I love that wreath, it's so pretty and personal! I was wondering how people made those coasters. Thanks for sharing.

TidyMom said...

Oh those are both GREAT projects!! I've been wanting to do the tiles myself!!

~Tidymom

Niki Jolene said...

Lovin the wreath!

:)

HoodMama said...

Love these ideas! But it was the tacos that won my heart! Love your blog!

Anonymous said...

What great ideas! I really love the coaster set. Thanks for sharing these!

Dawn @ simply transparent said...

Very very cool! I'm so proud for U!

I have the makings for some great great coaster Thanks for the idea!

MAMA CEO said...

Ooohhh! I cannot wait to do the picture wreath!

MAMA CEO said...

Ooohhh! I cannot wait to do the picture wreath!

Mom to 5...Daughter of the King said...

great ideas!!!

Cheryl said...

I love the coaster idea. I think I may steal that idea also. The wreath would be a great gift for my mom too...hmm...

Happy Mommy said...

Look at you all crafty! I am so in love with your picture wreath I don't know what to do! I am going on a search for place card holders and cheap wreaths this week!

Anonymous said...

Love the wreath! Have to make one for inside our home. Thanks for sharing - I love easy and beautiful ideas like these!

April said...

Great ideas! Thank you!

Redefining Paradise- Rachel said...

Oh, I'm doing the coasters!!! Great idea with the Monogram lettering........very nice.

Mr. and Mrs. Nurse Boy said...

Thanks for sharing! These are great ideas and they turned out beautiful!

Mrs. Nurse Boy

Kelly said...

The coasters look amazing!! Wow! What a great idea!

misty said...

these both are worth trying... easy & super cute!
thanks for posting & showing pictures. pictures ALWAYS help me! :)

Lisa said...

Two great ideas, easily done. Thanks for the pictures!

I always fall back on what I know how to do -- it's so cool to shake things up.

Anonymous said...

Great ideas! I love the coasters. I have the exact same tiles left over from a backsplash project. Does the clear coating hold up well? I'm going to have to try this. Thank you for sharing. :)

Tammy said...

Oh my gosh, you are just SO smart! And all that is cute, cute, cute.

Unknown said...

Love the wreath but especially love the coasters. Love, love, love em!

Kim said...

Does anyone live in Southern California?? We don't have Hobby Lobby stores and I was just wondering if anyone knew what store in southern CA might be some what like a Hobby Lobby?? :O(

Thanks!
Kim

Lulu and Co. said...

what a treat. i love both the ideas and they are so easy to do. yea I have party's coming up and that would be so nice to take.

Jamie said...

Love it! I already had the coasters on my to-do list...so cute yet so simple. The wreath is absolutely adorable too!

Unknown said...

LOVE that idea! I'm totally gonna try it!

Anonymous said...

Oh, wow, you are so crafty! I wonder if I could do those coasters... How did you get them to look aged or whatever it's called? Very nice.

Oh, and I've seen that wreath at exposures, too! Yep...pretty, but pretty much out of my price range, too!

Patois42 said...

Very nicely done. I think the coasters would work wonders for a lot of the families on our list.

Wendy said...

I'm lovin' those coasters! I am totally going to have to ATTEMPT to make those!

Beki - TheRustedChain said...

I've been dying to try those coasters! You did a great job.

Love the wreath too.

Threeundertwo said...

You make everything look so easy! I love these!

heather said...

Now why didn't I think of that! Pure genius. I am going to make these for my lovely sister in law. Thanks for the tip!

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic idea!!!! I LOVE IT!!!

Kimba said...

I love the picture wreath! Fantastic!!!

Kimba

Teresa said...

Love the wreath idea- instead of a family tree you could have a family wreath- :}
thanks for sharing

Leila said...

Good for you! Love your crafty thoughts!

Lynn said...

I LOVE the coaters! What a great idea!

KarenB said...

As everyone already said, FANTASTIC ideas. And to Kim, no there's nothing in SoCal like Hobby Lobby other than Michaels or JoAnns. And, they're not the same.

Amy@theredheaddiaries.blogspot.com said...

Thanks again for the tile idea. I have been making them for teacher gifts etc. all weekend. This is an awesome idea!!!!!!!!